On the Beach

On the Beach 
By Nevil Shute 
★★★★

In Australia, residents await a wave of radiation that’s slowly been making its way south after the rest of the world participated in a nuclear World War III. Although the basis for the story is bleak, the humanity of the details makes this an incredibly personal read. It’s not about the bombs and the battles; it’s about the quiet personal moments between spouses and friends as they decide what to do with their remaining months of life.  

There’s poignancy in the futility of the little things, planting a garden, sewing a button and a jacket. Though there is technically no point in talking about the future, people can’t seem to help themselves. They worry about their children’s teething issues even though there’s a much worse fate in store for them. 

Most people continue to do the things that they love. I think what struck me the most about this book was the civility of people even though they knew what was coming. There was no murder and looting, instead the majority of the people continue their lives as normal, focusing a little more on family and leisure than they would have in everyday life. They knew it was coming, but that didn't change who they were as people. There were a few people who did things a bit more extreme, like racing at top speeds, because they had nothing to lose, but even those people did it in a structured way. The funny thing is, even though they know it’s the end of the world, they can’t help succumbing to normal things like falling in love. 

BOTTOM LINE: Beautiful and heartbreaking, this classic provides a look at society on the brink of extension. It took me a minute to embrace the style of storytelling, which felt a bit stilted, but after that I was sucked in. 

“If what they say is right we're none of us going to have time to do all that we planned to do. But we can keep on doing it as long as we can.”

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

The Huz and I got rid of cable in December. Since then I've been watching tons of older shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime and have found some new ones that are so fun. 

Does anyone else watch Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries? I binged the first two seasons and I love it!. Miss Fisher is a detective in Australia in the 1920s. She defies all normal social rules and basically does what she wants. I kinda love her. The period costumes are gorgeous, the supporting cast is wonderful, and each episode is like an Agatha Christie whodunit. Check it out if it sounds up your alley! 

What are you all watching that I should check out?

Wordless Wed: Twilight Opera House

Twilight at the Sydney Opera House

More Wordless Wednesday here.
Photo by moi.

Wordless Wed: Sydney Harbor

Sydney Harbor

More Wordless Wednesday here.
Photo by moi.

Wordless Wednesday: Koalas and Kangaroos

Sleepy koalas and kangaroos at the 

wildlife park in Australia.
More Wordless Wednesday here.
Photo by moi.

The Rosie Project

The Rosie Project

by Graeme Simsion

★★★★  

The word that I kept seeing connected with this book was charming. Now that I've read it I can definitely see why. It's a sweet romantic comedy of a book. The literal and at times challenging Don Tillman is nearing 40 when he decides to begin "The Wife Project." He has Asperger syndrome, though he does realize it, and has always had trouble fully understanding the social norms expected of him. His role as a genetics professor in Melbourne, Australia causes his path to cross with Rosie. The two form an unlikely bond and Don's rigid schedule is thrown for a loop.

For me this was such a fun book to read. I've heard Don compared a dozen times to the character of Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory, which is pretty accurate. Imagine Sheldon deciding he needs to find a wife and you've got the basic plot. The book works not because of that, but because the author makes you care about the characters. In addition to setting up hilarious scenes, like Don becoming a bartender, the book makes you root for the characters. It adds little layers of depth as you get to know their pasts. There's an elderly woman Don befriended and the frustrated wife of his best friend, both of whom tell you more about who Don really is, despite his brusque demeanor.  

BOTTOM LINE: Loved the book, a perfect quick read when you're in a lighter mood. I think I'll skip the sequel. For me the story felt very complete and I've heard "The Rosie Effect" isn't nearly as good.

Wordless Wednesday: Scenic World

Scenic World in the Blue Mountains, Australia

The top pic is the glass floor of the car pictured below it! 

More Wordless Wednesday here.
Photo by moi.

Australia

 (Me at the Sydney Opera House)

 

We arrived in Sydney, Australia and took a train from the airport to Circular Quay. When we headed out of the station the very first thing we saw was the glorious sight of the Sydney Opera House looming at the edge of the harbor. It was just breathtaking.

We made our way to our hostel in the Rocks. It had been an exhausting day and we were thrilled when we finally found it and could stop lugging our backpacks around. I had picked this specific hostel because of its view of the harbor. It had a rooftop terrace that gave you a panoramic view of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House. We spent some time there every single day because it was just the perfect view. Our first night there we took a bottle of wine with us and sat at a little table soaking up the view. It was amazing.

 (The Huz checking out the shark tunnel at the Sydney Aquarium)

We spent the next day exploring. We had a quiet breakfast at a little cafe where lorikeets landed nearby. We took a guided tour of the opera house (seriously, don't miss that, so cool!) and then walked through the Botanical Gardens. We had coffee at a little spot on the harbor that gave us a great view of the bridge.

 (Petting a koala bear!!!)

We wandered around the city, checking out the Queen Victoria Building, and finally went to the aquarium, which was honestly pretty skippable. We took a ferry from Darling Harbor to Manly Beach and grabbed some food and drinks. That night we meet fellow book blogger Brona for drinks, which was just a blast.

(Sleepy koalas, feeding kangaroos, Tasmanian

devils and more at the wildlife park) 

The next day we took a tour of the Blue Mountains. I wanted to get out of the city for a bit, but I knew our time was limited, so it seemed like the best way to see as much as possible without a car. We went to a wildlife park, which was really cool. It wasn't like a zoo, many of the animals were just wandering around in the enclosed areas and you could pet them!



(Three Sisters)

We learned how to throw a boomerang and went to see the scenic views of the Blue Mountains. They were just lovely and reminded me a lot of the Grand Canyon and the Smokey Mountains in the United States. They are huge and there's a blue haze around them that apparently comes from the eucalyptus plants. 

 (Me at Lincoln's Rock)

 

We visited a little mountain town where I found a bookstore! It was called Megalong Books and had a really great selection. We also got to see the 2000 Olympic Park, which has a ton of unique structures. 

 



 (Manly Beach)

On our final night in the city we went to dinner at the best seafood restaurant I've ever found. We had been rationing our dinners out, occasionally having picnics with grocery food, so we decided to splurge. It was a great way to say goodbye to the city.

(Our view from the hostel terrace of the Harvest Moon rising behind the opera house.)

Sydney was so much larger than any of the cities we saw in New Zealand, but it had its own charm. I loved the bustle of the harbor. We saw the white sails of the opera house in rain and shine, in the morning and at sunset. The building just sets the mood for the whole city. I'll never forget seeing it for the first time.

Photos by moi. Please do not use without permission.

Pairing Books with Movies: The Secret River

 

The Secret River

by Kate Grenville

★★★☆

 

William Thornhill is sent to jail in London for thieving. He gets the opportunity to choose between a punishment of death in England or exile to Australia, so his wife Sal and their infant are soon on their way to the outback. Once there life is anything but simple. As the couple struggle to survive they are tested on every front.

 

Where Thornhill sees an opportunity his wife sees a lonely life in the wilderness. They decide to take their chances and begin to farm. They are soon introduced to the small community in the area and the contentious relationship between the native aboriginal people and the new English immigrants. Many misunderstandings arise because of the cultural differences between the people. The people have a hard time finding common ground because of their unique view of landownership and very different styles of celebrations.

 

Fear is what drives people to destroy what they don’t understand. The tragic consequences are a stain on the entire country’s history. They haunt the characters long after they become a distant memory. I loved that the story gives a voice to both sides of the issue. Many of the white people didn’t understand the harm they were doing. They were afraid and when they decided to act in fear they were bound to make a bad decision. The persecution of the aboriginal people is shown in a way that allows the reader to understand how things could have escalated so quickly.

 

BOTTOM LINE: The story is a powerful one. It revisits the age old question; do the ends justify the means? For me the characters were a little stale, but I have found myself thinking about different aspects of the plot since I finished it two months ago. It’s not one I’ll reread, but I think it offers a valuable glimpse into the difficult relationship between immigrants and the native people in any country.

 

I’m posting this as part of Brona’s Books AusReading Month! Check out all the Aussie goodness here.

 

Pairing Books with Movies: So many aspects of this novel reminded me of the troubled relationship between Native Americans and settlers in the United States. Dances with Wolves is a great movie to watch to explore that a bit more. Rabbit Proof Fences is another one that I’ve heard great things about. It deals with three aboriginal girls in the 1930s.

Big Little Lies

 

Big Little Lies

by Liane Moriarty

★★★★★

 

I’m officially a huge fan of Moriarty. She has an incredible skill for introducing friendly, women who seem like people you know, building up their lives and then taking a sharp turn into the unexpected. Despite the sweet friendships that sit at the core of the story, the book deals with some very serious and real problems, yet it reads like a mystery you can’t put down.

 

From the first pages we know that the police are trying to solve a murder case. Then we skip back in time to months before the fateful night of the crime. Sprinkled throughout are interviews with witnesses and suspects, adding layers of depth to the plot. We touch on topics as diverse as bullying, financial status, blended families, domestic violence, and more. The book explores the social dynamics and pitfalls of elementary schools’ hierarchy and the personal lives of some of the mothers of students.

 

Madeline, Celeste, and Jane are all mothers of children in the same kindergarten class. Jane is new to town, a quiet single mother who is overwhelmed by it all. Madeline is the brash center-of-attention who, though well-meaning, tends to stir up trouble wherever she goes. Celeste is the gorgeous wife of a wealthy financier. Each woman has a much more complicated life than what first appears to be happening on the surface.

 

BOTTOM LINE: A big book, but a fast engaging read. The author makes the characters come alive. She can deal with dark subject matter without making the whole book feel dark. She manages to hit a delicate balance between gravity and readability. I couldn’t put it down and I will be reading whatever she writes next.

 

 

*Read as part of the R.I.P. Challenge hosted by Stainless Steel Droppings.

 

Wordless Wednesday: Lincoln's Rock

 

Lincoln's Rock in the Blue Mountains in Australia.

More Wordless Wednesday here.

Photo by moi.

In Certain Circles



In my quest to read books set in Australia and New Zealand before my trip there next month I have encountered some interesting books. When I was sent a copy of In Certain Circles I realized the story behind the novel is almost more fascinating than the book itself. Decades after it was written, this quiet novel is finally seeing the light of day.

In Certain Circles
by Elizabeth Harrower
★★★

Set in Sydney, we meet two sets of siblings, Zoe and Russell, a wealthy pair whose lives are brimming with possibility and then Stephen and Anna, who are from a lower class and recently orphaned. We follow the four characters through a few decades of their lives. Despite their best efforts their paths cross and crisscross again and again. Zoe and Russell both leave for Europe, but eventually find themselves back in Sydney. Anna and Stephen must work to make ends meet, their options much more limited because of their situations. 

The book has a distant feel that radiates from every page. Even when I was reading about what a character was thinking I still didn’t feel like I understood why they felt that way. It was also odd that all the major action of the book, falling in love, weddings, death, etc. seems to happen off screen. All we see as the reader is the aftermath and the quiet reflection of the decisions. That’s not always a bad thing, but in this case it just felt like you were missing crucial parts of the story.

BOTTOM LINE: Some of the writing was beautiful and profound, but the stiff nature of the novel left me feeling cold. I wished I’d had the chance to get to know the characters better. I felt like I was never welcome into their certain circles. 

“When you head anyone rave on about the problems of youth, you want to say: wait till they’re adults! As if “growing up” finished when you were twenty-one. Or forty.”
 
“Social behavior was just another way of telling lies.” 
 
“She wrote: I wish –  And crossed it out. She wrote: I hope –  And crossed it out. She wrote in very small letters, as though she meant to hide them even from herself: Goodbye.” 

**I received a review copy for an honest review.

The Husband’s Secret

The Husband’s Secret

by Liane Moriarty

★★★★★

If Tana French and Maeve Binchy had a baby, this would be it. This beautiful, complicated novel is set in Australia and weaves together three separate plots. The first introduces us to Cecelia, an organized mother of three girls (Polly, Esther and Isabel) who finds an old unopened letter from her husband John-Paul.

The second introduces us to another married couple, Tess and Will. Will has fallen in love with Felicity, who is Tess’ best friend, cousin, and business partner. Tess, left reeling from the shock, flees to her mother’s house in Sydney with her son Liam. Finally, we meet Rachel, grandmother to Jacob. She is frustrated when her son Rob and his career-driven wife Lauren decided to move to New York. Rachel has experienced some extreme tragedies in her life that have left her bitter and resentful.  

I loved that for each of the women we are able to see them through the eyes of other people in addition to hearing them describe themselves. It gives a more complete view than we as the reader are usually able to get. We often either hear what a character thinks of themselves or we see a characters described by others, not both. I loved that combination. It made me think about how I view myself vs. how others see me. We are harsher on ourselves and at the same time we can be cruel to others with our quick first impressions.

The three stories, which on the surface seem so different, are connected by unexpected threads. From the Berlin Wall to the Biggest Loser, the author uses random elements to connect the lives of the women. The whole structure reminded me so much of Maeve Binchy’s style of writing. There’s also a darker side to the story and shades of Tana French’s skilled mysteries kept popping up.  

Another wonderful element is the depth of the secondary characters, especially Felicity and Connor. Both could easily have been one-note creations, easily dismissible. Instead we see their layers, we empathize with them. Their complications make the entire story richer. As much as we sometimes wish it to be true, people are not simply good or evil. Moriarty’s novel embraces that fact and delves deep into the complicated stew of life.

BOTTOM LINE: Such a wonderful novel, I couldn't put it down. It was a equal balance between great characters, excellent pacing and an incredible plot. This one hit the nail ont the head for me.

“It was like being buried in an avalanche of detail. The myriad of tiny logistical maneuvers that made up someone else’s life. It wasn’t that it was dull. Although it was a little dull. It was mainly the sheer quantity of words that flowed so effortlessly from Cecilia’s mouth.”

“Did one act define who you were forever?”

Travel Plans!

So the Huz and I are officially going to New Zealand, Australia and Fiji this fall! We bought our plane tickets and I am over the moon! We have been planning and saving for this trip for years and now it's really happening, just in time for our 5th anniversary.

We are planning on taking a Lord of the Rings tour of spots in New Zealand, camping and road tripping through NZ's south island, seeing the Opera House in Sydney, maybe kayaking at Milford Sound, relaxing in Fiji and so much more. But as we start planning out the details I would love to hear your input. There are two major things I would love to know.

If you've been, what should we make sure we don't miss?

I love reading fiction and nonfiction set in places I'm going to visit.

What books are set in those areas that you would recommend?

Photo of Milford Sound from here.

In a Sunburned Country

In a Sunburned Country
by Bill Bryson
★★★★☆

I’ve been having a one-sided love affair with Australia for as long as I can remember. After years of planning and saving I still haven’t made it to the great Down Under. But until I can plan a trip there, I can console myself with Bryson’s wonderful book.

The hilarious travel writer has been a favorite author of mine for a long time now. Between his stories of growing up in Iowa (The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid), his time living in England (Notes from a Small Island) and even his books on the English language (Mother Tongue), I’ve grown to appreciate his work. A few of his have been misses for me, but I usually love his dry sense of humor and cynical view of travel. This one definitely makes it into the top three favorites list of his books for me.

He writes about everything in Australia from the Great Barrier Reef to the tiny towns in the far west. He covers the history of the Aborigines and the exile of convicts to the continent from England. I love the way he weaves all of this together, adds a big dollop of local beer drinking and meandering through small museums to create an entertaining book. He pairs good information with rye comments on the state of local hotels and supposed “attractions.”

One of my favorite bits was his description of his narrow escape from wild dogs. He told the whole thing from the point of view of the woman whose back yard he stumbles into. I couldn’t stop laughing for about 10 minutes.

Yet despite his teasing, he never looses his ability to gush about the natural beauty of an incredible place. Even when he’s joking about the names of the towns or crazy political systems his love of the place is still obvious. It’s like he’s talking about a relative, he can criticize them a bit, but you know he would defend them to someone else in a heartbeat.

BOTTOM LINE: Do you love travel memoirs or Australia? If yes, then this one is a must. I think it’s also a great introduction to Bryson’s work if you’re curious about him and want to try one of his books. A Walk in the Woods is another great one to start with.

**The audiobook is read by the author and it’s just fantastic!