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Book Review of Liane Moriarty's Apples Never Fall In Apples Never Fall, Liane Moriarty shows great insight into family dynamics. Moriarty's latest release, Apples Never Fall, is a family drama in which various plot twists slowly but surely unfold. The story centers around the Delaney family, a seemingly perfect family living in Sydney. Joy and Stan, the parents, run a successful tennis school and are admired by many in the community. However, when Joy goes missing and a mysterious stranger, Savannah, enters the picture, their family dynamic is turned upside down. The Delaney children, Amy, Logan, Troy and Brooke, put aside their differences and work together to uncover the truth about their mother's disappearance. Moriarty is a master at weaving together multiple storylines and perspectives, and Apples Never Fall is no exception. Moriarty deftly explores themes of family dynamics, trauma, and secrets, drawing the reader deeper into the lives of the Delaney family. The arrival of a mystery character, Svannah, adds to the intrigue and provides further insight into what drives the Delaneys. The characters are complex and well-developed, and the plot twists and turns will keep you guessing until the very end. Bookclub Questions on Liane Moriarty's Apples Never Fall
 Apples Never Fall was published when Liane Moriarty who, at the time of writing the blog post is 56. Could a younger writer have written this book? Bookclub Questions on Liane Moriarty's Apples Never Fall (if you haven't read the book)
Personal Response to Liane Moriarty's Apples Never FallOverall, I found Apples Never Fall to be a slow-burning book that ultimately delivered a good ending. The characters were well-fleshed out, and I enjoyed how the various plot twists unfolded. It was neatly plotted. While it took a while for the story to pick up steam, once it did, I found myself fully invested in the Delaney family and their struggles.
Moriarty's writing style was engaging and kept me turning the pages. What I particularly enjoyed was how, on the whole, Moriarty avoided sounding didactic when exploring family values and character insights that were as relevant to Moriarty's readers as they were to the characters in the book. All in all, I would recommend Apples Never Fall to anyone who enjoys Liane Moriarty's brand of family dramas and is willing to invest some time in a story that slowly, but surely, builds up to a decent climax. Book Review of Neil Shusterman's Scythe and Thunderhead The Thunderhead has never been more relevant than it is right now. I'd love to know what Neil Shusterman thinks about the developments in AI. Neal Shusterman's Scythe and Thunderhead are two must-read novels for fans of dystopian fiction. Set in a world where death has been conquered and society is ruled by a group of "Scythes" who are responsible for keeping the population under control, these books follow the story of two young apprentices as they navigate the complex and dangerous world of the Scythedom. The Scythes are the only group of people outside the jurisdiction of the all knowing, benevolent AI computer, that rules humanity, called the Thunderhead. It is in Neil Shusterman's Scythe, we meet Citra and Rowan, two teenagers chosen to become Scythe apprentices, a position that comes with the power to decide who lives and who dies. As they learn the ways of the Scythedom, they become embroiled in a power struggle that threatens to tear apart their world. Of course, a dystopian novel doesn't mean that a bit of romance can't be thrown in! In Thunderhead, the sequel to Scythe, the story picks up where the first book left off, with Citra a fully-fledged scythe and Rowan a vigilante scythe figure, murdering corrupt scythes who have broken the laws of sycthedom. As Rowan, and Citra (who becomes known as Scythe Anasatasi), try to navigate the dangerous politics of their world, they must also contend with the growing threat of a rogue Scythe who is determined to bring down the Scythedom. Shusterman's writing is compelling and thought-provoking, offering a deep exploration of what it means to be human. It investigates the complex ethical dilemmas that arise when mortality is no longer a concern. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and the plot is full of twists and turns that keep readers on the edge of their seats. Book Club Questions on Scythe and Thunderhead
 Neil Shusterman is a prolific author for young people, but as an older person, I also enjoy his books. Book Club Questions on Scythe and Thunderhead (if you haven't read the book).
Personal Response to Neil Shusterman's Scythe and ThunderheadThe first time I read Scythe was a few years ago when I was working as Head of Libraries. I found it engaging, but didn't really look beyond its suitability for teenagers and young adults. This time round I was fascinated with the power and the role the Thunderhead played in the book. it couldn't have been more timely as I heard of the advent and immediate impact of Chatgpt, providing so much knowledge at one's fingertips.
The Thunderhead in the novel, is a benevolent omniscient ruler of humanity. The Thunderhead's algorithims are such that they know exactly how much freedom to give humanity in running its own business. Consequently it doesn't interfere in some areas and of course, the scythes rules themselves and are beyond the jurisdiction of the Thunderhead. It comes as no suprise then, that they are the group prone to in-fighting being led by greed, avarice and ambition. The inability of humanity to learn from its mistakes is powerfully explored in this fabulous series. If you are a reader who enjoys thought-provoking stories that explore complex ethical issues, then this series is the one for you. Having read the first two books I can't wait to finish the trilogy, I have a feeling that the best is yet to come!  The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley is a claustrophobic thrilling page-turner. Book Review of The Paris Apartment by Lucy FoleyThe Paris Apartment is a well-named psychological thriller - the focus of the action is almost entirely within a single apartment inhabited by the dysfunctional Meunier family. The reader is introduced to them when Jess turns up to meet her brother Ben, only to find that he has gone missing. The story is part who-dunnit and part why-did-they-dunnit with the various twists and turns of plot, that you'd expect of a thriller. The reader is invited into a world of subterfuge, lies and deception where very little is as it originally seems. Sophie, the elegant and sophisticated step-mum chooses to hide her origins, and the concierge, also has plenty of reasons to be hesitant about revealing who she really is. The characters in the Meunier family are all caught up in the life of Ben, a charming, if somewhat disingenuous, journalist. They all have a different reason to slowly realise that they'd rather Ben wasn't in the apartment that his friend Nick, son of the bully Jacques Meunier, had invited him to live in. Jess, his sister, is repeatedly warned to leave things well alone, but determined to discover what has happened to her brother, she refuses, despite the danger this frequently puts her in. Book Club Questions on Lucy Foley's The Paris Apartment
Book Club Questions on The Paris Apartment (if you haven't read the book!)
Personal Response to The Paris Apartment by Lucy FoleyStylistically, Lucy Foley's The Paris Apartment reminded me very much of Lisa Jewell's The Family Upstairs. There are even similarities in plot structrure and both Lisa Jewell and Lucy Foley wrote sequels to their novels where we learn more about the protagonists. Although I don't read many thrillers, The Paris Apartment did what it advertised on the tin. It was an interesting page-turner, with manageable short chapters, making it, in my view, a quick and fun holiday read.
Book Review of The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri Christy Lefteri has spent her career learning about the situation of refugees and migrants. Christy Lefteri's The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a powerful account of the lives of a young couple who lived a simple, but comfortable life in Aleppo, Syria, surrounded by friends and family. Afra was an artist who painted in the mornings, while Nuri went to work, as a beekeeper, with his cousin Mustafa in the mountains. We quickly learn of the traumas both families undergo in war-torn Syria and after the deaths of the sons of Nuri and Mustafa respectively, the families decide to seek a safe life in the UK. Mustafa leaves first and makes it to Yorkshire where he became a teacher of beekeeping to other immigrants. Nuri, and his reluctant wife, Afra, follow, The use of emails in internet cafes between Mustafa and Nuri provides an outlet for the reader to gain insight into Nuri's emotional state. The Beekeeper of Aleppo is about both physical and psychological trauma caused by war, family loss, abuse and dislocation. The balance of the relationship between the central couple Nuri and Afra changes as the story progresses. As the reader looks in on their life experiences, we notice both the impact of not only the horror of what the refugees undergo, but also the impact of small kindnesses shown to them. Through this the reader gains insight and understanding about the real-life plight of thousands of people in similar situations to these fictionalized characters. The unexpected revalation towards the end of The Beekeeper of Aleppo (which I've talked about in My Personal Response, so don't read if you've not finished the book,) demonstrates the immense skill and craft of writing demonstrated by Christy Lefteri. Bookclub Questions on Lefteri's The Beekeeper of Aleppo
 Watch the great interview below by Christy Lefteri - What a woman! Book Club Questions on The Beekeeper of Aleppo (If you haven't read the book!)
Personal Response to The Beekeeper of AleppoThe thing that makes Christy Lefteri's great book stand out for me, is the focus it places on the psychological trauma that Nuri and Afra have undergone and continue to go through as they escape the Syrian war and make their long, arduous journey to England. For much of The Beekeeper of Aleppo Lefteri encourages the reader to focus on Afra's blindness, as we see Nuri support her the best he can. It took me an age to figure out that Mohammed is a figment of Afra's imagination, which puts the rest of his narration in question. Pure genius on the part of Lefteri.
Book Review on Bram Stoker's Dracula Have you ever come across a more suspenseful opening than Johnathan Harker's journey to Transylvania?! Dracula begins with Jonathan Harker, a young English lawyer, recounting his journey to Transylvania on a work assignment. En route, frequent travellers, hoteliers and peasants warn him from going but he pays no heed. Jonathan is relieved to find that upon arrival Dracula is both well-educated and hospitable, but he soon learns that things are not as they seem and he discovers he has become a prisoner in the castle. Harker realises that the count has supernatural powers and evil ambitions. He is nearly attacked by three beautiful and seductive vampires - it is clearly time to escape! Meanwhile, in England, Harker’s fiancée, Mina, and her friend Lucy. correspond frequently. Lucy accepts Arthur Holmwood’s proposal after reluctantly turning down two other suitors. The two get together in Whitby where they see a Russian ship wrecked upon the shore. If only they new that Dracula had shape-shifted on the boat and jumped off as a large dog, having killed the entire crew. Things continue. Lucy sleepwalks and becomes pale and ill after being found in a cemetery ... she also has two strange marks on her throat that no one could explain. We now nip back to Harker who, has escaped, but has suffered brain fever and is being tended to by nuns. Mina, his fiancee goes to help him recover and Van Helsing (an eminent professor) figures out that vampire work is at play. Several garlic cloves and a few blood transfusions later, there is hope that Lucy may survive, but that hope is short lived. And on the book goes, with a rollicking good storyline, that J.K. Rowling would be proud of. We all know what ultimately happens to Dracula, but before then the book focuses extensively on the death of the 'undead' Lucy, who has herself become a vampire. This in fact, seems to get far more attention than the death of Dracula himself. Had Bram Stoker perhaps reached his wordcount for payment and so didn't linger over Dracula's death, or had he just run out of steam .... The story is plot driven with great use of symbolism and motif. I've never actually seen any movie adaption, but the number out there is testament to the quality and enduring appeal of Bram Stoker's Dracula. It deserves its place as a classic in the gothic horror genre. Book Club Questions on Bram Stoker's Dracula.Who is your favourite character and why? Discuss. Discuss what you thought the most frightening event or series of events in Dracula. What made it so frightening? We never hear from Dracula first hand in the book, i,e. he doesn't share a diary entry or letter. Why do you think Stoker denied him his own narrator's voice? What is the effect? Lucky Lucy receives three marriage proposals in one day. Why do think she chose to accept Arthur and not the other two? To what extent does Dracula conform to the tropes of vampires that you are aware of? The reader never learns exactly how Jonathan escaped. Discuss what you think happened? What stereotypical views of men and women are presented in the book? Does Stoker ever question the stereotypes? If so how and what is the effect on the reader? Dracula and Frankenstein's are often discussed together, yet they were published almost 80 years apart. Why do you think this is the case? What are the similarities and differences between the two books? Dracula was based on a real historical figure called Vlad the impaler. Share what you know about the history of him and Dracula's creation. Why did Dracula have to send Transylvanian soil to England. Dracula came to Whitby on a Russian ship and killed the crew en route! (Who'd want to be in that boat?) Have you visited Whitby? What do you think knowing the location of where supposed fictional events occured adds to your reading of the novel?  Apparently, Bram Stoker never went to Transylvania, but rather did his research in the British library. Book Club Questions on Bram Stoker's Dracula (if you haven't read the book!)Legends of vampires have existed for centuries? Why do you think this is the case? Who would you prefer to meet - a vampire, werewolf or regular ghost? Discuss who you think you could most easily befriend? (Note, this is a deliberately silly question.) Dracula is, by and large, a novel based on diary and letter accounts, shared bewteen the characters. What are the advantages and disadvantages of writing a novel in letter form? You may not have read Dracula, but you will know about vampires and have the gist of the story. If you were casting Dracula in a film, who would you choose to play Dracula? Dracula was written in 1897, so inevitably the style of writing and vocabulary is a little antiquated. Would you be more inclined to read a book that was considered a classic, or would you be put off by the time lapse between it being written and now? Personal Response to Bram Stoker's DraculaI listened to Dracula, rather than reading it from the page, which I think completely changed my experience of the text. Those in my bookclub who'd read it said that they found the opening passage and the build up to Lucy's death full of suspense and horror. Listening to the text, it just felt antiquated and not so believable. Why, for example, did Jonathan keep going to Count Dracula's castle, when every single local person warned him against it. The penny seemed to drop very slowly for him!
What I did find interesting was Dr. John Seward's role in the 'lunatic asylum'. I'd love to know more about the Victorian's attitude to mental illness and listening to this story has inspired me to investigate the topic and look at the timeline of the novel in relation to the development of humane treatments of mental health illnesses. The other area my interest was piqued and, I guess, amused by was how sexist the language and the attitudes expressed in the book are. Lucy, many of my bookclub friends' favourite character, becomes a voluptuous temptress having been bitten by Dracula, and poor Arthur doesn't know what to do with himself - quite different to the portrayal of her before she was attacked! Lots to think about and fascinating to see the development of character and the fascination of the Victorians with horror - did I enjoy it? Yes. |
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