February 2013

Ok it is official, next meeting is at Deb's on Sunday the 17th of February.I will get back to you with address and times etc, will need to check with Deb on what she has planned. Deb please advise.

Book  title for february which we will be reviewing is Cloudstreet by Tim Winton., a true Australian Classic

CloudstreetTim Winton 1991

Dustjacket synopsis:
"Cloudstreet a broken down house of former glories on the wrong side of the tracks, a place teeming with memories of its own, a place of shudders, shadows and spirits.
"From separate catastrophes, two rural families flee to the city and find themselves sharing this great breathing, sighing, muttering structure and begin their lives again from scratch.
"There are the industrious Lambs, who wait and wait on the God of Miracles who seems to have foresaken them, and the gambling Pickleses, who prefer to deal with the mysteries of Lady Luck and her henchmen. Both aghast at the fates which have delivered them to Cloudstreet, and the baffling realisation that they will always remain there.
"Together they roister and rankle in a divided house that begins as a roof over their heads and becomes a home for their hearts.
"In this fresh, funny novel, full of wonder and dreams, brilliant young Australian author, Tim Winton, weaves the threads of lifetimes, of 20 years of shouting and fighting, laughing and grafting, into a story about acceptance and belonging."
Quotes:
"It is, I suspect, a masterpiece" - Veronica Brady, West Australian
"Nothing short of magnificent...a wonderful read" - Andrew Yule, Time Out
First Paragraph
Will you look at us by the river! The whole restless mob of us on spread blankets in the dreamy briny sunshine skylarking and chiacking about for one day, one clear, clean, sweet day in a good world in the midst of our living. Yachts run before an unfelt gust with bagnecked pelicans riding above them, the city their twitching backdrop, all blocks and points of mirror light down to the water's edge.
Twenty years, they all say, sprawling and drinking. There's ginger beer, staggerjuice and hot flasks of tea. There pasties, a ham, chickenlegs and a basket of oranges, potato salad and dried figs. There are things spilling from jars and bags.
The speech is silenced by a meodious belch which gets big applause. Someone blurts on a baby's belly and a song strikes up. Unless you knew, you'd think they were a whole group, an earthly vision. Because, look, even the missing are there, the gone and taken are with them in the shade pools of the peppermints by the beautiful, the beautiful the river. And even now, one of the here is leaving.
Notes:
This novel won the Miles Franklin Award in 1992.

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Susie advised the following re our donation.

Just to let you know I put the $137.00 to the Redkite charity (which supports children/youth with Cancer here in Melbourne as Kids with Cancer was for the Sydney Hospital on their website).  Hope that is OK with everyone. http://www.redkite.com.au/

Donation will be going through this week and Redkite (a foundation for kids with cancer ) will receive the money in May 2013

Thanks for arranging that Susie and a big thankyou to Ernst & Young for their contribution.

I delivered the hamper to Patrick, Imet up with him The Yam and he wanted to pass on his gratitude to everyone, he was thrilled, it made his Christmas.

We will still be reviewing the Bone Bed at Deb's although from all accounts it appears that selecting your title from the back of the bus is perhaps not the best selection criteria.

Gaye has already sent her apologies, anyone else please advise asap.

cheers happy reading

Audrey x