my readings
A Gentleman in Moscow- Amor Towles
Jan 23
Just finished reading this book, and need to admit that I am a bit late to the party as many of you will have already have read this gem as it was published in 2016. Tardiness excluding, this book touched me with its poignant portrayal of a fictional Russian aristocrat, Count Alexander Rostov, forced to live under house arrest at the Hotel Metropol following the Bolshevik Revolution. Although his living space decreases, his world seems to open up as he discovers enduring friendship, love and new experiences despite his confinement. As a history teacher, I enjoyed the subtle way Amor Towles dealt with the harsh realities of life during the transition from empire to industrialised superpower- sometimes matter of fact, sometimes with despair, sometimes with black humour, but ultimately a triumph of friendship and the human spirit.
A great read!
The Angry Women's Choir- Meg Bignell
Feb 23
If I lived in Tasmania, I would want to be a member of this choir.
I hold all the necessary requirements, bar one…I can’t hold a tune very well, but I have a feeling that the women in this book wouldn’t give two hoots about that limitation. I think they would welcome me with open arms.
This book is one of those rare gems; it has the ability to make you laugh out loud and then bawl buckets full of tears.
Its biggest problem is that it is fiction. I wish these women were real and that I could have them on speed dial on for phone for dealing with any life crisis.