A thriller you should read.

This month's read Under the Harrow by Flynn Berry will be gripping our readers in a psychological thriller.

Berry has been described as an exciting new original voice in thrillers, giving us hints of Girl on a train, Gone Girl and calls to mind Hitchcock's cinematic scope.

Those wanting to get a feel for this literary thriller, New York Times gives us a review which will wet your appetite and create an interest that is I believe is well deserved.

Look forward to your thoughts, disturbing as they may be.

Until then tense reading.

The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

Gillian Flynn is the author of the runaway hit GONE GIRL, this short story The Grownup pays homage to the classic ghost story. Lets see if the story can get you, the reader all twisty (twisted) as Gillian's other novels.

Mechanical is what Natasha Triply had to say about the Grownup, read that review.

What will you have to say on Thursday 27th October at Gordon White library community meeting room 6pm.

The Millennium continues....

The Girl in the Spider's Web continues the Millennium Trilogy started by Steig Larsson, bringing back the characters Salander &Blomkvist. Opening up our readers to questions and comparisons between Stieg Larsson and David Lagercrantz.

Mark Lawson from The Guardian has written a thought provoking article. This could provide you ideas to agree with or disagree with, or just inflame your own thoughts into a different tangent.

Until then happy reading!

Was there enough spirit in the Ghan?

Spirit of the Ghan by Judy Nunn spans over 100 years and contact the present with the past, a melding of historical fiction and contemporary fiction. While at most enjoyed the book, it sparked a varied conversation about some of the hot topics touched upon with the book.

There were many different points of view spoken about Spirit of the Ghan by Judy Nunn. The most consistent view was that the book seem to be disjointed in it's storytelling, having too many jump points along the many varied timelines. Also that the Judy Nunn told a story of soft political correctness and not of the harsh realities that effected many indigenous people of Australia, readers felt that some of the story was irrelevant while others did not delve deeper.

But all in all the Spirit of the Ghan was a light enjoyable read. As to whether this novel would encourage members to read more or reread some of Judy Nunn's book it would remain to be seen.

Back to Australia with Judy Nunn

Our next novel is Judy Nunn's Spirits of the Ghan.

Karen Hardy wrote this review for the  Sydney Morning Herald.

BTLBC will meet to discuss this book at the Community Meeting Room at Gordon White Library on Thursday 25  at 6.00pm!

Happy reading!

Folks not sure whether 'The Invoice' added up

BTLBCers were generally taken with the novelty of the premise of Jonas Karlsson's book but as conversation ensued, we found that we were all a bit short on the detail. Some readers were happy to go with the general flow of the novel while other readers needed more detail on the functionality of the whole World Resources Division concept. There was much discussion on how people could actually go about taking out such large loans and on what basis and how would this affect the national economy and would this affect their happiness? Would the loan bring them so much 'unhappiness' that their invoice amount would have to be decreased? Questions were asked as to whether this money was gathered in to be re-distributed to less happy people and then 'how would this be done?' and 'what would this actually achieve?' Readers wondered whether WRD was Sweden-wide or world-wide?

There was talk about what really constituted a world resource. One of our readers proposed that emotions need to be included in the world's resources and that's why 'The Invoice' calculation of 'happiness' needed to be considered.

Conversation continued as to what really constituted 'happiness' and how could it be measured? Discussion bounced about on the concept that 'happiness' could be 'universalised' ( I can't think of an appropriate word for this)  and thus 'measured' because most folks considered that happiness varied according to the individual - the 'one person's happiness another's nightmare' idea thus making measurement  rather random and unreliable despite Maud's assurances.

There was discussion about a possible difference between 'happiness' (possibly an outer manifestation of emotion) and 'contentment' (an inner, more private emotion). One of our readers brought in a copy of the current World Happiness Index which told us Scandinavians were the top four happiest countries in the world which might have been a catalyst for a Swedish novelist to write a novel like 'The Invoice'?

Someone noted that we never actually knew the name of the main character and we actually know more about Richard and Maud than the main character. A reader commented about Maud being a model typecast government employee and yet appearing to be available 24/7 which does not fit the '9 till 5' stereotype. This led to conversation about the way digital technology had allowed the encroachment of work into employee's personal lives 24/7 and then onto the possibility that Maud actually worked from home.

There was discussion about how the main character's experience of heartbreak from his perspective would decrease his 'happiness debt' but was considered by the WRD as a positive experience as it developed resilience which was a positive emotional resource and thus increased his debt.


One of our readers who has a great eye for detail was quite cross about the cover displaying a male with an ice-cream cone while our main character in the novel enjoyed his ice-cream in a cup! This brought about much hilarity!

In general it seems this novel certainly raised more questions rather than provide answers. As usual the novel under discussion provided much fodder for conversation which covered a range of topics which were only slightly linked. It's always wonderful to try to solve the problems of the world.

Our next book returns us to Australia. At our next meeting we will be discussing Judy Nunn's Spirits of the Ghan.

Happy reading everyone! (No matter where you are in the world!!)

One reader's response to 'The Invoice'!

Security settings within the organisation make true blogging responses difficult. However I am able to receive responses as an email and then I am able to post that response.

Here is one reader's response that I have received. Many thanks for sharing!



On first impression I would call this tale 'Kafka-esque' and in many ways this is a 21st century take on 'The Trial' (first published in 1925); Karlsson' novella hits the same beats as Kafka's. Both stories deal with a man in his thirties being prosecuted by an unknown, remote authority for an absurdist 'crime' (in the case of Karlsson's book it's being happy without paying for it) or something unknowable at all (Kafka's The Trail). Both men are flirtatious with women who work with the totalitarian authority (Josef K with Frau Montag, and Karlsson's character with Maud). The same 'beats' of The Trial are seen in 'The Invoice'. However, the bleak ending of The Trial is rewritten for 21st century audiences in the form of Karlsson's character ...well...his final words certainly would not be 'Like a dog'.

Two questions that came up for me was what is the difference between assessment and interrogation, and a tax/fee and a punishment/consequence? I suppose in many ways little at all.

What surprises me is the central character of Karlsson's work does not question the situation - isn't the happiness we create a product that we create, as opposed to goods/services provided by a government? Shouldn't Karlsson's protagonist be patenting his form of happiness rather than paying tax on it?

However in the 'real' world we truly do 'patent' and sell happiness - in the form of commercials selling us products and the litany of 'self help' books. We need only look at the mission statements of notable companies like Coke and Pepsi that they strive to 'bottle happiness'. As per the log line on the front page 'Can you put a price on happiness? One man is about to find out'. Well, in the 21st century you can!

A theme I would have liked to explore more in Karlsson's book would be how happiness is linked with shame. This is touched on with the romance between Sunita and the protagonist. This small insight into Karlsson's main character is the highlight of the novel yet falls flat when exploring the bigger picture around secret pleasures. How many of us secretly enjoy watching Days of Our Lives? Probably more than we admit.

Overall this is a nice little read on a rainy day. 6/10.