Try warming up with Australia, it is a hot topic any time of the year with an unusual history and much variety in landscape and people and as you know wintertime here is summer down under. 1946 the economy of Australia is booming and immigrants from Europe and other war torn countries are settling into Australia society as I learned in The Far Country by Nevil Shute while at the same time the Royal Navy was in its final stages of transporting war brides from Australia to England as I read in The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes.  Those brave brides didn’t know about the shortages and hardships they were headed for and the trip over was no walk in the park as they were being shipped on an aircraft carrier.

Need a good suggestion for your book discussion group?  Read The Big Little Lie by Liane Moriarty it is set in contemporary Australia with characters galore to explore and discuss.  It is a funny story with a fund raising quiz night that didn’t go quite as smoothly as our Chili Bowl did but has some great ideas for next year.  I mean the costumes not the other thing that happens at quiz night.

If you like great storytelling then Nevil Shute and Bryce Courtenay are two authors you should try.  They are available on Ebooks using the www. montanalibrary2go.org  plus your library card number to check them out.   The library has quite a good collection of Bryce Courtenay novels on CD.  His stories are written to be read aloud and I love listening to those Australia accents.

Getting Down Under:

Nevil Shute – The Far Country

Jojo Moyers – Ship of Brides

Liane Moriarty – Big Little Lies

Bryce Courtenay – Four Fires