The latest gathering of The Book Circle was held on Thursday, 12 February and a variety of books were shared.

Fiction:

An Academic Affair - Jodie McAllister

An Academic Affair is a witty romantic comedy in the cutthroat world of Australian university academics.

Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have know each other for fifteen years, and they’ve disliked each other for every one of them.

It starts with a minor altercation in an undergraduate literature class, but as their academic careers develop so do their arguments.

By the time they graduate with their doctorates, they are embroiled in full-on rivalry.

So when a position comes up that Sadie and Jonah are both perfect for, their ongoing enmity explodes into red-hot competition.

But as Sadie fights to secure her future, she realises there might be a way for both of them to get their dream job.

There’s just one catch - they’ll have to get married first.

When things get personal, though, Sadie will have to keep her eye on the prize.

A fake marriage isn't worth jeopardising her career over - or is it?

We Solve Murders - Richard Osman

A group of eclectic individuals join forces to solve a murder or two in Richard Osman’s new book.

Steve Wheeler a retired policeman, a widower and now living in a quiet English village is content with his orderly life socialising with a new group of friends.

However his daughter in law Amy, a private security guard, is presently on an island guarding a well-known author Rosie D’antonio.

Steve’s quiet life is disrupted when he receives an SOS from Amy.

He is reluctant to leave the shores of England but his close friendship with her leaves him no choice.

The three of them embark on a whirlwind journey around the world with the enemy in strong pursuit.

Money laundering, murder and the introduction of new characters along the way make this an entertaining read.

'Black Mist' and 'Provocation' - Geoff Davis

Both books are murder mysteries based in the fictional remote town of Jarrajarra, Victoria.

While Jarrajarra is fictional, the surrounding Victorian High Country region mentioned in the books is real, featuring towns like Mansfield, Bright and Beechworth, and the main character, police officer Chris Taylor (a one cop police station), reporting to Wodonga, the largest regional police station in the area.

These books are a combination of historical fiction and hero fiction.

There are references to a politician being murdered in Griffith NSW sound very much like the Donald McKay murder in 1977 in Griffith NSW and police officer Chris Taylor sounds like 'Jack Reacher' comes to North East Victoria.

This is not a criticism as the combination does work.

Problem is, he does not exist, but Chris Taylor makes a great fictional character.

His ethics, like Jack’s, are questionable.

He also has a military background and is an expert marksman, just like Jack, there is lots of bloodshed, just like Jack.

Both books have some quirky characters that appear in each, and both are very readable.

Lot of Australian country town humour.

If there are more I personally will read them.

It was great to be able to imagine fiction in our own North East.

However, Geoff, include our great town (sorry, Rural City) of Wangaratta next time.

Archangel - Robert Harris

What a story!

It is fiction, a thriller, but has elements of true history in it for a background of the most explosive plot.

So much was packed into four days.

The focal point is Joseph Stalin’s notebook.

The historian in the plot was drawn to this notebook and the contents led him to a port in far north Russia to find the girl who wrote the book.

The girl is not there, but someone is…

My research tells me there was a medieval port called Arkhangelsk (English translation Archangel) on the Northern Dvina River near its mouth on the White Sea until 1703, when it was replaced by the newly founded Saint Petersburg.

Most of the Russians named in the book are part of Russia’s history (such as Lenin, Stalin, Mamantov and others) which makes it even more scary.

The Confession - John Grisham

This novel is based on fact and tells how an innocent man was accused and sentenced to the death penalty with no credible evidence.

There was no body, a confession was made under duress; an affidavit of a witness was total fabrication.

The jury were all white and the defendant was African-American.

The defendant’s lawyer tried many times over the nine years that this man was held on death row in solitary confinement to have the matter reheard or motions to better his conditions, but nothing worked.

Finally, the person who actually committed the murder came forward and confessed to the murder.

He was not believed, even though he had a criminal record and took them where the body was buried.

But it was too late.

The lethal injection had been administered.

His lawyer had promised to the defendant before he died that he would have the sentence exonerated and after quite some time that eventually occurred.

The murder charge was expunged from his record.

A gruesome read, but compelling.

Non-fiction:

Suffering, Redemption and Triumph: The first wave of post-war Australian immigrants 1945-66 - Peter Brune

Between 1946 and 1966 large numbers of displaced persons came to Australia to escape the destruction and chaos of war-torn Europe.

Brune explains the immigration decisions of the Labor government at the time, the vulnerability of our small population and the urgent need for workers to build Australia’s future.

There was also a strong sense of obligation to alleviate the deprivations suffered by millions of Europeans.

Brune interviewed former displaced persons from many European countries, and these interviews are a valuable insight into their harrowing war experiences, their reception in Australia and their responses to an alien culture.

Vegetarian Tagines and Couscous: 65 Delicious Recipes for Authentic Moroccan Food - Ghillie Basan

A beautifully illustrated book, with authentic recipes for creating the true taste of Morocco.

Available from Wangaratta Library.