As usual, two great books to enjoy this month. One classic novel written over 140 years ago and one fresh from the printing press!

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky is often considered to be the first 'modern' novel. It is a story of the brutal double murder and its aftermath. An impoverished ex-student, Raskolnikov, kills an old pawnbroker and her sister, apparently for financial gain. But as he encounters friends and family, strangers and adversaries, Raskolnikov is compelled to face the true forces that have led him to murder. Anyway, I don't want to give away the whole story; read it for yourself!

Breath by Tim Winton is the story of Bruce Pike, a paramedic, who arrives too late to save a boy found hanged in his bedroom. He knows the difference between suicide and misadventure. Pike understands only too well the forces that can propel a kid toward oblivion. Not just because he is an ambulance-man but because of the life he's lived, the boy he once was, addicted to extremes, flirting with death, pushing every boundary in the struggle to be extraordinary, barely knowing how to stop. 

A compelling novel and a great read.

Next meeting Friday 29th May 2009