The 2008 Christmas jaunt on Kokoda was a special finale to the year. Thanks to Captain Rusty and Donna for hosting it. We motored towards the sea, then headed for the River's source, enjoying a sumptuous lunch, a boomerang book sharing and a secret Santa.

BC #16 – Thursday 12 October 2006
Book – In My Skin by Kate Holden
Host – Helen Campbell

BC #17 – Thursday 2 November 2006
Book – We have to Talk Abot Kevin by Lionel Shriver
Host – Jacqui Hoskins

BC#14 – 12 july 2006
Host – Ingrid Blackett
Book- Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee

We were a very small group this evening: Janet, Helie, Paula, Anna and Ingrid. Denise, Prue and Donna McC were holidaying and Donna McL had to stay back at work. Even though the group was small, the talk was lively and, if I remember rightly, everyone had liked the book. It was not as 'tough' as some had imagined. We touched on the political situation in South Africa and how the storyline and the main characters related to it.

Ingrid had tried to do South African food, to stick true to the theme of the night. Unfortunately her 'true' soup had to go down the insinkerator a couple of hours prior to the girls arrival. As she had omitted to store it in the fridge, it had gone off, just like South African politics... Never mind - a make-believe South African corn soup did the trick and warmed everyone on this cold night.

Anna was very animated and talked with arms and legs (well, not quite) and sent her wine glass flying... THIS was the real excitement of the evening! As the glass contained red wine and landed on the carpet, it stirred everyone into frantic activity! Toiletpaper, salt, talcum powder and the vacuum cleaner were all put into action. Mums and sisters were called on the phone to assist with advice. John consulted the computer. Sore knees and shoulders were had from the rubbing and dabbing. And Janet using the salt grinder over the stain, once the saltshakers were empty, is a picture I for one will never forget. Paula all the while stayed busy taking pictures - lest we forget - and Ingrid got the giggles badly, watching all this frantic activity. She wanted tiles anyhow... she had 'told John all along...'
Result: carpet cleaned up fine, we did some extra bonding and we have a 'sure' recipe for future clean-up operations! (Ingrid)



BC#14 B – 10 August 2006
Book - Q and A by Vikas Swarup
Host – Prue Dear but Denise's book at Prue's home.
Comments - Prue had the burners alight and book was discussed with Donna McL telling tales of her time in India for Phillip Adams’ radio show and Prue recounting her time as wardrobe mistress in the film The Far Pavillions. We were all caught up in the atmosphere of India- perhaps too much smoke was in the air- and the night was an enormous success.

Hels debated resigning from BC as she felt she had said too much, but in reality we all loved her humorous self-depreciating life stories. In comparison to Paula's stories of technicolour screams the next day, she realised how well behaved, comparatively, she had been.

Guest appearances by Tony/ Luigi/ Coathanger, Prue's long time flatmate from Heaven/ Hell and his new love, Kerry added to the atmosphere. Not many men are brave enough to show their faces for more than 10 minutes on BC nights, and to his credit, Tony was brave enough to cope. (Denise)


BC #15 - Wednesday 6 Sept 2006
Book - My Uncle Oswald by Roald Dahl written in 1980
Host – Denise but Prue's book at Denise's place
Great to have Francie as new member. BC now has full membership of eleven women, anymore and we'll b 2 unwieldy and it'll take too long to have your book choice. If u want to bring your new best mate, an out of town/ country visitor or you've just had too many reds and had the urge to ask a fun wild girl along, check with the hostess of the night that that's OK. One of our original aims was to be inclusive, not exclusive and I know we all believe this is important, so guest appearances are fine.

Apologies from Denise for her rude pike at 11:00pm to join Anna and the Riverfeast Cha Char crew on the Victoria Bridge. Now she is 50, she will do exactly as she pleases even more often.

Bon voyage to Ingrid who will be travelling to Perth and Germany and will make it back for Christmas breakup. We all luved the champagne and Hibiscus flowers in syrup.
Hope Donna McC is in better health and Peanuts sitting up happily waiting for caesarean section on 30 October. She has also been busy with the legal work for Rusty's company, Meridien's 50 million buyout of Able Point Marina in Airlie Beach.

Thanx to Paula for carpet cleaning presentation, shame Anna missed it.. Also for the bookmarks for us all from Vietnam.

A nite of many milestones. (Denise)

BC#11 Wednesdayt 3 May 2006
Host - Janet
Book – The Sea by John Banville
This was the first bookclub of our latest member Jaqui Hoskins. Janet was understandably nervous after her last effort. A balmy May night and we sat outside. The book divided people. Some couldn’t see the point of it at all and found the description which Janet herself found cryingly beautiful, gratuitous and dull. Those who hated the description also found the plot somewhat light on which Janet conceded but maintained the book still stands up as unforgettable. The night ended quite early as BC still had memories of a year ago when last hosted at Janet’s. Host had a severe hangover the next day. (written by Janet)

Author Night - Wednesday 31 May 2006
Janet + Helie + Donna Mc + Ingrid to John Banville talk at Customs House. Perhaps slightly disappointing as he talked less about writing The Sea and more about winning the Man Booker Prize and the controversy that ensued. (written by Janet)

BC# 13 Wednesday 7 June 2006
Host – Donna McLaughjn
Book - Affection, There Is No Cure by Ian Townsend
Janet, Helen, Anna, Denise, Paula and Ingrid all met at Donna's wee flat in riverside Chelmer for an uncharacteristically late start to BC. I too usually avoid historical fiction like the plague (ha ha!!) but was tempted to read this one having worked with the author at Radio National, and found him to be a lovely and humble human being.

I had also read lots of positive reviews which made me think I should support a local Brisbane writer. Once I started reading it, I enjoyed being able to relate to the physicality of the places he describes, Townsville in particular - but the character of the North in general, and also liked having a bit of a chuckle as I read. It felt like he'd really worked the book - except it lagged at one point for me - and I got that sinking feeling, oh no, it's one of those first novels that can't go the distance (it was around the time that the tent hospital was being talked about - it felt to me that he lost a bit of momentum there ...) but overall the pace and mood was enjoyable, easy to engage with.

anyway, back to BC. we all sat around my dining room table - the most people I've ever had in my flat - and we ate nibblies and drank wine and mineral water, talked about the book and John Banville ( I didn't mind that he was short ...) I had taken notes and read a quote from his talk that evening at Customs House - "A work of art generates its own law which cannot be transgressed." This confirmed for me that he was a true writer because he spoke so beautifully - this was just one sentence among many. I liked that as the former Literary Editor of the Irish Times he was able to speak truthfully about the business of writing reviews - "some books don't work!" and his own pride at writing experiences - so that the act of reading becomes experiential ... oh I digress, and so we talked about the BC author too - Ian Townsend that is - and Anna said Why didn't I invite him? I had thought of it, but wondered where he'd fit in a room full of strident women, in such a tiny physical space ... so there will be a chance to meet him, hopefully, at the 2006 Brisbane Writers Festival.

I loved the evening - the many cigarettes that were smoked on the minature balcony and the ranting by one and all, amidst speculation about the Title - is Affection the verb of infection? and so on. My feeling is that Affection was what occurred between the doctor and his patients - that he did in fact have a real affection for them - as well as lovely stories from Helen about her reading of Affection - her moments with the book in quiet while her baby slept and the impeccable timing of her finishing the final sentence just as her baby woke ...and stories from Hele & Janet about the Eagle Junction Fete, book covering, and their parents ( I feel like I know them...) and talk of art on my walls (George and Willy Tjungarrayi and Rover Thomas etc) prompted me to give funny little pastel rants on paper to each person who was there... I think Ingrid lost her little orange pastel heart which had no story except that which exists between a work of art and its admirer... then the lovely women left en masse - leaving me with crumbs from the turkish bread and empty bottles to clean up and a gorgeous warm feeling. loved having you all in my flat and thanks from my heart for contributing your beautiful selves to the occasion. (Donna McLaughlan)

BC#7 - Tuesday 8 November
Host – Paula
Venue –
Book –
Comments -

BC#8 - Thursday 24 November 2005- Our Christmas Dinner
Host - Denise-
Venue - @Montrachet, Given Terrace, Paddington
Book - Tim Winton's The Turning
Comments - It should have been obvious from the start that this one was not to be about the book, in fact, when Denise held up her book and tried to interest the others in talking about it, at most one sentence was uttered.
We had booked this restaurant, that only opens Mon to Fri, 4 weeks previously. As they do 2 sittings each nite, we could stay from 6 to 8pm, and felt fortunate to have a wobbly table on the cracked footpath breathing the carbon monoxide of the passing traffic. This heralded a new era in Brisbane dining. We tasted all the entrees, sharing the divine morsels, the mains and wines were OTT too- am salivating as I write. Ingrid had returned from her travels and presented us with flashing Christmas broach from Thailand. It was an early night. After our first year as a BC, I felt we were jolly and had gelled. (written by Denise)

BC#9 - Thursday 16 Feburary 2006
Host – Anna
Venue – The Bat Cave aka The Mousehole
Book – Incendiary by Chris Cleave
We all squished into my "mousehole' as Donna McCart called it.
Denise was late and a bought blond girl from WA - the former pilot - forget her name. Anyway it was a very boozy night. I served vegetable soup and bread.
The book was quite controvercial and much annimated discussion...very clear division between who liked and who did not. No one agreed with janet’s opinion that whole thing was a satire. (written by Anna + Janet)

BC#10 Wednesday 29 March 2006
Host - Donna McCart
Three Short Stories Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber (Ernest Hemingway), Salvatore (W Somerset Maugham) and Please, Be Quiet Please! (Raymond Carver) – the first book club without Big Chook, who was attending her grandmother’s funeral in Bowen. Short Stories were chosen, copied and distributed to members after the hostess was chastised for picking ‘rare’ books not available at Brisbane book stores or BCC libraries (oops!) – the rare books were Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway then Up at the Villa by Somerset Maugham!! The hostess was impressed by Janet Campbell’s knowledge of what comprised a ‘gimlet’, which features prominently in Hemingway’s story – good salve for frayed nerves and sexual tension! (written by Donna McCart)