This wasn't an easy book to read, and yet I couldn't put it down. It is a book all parents should read, because as statistics show, almost all child sexual assault is perpetrated by someone the child and family know. What made this true story so much more shocking is the perpetrator was a priest and that two of Christine and Anthony's daughter's were sexually assaulted by him.

Christine Foster uses sparse unemotional prose to describe the life of her family and the pain and grief that came from the abuse of her two daughters, both from around 5 years old, by this priest who had access to them through their school and their church.

The story is as much about the battle Christine and her husband waged with the Catholic Church to get acknowledgement of these crimes and compensation for their suffering; the medical ramifications for both daughters meant years of treatment; as it is about the veil of secrecy the church and it's representatives, tried to pull around the crimes.

There are other victims stories listed in this book, some of whom came forward 50 or more years after the event. All of the sexual assault crimes listed in this book were perpetrated by the one priest!

I take my hat off to a mother who could put this story down in black and white and make it readable.

In Lonnie's Shadow is a great book written by Chrissie Michaels. This book is about the hard times in the Little Lonsdale Street area of old time Melbourne.
The book has four main characters, Lonnie, Pearl, Daisy and Carlo.
They are brought into something entirely new to them when Lonnie becomes part of an illegal horse race against some of the best jockeys around. The best part is, Lonnie is determined to win, whatever it takes.
This book has a great storyline full of mystery and adventure.
I strongly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a great story plus learning something about what life was like back then.
I hope you have a great time reading this, just like I did.

I enjoyed reading the book, but had difficulty categorising it.
It's certainly a blokey book. The women who do take part in the story are rarely in the foreground - although we accompany one of them as she takes a long inland trip in a motorbike and sidecar - otherwise we spend time with the families of these women, rather than with the women themselves.
The first third of the book reads as 'young adult fiction'. However, one of the characters (male, of course) bridges the Great War and World War II
while other men are seen as survivors and victims of the 39/45 conflict.
If the book is a saga (it covers enough years), then I found there were too many threads, too many families to keep up with.
It is set mainly in the Australian outback and there are many quite beautiful word pictures of fading townships, failing farms under conditions of prolonged drought, of bushfire and, of course, of failing men.
MADE in AUSTRALIA is the story of boys at school, (one expelled from a 'posh' city boarding school), boys enjoying life's freedoms in country towns, but then growing up into the harsher realities of everyday life and survival - war-borne or not. They mature variously, as skilled wool-growers, a crop-duster, a peeping tom, farmers of varying degrees of success, a film maker and an alcoholic.
What may have begun as 'young adult fiction' certainly finishes with some very adult themes.

Room tells the dark and confronting story of a 5 year old boy conceived and born to his captive mother in a tiny room in which she has been held for 7 years. They are at the complete mercy of their captor and live in constant, dreadful fear until his mother orchestrates an escape reliant on the little boy's ability to play dead.

When first the reality of their situation dawned (and it took a few pages), I doubted whether I wished to continue. However, it became compelling - one of those books that you need to finish, simply to be done with.

Told through the eyes of the 5 year old Jack, at times I became frustrated with the dialogue, and longed for some adult input, however the skill of the writer eventually overcame my discomfort. By midway, I was comfortable with the writing style, and admired the imagination shown by Emma Donoghue to complete the task.

In summary, this book is not for everyone, however for those who dip into it, do not expect to put it down quickly, or forget it hurriedly. It left a real impact on my soul.

A deliciously clever and humorously sadistic (double) murder mystery.
Michael White is not a new writer, he has sold in 29 countries and is a top seller in the UK, and so he should be. In this brilliant novel you actually get two murder mysteries for the price of one, with both killers trying to create their Masterpiece in the 'Art of Murder', their results being both macabre and horrific in a deliciously tongue-in-cheek way.
Detective Chief Inspector Pendragon does not know where to start in solving the present day murders and is jolted from one horrific staged death to the next as, at the same time but many years previously, we are given glimpses of a letter of admission and explanation from an infamous killer from the past, on why and how he was trying to do the same thing but in a different way.
The book is brilliantly written and I would strongly recommend it to all readers who enjoy this genre.

Every now and then I sit down with a book and don't want to get up again, I'll do anything to extend the time I have to read to get back to that book. 'Amandine' by Marlena de Blasi is such a book. It's a story about an orphan from an aristocratic Polish family, it's set in pre-second war France against the background of a remote convent in the French countryside. The story begins in 1931 and finishes in 1945 following the orphan Amandine, as she searches for her identity and her mother.

Marlena de Blasi has developed characters so beautifully believable that you begin to care about them and so their lives become important to you the reader. Whilst I was reading the first two chapters I didn't think I would continue with the book, I'm very pleased I did! To think I would have missed this moving and touching story about the strength of love and the undefinable something that exists in this child's soul.

I don't often rave about a book, this one however will be vey easy to hand sell. It isn't due out until November 2010, I was lucky enough to read a proof copy. It's here in the bookshop if someone else would like to read and review it.

In her book 'Amandine', Marlena de Blasi takes us through the first fourteen years of an abandoned Polish girls life. Set in France in the 1930's and later the occupation war years, Marlena skillfully sets the reader amongst the terror and uncertain futures of the book's well defined characters.
Baby Amandine, born into an aristocratic Polish family, and with a congenital heart condition, is left in the care of a French country convent with a guardian that she loves as a mother, and an elderly priest that she believes is her father. For ten years, her life here is fairly constant until she is subjected to unbelievable cruelty, and Solange, her guardian decides to uproot them both and travel through war torn France in search of clues to the child's real identity. The journey is long, and heartbreaking.

Initially, I found it difficult to become absorbed in this book. The writing style, although beautifully descriptive, was at times too descriptive, tending towards tedious. However, by Chapters 5 and 6, the characters had become so real to me, the story moving more quickly, and I had forgotten to be critical. Indeed, by the time eight year old Amandine pens a poignant letter to her imaginary birth mother, I am in tears, and wonderfully hooked!
The writer paints her characters with such reality. "Liquescent, mud brown eyes nearly swallowed in the glee-crinkled folds of his lids, he laughs". Oh that I could conjure up such phrasing.
By midway, the characters are touchable. Real, lovable. Indeed, toward books end, I was feeling such pride with the way Amandine was managing her difficult life, it was as though I had somehow had a hand in her upbringing myself.

The plot was well crafted, moving quickly and often with surprise. I found that the surprise element complemented the setting of the uncertainties of war, the storyline at no time predictable. I was in fact, shocked on occasion, and wondering what the next chapter would bring.
There have been many books published recently set during, and about the Second World War. This book, never focusing on the war itself, but instead on the complexities of relationships within that period, has excelled in providing yet another insight into the difficulties of surviving.
Oh.... and did I mention the ending?
Bravo Marlena de Blasi!

When Jewel Valentine saved Sacha Thomas from drowning she had no idea how it would change her life.
This is a novel about life, death, friends, family, grief and love. It is told by both Jewel's and Sacha's perspectives and it gives a real insight into the main character's lives. The details of their back stories are gradually revealed throughout the book. You definitely understand the characters and the motivations behind their actions.
For such a delicate topic as death the author has approached the subject delicately and captured the teenage perspective. I think it is a good example of grief and how it affects others. However this is not a depressing book. The balance of romance, tragedy and humour is perfect.
There are few criticisms for this novel. One is that this novel lacks any real story which at times can be boring. However the real emotions felt by the characters carries the story and you want to know what happens. Another is the fact that Albert Einstein was an expert in physics not chemistry, as stated in the book.
This is a relatively easy read and a good novel for teens by a teen. Girl Saves Boy is a touching heartfelt debut novel by 16 year old Steph Bowe.

This is not an easy book to write about. It is not an easy book to read.
As the various armies rolled backward and forward across Europe during the Second World War, it was not just the inmates (and survivors) of the Concentration Camps who found themselves Displaced (as in Displaced Persons) but the something like 20 million slave labourers who had been pressed into service by the German war machine.
20 Million - think of the population of Australia!
Even before the war, Germany was short of labour - especially in agriculture, so recruitment took place all over Europe.
With the end of hostilities, not everyone wanted to return to their original home territories. The Russians were seen as the destroyers. Their peasant soldiers spared nothing as they passed through an area - man, woman, child, beast, house, landscape, little remained untouched after the Red tide.
So, not surprisingly, the human tide was always moving ahead of the Russians.
Other nationalities were reluctant to go home if their homeland had been taken over by communism. Some Poles went home, easing the burden on some of the IRO camps in Germany, only to head back across the borders again, when they realised what the political changes in Poland meant.
Britain balefully refused to allow exit to any more than a dribble of the 100,000 Jews wanting to go to Jerusalem. But even this number of Jews was only a small part of the total. When all the dust had settled and most of those who wanted to go home had done so, there was still a hard core of 1 million DP's living in squalid conditions in various camps in Germany. Whole families, with children knowing no other life, were losing the morale to get up and help themselves. Until large scale immigration programs - such as that begun by Australia's Arthur Caldwell - and other countries, were initiated, those thousands of DPs were a static force, draining the economy of the victorious nations, as well as Germany, as they tried to offer help through different welfare agencies.
A very difficult subject, well-written, but an interesting explanation of where our post-war work force (e.g. Snowy Mountain Scheme) came from.

This author, already well known for previous works such as 'Case Histories', 'One Good Turn', and 'When Will There Be Good News?' has produced another novel where her description as eccentric, seems to hold true. So also does her humour, wit and close observation carefully embedded in the story line of this densely written work.
The development of the story is not straightforward, and it sometimes is tiring to need to refer back to the dates, times or days, marking the passage of time. There are many characters, the main being the already established Jackson Brodie, former detective and now endeavouring to find the family roots of a client, and managing to save a small and very endearing dog on the way,
There is Tracy Waterhouse, a retired D.S. and now working in a security firm, overweight and with compulsive interest in food, who buys a small child, in an attempt to rescue her from a well known prostitute. And there is Tilly who witnesses these actions and who is an elderly actress teetering on the brink of mental disintegration. The observations of these characters and the lives that are consequent upon these actions, is sensitive and sometimes embracing, making it necessary to re-visit some sections again in order to enjoy, or fully appreciate the experiences.
Of course there is the murder of prostitutes and towards the end of the book the major problems achieve some form of resolution which helps to make sense of what has happened previously.
Persistence is needed, but is worth the effort.

As the blurb tells us it is a novel about a charismatic rabbi who influences his followers and becomes misguided by this power. I found the plot predictable and not so thrilling. While I know very little about the Jewish faith and I found it interesting, I feel that the story line could have substituted any religious order in the plot and reached the same conclusion.

Sometimes I find it hard to pick up a book, read it and finish it but in this case, Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater was one of these books that I just couldn't put down. If you are
a fan of Stephanie Meyer and the Twilight Saga then this book is for you.

Shiver is a different kind of love story that will leave you wanting to know what happens next . Grace has always watched the wolves in the woods behind her house but one in particular, the one yellow eyed wolf, seems very familiar to her but what Grace doesn't expect is that these wolves are very different than most wolves you see and hear about.

Overall I would highly recommend Shiver, it is an easy read with an ending that will leave you waiting for the second book. I loved it and I hope you do too!!

This book starts of with a very interesting premise that I found got bogged down within itself. I found the main character of Roddy boorish and annoying, and with that his little excursions into self-examination dull. The books lent itself to being literary for the sake of it, as if to prove the point that all those little references will be widely known. Or maybe that is the point of the strange little bits. On the whole, I found it all 'de trop' and cannot see myself recommending it.

I have had the absolute pleasure of reading Frances Watts uncorrected proof as above.

This book was such a lovely read and something I looked forward to reading each night. I must admit I had low expectations as a book about mice on an adventure did seem a little child-like. It was easy to get into quite quickly and I grew affectionate about the characters early on. I love the ginger mice concept and the racial adeptations. It was very effective.

The hardest part of selling books is having the buyer be interested enough to buy it. I don't think the heading does the book any favours. It is dull and suggests a little old school and traditional thinking - which the book is not.

I am happy to offer further feedback but can't wait for the next version. I think the key to the success of this is not the writing itself but how you market it.

A cold winter's weekend required a book, the fire was alight and Jan provided the material with a catch and here is the review.

From "Here to There" is easy reading - following the story of father (Jon) and son (Jack) as they take a drive from Melbourne to London. Jon's itch to be fulfilled and Jack on a ride of discovery. Rather a story about challenge and reflection, the opportunity to spend time with his son than a just a travel story, it intertwines both text from their website blog, Jack's moments of reflection and mostly Jon's challenges in fulfilling the dream "check points, borders, bureaucracy, the rush to drive from Melbourne to London in six months" the true essence of the trip.

An interesting read in which Jon's background as a broadcaster and questioner comes to the fore in trying to understand the often confusing way in which humans interact and fear what they perceive as unknown "unknown in terms of what is around the next corner, who is in the next valley or what could possibly be across the next border". The reader needs to take from the book what they wish. Take a moment, as Jon and Jack have in undertaking the trip, reflect on the key message and think about what is possible, a great read with some neat pictures to break it up.

This book is a must read for the lost, hurting and faithful alike. The author has made this book come alive by sharing with readers in a manner reflecting his great wisdom and knowledge especially sharing time with his dear friend Walter Betts. It shares similarities to my adoptive dad and our reconciliation before his passing to the Lords kingdom, hit a heart string. The very next passage remembering young Andrew Luedi, these two combined with the remainder mentioned, brought to mind an entire gamut of human emotions that are ever hardly pondered in our selfishness. This thoughtfully presented information is further testimony to help in overcoming our earthly expectations while at the same time promoting and understanding to just how important readiness for this glorious event is. To those who have overcome the fear of death's sting, the content offers a wonderful opportunity to further promote God's extraordinary power and goodness with the power of healing through his Spirit in the name of Jesus, proving once again that God sent Him to be the light of the world.
Although it took about 23 pages for me to really appreciate this book, once I understood the Lord's message I found it very rewarding and was hooked after Margret Wilson 1685, I may have o'deeed on the Wesleys but found this book a refreshing size with so much knowledge and wisdom regarding the Saints mentioned which openly leads to a lot more investigating if so desired by the reader, I now go in search of the Christian magazine with over 222 pages....

Somersaulting sausage rolls this was an exciting book. Mimi, Lachlan, Jack, Ben and James Forsyth-Snugglebottom are the main characters. The characters were funny.

A lot of the story is set on Hazard River. I liked it when Mimi stood up on the boat and they nearly fell in the water and when the children had a speed boat ride home at the end of their adventure. I think boys and girls aged 6 to 12 would enjoy reading this story.
George Nicoll, 6.5

I love reading, and i have read a lot of books. "A Mango Shaped Space" is the best book I have ever read! I never knew syneathesia ever existed, so I have learnt alot from this book. It is about a girl who can see colours, and she has a pet cat called Mango. She called it Mango because she saw him as the colour Orange. Her mother didn'tt know that she had syneathisa, at one point in the book she got depressed, and she had a fight with her friend. It's a fantastic and interesting book! I would recommend this book to any one!
(Editors Note: Hayey is one of our young customers and we appreciate her review of this great book.)

It's the swinging 1970s and like many young Australians, Jackie has gone "OS" on the big tour of London and Europe. Jackie is following her dream of pursuing a career in fashion design - a dream she has held since high school. Jackie and her psychedelic suitcase take off for London packing her folio of very Australian-themed designs. She arranges a few days off from her job to go to Paris with every intention of wowing Andre de Courreges with her designs. Her four day weekend turns into a five week adventure during which she meets fellow travelers pursuing the hippy trail; she drives on the 'wrong' side of the road in a clapped-out Austin on which she demonstrates extraordinary mechanical skills, and experiences sex, drugs and rock and roll!
My own daughters travelled during the late '70s and early '80s and I felt like I was re-reading those precious letters, and yes, they were on blue-lined aerogram tissue-like paper in which they detailed their adventures (omitting the more salacious bits!). How communication has changed, with instant contact via email and mobile telephones. Perhaps the evolution of communication will be the demise of such wonderful stories as "Sugar Sugar", surely made from letters and diaries of the day.
Wilkinson captures the era beautifully and whilst she wrote this book for young adults I believe those young adults' parents and grandparents will enjoy the language and style of this book. A good read.

I liked this book because the children went on an adventure. It was a little bit like The Famous Five stories. This story was set on Hazard River on a rainy day.
My favourite character was the carpet snake. Everybody thought the snake was very scary.
The story was very exciting, I could not put it down and it was easy to read. I think this is a good book for boys to read because there are snakes and koalas and most of the characters are boys.
Hugh Nicoll, 8

'.......making me feel strangely like an actor in a cheap, contemporary street play......'
So appears this statement about half way through this thriller. It also reflects the experiences of this reader, though more from the perspective of the observer. More specifically, this thriller projects the reader through an escalating series of events at great speed, reminiscent of a cartoon strip in a newspaper, and which frequently stretches the boundaries of credibility
The main characters - an undercover cop, Sean Egan, and a policewoman, DI Tina Boyd - are both, unknown to each other, involved in the capture, kidnapping and in some measure the death of a sadistic serial killer known as the Nightcreeper. Along the way, drugs, gangs, corrupt police and government ministers play their parts. There is no doubt that the author is very familiar with police procedures and experiences, which clearly offer a huge contribution to this story. The speed with which action progresses, tends to mean that any attempt at understanding, or reflection are absent. Hence, the two main characters are two dimensional, but just acceptable. The rest are almost caricatures and the story has little satisfying depth.
For readers who enjoy this genre, then perhaps, even for them, this would be a good novel to while away time while on a long haul flight.

The cover blurb tells us that this is "The first new novel from Damien Galgut ... since the Man-Booker-shortlisted Good Doctor." I confess to not having heard of Galgut before this. His novels are set in his home country of South Africa and, in this one at least, he evokes the mood of its troubled, post-apartheid society very well, to the extent that I could hear much of his dialogue with a Japie cadence. That said, I found this to be a less than satisfying story.
In precis, Adam, a somewhat gormless would-be poet, having lost his job and all of his money, accepts his brother's offer to live in a derelict house on the edge of the Karoo desert, some eight hours out of Cape Town. Here, he encounters an old school friend who draws him into a world of business, deception and corruption that he can't cope with. To make matters worse, he begins an affair with his friend's wife.
The story is intriguing, well-written and is clearly leading the reader towards a climactic ending. Sadly, it ends nowhere - it just peters out with barely a whimper. I was left with a feeling of great dissatisfaction. Perversely, readers may well enjoy the book more, knowing that there is no dramatic ending.

Sitting firmly in the fantasy genre, the book features just three characters - the apothecary Luxton, his 16-year-old daughter Jessamine and Weed, a boy who can talk to plants. Set in rural 18th century England, it is a magical tale of good and evil overlaid with a generous dollop of young love.
In refreshing contrast to the genre\'s current fad for 600-page door stoppers, The Poison Diaries does the job in just 160 pages and does it very well. It\'s a well-constructed, easy read with a good, solid plot and an unexpected ending. It\'s targeted at the 13+ reader and I highly recommend it.

The Poison Diaries, by Maryrose Wood and Jane Percy, is about Jessamine Luxson, aged 16, and her father, Thomas Luxson, who is an apothecary. They live in an old abandoned chapel. Thomas Luxson studies plants and their uses as cures to various diseases, and in doing so builds up a very large botanical garden. Jessamine shares her father\'s interest in plants and often helps him out in the garden, except in the Apothecary section, which is where the most dangerous plants are located. It is the only area where Jessamine is not allowed to go, and is locked behind a large gate.
One day Weed, an orphan boy who thinks he is 17, is brought to Mr. Luxson by the manager of a mad-house, who says Weed cured all his patients and then turned the whole town mad. He then gives him to Mr. Luxson as a gift, because of his abilities with plants. Weed then lives with Jessamine and her father, and Weed and Jessamine gradually fall in love with each other, and Weed finally reveals that he can talk to plants. When Jessamine falls terribly ill though, Weed must go into the Apothecary garden and confront the most poisonous plants there to save her.
I would rate this book about four or five out of ten. While the storyline of the book was usually fluid, the writing style could occasionally be disjointed and confusing, where it was hard to separate the different characters from each other. The plotline was complex and the book would be more readable if it was longer, and the author better explored all the ideas. The twist at the end was quite good, however, and it does clash with a readers moral values. I would recommend it to readers of 13 years or older who like romance books with a twist, but only if they enjoy talking to plants.
(This Reviewer is 14 years of age.)

Halo, by Alexandra Adornetto, is about three angels who are sent to Venus Cove, a sleepy seaside holiday town, to protect it from the gathering forces of darkness. They have to disguise themselves as humans and place themselves in the thick of things in order to bring people back to the faith and regain their spirit and their trust of each other. Problems arise, however, when the youngest angel, Bethany, is sent to the local high school and falls in love with the School captain, Xavier. She must choose between her loyalty to Heaven and her feelings for him.

The story comes to a head when a new power comes to town. Jake Thorn is charming, seductive, and a demon. When he goes after Beth, Xavier and the other angels must work together to save her.

Halo is an enjoyable novel, but starts very sluggishly. It is really first and foremost a love story, focusing on Bethany's and Xavier's secret love. The bad guys don't even put in an appearance until the second half of the book. After that, however, the pace picks up and it becomes quite hard to put down. There are plenty of witty jokes and remarks that will keep you smiling through the entire book. I would rate this book 8/10, and recommend it to all readers aged 12 and over who enjoy a well-crafted love story with a bit of action on the side.
(This Reviewer is 14 years old.)

I picked this book up because I loved Carole's Dragonkeeper' series for younger readers. This story is set in the 70's and is about Jackie who leaves Adelaide to go to London to pursue her dream of being a famous fashion designer. One weekend, she goes to Paris and ends up travelling through countries she has never heard of, with a variety of travelling companions, on a journey that eventually leads her through some exciting and dangerous experiences.
It is an easy to read book that I read in one sitting, thoroughly enjoying the characters and places they went. I remember the fashion and music of the time but as I did not travel when younger or take off to follow a dream, I was able to do this through Jackie and her exploits.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it to older teenage groups (there are a few four letter words, as well as sexual and drug references) and adults, who may have lived in these times or would have liked to.

I really enjoyed Battlefield. The main character was a boy called Barry and he lived in Cowra Australia. The story is based on a true World War 2 story when the Japanese were at war with Australia. Barry's brother Jack has been taken prisoner at a Japanese prisoner of war camp.

People who might like this book. I think you would enjoy this book if you like true war stories. I'm a boy and I'm 10 turning 11.

Milk Fever is the first book by Lisa-Reece Lane. The focus of the book is family life, and two unhappy marriages. Julia was a dancer with the Australian ballet who ended her dancing career with the birth of her first child. Her son is now six, and her daughter is eighteen months younger. Together with her husband Bryant, they have left inner-city Melbourne for a nondescript country town about one hour and forty minutes away. Bryant is about ten to fifteen years older than Julia, and has set up a business teaching yoga and 'spiritual healing'. He is the eternal optimist, setting daily affirmations for his wife to remove her negativity.
The story is told from Julia's point of view, but is intertwined with the point of view of Tom, who works on his parent's dairy farm. His mother is bitter and hateful towards Tom, who sees things a bit differently to those around him. The style of intermingling Julia's views with Tom's is quite an interesting one, weaving a narrative that slowly threads together. Family secrets are revealed and 'healing' occurs on many levels. In style it is similar to Anne Tyler or Carol Oates - looking at the interplay between people and the path to meaning and identity. It is the small things - how a child fits into a new school, the responsibilities of Tom for the farm - milking and fixing fences, and the interplay between the locals in this ironically named town of "Lovely" and the newcomers from the city. To add to the mix is an extended visit from Julia's mother-in-law.
It is refreshing to hear about Australian places, and an Australian setting, but the book attempts to do too much, so that some of the twists and turns have a "soapie" quality about them. The author was born in London and has studied overseas, and perhaps this is where her acute sense of observation as an 'outsider' comes from. Despite this lack of credulity (as observed by other reviewers), it is light but heartwarming reading for a cold winder's night.

Roddy Parr has just finished his PhD. Wondering where life will take him, his friendship with Julia a publisher, gains him access to the works of the arts, literature and the successful literary writer, David Anthem.
This novel is difficult to follow at first. A myriad of characters are introduced amidst a dialogue of seemingly incidental events. The vocabulary is at times challenging and I found myself reaching for the dictionary. Hastily introduced characters had me flicking back through the novel to pick up the thread again. However, perseverance brings one finally to understand where the novel is headed. A life, love and success for Roddy Parr.
The style of the author's writing did not inspire me and I would be reluctant to recommend this book to others.

This novel opens to the character of Tom and to begin with the reader is treated to the strange but beautifully natured Tom. It quickly becomes apparent that Tom sees and hears this world unlike most others. Then along come Julia and Bryce and their two children who have made a sudden and distinctly unplanned move to a small country with the curious name of "Lovely".

This is a strangely constructed novel with little or no obvious research into the demography of small country towns, this one situated just one and a half hours from Melbourne. Whilst Tom's character has a certain ethereal charm about it, the remainder of the characters simply stretch the bounds of credibility. This is a pity because the author has the ability to create a sense of time and place but this novel tries to cram in a little bit of everything including murder, madness, arson, new-age healings, affaires of the heart and the ability to milk a herd of cows whilst eating a sandwich.

It was difficult to relate to the author's perception of life in a small country town; such a disappointment!

Somme Mud is the heroic story of Private Edward Lynch. This amazing story tells just how horrific war is and at the same time it tells the tale of true friendships through war. This book is very moving and tells the true meaning the the Anzac spirit.

(This title has been reprinted as a young adult version and it's great to have a young adult to review it.)

Although my day job involves a great deal of reading, I don't get much time to read fiction, so when I do it has to be good. Although I do choose books by reading book reviews I also find interesting ones from cover notes. I picked up this book because of (a) the title and (b) the publisher, and the sleeve notes provided enough of a taster to make it a possible quiet wet afternoon read. And the kind owner of the bookshop where I found it gave it to me in return for a book review. So here you are!
This story is about the brief marriage of the main character, a somewhat naive soul for an ageing rock star called Lawrence Martin (but is not the much more desirable and charismatic lead singer). It is a tale about his inability to
form sustained and sustaining personal relationships and describes parts of three periods of his life: some of his teen years at an unpleasant boarding school; the years around his strange and brief marriage; and the "now" set many years later in a remote corner of Scotland where he is, for various reasons, staying for a few months. It is a complicated story about a voyage through bullying, abuse (mainly the sex, drugs and rock-and-roll varieties), reality denial, and introspection. Oh, and a new problem because he is no longer 21, Lawrence has developed a plumbing problem which the reader hears about in considerable detail. (I tried to feel sorry for him about that, but being female and being familiar with the range of indignities on offer in the pursuance of women's health it was not that easy.)
Set as three days but with a prologue covering the circumstances of the death of his wife, the reason for the story is that Lawrence has 'for the zillionth time' met a woman, and is trying to forge a relationship with her. His previous relationships do not seem to have been forged in a dour Scottish setting against dark and brooding winter skies. During these three days the abovementioned periods of his life bubble up in various computations, giving the reader the context for his current dilemmas. So what will he do about the new relationship? That is the point of the story, and I won't spoil it by telling you what happens.
The author, Steven Lang, a Scot who now lives in Australia, paints an excellent verbal picture of the scenery and skyscapes of both sides of the globe (as well as the insides of American hotels and bars). How much his world of rock stars is realistic is hard to say, as there are a few amongst my friends and family, but none much like the ones on offer in this book. However there are reference points for flower children of the 60s and 70s which work quite well.
Did I finish it? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Mostly, although at times the writing is a little contrived, but in general it works well. Would I recommend it? It is lightish and enjoyable, so for an entertaining and easy read, Yes. Points? About 8/10. That\'s quite high for me!

Oracle by Jackie French is the heart warming story of a bond shared between Thetis and her older acrobatic brother Nikko. Thetis has the gift of truth. The start of this book sees Nikko saving the life of his younger sister from the mountain where she was abandoned just moments after her birth. A few years later when the High King's men come for their share of the village's produce, they discover Nikko and Thetis and their amazing gifts. They are then taken from their poor mountain village and are pushed into a life as entertainers to the King. Set in Ancient Greece, even though it took a little bit to get into it, this book is bound to leave you wanting more.
(Sharni is one of our local young adults who is an avid reader, this is her second review for us. She is 12 years of age. I can't wait to see how well she'll write when she's a little older!)

It's a long time since I have read a memoir as gripping and interesting as Daughter of Dust. It is Leila's story about growing up in Sudan as an abandoned child, it isn't distressing, although she does experience some pretty terrible times, and it isn't 'uplifting', it is simply a powerful and moving story told extremely well.
Leila begins her story as a small child, probably about a year old, and her first memories are of being in a cot with little if any human contact. She's moved from the orphanage to the Institute for the Protected at about 2 years of age and here she begins to understand what her life is going to be like. Female circumsision, arranged marriage, the stigma of being abandoned and cultural limitations are now her life. Wendy Wallace has told this story through Leila's eyes as she tries to find the answer to the question 'Who Am I?' Through it all I was struck with the strength of this woman's spirit and how despite her struggles she still found beauty and joy in her life, especially in the love for her children and friends.

The author is an 18-year-old Melburnian; this is her fourth book in four years and the first to be published in the US. She is a remarkably competent writer for her age; her language is measured and readable with, at times, Jane Austen-ish qualities.
The storyline follows the currently popular genre of wizards, vampires and good versus evil, with overtones of J K Rowling and C S Lewis, but it offers a fresh approach - three angels come to town (obviously to fight evil). Bethany, the youngest, is the narrator, a naive and innocent 17-year-old who, whilst adjusting to a mortal existence, discovers young love and faces the inevitable forces of darkness.
I felt that the book had a slow and somewhat pedantic start but it soon gallops along and the clever concept is well executed. Teenage sexuality is handled with maturity and honesty. As an elderly male, I occasionally had difficulty identifying with teenage emotions but I have no doubt that kids will love it.
The development of the relationship between Bethany and Xavier is handled intelligently and credibly and Bethany's problems in adjusting from spirit form to hip teenager are often quite entertaining.
The angels are clearly of Catholic origin and there are numerous Catholic references but these are not sufficiently intrusive to bother the non-religious reader.
The ending is tied off neatly but permits the production of a sequel if there is a demand.
I strongly recommend it for 15+ readers and even for some younger readers.

Ruth Rendell's novel, "The Monster in the Box" is exquisitely written and will delight both connoisseurs of the Inspector Wexford series and probably new readers as well. It has all the authority and elegance of her former books and is essentially about crime, corruption, obsession and ultimately evil.
The most important characters in this latest installment is old nemesis Eric Targo, a criminal Wexford has know for years and who is being hotly pursued for murder, again, Ruth Rendell's depiction of Targo takes us on a journey through the strange, haunted maze of his mind and is a pithy reminder of the power of evil and money combined.
Amidst this turbulent backdrop there is also a dialogue about fundamentalism versus conservatism in which Wexford's female colleague, a conservative Muslim, gets thrust into the middle of a family feud too close to home.
Wexford is older and wiser this time around, although we see him softening and maturing as the book unfolds. His wife Dora continues her role as a superintendant's wife and gives of her strength and intuition whilst her husband 'brings home the bacon'. There are some hauntingly lovely memories of Wexford's youth reflected upon in Rendell's superb narrative that come back to confront him.
This is another successful 'Wexford' novel that shows us the beauty of this world entwined with its very dark underbelly. "The Monster in the Box" is a compulsive and frightening story from one of Britian's best crime writers and literary lionesses.

I found this modern day 'Huckleberry Finn' tale both enjoyable and challenging. The format of the book, narration with the inclusion of maps, comment and drawing in the margins, requires the reader to concentrate actively on reading. I needed to pick up the book when I was sure I would have a reasonable amount of time to concentrate on my reading. The young hero is a most attractive character and there are plenty of opportunities to get to know him and his family as he travels across America from West to East. The characters are well drawn with sympathy and understanding. Underpinning the narrative is a dark thread of loss and guilt and a family's attempt to find an answer for the inexplicable.

Set in Paris, the city of romantic dreams, this book chronicles the impulse of a frustrated young mum seduced by the ciy, a blog diary and a male fan. Her account of events is relayed to us on a daily basis, reading like a cautionary tale of delusion and disappointment, or an inspiration to follow impossible dreams, depending on the outlook of the reader. It is written with witty candor, the self-analysis and selfishness that underlies her motives and passions exposes the modern human dilemmas and expectations that face young women dealing with early motherhood. Feeling unsupported by her work focused partner and living at a long distance from relatives, she turns to an internet blog diary for sympathy and unleashes a whole new world of social interaction. Her unguarded tell-all postings attract a huge following, amongst whom a real old fashioned secret admirer lurks. His attentions threaten to either help her realise all her dreams, or destroy her already tenuous relationship and family. The author appeals to the reader's sense of longing to sympathise and give advice and support to a fellow human who is on a compelling and passionately reckless journey. I hoped she would make the right decision as she walked the tight rope of desire and I watched with trepidation as she shut off from reality and entered the world of on line illusion. I enjoyed the honesty of this book which combined well with the author's skill of storytelling and drama. The outcomes are not unexpected, however that's real life for you. I enjoyed the read.

Clive Hamilton's courageous critique of the global crises we, as a species, now face is both confronting and challenging. He explores why we 'put our heads in the sand' regarding the issue and how that attitude has brought us to the brink of extinction. Written in a style that is easy to read 'Requim' is intellectually powerful and is supported by overwhelming scientific research and evidence. Hamilton helps us face what would now seem to be the inevitable outcome of our runaway consumer society. Given that there seems to be no way of stopping Governments and 'big business' advancing 'economic growth' at any cost - including the possibility of the end of the human race - what we do in the aftermath of these pending catastrophes presents a lot to think about. In a nutshell, unless we stop consuming the way we do 'it's all over red rover' and there'll be absolutely nothing we can do about it in ten or fifteen years if we have a change of heart, as the climate changes will already be too advanced. With what appears now to be undeniable facts, Hamilton encourages us to face up to our fate and focus on 'what to do from here'. A must read for anyone seriously concerned about the global climate crisis and what the future holds for our children and grandchidren.

The Den of Shadows Quartet is essentially four stories based in the dark fantasy world, where vampires, shape-shifters and witches exist.
'In The Forests of the Night' is about the life of three-hundred year old vampire Risika. She is not exactly a typical herione but as the story progresses the reader becomes more and more enthralled by her journey to become the creature she is. The arrival of an old nemisis reminds Risika of her past which is full of grief, betrayal and battles. Ultimately a very inspiring story about gaining true freedom, with a strong gutsy heroine who has a vulnerable side. If you like dark, edgy and emotive, this is the story for you.
In 'Demon In My View' high school student Jessica has fantastic and intensely vivid dreams which she turns into best selling supernatural fiction. When one of her characters shows up at school, Jessica has to ask herself how much of the stories she dreams are real and how much are fiction? This story has an awesome herione and features the re-appearance of a much loved character from the previous story who makes an unlikely hero. With action, angst and a little romance thrown in, this has the makings of a great read.
'Shattered Mirror' perfectly illustrates the saying 'looks can be deceiving'. Sarah Vilda, while looking like an average teenage girl, actually comes from a long line of powerful vampire slaying witches. Christopher Ravena is a vampire who has sworn off human blood and happens to go to Sarah's high school. These natural enemies make an unlikely couple. With prejudiced families, hundred of years of history and their natural instincts standing in the way, this couple seem doomed from the start. But will love triumph over all? While the characters in this story aren't as endearing as they could be, I think the overall concept is good and the family aspect adds another angle that is interesting, plus the characters have to make really difficult choices. Full of torment, grief and a bucket load of angst, this story can be a little depressing with its unexpected and not all-together happy ending.
The author clearly left the best for last. 'Midnight Predator' is definitely my favourite. In this story we follow one girl's journey from victim to predator. Cathy used to be a normal teenager, now she is another person, almost another creature. She is Turquoise Draka, mercenary, one of the best vampire huntresses around and possible candidate for leader of her guild. Her next assignment is to take out one of the cruellest vampires in history, which means going into Midnight a vampire domain, as a human slave. There she must confront her greatest fears, her tortured past and rediscover who she really is. Cathy/Turquoise is an awesome heroine with unbreakable spirit who thinks she has her life all figured out, but all that gets turned upside down when she enters Midnight. Finding friends and allies in unexpected places, using guts, strength and unbendable will, she fights impossible circumstances and comes out stronger than ever. I love the other characters in this as well, especially her unlikely love interest, who is not what he appears and is entirely irresistable. Along with villians you'll love to hate, this is definitely a must read for this genre.
Overall, inspiring and definitely worth reading.

The author set the tone of this book as a history lecture to begin with. I felt I was being chastised for being an Australian and having a government that alllowed these atrosities. The story line of Kate and the escapee did not give me enough of a warm fuzzy feeling to ally the initial doom tone of the book. It was a good attempt to mix the past with the present, but overall not a book I would pass on to friends, or pick up again with fond memories.

This is Sean Black's first book featuring his new hero Ryan Lock.
Ryan Lock, however, is not developed sufficiently at the start of the book for reader to get a handle on his supposedly tough guy character. In fact he does not come over as a tough guy at all, and we only learn much later in the story that he has sufficient military experience to have enabled him to be much more capable and tougher than he shows himself to be throughout the story. He makes so many ridiculously bad moves throughout the story, in order to get himself into impossible situations he has to get out of, unfortunately mostly only through the assistance of his more believable sidekick 'Ty' that his eventual single-handed success seems hardly believable.
Nevertheless, the story line is well developed if somewhat confusing at times. Set in the US, there is plenty of well paced action typical of the genre. Lots of shooting generating individual and multiple deaths, child kidnapping, terrorists, a suicide bomber determined to wreak havoc in Times Square at midnight on New Year's Eve, biological warfare research using both animal and human guinea pigs and the threat of its adding to the destruction. The typical psychotic bad guy behind all of this who has lots of power in the bio-research company and a group of animal-rights demonstrators to put the blame on for all of his dastardly tactics.
Having said all of this, I actually enjoyed the book with all its twisted plots and counterplots. I only wish the hero had been a real tough guy hero, like Lee Child�s 'Jack Reacher', that I could have related more closely to.

An excellent read in the genre' of The DaVinci Code. Palov brilliantly develops all of his characters with the minimum of necessary words but in such a way that the reader knows who and what they are, and moreover why they are what they are, enabling the reader to relate to each character and their rationale within this exciting adventure.
The storyline is of a race to find the 'Ark Of The Covenant' with the hero and heroine pitting their wits and bravery, and not very much more, against a religious manic psychotic and his team of devoted mercenary killers, all armed to the teeth, and intent in using the Arc to start the 'End of Days Final Armageddon'.
The book is a difficult to put down adventure, with its many 'cliff-hanger' moments and constant changes in the fortunes of all parties involved. It also has an extremely unexpected ending which will pleasantly surprise the reader and which leaves the writer with an excellent potential for a sequel.
I would strongly recommend it to all readers who enjoy this genre' or a rollicking good Indiana Jones type adventure story.

Patrick Cullen's first novel is evidence of the quality of Australian authors who write Australian stories. Set in Newcastle between 1989 and 1999, it begins with the infamous Newcastle earthquake and ends with the closure of the Newcastle steelworks. This book explores the lives of three neighbouring couples and the effects these two events have on them, their relationships and their families.
Cullen writes sparingly but with attention to detail both in his descriptive narrative and use of dialogue. The overall effect succeeds not only in engaging the reader, but drawing them into the story in an intimate and personal way. The characters themselves are well drawn and Cullen's knack for writing about the complexity of personal relationships makes what could potentially be a dull read instead a facinating study on how people cope with adversity, be it big or small.
Stylistically, 'What Came Between' reads more like a series of vignettes rather than a short novel, which is mildly frustrating and takes away from the continuity of a story which is otherwise very good. However the themes Cullen tackles - marriage, infertility, ageing and serious illness to name a few - are relevant to all manner of readers young or old and the honesty and delivavy with which they are dealt, makes compelling reading.
Those looking for an action-packed read will be disappointed, but readers with a more literary bent will certainly appreciate Cullen's penmanship and also find the historical element an interesting one, with the issues as relevant today as they were in the late eighties and nineties. Written in simple yet elegant prose, this novel is a touching reminder that although the times may change, the importance of love, family, friendship and the search for meaning never will. Patrick Cullen proves himself to be an accomplished and insightful writer with 'What Came Before' and has given a promising insight into the future of Australian literature.

I wanted to like this book, I tried to like this book, I loathed this book.
The premise was interesting, a well worn myth of the divine fatality and futility of railing against God's fate - your time on earth being pre-determined by God and a record of us all in his 'book of souls'. However the cliched FBI, boozed up, womamizing, jaded and anti-authoritarian hero was so poorly written as to be excruciating. He was so dumb it was almost comic. The female characters were so thin as to be almost transparent and again the author strictly adhered to well worn chiches.
Not on a plane, not on a train, not even waiting in a dentist's rooms would I be that insane to read this book. This book is highly dis-recommended.

This book failed to grab my 14 year old's attention, mainly because he couldn't get past the title. But I was intrigued. Written by a 16 year old who clearly pays attention to the political and social landscape of adults. It was very sophisticated, well written and well resolved. The characters were strong and the themes very mature, but written in a manner that would suit a young audience.
A book of this kind deserves to be used as English Lit or Year 9/10 reading material because it brings up to date themes previously explored in World War II novels, and allows for a good level of discussion around wars, culture clash and political machinations.
I thoroughly recommend this book - I enjoyed it immensely.

This story is about a drifter trying to make a new start in a fishing town on the East coast of Gippsland and the story gets off to a great start. It's engaging and interesting and the narrator, Jim Bloke, is very likeable. The descriptive style is original and conjures vivid images of the scenes. The characters sound like blokes you know in real life. Jim gets what at first seems like a good job, then his employer sends him on a job that turns suspect.
About a third or so into the story the author has lost the plot. The descriptive style disintegrates, replaced by coarseness. It reads like it has been written by a Year 10 student or like the author just wanted to hurry up and finish the book for a deadline.
The character Jim gets into a few dramas with the law and the story of his adventures is pretty run of the mill and uninspiring. The story had great potential, I just think the author gave up on it and hasn't done it justice. I'd give this 1 1/2 out of 5.

The enigmatic title �What Becomes� sent me to Wikipedia to discover why I knew that �of the Broken-Hearted� would complete the question. Apart from a movie adaptation of the NZ novel by Alan Duff, the original title was the name of a hit single �What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted� by soul singer Jimmy Ruffin in 1966. Who knew? All of which has not much to do with this brilliant collection of short stories by A.L. Kennedy.

Kennedy�s ordinary people in everyday situations are described in such darkly real detail that they lived with me in all their strangeness for days after I read about them. They made me worry for the human race. They also made me laugh. I laughed with joy at Kennedy�s beautiful & surprising way of putting words together. I laughed hysterically over the story called Story of My Life (I believe the author�s other career is as a stand up comedian). And I laughed with discomfort over her insights into the lives and motivations of the lonely. The writing is buoyant, poignant and disturbing. I put the book down before I finished it to remind myself to keep breathing. But I will finish it. I think A.L. Kennedy�s stories are a necessary part of my education.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have never been a fan of Matt Preston but chose to read this to broaden my mind about food, its origins and preparation. Matt's stories are both informative and amusing. He has a very witty turn of phrase and turned the everyday culinary experience into a delight. I loved the detailed history of foods we take for granted and rarely think about, the family stories from around the world and the recipes which beg to be tried. For this non 'foodie' it was a great read.

An Arthurian story with a twist and a mystery to solve. Good descriptions of the era, but I felt the mystery was more about the friend than the bones. The story is a good example of the prejudices against intelligent women of the time. A good read.

In my opinion, in reading this book, I have discovered the message the author is sending to her readers. Which is about the importance of time. We have only a short time to get to know our mothers before the end of their time. I recommend this book to teenagers and mothers to read. It's a very well written and easy book to read.
The story is about how a middle aged daughter has to look after her Mum as she has a tumour on the brain. While they wait in the doctor's waiting room all they have is time, so the daughter really gets to know her mother properly and how much she realy is like her own mother. It's a story that I think will interest many daughters and mothers. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I did.

Cameron is diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (hence the title). In a desperate effort to find a cure, he sets off on a road trip across America with some unusual companions and encounters even more unusual characters along the way. On the journey he undergoes a transformation from annoying teenager to likeable human being. This is a funny book, whilst at the same time exploring issues of life, death and reality in a unique way.

'Love in Mid Air' would appeal to most female readers. It is an easy read, I wouldn't call it a page turner, but it definately held my interest, if only to see Elyse emerge from her journey.
I found the theme of the story conflicted with the set of characters, i.e unfaithful/adulterous theme and the characters are all members of a church group! This didn't sit well with me. The story deals with the emotions that most married women have experienced at some point, however the majority of us wouldn't follow through on them. A good first novel from an author who predominantly writes about food and travel. I would give this book 6/10.

Adam Napier, after losing his job and home in Johannesburg finds himself in a remote small town in South Africa�s semi desert, living in a rundown cottage owned by his brother, a dodgy developer hungry for money. Adam has no money, no prospects, but wants to take up writing poetry again. Something he did as a young man, even though not with great success. Adam sees great beauty in Africa�s empty harsh landscape, the animals and native inhabitants and hopes the natural surroundings will inspire him, but the words won�t come. The landscape then becomes rather sinister. The people he meets in town are sad, despondent and expecting handouts from the Government.

Adam becomes very lonely and quite desperate, close to losing his mind, when he meets up with Canning, an old school friend of whom he has nor recollection. Canning however insists he has held Adam in great esteem ever since their school days. A relationship develops between the two men and Adam is thrown into a world that is definitely sinister.

Canning, who inherited a vast fortune and estate from his father, has mysterious dealings with shadowy figures. Canning and his father had a very bad relationship and among other things he blames the son for the death of his wife, while giving birth to Canning. Here the book becomes a very good thriller, and compelling reading. Adam is blissfully unaware of what is going on and refuses to see the harsh realities. He has an affair with Canning�s wife which becomes very dangerous.

The book is set in the new Africa, after apartheid, which hasn�t improved the lot of many people. Many coloured people still live in abject poverty. There is a culture of greed and corruption on many levels. Everyone is out to make as much money as they can, no matter the consequences or how it affects the lives of others. The plot is suspenseful and intriguing, lies and deceit, nothing is as it seems, it turns and twists round and round, like a vortex drawing its characters closer and closer to disaster. This book should appeal to a wide audience.

I stopped reading this book at about page 70, recognising at that stage that this really was not for me. The style worried me. All those short chapters, so many extra thoughs in brackets, such an effort to be funny in every line - and then my wife reminded me that the author is well known for her work as a stand-up comedian. Of course!! These are all stage grabs, and the \'extras\' in brackets are the asides to a different group in the audience. Accept that premise and it all falls into place. So then, this is really a series of scripts for a comic night out. The problem for me is that her efforts to be funny is so apparent, I could picture her at the keyboard in a halo of static electricity, burning off oestrogen as yet another gag came to mind. I was exhausted just reading it.

This is a girls\' book and I suspect that there are all sorts of gags that flew straight over the head of this ageing male. It\'s not awful. There are some laugh-aloud moments, and it would be better company on a long-distance flight than many an airport blockbuster. It\'s just that it\'s not for me.

This is a good yarn. Although Harris, in his foreward confesses that, whilst he has tried to follow history, on those occasions within the narrative where he was faced with the choice between fact or a good tale, he has opted for the tale. To the reader this is not obvious.
The book describes the five years of Cicero's life and career from the point where Cicero was elected consul and makes a good fist of displaying that nobleman's skills as a politician and orator. Harris has even shown that the great man had weaknesses. We are currently blessed with tales based on major historic events such as the books of Cornwell and O'Brian (Sharp and Aubrey), but this time the hero is or was a real person and the book is no less for this.
The events and conditions, both living and social, are well described, as are the characters. Harris has obviously gone to great pains in his research. (To the extent that one regrets not paying more attention in Latin classes!)
If there is a criticism, it is that the substance of the tale wanes towards the end, but then, it did become exactly that, the end. It is the sort of book which encourages the reader to carry out extra reference to the subject matter. Examples are the political system, compared to ours, and also the military structure, and one can see the basis of ours as well.

This book is an easy to read account of a role model for contemporary working women, full of snappy stories, many of them hilarious, some quite rude, some very worrying but all conveying a happy acceptance of a really busy life.
At times it is extremely poignant, as Killeen describes the very recongnizable dilemas facing females in our society. Her struggles with her multi-role life are often impossible and her quirky sense of self knowledge as she deals with her problems, reveals much about her personality.
She also shows great humour in her pseudonyms for her children, her friends, her parents and even a TV show. The acknowledement of her need to protect those special to her, adds a warmth to her stories.
The honesty of her reactions to the sad and difficult times, and her search for a cure for her heartache, will recall lots of similar occasions in many women's lives and relationships.
An effortless read, giving the impression of lightness, but featuring many profound and thoughtful stories to which we can relate.

This book is about Dru Anderson, a sixteen year old who has the ability to see things that no-one else can see in the Real World. She helps her father hunt things that go 'bump' in the night. Along the way she loses her father, makes friends with a werewolf and a half vampire, to try and find out who killed her father and why some-one wants to kill her.
There are a lot of things that go 'bump' in the night. The stuff nightmares are made of. A great teenage read. A bit slow in the beginning, but after the first few chapters it was very hard to put down, a real page turner. I couldn't wait to see what happened next. There were a few too many monsters, I wondered just what else she was going to add. A great story of friendship through adversity. Just don't read it a night!

Fantastic beginning! I thought it would be a prehistoric tale of mystery and magic in the desert, instead it turned out to be a contemporary tale of greed for power, money and idealistic madness. Nevertheless, for those who love Egypt and its history, it will be an engrossing read. I particularly like the ending with its little twist and hint of humour. All in all a well written and well researched novel, obviously by an author who is an expert in the field.

This is the second book of Ian McEwan's I have read. Like On Chesil Beach, it has fine character studies, and beautifully honed imagery. I confess I enjoyed the former better than this new book, only because of the main character in Solar. He is a pretty disagreeable slob, who manages on the whole to weasel his way through life, well most of life. It is a miracle that McEwan's writing holds our attention, perhaps we keep reading waiting for the character, Michael, to meet his Waterloo. McEwan addresses all sorts of issues, from women's lib, to aspects of science. Having a science background I enjoyed the propositions he puts forward. This book is certainly worth the read, I give it 3 out of 5.

Tecumseh Sparrow Spivet is a 12-year-old, self-sufficient, possibly autistic boy who is a genius mapmaker. He draws maps of topography, plants and animals, people's moods, even the interactions between the members of his family at the dinner table (more on this later).
He has been providing the prestigious Smithsonian Institution with superb illustrations of flora and fauna for some years and, in recognition of this but unaware of his age, the Smithsonian awards him a major scientific prize and invites him to Washington for the award ceremony. T.S. decides to go (from Montana, with no resources other than his mapmaking gear). This is his own story of his beginnings, the journey and its consequences.
This debut novel is an outstanding read with humour, sadness, terror and joy intermingled. Its margins are liberally sprinkled with his beautiful sketches and comments which are reason enough on their own to warrant its purchase. The simple map of the dinner table conveys a better picture of group dynamics than words could ever achieve.
The book falls into the no-man's-land between the older teenage and adult markets, with some very dark passages involving an insane and homicidal preacher and a racist and possibly paedophilic truck driver. On the bright side, it is truly uplifting in its depiction of T.S.'s life and experiences and his indomitable spirit - this is one very interesting kid.
Having read and enjoyed many young adult books, I claim to have a reasonable understanding of the genre and I would put this one near the outer edge (a line that's constantly moving) of the young adult market. Every teenager should read it and I pity any adult who doesn't enjoy it - it is a positive delight.

If you enjoyed �The Da Vinci Code� and you enjoy plots that are full of conspiracy, corruption and power politics, �The Last Pope� has all these ingredients. The intrigue and the sometimes complicated interweaving of these elements race through the story at occasionally breathtaking speed and sometimes require the suspension of disbelief.
The core thrust of the story concerns the election of a successor to the Pope in 1978 compromised by the deep divisions within the Vatican and which penetrate also into the Mafia. The ultimate compromise candidate is one Albino Luciani who became John Paul 1. Compromise and a Pope with integrity and intention to clean out the system are not comfortable companions, and his death shortly after his election subsequently resulted in rumours that he had been murdered. It is a secret and coded document that reaches a journalist three decades later that develops into her investigation and predictable threats and risks emerging from that involvement.
The book travels between the present and the past, identifying some familiar figures of the past and in this sense makes for disjointed reading. For this reason it seems necessary to refer to the dates at the head of some of the chapters in order to know what time you are in, and to remain clear about the identities of some of the characters. The merging of historical fact with a current fiction makes for fascinating reading and sometimes frustration in trying to separate out fact from fiction.
In many respects this is not an easy read. Sometimes the language is not clear and it is possible that something is lost in the process of translation from the original Portuguese.

How disdained it was in much of Europe at the beginning of the 20th century to be a Jew,
and worse, an immigrant. And how clearly this author saw the disdain for her people.
Significant for the novel�s theme the dogs are the cultivated Jewish rich, the wolves the
ambitious poor. Bravely placing her story in this context and using her own experience to
great effect Irene Nemirovsky defies our dismal expectations by making it irresistibly
interesting.
The story takes one from persecution in the Ukraine to the illusory security of Paris in the
nineteen twenties. But the story is of secondary importance to the characters. And, as if
conceding that a good novel needs a hero as a body needs blood, the author provides a
female character of heroic purpose, conviction and love; for this is a story of transcending
love, and it is told within a plot that holds you in its grasp until the last. Above all what
makes this novel so very interesting is its perceptive writing. The actions and motives of
the characters are closely observed. This is the novel�s strongpoint: its characters come
alive before your eyes; you understand their thoughts and feelings; and if you have any
sensitivity you feel what they feel.
There are few weaknesses. Possibly the closing chapters hasten too quickly. But it is no
defect to finish promptly leaving the reader wishing for more. I would recommend this
novel for its skilfully handled plot and penetrating descriptions of the characters. My only
regret is that it has taken so long to appear in translation.

This fast moving book aimed at a teenage audience addresses many serious issues in an interesting way.

Anonymity's sister has left to travel overseas, leaving her at school with her girl friends who all have boy friends. Her father has left home and is having a mid life crisis and her mother's new boy friend has moved in. There are also mixed messages from her art teacher!

The book explores Anonymity's feelings and frustrations at the situations she finds herself in. The ending is terrific as Anonymity takes charge and makes her own decisions.

I have not read a book similar to this since Mark Haddon's 'The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-time'. It's fast pace and fresh style was appealing, I really enjoyed it.

Jenny Pattrick�s first novel is an enthralling and often tragic read. She has portrayed the atmosphere and events in a real place, Denniston, a coal mining community in the North West of New Zealand�s South Island. Against this backdrop, Pattrick has presented characters, some of whom are loosely based on people living at the time. Others are new creations especially Rose and her mother Eva Storm aka Evangeline Strauss.
Rose and her mother arrive at Denniston on a stormy night. Eva has a past and is looking for Jimmy Cork who, she says is the father of Rose. She and Rose move into a tent home with Jimmy. Rose has terrible parents who are violent, drunken and uncouth. In spit of this she is delightful and charms everyone. She is welcome in everyone�s home and probably stays alive because she is fed and sheltered by so many people.
When the school starts she is the only girl in the small group of pupils and stars in all areas of learning, especially arithmetic. She has one fault and that is thieving. She can hardly be blamed as she has nothing. The reader is always deeply concerned for her especially when Jimmy Cork is killed and her mother moves in with the brutal Billy Genesis.
Rose�s story and struggle to survive takes place against the backdrop of a miner�s strike where the birth of unionism in New Zealand is shown. The need for strong leadership and sacrifice made by the miners and their families is clearly depicted. Pattrick has shown in her novel how hard life was in this place where pioneers mined coal and started a community made up of weak, strong and damaged people from many places.
The story of Rose is sometimes unbelievable, especially that this small child should have such grit and resourcefulness. The writer�s tendency to change tense rather clumsily in her writing is also difficult to take at times. In spite of this, it was a gripping and moving story and at the end I was wishing for a sequel.

This is one of those books that you can�t wait to get back into in order to see what�s going to happen next. It�s a real page-turner, but at the same time it is beautifully written, hardly surprising given the author�s impressive pedigree. Rebecca Miller is, of course, the daughter of the great playwright Arthur Miller.

�Pippa was always seeing poetry in everything� the narrator notes, and the same could be said of the author herself. Her descriptions are powerful. The Pippa Lee of the title comes alive. At first meeting she appears flawless, but the many layers of experience � from her dysfunctional relationship with her mother to her pill-popping and bed-hopping � that makes up her life and the person she is, are in the pages of this book. Peeled back like a particularly smelly onion.

Character driven, the narrative moves at a cracking pace. It is perhaps overly melodramatic in the last few pages, but overall �The Private Lives of Pippa Lee� is an enjoyable read about characters, Pippa herself in particular, one learns to care about.

The family farm by Fiona Palmer is a light, romantic novel set in the wheat fields of Western Australia.
When Isabelle ( Izzy) Simpson returns after a brief absence to the family farm eager to show her stubborn father that she has the capability to take over the family farm, tensions rise. Izzy's father is injured in a farming accident during the harvest season and Izzy thinks she has her chance to prove her ability. However unable to convince him and determined to follow her dream of living on the land, Izzy storms off to find work elsewhere.
This means leaving behind the ruggedly handsome Will Timmins and her mixed emotions about him and her sister Claire. Adversity strikes the family again when Izzy father takes ill once more. With even greater resolve and strength of mind, Izzy once again returns to the family farm. Only when all the family secrets, regrets and misgivings are revealed, do lives begin to move forward and happiness and love show their true colours.
Fiona Palmer's connection with the land, her understanding of the appeal and nature of rural life provide a great background for this warm-hearted account of love and country life.

This is an excellent book, well worth persevering with. It successfully captures the internal worlds of a number of London people who, as the blurb points out, are the product of a \'fragmented\' world. The book does this \'insider\' job in fine fashion, managing to convey the internal rationalities of different worlds in a thoroughly enjoyable, informative and griping fashion. Thus we have the hedge fund millionaire in his world of \'imaginary\' funds going backwards and forwards as a consequence of the sub-prime mortgage crisis, until reality intervenes and the ordinary taxpayer has to cough up. His son in his own world of drugs and interactive TV (including an imaginary, virtual soccer team), while the son of a Muslim chutney millionaire is in the inexorable world of travel towards \'jihadism\' with its own internal rationale that is faithfully protrayed by the author. A down-on-his-luck barrister, a female train driver on London\'s underground Circle Line, a dyspeptic literary critic and a schizophrenic all have their very divergent universes described authenticaly, and it all comes together in a convincing plot that allows the fragments to collide, if not to cohere.

The book is well written and very well researched. You finish reading feeling better informed as well as having enjoyed the read. One or two slips, but these do not detract overall from a very fine piece of work.

This was a new slant on how the vampire lives. They go out in the daylight, sleep in real beds between silk sheets and not in a coffin filled with earth from their home ground. They also have human friends who allow them to drink their blood on a regular basis. This makes the vampire less frightening and in some cases likeable.

The story lengths were reasonable. Because this was a quartet I expected to find the same characters in each story but didn\'t. The characters themselves were interesting, but I found I was confused by the individual leaders. Gabriel, Nathaniel, Jaguar and the heroines Turquiose and Jessica were like the same people with different names. However it was a good read.

This is a great action-thriller. It's almost in the 'can't-put-it-down' category. There is just one main plot - the siege of an isolated ski-lodge, but the chapters take us to other places in geography and time, all part of the background story and the development of the plot. I thought it started slowly, with a few of the 'He took the hotel-monogrammed gold plated pen from the well-manicured fingers of the immaculately tailored hone-blonde thirty-something receptionist and signed into the maroon faux-leather bound hotel register' type of sentences. This really turned out to be part of the scene setting, and lead in to the setting of the main plot, and once action started, I forgave all. There is plenty of blood-letting, mostly of a violent and nasty nature. I hold some doubts about the epilogue ending which savoured too much of the world of TV. For those readers with a moralistic bent, there are a couple of characters whose spines receiving a stiffening throughout the storytelling.
Recommended for some acion on a quiet weekend.