tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88895427849824693022024-03-13T13:25:20.072-07:00BibliobloggerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-45290821566536283602012-08-31T05:48:00.004-07:002012-08-31T05:48:57.358-07:00The Family Fang
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Family Fang – Kevin Wilson</span></span></b><span style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">The premise of this book is one of
the more intriguing I’ve come across and it more than lived up to my
expectations. The Fang Family are performance artists – emphasis on the ‘Artist’,
they travel the USA creating chaos and filming it as artistic statement. From
their births the Fang Children Annie and Buster (A&B) have been the centrepieces
of the art their parents create, from Busters winning of a beauty pageant (as
the prettiest girl there) to Annie’s many observations of her parents being
dragged out of various places screaming in protest. Fast forward a few years
and Annie and Buster have become a film star and a writer respectively. But not
all is going well. Cue the siblings moving back home and the action takes off.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">This was such a wonderful read! It
was extremely well written with such vivid characters, a plot that had me
cringing one minute and laughing out loud the next. I especially enjoyed the
twists and turns and general madness that the family creates. The story skips
seamlessly from the present and the previous exploits of Caleb and Camille Fang
as each artwork brings the reader closer to the events of the novel and to a
deeper understanding of the characters. Wilson artfully explores the concept of
Art and its many forms and meanings along with the nature of family and the
depth of connection that exists there. I would not hesitate to recommend ‘The
Family Fang’ to anyone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-37386949865492967252012-08-31T05:07:00.000-07:002012-08-31T05:07:01.078-07:00Song for the Road
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Song for the Road – Various</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I picked up a book that
contained the touring tales of 24 of Australia’s singer-songwriters naturally I
felt that this would be a debauched romp through the darker hours on the tour
bus. To a degree this was the case, there were a couple of acid trippy tales,
however I was pleasantly surprised to find that for the most part what these
celebrities value in their travels are much the same as the rest of us plebs. A
particular favourite of mine was Murray Cook’s (aka the Red Wiggle) contribution,
his was a love affair with New York, his first visit and the subsequent trips
he took as the Wiggles went from being a family based group to one of
Australia’s most recognisable exports.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The majority of these stories were
well written, however I found some to be the type of pointless retelling that
so many of us have when we get home ‘first I went here, then I did this, then
we went to bed, then I got up and did it all over again’. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the fine line ‘Song for the Road’
trod, between being an entertaining romp through other peoples travels, and
being a boring recounting of the same trips many of us had taken. This is also
what made this book so enjoyable and accessible, that I could relate to these
stories and see my own in them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-22553056843451809962012-08-09T04:50:00.002-07:002012-08-09T04:50:17.134-07:00Daughter of Smoke and Bone<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Daughter of Smoke and Bone – Laini Taylor<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This genre has seen a resurgence in
the past few years – however the majority of those books on the top ten lists contain
at least one of the walking dead. Not so Laini Taylor’s latest novel, ‘Daughter
of Smoke and Bone. Set in Prague we follow Karou, a young woman with extraordinary
artistic talent and shockingly bright hair who hides a considerable secret. Raised
by a chimera, or demon, named Brimstone and the motley crew which composes her
family, Karou is a young woman who exists between worlds. Sent on errand after
errand to collect human teeth for Brimstone, yet never knowing why, Taylor
leads her readers into the labyrinth and mystery of the world that exists just
beyond Karou’s understanding – where does the forbidden door in Brimstone’s
lair lead? Why does he need teeth??<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All these questions fade into the
background as the doorways into Brimstone’s world begin to close, leaving Karou
locked on the outside with no idea where her family has disappeared to. What’s
more, an angelic warrior named Akiva is shadowing her – but for good or ill? I thoroughly
enjoyed this novel, the first in a trilogy. The writing is intelligent and the
plot is exciting in a way that only an original idea such as this can be. At
its core this is a novel that questions what we know of good and evil, right
and wrong, and the lengths a people will go to in order to protect and maintain
their way of life. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-17847797192811432922012-07-28T21:15:00.002-07:002012-07-28T21:16:39.054-07:00West End Front<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">West End Front –
Matthew Sweet</b></div>
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There have been a plethora of
books written about the Second World War and its effect on the common man in
the UK, yet Matthew Sweet's investigation into the lives of the more extravagant
hotels on London’s west end presents a fresh view of a world at war. The Savoy,
Claridge’s and The Ritz are the protagonists as they cater to a London that
refused to let Hitler interrupt the sacred ritual of tea. These hotels were
home to those who called the shots, made the big decisions, with entire floors
rented to MI5 and war ministers. Within the richly upholstered walls were Kings
and Queens, Spies and Agents, and the many men and women who served them. </div>
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Sweet’s writing is extremely
accessible and enjoyable to read, full of atmosphere and characters that jump
off the page, in particular the vivacious men recalling their time at the Ritz’s
Pink Sink – the best place to ‘pick up’ in town. Yet this is not the romp
behind formerly closed doors that I had imagined it to be. Even at their most
extravagant this London was one that suffered (albeit less than the general
populace), tales are told of monarchies exiled to rooms in the Savoy who were
never able to go home, innocent waiters who were interned under Regulation 18b
and of Winston Churchill hearing about the end of the war he fought so hard to
win from the sidelines of a room at Claridge’s. Ultimately the reality of War
could never be escaped, however much the great hotels tried, even the moments
of oblivion they provided could not stop the world from turning. This was a
great read; I would really recommend it for History buffs and anyone simply
enjoys a good yarn. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-20171920625485890172012-07-19T19:03:00.002-07:002012-07-28T21:17:05.012-07:00Alif the Unseen<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Here's a little sneak peek for ya'll - Alif the Unseen – G Willow Wilson</b></div>
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Alif the Unseen is being hailed as the ‘Harry Potter of the hacker generation’, this is not something I agree with – the themes and characters are so far removed from Rowling’s world that I feel the comparison was made simply to drum up a buzz. Which is a shame, as this is a wonderful novel, full of atmosphere and written with a precision that allowed a complete computer illiterate like me to comprehend the world that Alif inhabited. Wilson plays with concepts of power, such as a name and the personality inherent in all those we take on, the Jinn are a people who place a great deal of importance in a name, and the fact that Alif chooses to be known by his ‘handle’ rather than his given name is proof of how he views himself. I found the world created by Wilson to be wonderfully foreign, yet at the same time incredibly real, I felt the world Alif lived in surround me as I read – this is a rare occurrence. </div>
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This is novel firmly set in the Middle Eastern world and mindset – Alif and his hacker friends (most of whom he has never met) struggle to provide a modicum of freedom in world where even the words you type are censored and cause for disciplinary action. This is a world that Alif is proficient in, a world in which he has a nobility that eludes him in the real world. However, all too soon Alif’s controlled world spirals out of control when the woman he loves sends him a copy of the mythical Alf Yeom – the Thousand and One Days, said to contain the wisdom of the Jinn, the magical creatures that inhabit a world alongside our own. The knowledge this book contains is enough to make Alif a target, a fugitive, it is worth killing for. Alif must use all of his skills and knowledge to free not only himself, but the oppressed people of his country. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-49877336370819839402012-07-19T18:54:00.002-07:002012-07-19T18:54:52.408-07:00'Cause everyone has to have a favourite...<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Obernewtyn
Chronicles – Isobelle Carmody<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I started the Obernewtyn
chronicles in 1998 and I’ve probably read them again every second year since.
Needless to say I’m over the moon that in less than a fortnight I’ll be the
proud (very anti-social) owner of the latest offering in the series ‘The Sending’.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Set in a world that has been
ravaged by ‘weaponmachines’ that cause a nuclear apocalypse, the series follows
the misfit (people with mental powers such as talking to beasts and each other
with their minds) Elspeth Gordie as she strives to find a place for herself and
her misfit friends in the cruel, authoritarian land run by the Council and the
fanatical religious order the Herder faction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With the aid of her friends, cat
Maruman and horse Ghaltha in particular, Elspeth must follow the clues left only
for her many years ago to the site where the weaponmachines are sleeping,
waiting to finish the job they started. It’s a race against time as she strives
to outwit her counterpart seeking to end the world. Amidst all this she still
manages to live her life and it is this and the wonderful characters that
surround her that makes these books well worth the wait. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Carmody is a wonderful writer,
the worlds she creates are always complete and despite the differences still
familiar. Her characters are flawed and loveable and so real I’ve always
thought of them as old friends. The only problem is the time it’s taken her to
finish this series – but given the other wonderful places she’s taken me to in
the meantime I’ll forgive her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-72321381136807661542012-07-04T23:15:00.000-07:002012-07-28T21:19:43.063-07:00Shadow of Night<b>Shadow of Night - Deborah Harkness</b><br />
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I first read about ‘A Discovery of Witches’ in 2009 – many months before
it hit the shelves. I waited with an anticipation I had not felt for a new
publication in quite some time – there seemed to be something about this novel
of witches and history that would give a post twilight world the intelligent
escapism it was crying out for. Happily I wasn’t disappointed, I found the
protagonists ambivalence to the magic dynasty she was born into to be
intriguing, her obsession with history understandable and the tall handsome
stranger intent on protecting her very titillating. Furthermore, the world
Harkness created was both credible and vivid. So often in fantasy today it
falls to authors to completely reconstruct the mythos of the magical world in
order to put their mark on it – and this was certainly a new world with
politics and magical hierarchies that set Harkness apart. </div>
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The plot flows quickly and methodically – we meet Diana and Matthew
whilst Diana is working at Oxford, when she innocently calls up Ashmole 782.
This book is one that Witch, Daemon and Vampire kind have only heard rumours
about – is it the first Spell book? Or something more, could it be the book
that contains the answer to the origins of all three species? One thing is for certain;
both Witch and Vampire will go to any lengths to get their hands on it. Diana
and Matthew must defy centuries of prejudice if they are to survive and
understand both their feelings for each other and the implications of the book.
This journey will take them from modern Oxford, to France, to the USA and
finally to Elizabethan England. </div>
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Not always is a sequel as polished or as inventive as a debut novel,
especially when an authors first book garners the acclaim of ‘A Discovery of
Witches’, yet I was thrilled to find that I enjoyed ‘A Shadow of Night’ just as
much as its predecessor. The character arks were written skilfully and so the
characters grew as the plot was driven on. I find Harkness’ writing style to be
extremely readable and enjoyable, my only criticism is that it will be another
year before I find out what happens! </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-12566998609169323492012-07-04T19:49:00.002-07:002012-07-04T19:49:34.878-07:00Eleanor & Park<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eleanor & Park – Rainbow Rowell<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t let the authors name put
you off – this is anything but free love view of the world. Eleanor and Park is
an extremely intelligent coming of age tale set in the reality of 1986 USA. Park
keeps his head down, he’s grown up and been to school with the same bunch of
kids his whole life and he knows exactly where he fits in the scheme of things,
until the day Eleanor gets on the bus and he feels obliged to offer her the
seat next to him. Eleanor has just been allowed to move back home after being
kicked out by her low-life stepdad, she’s aware that she looks different –
stands out – and this is the exact opposite of what she wants. Over the next
few months their mutual sufferance of each other becomes a tentative
friendship, which then becomes that most precious of all things – first love. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What makes this so much more than
just another coming of age novel is the intelligence of Rowell’s writing. Her
depth of understanding and the art with which she relays the characters
feelings and experiences is transcendent and places this novel among the best
I’ve read. This novel is so easy to relate to, every new experience is one
we’ve all had, as readers we get to experience every first touch and thought in
such an authentic way that this will be a novel that stays with us all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-47243466370288656942012-06-18T21:35:00.002-07:002012-07-28T21:20:01.937-07:00Park Lane<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Park Lane – Frances Osborne </b><br />
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Following in the footsteps of ’Downton Abbey’ and the revitalised Upstairs Downstairs’, this war time novel certainly did not follow the path I was expecting. At its heart are Bea and her sometimes maid Grace, two women who come from extremely different backgrounds. Yet these characters both bring to ‘Park Lane’ a different snapshot of what life was for women just prior to WW1 and during. Grace has come to London to make something of herself as a secretary yet finds herself unable to gain employment anywhere but as a maid in Bea’s family mansion. Bea is a rich young woman on the scary side of twenty, not yet married and desperate to make her mark on a world where women are decidedly second class citizens.<br />
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There was a lovely symmetry to this novel, as the notion of class became something of a nonissue in that neither woman was free to follow her dreams and constantly subjected to the mores of a world teetering on the edge. This is a novel that is truly about these women and their experiences, as Bea fights for the vote and then does what she can in France during the war, and Grace struggles with her class and the question of marriage or freedom. It was well written, skipping seamlessly between the two women and back again, and as an example of the world of a young woman prior to WW1 it stands above many of the offerings I’ve read to date. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-28195155938640755182012-06-14T05:05:00.001-07:002012-07-28T21:20:10.926-07:00Gold<b>Gold - Chris Cleave</b><br />
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This is the perfect novel to read concurrently with the London Olympics as it demonstrates with adroitness the lengths athletes must go to in order to stay at the top of their game. At the heart of ‘Gold’ are two women, Zoe and Kate, they are Cyclists, best friends, training buddies and have been rivals for the gold since they were nineteen. At thirty-two both women has had her share of wins and losses both on and off the bike, yet their abiding friendship remains. Cleave takes us on the girls journey to their final Olympics in London whilst seamlessly telling the story of the various failures and successes that have led them to this point. </div>
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I found this book to be a revelation – I’ll readily admit that I wasn’t enthusiastic about the prospect of reading about sport. Yet ‘Gold’ is about so much more than Cycling, despite the fact both women were defined by it. The sport is both ever-present and at the same time somehow serves as a prop to the narrative that unfolds around it. The characters were finely drawn and so real, oft times confronting yet at the same time endearing, their circumstances are so different to the general public yet their issues so pervasive. The writing was beautifully refined and at the same time subversive and the suspense that built in Cleave’s capable hands had me racing to the finish…pun intended. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-64938643829866560392012-06-03T03:52:00.001-07:002012-07-28T21:20:23.348-07:00The Recluse<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="color: #2a2a2a;">The Recluse - Evelyn Juers</span></b><span style="color: #2a2a2a;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There is an urban myth in Newtown
that the inspiration for Charles Dickens archetypal Miss Havisham was based on
a woman who lived here in the 19<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> century. Eliza Donnithorne was
allegedly jilted at the altar and never recovered, the wedding feast remaining
on the table until her death. Sound familiar? However, this book is anything
but a retelling of Miss Havisham’s sad end, instead Juers delves into the
history of the Donnithorne family and examines the fables that made Eliza the
myth she is today – who came first? Eliza or Miss Havisham?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I must admit that at times I found
myself cast adrift as Juers recounted history of the family – jumping back and
forth between cousins and distant family members I struggled to keep straight
and see the point of. Nevertheless this was a thoroughly researched collection
and I was fascinated at how Eliza has become a local legend simply by becoming
a recluse – the only hard evidence to be found were letters to her lawyers and
family that stated she was unwell and an avid reader. So the real question is –
does a woman have to have a tragic past to decide she would prefer to spend her
life alone reading? This reader certainly hopes not! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-8235565126176972242012-05-31T18:38:00.001-07:002012-07-28T21:20:35.104-07:00The Baroness<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Baroness – Hannah Rothschild <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is the biography of a woman.
It is also the biography of a family and the world that created them. Hannah
Rothschild was always interested in the things her esteemed family wouldn’t
talk about- her aunt Nica (Pannonica) Rothschild. This was a woman who lived
her life to the beat of a different drum, known as the Baroness of Jazz, she
spend the latter part of her life consumed by the Jazz scene of the 50’s and
60’s, rejecting the world of wealth and privelidge to spend her time with the
struggling musicians who so enthralled her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hannah Rothschild has spent her
life documenting those of others via film. Her passion to discover the life of
her aunt has led her to write this biography in a way that only a family member
can. The Rothschilds are renound for their secrecy and as this book continues
the reader sees the lengths that Hannah needed to go to in order to create
anything at all. She follows the story of her family from their squalid
beginnings in Juddengasse (or Jews-Alley) to their indespensibility amongst the
powers of Europe due to their dominant banks. This was a well written,
fascinating peek into the world that created Nica and her rebellious life
thereafter. A life that enveloped the developing Jazz scene in the USA and the
extremely taunt race relations therein, in particular her defining relationship
with Thelonius Monk who was considered one of the giants of the scene. <o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-25856193261848657222012-05-29T22:52:00.002-07:002012-07-28T21:20:48.589-07:00Snake Ropes<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Snake Ropes – Jess
Richards<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every lock has a key, and every key tells a story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Snake Ropes</i> is one of the most atmospheric books to be released in
the last few years. Set on an island that is ‘off the map’, complete with its
own rich dialect and mythology, it follows the story of two girls. Mary, a
native to the island, who can touch any piece of metal and root out the secrets
of those who’ve held it, has had her brother taken by ‘the tall men’ who come
to trade the island folk for their fish and crafts, and occasionally take more
than they should. Locked in a house on the other side of the island is Morgan,
a girl who can see ghosts and desperately wants to escape the prison of work
and family her mother is content to have her die in. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Snake ropes</i> follows these women as they seek to unlock the secrets
surrounding them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jess Richards grew up watching
boats sail from Scotland to Ireland, this is evident in the wonderful immediacy
of the island and the feeling created in the reader. This was a stunning debut
novel – well written and extremely satisfying in its completeness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-75536359468359584242012-05-21T19:08:00.000-07:002012-07-28T21:20:59.964-07:00The Younger Man<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="color: #2a2a2a;">The Younger Man – Zoe Foster</span></b><span style="color: #2a2a2a;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #2a2a2a;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Written
by the inestimable Miss Foster, former editor of Cleo, this is intelligent
chick lit at its best. The tale begins with our mature heroine Abby kicking
lovely young Marcus out of her bed (and life). But Marcus has other plans for
Abby, and he’s not about to let her get away. Add to this a major overhaul for
her small business, Allure, and the dramas of her two best friends, and Abby
has her plate well and truly full. Will Marcus win Abs over? Or will she let
her prejudices about age stop her from falling for the first man she ever felt
she could trust?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #2a2a2a;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
really enjoyed the tone set by Foster, and adored the fact that ‘The Younger
Man’ was set in Sydney – it’s so refreshing to read about women in our real
world. The conversational tone of the novel was witty and endearing in the way
Foster has cemented her rise to love guru and all around good gal on. My only
trouble was, can such a man as Marcus really exist? At any age, let alone at
22? Miss Foster, I’m putting the call out – have you really met a man like him?
…and if he’s single…can I have his number??<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-89179288158901019622012-05-16T01:01:00.001-07:002012-05-16T01:01:52.142-07:00If you're reading this I'm already dead<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>If you’re reading this I’m already dead – Andrew Nicholl</b></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This is the fictional retelling of the true story of Otto Witte, a Hungarian acrobat who convinced the people of Albania that he was their King, just prior to World War 1. It almost feels as though no more need be said. This is one of those occasions where real life really is stranger than fiction. But what captivatingly written fiction it is. Told in first person our protagonist Otto is making a last desperate attempt to write him memoirs before the Allies drop a bomb on his little tin shack in Berlin. As such the novel shifts continuously between the past, where Otto and his circus friends (including Max, the strongman, Tifty, a former countess and horse trainer, and Professor Von Mesmer and his lovely daughter Sarah), travel from the Austro-Hungarian empire all the way to Albania. </div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Otto is a wonderfully rich character, and so funny, I found his voice so entertaining and warm to read. Nicholls writing was so conversational as to be almost a stream of consciousness at times, and Otto provided the perfect vehicle for this wonderful story of whimsy and risking it all for the chance of a lifetime. The real Otto Witte was thought to have been insane, or at the very least suffer from a very strong delusion, yet Nicholls has taken this man and given him back his honour – posing the question, if everyone believes you are the King, who are you to gainsay them?</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-53562928312297559882012-05-10T17:00:00.000-07:002012-07-28T21:18:02.143-07:00Fables - Legends in Exile<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Fables Vol 1 – Legends in Exile – Bill Willingham</b></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This was my first graphic novel, or comic, if you will. I loved it- it was so easy, by the end I felt as though I had hardly read anything at all, I even went back to check I hadn’t missed anything. For anyone who is tentative to check out the genre I urge you to take the step –you won’t be disappointed. The graphics in this were so vivid and classic, so kind to the characters of which we’re all so fond. Which brings me to the plot. </div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Set in New York City, hundreds of years have passed since the storylands our fairy tale characters inhabited were overrun by the brutal Adversary and the ‘fables’ are trying to make the best of their new lives in our world. Enter Snow White – having divorced prince charming centuries before for his philandering ways she is the one calling the shots in this underground community, so when her sisters apartment is found covered in blood she joins forces with Bigby Wolf (big bad anyone...?)to solve the mystery of who killed Rose Red. This story would have had my thumbs up no matter what the medium- but as a graphic novel it is certainly a series I’ll read again and again. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-75814727606203730422012-05-08T18:49:00.001-07:002012-07-28T21:21:25.158-07:00Drowned<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Drowned – Therese Bohman <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This was a beautifully crafted
novel. Separated into two parts it follows the story of two sisters, Stella and
Marina, and their different relationships with Gabriel, Stella’s writer
husband. Yet all is not as it seems – is it ever? This novel becomes a
psychological look at the nature of power and desire. With the extreme
popularity of Scandinavian crime writers over the past few years, I was
interested to read a novel written by a Swedish author that didn’t involve the
fast paced thrills of the likes of the Millennium trilogy. What I discovered
was the level of description that brings these thrillers to life is what
similarly makes novels such as this so enveloping. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Stella is a landscape gardener,
and nature encompassed the entire novel, everywhere Marina looks there are
plants, all adding to the atmosphere of the stifling summer, and then autumn
that provides the setting. Similarly Gabriel, the man both women are so drawn
to is ever present, suffusing the world these women inhabit. Gabriel is an
enigma, the man Marina is desperate to figure out, to be consumed by. Bohman examines the nature of sexuality and
attraction in her polished debut novel, along with the concept of guilt – which
of these things is the most binding, causing the deepest connection, and how
this connection can be broken. Ultimately this is the question Bohman is
asking, once we are bound to someone, how is it possible to break that
connection? This is a well written, easy read, recommended for lazy Sunday
afternoons in summer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-84471097947984591652012-05-06T21:27:00.002-07:002012-07-28T21:18:26.321-07:00Bitterblue<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-AU">Bitterblue
– Kristen Cashore</span></b><span lang="EN-AU">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-AU">Loved it.
Couldn’t put it down. Stayed up till the early hours to finish it. This is
Cashore’s final installment in her vivid Graceling trilogy. As with the previous
books the characters and world created are real and so enjoyable that it’s a
shame the series is finished. I was gripped from the first word and drawn in by
Cashore’s rich prose to the last.<span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span>This is the stunning final installment in Cashore’s ‘Graceling’
Series. The wonderful thing about these books is that they don’t have to be
read as a series and so can be enjoyed alone. Bitterblue is Queen of a country
still reeling from the after effects of her tyrannical, murderous father’s
rule, a country that is doing its best to forget that King Leck ever existed.
Yet in order for Monsea to move forward, certain truths must come to light.
Bitterblue must fight to establish herself as the true queen, proving to
herself and her country that she is equal to the task, but first she decides to
leave the confines of her palace and experience her people’s lives for herself.
All is not what it seems and Bitterblue may find that trust is the most fragile
commodity in a world that has been turned upside down.<span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-15508630932449697792012-05-06T03:58:00.001-07:002012-05-06T21:25:57.995-07:00Top 5 Books this Mothers DayLets get organised people! This is by no means an exhaustive list - just a bit of a jumping off point.<br />
<br />
5.<b> The Marriage Plot </b>- Jeffrey Eugenides. This one has just been released in b format (the smallest size) and is a great read from a wonderful author.<br />
<br />
4. <b>Secrets of the Tides</b> - Hannah Richell. Family drama at its best, beautifully written and great for a weekend in.<br />
<br />
3. <b>This was to Spaceship</b> - Rhys Darby. One of New Zealands funniest men has written a biography...bound to have your Mum chuckling!<br />
<br />
2. <b>Bringing Up the Bodies</b> - Hilary Mantel. For something with a bit more bite - you could always try this follow up to the Man-Booker prize winning 'Wolf Hall'. <br />
<br />
1.<b> Love & Hunger</b> - Charlotte Wood. Ms Wood is a celebrated Aussie author who has turned her hand to writing about food and its place in our lives - delicious!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-45138331326082360242012-05-02T02:22:00.000-07:002012-07-28T21:21:48.157-07:00Secrets of the Tides<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Secrets of the Tides
– Hannah Richell <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A young boy goes missing, a
family falls apart. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dora Tide is pregnant; her
partner Dan is over the moon yet Dora is struggling to trust the happiness that
threatens. So begins her journey to reconnect with a family that she has barely
seen in over ten years to understand the mechanics and implications of the fall
out of her little brother going missing years before. As Dora visits her family
members in turn we discover the exact events of that tragic day along with the
history of the Tides and those choices that were made to bring them to this
point. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This was a beautifully,
thoughtfully written debut novel that transcends the genre in a way that is
almost cathartic. As I read I struggled with where to place blame just as the
characters did, and as they came back together so did I. This novel really makes
you think, forces you to examine your own prejudices and dares you to shy away
from those implications. We follow not only Dora’s struggle but those of the
entire Tide family as they strive to find something to bring them together
again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Hannah Richell will be at Better Read Than Dead later this month for a glorious High Tea event! Check out their website or email them for more info! <a href="http://www.betterread.com.au/discount-books/home.do">http://www.betterread.com.au/discount-books/home.do</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-3011010229757175272012-05-02T02:20:00.002-07:002012-07-28T21:22:05.057-07:00The Uninvited Guests<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Uninvited Guests – Sadie Jones<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A glorious Edwardian tale
complete with an upstairs downstairs family dramedy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sadie Jones has established
herself as a writer with a wonderful insight into the human condition, and this
is what makes her latest offering so much more than just a ghost story. It
begins the morning of Emerald Torrington’s birthday, despite their reduced
circumstances there is to be a quiet but sophisticated dinner that evening for
the family and a few guests, these being the neighbour, John Buchanan and
Emerald’s best friend Patience with her brother Ernest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But when a crash on the bridge
line occurs and suddenly the Torrington’s find their night is overtaken by a
host of misplaced passengers. One passenger in particular shakes things up –
leading to a few revelations that will leave the family forever changed. Add to
this the youngest Torrington’s ‘great endeavour’ and the scene is set for an
evening of delightful mystery and shenanigans aplenty. I so enjoyed this novel,
I was entertained the entire time, and laughed out loud more than once. This
was a delightful, extremely atmospheric read. <o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-14396523954753895612012-05-02T02:19:00.001-07:002012-07-28T21:22:28.545-07:00Bitter Greens<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bitter Greens – Kate Forsyth<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Three women, joined by time and
fate and the story that connects them all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This rejuvenated tale of Rapunzel
is set in various centuries, skipping between Paris, Venice and, of course,
Rapunzel’s tower. Except Rapunzel isn’t Rapunzel – she’s Margarita, and her
captor isn’t an ugly crone, she’s a stunningly beautiful courtesan whose desire
to never grow old causes her to commit unspeakable acts. Woven through this
tale of magic, love and loss is the story of the second person to commit the
Rapunzel tale to paper – Charlotte-Rose De La Force, her rise and fall in the
salons of Paris and Versailles and the wild life which leads her to a nunnery
to hear Rapunzel’s fate herself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is a beautifully written
book, full of finely drawn characters and places or times. Kate Forsyth’s books
always contain suspense, romance and magic, yet it is the thoroughly researched
history that makes Bitter Greens such a delight to read – Paris and Venice come
alive in Kate’s hands. As with all wonderful stories, I was sated and saddened
when I reached the last page.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
I was lucky enough to meet Kate last weekend - check out her Pintrest page for some of her inspiration! <a href="http://pinterest.com/kateforsyth/">http://pinterest.com/kateforsyth/</a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-57141505461126537342012-05-02T02:17:00.001-07:002012-07-28T21:22:39.149-07:00The Man From Primrose Lane<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Man From Primrose Lane – James Renner<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You really HAVEN’T read anything
like this before!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is surely the most promising
debut this year. It begins with the murder of an old man known simply as ‘The
Man from Primrose Lane’, no-one knows who he really is, and it would appear
this is the way he wanted it as he was constantly wearing mittens, cutting off
his own fingers and putting them into a blender to hide his identity even in
death. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">David Neff, a true crime writer
has recently lost his wife to suicide and has closeted himself away from the
world with their small son. Yet when the story of this reclusive man comes to
his attention, he is powerless to stop the domino effect that pulls him back
into the world. What follows is a wonderful recounting of how David met his
late wife, and the search for a killer that resulted in his first book. Yet
there are many more things that must be uncovered, and this book will have you
gasping. I truly found this to be a consuming novel – one of those books that
you can’t help but rave about and force onto your friends. This is a triumph of
a debut – James Renner is certainly one to watch!<o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889542784982469302.post-28410406173528854172012-05-02T02:11:00.000-07:002012-07-28T21:22:54.705-07:00The Girl Who Fell From the SkyAnd the first blog goes to...<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Girl Who Fell From the Sky – Simon Mawer<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A scintillating tale of espionage
in German occupied France. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is the eagerly awaited
follow up to the booker shortlisted ‘Glass Room’, set in Britain and then
France during the German occupation in WW2. The protagonist is one Marian
Sutro, aliases Alice, Anne-Marie Larouche and Lawrence, and her journey is a
profound one from innocent young woman to cunning spy always looking over her
shoulder. Yet there are larger concerns for Marian then simply becoming a spy (this
in itself, however, is no small feat), she has been sent to bring home one of
France’s top scientists to help other expats work on the theory of an atomic
bomb. The fact that this man is also her childhood sweetheart, newly married
and with a child, simply adds to the atmosphere of intrigue Mawer has created. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We follow Marian from her beginnings
being plucked from the Women’s army, through her training and onto the
frontline. One the way Mawer takes advantage of the world her is working within
to have Marian learn everything from blowing up a bridge to encrypting a
letter. I found this to be an unflinching look at the lengths people will go to
in a time of war. Mawer poses the question, how far would any of us go? Who
would be become, in the right, or wrong, circumstances? As is to be expected
from a writer of Mawer’s talents, this was a really entertaining and thouroughly
authentic read.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10598193225316590936noreply@blogger.com0