Book Review: The Little Red Chairs

From Goodreads: The much-anticipated new novel from the literary world's master of storytelling, Edna O'Brien.
A woman discovers that the foreigner she thinks will redeem her life is a notorious war criminal.
Vlad, a stranger from Eastern Europe masquerading as a healer, settles in a small Irish village where the locals fall under his spell. One woman, Fidelma McBride, becomes so enamored that she begs him for a child. All that world is shattered when Vlad is arrested, and his identity as a war criminal is revealed.
Fidelma, disgraced, flees to England and seeks work among the other migrants displaced by wars and persecution. But it is not until she confronts him-her nemesis-at the tribunal in The Hague, that her physical and emotional journey reaches its breathtaking climax.
The Little Red Chairs is a book about love, and the endless search for it. It is also a book about mankind's fascination with evil, and how long, how crooked, is the road towards Home.

Thoughts: This is our next book group read and I'm really glad because I seriously don't know what to think! I'm hoping a bit of discussion with the other members will help me clarify my thoughts about this book.

Usually when I'm unsure about a book I will read a few reviews and find one which makes sense to me. With this book I agree with those who thought it was brilliant and with those who thought it was rubbish! The story is engaging, but I found it hard to get a grasp on any of the characters. They all seemed to be secondary in the way they weren't fully formed and not "there" enough.  No one's motives seemed to be clear for anything. I don't understand why Fidelma was so disgraced. I didn't get the feeling that Vlad was so ingrained in the community that his arrest was so startling. Worthy of some gossip, yes, but not the seismic shift that was suggested.

The plot also jumps around a lot. It's almost like O'Brien started on a thread of a story, but when it ended up not going the way she wanted, she just abandoned it, moving onto another idea.

But on some level I did enjoy it. I found myself wanting to pick it straight back up after I put it down. I wanted to know what happened when they got to The Hague, I wanted a resolution.

For now I've given it three stars, total fence sitting. Maybe I'll be clearer about how I feel after our book club meeting! 

Wanda: The Untold Story of the Wanda Beach Murders

From Booktopia: On an overcast, wind swept day in January 1965, two teenage girls were raped and murdered on an isolated beach in Sydney's southern suburbs. The discovery of their bodies the following day sparked a public outcry, media frenzy and one of the largest police investigations in Australian history. To this date the deaths of Christine Sharrock and Marianne Schmidt - notoriously know as the Wanda Beach Murders - remain unsolved and the story behind the crime has never been told. In this book Alan Whiticker re-creates the lead-up to the aftermath of the murders and provides a fascinating insight into the history, lives and fate of Christine and Marianne.

Thoughts: I use to be almost fanatical about books to do with murders - especially mass murderers, serial killers and unsolved murders. However, after awhile it became hard to find anything new, different. Anything that wasn't simply a rehash of stuff I'd read before. 
When this came through the returns chute a work it looked interesting enough for me to pick it up. It is one of those events carved into the psyche of many Australians. Two girls who were brutally murdered with no real trace of who committed the crime. 
The thing that most probably stood out for me in this is how far our law enforcement services have come in the processes they use. Everything they do now is so more precise and the equipment they have available a lot more accurate.
The book contains no explosive insights. What it does do is analyse the crime investigation and the media coverage of the murders. It looks at possible links to other murders and the suspects who came under the microscope.
Wanda is well written and keeps you turning the pages. As I said, nothing explosive, but well worth the read if true crime is a topic you are interested in.  

Wanda gets 3 stars

 *        Did not like it
**       It was OK
***      Liked it
****    Really liked it

*****   It was amazing

Book Review: Midnight's Children

From Goodreads: Born at the stroke of midnight, at the precise moment of India's independence, Saleem Sinai is destined from birth to be special. For he is one of 1,001 children born in the midnight hour, children who all have special gifts, children with whom Saleem is telepathically linked.
But there has been a terrible mix up at birth, and Saleem’s life takes some unexpected twists and turns. As he grows up amidst a whirlwind of triumphs and disasters, Saleem must learn the ominous consequences of his gift, for the course of his life is inseparably linked to that of his motherland, and his every act is mirrored and magnified in the events that shape the newborn nation of India. It is a great gift, and a terrible burden. 

Thoughts: This was our book group read for September. I was a little concerned - Rushdie is not known as an easy read and our last two book group reads, Coin Locker Babies and The Swan Book, were not easy going. (I didn't finish The Swan Book). It wasn't easy, but I did enjoy it.
If you don't like books that go off on tangents, hint at things and then not tell you, tell you someone dies, but not how, at least not yet then this is not the book for you. Rushdie does all of these. Saleem is taking a journey through his life and there are many paths to follow, many stories to tell, but all in their own time. Towards the end of the book Saleem is a lot more disciplined about following the tangents, starting off down the path only to turn back abruptly as he tells the reader time is short and he must concentrate on getting to the end. This gave a sense of urgency to the telling, a need to get this out before there was no time left.
I think I would have got more out of this book if I'd had a stronger understanding of Indian history. Saleem's belief that his life is paralleled by the history of India is a core component of the story. However, there is still much to be got from the story even if your knowledge like mine is basic. For me the chaotic nature of India that I've read about in other books and been told about by friends is once again reflected in Midnight's Children. It's quirkiness, fierce, hard won independence and pockets of amazing tranquility among riots of colour are strongly represented. 
I was right, Rushdie wasn't an easy read, but it was definitely a worthwhile one. While not everyone's cup of tea, there are moments of laugh out loud and moments of true reflection. He's one of those authors you must, at the very least, give a go.

Midnight's Children gets 3 stars

*        Did not like it
**       It was OK
***      Liked it
****    Really liked it

*****   It was amazing 

Book Review: The Faceless Ones

From Goodreads: The third bone-breaking, belly-busting adventure in the series that puts the “funny” back in, um, funny series. That didn’t really work, did it?
If you’ve read the previous Skulduggery books then you know what the Faceless Ones are — and if you know what the Faceless Ones are, then you can probably take a wild guess that things in this book are going to get AWFULLY sticky for our skeletal hero and his young sidekick. If you haven’t read the previous Skulduggery books then what are you doing reading this? Go and read them right now, so that you know what all that stuff in the previous paragraph was about. Done? Good. So now you’re on tenterhooks too, desperately awaiting the answers to all your questions, and instead you’re going to have to wait to read the book. Sorry about that. 

Thoughts: The characters make this story. Once again Landy delivers a fast paced, exciting, hilarious story where the characters can shine. Once again Skulduggery and Valkyrie have to stop the bad guys from letting the Faceless Ones back in. Once again there is a group of dastardly villains trying to stop Skulduggery and Valkyrie stop them. And the twist at the end of this book - guaranteed to make you want to go out and grab book 4 - which I'm glad about. It looks like Landy will be taking the story away from baddies attempting to get the Faceless Ones back to earth, which is good, because really there is only so many ways you can approach that story line. As with the other two in this series, I really enjoyed Rupert Degas' narration. Highly recommend these books in an audio format.

The Faceless Ones gets 3 stars

*        Did not like it
**       It was OK
***      Liked it
****    Really liked it

*****   It was amazing 

Book Review: The Wonder Lover

From Goodreads: "The compartments in our father's life were not the separations he needed to build to preserve his sanity. They were his sanity. When he fell in love... when he fell to the abjection he deserved, the walls began dissolving. And once the walls came down between all three, or now four, of his lives, so did every other retaining wall - between past and present, present and future, self- and non-self, dream and wakefulness. The walls were his sanity. Love had driven him mad."

This is the story of John Wonder, a man with three families, each one kept secret from the other, each one containing two children, a boy and a girl, each called Adam and Evie. 
As he travels from family to family in different cities, he works as an Authenticator, verifying world records, confirming facts, setting things straight, while his own life is a teetering tower of breathtaking lies and betrayals.

Thoughts: In a move to get me out of a reading slump I borrowed three "fastbacks" from the library. A fastback is a 7 day, non renewable loan of high rotation, high interest books. I picked this for no other reason than it looked interesting and it was.

I'm always fascinated by people who live multiple lives. The amount of energy and planning that must go into it is huge! John is exceptionally good at compartmentalising his life into the three separate families he has. To be truthful, he never planned to have three families, it just kind of happened. He has managed to convince himself that maintaining 3 is kinder than breaking up 2, although I'm sure at times he doesn't believe his own rational. To add a fourth relationship into the mix can only spell disaster for an already stretched timetable.

The narrator of the story is one of John's six children talking for all, or all 6 depending on how you look at it. The term "our mother"is used for all three women and thankfully is followed by the name of the mother in question. However, the children and even the wives to an extent, remain shadowy figures in the background of this story. Plausible explanations are given for how each of them believe John's stories of why he is away 2 weeks out of 3 and you even get the feeling he has fallen for women who don't question it too much because they actually prefer it that way.

The book started really strongly for me. I was intrigued, interested and eager to read more. However some where along the line it seemed to loose direction and purpose. It started to meander and I became unsure of the point of the book. In the end it just petered out and left me feeling rather unsatisfied. It has however, seemed to reignite my desire to read. I finished it and immediately picked up something else - something I haven't done for quite awhile.

The Wonder Lover gets 3 stars

 *        Did not like it
**       It was OK
***      Liked it
****    Really liked it

*****   It was amazing

Book Review: The Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe

From Goodreads:Even the arrival of her baby can't hold Mma Makutsi back from success in the workplace, and so no sooner than she becomes a full partner in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (in spite of Mma Ramotswe's belated claims that she is only 'an assistant full partner'), she also launches a new enterprise of her own, the Handsome Man's De Luxe Café. Grace Makutsi is a lady with a business plan, but who could predict temperamental chefs, drunken waiters and more? Luckily, help is at hand, from the only person in Gaborone more gently determined than Mma Makutsi . . .

Mma Ramotswe, of course.

Thoughts: Back with Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi  and the rest of the gang! I haven't read a book in this series that I thought was a bad book. I think one of the secrets is there is time between each one so you are not overloaded. With several series on the go, I think McCall Smith can afford to leave one series until something worth writing occurs to him rather than trying to pump out book after book with the same characters.
I love Mma Ramotswe's calm patient way of looking at things. Her heart is so big and she truly wants the best outcome for everyone. She has little sympathy for those who do the wrong thing out of pure malice, but believes there is good in most people.
In the more recent books I'd found Mma Makutsi had mellowed a bit and become not so righteous and annoying. In this book however she is back in full swing! Swelling with her own importance as she is promoted to business partner and her decision to open her own cafe. She goes on to make poor Charlie's life a misery and make some not so good business decisions - decisions that had anyone else made they would have earned her derision quick smart! As always though, she can't be told and is not incredible grateful or chastened when helped out or proven wrong.
These books are not heavy reads. They are great holiday of light-after-dark reads. They are comforting because nothing changes too much although they manage to maintain a level of freshness and interest.  

Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe gets 3 stars.

 *        Did not like it
**       It was OK
***      Liked it
****    Really liked it

*****   It was amazing

 

Book Review: Dream Country - Sandman Volume 3

From Goodreads: The third book of the Sandman collection is a series of four short comic book stories. In each of these otherwise unrelated stories, Morpheus serves only as a minor character. Here we meet the mother of Morpheus's son, find out what cats dream about, and discover the true origin behind Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream. The latter won a World Fantasy Award for best short story, the first time a comic book was given that honor. This volume includes issues 17-20 of the original series and features completely new coloring, approved by the author, of issues 17 and 18.

Thoughts: Dream Country is the third Sandman volume. It has 4 self contained stories that involve the Sandman. The first is about the imprisonment of a muse - Calliope who also happens to be the mother of the Sandman's son. The second is What Cat's Dream about and I don't believe a word of it! The third explore the other world origins of A Mid Summer's Nights Dream and the last is about the façade we present to the world.
I think I prefer the continuous stories presented volumes 1 and 2. There was a little disjointed for me, although Gaiman's explanation at the beginning was interesting.

Dream Country gets 3 stars.

 *        Did not like it
**       It was OK
***      Liked it
****    Really liked it

*****   It was amazing 

Book Review: Soon

From Goodreads: After the Nazis took my parents I was scared. After they killed my best friend I was angry. After I joined the partisans and helped defeat the Nazis I was hopeful. Soon, I said, we'll be safe. I was wrong.
Soon continues the incredibly moving story of Felix, a Jewish boy still struggling to survive in the wake of the liberation of Poland after the end of World War Two.

Thoughts:  There was Once, followed by Then and Now. A little bit after that, there was After and now there is Soon. Gleitzman doesn't call this a series of books, he calls it a family of books. The order I have listed them in is the order they were published in. Chronological order puts Now at the end. Read them in published or chronological, you're in for an experience either way.

The war is over, so everyone should be safe, you should be able to go back to building a normal life. The story is over, right? Everything will be a-ok. Nice theory, reality however, is very different.

Felix, who has survived so much still has a ways to go. Gleitzman has continued where so many have stopped. He has shone a light on them continuing persecution of  those already so badly damaged by the Nazi's. Soon see's Felix and Gabriek surviving by repairing things people need.  They trade their skills for food, supplies and money. Felix still dreams of being a doctor and does what he can to help. They try to keep things simple, but sometimes things just get complicated.

There are several things I love about this family of books. Despite the subject matter they are full of hope. Felix never seems to lose that drive to do good, to see people in the best light possible, to try and understand their motivations. What's even better is he continues to find others who share this hope, who are willing to help, although often with a little more caution than Felix. At the same time Gleitzman doesn't hide the brutality of the time. People die, people do mean and nasty things and life is really, really hard. 

My 13 year old has read this whole series - devoured them. It's been a great jumping off point for some fantastic discussions, good history and social justice lessons. This is a series well worth reading.

Soon gets 3 stars

*        Did not like it
**       It was OK
***      Liked it
****    Really liked it

*****   It was amazing G

Book Review: Full Throttle

From Goodreads: Easing into the turns…
As one of only two girls on the tween racing circuit, Shawn Hamby has always run with a fast crowd. But now at thirty-two, she doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone. And she definitely doesn’t need a man bossing her around off of the track…
Putting the pedal to the metal…
But after a silly girls’ night at a fetish club, Shawn can’t get Rhett Ford out of her mind. He’s younger than her, and he’s her best friend’s brother-in-law, which should be red flags. Rhett is looking for someone to lead in bed, but he can’t imagine that Shawn would ever submit to him. Boldly surrendering is more her style. And with Rhett behind the wheel, it’s going to be one wild ride…

Thoughts: Came across this at work one day, flipped it open, had a quick read and decided to give it go. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much. I've done this a couple of times with this romance genre and often struggle to get past the first few pages. But every now and then I want something a little, ahem, sexy, so try again. This wasn't too bad. It's no literary masterpiece, but it gave me what I was after without making me want to throw the book across the room. A word of warning though, if you don't like full on, fairly graphic sex scenes - this is not for you. The plot is thin, but forgiveable (as I said, I wasn't expecting to even get past the first few pages.) It's big tick of approval for me though was the way the relationship developed out of the bedroom. Unlike the 50 Shades series where I view the relationship as abusive and dangerous, largely because of Grey's control in all areas of Ana's life, Rhett's control of Shawn in this was purely inside the bedroom, with her full consent and understanding. Rhett makes is abundantly clear what he is after, gives her ample opportunity to back out and treats her completely differently outside of the bedroom. Shawn herself is a strong woman and not willing to relinquish control of her life no matter how much she likes the man. All in all a much healthier portrayal of a relationship than Grey or Twilight for that matter could ever hope to imagine.

In the end it's nice to know that when I am in the mood for this type of book there is a series I am now willing to check out.

Full Throttle gets 3 stars!

 *        Did not like it
**       It was OK
***      Liked it
****    Really liked it

*****   It was amazing 

Book Review: The Cleo Stories:The Necklace and The Present

From Goodreads: Cleo desperately wants a necklace. Her parents say special presents are only for birthdays...but Cleo doesn't want to wait. In the second story, it's her mum's birthday and Cleo doesn't know what to give her - until she has the best idea of all. Delightful, warm and irresistible, these stories show how a little girl with a big imagination can always find a way to have fun.

Thoughts: Libby Gleeson is one of those Australian children's writers you can't go wrong with. Her stories are wonderfully told and deceptively simple. In these two stories we meet Cleo, a bright, creative child who has parents that are obviously loving and supportive. Like any little girl, Cleo wants what her friends have and is desperate to give her mum an extra special gift on her birthday. Her solutions for both problems show children that sometimes the best answer is not the one we thought of first, but the one that comes by thinking out of the box. Freya Blackwood's illustrations only add to the charm of this book and give the reader lots to look at. It would be a great book to share with younger children.

The Cleo Stories gets 3 stars!

 *        Did not like it
**       It was OK
***      Liked it
****    Really liked it

*****   It was amazing 

Book Review: The Simple Things

From Goodreads: When Stephen and his parents arrive at Aunty Lola's home, he discovers that his aunt is not only really, really old, but also grumpy and scary. He wants to turn around and go home but his mum says they have to stay until Lola's birthday - three whole weeks away! Will Stephen be able to last that long? Will Aunty Lola?
A book for readers young and old.

Thoughts: This is the second of the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) shortlisted Younger Readers books. Like Two Wolves, it's an exploration of family and it's importance, but from a very different situation. Stephen is very unsure of Aunty Lola, but over time a bound develops that is good for both of them.

For me, this book raised a very good question. Is it ok for older people to be rude? There is much talk of a sense of entitlement from the younger generation, but I see it frequently from the older generation as well. They complain (and Aunty Lola does this) of people being rude and having no respect while displaying these traits as well. The book could lend itself to some wonderful discussion around this, plus our need to make sure we continue to include and think about those members of our family who are older as our own lives become crowded and busy.

This is a lovely book, beautifully written with much to offer.

The Simple Things gets 3 stars!

 *        Did not like it
**       It was OK
***      Liked it
****    Really liked it

*****   It was amazing 

Book Review: Two Wolves

From Goodreads: One afternoon, police officers show up at Ben Silver’s front door. Minutes after they leave, his parents arrive home. Ben and his little sister Olive are bundled into the car and told they’re going on a holiday. But are they? 
It doesn’t take long for Ben to realise that his parents are in trouble. Ben’s always dreamt of becoming a detective – his dad even calls him ‘Cop’. Now Ben gathers evidence and tries to uncover what his parents have done.
The problem is, if he figures it out, what does he do? Tell someone? Or keep the secret and live life on the run? 

Thoughts: This is the first of the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) shortlisted Younger Readers books. It definitely falls into the upper end of the younger readers section. The book explores some interesting themes, right and wrong, family and loyalty towards them.  It would appeal particularly to boys, especially those who live similar lives to  Ben in terms of a lot of screen time and not a lot of outside, getting dirty time. It would be interesting to ask them how they think they would cope, what skills they would need and what decisions they would make. I think they would also identify with his insecurity and how he is unsure of what is going on and what he should do. His annoyance at the wonderfully stubborn Olive, his younger sister, yet his drive to look after her is also something to be explored.

The tension in the book is well built. You know things can't continue the way they are going, but you're not sure how they will be resolved. You know that regardless, Ben will never be the same and quite possibly, despite the hardships, he will be better off for the experience he has had.

Two Wolves gets 3 stars!

 *        Did not like it
**       It was OK
***      Liked it
****    Really liked it

*****   It was amazing 

Book Review: Are You Seeing Me?

From Goodreads: This road trip will have earth-shattering consequences . . . 
Twins Justine and Perry are about to embark on the road trip of a lifetime in the Pacific Northwest.
It's been a year since they watched their dad lose his battle with cancer. Now, at only nineteen, Justine is the sole carer for her disabled brother. But with Perry having been accepted into an assisted-living residence, their reliance on each other is set to shift. Before they go their separate ways, they're seeking to create the perfect memory.
For Perry, the trip is a glorious celebration of his favourite things: mythical sea monsters, Jackie Chan movies and the study of earthquakes.
For Justine, it's a chance to reconcile the decision to ‘free' her twin, to see who she is without her boyfriend, Marc – and to offer their mother the chance to atone for past wrongs.
But the instability that has shaped their lives will not subside, and the seismic event that Perry forewarned threatens to reduce their worlds to rubble . . . 

Thoughts: This is the third of the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) shortlisted Older Readers books. The range of subjects in this years list is fantastic. In this, twins Justine and Perry take the trip of a lifetime in search of sea monsters and answers. Justine is the sole carer of her brother who has an intellectual disability. In her words:

Perry has a brain condition that can cause him to feel anxious or upset in different places and circumstances. He has trouble with people - mixing with them and communicating with them - and it sometimes results in inappropriate behaviours. I appreciate your understanding and patience.

That's her patter for when Perry has trouble coping in situations. One of her ways of bringing him back to her is to ask - are you seeing me.

Told in alternate view points, switching between Justine and Perry, insight is given into how each of the characters view the trip differently. Both are aware there will be big changes when the get home, but only Justine is really aware of how those changes are going to start during this trip. I love how along the way they meet a lot of people who have an understanding of Perry's anxieties and behaviours. I think this is becoming more and more real in a world where disabilities are no longer hidden away and thought to be something to be ashamed of.

I did have a few issues with the book and the ease in which some situations are resolved, but on the whole it was highly enjoyable.

Are You Seeing Me gets stars!

 *        Did not like it
**       It was OK
***      Liked it
****    Really liked it

*****   It was amazing 

The Well of Lost Plots

From Goodreads: The third installment in Jasper Fforde’s New York Times bestselling series follows literary detective Thursday Next on another adventure in her alternate reality of literature-obsessed England
Jasper Fforde has done it again in this genre-bending blend of crime fiction, fantasy, and top-drawer literary entertainment. After two rollicking New York Times bestselling adventures through Western literature, resourceful BookWorld literary detective Thursday Next definitely needs some downtime. And what better place for a respite than in the hidden depths of the Well of Lost Plots, where all unpublished books reside? But peace and quiet remain elusive for Thursday, who soon discovers that the Well is a veritable linguistic free-for-all, where grammasites run rampant, plot devices are hawked on the black market, and lousy books—like the one she has taken up residence in—are scrapped for salvage. To make matters worse, a murderer is stalking the personnel of Jurisfiction and it’s up to Thursday to save the day. A brilliant feat of literary showmanship filled with wit, fantasy, and effervescent originality, this Ffordian tour de force will appeal to fans of Douglas Adams and P. G. Wodehouse. Thursday’s zany investigations continue with Something Rotten. Look for the five other bestselling Thursday Next novels, including One of Our Thursdays is Missing and Jasper Fforde’s latest bestseller, The Woman Who Died A Lot. Visit jasperfforde.com for a ffull window into the Ffordian world!

Thoughts: What better place to retreat to to lick your wounds and ponder your next step than a book. In this series, you can do that quite literally. The third book in Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series sees Thursday joining the BookWorld police force, Jurisfiction and moving into a unlikely to ever be published book for a little down time.

Like it's predecessors,  The Eyre Affair and Lost in a Good Book, The Well of Lost Plots is funny, easy to read and full of wonderful ideas and thoughts. You can find yourself twisted around a bit and trying to work out which way is up at times, but Fforde usually unravels it for you at some stage. 

In fact, I think there are hidden depths to Fforde's books. There is a lot in there for a book group to discuss. In this the idea of there being no original ideas left is one that has been discussed in literary circles before. Are there any original ideas? Do we need them? How are they generated? What happens to all the ideas that never actually become books?

I'm enjoying this series and will keep reading it but I feel there is great benefit is spacing them out. In this case, I think too much of a Fforde thing could be a challenging thing!

The Well of Lost Plots gets 3 stars!

 *        Did not like it
**       It was OK
***      Liked it
****    Really liked it
*****   It was amazing

Book Review: Dancing on Knives

From Goodreads: A damaged family and their generations of dangerous secrets
At twenty, Sara is tormented by an inexplicable terror so profound she hasn't left her home in five years. Like the mermaid in the fairytale her Spanish grandmother once told her, Sara imagines she is Dancing on Knives, unable to speak. She feels suffocated by her family, especially her father – the famous artist Augusto Sanchez – whose volcanic passions dominate their lives.
Then one stormy night, her father does not come home. His body is found dangling from a cliff face. Astonishingly, he is still alive, but the mystery of his fall can only be solved by the revelation of long-held family secrets.
At once a suspenseful murder mystery and a lyrical love story, Dancing on Knives is about how family can constrict and liberate us, how art can be both joyous and destructive, and how strength can be found in the unlikeliest places. 

Thoughts: I ended up doing a bit of extra work shelving at a different library the other week. It's the largest library in the network I work in and it interesting to see how such a big space works. While shelving I came across this. I'd never seen or heard of it before so my immediate thought was it was brand new Kate Forsyth. I loved The Wild Girl so I immediately put it to one side to check out. 

Sitting on the train later I pulled it out, read the author's note and the apprehension started. Basically Dancing on Knives is an old book of Forysth's and has undergone many reincarnations in it's life. The scribblings of a sixteen year old, the thesis of a twenty six year old, a published novel under a different title. My misgivings came from the fact that when I've often gone back and read the earlier works of an author it becomes apparent why that book was not their break out novel. In fact it is often incredibly disappointing. Nevertheless, I resolved to give it a go.

First things first. If you have read and loved The Wild Girl, don't expect the same type of book. Dancing on Knives is completely different. Having said it's good. Not Wild Girl good, but worth reading. It's storyline follows Sara, a twenty year old held hostage by her inability to leave the house and by the family where she has been the mother figure since her own mother died. Her father's unpredictable mood swings clash with her older brother's need to provide some stability, leaving Sara in the middle trying to keep the peace and the family together.

Forsyth writes rich characters. You can see Sara's fears and apprehension, feel the tempest in the house when Augusto is raging, hear the tiredness and weariness in Joe's voice. At different stages through out the book you want to slap each of them, plus the other characters. 

Forsyth's writing is lyrical. poetic. 

Sara has often thought that most people seemed to live their lives only splashing about in the shallows. But she...she was dragged down into the fathomless depths again and again, where no light struck and hideous monsters of the deep swam. She tried so hard to stay where she could touch the sane with her feet. But always she was swept out, always she was sucked under.

You do start to despair of this family ever untangling itself, but Forsyth slowly and painfully brings them to a point where you can glimpse a possible happy future, if only they will grab it.

Dancing on Knives gets 3 stars!

 *        Did not like it
**       It was OK
***      Liked it
****    Really liked it
*****   It was amazing

 

Book Review: Gough Whitlam: A Tribute

From ABC Shop: An all new photographic tribute to a giant of Australian politics.

When Gough Whitlam died on 21 October 2014, his legacy to the Australian people was a nation transformed. With all royalties going to the Whitlam Institute, this tribute traces his extraordinary life through the photographers' lens from his childhood and meeting his great love Margaret, to the soaring successes and shattering defeats of his political life and his ongoing enthusiasm for the great cause of a fairer, more mature Australia.

Thoughts: This was a chance find. It simply came through the return chute at work and it appealed to me. I grew up in a very left wing house. Not surprisingly then, my own politics have a strong left lean to them. While I don't have a living memory of Gough Whitlam as Australia's Prime Minister (I was three when he uttered those immortal words, "Well may we say God Save the Queen, for nothing will save the Governor General!) my mother was a staunch supporter of him. My sister benefited from his belief that education was a right, not a privilege and studied her university degree under the no fee system introduced by the Whitlam government. Like or hate him, you have to admit the man had presence and his career will be forever talked about by both sides.

Each of the pictures in the book had a commentary about it - what it was, when it was taken and the significance of it - whether it was a family photo or Whitlam meeting international heads of state. It is unashamedly pro Whitlam. It focuses on his strengths, his desire to bring about radical change and his role as one of the first in government to lever the press in his favour.

If you want a snap shot of Whitlam, his life in and out of politics, you could do worse than this book. As for me, it has feed a desire to read something more in depth about this great man.

Gough Whitlam: A Tribute gets 3 stars 

 *        Did not like it
**       It was OK
***      Liked it
****    Really liked it
*****   It was amazing

Book Review: Carry A Big Stick

I have this fabulous friend called Jodie. 

Me and my friend Jodes

I mentioned her in my February round up post.  Earlier this year she decided to give up alcohol for the month of February to raise money for a friend of hers who has Multiple Sclerosis and wants to go to Russia for treatment. Jodie had never blogged before, but with some encouragement from another friend, started. I loved her blog from the start - she was funny, interesting and willing to bare her soul. She was worried about blogging every day, worried she'd run out of things to say, so I offered to do a guest post. Then on February 19 the unthinkable happened and Jodie's husband Adam, the father of their two beautiful boys passed away. Blogging stopped for Jodie, for me reading stopped. But eventually she started writing again, being incredibly brave in sharing her grief and journey on this darkest of roads. A couple of days ago I asked her if she still wanted a guest post from me - Tim Ferguson's book Carry A Big Stick: A Funny, Fearless Life of Friendship, Laughter and MS.

Goodreads blurb

She said yes, so I did and now it's up on her blog. You can read it here at Over The Rim of my Glass. While you're there, I strongly suggest you stick around and read more of her posts. Then, if you could, I'd love it if you could pop over to this Gofundme page and help us reach the target of $20 000 for Jodie and the boys. (we are oh-so-close). 

Team Bowden.

Book Review: The Bat

From Goodreads: Harry Hole is sent to Sydney to investigate the murder of Inger Holter, a young Norwegian girl, who was working in a bar. Initially sidelined as an outsider, Harry becomes central to the Australian police investigation when they start to notice a number of unsolved rape and murder cases around the country. The victims were usually young blondes. Inger had a number of admirers, each with his own share of secrets, but there is no obvious suspect, and the pattern of the other crimes seems impossible to crack. Then a circus performer is brutally murdered followed by yet another young woman. Harry is in a race against time to stop highly intelligent killer, who is bent on total destruction.

Thoughts: Quite awhile a go, a friend of mine who is a prolific reader suggested Nesbo to me. As we most people who read a lot, a have a huge to read list so filed away the suggestion as something I would get to some day. The other week I was shelving at work (I work in a library) and came across two copies of The Bat on the shelves. The shelves were stuffed full and I needed a space. Obviously the solution was for me to take and borrow one of the copies - so I did.
Here's the thing about me - if it's a series of books, I must read them in order. It is rare and hard for me to break this rule. So despite the fact I have seen many Nesbo books around, I had to start with this one - it's the rules.
I enjoyed it. I found it incredibly interesting that at times Nesbo had a better understanding of Australian indigenous/ non indigenous history than a lot of Australians do. The story moved at a good pace, the solution wasn't too obvious and the character were well formed. I won't promise I'll get to the next one any quicker than I got to this one, but  I will get to it.

The Bat gets 3 stars

 *        Did not like it
**       It was OK
***      Liked it
****    Really liked it
*****   It was amazing

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