Book Review: Coraline

From Goodreads: There is something strange about Coraline's new home. It's not the mist, or the cat that always seems to be watching her, nor the signs of danger that Miss Spink and Miss Forcible, her new neighbours, read in the tea leaves. It's the other house - the one behind the old door in the drawing room. Another mother and father with black-button eyes and papery skin are waiting for Coraline to join them there. And they want her to stay with them. For ever. She knows that if she ventures through that door, she may never come back.

Thoughts: Yet another stellar author! I love having authors I can count on to give me a good read. This is Gaiman at his creepiest best. While theoretically written for children, Coraline would be more than capable of inducing nightmares in some children. If your kids like creepy stories and aren't given to wild imaginations that run away in the dark - go for it. To tell the truth I would most probably be ok with both my 10 and 13 year old reading this.
Coraline enters another world through what should be a false door - all it opens onto is a brick wall. But some how, on this day, it opens onto another world, one that has been carefully crafted by the Coraline's "other mother." This creature has recreated Coraline's world, but why? And why buttons for eyes? When  Coraline refuses to stay, the other mother steals Coraline's real parents and she must enter the strange world again to save them.
What I really love about Coraline? She saves herself. She is scared, she is uncertain, but she is brave. She is a girl capable of being her own hero.

“Because,' she said, 'when you're scared but you still do it anyway, that's brave.”

And I don't think we have enough brave girls in literature. I also love that the evil doer in the book is female. It is the other mother that controls the other world and all that is in it. Strong female characters in kids books - love it!
Gaiman's stories are simple but not condescending. The children in them are intelligent and resourceful.  They are able to see through the smoke screen that so many adults seem to put up. In short, Gaiman believes in his child characters and infuses them with a confidence all kids should have. Once again Gaiman is a winner in my book.

Book Review: Island Home

From Goodreads: 'I grew up on the world’s largest island.' 
This apparently simple fact is the starting point for Tim Winton’s beautiful, evocative and sometimes provocative memoir of how Australia's unique landscape has shaped him and his writing. 
Wise, rhapsodic, exalted – Island Home is not just a brilliant, moving insight into the life and art of one of our finest writers, but a compelling investigation into the way our country shapes us.

Thoughts: Winton. Seriously, you can't go wrong with the man. His ability to place you smack bang in the middle of Australia and view it through his eyes is second to none. Everything from the cover to the explorations of place will make you long for this place we are lucky enough to go home. His description of what it feels like to be an Aussie overseas may be one of the big reasons I am not so eager to travel overseas. The love he has for the country only fuels my desire to see more of it - especially Western Australia and it's beautiful coastline. As one other review I read of Island Home said, all of Winton's books are about place, but this is about The Place.

Without beating the reader over the head, Winton gently reminds us how ancient this land is and how it captures people's hearts. He acknowledges the love non indigenous Australian's feel for their home, but points out we lack the ancient connection our indigenous population feel and revere. We have much to learn from the aboriginal culture and if we would only open ourselves up to it, they would be happy to teach us and maybe we could heal some of the hurt caused by our ancestors. 

Australia is big enough for all of us and I only hope that we all find the love and joy in this land that Tim Winton wants us to.

Island Home gets 5 stars

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

Book Review: The Secret Chord

From Goodreads:A rich and utterly absorbing novel about the life of King David, from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of People of the Book and March.
With more than two million copies of her novels sold, New York Times bestselling author Geraldine Brooks has achieved both popular and critical acclaim. Now, Brooks takes on one of literature’s richest and most enigmatic figures: a man who shimmers between history and legend. Peeling away the myth to bring David to life in Second Iron Age Israel, Brooks traces the arc of his journey from obscurity to fame, from shepherd to soldier, from hero to traitor, from beloved king to murderous despot and into his remorseful and diminished dotage.
The Secret Chord provides new context for some of the best-known episodes of David’s life while also focusing on others, even more remarkable and emotionally intense, that have been neglected.  We see David through the eyes of those who love him or fear him—from the prophet Natan, voice of his conscience, to his wives Mikhal, Avigail, and Batsheva, and finally to Solomon, the late-born son who redeems his Lear-like old age. Brooks has an uncanny ability to hear and transform characters from history, and this beautifully written, unvarnished saga of faith, desire, family, ambition, betrayal, and power will enthrall her many fans.

Thoughts: Some books you can just immerse yourself in. Float along on a river of rich language, lavish descriptions and an enthralling story. The Secret Chord is such a book. If we continue the river analogy, it starts off a slow steady place, almost ebbing in parts before the flow picks up and you find yourself bouncing over rapids and the occasional waterfall .
Told from the point of view of Natan, King David's prophet, The Secret Chord leads us into David's inner world. His early years before meeting Natan are covered as his mother, brother and first wife tell Natan of their lives with David and how he became the man he was. 
Brook's portrayal of David show a flawed man who truly believed he was anointed by God to be king. His was a brutal reign at times, but his destiny to unite the tribes of Israel and bring peace is something he had complete faith in. The constant of Natan gives the reader a voice to hold onto and believe. Natan has no vested interest in lying so you believe what he says implicitly and value his point of view. Poor Natan had no choice over his destiny either, but he followed it with humility and bravery.
Not having a great knowledge of biblical stories, I was not bothered by Brook's use of traditional Hebrew names. For some reviewers this deviation from the names they have grown up with was a struggle. At times the book is graphic in it's descriptions of battle and rape, but they were pretty brutal times.  
If you are a Geraldine Brooks fan, I'd highly recommend this to you. It will definitely be up there as one of my best reads of 2015.

The Secret Chord gets 5 stars

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

*****   It was amazing

 

Book Review: The Martian

From Goodreads: Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him & forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded & completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—& even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—& a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

Thoughts: Last Thursday night, I reluctantly agreed to go to the movies to see The Martian. My husband assured me I would enjoy the movie, I wasn't so sure. It was AWESOME!! Easily the best movie I have seen in awhile. So like all good bibliophiles, my first thought was - need to read the book. It was even MORE AWESOME!!
Books and movies like this are fantastic because they make science so cool. It shows the power of intelligence and how being a scientist can take you to some amazing places where you can do amazing things. Also shows you how science can save your life. Like any fiction book, I'm sure there are scientific inaccuracies, but from everything I've read and the conversations I've had with my science nerd husband, it's pretty good.
Weir creates a character you really want to make it. Watney's diary can almost be read as a daily pep talk to himself - focus on the positive, solve the problems, get home. I also really liked Watney's slightly rebellious nature it doing things he knows NASA would not approve of, but also acknowledging how much easier it is with their input on the problem solving. I did find myself getting a bit frustrated with NASA, wanting them to realise this guy had managed to survive without them and maybe they should just give him a little leeway.
Weir is also excellent at weaving humour into the story.It helps that his main character is so up beat and a laugh-or-you'll-cry type of guy. I think if he'd gone the serious, we're all going to die doom and gloom route with the book it would not be any where near as successful. The humour stops the reader being fully immersed in the true horror of the situation and the seemingly insurmountable odds of survival.
If I had a criticism of the book it would be in regards to the secondary characters. They seemed a bit flat to me, not quite fully formed. Whether part of this was because Mark Watney was larger than life, or because there was no time or space to flesh them out I'm not quite sure. The reality also is a lot of people would be needed to work a mission like this and in the interest of keeping the book as real as possible, those people pop in and out of the earth side of the story.
The Martian is a great read. Even if you are not a big sci-fi fan, I'd suggest you get hold of this and give it a go. 

The Martian gets 5 stars

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

*****   It was amazing

Book Review: Questionable Deeds

From Goodreads: One random night in 2004, Michael Burge’s long-term partner, choreographer Jonathan Rosten, died suddenly while rehearsing a show. In the midst of the ensuing grief, Jono’s relatives started the secret and devastating process of disenfranchising Michael from his position as Jono’s next of kin.
With his name removed from Jono’s death certificate, Michael found himself unable to wrap-up his de-facto partner’s affairs; in a legal, ethical and financial ‘David and Goliath’ battle that was none of his making.
Exiled from his own life, facing grief, depression and suicidal thoughts, Michael eventually found the courage to fight back.
Along the way he came face-to-face with his own demons, and those of the generation that faced HIV/AIDS and the ensuing legislative no-man’s land which saw many de-facto couples disenfranchised by homophobic families.
Through asserting his right to grieve the loss of his partner, not only personally, but on a public and legislative level, Michael’s story offers a rarely heard, surprising and honest voice for all Australians dealing with loss.
Set against a country coming to terms with the human rights and responsibilities of same-sex equality, Questionable Deeds offers one man’s argument for marriage equality and why it’s a no-brainer for any 21st century nation. 

Thoughts: I've long been a believer in same sex marriage. My attitude has always pretty much been one of love is love and therefore you should have the same rights, no matter who you love. After reading this book it becomes more than apparent why equal rights to marriage is not just desirable, it's essential. One little bit of paper, a bit of paper I have somewhere in my house and barely think about, would have saved Michael the grief of being made a non entity in his beloved husband's life on top of the grief of losing him. One. Piece. Of. Paper. 

Questionable Deeds is raw. Michael pulls no punches, hides nothing from the reader. His grief is devastating, leaking out of the pages as he struggles to understand what is happening and why. His anger is palpable, driven by his confusion about events he should have control of but doesn't. His skill in extrapolating his experience to the lives of those around him and his subsequent drive to make sure his story is not someone else's shows you the true measure of this man.

The attitude and actions of Jono's mother and brother astound me. Try as I might, I cannot wrap my mind around why you would want to deny such a large part of your child's life. I struggle to understand people who feel that a gay child is a failure - either of the child or the parent. A child who has no compassion, no empathy - that is a failure. A child who meets and builds a life with someone they love - that is a success. Michael is a bigger person than me as he at least tries to understand Jono's mum's point of view and actions. His final decision in how to end the impasse amazing.

I'm lucky enough to know Michael. We live in the same community and have had a handful of conversations and interactions which have been thought provoking and insightful. It's always a bit daunting  reviewing a friend's work, but  reading Questionable Deeds was a great privilege and has simply confirmed for me the principled person Michael is.

Questionable Deeds should be read by anyone who has any doubts as to the importance of same sex marriage. The existing laws are not enough - they didn't help Michael. One piece of paper that hurts no one, but could save someone from an incredible amount of pain is all we need.

Questionable Deeds gets 5 stars.

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

*****   It was amazing

Book Review: The Minnow

From Goodreads: Tom survived a devastating flood that claimed the lives of her sister and parents. Now she lives with Bill in his old shed by the lake. But it’s time to move out—Tom is pregnant with Bill’s baby.
Jonah lets her move in with him. Mrs Peck gives her the Fishmaster Super Series tackle box. Nana is full of gentle good advice and useful sayings.
And in her longing for what is lost, Tom talks to fish: Oscar the carp in the pet shop, little Sarah catfish who might be her sister, an unhelpful turtle in a tank at the maternity ward. And the minnow.
The Minnow is a moving and powerful coming of age story with a whimsical element that belies the heartbreaking truth of grief and loss. Tom is a character you will never forget.

Thoughts: This is the fifth of the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) shortlisted Older Readers books. Wow. I loved this. I don't think I have ever read a YA book like this before.  I think I've read a few that tried to be like this and totally missed the mark, but this hit it full on.

Tom is a 14 year old girl in very difficult circumstances. She lives in a small community devastated by a flood that killed many, including Tom's parents and sister. Tom has been living with Bill, but moves in with her friend Jonah when she finds herself pregnant by Bill, who is much older and obviously involved in something shady.
The author's use of short sentences was very effective. To me it gave a feeling of Tom being slightly disconnected from everything around her. Finding herself pregnant should have been traumatic, but Tom just accepts it as part of her lot. She seems to move through the world slightly apart from it all. She has wonderful conversations with her dead grandfather, various animals and the minnow - the child growing inside her. Her ease with this makes you feel like the veil between the real world and the netherworld is very thin for Tom. In fact her ease with it may mean it takes you awhile to work out who is living and who isn't since it's all the same to Tom.  This shows you this is nothing extraordinary, that it's just the way Tom is and that's OK.

I was slightly uncomfortable with the fact it appeared to be perfectly OK and acceptable by this small community for Tom to live with Bill and then for Tom and Jonah to live together despite their young age. No social workers turned up to assess a girl who had lost her whole family, was pregnant in suspect circumstances and wasn't attending school. But then it occurred to me there was no date given. Apart from the fact they drive cars and have TV, there is no indication as to when the story is set. It's quite probable in earlier years there would have been little or no intervention.

I can see The Minnow being a very polarising book - you will either love or hate it. For me it's uniqueness alone is enough. It's definitely a book for the older end of older readers with many of the concepts and ideas simply being beyond younger readers. 

The Minnow gets 5 stars.

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

*****   It was amazing 

Book Review: The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl

From Goodreads: Alba loves her life just as it is. She loves living behind the bakery, and waking up in a cloud of sugar and cinnamon. She loves drawing comics and watching bad TV with her friends.
The only problem is she’s overlooked a few teeny details:
Like, the guy she thought long gone has unexpectedly reappeared.
And the boy who has been her best friend since forever has suddenly gone off the rails. 
And even her latest comic-book creation is misbehaving.
Also, the world might be ending – which is proving to be awkward.
As Doomsday enthusiasts flock to idyllic Eden Valley, Alba’s life is thrown into chaos. Whatever happens next, it’s the end of the world as she knows it. But when it comes to figuring out her heart, Armageddon might turn out to be the least of her problems.

Thoughts: This is the fourth of the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) shortlisted Older Readers books. I will admit this is the title and cover and I was most dubious about - truthfully it's not something I would have naturally gravitated to. I would have missed out. This is a true gem. What's more, a quick scan of it's reviews on Goodreads and it seems to be connecting with it's audience as well. Keil has avoided so many of the young adult cliches - no love triangle, a female protagonist who has curves and an positive body image and a supporting cast that are believable and great characters in their own right. Alba and her friends are having their last summer before they scatter or stay. Everyone seems to be fairly certain what they want to do, where they want to go. Alba thought she knew, but now she's not so sure.  I'm sure it's a feeling many young people have when they finish school - what now? Is what I want to do really what I want to do or just what everyone thinks I should do?

Alba is an incredible character. She is sassy, smart, talented and sure of herself. She is a fantastic teenage female character and there should be more of them. Cinnamon Girl does sneak up on you. The book just grows in strength with each chapter until by the end you are blown away with how natural it all feels. The characters have become your friends and you want to find them and ask how they are doing. Fabulous book and my front runner to take out the top prize.

The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl gets 4 stars!

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

*****   It was amazing 

Podcast review: Serial

So this is obviously not a book review. Instead it's a review of a podcast called Serial. Serial comes from the creators of This American Life, an American weekly broadcast which has won numerous awards and is frequently the most downloaded podcast in the country.

What is Serial? It's "a podcast...hosted by Sarah Koenig. [It] tells one story - a true story - over the course of an entire season. Each season, we'll follow a plot and characters wherever they take take us. And we won't know what happens at the end until we get there, not long before you get there with us."

The first season of Serial, which was broadcast in 2014, followed a murder case from 1999. Hae Min Lee disappears after school one day. Six weeks later her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed is arrested for the murder. He says he's innocent, but is eventually convicted. He maintains his innocence to this day.

When I first got into Serial on the recommendation of a couple of friends, I missed one really important piece of information - the fact that it's true. Not just based on a true story, but actually true. Sarah Koenig spent a year investigating this story, tracking down leads, talking to people, trying to work out what really happened. How I missed that piece of information, I don't know, but it's added a whole new dimension to show. I'm even more blown away now than I was before.

Each episode of Serial concentrated on a particular aspect of the case, whether it be alibis that were offered, motive, the case against Adnan, the short fallings of his defense and the star witness for the prosecution. And it's riveting stuff, even when I didn't know it was for real I was on the edge of my seat, listening intently for that one bit of vital information which would tell me one way or another who was telling the truth here. Koenig narrates her journey, pointing out problems with the case, offering theories and then backing it up with audio of interviews she did with people related to the case, police interviews, court room audio and phone conversations with Adnan.  The website also offers links to documents such as letters, maps and timelines. As you can imagine with anything like this, other bits and pieces have sprung up online with people discussing the case and even trying their hand at a bit of detective work. Reddit has a whole Serial subreddit where you can get lost for hours!

If you enjoy true crime with a real personal element, if you find trying to unravel mysteries fascinating and appreciate a story told really well, download Serial from here. Rejoice in the fact the season has finished and you can binge listen to the whole thing. I'm fairly sure I would have gone crazy waiting for each weekly episode to be released.

It has been confirmed there will be another two seasons of Serial - one to be release in the American Fall of 2015 and another for the American Spring of 2016. There is no word on what they will be about, but given the description of Serial simply states they follow a true story, I would be surprised if they followed another murder investigation. Either way, it will be interesting to see what they come up with and if they can make is as compulsive listening as the first season was.

If I had to give Serial a star rating, like I do for the books I read and listen to, it would get a definite 5 stars.

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

*****   It was amazing 

Book Review: Skullduggery Pleasant

From Goodreads: Stephanie's uncle Gordon is a writer of horror fiction. But when he dies and leaves her his estate, Stephanie learns that while he may have written horror, it certainly wasn't fiction. Pursued by evil forces intent on recovering a mysterious key, Stephanie finds help from an unusual source - the wisecracking skeleton of a dead wizard.

Thoughts: The kids and I have been listening to this in the car. For various reasons, I haven't had all 3 children as frequently this term, with an almost 3 week break it became a bit fractured. I decided to go back and listen to the whole thing again, partly because after Anna Karenina I was struggling to settle to anything and partly because I wanted a clean run at it. The kids haven't finished it, but I have
I'm so glad I did. How bloody brilliant is this book! Intelligent, funny, amazing characters, fast paced story and fantastic dialogue - just like this:

"So you won't keep anything from me again?" 
He put his hand to his chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die." 
"Okay then. Though you don't actually have a heart," she said. 
"I know." 
"And technically, you've already died." 
"I know that too." 
"Just so we're clear."

I also think the narrator had a lot to do with how enjoyable this was. Rupert Degas has apparently received critical acclaim for his narration of Skullduggery Pleasant, and he truly deserves it. Just listen.

Although when I Googled him, he looks nothing like what I thought he would!

Skullduggery Pleasant is in the league of Harry Potter. It's a book that will get non readers reading and engage kids in some good quality writing.

The kids have just over an hour of audio left to listen to. I'm holding off downloading book two until they finish in the hope they are as eager as I am to continue the Skullduggery adventure. If not, I will go it alone!

Skullduggery Pleasant gets a well deserved 5 stars!

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