Book Review: Reckoning

From Goodreads: Heartbreaking, joyous, traumatic, intimate and revelatory, Reckoning is the book where Magda Szubanski, one of Australia’s most beloved performers, tells her story.
In this extraordinary memoir, Magda describes her journey of self-discovery from a suburban childhood, haunted by the demons of her father’s espionage activities in wartime Poland and by her secret awareness of her sexuality, to the complex dramas of adulthood and her need to find out the truth about herself and her family. With courage and compassion she addresses her own frailties and fears, and asks the big questions about life, about the shadows we inherit and the gifts we pass on.
Honest, poignant, utterly captivating, Reckoning announces the arrival of a fearless writer and natural storyteller. It will touch the lives of its readers.

Thoughts: Once again a Richard Fidler Conversation sparked my interest. I mean apart from the fact it's Magda Szubanski, one of Australia's funniest people, it's first line is this:

If you had met my father you would never, not for an instant, have thought he was an assassin. 

Seriously!! Is that not the best first line you have ever read!! Thankfully I have excellent friends who totally get me and my reading style so one of them bought it for me for Christmas - thanks Jodie! Nailed it!!

This is not your typical celebrity memoir. Szubanski takes you into her childhood, viewed from the eyes of a new immigrant to country. She explores complex and life changing feelings, events, experiences and thoughts, relating them back to her growth as a person, a comedian, an immigrant, a daughter. She is brutally honest about her struggle to accept her sexuality and her fear of it's affect on her relationships not only with her family but the public.
You cannot read this book and not admire Magda Szubanski. I don't think it would be easy for those who are valued for being funny to write so seriously. It wouldn't be easy to expose so much of yourself. 
Reckoning was definitely an excellent way to end the year.

Reckoning gets 4 stars.

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

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: Flesh Wounds

From Goodreads: A mother who invented her past, a father who was often absent, a son who wondered if this could really be his family.
Richard Glover's favourite dinner party game is called 'Who's Got the Weirdest Parents?'. It's a game he always thinks he'll win. There was his mother, a deluded snob, who made up large swathes of her past and who ran away with Richard's English teacher, a Tolkien devotee, nudist and stuffed-toy collector. There was his father, a distant alcoholic, who ran through a gamut of wives, yachts and failed dreams. And there was Richard himself, a confused teenager, vulnerable to strange men, trying to find a family he could belong to. As he eventually accepted, the only way to make sense of the present was to go back to the past - but beware of what you might find there. Truth can leave wounds - even if they are only flesh wounds.
Part poignant family memoir, part rollicking venture into a 1970s Australia, this is a book for anyone who's wondered if their family is the oddest one on the planet. The answer: 'No'. There is always something stranger out there.

Thoughts: I reckon everyone has a story they could tell during a game of "Who's Got the Weirdest Parents?", I know I've got a couple that could be contenders for the top prize. Richard Glover's life is full of them. 

Flesh Wounds is our book group book for November. It was my choice, made after I heard him interviewed by Richard Fidler on the Conversation Hour. It's a great interview - funny and cringe worthy at the same time. You can find it here and I highly recommend a listen. 

The book was the same, you'd be laughing out loud one moment and then cringing the next, feeling slightly ashamed that what you were laughing at was someone's life and delusions. But Glover wants you to laugh, he wants you to acknowledge the absurd and the crazy.

As a book group read it's fantastic. Lots of discussion to be had and pasts to be delved in. I'm sure there will be a round or two of Who's Got the Weirdest Parents and some pondering over what stories our own children might tell when they are older. 

I think it must have taken incredible courage for Richard Glover to write this book. His parents are not portrayed in a good light in any way. In fact as you read, you find yourself wondering how Glover turned out to be a functioning adult at all. He is a shining example of resilience and thriving despite not because of your circumstances. This book could have so easily been a depressing, dark and horrible journey through a not terribly nice childhood. Instead Glover presents his life as it is what it is and you can't change that so you might as well make the best of it. He acknowledges there are aspects of his life he keeps at arms length, developing a kind of detachment from the more bizarre and hurtful parts. His continued devotion to his parents, continuing to visit and include them in his life is not something I think a lot of people would have done. If nothing else this book goes to show a dysfunctional family does not mean the end of a functional life. As Glover himself says: " ...So many people had inadequate childhoods but we're not all insane or self-harming or miserable. We just found the love we needed elsewhere... This is the amazing resilience of humans. We are hungry for love and - mostly - we somehow find it."

Flesh Wounds gets 4 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: Salvation Creek

From Goodreads: At 44 Susan Duncan appeared to have it all. Editor of two top-selling women's magazines, a happy marriage, a jetsetting lifestyle covering stories from New York to Greenland, the world was her oyster. But when her beloved husband and brother die within three days of each other, her glittering life shatters. In shock, she zips on her work face, climbs back into her high heels and soldiers on - until one morning eighteen months later, when she simply can't get out of bed. Heartbreaking, funny and searingly honest, Salvation Creek is the story of a woman who found the courage not only to begin again but to beat the odds in her own battle for survival and find a new life - and love - in a tiny waterside idyll cut off from the outside world.

Thoughts: This is the second time I've read Salvation Creek and it was so worth the re read. It's my book group book this month. Where I live is a small community and ferry access only. Salvation Creek I think will be a great book for book group as so much of it reflects our lives. 
For a book that has it's fair share of tragedy, it's incredibly uplifting. I found Duncan to be brutally honest about herself, but not apologetic. Very much a this is me, take me as I am or bugger off approach. At no point does she ask for your pity, or even your understanding. She just presented it the way she saw it, felt it, lived it and left it to you to make your judgement. 
Duncan seemed to understand the ways of an offshore community very quickly. There's a special feeling to boat access communities. We're almost a little bit smug that we have this amazing way of life and don't get that not everyone wants to live this way. Duncan's love of entertaining would have helped. Her willingness to offer a tea, a beer, a wine, a feed.
Mostly this book illustrates how having what society views as successful life - which Duncan did - can leave you feeling empty and confused. Duncan tried several times to return to part of that life, but found that not possible. The challenge for all of us is to find that balance that allows us to earn money to live, but live a life that nurtures your soul and your relationships. It also shows that it is never too late to find that place where you feel that balance, but the road (or ferry crossing!) may be bumpy, you may take many wrong turns, but if you keep going, it's there.

Salvation Creek gets 4 stars

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

*****   It was amazing 

Book Review: Spinifex Baby

From Finch Publishing: I thought I knew how hard it would be. What I didn’t know was that it would test me to the inner core. This desert with its rolling dune fields is an unforgiving land that relentlessly destroys even its own ancient beauty. It is a place where, compared to the age of the landscape, a single life means less than a grain of sand. I could not have known that the biggest challenge I would face would not be from the piercing sun, not from the unforgiving dust, not even from the aching loneliness of isolation, but from the treachery of my own self.
 
When Karen and her partner Al set forth from the cold mountains of Tasmania to the 45-plus degree heat of central Australia to transform a cattle station into a conservation reserve, they were ready to embrace the beauty of the land and throw themselves into the task of protecting native plants and animals. They thought they had all the skills necessary to beat the heat, the dust and their isolation from society. However, when Karen became unexpectedly pregnant, their lives were turned upside down. Suddenly their biggest danger was not their exposure to the harsh elements but to the deepest fears that resided within themselves…

Thoughts: I'm so excited to read this book, if for no other reason than it signifies the return of book group in my little corner of the world!! Yay!! Spinifex Baby was recommended by one of book group members who happens to be Karen Harrland's sister-in-law.
As an Australian, you can hardly imagine two landscapes more different than the Tasmanian mountains and the Queensland outback. One cool, green, wet with lush bushland. The other hot, red, dry (unless it's wet season and then it's really wet) and sparse vegetation. Add to this the remoteness of the desert and Karen and Al are way more adventurous than I would ever be!
Karen truly brings the beauty of the outback to the fore. Her writing has made me want to visit the landscape. She does however, also bring the harshness out. A place where when you hang washing, the first piece is dry before you put the last piece on the line. A place where a walk across the yard can leave you exhausted and sunburnt. A place where the nearest medical help is four hours by plane.
Given how ill she was during her pregnancy, I'm in awe of the fact she stayed out there. I wasn't even remotely as ill as Karen and I found it hard to go to the shops, let alone help keep a remote station running. As for returning after she'd had the baby, I don't think wild horses could have dragged me back!
Spinifex Baby is a wonderful book. It showcases the Australian outback without romanticising it. You are left with no doubt that it's not easy out there, but if you are willing to put the effort in, the rewards are incredible. It's a great read and I'm really looking forward to the discussion I know it will spark on Saturday.

Book Review: Ugly

From Goodreads: Robert Hoge was born with a giant tumour on his forehead, severely distorted facial features and legs that were twisted and useless. His mother refused to look at her son, let alone bring him home. But home he went, to a life that, against the odds, was filled with joy, optimism and boyhood naughtiness.
Home for the Hoges was a bayside suburb of Brisbane. Robert's parents, Mary and Vince, knew that his life would be difficult, but they were determined to give him a typical Australian childhood. So along with the regular, gruelling and often dangerous operations that made medical history and gradually improved Robert's life, there were bad haircuts, visits to the local pool, school camps and dreams of summer sports.
Ugly is Robert's account of his life, from the time of his birth to the arrival of his own daughter. It is a story of how the love and support of his family helped him to overcome incredible hardships. It is also the story of an extraordinary person living an ordinary life, which is perhaps his greatest achievement of all.

Thoughts: Another book I came across one day while shelving and decided to grab. I'd heard of Robert Hoge, seen a few of the publicity interviews when this book came out and knew that I wanted to read it.
First up this is a very well written memoir - unsurprising given Hoge's background as a journalist. However, I often find a journalist style doesn't transfer well to story telling. Hoge's however has spent a life time writing stories which was obviously a good grounding for this book. His style is easy to read, conversational. Along with looking a serious issues such as his medical care, Hoge's lightens the tone with stories of any normal Australian childhood. In fact for me, the strength of this book is the highlighting of the normality of his life. His struggles are ones many can identify with (fitting in, feeling/ looking different, making friends etc) even if the reasons for those differences are not the same.
Ugly is well worth the read if you are after a book to inspire you. It's a book that supports the theory that often the only limitations we have are the ones we place on ourselves.

Book Review: Band-aid for a Broken Leg

From Goodreads: A powerful, surprisingly funny, and ultimately uplifting account of life on the medical frontline, and a moving testimony of the work done by Medecins Sans Frontieres Damien Brown, a young doctor, thinks he's ready when he arrives for his first posting with Medecins Sans Frontieres in Africa. But the town he's sent to is an isolated outpost of mud huts, surrounded by landmines; the hospital, for which he's to be the only doctor, is filled with malnourished children and conditions he's never seen; and the health workers—Angolan war veterans twice his age who speak no English—walk out on him following an altercation on his first shift. In the months that follow, Damien confronts these challenges all the while dealing with the social absurdities of living with only three other volunteers for company. The medical calamities pile up—including a leopard attack, a landmine explosion, and having to perform surgery using tools cleaned on the fire—but it's through Damien's evolving friendships with the local people that his passion for the work grows. This heartbreaking and honest account of life on the medical frontline in Angola, Mozambique, and South Sudan is a moving testimony of the work done by medical humanitarian groups and the extraordinary and sometimes eccentric people who work for them.

Thoughts: I picked this up as it came through the return chute at work. It's not like I actually needed something else to read, but it sounded too interesting to not borrow. Damien Brown has done what most of us only vaguely think about and volunteered with an organisation that deliberately goes into some of the most dangerous places on earth. What I really loved about this book is it's in no way presumptuous or preachy.  Damien's recollection of his time with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is honest, heartbreaking and thought-provoking. I often find with books from this genre a slightly holier than thou attitude from the author who somehow makes you feel inadequate for not doing what they do. Damien Brown though manages to relate his story with none of that. At different times this book has me crying, laughing, cringing, turning green, despairing and cheering. The places Damien went surely bought out the best and the worst in people, exposed him to great hardship and incredible joys. He acknowledges the good and the bad of both the volunteers, the local workers and the patients. He offers no justifications for any of these people and the way they react to what is going on around them, instead just relates their stories and lets the reader make up their own mind. His honesty about the effect it had on him is refreshing. It wasn't easy, he doesn't pretend it was. The final linking of his experience to Australia was a perfect way to end the book. I hope where ever he and what ever he is doing, Damien is happy and content with his lot.

Book Review: Call the Midwife

From Goodreads: Life in London's docklands in the 1950s was tough. The brothels of Cable Street, the Kray brothers and gang warfare, the meths drinkers in the bombsites - this was the world that Jennifer Worth entered when she became a midwife at the age of twenty-two. Babies were born in slum conditions, often with no running water.
Jennifer Worth describes the romance and beauty of the great port of London, the bug-infested tenements, the spectre of disease, the sense of community and the incredible resilience of women who bore more than ten children. Funny, disturbing and moving, Call the Midwife brings to life a world that has now changed beyond measure.

Thoughts: When I found out that the TV series Call The Midwife was based on books, I knew I had to read them. I did borrow it from the library, but ran out of time before I could open it. Thankfully a friend owned a copy and lent it to me. And in some ways it's a blessing that my Kindle died, forcing me to pick up something in hard copy and discovering this lovely book.
Jennifer Worth is no literary great, but her writing style is easy to read with a conversational quality. You can imagine sitting with her over a cup of tea as she tells you stories about her time as a midwife. At times I did find her a bit disingenuous, purporting to not be judgemental and then coming out with something very judgemental! But to be fair, I think it would be hard to see what a midwife of that time saw and not form some opinions about what was going on around you.
What struck me most about the book though was the way it straddled time frames. There were things happening that I considered quite modern - the description of care for premature babies took me by surprise - while at the same time conditions for the patients were something you are unlikely to see today - no running water in the house, no plumbing. You can see that the world was on the cusp of change. Obviously that change came quicker for some than others!
Call the Midwife was a great, light read. I enjoyed it and can see myself reading the other books in the series.

Book Review: The World's Strongest Librarian

From Goodreads: Josh Hanagarne couldn't be invisible if he tried. Although he wouldn't officially be diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome until his freshman year of high school, Josh was six years old and onstage in a school Thanksgiving play when he first began exhibiting symptoms. By the time he was twenty, the young Mormon had reached his towering adult height of 6'7" when — while serving on a mission for the Church of Latter Day Saints — his Tourette's tics escalated to nightmarish levels.
Determined to conquer his affliction, Josh underwent everything from quack remedies to lethargy-inducing drug regimes to Botox injections that paralyzed his vocal cords and left him voiceless for three years. Undeterred, Josh persevered to marry and earn a degree in Library Science. At last, an eccentric, autistic strongman — and former Air Force Tech Sergeant and guard at an Iraqi prison — taught Josh how to "throttle" his tics into submission through strength-training.
Today, Josh is a librarian in the main branch of Salt Lake City's public library and founder of a popular blog about books and weight lifting—and the proud father of four-year-old Max, who has already started to show his own symptoms of Tourette's.
The World's Strongest Librarian illuminates the mysteries of this little-understood disorder, as well as the very different worlds of strongman training and modern libraries. With humor and candor, this unlikely hero traces his journey to overcome his disability — and navigate his wavering Mormon faith — to find love and create a life worth living.

Thoughts: I picked this up on recommendation from a friend. Josh Haragarne is a 6ft7 librarian with Tourette's. He is also a Morman (somewhat lapsed) and a weight lifter. This book explores his journey with Tourette's, it's increasing effect on his life and his search for a way to control it.
Having read this book, I'd love to meet Josh. While he has obviously had tough points in his life and his fair share of struggles, he has also maintained a great sense of humour. The stories of people in the library made me laugh out loud - mostly because I've had fairly similar experiences and conversations while working in libraries myself. His honesty about his faith, both at full belief and as it waivers was refreshing and incredibly non judgmental. This is a really wonderful read.

 

Land's Edge

,

Land's Edge: A Coastal Memoir - Tim Winton

From Goodreads: On childhood holidays to the beach the sun and surf kept Tim Winton outside in the mornings, in the water; the wind would drive him indoors in the afternoons, to books and reading. This ebb and flow of the day became a way of life.
In this beautifully delicate memoir, Tim Winton writes about his obsession with what happens where the water meets the shore – about diving, dunes, beachcombing – and the sense of being on the precarious, wondrous edge of things that haunts his novels.
Complemented by the breathtaking photographs of Narelle Autio, Land's Edge is a celebration of the coastal life and those who surrender themselves to it.

What I Thought: Every time I read a Winton book I am amazed. The man's talent is boundless. He has a uniquely Australian voice without sounding overdone or ocker - a mature voice which retains the simplicity and straight forwardness of Australia. And in Land's Edge, he writes part of my childhood. The duality of suburb and coast, where coast makes you more alive, feel more, brighter colours and days that go too fast.

A quintessential Australian suburban life...But again, when I dream, when I remember...I don't see the picket fences and the Holden in the driveway... or hear the whine of the mowers...on rare and dreaded family slide nights,...I have to strain to recognise myself in Hush Puppies and a mohair turtleneck...Because in my memory of childhood there is always the smell of bubbling tar, of Pinke Zinke,the briny smell of the sea. It is always summer and I am on Scarborough Beach, blinded by light, with my shirt off and my back a map of dried salt and peeling sunburn.

 Another review I read described this book as a love letter to the sea, which is a perfect description. At just over 100 pages, it's a quick read, but once again Winton's prose is pure poetry. In chapter three there is a passage about swimming with sharks which had me enthralled - not a terrifying, heart stopping, over dramatic description, but one of wonder and awe that these creatures should  fill us with.

The shark alters course and the real shock hits you as you begin to see the size of its body. The colossal flanks are delicately spotted, as mesmeric as an Aboriginal dot painting, and at first sight as intimidating as a ship's hull. Astonishingly silent, unhurried and seemingly in slow motion, but hard work to keep up with for too long. Festooned with remoras, suckers, cleaners, tiny opportunists. Spangled and speckled by the light on the moving surface of the water, it makes you smile around your snorkel.

 Like Tim Winton, I am lucky enough to live close enough to the sea to experience it every day, and like him, it feeds my soul, soothes me and touches me daily. His description of Australians relationship with the sea is spot on.

Australians do not go to 'the seaside'...We go to the beach with a mixture of gusto and apprehension, for our sea is something to be reckoned with. We are reared on stories of shark attacks, broken necks from dumpings in the surf and the spectre of melanoma. I suspect we go because of these warnings, at times, and not simply despite them.

 Challenges: Aussie Author Challenge

Ten Hail Marys

Ten Hail Marys - Kate Howarth

From Goodreads: Frank and funny, this memoir vividly recounts the first 17 years of the author’s life in Sydney’s slums and in New South Wales’ countryside. Abandoned by her mother as a baby and by her volatile grandmother as a young girl, Kate Howarth was shunted between Aboriginal relatives and expected to grow up fast. It was a childhood beset by hardship, abuse, profound grief, and poverty, but buoyed with the hope that one day she would make a better life for herself and her child. Incredibly moving, this is the compelling true story of a childhood lost and a young woman’s hard-won self-possession.

What I Thought: This is a book I picked up off the shelving trolley at work. It tells the story of Kate Howarth and her fight to keep her baby as an unwed mother in the 1960's. It details her life as a child passed from family member to family member at the drop of a hat, for no apparent reason. Like several other books I have read recently it provides a glimpse at a life so different from my own and situations I know I will never find myself in.
Howarth portrays her family as one that holds many secrets and troubles. Aunts that are abused, mothers that are really grandmothers and prodigal children that appear and disappear on a whim. Given her background, Howarth's strength in the face of everyone (including her mother, her boyfriend and the nuns at the home for unwed mothers) trying to make her give up her baby, is inspirational.
As is often the case with true life books, the end isn't quite what you expect, but it left me with a great admiration for Kate Howarth and a want to know more. There is mention of a sequel called Pray For Us Sinners, but I am unable to find a publication date. All I know is that I will be keeping an eye out for it.

Challenges: 13 in 13 Challenge, Aussie author Challenge

Get well soon

Title: Get Well Soon! My (un)Brilliant Career as a Nurse
Author: Kristy Chambers
Genre: Memoir
Audience: Adult
Format: Book - Library

From Goodreads: Falling into the nursing profession, Kristy Chambers spent almost a decade working with a wide range of people, ranging from drug addicts to cancer patients. Dark, humorous, honest, and compassionate, this memoir illustrates the incredible work nurses do and the many challenges they face. A tribute to the wonderfully brave people Chambers met during her career, this book portrays both joyous and difficult experiences.

What I thought: Yet another book I discovered through Richard Fidler's excellent radio program called The Conversation Hour. You can access the audio of the interview here.
I know it's most probably completely politically incorrect to find a book about sick people funny, but this was! Kristy Chambers takes us through her pre graduate placements and her first ward placements, giving us a warts and all view of nursing. It was funny from the first, and very refreshing! Chambers had no great calling to nursing. In fact it came down to choosing between it and teaching and she decided 
 sick people trumped teenagers.
 If your looking for sympathetic, overly concerned politically correct stories about the sick and dying - wrong book!  Chambers is brutally honest about everything including hating some of her patients (the trick is to hide it) and finding body fluids stomach churning and not really her cup of tea. In fact, I can imagine some people being offended by the off hand way she talks about some diseases.

And even though though throwing up was definitely not my idea of a good time, the bulimic at least got to have a bit of fun first, eating everything before they did whatever ugly, cut-throat shit was necessary to get rid of it. I thought I would choose their tribe if pushed.  Chapter 1 Anorexiaville p.9

And then she shows you a side that made you realise she did care about her patients and sympathised with them.

So I had some of the same hang-ups, perhaps, but luckily, I fell far short of the extreme examples before me. It was not inevitable that I would have early onset osteoporosis, or be rendered infertile. ...I didn't have hard calluses on the back of my hands from shoving them down my throat 50 times a day, from throwing up water, and I didn't want to disappear. These girls were winning at losing, dying right in front of your eyes. Chapter 1 Anorexiaville p.12

In fact the tone of the book reminded me of the way as a teacher we would speak about kids in the staffroom on a Friday afternoon after a hard week. You'd say things you would never, ever say outside the staffroom, using words you would never, ever say normally (stupid, idiot, little shit) , but also needing to debrief. I would assume a lot of what Chambers says is the same that nursing stuff say all the time in the safety of a staffroom, knowing what's said in the staffroom, stays in the staffroom.

Chambers makes no apologies for her attitude, although she does make sure the reader knows that a lot of what she says in her head is never heard by the patient. What they see and hear is a professional nurse whose job is to care for them, clean them up and hold their hand - no matter how rude and terrible they are to her.

Get Well Soon is what I imagine nursing to be like - warts and all. I would suggest NOT eating while reading it, but would completely recommend it to anyone who wants to know what nursing is really like.

Challenges: Australian authors

A Private Life

Title: A Private Life: Fragments, Memories, Friends
Author: Michael Kirby
Genre: Memoir
Audience: Adult
Format: Kindle

From Goodreads: Michael Kirby is one of Australia's most admired public figures. At a time of spin and obfuscation, he speaks out passionately and straightforwardly on the issues that are important to him. Even those who disagree with him have been moved by the courage required of him to come out as a high-profile gay man, which at times has caused him to be subjected to the most outrageous assaults on his character.
This is a collection of reminiscences in which we can discover the private Michael Kirby. It allows the public figure speak in his own voice, without any intermediary. He opens up as never before about his early life, about being gay, about his forty-two year relationship with Johan van Vloten, about his religious beliefs and even about his youthful infatuation with James Dean, which sent him on a sentimental journey to Dean's home town in the year 2000, an adventure he here wryly recalls.
Beautifully written, reflective and generous, in that warm and gently self-deprecating voice that is so characteristic of him, this is a memoir that Michael Kirby's many admirers have been waiting for.

 
What I thought: This is our book group book for this month and I think we are on a winner! Justice Michael Kirby is a well known and respected name in Australia. As the blurb above says, he is renown for his plain speaking and passion. This memoir is not lineal, instead Kirby has written on things he is passionate and interested in - growing up homosexual in the '50's, AIDS, his beautiful relationship with his long term partner and James Dean! Kirby has this wonderful ability to take an issue and put in terms that make it so obvious the way things should be - he uncomplicates the complicated.

One can intellectully embrace an idea of celibacy as the path that society seemed irrationally to enforce on people like me. But in the midst of the loneliness, the nagging, demands of the body and mind, the heart would urge the spirit to look for what the law, religion and society forbade.

I referred to the archbishop's statement reported in the newspapers that day* and gave my own point of view. The boys looked and listened quietly. I told them to have nothing to do with hate speech -'poofter', 'faggot' - or with gay bashing, bullying and harassment. I suggested that a life of celibacy was not a pratical solution for homosexual people...But those who condem and demand silence in the years of youth must wear the moral burden of the family rejections, suicides and the despair that the world of shame and silence brings.

*The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney had released a statement  condemning the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras [he said] the Church 'teaches that homosexual practices are contrary to the moral law' so that homeosexual people 'are required to exercise self-discipline and avoid such conduct.' They are, he believed, called to a life without sex. The Anglican Archbishop was contacted for comment and endorsed the statement.

One of the things I admire most about Kirby is his unwillingness to compromise his principals. Asked by a Catholic boys school to give a talk on 'judical activism' he explained it was more of a topic for politicians and suggested the alternative of homophobia. The school came back with a suggestion of social justice which Kirby agreed to, making sure they understood he would use social justice as a context for homophobia. But while he was happy to talk on this point, he refused to ambush the school, providing a copy of his talk points to a master at the school so they would be fully aware of the direction he was taking. The talk was a resounding success, the boys asked pertinent and thoughtful questions. Kirby's answers were just as thoughtful and respectful. The majority of parents approved, with several writing letters to thank Kirby for his talk. A similar situation happened with a talk Kirby presented at a Salvation Army Conference.

This is an excellent book for book groups, it's bound to provoke lots of interesting discussion. I'm looking forward to our meeting this month!

Challenges: Aussie Author Challenge,  EBook Challenge

The House At Salvation Creek

Title: The House at Salvation Creek
Author: Susan Duncan
Genre: Memoir
Audience: Adult
Format: Personal copy

From Goodreads: Continuing the story of Susan Duncan's much-loved memoir, Salvation Creek, this book picks up after Bob and Susan marry and, two years later, move from her Tin Shed into his "pale yellow house on the high, rough hill," Tarrangaua, built for the iconic Australian poet, Dorothea Mackellar. Set against the backdrop of the small, close-knit Pittwater community with its colorful characters and quirky history, this story is about what happens when you open the door to life, adventure, and love. But it's also about mothers and daughters, as Susan confronts her mother's new frailty and her own role in what has always been a difficult relationship. Where Salvation Creek was about mortality—living life in the face of death—The House is about stepping outside your comfort zone and embracing challenges, at any age. In turn funny and moving, Susan Duncan's beautifully written sequel reminds us to honor what matters in life, and to disregard what really doesn't.

What I thought: I loved Salvation Creek, it's description of life in areas of Pittswater accessible only by boat reflect my own island living so much I frequently found my self exclaiming yes! or nodding in agreement.
While Salvation Creek documented Duncan's journey through cancer and her discovery of a quieter, simpler life, The House at Salvation Creek was about Ducan's search for the origins of Tarrangaua, the house her and her husband live in that was built for the famous Australian poet, Dorethea Mackellar. Through this book, Duncan tries to establish who the architect was for the iconic house. Interwoven is her continuing love affair with Pittwater and it's lifestyle.

Challenges: Aussie Author Challenge

DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT IN ORDER TO WIN AN EBOOK COPY OF CONNIE CORCORAN WILSON'S HELLFIRE AND DAMNATION II!

Today tell me if you long for a quieter, simpler life.

Alex and Me

Title: Alex and Me

Author: Irene M Pepperberg

Genre: Memoir
Audience: Adult
Format: Book - Lent by friend

From Goodreads: From Alex's first words to his sudden death, "Alex & Me" tells the story of a delightful and mischievous parrot who rocked the scientific establishment. Yet his real story can't be found in any science journal--the story of a relationship, with its affection, jealousy, and lifelong rewards.

 What I thought:  A lovely friend gave me this book to read after she came to my house and met my pet cockatiel.

My gorgeous Smokey.

 Now while my bird above is no African Grey, he is pretty smart! He wolf whistles at me every time I come down stairs,  (a great confidence booster, I'm telling you!) can whistle the Imperial March from Star Wars (that's this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzWSJG93P8), is working on When the Saints go Marching in, says how you doing whenever someone walks in the front door, mimics the microwave so well I've actually got up to check what is in it and says hop on when he wants to come out of his cage. All in all, I think he is pretty special. (even if he does love my husband more than me!)

Alex and Me is the story of an amazing African Grey parrot who changed the way the scientific world thought about the brains of birds and other non mammalian animals. This youtube clip is a short example of what he could do.

I loved this book - the relationship between Irene and Alex and the fact she proved how smart a bird can be. As I said above, I love my bird, something that a lot people don't get. (it's only a bird) and I adore the way this book celebrates the intelligence of parrots.

Bloom

Title: Bloom: finding beauty in the unexpected
Author: Kelle Hampton
Genre: Memoir
Audience: Adult
Format: Book - own

From Goodreads: Love me. Love me. I'm not what you expected, but oh, please love me.
That was the most defining moment of my life. That was the beginning of my story.

When photographer Kelle Hampton learned she was pregnant with her second child, she and her husband, Brett, were ecstatic. Her pregnancy went smoothly and the ultrasounds showed a beautiful, healthy, high-kicking baby girl.
But when her new daughter was placed in her arms in the delivery room, Kelle knew instantly that something was wrong. Nella looked different than her two-year-old sister Lainey had at birth. As she watched friends and family celebrate with champagne toasts and endless photographs, a terrified Kelle was certain that Nella had Down syndrome-a fear her pediatrician soon confirmed. Yet gradually Kelle's fear and pain were vanquished by joy, as she embraced the realization that she had been chosen to experience an extraordinary and special gift.
Bloom takes readers on a wondrous journey through Nella's first year of life-a gripping, hilarious, and intensely poignant trip of transformation in which a mother learns that perfection comes in all different shapes. It is a story about embracing life and really living it, of being fearless and accepting difference, of going beyond constricting definitions of beauty, and of the awesome power of perspective. As Hampton writes, "There is us. Our Family. We will embrace this beauty and make something of it. We will hold our precious gift and know that we are lucky."

What I thought: I am a devout reader of Kelle's blog Enjoying the Small Things. Like many others, the first post I ever read was Nella's birth story and it touched me - not just her words, but the photos that accompanied them. Please, go have a look, it is worth it. From that day I have looked forward to every new post of Enjoying the Small Things, the photos, the stories - everything. So when I heard that Kelle was releasing a book about Nella's first year, I knew I had to have it.
Bloom fills in the gaps that the blog leaves. It explores Kelle's deepest feelings about the birth of her daughter and the first year of being a family where one member has an extra chromosome. And it is beautifully written. The rawness of emotions put you right in the book. You feel the love and support in the room as friends gather to celebrate Nella's birth, the fierce protectiveness of Kelle as her daughter endures tests, the uncertainty of how the world outside the protective bubble of family and friends will react. And the photos...I love the photos which only add to the depth of the writing.
I admire Kelle's honesty. She talks about mourning the child she thought she would have - that she thought she should have. She talks about the fear Nella's Down syndrome would have on her other daughter Lainey and what it would mean for the "sister relationship" she promised Lainey. And she talks about her friends. Oh her friends. The support network Kelle Hampton has is the true magic in her life. At all points there was The Net to catch her, hold her, dry her tears and set her back on her feet. Really we should all have a net like Kelle's.
Bloom is a beautiful read - highly recommended.

Layla's Story

Title: Layla's Story
Author: Vanessa Gorman
Genre: Memoir
Audience: Adult
Format: Book - Library

Synopsis: Vanessa Gorman writes the story of her baby Layla. She goes back to the beginning, starting with meeting Layla's father, their complex relationship, her pregnancy, the traumatic loss of Layla not long after she was born and all that came after that loss.

What I thought: OK, this is going to be a really hard review to write. I am very mindful that who I am writing about are real people and so are the  events that happened. While I in no way think my blog is widely read, I have been contacted by authors of books I've review before. Vanessa Gorman also made a documentary about Layla. It started before Layla was born and I remember watching it. I wasn't pregnant at the time, but we were about to start trying for our first. I remember sobbing and being amazed that these people were able to share such a private experience. It's one of the reasons I picked up the book when I saw it at work. I found the book's exploration of the dilemma of being in a relationship where you both want different things, the sharing of raw grief at Layla's death and Gorman's embracing of the experience excellent. Enjoyed is not the right words, but thought provoking. In these areas of the book, I feel Gorman made a small window into a world I am grateful to never had experienced, and allowed me to develop a small understanding of what it's like to live in that world. For all of these reasons, I kept reading. Early on in the book, at the beginning of her and Michael's relationship, Gorman goes into explicit details about their sex life. Now I enjoy the odd titillating read, but I found this uncomfortable and out of place. It was information I didn't need to know and am not sure why you would want to share it with the world. Obviously the sex was good and an important part of their relationship, but I just don't think I need to know the details. I also found Michael's continued need to know there was a way out of the relationship, his need to be able to leave and Vanessa's willingness to put up with this despite the fact was it completely opposite to what she wanted hard to deal with. Vanessa wanted a child. Ached for a child. I get that, I've experienced that. I have also had the partner who was reluctant and if truth be told, would be childless except for me. I understand what it is like to look at a person who you feel is truly your soulmate and think if you can't give me this, I need to leave. I know what it's like to say those words and be terrified of the answer. I'm also lucky enough to know a man who loved me enough to say yes, he would give me a baby.  A man who loved me enough to put aside his reservations to make me happy. To make a huge sacrifice in order to stay with me. And there in lies my biggest problem with Michael. For me, if you truly love someone, you do what is best for them. What was best for Vanessa, was to have a baby. It was a physical ache. Someone who truly loved her would have said yes, or walked away permanently. And while I understand that Vanessa loved Michael, had a strong physical and spiritual connection to him, it was obvious he was never going to give in willingly and even if he did, it was highly likely he wouldn't hang around after.
In the end, Vanessa found someone else. They have two children and a continuing love for Layla.

Recommended for: those who wanted a raw, no hold barred look on loving and losing a child.

Challenges:  100+ Challenge,