13 in '13 Challenge Wrap Up

 

 When I first signed up for this challenge I suggested to the organiser (who is a friend as well) that instead of me having to read 13 books, that she set 13 different genres for me. Agreeing that by doing so it may take me more than a month to complete (and in reality, it would have taken me 2.5 months, but lets not quibble over small matters) Miss Dove set the following categories.

Mystery
Romance
Thriller
Drama  

Historical 

Fantasy
Sci-fi
Non-fiction  

Graphic novel
Autobiography
Motivational
Spiritual
Poetry 

My finished list looks like this.

Mystery - The Rook - Daniel O'Malley
Romance - The Sheikh's Love Child - Kate Hewitt
Thriller - Flash and Bones - Kathy Reichs
Drama - Blood - Tony Birch
Historical - The Great Divorce - Ilyon Woo
Fantasy - The Child Thief - Brom
Sci-fi - Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld
Non-fiction - The F Word: How We Learned to Swear by Feminism - Jane Caro & Catherine Fox
Graphic novel - Maus - Art Spiegelman
Autobiography - Ten Hail Marys - Kate Howarth
Motivational - The Good Life - Hugh Mackay
Spiritual  - Drink, Smoke, Pass out: An Unlikely Spiritual Journey - Judith Lucy
Poetry - Anonymous Premonition - Yvette Holt

Interestingly, 8 of the 13 were by Australian authors and 12 were new authors to me.

Pick of the bunch for me would have to be Maus. Incredibly powerful and lead me to read a couple of other graphic novels. Blood by Tony Birch would also have to be highly recommended.  Worse read of the lot was The Sheikh's Love Child, which sent me off on yet another feminist rant.

I enjoyed this challenge and Miss Dove has promised us a new one for 2014 so I will be watching with interest. In the meantime I'm trying to decide what other challenges I will take part in - if any...Either way I will continue to track what I read in one form or another.

Wishing you all a 2014 full of great books. 

Book Review: Pride and Prejudice

From Goodreads: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

So begins Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen's witty comedy of manners--one of the most popular novels of all time--that features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet as they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues. Renowned literary critic and historian George Saintsbury in 1894 declared it the "most perfect, the most characteristic, the most eminently quintessential of its author's works," and Eudora Welty in the twntieth century described it as "irresistible and as nearly flawless as any fiction could be."

Thoughts: Yay! I finished! And ahead of time! As you may or may not recall, I was reading this as part of a challenge I set back in May. The idea was to have read the book by the end of August, but I found I was losing momentum by sticking to a timeline so in the end I just kept reading until I was done!
It was worth it. As I got closer to the end, I got more and more engrossed .I knew what was going to happen (I'd watched the Keira Knightly movie and the BBC production), but I wanted to know how Austen had written it. In the end I loved it. I still don't find the classics easy to read, but knowing the story via movies or television definitely makes it easier and makes me stress less about the language.
I've also finished the last part of the challenge - watching the Lizzie Bennet Diaries  - but that's another post! In the meantime, I've signed up to Miss Dove's Emma Challenge. Bring it on!

Challenges: eBook challenge, P&P challenge

Book Review: Anonymous Premonition

From Goodreads: From an authentic, powerful indigenous voice comes this body of poetry that examines issues of identity and culture from a woman's point of view. Lyrical yet radical, uplifting yet uncompromising, this collection evokes pride, painful memories, the realities of Aboriginal life and death, and the power of sisterhood to act as a tribute to the resiliency of Aboriginal women everywhere.

Thoughts: So the last category in my 13 in '13 challenge is poetry. I like poetyr, I wish I read more of it. I considered reading The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, a present from a friend which I love. But I love dipping into it. It's a casual, relaxed read and not one I wanted to be forced to read. So off I went cruising the shelves at work for something appropriate.
For the record I'm not a classics girls for poetry - no Keats or Cummings here - too much hard work. I like my poetry modern. Modern themes, modern phrasing. Poetry to me is most probably one of the most personal forms of writing and reading. If the words on the page don't sing to you, there is no point. You should never have to wade through poetry - it should jump off the page and embed itself in your soul.
There are a few things that attracted me to Yvette Holt's slim anthology. It's a collection of poetry written from such a personal stand point. It won the David Unaipon Award and the Victorian Premier's Literary Award, and the bits I read as I flicked through were beautiful. Holt is a member of the Bidjara Nation, a group of indigenous Australians from Queensland. In her own words, she is:

Mother

Daughter

Sister

Aunt

Niece 

Cousin

& Best Friend

Poet

Writer

Performer

Lover

Semi-butch

Semi-femme

Caffeine free

Pepperment

& Chamomile

Sipping feminist

Human Rights

Child Protection

Domestic Violence

Immigration Laws

Socially active

Community worker

Desperately seeking

Social Justice

Tall

Proud

Loving

Mountainous

Moody

Unpredicatable

Aquarian

Generous

Giving

Thrifty

Frugal 

Bargain  hunting

Lay-by wearing

Credit card declining

Broke-arse Undergraduate

(Under sixty seconds)

Her poetry reflects her life growing up and her experiences as a woman, a mother and an Indigenous Australian. Her poetry gave me a small glimpse into her world, while reminding me that I can watch her struggles, sympathise with them, but I cannot share them. I can however, be incredulous (and incredibly amazed by some peoples audacity and small mindedness) about some of the experiences she has had.

In year one I was the quiet native

Two years later the friendly coloured girl

By year five, it was I, the inquisitive aborigine

Entering high school everyone wanted to be indigenous

When I disagreed with conformity, they would whisper, "Is it because she is black?"

On my very first day at work I was asked "what nationality are you", when I told them I was Aboriginal they replied, "But you look so clean."

Last year, hailing a taxi in George Street, Sydney, the driver asks, "Where are you from?" I ask the driver to take a wild guess, after surveying the paying customer in the back seat, he triggers the meter then casually replies, "You sure don't sound koori because you speak English very well".

There are some days when "others" may need to persevere with my silence...because there are some days when I may no longer have the inclination nor the fucking head space to educate your reply.

(Primary Education)

This to me is poetry at it's best. It speaks to the reader personally, bares the soul of the writer and allows a connection between the two.

Challenges: 13 in '13, Aussie Author challenge

Book Review: The Good Life

From Goodreads: "No one can promise you that a life lived for others will bring you a deep sense of satisfaction, but it's certain that nothing else will."
Hugh Mackay has spent his entire working life asking Australians about their values, motivations, ambitions, hopes and fears. Now, in The Good Life, he addresses the ultimate question: What makes a life worth living?
His conclusion is provocative. The good life is not the sum of our security, wealth, status, postcode, career success and levels of happiness. The good life is one defined by our capacity for selflessness, the quality of our relationships and our willingness to connect with others in a useful way.
Mackay examines what is known as the Golden Rule through the prisms of religion, philosophy, politics, business and family life. And he explores the numerous and often painful ways we distract ourselves from this central principle: our pursuit of pleasure, our attempts to perfect ourselves and our children, and our conviction that we can have our lives under control.
Argued with all the passion and intelligence we have come to expect from one of Australia's most prolific and insightful authors, The Good Life is a book that will start conversations, ignite arguments and possibly even change the way we live our lives.

Thoughts: If you google "good life" it is defined as:
                   1. a life abounding material comforts and luxuries
                   2. a life lived according to the moral and religious laws of ones    
                       culture (Dictionary.com)

Hugh Mackay defines the good life as one lived for others - "defined by our capacity for selflessness, the quality of our relationships and out willingness to connect with  others in a useful way."

Mackay suggests that our focus on ourselves, the misplaced importance on accumulating money and possessions is leading us into a misguided idea of a good life. He has no problem with money and possessions - just the use of them to measure our worth.
Instead he suggests that a truly good life is lead if you follow the golden rule - do to others as you would have them do to you. (Interesting point - this rule or a version of it has been around a lot longer than it's religious connotations. All ancient civilizations has a variation on the theme...) Something that is not as easy as it sounds. I really enjoyed the part of the book where Mackay delved inot how to apply the golden rule in situations such as criminal behaviour, break ups, having to fail someone or deal with someone who is a bully - situations where the golden rule may appear to not apply. In the end, while no one wants to reward bad or inappropriate behaviour by excusing it, revenge also never works. Instead Mackay suggests you ask the universal question - what would happen if everyone acted like that? Bad behaviour needs to be addressed - but with courtesy and respect (the way we would all like to be treated regardless of our behaviour) - even if that courtesy and respect is not returned - a hard ask indeed.
Finally, Mackay suggests three things we need to do to live the good life:
                  1. Listen attentively. 
                  2. Say sorry (and mean it!).
                  3. Forgive generously. (even when not asked to)

Having read this book, I will be making mindful attempts to follow the golden rule. What I will really concentrate on though is listen attentively. Too often I believe we are distracted when listening - I know I am. It's hard to attend completely to someone when there is so much else going on internally and externally. Listen attentively is my personal goal.
The Good Life feels laboured at times, but in the end I really enjoyed it. I found it useful and meaningful without being preachy. Unlike many self help/ motivational books, it didn't feel like it was telling me my life was wrong and if I don't change I would be miserable. In fact I think Hugh Mackay has struck the right balance and he'd be a most interesting man to sit and chat with.

Challenges: eBook challenge, Aussie Author challenge, 13 in '13 challenge
 

Book Review: Maus

From Goodreads: The Pulitzer Prize-winning Maus tells the story of Vladek Spiegelman, a Jewish survivor of Hitler’s Europe, and his son, a cartoonist coming to terms with his father’s story. Maus approaches the unspeakable through the diminutive. Its form, the cartoon (the Nazis are cats, the Jews mice), shocks us out of any lingering sense of familiarity and succeeds in “drawing us closer to the bleak heart of the Holocaust” (The New York Times).
Maus is a haunting tale within a tale. Vladek’s harrowing story of survival is woven into the author’s account of his tortured relationship with his aging father. Against the backdrop of guilt brought by survival, they stage a normal life of small arguments and unhappy visits. This astonishing retelling of our century’s grisliest news is a story of survival, not only of Vladek but of the children who survive even the survivors. Maus studies the bloody pawprints of history and tracks its meaning for all of us.

Thoughts: It was summer. I remember I was 10 or 11. "Last one to the schoolyard is a rotten egg." I was rollerskating with Howie and Steve...'til my skate came loose. "Ow! Hey! Wait up fellas!"
"Rotten Egg! ha ha!"
"W-wait up."
My father was in front fixing something...
"Artie! Come to hold this a minute while I saw. Why do you cry, Artie. Hold better on the wood."
"I fell and my friends skated away without me"
He stopped sawing. "Friends? Your friends? If you lock them together in a room with no food for a week, THEN you could see what it is, friends."

And that is the boot to the stomach Maus starts with. From this point, I knew that it would be a book that made you feel like you'd been hit again and again, and I was right.

For me, the brutality of Maus is it's raw honest look at the relationship between a father who has experienced true horrors and a man who is trying to understand and even forgive the effect that had on his childhood. Spiegelman exposed everything in this book about his relationship with his father. The graphic novel does not just recount Vladek's time during World War II, in recounts the interviews and events when Art was interviewinig Vladek about the book.

The power of Maus is not only in it's first hand account of surviving the Holocaust, but an account of how the families of survivors were affected. How the experiences of the Jews during that time coloured their whole life - where fear and distrust became the norm, safety was never guaranteed and try as you might to not let it, it did affect those around you. I became so frustrated with Art and the way he reacted to his father sometimes, but really in the end, the relationship was like so many father/ son or parent/ child relationships. Frustration with the parent over a seemingly inability to move out of (what the child perceives to be) dark ages and into the present. Frustration with the child who refuses to understand why things are important and why you simply cannot throw away anything you no longer want. It's a frustration I experience at times with my own aging parents.

And then there are the accounts of what happened during World War II. By maintaining his father's faulty English, Art portrayed the tone of Vladek so well. I could hear him speak, the accent, the matter-of-factness about his statements.

And we came here to the concentration camp Auschwitz. And we knew that from here we will not come out anymore...We knew the stories - that they will gas us and throw us in the ovens. This was 1944..we knew everything. And here we were.

When I read that I can hear the sadness, but also the acceptance of it. I imagine the fear they felt right at that moment, but in the recount, all I hear is sadness and acceptance. We were here, there was nothing we could do, we knew the outcome.

I've read a fair amount of Holocaust literature - both fiction and non fiction. It is a period of history that haunts and baffles me. This is one of the most powerful pieces I have read on it. The black and white drawings emphasis the darkness the stories, the links back to the present show the ongoing repercussions and the categorising of different races as different animals (Jews were mice, Germans cats, Polish pigs and American's dogs) served to show that humans view each other as different species, rather than as one. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in the Holocaust. 

I read this as part of my 13 in '13 challenge. I deliberately chose a graphic novel that had some real meat to it. I'm not a comic girl, I'm not interested in the Marvel type graphic novels. This, however, has shown me that there is some wonderful, high quality graphic books out there. I'll be keeping my out for more of this quality.

Challenges: 13 in '13

Book Review: Drink, Smoke, Pass Out: An unlikely Spiritual Journey

From Goodreads: At last, a book about life that discusses liquor and lovemaking as much as it does the point of it all.
Judith Lucy has looked everywhere for happiness. Growing up a Catholic, she thought about becoming a nun, and later threw herself into work, finding a partner and getting off her face. Somehow, none of that worked.
So lately, she's been asking herself the big questions. Why are we here? Is there a God? What happens when we die? And why can't she tell you what her close friends believe in, but she can tell you which ones have herpes? No-one could have been more surprised than Judith when she started to find solace and meaning in yoga and meditation, and a newfound appreciation for what others get from their religion.
In her first volume of memoir, the bestselling The Lucy Family Alphabet, Judith dealt with her parents. In Drink, Smoke, Pass Out, she tries to find out if there's more to life than wanting to suck tequila out of Ryan Gosling's navel. With disarming frankness and classic dry wit, she reviews the major paths of her life and, alarmingly, finds herself on a journey.

Thoughts: I read this to fulfill the spiritual genre of my 13 in '13 challenge , a category I was struggling to find something for. The reality is most spiritual books (and excuse the French here) shit me. I know what I believe. It is something I have given much thought to and am quite content with. As such, I don't feel the need to read many spiritual books. Maybe if I was less sure of my own thoughts I would find them helpful, but in general I find them preachy and condescending. Possibly I've been reading the wrong ones, who knows. 
This however was in a different vein. It was someone else's spiritual journey - their search for something to make sense of it all. What's more, it took great pains to remind you that this was her journey, not yours and as such she felt no compunction to try and change your mind or convert you - refreshing. In fact it's the lack of preachiness that has made me consider exploring some of the avenues Lucy has found solace in - specifically meditation.
This book is not for those who offend easily, especially if they offend at someone taking the piss out of their religion. Her view of the traditional catholic church is scathing. Lucy makes no apologies for her views and opinions. Much of the book is dedicated to her explaining how she got to where she was - early life, career choices, lifestyle choices and a growing feeling of being dissatisfied with aspects of her life and looking for something that made sense. Her exploration of different faiths and beliefs is actually quite a small chapter that summerises the TV series she did for the ABC. I watched the series too and found the book and the series complemented each other wonderfully. While the book explained the why of looking, the series looked at the actual exploration of different faiths and beliefs. I strongly suggest if you read the book you also watch the series and vice versa.

The TV series about Juidith Lucy's Spiritual Journey.

Challenges: 13 in '13 Challenge, Aussie Author Challenge

Guest Review: Contracted: Corporate Wife

So today I bring you the second of three book reviews of Mills and Boons novels. Want to know why I'm reviewing Mills and Boons on my blog? It all started here, which lead to this and three friends reviewing the three I didn't read. Miss Dove has already submitted her review and today I give you the woman who put the whole idea in my head in the first place. My wonderful gorgeous friend Kirsty - thank you darling, the promised champagne will be delivered as soon as I am able.

"Oh, number two. It's got a millionaire and a single mum with kids so that hits several stereotypes. I'm sure that one of the kids will crack his cold, determined heart and he'll start falling in love, run away and then come back and confess all... at which point she'll have tears welling up as she says how seeing him with her kids has made her fall in love with him, too. Then they'll have another wedding in the spirit intended, complete with cute bridal party and declarations of love for all.

Well, I'm pretty sure that's how it will go. You read it and let me know if I got it right".

With those words I pretty much doomed myself. When will I learn? Never, ever, ever toss a glib comment at Kylie when it comes to books… a subject that demands and deserves both thought and respect. Truthfully, I was just so stunned that not only was she going to read a trashy romance but that she'd checked four of them out on her library card. I know that if I was ever tempted by something so light, fluffy and lacking in substance I wouldn't be sullying my library card - or professional reputation! - on them, I'd be buying them from an op shop. Or, as I did, I'd make a smart remark and end up getting what has become known as "The Care Package from Hell" landing in my letterbox. For there, tucked neatly under the lovely note and two packages of chocolate (including my favourite Ferrero Rocher chocolates!) was the very book I'd laughed at. The challenge was on, I agreed to read it and then review it.

I'll be honest, reading the book wasn't hard. Well, apart from the fact it didn't require much brain power it was also a great giggle. I, like most other teenagers, at one stage read a dozen or so of this genre and then recognised the formula they followed and promptly read another three or four to confirm it - and to laugh. But reviewing it, that was harder. Why? Well, it appears that a book so easily read doesn't necessarily become a book that stays in your memory. That means I've actually had to read the book twice, just to remind myself of the main plot points. As it turned out, my predictions weren't entirely accurate. It seems that the Mills & Boon formula has undergone a bit of tweaking in the last… however many years since I read one.

A millionaire who's determined not to fall in love.

Patrick Farr is perfectly happy with his bachelor life, wining and dining beautiful young women. If only he could make them understand that marriage is definitely not on the agenda!

He decides there is only one way to prove that he will never marry for love - a marriage of convenience. His PA, Louisa Dennison, is cool and calm under pressure. She's also a single mum, bringing up two very demanding kids. So when Patrick proposes, what will her answer be? After all his could answer all her prayers…

I opened the book thinking that I was going to find Patrick to be rather vapid, Louisa would be cold and the kids would be whinging little brats. And yet I still opened it… something that continues to surprise me. When Louisa, or Lou as she is more warmly referred to throughout the book, ordered champagne on the fourth page I decided it probably wasn't going to be as terrible as I expected. After all, the woman has taste! And, as it turns out, she really does. Patrick is a workaholic who, at heart, just seems scared of getting hurt, hence his reluctance to commit. After a tipsy conversation at the beginning of the book where Lou jokingly suggests that to escape the menace of his band of leggy blondes demanding commitment he should just marry someone like her to give himself some space, but he'd still be welcome to date them on the side, I was well on my way to liking her and her very dry sense of humour.

Patrick takes Lou up on her offer and it all appears very businesslike, but she's already falling for him, he's falling for her - and not realising it - and the scenes with his family reveals how great a catch he really is. Of course, anyone that subscribes to the theory that kids are honest and wouldn't like someone who doesn't like them (and don't people say the same about dogs, cats and whatever else they can think of?) would realise that its all going to come good as Lou's kids - a fourteen year old and an eleven year old - warmed quickly to Patrick and he was quite in tune with their feelings and reciprocated them, too.

They got married and settled down quite happily with separate rooms and a fairly well established "no touching" rule. Well, Lou could touch Patrick's credit cards, but that was it. Patrick did try dating a couple of times and discovered - shock, horror! - that it wasn't what he wanted. He started wanting what he already had, a happy home and a family that loved him. Of course, he didn't truly have it, but he had the illusion of it. And Lou? Well, she started really wanting Patrick and had to work hard to keep the green eyed monster under wraps when he was dating… and her increased passion for him under wraps when he was at home. As for the kids, they had their important part to play about two thirds into the book so they weren't entirely left out.

You know that at the end there will be a crisis of some sort and that the truth will out itself. Or, if you're like me, you expect another episode of in vino veritas. Given that the book started with them drinking champagne I was mildly surprised to find that the declarations of love happened over a cup of tea. Still, it did finally happen, precipitated by the death of Lou's beloved aunt who, like in all good romance novels - and the bad ones, too - left her an unexpected fortune. Suddenly their rather odd marriage contract - freedom for him, access to his money for her - was no longer needed. There was a slight misunderstanding before the expected declaration of love… but it did happen.

Light, fluffy and rather forgettable? Yes. But was it as bad as I expected? Well, no. They weren't cookie cutter Mills & Boon characters but seemed to have a bit of personality and warmth, both of which I didn't fully expect. I actually got the giggles a couple of times - and not just because I was reading a romance novel. It's not the greatest book I've ever read, of course, but it wasn't as downright awful as I thought it might be. I'm not sure whether Mills & Boon have evolved or I just had really low expectations. Either way, I'm not planning on reading another one anytime soon… although I may re-read this one every so often, purely for the amusement that Kylie actually bought it and sent it to me. After all, the woman (usually!) has great taste in books, friends and champagne… and she was only a bit off with one of those three categories this time.

Guest review: The Children's Doctors Special Proposal

Today I bring you the first of three guest reviews that resulted from the book I read to meet the romance part of my 13 in '13 challenge. (hosted by Miss Dove herself!)

 
The challenge was then thrown down to Miss Dove, Miss Car and Miss Kirsty* to read one of the three books I had managed to avoid.

*Kirsty doesn't blog, but the link goes to a wonderful article she wrote for Mamamia.

Today, is Miss Dove's review of:

So over to you Miss Dove!

There’s nothing quite like the excitement of an unexpected parcel waiting in the mailbox. A quick check of the back revealed it was from Kylie, who had mentioned a week or so prior that she had a parcel for both Car and myself. A tempting little book shaped box. Maybe something to do with our Pride and Prejudice challenge perhaps? Whipping it open with the aid of some scissors, I saw some Ferrero Rochers and a little box of Guylian, framing a note. Awww, thought I, she’s sent some loving to the sweet-tooth pregnant woman. HA. Ha de ha ha ha. While I’m there drooling over the choccies and gushing about the fabulous taste in friends I seem to have, the evil Miss Kylie is busy twirling her moustache. Lifting up the note, I honest to goodness burst out laughing. This was no “you’re a sweetie” care package. This was the Little Care Package of Horrors.

I laughed for a good five minutes, and knew I’d brought this on myself. A while back, Kylie had asked if a certain book counted as romance, and while I agreed it would, I also suggested I would pay good money to see her read and review a Mills and Boon on the blog. And look where that got me – now I’m the proud owner of The Children’s Doctor’s Special Proposal (by Kate Hardy).

A special bride for a special doctor – New consultant paediatrician Rhys Morgan is everything the hospital grapevine promised. He is also Katrina’s boss, but she thinks she’s safe from Rhys’s charms. Until they discover a shared commitment to their little patients – and a heartfelt passion for each other. Rhys has never believed in happy families, yet Katrina opens his eyes to what love and family really means – and her courage and vulnerability create a fierce desire to protect her. Enough, perhaps, to make Rhys risk his heart with the most special proposal of all…

There’s nothing quite like the blurb of a category romance, is there? Anyway. Let’s cut the cheese. Most of these types of books follow a reasonably predictable format. Of course, in this case, we have the enigmatic hero who is anti-social and of unknown relationship status. We have the "faint hint" of an accent, and "an incredibly sensual mouth". Oh and the heroine who has sworn off workplace romances after the last one went bust. We can all see where this is going, right? And of course, what would a first chapter be without the handshake that left both with a strange fission of awareness?

But all joking aside, it was a sweet story, nice and light and fluffy, and missing the angst which seems to be a common inclusion. You know the type. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, hook up, tragic happenstance/misunderstanding drives them apart until the figure out it was just tragic happenstance/misunderstanding, and have epic make-up cuddles. Charmingly, this one missed the OTT drama – not that it was all rainbows and unicorns, but it was nice.

A M&B/category romance is never going to be a cerebral brain teaser that moves the reader to campaign for social betterment. Going in, I knew what to expect, and I got it. A nice light bit of fluff I could knock over in a couple of hours on a Friday night. A bit of escapism, a giggle and chat with some friends, and nothing too taxing on the old noggin after a big day of kid wrangling. While it’s not my first choice of reading matter, it serves its purpose, and I found it quite readable. Three stars.

So there you have it. No where near as scathing as my review of my romance, but still not enough to make me want to read it!

Now I wait with baited breath (as I am sure you all do) for what Miss Car and Miss Kirsty have to say about their romances! 

Book Review: Leviathan

From Goodreads:  Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.
Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.
With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

Thoughts: I was looking for a science fiction book for my 13 in '13 challenge and one of the women I work with at the library suggested this. Leviathan is what is classed as Steampunk - a sub genre of science fiction. Steampunk often views the world from a point of what could have happened if our science evolved differently, a world where steam power machinery became our dominant technology.
Leviathan is set in the days prior to World War I. Prince Aleksander is the (fictional) son of Archduke Ferdinand - whisked away by men loyal to his father only hours after his parent's death. He is a "clunker" -  people whose technology is machine based.  
On the other side of the fence are the "Darwinist" those who have merged technology with living beings and have created living machinery. Very cool.
Leviathan is the first book in a trilogy and therefore introduces characters, orientates the reader to the world and sets the scene. At the same time, Westerfeld creates a fantastical, well written story. This alternate world is believable and intriguing. As a young adult book it would be a great way to introduce World War I history - teasing out the truths (Archduke Ferdinand did exist, his assassination was one of the catalysts for WWI) from the fiction (Prince Aleksander did not exist). It's also a wonderful way to play "what if". What if the world had developed a different way - what would be the same, what would change?
I'll definitely be look up the second of these books.

Challenges: 13 in '13

Book Review: The Sheikh's Love-Child

From Goodreads: With butterflies fluttering in her stomach, Lucy Banks has arrived in the desert kingdom of Biryal--with a secret Seeing Sheikh Khaled--the man who once loved and left her--in his sumptuous royal palace, Lucy is blown away by his barbaric magnificence: he's king of the desert and his eyes are blacker and harder than before. He's not the man she once knew. She wants to run away from his overwhelming masculinity, but they're inextricably bound forever...for he is the father of her son.

Thoughts: So it was with much trepidation I approached this book - and I'd love to say I was proven wrong. That all the things I had thought about this genre of books was unfair, that I had misjudged. However, I can't. It was everything I feared - stereotypical, clichéd, trite, bland. Worse than all of that, it worries me that in the wrong hands, this book could be dangerous.
The main character Lucy was pathetic. Presumably a smart woman who is a successful physiotherapist, but is completely unable to foresee the consequences of telling the single, childless prince of a fictional Arab island that he has a son. Really? Never even considered what would happen if he wanted access? She then proceeds to allow him to bully and threaten her into giving access. 

I think you'll find I have far more resources than you to see I am granted custody. 

Add to that, she then allowed him to order her around like his possession, demanding she return to his home with the child, assuming it would happen. But that's all OK because she loves him and really it's best for the child!
As for Khaled, the prince - major god complex. Supreme being and ruler who not only expects but insists everyone bends to his rule, his desire. Just as well they do, would hate to imagine the tantrum if they didn't! Any time Lucy dares contradict him, challenge him, she is labeled willful and difficult. Apparently it's totally acceptable to tell the world's media that you are marrying someone before you even ask her. It's also ok to react as if this is not incredibly rude, disrespectful and wrong...am I missing something here??
Look, I don't mind a light read, a bit of romance, but there is so much better stuff our there - Marian Keyes for a start. Stuff that does not portray women as being somehow lost without a man and unable to discern the difference between a man who respects and loves her and one who just wants to control and own her. This is not romance, this is simply wrong.
It does worry me that other women are the ones writing these characters. That they think a woman who fell pregnant to a man during a two month relationship, a man who then left with no explanation, no way to contact him, raised the child alone for 3 years and was then totally dominated by the said man so easily, gave into his demands with barely a fight, is a woman that female readers will identify with. These authors seem unable to provide their peers with women who demand to be treated with respect, who cannot see their way past a hot body and smoldering eyes. And while calling it dangerous may seem a bit melodramatic, I do believe that in 2013 it is completely unnecessary and insulting.

As some of you would realise, this book was read as part of a challenge. Discussions on Facebook about which book I would read, led to me challenging one of my friends to read Contracted: Corporate Wife. In her voting comment, (scroll to the bottom of the comments to read Kirsty's) she described how she thought the plot would go. I figured she could read it to find out. As these things go, I then roped in another two girls to read the last two books. While it all started out as a bit of fun, I now really want them to read the books to find out if my assumptions made in review hold for all three or if it's just the crappy one I got stuck with. I cannot and will not read another so I am now relying on Kirsty, Miss Dove and Miss Car to do my research for me! Their prize - champagne...and me to drink it with! And as Kirsty at least knows from experience, I don't drink crappy champagne!

Cheers, girls!

And the Winner Is...

So as you may recall, I needed assistance in working out which of these four stunning titles I should read:

I am (not so) pleased to announce that I will be reading number 4 - The Sheikh's Love Child.

For those who need a refresher, this was the blurb.

King of the desert, father of her child...
With butterflies fluttering in her stomach, Lucy Banks has arrived in the desert kingdom on Biryal - with a secret!
Seeing Sheikh Khaled - the man who once loved and left her - at home in his sumptuous royal palace, Lucy is blown away by his barbaric magnificence. He's king of the desert, his eyes are blacker and harder than before, and he's no longer the man she once knew. She wants to run away from his overwhelming masculinity. But they're inextricably bound for ever...for he is the father of her son...

Now, due to the fact that I had issues with comments here, I accepted votes made on Facebook and here. With that I had a whopping 9 entries! Using a random number generator, the winner is...

LEAH!!!

Congratulations Leah, let me know your snail mail address and I'll send a copy of

on it's way.

Thanks to all who took the time to help me choose...now if only you could help me read it!

Oh the Shame...and a giveaway

As part of the 13 in '13 challenge I have taken on thanks to Miss Dove, I need to read a romance. I did offer up this option:

GoodReads link

And Miss Dove, bless her heart, actually said OK. But I could feel her disappointment seeping through the computer...it wasn't what could truly be called romance - not trashy enough. And in all honesty, it does feel kinda like cheating.

So today at work, I sullied my library card with these titles.

(I tried to do something fancy so they appeared in a 2x2 format, but my technical help is away fishing, so I'm not sleeping and I'm too tired to work it out!)

I took great pains to hide them from my colleagues, smuggling them out under the cover of these dvds (needed for another challenge)

Let's make it clear - I WILL NOT, under ANY circumstances be reading all four - the fact is I have never managed to get past the first 20 pages of any book like this. However, I am unable to make a choice of which of these to read. (notice all the authors come from the H shelf in the library? It was all about speed people!) So dear reader, help me - which of these should I read? To help you, here is the blurb for each of them.

The best man to be her baby's father?
Getting noticed by the gorgeous best man in every bridesmaid's dream. Especially if he's your old crush. Lucy McKenty knows she should be wary of Will Carruthers. All she wants is to finally settle down and have a family - and that's a far cry from this nomadic wanderer's life plan...
But Will is irresistibly charming, and Lucy finds herself in his arms. Discovering she is pregnant thrills her - but is Will going to stay to meet his baby...

 A millionaire who's determined not to fall in love. Patrick Farr is perfectly happy with his bachelor life, wining and dining beautiful young women. If only he could make them understand that marriage is definitely not on the agenda!
He decides there is only one way to prove that he will never marry for love - a marriage of convenience. His PA, Lousia Dennison, is cool and calm  under pressure. She's also a single mum, bring up two very demanding kids, So when Patrick proposes, what will her answer be? After all his offer could answer all her prayers...


A special bride for a special doctor. New consultant paediatrician Rhys Morgan is everything the hospital grapevine promised. He is also Katrina's boss, but she thinks she's safe from Rhys's charms. Until the discover a shared commitment to their little patients - and a heartfelt passion for each other.

Rhys has never believed in happy families, yet Katrina opens his eyes to what love and family really means - and her courage and vulnerability create a fierce desire to protect her. Enough, prehaps, to make Rhys risk his heart with the most special proposal of all...

King of the desert, father of her child...
With butterflies fluttering in her stomach, Lucy Banks has arrived in the desert kingdom on Biryal - with a secret!
Seeing Sheikh Khaled - the man who once loved and left her - at home in his sumptuous royal palace, Lucy is blown away by his barbaric magnificence. He's king of the desert, his eyes are blacker and harder than before, and he's no longer the man she once knew. She wants to run away from his overwhelming masculinity. But they're inextricably bound for ever...for he is the father of her son...

(really?? who writes this stuff!!)

Voting will close on Tuesday night (Brisbane time), so I can return the losers when I go back to work on Wednesday. And just to prove there are no hard feeling in subjecting me to this, there is a

All votes will receive an entry into a draw to win the book I originally nominated

GoodReads link

Sent to you, wherever you are in the world! (yep, it's international baby!) So cast your vote and make sure you leave contact details for me!

I'm now off to watch one those Pride and Prejudice dvd's in an attempt to cleanse my soul...

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

Blood

Blood - Tony Birch

From Goodreads: From the moment he saw her wrapped in a blanket at the hospital, Jesse knew that he’d be the one to look after his little sister. When their mother's appetite for destruction leads the little family into the arms of Ray Crow, Jesse sees the brooding violence and knows that, this time, the trouble is real. But Jesse is just a kid and even as he tries to save his sister, he makes a fatal error that exposes them to the kind of danger from which he has sworn to protect Rachel. As their little world is torn to pieces, the children learn that when you are lost and alone, the only thing you can trust is what's in your blood.

What I thought: After reading his two anthologies of short stories in one day, I couldn't wait to start on Birch's first novel - Blood.
Blood is the story of two kids - Jesse and his younger sister Rachel. They lie a nomadic and unsettled life with their mother Gwen. Gwen does not keep the best company  and her association with Ray leads to the three of them running across the country in the hunt for safety.
Once again Birch's writing pulls the reader right into the story. You are truly there as Jesse tries to protect his little sister. You feel Rachel's continuing devotion to Gwen and at the same time witness Jesse's growing distance from his mother and the choices she makes. I loved Jesse and Rachel - so much so I wanted to pull them out of the story and give them the loving stable home they deserved. The ending is as messy as real life, with no real resolution offered  to the reader. However, I choose to believe Jesse wins through eventually, saving him and his sister from what could be a tragic life.

Challenges: 13 in 13 Challenge, Aussie author Challenge