THE INK BRIDGE

by Neil Grant

This book really does convey the spirit of Afghanistan and allows you to experience just a glimpse of the realities of living in this war torn country, the heart of the people, the daily struggle and the life of a refugee.

Young Omed will be killed by the Taliban if he stays, they've already cut out his tongue, he can no longer provide for his family and must flee. He is forced to team up with Snake, a very undesirable character, if he is to escape to Australia especially now he can't communicate with anyone.

When he meets Hector in a candle factory in Melbourne they become silent friends. Hector has his own story and since his mother's death hasn't spoken a word. The two 'silent' boys form an unlikely relationship that will last for many years.

This story is beautifully told and the descriptive writing is exceptional. I really enjoyed this story and although fiction it could be based on many refugee experiences.

IF ON A WINTER'S NIGHT A TRAVELLER

by Italo Cavino

This book did eventually do my head in!! I had read a couple of reviews stating how good it was, a classic, but it was not for me and I only persevered to around 1/3 of the way through. 
The story tells of a man entering a bookshop and purchasing a book. When he gets part way through the book however he realises there is a printer's error and there are blank pages. He is given a replacement but finds the story does not continue and in fact he is reading a completely different story. Once again he returns to the bookshop and finds another reader, a women, who has a faulty book and they decide to track down the rest of the original story. The novel has chapters that are romance, adventure, mystery and believe me you need to be concentrating the whole time you read. 
I felt like I was doing a workout at the gym reading this novel and perhaps it was too deep for me to understand fully. It's a book written in the second person with the reader being the main character.
Having said all this, I must admit I liked the first chapter. It described the process of getting ready to read your novel, the many positions, locations, frame of mind we find ourselves as we settle down to jump head first into your new book.

THE FORGOTTEN PEARL

by Belinda Murrell

When Chloe has a school assignment about WWII she decides to ask her grandmother, Poppy, for information of what it was like growing up in those years of war in Australia, believing Australia was too far away from the action. 
To Chloe's amazement her Grandma has many memories that have remained hidden for many, many years. Some of her grandmother's stories are wonderful and describe growing up in Darwin during the 1940's but others are still very painful to remember, as she recounts surviving the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese, and how close her and her family came to being killed. Friends and family must leave Darwin and help the war efforts and many friends are killed over the period of the war.
This story, based on historical facts, is beautifully written by Belinda and told in a very sensitive way. I must admit I was thrilled when I first saw this new YA fiction as I had recently visited Darwin and learnt a lot of the devastation to Darwin and surrounding areas during this terrible time in our history. Unfortunately at the time lots of information was covered up by the government and the rest of Australia didn't know how close we came to being invaded by the Japanese. 
Poppy tells of her time caring for wounded soldiers and civilians, her time in Sydney surviving Sydney Harbour being torpedoed, and of course her carefree days before war came to Australia. I loved reading of the different beaches Poppy would go to for a swim during the wet season as I could picture them so clearly having been there recently. A lovely read. 

DARK EYES

by William Richter


Fabulous book, great story, fast paced, a few twists and something a little different for a YA fiction.


Wally was adopted from a Russian orphanage as a young girl by a wealthy American family however during her teenage years she rebels and we find her living on the streets after a fall out with her mother. 


Wally has so many questions about her real mother and father and the reason she was living in an orphanage.  When she is unexpectantly handed a parcel which contains some of her Russian mother's personal items and a letter for Wally, she sets out to find her mother if she is still alive. 


When one of her friends is murdered mysteriously, her life becomes very complicated.  Her Russian father, Klesko, starts following her and her friends and soon they become hunted by this trained killer, who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Great story that will keep you guessing right to the end.

DIVINE JUSTICE

by David Baldacci


Baldacci is always an exciting read. A real page turner with sleepless nights to get to the end. John Carr (alias Oliver Stone) who was once a decorated soldier and member of 'the Camel Club'  has killed two very important people and is wanted by the US government. This of course leads to a massive manhunt, ending in a coal mining town of Divine, Virginia.


John Knox who is leading the chase for Stone soon learns there are hidden agendas within the hierarchy of the government and maybe the hunted may not be as bad as his superiors make out.


With lots of twists and turns, murders, explosions... the works! This book will keep you reading... chapter, after chapter, after chapter (there's usually around 100 of them)!!!

THE TRUTH ABOUT VERITY SPARKS

 by Susan Green


This was an unusual story that was  short-listed in the Book of the Year for Younger Readers category of the 2012 CBCA Awards. Set in the late 1800's, a thirteen yr old girl named Verity Sparks discovers she is talented in finding lost objects. Verity works as a milliner in London and thinks she is just an ordinary lower class girl until she is accused of steeling some jewellery and her life takes on a very different direction. 
She is helped by the Plush family who explain she has an almost perfect memory and possesses the talent of Teleagtivism. They ask her to help them solve cases in their Confidential Inquiry Agency. Soon there are chases through the dark alleys of London and lots of adventure. Will Verity find out the truth about her parents and why she has this special talent? A great story with mystery and suspense.

THE INDUSTRY

by Rose Foster

This was a great read and something a bit different... no vampires in sight! The story starts with Kirra Hayward a 16yr old student who is smart and excels in Maths & Science. Unfortunately she doesn't have any real friends. 


She is given a task in her maths class to create a puzzle and when she goes online she discovers an unusual decrypting puzzle. She doesn't know who has put it there or what it means but when the numbers jump out at ther clearly, she decides to fill in the code and press send.


That is when her life changes forever. Shortly after completing the code she feels she is being watched and then she is kidnapped and taken from her family half way across the world. She finds out her ability to solve the puzzle has landed her in this bizarre situation where she is tortured and put in a freezing cell and made to solve other codes. She learns she is one of only three others in the world that can break these important security codes.

Kirra has no idea if she will ever see her family again and doesn't know who she can trust. The plot thickens when another prisoner, a boy named Milo, is thrown into her cell and he seems to be able to break codes like her.

This is a fantastic story, the first in a trilogy by this young debut author who grew up in Melb. and studies creative writing at RMIT. 

LAST CHANCE CAFE

by Liz Byrski

This was a book club read but unfortunately I couldn't finish it. I struggled to about quarter way through but I lost interest, which doesn't usually happen as I don't like to not finish a book. The book was about 'What does it mean to grow old?' and the struggles of trying to keep young. Perhaps it would interest me in another 10 yrs or so. Sorry book club I tried!!

THE BOOK THAT CAN'T WAIT!

Now I have heard everything!!!
Printing a book, that once opened, must be read within two months as the ink vanishes from the pages. Don't believe me... watch the video below. It has been done to promote reading and to help new authors get their books read. A Buenos Aires publisher 'Eterna Cadencia' has developed a new ink that fades. Still don't believe me... well watch the video.

WHEN GOD WAS A RABBIT

by Sarah Winman

What a strange book indeed. I had mixed feelings about it really. There were times when it kept me engrossed and times when I lost interest a bit and skimmed. The title was what intrigued me but I didn't purchase it until it was on our book club list of reads so I gave it a go. The story is written in two parts, the first growing up and childhood experiences, the second about their adulthood which seemed doom and gloom for the most part. It's about friendships, relationships, tragedy, dreams, sexuality, love and of course starting over.


Elly loves her brother Joe dearly and this story tells their journey through life and bond that was so deep and so full of secrets that only the two of them knew. He was her protector and confidante. Her strange but best friend Jenny Penny was a sad case which I really felt for and wanted to pull her out of her troubled life, living with her mum and accompanying boyfriends. From Elly's aunt who is an actress and gay, her brother who is in love with his best friend, also gay, to eccentric elderly people coming in and out of her life, there really was too much happening and often seemed confusing.


Tying in 9/11 seemed a bit far fetched to me and don't think it was necessary to include this line of story with her brother missing, presumed dead, from the collapse of the twin towers. There was also a lot of language throughout the book which I didn't think really warranted it. At times I had to re-read pages to make sure I had actually read what I thought I had.  Like I said it was a strange book and certainly wasn't uplifting at all

1984

by George Orwell

Believe it or not I'd never read this book before and thought I'd missed out on something because it's a classic... I hadn't!! It was very depressing and weird and not my cup of tea at all but I persevered. It's probably one of the first dystopia books written but it was all doom and gloom. Having said that it is very cleverly written and Orwell's description of futuristic events is amazing. From Thought Police, Big Brother, Ministry of Love, just to name a few, I'm sure glad his predictions didn't come to pass in reality... well not exactly!!!

THE FITZOSBORNE'S AT WAR

 by Michelle Cooper


What a fabulously captivating historical fiction, which is the last in a trilogy by Michelle Cooper. In this book Sophie and the rest of her family, the royal family of Montmaray, escape their remote island home when the Nazis attack, and flee to England, where they think they will be safe.


Written as Sophie's personal journal, the writer takes you on a ride of emotions as Sophie shares her very private secrets, her heartbreaks and fears during the six years of World War II, and what it was like living through this terrible time as a young adult. Losing family and friends, coping with the bombings and destruction in London, the rationing of food, and even the political events that were all part of this horrid time. There are so many historical facts written into this story yet it flows beautifully. I really connected with Sophie and felt her frustration and loss.


Even though I've read this trilogy out of order I think I'll seek out the other two and complete the journey.

LIFE OF PI

by Yann Martel

I wasn't expecting this book to be so strange. It is written in three sections, the first being a reflection of Piscine Molitor Patel's life (known as Pi), the second his amazing story of his survival from a devastating shipwreck which killed his family, and which he survived for 227 days drifting at sea with a Bengal tiger in his boat, and the third recounting his story to two Japenese officials who question him regarding the ship and any evidence he can give them of why it sunk.

Fourteen year old Pi, born a Hindu, is introduced to Christianity and Islam, and starts to follow all three religions as he "just wants to love god." He tries to understand God through the lens of each religion and comes to recognize benefits in each one.

Pi's father is a zoo keeper and when his family and several animals from the zoo are sailing to Canada a devastating thing happens. The ship sinks and everyone is killed except Pi and a Bengal tiger, named Richard Parker, a hyena, a orangutan and a zebra, which all end up in a small lifeboat with Pi. The story is fascinating, as the legistics of this combination of animals floating at sea with a small boy is recognised, and the description of carnage is at times gruesome. Pi's survival attempts are challenging and it made me think what I would do in the same situation.

The third part of his story is what had me questioning the whole book. When two officials from Japan hear of Pi's survival they are keen to see if he can shed any light on what reallly happened. He gives his account, which they cannot believe is true, so he gives them another more gruesome story of being on the lifeboat with humans and not animals and asks them which story they prefer. When they are given the option they chose the animals story, and I am left wondering what really happened!

THE KABUL BEAUTY SCHOOL

by Deborah Rodriguez



Deborah Rodriguez went to Afghanistan to transform her own life and ended up revolutionizing the lives of many of her Afghan sisters. This book is a look at the lives of women in Afghanistan through the lens of The Kabul Beauty School.
When Deborah helped establish the Kabul Beauty School she not only worked to empower her students, living in this very strict culture, but the beauty school proved a small haven, and through this she made some of the closest friends of her life. 
Woven through the book are the stories of her students: there is the newlywed who must fake her own virginity, the 12 year-old bride who has been sold into marriage to pay her family's debts, the brilliant former medic who has not left her house for thirty years. All of these women have a story to tell, and all of them bring their stories to the Kabul Beauty School, where, along with Rodriguez herself, they learn the art of perms, of friendship, and of freedom.
A fabulous book, and a second I've read by Deborah, the other being 'Little Coffee Shop of Kabul'. A great in-site into the lives of these beautiful and courageous women.

ARTICLE 5

by Kristen Simmons


Yet another Dystopia YA fiction novel, but wow, it was great! I think this was Kristen's debut novel and she did a great job. I connected with Em and Chase and the story was exciting from start to finish.
There was fear, romance, revenge, chases, danger, death, adventure... everything you could hope for all rolled into one book. It was easy to read and really hard to put down.
Set in America after the 'Bill of Rights' has been revoked and there is a new law... 'Moral Statutes'. People are arrested and don't come back. There are no police only soldiers patrolling and arresting. Life as we knew it has changed and you can get arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark.
Ember Miller has shocked when her mother was arrested and she was sent to girls reformation school as punishment, dobbed in by her so-called friend. There starts her mission to escape and try to find her mother and save her from a trial and possible death. There will be struggles and a few surprises in stall but you'll have to read it to find out more!

TORN PAGES

by Sally Grindley


Orphaned, poor, living in Africa, and a grandmother that hates her, Lydia has the odds stacked against her as she must take on a mother's role and care for her sister and brother, trying just to survive.
This is a wonderful heart wrenching story, that is beautifully told by Sally Grindley. Things are very tough for these children as they try to come to terms with the recent death of their mother to AIDS. Lydia is forced to stay  home from school and work for her horrid grandmother, whose only desire is to cause pain to her grandchildren and take over their home. The every day chores they must undertake just to survive certainly made me realise how much we take for granted living in Australia.
I will certainly be reading more of Sally's lovely books.

RENA'S PROMISE

A Story of Sisters in Auschwitz

by Heather Dune Macadam
Co-author of Rena's Promise

This is one of those book you don’t just read it….it becomes a part of you!
I was very touched by the memoirs of Rena and her story of surviving the Nazi concentration camps with her sister, Danka.

Until I read this book I wasn’t aware that this year, 26 March 2012, marks the 70^th Anniversary of the first transport to Auschwitz concentration camp. That first transport in 1942 was almost entirely young women between the ages of 16 and 22. Among those 999 young Jewish women was #1716, Rena Kornreich, a 21yr old Polish Jew hiding in Slovakia. A few days later, her sister Danka #2779 arrived. This began a trial of love and courage that would last 3 years and 41 days, from the beginning of their journey in Auschwitz, to the death march through the snow, and on to the end of the war. Her motivation to keep her and her sister alive no matter what happened came from a promise to her parents to keep her younger sister safe. Her visions of her mother helped her through the most difficult times.

I also wasn’t aware that women's accounts of the Holocaust are rare, and until ‘Rena's Promise’, there has been no other book written by a survivor from the first transport of women, mainly because not many women survived. And for that reason alone she is historically important. Her details of events are confirmed in many archival documents and plans. There are many more testimonies published from male survivors than women's accounts, yet the fact remains that the first transport was not men but girls on the verge of womanhood. They were targeted by the Nazis as they wanted to stop the continuity of Jewish life.

THREE SUMMERS

by Judith Clarke


What a lovely cover that once again made me pick this book up to read.
This story is set mostly in rural Australia and begins in 1959 but follows the life journey of Ruth and her best friend Fee and when I finished the book I felt like I had actually lived along side them.


Ruth had lost her mother in a car accident when she was a baby and she was raised by her father and her grandmother, which she had a strong connection with. The story tells the tale of the girls receiving their results from their final year of school and the direction their lives followed... Fee craving marriage and motherhood and staying in this country town and Ruth winning a scholarship to a Sydney University where her grandmother thinks will save her from being trapped in this town, with all it's quirky characters. She really wants her grand daughter to live life to the fullest and have the opportunities that she was never able to have.

SHADOW OF THE MOON

by Zoe Marriott

I must admit the beautiful cover is what drew me into picking up this book and deciding to read it.This was a very unusual book and completely different to what I had expected, but I loved it.

This story was like a Japanese Cinderella story. On her 14th birthday, Suzanne is in her garden with her friend, when soldiers come to kill her father, accusing him of treason. She had never seen soldiers before and didn't know how to be frightened, but when they search her and her friend out to kill them they hide. This is when she discovers she is a shadow-weaver and can create a mantle of darkness and light to change her appearance and be anything she wants to be.

CHASING RAINBOWS

by Kathleen Long

So much is going on in Bernie's life! 


From her father's sudden death, her husband leaving her for a younger women, to being out of work and being banned from the local shopping mall, it's all happening to this 41yr old and much much more.


I felt sorry for this poor girl and all she was going through but there was lots of humour in the book as well... it wasn't all doom and gloom. And there is a hunk living in her apartment block that mysteriously befriends her dog!


Helping her mum finalise things after her father's death is agonising but they discover a book of cryptograms which he has left for Bernie to solve, and this will help her on her way. When her best friend, who already has a 13yr old daughter, tells her she's having a baby, Bernie is forced to revisit the death of her only child who had died soon after birth, and realises she has gone through the past few years without dealing with the grief properly.


Don't worry there is a lot of good things that come out of the misfortune and as her father used to say "In life, you either choose to sing a rainbow, or you don't". This is a great easy to read novel that I'm sure you'll enjoy.

EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE

by Jonathan Safron Foer


I must admit I knew nothing about this book and found it rather deep and very unusual. At the time of reading (or letting my Kindle read it to me) I wasn't well so maybe I didn't bond with the story as I usually do. I now know the movie will be released soon so I will watch that to see if it gives me a greater love for the characters, from what I've seen on the trailer I think it will be good.


Oskar is a nine year old boy, who suffers from Autism, and who's father is killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He was let out of school early that day and has a secret he hasn't told anyone. He was the first to come home and hear his father leave 5 phone messages to his family as he was trapped in one of the towers, still alive. They were the last words he said.


Oskar, while going through his father's things, discovers a key in an envelope with the word 'Black' written on it. He believes this is a clue and he decides to look up and track down every person named 'Black' in the phone book. This seems like an unbelievable and unrealistic task but he is determined to do it. Without giving it away too much, he meets several people along the way and he connects with. As I said... I think I'll enjoy the movie more!

LAMENT

by Maggie Stiefvater

I have to admit right from the getgo that I'm not a fan of faeries, magic, vampires, or those types of books, however, I was intrigued after reading the first few chapters. Deirdre was a very gifted musician along with her best friend James. It was at a competition that a mysterious boy, Luke, enters her life and encourages her to even new heights with her music and she also discovers she is a 'cloverhand' someone who can see faeries.

After discovering that Luke is actually a faerie assassin, and she is in fact his next target, she must decide whether to trust what Luke says, that he is in love with her, or follow what her mind and family are telling her, stay away.

I'll admit I kind of liked it up until about half way through and then I got completely bored with it and it was taking me off into an area I don't really like reading so I actually skimmed through to the end (which is something I never usually do). The story was apparently a depiction of Celtic faerie lore and a lot of people do like that genre, but it wasn't for me. It did keep me guessing for a while though and I did like a couple of the characters. The sequel is called "Balled".

THE HAPPIEST REFUGEE

by Anh Do

This was a fantastic read. Anh Do, a well known comedian, tells of his life coming to Australia from a war-torn Vietnam, on a boat, along with his family. The journey was filled with danger from drifting at sea with a broken motor, to being raided by pirates, this book is sure to thrill you and at times amaze you. 


Anh has a real commitment to his family and this story tells what is was like for him and his family to arrive as refugees with nothing, to completing school, then working hard to make a new life in Australia. 


I really loved having a glimpse into his life story, through his hardships and triumphs. The photos were wonderful - I'm glad he included so many. I would recommend this great book to anyone. It just shows what you can accomplish with a lot of hard work. I loved how his mum would always say to give back to this country because it had given them so much. This book has won many awards and rightly so.

Wonder

by P.J. Palacio


This is a very touching book about a little boy named Auggie who was born with a terribly deformed face. His mum has home schooled him up until now but this year he is going to school, into fifth grade. The book is very easy to read as it has very short chapters and the whole story is divided into eight parts, each told by a different character. As Auggie reluctantly starts school he has many challenges to face including coping with bullies. Finding 'true' friends isn't easy when you are deformed so much that you make others stare, scream, and run away in fright.


Auggie's sister Via is a tower of strength to him but at times she feels she is brushed over by her parents who are always spending time with Auggie and tending to his needs. She is also going through lots of changes and at times feels left out. As each character tells of their experience and their feelings towards Auggie you are taken on a insightful journey. The overall theme of the story is that we should all try to be kinder to each other. I really enjoyed this book.

The Wrong Boy

by Suzy Zail


What a fantastic read. Although the story is fiction, some of names, places and events the author has written about are based on fact. The concentration camps were indeed real.


This story tells of Hanna Mendel who wanted more than anything else to be a concert pianist, but she wasn't to know that within days her life would be turned upside down. Forced to live in a ghetto, being rounded up into a cattle train and taken to a concentration camp, then falling in love with a German boy who had saved her life.


At times it was heart wrenching to read what Hanna and her sister went through to survive. This story was written so we will never forget what happened during WWII and how the Jews and others were treated. Everyone should read a story like this to keep their stories alive.


The author Suzy Zail's own father was an Auschwitz camp survivor and she has written another book titled "The Tattooed Flower: A Memoir" which tells of his time in the concentration camps and the Nazi occupation.

THE HOUSE OF SILK

by Anthony Horowitz

The game is afoot! How much fun was this book to step back into the life of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. I grew up reading Encyclopaedia Brown and then onto Sherlock Holmes and that started my love of  'mystery murders'. Whether it's Agatha Christie, Poirot, or one of the thousands of detective stories I love them all. Little did I realise that Anthony Horowitz had been the screenwriter for Midsomer Murders, Foyles War and Poirot, featured on ABC television, all of which I adore.


This book, however, was a first Holmes novel for Anthony, who took 8 years to write it. His research and description of the characters and places were excellent and I could picture each scene. It was hard to put down and as always I wanted to find the clues at the same time as Holmes.


Unlike other Holmes novels I have read, this story is written after the death of Sherlock Holmes, Dr Watson is elderly, and he is recounting a story, which is most sinister and shocking. After he had written it it was held at his solicitor's vaults until 100 yrs had passed. It is one last portrait of the great Sherlock Holmes. I think he pulled it off very well. 

PLAIN TRUTH

by Jodi Picoult


This was a #1 best seller and it was very gripping and full of suspense. It reminded me of a movie with Harrison Ford which I can't remember the name of but it was similar in that he had to live with the Amish for a period of time. Jodie Picoult really does give you a fantastic insight into the Amish life, both from within and outside the faith. They have their own way to deal with sin, grievances, love and discipline, and it is not what the outside world can understand easily.


In this book a young Amish girl, Katie, is accused of murdering her newborn baby however she refuses to admit she was even pregnant or gave birth. Ellie Hathaway is a lawyer from the city that volunteers to defend this girl and is forced to live with the family when the judge makes her custodian. The two women form a bond as Ellie tries to get the truth from this confused Amish girl.


There are twists and turns right to the end as the truth is finally unravelled bit by bit. Will the jury give Katie life in prison for murdering her baby? You will have to read this psychological drama to find out. But be warned... it's hard to put this book down once you've started.

TO CALM MY DREAMS: Surviving Auschwitz

by Kazimierz Tyminski


I know... the cover looks scary and I must admit I picked this book up a couple of times before I actually decided to read it. However, it was a very easy book to read, although a slightly larger book and print, I was able to read it in one day and really enjoyed it. 


It's the story of Kazimierz, a young Polish Uni student, living in Krakow, recently married, had studied engineering, and had a love for music. Unfortunately for him he was arrested and sent to prison and then onto a concentration camp.


Kazimierz's children translated this book to fulfil his wishes of telling his story of his time in the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp, along with other camps, and how he survived the Holocaust, at all odds. He wanted to make sure the events that happened in these camps during WWII will never be forgotten and that the next generation will learn from the past. 


At times it was his ability to play music that saved him from being killed or tortured and he often wondered how he survived when so many of his friends weren't as fortunate. This is a powerful true story written from camp notes he had made at the time, which Kazimierz hoped would help to rid himself of some of the memories that still haunted him many years later.

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN

by Ransom Riggs


What an amazing book. I didn't have any preconceived expectations with this book. I'd seen the cover a few times and passed it by, but something drew me back to it. I was glad I gave in... it was amazing but strange! I downloaded it to my Kindle and thought I'll just flick through a few pages... a couple of hours later I still couldn't put it down. Lucky it was on my Kindle cos I even had to read it late into the nights.

I'm not writing any more about it because it will spoil the experience and besides I've included the book trailer and the making of the book trailer to tantilise you.

 Enjoy it my peculiar friends!

This short film is fascinating look at the abandoned houses and castles that author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs and his Dutch urban explorer guide found while scouting locations for the book trailer.

(Taken from 'The Book Slooth' blog:  http://thebookslooth.blogspot.com.au/2011/12/miss-peregrines-making-of-trailer.html)

Ten Things Winnie the Pooh Taught Me About Life

Click here

Found this great article on Quirk Books blog, published by Elizabeth Browne on August 23, 2011

Girl in Translation

by Jean Kwok


What a heartfelt story of a little girl, Kimberly Chang, and her mother immigrating from Hong Kong to America. The writer made me  feel like I was living side by side with the characters and feeling their triumphs and frustrations.


Now living in a broken down, rat and cochroach infested flat in Brooklyn, they must survive with very little possessions or money. Kimberly's mother knows no English and is forced, by her sister of all people, to work in a factory sweatshop with very little pay for extremely long hours. 


Kimberly must slip into a completely different world that she is used to and go to school, speaking and understanding very little English. Although she was a very talented student in Hong Kong, here she must face many challenges and find acceptance into society if she is to get a good education and save herself and her mother from terrible circumstances.


This story seems more than fiction to me... it seemed like it was based on a true story, possibly that of the author herself, and is a very touching read from the eyes of a little girl. It was interesting how the author noted that Kimberly, with her broken English, didn't pick up every word or phrase people were saying to her and often didn't understand the context. It was very challenging as she became the 'adult' at times. Helping her mother in the sweatshop after school and working until late into the night, and keeping up her school work was certainly challenging.


Well worth a read.

The Queen's Lady

by Eve Edwards


I fell in love with this book. What a lovely story, set in 1583, a period of time I don't usually care to read about, however I really enjoyed this book, having picked it up because of the beautiful cover. I didn't realise it was #2 about the Lacey's (the other being 'The Countess') but it didn't matter I slipped into it easily. 


Lady Jane is the Marchioness of Rievaulx and begins service to the Queen (Elizabeth) after the death of her husband, who was much older than herself, but who she loved nonetheless. She is caught in a fight over her inheritance between her family and her former husbands sons. She is treated wickedly and is tricked into marrying a Frenchman so her father and brother can receive respect and wealth. She however loves James Lacey but he is not there to help her as he is exploring overseas. Will he come back in time to save her life? 


This story has plenty of villains, and romance, and the author has written in such a way that I felt like I was strolling down the streets of ol' England, and I that I could really see the costumes so beautifully described. It must've been a terrible time for women and the poor in this century and I'm glad we don't live like that any more... although I think the dresses sounded glorious. There was a wonderful friendship between Jane and Milly, who was her best friend and accomplished seamstress. The character of Diego, being dark skinned, and trying to fit into society and falling in love with an English women was also interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a romance.

UNTIL TUESDAY

by Luis Carlos Montalvan

This is a true story about a US soldier, suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and how his life was spiraling out of control upon his return to society, dealing with his many injuries and trauma experienced during his time in Afghanistan. That is until he met Tuesday, an assistance dog he was given through 'Wounded Warrior Project and Puppies Behind Bars'.

Montalvan found the army had abandoned him once he had returned home and tried to fit into normal life again. Even his family didn't understand what he was fully going through at first. His life changes dramatically once he receives Tuesday, his assistance dog, and they form a lovely bond which helps him to deal with his condition and stresses. A touching book highlighting the not so easy task soldiers experience when they return to their previous life and how they must cope day to day in a world that is so completely foreign to them now.

THE KITE IDENTITY 3: Everyone Lies

by Harry Edge

Even though I hadn't read the first two books in this series I caught on quickly to the story and the characters. I liked this story even though it was aimed at Young Adults. It was fast paced, exciting and full of suspense right until the end.  As the characters travelled from country to country you were kept in touch with what was happening in each place and with each character, which built the suspense. 


Luke believes his father is still alive, although he has been reported to have died in a helicopter crash, and he and his sister are now sole heirs to their father's fortune and company, Kite Industries. Is Luke's Uncle a villain and a murderer? Has he sent an assassin to kill his sister? I tell you there is romance, suspense, murder and deceit in this book. You'll want to read the whole series I'm sure.

A BEAUTIFUL LIE

by Irfan Master 


This story is set in India during 1947, before partition, when India was divided. Bilal is a young boy forced to care for his dying father who hates the idea of India being torn apart and longs for the traditions of India. Because of the strong love for his father, Bilal, decides to lie to his father and hide him from any information reaching him of the riots and killings going on in his town. This is not an easy thing to hide so he must ask his friends to help him and stop visitors to his father who may tell him the terrible troubles that are surrounding them.


I loved the idea Bilal had of taking 'memory photos' of life around him to remember his life. Snapshots like a camera would take. Bilal also found that once he had lied he had to keep telling lies to cover up the original lie, and he also found that lies became easier the more you told.


I didn't find this book particularly gripping but it did give an insight into life in India during this time and  the tension that existed during the lead up to partition and the loss of friendships once people were dispersed to other parts of India to survive.

BROKEN MEMORY

by Elisabeth Combres


This is an easy read, with short chapters, aimed at the younger reader but don't let that put you off. It packed a punch that's for sure. Although fiction, this story was based on real life stories and historical events during the Rwanda genocide, and the trauma the Tutsi people faced during this horrific event in 1994.


Emma is a 5 yr old Tutsi girl who hides in her house while she hears her mother being killed close by. She escapes and finds a Hutu women she befriends who looks after her and hides her from rebel soldiers for many years. Emma is devastated that she cannot remember her mother's face but can remember her last words 'You must not die'.


There are many heart breaking stories during this terrible time in history which left hundreds of thousands of people, especially children, misplaced, traumatised and memories that will torment them for many years, sometimes forever. The struggle to learn to heal memories and to trust again is necessary for survival.


A touching story told very simply... may we never forget the horror!

REMARKABLE CREATURES

by Tracy Chevalier


This book is different and had quite a different story line than I expected. It's the story of a wonderful friendship between two remarkable women, Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot, who were drawn together through their love of collecting fossils. Although the story is fiction is was based on the actual life of these two women,living in Lyme Regis during the 1820's. Mary, who was struck by lightning as a baby, had a real connection with nature and the sea. She would collect curios (fossils) from the beach and sell them in her father's shop to tourists who passed by. 


Mary certainly had an eye for detecting fossils and discovered some of the first pre-dinosaur  fossils in England, including the ichthyosaur and the plesiosaur.  However, this was a man's world and she didn't get any recognition for her discoveries or a scientist until later on in years.


Although 'fossils' to me seems like a slightly boring subject the story was a wonderful blend of scientific fact, myths, customs, romance along with a story of friendship thrown in. It challenged the thinking of the time of evolution and where fossils fit into the scheme of God's creation.


I did enjoy this book as I did with another of Tracy's books I recently read 'The Girl with the Pearl Earring'.

LES DARCY

by Peter Fitzsimons

This is a wonderful biography of an Australian boxing icon named Les Darcy. I must admit I hadn't heard of him prior to reading this book, but after mentioning this book to friends, it seems that most had heard of him. He was a wonderful young man who was a natural boxer but also a descent fellow and hard worker, and loved by nearly everyone who met him. He worked hard to provide for his family. With a family of 10 children, one handicapped and a father who was usually drunk, Les tried to lessen the burden for his loved mum. He was strong and handsome with a charming smile. Deeply religious, this stemming from his rich Irish Catholic ancestory, he never missed going to Sunday Mass and was very close to his local priest.

Les earned his icon status by working his way up the rung of the boxing community fighting the biggest and meanest they could throw at him and became a lightweight and heavyweight champion. He wanted to set his family up with a nice home and enough money to keep them well and tried desperately to travel to the USA to compete with their champion boxers and win some big bucks. Unfortunately, the war had started and men were signing up to go to Galipoli and fight with the Allies. He was still underage and needed his mother to sign a conscent form but she refused. This led some members of the community to send him white feathers in the mail and call him a coward for not going with their sons to fight. 

Les just wanted a couple more fights to prove himself and earn his money then he was prepared to enlist. The government refused a passport for Les on three separate occasions which frustrated him and he eventually, with the help of a friend, stowed away on a ship going to America. They all knew of him there and soon fell in love with him and soon there were matches schedule, however time after time he was refused permission to fight due to his ex-manager in Australia who had connections high in the government.

This story was told in a wonderful way with great insight, with lots of historical documentation and at times a sense of humour with Peter Fitzsimons filling the story with lots of 'aussieisms'. Although I'm really, really, not into boxing I did find this story gripping and very sad in the end. It was interesting how quickly people turned from adoring this brilliant sportsman, to ridiculing him and calling him a traitor, and then after his death, to adoring him again. I wonder how Les' story would've changed if he was born a little later in the century, after the war.

UGLIES

by Scott Westerfeld

Wow! This story was a great concept and left you thinking how shallow we have become. This is the first book in a trilogy and I'm looking forward to reading the next 'Pretties'.

Set in the future, where your whole world changes when you become 16, Tally is waiting for the day that she will no longer be an 'Ugly' but will have an operation to become 'pretty'. This involves becoming symmetrical, being sculptured, skin sanded, implants and basically cloned to be like a Barbie Doll. Once this operation has been done you then get to live in New Pretty Town where life involves having constant parties and fun, and this is what Tally is waiting for, where she will be united with her good friend Peris.

Tally has a rebellious nature and is always doing 'tricks' on her hoverboard to annoy authorities however when she meets Shay her life goes in a new direction. Shay does not want to become 'pretty' and wants Tally to come with her and escape to the 'Smoke' where you don't have to worry about being perfect and living in a perfect world.

Circumstances arise and Tally has to choose if she will spy on her new friends to save her life and fulfill her dream of becoming 'pretty' or stay an 'ugly' for the rest of her life. The author has created such a wonderful futuristic world which I felt I was living in and I felt close to each of the characters. Clever concepts and great imagination.

THE ROSIE BLACK CHRONICLES

EQUINOX  -  BOOK 2   by Lara Morgan

It's a pity I hadn't read Book 1 first as it would have given me the overview of what was happening, but it didn't take long to get my head around the Sci Fi jargon and characters, so I could be emersed into this trilogy.

It is action packed from the very first chapter. Rosie is a brave teenager living in a futuristic world. After losing her mother and friend in book 1 to a terrible disease, her father is now in hospital with the same disease, along with many others, and this sequel tells of her plan to find a cure and for revenge to bring down the Helios.

Reilly, who is in charge of operations, goes missing,  but before he does he places an implant in her brain to give her the clues to find him if he ever has to flee. The implant however malfunctions and causes Rosie to be in terrible pain and she's only getting distorted messages. As Rosie is once again on the run from the Helios, the implant becomes life threatening, but she must persevere with the help of her friends Pip, Dalton and Cassie to find Reilly and find out what the Helios are building that will effect millions of people.

Along with this fast paced action Rosie has to deal with her feelings between her and Pip, and her new relationship with Dalton. Can Dalton be trusted and will they be able to find a cure for this fatal disease? All will be revealed.

Look forward to book 3.