| Name: jingram1 | Details |
| January | We bought a zoo/Mee, Benjamin I rarely read humour, so decided to give this book a try, but I ended up skimming. I expected it to be an amusing story: it's about a family who have a tragedy in their lives, and buy a zoo, and the blurb suggests they start small and have lots of funny experiences, but I found it to be more about the tragedy and a more factual account of how they bought the zoo than amusing or entertaining stories. |
| February | Lace makers of Glenmara/Barbieri, Heather I chose this book to get out of my reading comfort zone. I have to push myself to read anything except a mystery!! I loved this book, the story of a 'dying' small Irish country town and the wonderful varielty of local ladies who won't give up on the town or their children. An interesting insight into Ireland as it is today. |
| March | Last Jew/Gordon Noah Still getting out of my comfort zone (that's what this challenge is all about, right?) but loving it! this book captivated me, I thought about where the character was and what he was up to whenever I had to put the down and do some work. A fantastic idea, but it worked for me, of a Jewish man on the run in the days of the Spanish inquisition. Some very awful reminders of the atrocities of the past, which I would normally not read. |
| April | Parsons Daughter by Catherine Cookson. I thought I'd try a romance genre, mixing romance with some history sounded pretty good. I expected Catherine Cookson to provide some really interesting historical back ground but I was very disappointed and pushed myself to finish the book; the storyline didn't hold me, the characters didn't capture, and the historical aspects were barely there. Glad I read it, this author is very popular - but not for me. |
| May | Say you're one of them/Akpan Uwem I haven't read short stories for years - so gave this book a try. These are a very strong stories of cruelty and misery: the first two were so distressing I needed a good long break before reading more. The fourth story was so distressing I am not finishing the book. It's important to keep informed, but I do that with newspapers, films etc. If knowing the evil and horror of the world, of what atrocities humans do to each other is what you read for leisure then this is the book for you. The style is a bit offputting though, with many of the dialogues in a pidgin sort of English, which doesn't always make for easy reading. I might try a graphic novel next as I have never read one. |
| June | TALE OF MURASAKI /DALBY LIZA I was very keen to read this novel : a bit different to my usual crime fiction!! but I was disappointed and did not finish the book. I did not find the dialogues interestesting or the scenes believable. Maybe it was just the wrong time for me to try the book, but it ended up with me thinking there are too many wonderful books out there to read for me to continue with this one. |
| July | The Elephant Keeper/Nicholson, Christopher I would not normally read this genre: if it had been a biography I would have been very keen, but not a novel. However, I loved it. The elephants and the keeper are very endearing characters and the novel, set in the late 1700s gives a most interesting historical background. I liked the style of Christopher Nicholson and would read his work again. I recommend this as a light read with plenty to hold your interest |
| August | A.D. New Orleans After the deluge/Josh Neufeld I have been amazed by this book. What a concept. I was reluctant to read a graphic novel and so determined to give one a try. I am so pleased I did. I don't think it will become my new best reading genre but I am really surprised at how captivated i was with the storyline. I thought I would be put off by the pictures but in fact the opposite occurred. I have never heard of 'comic reportage' or that on line books can be multilayered, seeded with links to podcasts. A fabulour new world for me to explore, and I would not have found it without the Librarian's Reading Challenge. Oh - the story? totally believable, well written, well drawn, give it a try!! Now what next? might I even try Twilight? |
| September | A life less ordinary/Baby Halder I really thought I was finished with sad stories about lives of poverty and neglect. So what was I doing reading this one? Against all my comfort zones, I was drawn by the blurb on the cover. I found the book was fascinating, and repelling at the same time. If half of this poor woman’s story is true – and it claimed to be all true - India must be a very challenging country. This is the story of a woman’s experiences once she breaks a rule of conduct and it is amazing and now famous in India. I wonder if this has changed any attitudes or laws of this vast country? I think I am ‘cured’ of reading about India – until this amazing country’s literature lures me back again – but I recommend the book as very interesting reading |
| October | The pillars of the earth./ Follett, Ken, 1949- I have read Edward Rutherfurd’s epics London and The Forest, so this book did not fit into my comfort zone. What could Ken Follett offer that Edward Rutherfurd had not already expressed so fabulously? Yes, I loved the Edward Rutherfurd books, and have ‘saved up’ Sarum to read in the future. It was when I realised that this book was high on the BBC Big Read list I decided to leave my comfort zone once again …. Sigh!! Well – wow! - I loved the book, it was enthralling. I enjoyed following the one family – Tom’s – story through the years. Historically it was riveting reading. If you like historical fiction based on fact, this is for you. I do confess, the descriptions of every little nook, cranny and dimensions of cathedrals got a bit much for me sometimes. Overall, so good I am recommending it to all and sundry, and am now on the lookout for a dvd copy of the series. |
| November | Q & A Vikas Swarup I saw the movie and hesitated to read the book. So often the movie is far different from the book and spoils the book for me. However, I loved this book. Well written, fast moving, close enough to the movie to satisfy grumpy old me. The story follows the life of a poor orphan Indian boy who has won a billion rupees on a quiz show but has been thrown into gaol at the whim of the quiz organisers because they don’t want to pay him the money. They accuse him of cheating because his is an uneducated waiter whom they claim could not know the answers. This clever writer leads us through the twelve questions by linking each question to an episode of the boy’s life: a journey so fascinating and relevant the book is hard to put down. I ask my self why I can enjoy this journey through incidents of modern day India which depict cruelty and horror equal to that of Say you’re one of them/Uwen, Akpan set in Africa. Whilst I enjoyed Q & A, I could not finish Say you’re one of them. The difference for me is in the presentation, not the content. Vikas Swarup coats his misery, horror and inhuman behaviours with sugar and humour, not to minimise the importance – certainly not that - however Akpan Uwen writes brutally and graphically with no break from the fear, misery and horror. I recommend Q & A /Vikas Swarup. |
| Name: Vassiliki | Details |
| January | The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. I have never read anything by Bennett before. I did not enjoy this novella as it had a lot of (book) name dropping which tends to annoy me. A staff member informs me that his theatrical writing is very different and very enjoyable. |
| February | Temeraire by Naomi Novik. This is an alternative history/fantasy. I don't mind reading children's fantasy but I normally avoid it in my adult fiction and I rarely read alternative histories. This book has dragons, high seas and air battles during the Napoleonic Wars. It slowly builds a lovely relationship between Temeraire and his master Captain Laurence. I would not have finished reading this book had it not been my challenge read. I found the training and battle descriptions were too detailed for my reading preferences. It is beautifully written and would appeal to those who love reading action scenes. I can understand why many readers are enamoured by the series and imagine it would make a brilliant series of action-packed movies. |
| March | My 2-up manager has chosen my challenge this month. She would like me to read anything by Nancy Mitford. I have managed to borrow a book of her letters but that is it so far. I've been dipping in out of "Love Nancy: The Letters of Nancy Mitford" for the past few weeks. The writing is delightful and it gives you a feeling for Nancy's life and relationships in the UK and the continent. Though it was enjoyable I did not finish this book. |
| April | I'm combining 2 reading challenges this month. I've decided to read/view a copy of every magazine that my branch subscribes to including the Chinese magazines. I rarely buy or read magazines so I'm hoping to familiarise myself with this very well used collection. This will also link in to my bookbinge. Mid month update: Apart from the interior decorating magazines I am not enjoying reading through this collection. I'm finding myself approaching each title/issue with trepidation. End of month: I did not enjoy reading magazines at all. I felt as though my brain was bleeding with all (excepting the interior design mags). It was a slog but I did discover some titles that I previously would not have thought of recommending such as Saveur for the serious foodie and Selvedge for the crafster borrower. |
| May | Military history is an area of the non-fiction collection that holds no interest for me whatsoever. If I can't get to sleep I get my husband to read a passage of some battle to me and without fail I fall asleep. Let's see how I go! Early in the month I changed my challenge. My 2up manager has challenged all the staff to a Sydney Writers Festival reading fest. So far I have read: The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta (very good) Look Who's Morphing by Tom Cho (excellent) Nitboy: Bug Out! by Tristan Bancks (funny) Currently reading: Manhattan Dreaming by Anita Heiss |
| June | I find it hard to read when I am travelling. The itinerant nature of a different bed every few days & the rush to see everything does not lend itself to relaxed reading. My challenge is to read anything other than guidebooks while I'm travelling. During June the novels I read: Nothing but Trouble by Rachel Gibson Thirtynothing by Lisa Jewell One-Hit Wonder by Lisa Jewell |
| July | While on holidays, I bought myself a Sony e-Book reader. The challenge was setting it up (public wifi is heavenly) downloading my first book. The July leg of the holiday was when we were on true vactaion. Relaxing by the beach for 10 days so time wasn't an issue. *spoiler alert* I read The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas (ta! Randwick Library). I disliked all the characters in this book, I was angered by their attitudes and allegiances. But most of all I was annoyed by the conclusion. I felt that the book was like a Sweet Dream novel. Full of angst & problems but yet ending with a teen's first kiss and the implication of happily ever after. (By the way - I give the book 4/5 stars. Any book that can incite anger in a reader who wants to challenge the attitudes they are reading about deserves accolades. Writing that incites emotion!) |
| August | I'm not big on animal books so when I came across Horses and Homes by Jennifer Jordan I thought it would make a great challenge book. It's non-fiction and combines the love of equine sports and interior decorating in equine themes. Looking at every discipline of horse sports and coupling each sport with interior decorating tips to suit the sport. An original and fantastic idea which is well executed in this book. I learnt something whilst satiating my love for books on interior decorating. A visual treat! |
| September | I've seen a trend for GLBT themes in YA novels but I had not read any to date. I thought I'd start with Australian authors Joanne Horniman's About a Girl. This book is beautifully written, some lovely turn of phrases but a tad too angsty & dark for me. The North Eastern NSW setting is well depicted. It's a love story of 2 young women negotiating their love & coming out. |
| October | Going through my reading log for the year to date I had read nothing by a dead male author. So I decided to read a James Bond novella - From A View to a Kill by Ian Fleming This short story was thrilling, descriptive and well paced. I certainly can see why the original James Bond stories inspired movie producers. (Oh! And of course, there are the female interest in the books, too!) |
| November | I decided that I needed to read more Greek. I have a number of Greek publishers and bookseleers hat I follow on twitter and I am constantly using my Greek/English dictionary. I still don't think that I can complete a novel in Greek so I have been reading on the local history of my dad's village in Greece. Thankfully, the site has a number of essayists and bloggers who are active as his village is of historical importance during the War of Independencehttp://marathos.gr/index.htm |
| December | I deeply dislike books with serial killers. They creep me out as they are sociopaths. InHello Kitty Must Die by Angela S. Choi the protagonist Fiona is a Chinese American woman who is struggling between choosing an American lifestyle while her parents want her to conform to Chinese traditions. She meets up with a hymen restoration surgeon who used to be her best friend, Sean and the two build their relationship on their mutual dislike of people with aggressive/bully behaviour. It was a good read but a challenge in that the subject was unsavoury, to say the least. |
| Name: Cawad | Details: |
| February | The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas - Have not read any of his books before so it was a challenge. Long paragraphs makes it difficult to follow the writers train of thought especially if you are tired. Nevertheless a lot of discussion amongst the staff. A reflection on todays Australian society and culture. Would like to read his other books although I am told this is very tame in comparison. |
| March | My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult what a story what a life. I found it hard to put myself in any of the chracters shoes. |
| April | Crime fiction was my challenge this month as my preference is for real stories and biogrpahies. Stieg Larrrson: What a trilogy! I believe there is one unpublished book to go. Could not put down the books although 3 hefty books was quite a challenge. Good ending |
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| Name: Ellen | Details |
| January | Matthew Reilly The five greatest warriors. A bit more conspiracy theory than my usual, but a fun romp through amazing places. |
| February | I have read Online Worlds: Convergence of the Real and the Virtual (Human-computer Interaction Series) by William Sims Bainbridge. It has just been released. It is a series of academic papers about online games and their communities. It is action packed and a really interesting read. I did not read every paper as some were not of interest at present, but I expect I will go back to this book from time to time. An entertaining and enjoyable read (some sections even had me laughing out loud). |
| April | I am getting a little ahead in my reading as there seems to be a rush of titles I would not usually read. I do not usually read sequels or prequels by authors other than the ones who wrote the title the sequel or prequel is for. I don't think they make sense. They deprive people of using their own imagination. I have just read Mr Darcy, vampyre by Amanda Grange. It is a an ode to many books including Harry Potter as well the more obvious Dracula and various gothic novels. It also owes a lot to historical travel writing, as that is what is most closely resembled. It is a kind of "My adventures in Europe" for the newly married Darcys. If you are looking for a variation on the more traditional Jane Austen titles I would suggest watching Bride and prejudice as a more amusing option. There were some laugh out loud moments in Mr Darcy, vampyre, but I kind of felt these were not intended. |
| May | I read His pregnancy ultimatum by Helen Bianchin. It is Mills and Boon. I did not like it because the heroine was irrationally obnoxious for the first part of the book - but just to the man she really fancied. The high degree of obnoxiousness was really annoying. I tried another Mills and Boon (The Australian tycoons proposal - also by Margaret Way) to see if it had a more appealing heroine, and it did not. She was also completely obnoxious, for no reason, to the man she fancied. It also seemed that the man had to be slightly older, very rich, with an amazing house (and of course very hansom). For the women it was almost a guide on how to dress and what to eat, and that you should expect a man to have an amazing five bedroom house or apartment and to be very rich. I hear you thinking this sounds like Pride and prejudice, and in a way you are correct. P&P is also a romance, but Elizabeth at least is appealing, and she is rude to Mr Darcy after he offends her, not before like the women in the two Mills and Boon I read. They were just really horrible to the men who fancied them until quite a long way into each novel. So...no more Mils and Boon for me, but I would be interested to try reading a modern romance where the protagonists are equals in that they have much the same wealth (or lack of), similar ages, and without the women being really horrible to men for no reason. I realise that Neal Stephenson fits what I have written but he his work is not usually called romance. |
| June | Reinventing the automobile : personal mobility for the 21st century by William J Mitchell, Christopher E Borroni-Bird and Lawrence D Burns. I don't read car books. The book is able ultra small vehicles, the kind that don't really exist yet because there need to be some supporting infrastructure to make it all possible, but it is possible now, and there were some very interesting ideas being presented. It was interesting, but I was concerned that there was no consideration even being given to improved public transport, it was all about cars in fairly dense urban areas. It is worth having a look at - but keep in mind - it is not Top gear. |
| July | Shadows of ice : Warcraft the Sunwell trilogy by Richard A Knaak and Jae Hwan Kim this is a graphic novel based in an online game. I was interested that the graphics were based on the game with the characters looking like a Manga cross with with in-game graphics. This worked. The story worked. I would consider reading other material inspired by games. |
| August | I read most of an Alastair MacLean title but I did not finish. As an action novel it should not have been outside my comfort zone, but it was because it was very heavily focused on the characters and the main male character did not have a very positive view of anyone's skills other than his own (and this was despite the fact he managed to get beaten up quite effectively at times when one of the other characters avoided this). I like action novels, but I like a strong story, rather than the action being based on character. I think novels by this author would appeal strongly to people who read for character and setting, and enjoy at 'retro' feel in gender roles. |
| September | After unhappy experience in May tried a different kind of romance- Dogs and goddesses. While requiring a bit is belief suspension it was a much happier read, with some laugh out loud moments. Crazy things were happening when one woman baked. |
| October | The stranger by Max Frie is translated from Russian so I was never sure if the stilted style was original or one of the problems of translation. It was very episodic with strange rules coming out of no where to explain certain actions. It is a fantasy novel set in parallel world, but it is reminiscent of historical travel tales of weird and wonderful things. I usually give up with stilted writing styles, but persisted as might have been a translation issue. Worth reading for some of the ideas raised. |
| November | Hunger games : Mockingjay. I had read the first two parts of this trilogy despite a really annoying and clueless main character because the story had some interesting ideas. Am reading third part by talking book with a narrator who seems to want to draw out every word to take the maximum time possible. I am sure the reading style could be appealing to others, but I just want to find out what is happening - quickly. |
| Name: Judy | Details |
| January | The Wolf : how one German raider terrorised Australia and the Southern Oceans in the First World War / Richard Guilliatt & Peter Hohnen |
| February | I started reading Gabrielle Lord's Conspiracy 365: No. 1 January, and then continued on to No 2. February. The story tracks the "Conspiracy" in real time, and so, all through February, I read the story on the appropriate day, following the action as it happened. Cal's blog adds another dimension to the story. I'm going to get the "March" instalment today. |
| March |
| Name: CatyJ | Details |
| January | The ape who guards the balance / Elizabeth Peters (e-audio) - made delightful by the most gorgeous proper British reading of Barbara Rosenblat |
| February | Evil Genius / Catherine Jinks - while I was waiting for this to become available for loan I read "The Reformed Vampire Support Group" by Catherine Jinks. Both are YA, Australian content (Sydney + some country towns), and filled with unique characters and doses of subtle humour. Looking forward to finishing Evil Genius and moving on to Genius Squad and The Genius Wars (sometimes pre-reading for an RA seminar can uncover some real gems!) Finally, a story from the bad guy's perspective. To add to the fun I've also been listening to Kate Mosse's Labyrinth at work (whilst working) - taking multitasking to a whole new level (we're trialing NetLibrary). Oddly enough I have found that the quality of my reports has not been unduly affected and I've actually managed to increase my output (any excuse to read/listen and I'll take it!!). |
| March | The Other 51 Weeks: a marketing handbook for Librarians (rev ed.) by Lee Welch - to compensate for this I'm also reading Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (another YA series) I gave Irvine Welsh's "Reheated Cabbage" a go but could not last thru even 1 of his short stories. More than trying to untangle the meaning in his use of verbatim vernacular found the repeated swearing whilst perhaps accurate to the characters he is portraying just a little too much to bear which is annoying as usually swearing in books does not bother me, these stories took it just a little far though I think. |
| April | #bookbinge month Escape - Anna Feinberg - this is not something I'd normally pick off the shelf but given it's #bookbinge month I thought I'd add it to the pile. Enjoyable so far but I am a bit annoyed at the extent of Rachel's self-doubt. |
| May | The Misremembered Man - Christina McKenna. The story of an abondoned child growing up in an Irish orphanage during the 30's. It's now 1974, his adopted parents (from the age of 10) have died & he is finding it hard to cope with the loneliness. His good friends tell him he needs a "woman friend" so he answers a personals add in the local paper. This is also the tale of the woman who places the add in the local paper and who discovers a secret about herself which changes everything she knows. I enjoyed this book. I guess I would say this is a 'gentle read', though the depictions of the Irish orphanage are confronting (though softly done). |
| June | Alex Kava - I started off reading Damaged (set during a hurricane in Florida) and ended up reading a few other titles also by Kava just to see if they really were all the same as far as formula goes ...... and dang! they were. I enjoy thrillers and Kava's titles have all the hallmarks of a halting run through dark alleys pursued by some grissly threat of danger if not death itself by rather foul means, but...... the endings just annoy me, they tidy up too quickly without due consideration given to any of the unsettling details raised during the course of the novel. So even though I didn't really want to read another Kava after the first one left me so annoyed (skipping 2 days in the narrative right at the end of the story is not a clever story device if that's the device you use every single time) I still went a read 3 more. I probably would not read another one even though I quite enjoyed the storytelling right up until the conclusion ....... annoying |
| July | The Untrained Environmentalist / John Fenton - not usually one to give autobiographies a go I nonethelss found this engaging tale of a young farmer's battle to regenerate in his farm, Lanark, in south western Victoria during the 1950's and onwards to be a delightful read (ended up giving a copy to my Dad for Fathers Day) |
| August | Equator / Wayne Ashton - written in the style of magic realism; found this quite difficult to read but appreciated the imagery (would probably not try to read again) |
| September | Everybody plays at the library / Scott Nicholson - I'm really excited by this title and the content and yet am finding it really hard to settle down and read it (perhaps I have too many other distractions at the moment to concentrate) |
| October | The challenge this month was to read to a deadline - How to make gravy: a mongrel memoir / Paul Kelly; Priceless / Nicole Richie; The Death Instinct / Ted Rubenfeld - okay, I did want to read the Paul Kelly bio (even though I'm not a big bio fan) simply because I really liked the premise and I really like Paul Kelly's music (we chose "Randwick Bells" as our wedding reception bride & groom waltz), anyway Coffs Harbour Library has a monthly Librarians' Choice display and this month we decided to get staff to help generate some extra reviews etc for our LMS so there wasn't a whole lot of choice in what I read. The Nicole Richie title was an easy, pleasant read with no effort required (it's a rather easy romantic thriller with Richie writing about the social scene she obviously knows quite well), the Ted Rubenfeld title, The Death Instinct, follows on from The Interpretation of Murder (which I haven't read) and is set post WWII. In between meeting the reading-to-a-deadline challenge I took great pleasure in listening to "Blackadder" on talking book and laughing all the way to work (it's a 90 km drive and takes roughly 65 minutes each way) - the challenge here was often to simply stay on the road..... one tv show I do miss not having repeats of. |
| November | Towards the end of October I started re-reading the Harry Potter series (in preparation for movie number 7:part1). yet again I am left impressed by Rowling's skill in setting up a writing formula and sticking to it. No matter what you may think of the content or the movies or all the hullaballoo to do with Harry Potter, this remains a perfect example of successful formula writing. Currently reading Halo / Alexandra Adornetto |
| December |
| Name: Jenn | Details |
| January | 2666, by Roberto Bolano. Way grizzlier and more disturbing than my usual taste in fiction! |
| February | Moby Dick. I don't usually read anything written before the 20th century! |
| March | Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris. I don't do romance, and I don't do supernatural. I can't imagine reading Twilight. but thought that the Sookie Stackhouse novels True Blood is based on might be a good compromise. |
| Name:readerV100 | Details |
| January | Change of heart, by Jodi Picoult. I've never read Picoult before - this was a Christmas present. I quite liked the style - narration by different characters, and it was a good holiday read, though a bit deliberately 'moral dilemma-ish'. |
| February | February is chick lit month! And I've gone with Handbags and Glad Rags (or is it the other way round?) by Maggie Alderson. A good choice as it didn't take very long and wasn't too taxing for a lazy hot day's reading! I enjoy Maggie's journalism, and this novel was set in and around the fashion shows in Milan and Paris so I was hoping for some good 'location' stuff. The love interest was a hunky Aussie photographer who won out against an obnoxious British Hooray Henry. What's not to like?? |
| March | Prey by Michael Crichton - the nearest I'm going to get to science fiction - not a genre I've ever taken to. It's about nanotechnology gone horribly wrong :-) I haven't a clue if there is anything even remotely possible/probable/likely about the 'science' described in this book, but it's a page turner! Excellent for passing the time on the bus. Mr Darcy, Vampyre, by Amanda Grange - I was going to claim this as my April read - which was meant to be Bite and Bonk month, but sadly I don't think it qualifies. I was able to entertain a lot of people with my readings from this book, especially my favourite quote that Darcy wasn't looking squeamish when Lizzie fell and cut herself, but ravenous! Poorly written, no biting or bonking, predictably happy ending but good fun nevertheless. Not sure if a real vampire book will be able to compete... |
| April | Decided to have a break before I attempt vampires! So catching up with New Year's resolutions, I'm reading self help books!! 1001 Quick Fixes and Kitchen Tips by Manidipa Mandal. promises to solve "everyday kitchen dilemmas and household conumdrums!" I read a few pages at breakfast each morning, and combined with Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life (Shakti Gawain), I don't even need to do anything such as clean out a cupboard, I just have to VISUALISE it being clean. Great, eh? |
| May | Romance month :-) Read a couple of Mills and Boon, from the Harlequin series, but even the (pretty tame) sex scenes didn't get me hooked on this as a genre - far too improbable and not very well written. Maybe a romance with an ugly girl, a poor bloke and a tragic ending... but hey, that wouldn't be a romance now, would it? On Vassiliki's (and Ellen's) suggestion I also read Agnes and the Hitman, by Jenny Crusie and Bob Mayer. Romance with a kick! Death by frypan, flamingoes, weddings, mafia - this is my kind of book. |
| June | A mixed bag this month. A Florentine Death, by Michael Guittari. I really enjoyed this based on true life serial killer novel. And one of the characters is a handsome, rich, Italian playboy bookshop owner, as if:-) Waterlemon by Ruth Ritchie. I've never been a fan of "triumph over adversity' books, but I like Ritchie's writing style, and I didn't have that awful sense of voyeurism I got while reading other books in this genre. With a new baby, a husband with a severe brain injury, amazingly dysfunctional family and 'friends', Ruth still finds time to cook - fantastic stuff! |
| July | Real estate guides and domain.com.au Plot and characters not great but location location location :-) |
| August | Lonesome Dove by Lary McMurtry. Advice given to me re Westerns (which I have never read) was try this one, so I did. Not what I was expecting but then again a Pulitzer prize winning novel is not your average western. |
| September | Magazine month - next door neighbour's New Ideas and Womens Weeklies and some garage sale purchases of Gourmet Traveller, Vogue, Wallpaper etc. If these weren't as expensive as a discounted paperback I could become quite addicted! They've all gone to the recycling bin but I now have a drawer full of torn out recipes, articles, ads etc |
| October | The Not So Big House series by Sarah Susanka (see July above). Fantastic downsizing ideas, lovely photos and a quirky style. I've never been more than a browser of home and garden coffee table books but I really enjoyed these. |
| November | Always a bit slow on the uptake, I've finally read the first two books in the Millenium trilogy by Stieg Larrson (and I watched the DVD of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). i was surprised to hear that Larrson's family thought the English translation was a bit tame - I must be getting squeamish in my old age but I found them a bit more graphic than I would normally choose, even though I regularly read forensic type crime novels. To counteract all that violence I read another garage sale find, chosen for its cover image, Stopover in Venice by Kathryn Walker, a mix of romance, mystery, art and a lost dog. |
| December | Read my first ebook on a borrowed Kindle - Icons of England by Bill Bryson. What a great invention, I'm going to have to get one soon. So Santa, if you're listening, and I'm on the 'nice' list ... |
| Name: ref_andrea | Details |
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| Name:amyheap | Details |
| January | Highways to a War by Christopher Koch was recommended by a male friend who loved it but thought it might be a gender and generation thing. The brilliant characters and setting were enough to get me through all the 'men's stuff' like battles, politics and dirt. I might have appreciated it more if I were an older male but I found it well worthwhile. |
| February | Exit Music by Ian Rankin. I will happily watch crime on TV but I would not choose to read it. My love for Edinburgh kept me reading, I'd have given up if it was set in America. The process of finding out who committed a crime and how they did it isn't quite intersting enough to me but I like the character of Inspector Rebus and also Siobahn Clarke so there was just enough to keep me going. I prefer hanging around in Edinburgh with the 44 Scotland Street crew. |
| March | His Illegal Self by Peter Carey. I am trying to read through the whole of our RRL Book Club list of over a hundred books. I chose many of them myself and really enjoy them but I had never read Peter Carey before. I'm not sure I'll read any more..... I find his style of writing a bit confusing and I didn't really enjoy the setting or the characters. It wasn't awful but I didn't love spending time in the world of this book. |
| April | The Shark Net by Robert Drewe. True Crime is definitely outside my comfort zone. I'm packing it for holiday reading along with many others. I'll report when I get back..... I'm back and have to confess that I didn't read it :( I'll make it my May challenge. I did, however, read two things out of my comfort zone. Bedroom Business by Jennifer Crusie is a collection of two Harlequin romance novels. As it happens I do get very sucked in by love, I adore Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, but I realise that lust doesn't really interest me and there are lots of other characteristics I need in a book - language, setting and characters that I either like, admire or simply find interesting. The characters in these books were not interesting to me so I wasn't invested in them or their sex lives. The language isn't bad at all, I just like more description I suppose, and this was almost all dialogue. I also read Twilight as my daughter wanted to see the film and I had to see what it was all about. I surprised myself by liking this. I enjoyed the setting and the angst wasn't too painful (it was worse in the film). |
| May | I have gone for a format out of my comfort zone this month - I'm going to listen to an audio book on the way to and from the RA meeting in Bowral. I have borrowed The Unknown Terrorist by Richard Flanagan. This is one of our book club books and not a usual choice for me. I also borrowed The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton and it only goes for 3.5 hours so can listen to the whole book on the way up! Alain de Botton was a delight but I only got through two thirds of The Unknown Terrorist on the trip and realise that the car is the only place I would listen to an audio book. I listened to The Silver Chair read by Jeremy Northam (sigh) on the way to Melbourne with the kids which was great. What a way to pass the time :) |
| June | The Good Mayor by Andrew Nicholl is the sort of popular fiction that doesn't really interest me. There is a fair bit of magic realism thrown in as well so this was definitely outside my comfort zone. I quite enjoyed its whimsical, light romance. I liked that the towns had names like Dot, Dash and Umlaut and that a bearded female saint narrated. I lost interest when Agathe took up with Hektor and the end was very odd and terribly quick. |
| July | It might be a tiny bit of a stretch to call it out of my comfort zone but Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go is sort of science fiction. I didn't realise when I started it and the quirks of this particular England of the 1990s are revealed gradually. It is very clever and while it is set in an alternate reality, there is much to relate to. A really great book! I also read some youth fiction which is a departure for me. I read Don't Call me Ishmael by Michael Gerard Bauer and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. I enjoyed them both enormously. Don't Call me Ishmael was so funny I laughed out loud and I really appreciated how Ishmael dealt with the bully without the book being moralistic. The Graveyard Book was delightful in every way and I'll be back for more Neil Gaiman. |
| Name: Carolyn | Details |
| January | Infidel: my life by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Memoir of controversial political figure. This was recommended by my manager so I've decided to make it my January challenge. It is a very challenging book in lots of ways - Ali is a remarkably strong woman who works to bring change from within both the political and religious system. Well worth reading. |
| February | This month I finally got round to reading Dewey: the small town library cat who touched the world by Vicki Myron. It was a lovely feel good read, but it was also very encouraging to see the difference a lcal library can make in a community. |
| March | I've just joined a Book Club - finally! Our book for this month is Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert. I haven't read eat, pray, love so we'll see how it goes... Well... I've found it rather a hard read and have given up half way through. I felt like she should just get on with it.... but I did at least read as much as Nancy Pearl says we should :). |
| April | This month I've decided to bite the bullet and read a supernatural novel. I went through the list from Dianne Tixier Herald and am going to try one of her recommendations - Benighted by Kit Whitfield. Well I've read it! I found it quite depressing - the main charcter isn't very likeable and there's a lot of violence, don't think I'll read the sequel... |
| May | This month my book club is reading Tim Winton's Cloudstreet. I've read a few books by Tim Winton but never this classic. I enjoyed it but it's not a quick or easy read. I'd recommend it for people who like quite complicated characters and also a bit of atmospheric tension. |
| June | This month I decided to choose the very first book on the fiction shelves - it turned out to be Gauntlet by Richard Aaron. It was actually quite an interesting fast paced thriller with heaps of different characters and the story followed all of them in turn. Interestingly, it kept also giving flash backs to their past and how they'd gotten to the current point - so you had a bit more empathy even with the "baddies". It did also have some incredibly violent scenes which seemed a bit excessive. Overall, an interesting read if you like fast paced action but also quite indepth character development - and a strong stomach! |
| July | I gave in to the pressure and read Dan Brown's the Lost Symbol this month. It was an interesting read in that breathless, far fetched way he writes. I was quite fascinated with his account of the masonic symbolism all through American history and major buildings etc but not quite fascinated enough to do any research to see how much is fact and how much is fiction. Definitely a good read for those who like fast paced, far fetched adventure. |
| August | This month I read The Long Song by Andrea Levy. It's written from the point of view of an ex-slave in the sugar plantations of Jamaica and covers the period of "The Baptist Wars". It was very interesting as it is something I know very little about so it sent me off to do some research. It's also just been shortlisted for the Man Booker prize. |
| September | This month I've been reading websites about keeping Australian native bees. See http://uqconnect.net/~zzrzabel/ I'm looking at setting up a permaculture garden and have also been researching chooks... |
| October | I've been reading more in the permaculture end of the spectrum - The Permaculture Home garden by Linda Woodrow is an excellent book. We used a chook dome design from this book which is working really well. Another book I've been reading is Not for sale: the return of the global slave trade and how we can fight it by David Batstone - very confronting information but really worth knowing and doing something about! |
| November | I had the whole month off to work on my permaculture garden, chooks and bees... I reread Jackie French's classic - Backyard self sufficiency and the backs of lots of seed packets! |
| December | Read my first Donna Leon novel - and enjoyed the vistas of Venice as well as the descriptions of the fabulous food the main detective seemed to have for lunch every day. Where but Venice would a detective in the middle of a murder investigation walk home for a long lunch every day with his family? |
| Name: BronwynL | Details |
| January | Hamlet |
| February | |
| March |
| Name: mangotoko | Details |
| January | Raj Patel- Stuffed and starved: Markets, powers and the hidden battle for the world food system |
| February | This month I am cheating a little bit- I have been busy with my own reading and am trying to get through New York by Edward Rutherfurd, it is rather large. So for the Reading Challenge I picked a graphic novel version of Hansel and Gretel. I really didn't like it, I had to force myself to look at the pictures rather than just read the text. |
| March | I often come across references to characters in mythology when reading and don't know the stories so this month I found Stories from ancient civilisations: Greece on the shelves. Perhaps someone can suggest a better introduction to mythology? |
| April | I am not sure if this can count- I discovered my local library (not where I work) has ebooks available so I downloaded A month of Sundays, by James O'Loghlin. He spends time exploring Sydney while builders are working on the houses next door to his. I am finding it hard to read on my PC but it was a good way of making me try to use new technology. Perhaps this is better suited to someone who commutes and can read on the train. I still prefer to hold a copy of the book (and read in bed!) |
| May | I tried poetry this month.Les Murray- Killing the black dog : essay and poems. A bit of a struggle with the poems but I liked the essay, an account of his life and suffering with depression. |
| June | Chose something from the YA collection, Snowy: the diary of Eva Fischer, Cabramurra, 1958-59 in the My Story series . I didn't really like the diary style but overall I enjoyed it, good for those who may not like straight fiction stories as it is based on fact. The other titles in the series look good too. |
| July | This month I read Hamlet. I enjoyed it. I had a study guide handy as well. |
| August | Biography month. I borrowed this book on behalf of a friend but I read it too. I am Nujood, age 10 and divorced. |
| September | Well I am getting desperate for new things to read and don't want to read a vampire book! So I chose a Mills & Boon His Mistress for a Million by Trish Morey. An Australian girl from "Kangaroo Crossing" (!!??), down on her luck in London agrees to act as the mistress for a Greek billionaire for one million dollars. Luckily it is only a short book and I doubt I will be reading any more M & B. Still reading that is probably better than watching most of the stuff on TV! |
| October | I don't normally read detective books so this month I tried an Agatha Christie book- The Hollow. I didn't really like it. |
| November | Having computer issues so no links this time- awaiting my iPhone so I read iPhones for dummies |
| December |
| Name: MartinM | Details |
| January | This month I have chosen to combine two reading avoidances: Teenage fiction (I really don't want to be reminded of my own teenage angst!) and Crime fiction. I am reading Steven Herrick's Cold Skin, a verse novel for teens about the murder of a young girl in a rural Australian town. The novel works through a series of plain language individual character point of view poems. So in this way the novel really works on the level of character rather than story or lanaguage. I have enjoyed the way the novel pieces the crime together from all of these character's little bits of mis/information. The language is not very "poetic" but that works for the novel because it reflects the down to earth characters in a rural setting. A good mixture of male and female characters. Although I wonder about some of the sexual imagery in the novel and how to "recommend" this novel to teenage readers. Next month I am going to tackle Romance - I will admit now it is not a reading experience I am looking forward to. |
| February | Okay, I am trying. I realy am, but with Valentine's Day fast approaching I have yet to discover a romance novel that I can get past the first chapter. Honestly, how many times does someone have to sigh, look coyly or lament that they are not realy truly understood by that dark, handsome but slightly aloof man in the corner before they realise that they are just not worth the effort? I have now started a romance novel (Harlequin 1949 publication) that is a romance/mystery and from a man's point of view. So I read Kiss Your Elbow by Alan Handley and though it was written in 1949 was an ok read fior a romance. Though there were two moments when I laughed out loud and I am not sure if it was intended by the author. these were the lines that were the highlights for me: "Bleeding women, two in the same hour, were rapidly getting me down" and "they did find some money down Nellie's bazoom"! |
| March | This month my challenge is to read a book that hasa cover that I find unattractive. Will I discover if you can judge a book....? So I read David Marr's The Henson Case. I don't like Henson's photography and so would have skipped over this book because one of the images are on the cover. However, if you are into reading for character then this book might just catch your attention. Marr skillfuly evokes all the conflicting (and conflicted) personalities in this episode. |
| April | This month I shall be reading as many issues of R M William's Outback magazine. Completely not my thing! Ok so I got through several copies and was pleasantly surprised that even though the subject matter didn't really interest me, when they tell a story about camels in the outback and make it character based then I am engaged. YeeHar! |
| May | I never ever listen to talking books. It's a bit like some people and automatic cars, they just don't like someone else changing the gears for them! So I am combining two reading aversions - someone else speaking to me and war literature and am listening to The World Crisis 1911-1918 by Winston Churchill, his take on World War One. Well thought I'd add some notes on my reading experience...Ok I get that Winnie was a good writer and could string words together correctly and create a half decent narrative out the events of the period...but I was really bored. I really got the snese that there was an agenda in this account that made my reading/listening experience unsuccessful both in information and an entertainment sense. |
| June | This month I am going to become the last remaining human being to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson. I really get put off by modern publishing hype and so have avoided this book as though it was the carrier of a new strain of Ebola virus! Dear blog, I am now 100 pages into DragTat. Can someone please tell me that something is about to happen. I have spent the last hundred pages noting all the product placement (is it really important that he tells me the brand of every electronic device the characters use?) . If MIkael's life really isn't going anywhere then take me to someone who's life is! Here's hopeing the next 100 pages are more engaging. Hejda. Dear blog, This is really not my thing. The author has now replaced 100 pages of product placement with 100 pages of genealogy. When oh when is something going to happen? I know I have been conidtioned by years of reading fantasy lit to expect that there will be a least one troll invasion and a revelation of magical significance in the first 50 pages, and this is probably too much to expect from this novel, but couldn't they at least have a rabid reindeer stalk Mikael for a few pages? I think I am going to give this one away. Frustrerad |
| July | This month I am going to read Brenda Walker's Reading by Moonlight: How books saved a life. I don't read a lot of, what they called on ABC's Tuesday Book Club, sickness novels, so thought I'd give this a go. I think this is a great book for those who are character based readers. when I was focusses on the character the digressions into book summaries became more interesting becuase i read them as extension of her character. |
| August | Being an election month,and thus being really put off anything to do with politics I am reading a political manifesto: The Coming Insurrection by The Invisible Committee. Apparently this book was used as evidence in terrorist trials in France. Though how nayone could have got anything of concern out of it is beyond me. It might appeal to those who read for language. |
| September | This month I am going to dip into The 9/11 Commission report :final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. Its 604 pages so I'll be interested how I go? I found the narrative style of the opening very engaging. |
| October | This month I read a talking book on my ipod whilst travelling in the train. It took about 20 mins for me to get used to it. I found this a more enagaing experience than my first attempt at talking books earlier. Why? Partly context: I didn't have anything to read on the train. Partly the book: it was a Matthew Reilly book Hovercar Racer which I hadn't read before but the fast pace meant I was carried along with the story (perhaps like I was being carried along by the train). I am unsure if I would enjoy it as much if it was a book that relied on language or character as I enjoy taking time with these books and a tlaking book locks me into the time it takes for the reader to speak to me. |
| November | I have started my very first Alexander McCall Smith book, The Importance of Being Seven, this month. I have avoided these books becuase they are borrowed and enjoyed by the older female clientele of which I am not....Well I can see why people enjoy them, I think it is a language appeal, witty, quick , light prose that dances on the page and leaves a wry grin. |
| December | This month I have dedicated as "Confessions of a proud reader" and admit to those books I have either by the sin of ommission or commission indicated I have read but never really have( I am a naughty naughty boy!)....The two books I am starting with is "Where the wild things are" by Maurice Sendak and "Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam" |
| Name: LibraryJo | Details |
| January | Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. Vampires have not been my thing since I was 15 yrs old, but with the whole Twilight thing happening I thought it might be an idea to give the genre a go. Couldn't bring myself to pick up Meyer so opting for Charlaine Harris instead. My daughter-in-law promises me they're fantastic! |
| February | For February's new reading experience I was given a suggestion that was so far out of my reading experience that I just had to take the challenge. The husband of one of our book club members suggested I try Bruce Pascoe's Bloke. I was thinking, 'This has got to be Robert G. Barrett revisited' and cringed at the thought. I read Barrett as an experiment during one of my study years (a long time ago!) and was not impressed. But I must admit, Pascoe, so far, is a big improvement. Will I finish it? I'm not sure yet, but I will say it seems to have some promise. Certainly for someone who wants a contempory, down to earth, Australian male tale anyway. |
| March | The Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum. Yes, it's true, I've never read this. After a full childhood of watching this classic movie, I never felt the need. But after seeing Wicked with my daughter I have found a new energy for this story and thought a classic children's book is certainly outside my normal reading practise. I have already discovered that the famed 'ruby slippers' were originally silver! And I'm sure this read will have me watching Judy Garland prance down the yellow brick road once more. |
| April | The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by Scott Fitzgerald is not necessarily a long way out of my comfort zone. But it is a short story, which is never my first choice in reading. I find they are over way too quickly. Even someone as good as David Malouf tends to leave me a little unsatisfyed. Needless to say, I have finished it already and find the title to be extremely correct. It is curious! |
| May | The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin. If I'm going to challenge myself I eventually have to go to the Sci-Fi. And if I'm going to read Sci-Fi, I'm going to read a good one! This is considered a classic in SF circles, so it will be my choice this month. Hopefully I'm not dissappointed. |
| June | Generation A by Douglas Coupland. This choice is not really that far from my comfort zone, but I will admit that it is not really my usual type of read. Under different circumstances I may not have finished it. It's theme is pretty 'out there', and borders on black comedy, which certainly takes it outside my regular reading likes. I am glad I read it though. Give another point to 2010 Librarian's Reading Challenge! |
| Name: helenc | Details |
| January | The forgotten garden by Kate Morton. Historical/romantic fiction is not usually my favourite read but this book fits well in all Nancy Pearl's gateway's. A lovely read with a happy but not sugar coated ending. |
| February | The slap by Christos Tsiolkas. Finally. After being 36 on the hold list, and hearing many borrowers' views, it's my turn. I thought it would be too "ocker", too rough, too harsh, maybe even shallow. Yes, there is a lot of bad language...and nearly as much sex, but oh what a great insight into modern Australian society. I love this book, the characters, the language. I love that it is life in all it's imperfect glory. I know it's a great book club book, so much to mull over, but it's also a great read, just for you. |
| March | I have tried two fantasy novels but honestly can't get past the first few pages. Someone once told me that if there's a map on the inside cover it's always bad news! I wonder if vampires are more to my taste... and the answer is... nope, not all. I do love a good crime book, so I thought I would be safe with Kiss of death by P.D. Martin. The quote on the back cover from the Sydney Morning herald reads " The silence of the lambs meets Medium, with a passing nod to Cornwell"... but it was disappointing. More caricatures than characters, not scary and so not believable. |
| April | #bookbinge |
| May | Millennium Trilogy/ Stieg Larsson. I can only resist hype and hysteria for so long... and yes, they were very enjoyable, it's cold in the Highlands now so perfect under the doona reading weather. Major Pettigrew's last stand/ Helen Simonson. Expecting a broing, flowery novel, I was pleasantly surprised to find I laughed most of the way through this. I loved the characters, especially the Major. Read this, it's gorgeous. All a twitter/ Tee Morris - for work, but easy to read, search and it works! Twitter for Dummies/ Laura Fitton - also for work, but I preferred using "All a twitter" Just add spice/ Lyndey Milan and Ian Hemphill - This is a cheat. Yum! Yum! |
| June | Jessica's guide to dating on the dark side/ Beth Fantaskey. After failing to endure fantasy novels I asked for a suggestion from one of our Childrens and Youth Services Librarians. She loves vampiers and knows they are not my thing, but this lighthearted Young Adult fiction was easy to read, believable and I was compelled to finish it. Jessica's dark side is not as dark as some and the writing covers morals, family, love, kindness and friendship as well as danger and cruelty. Will I read more? Hmmm, still deciding...nope, don't think so. Eliza's gift/ Rachael Herron. It's the age old story about the city girl and the country bloke. They annoy each other, are attracted to each other, and have to find a resolution to an interesting gift from a friend. This is a light, easy reading romance and although the ending is predictable, I suggest you have a look at it. So, there you go... a romance I like. |
| July | The blue demon (City of fear)/ David Hewson. I thought this was a bit of a cheat as I love a good murder/mystery, especially if I get a reasonably accurate history lesson as well. However, this one sent me back to the Italian history and politics books first. I have grown very fond of Hewson's characters in these books, but this one was less about the individuals and more about their collective responses to circumstances. Ultimately, I think this will take them on a differnt journey in future publications. So, did they catch the bad guys? Well yes... and no. It's a very good read, even with the non-fiction additions. And just for fun... Sizzling sixteen/Janet Evanovich ... just because you have to. |
| August | The ghost at the wedding/ Shirley Walker. This biography was a recommendation from another staff member. I'm not very good at reading about the war, but I loved this book. The language and story are at once breathtaking and heartbreaking. I have lifted the following straight from our blog, there's no better way to describe it."Set in the cane fields of northern NSW’s Clarence River, Gallipoli, The Western Front and the Kokoda trail, The Ghost at the Wedding chronicles the loss and grief of Jessie Walker’s family as sons, brothers and husbands are lost or forever changed in battles beyond Australian shores. It portrays in poignant detail the lives of those at home who wait for news of their men and the dogged resilience they show as they cope as best they can with their fates". |
| September | Blood Oath/ Christopher Farnsworth. I really don't like vampire stories and I think that the idea of the Presidents of the USA having their own vampire is scary... but if you believe there are others out there who may be capable of inflicting worse terrorism on our world than already exists, a 600yr old vampire could come in handy. Team him up with a young staffer in trouble for taking liberties with the President's daughter, an untrustworthy Vice President, lots of action and violence and you have a story that is part "Men in Black" but also witty and immensely readable. I could get to like this vampire, but maybe only because he's the quintessential "unavailable" male? |
| October | |
| November | |
| Name: hcowan | Details |
| January | The Great Gatsby - by F. Scott Fitzgerald - put under the heading "Books I hated at school but am prepared to have another go at." This book was chosen by another member of one of my book groups. I did not like it at school and having given it the aforementioned another go, still don't like it. None of the characters are likeable. They are indolent and pointless and careless of the feelings of the people around them. I'm sure that's the point Fitzgerald was making and I'm sure it'll be quite good for discussion. I was still just as bored as I'd been at 16. The only thing I liked about this book is that it was mercifully short. |
| February | The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver This was another book group read - one I wouldn't have made myself. I tried Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible a few years ago but couldn't get into it. If it hadn't been for book group I wouldn't have kept going with this either. I feel completely confused and ambivalent about this book. It took me a fortnight to read it, a fortnight where I kept thinking about all the books I'd really rather be reading instead and resenting every minute I had to spend on The Lacuna. Yet, once past the first 100 pages or so, and into the part in the book where the narrator is living with Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo and Leon Trotsky is interesting and lively. Once the narrator returns to the US and is writing fiction under the watch of his secretary the charming Mrs Brown, it's enjoyable too. And the farce of McCarthyism! Some of the language is great too although the use of similies drove me to distraction initially - every other sentence read something was like something else! However, the fact remains I did not enjoy reading this book. Someone in my other book group has chosen Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle for later in the year - I approach it with dread! No doubt you'll read about it here. |
| March | March in my book groups was To Kill a Mockingbird so no challenge there. It's the perfect book and indeed one book group was unanimous in awarding it 5/5. Having attended Murder at the Metcalfe, I'd heard that Matthew Reilly's Contest was so gripping it had been smuggled into a funeral. I had to give it a go. It was fun but I'm not hooked enough to pursue it. Reilly is a favourite author of my son and the Christmas before last I went off to Penrith to buy his latest for my son's gift. I happened to be in the book shop just a few minutes before Matthew Reilly was due to arrive for a signing. He was absolutely charming, taking time for a few words to each person who approached him. Such a contrast from the radio/TV science nerd whose name I won't mention who I saw in the same book shop looking grouchy and uninsterested - and unpatronised might I add. |
| April | Two challenges thus far 1. Ian Rankin's Graphic Novel, Dark Entries - this is the story of an occult detective, John Constantine, who is persuaded to investigate strange goings on in a Big Brother style house. Although Rankin is one of my very favourite authors, the subject matter and the format are a departure for me. I didn't always understand what was going on but it was a quick read. 2. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer - the story of Chris McCandless who leaves his privelidged life to take up and itinerant, sometimes hermetical lifestyle and ends up dying of starvation in the Alsaskan 'bush' (did you know that it was called that?). Krakauer is trying to work out why McCandless took the risks he did (he went off totally unprepared for survival in such harsh country). I'm just at the chapter where Krakauer is saying people don't understand what he did and at this point I'd have to agree with them and am wondering why Krakauer is wasting time and ink. He's a good writer though. This morning I read a chapter about Krakauer's own near death experience trying to climb an Alaskan peak - the writing was rivetting and sometimes quite poetic. I have never read anything about mountain climbing, my usual response to the whole thing is why would you, but maybe clinging to a mountain-side brings out the creative in a person - one of my other favourite authors is Andrew Greig who writes marvellous fiction but who is also a mountain climber and writes on that topic too. Maybe I will get the point. |
| May | Epilogue by Anne Roiphe – written in the year or so after the death of her husband of 40+ years, this is a beautifully written, emotional but not sentimental account of getting on with life. |
| June | Oh dear. I am struggling through another Barbara Kingsolver book. Again for book group. This one is Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and documents the year the Kingsolver family attempts to live off locally produced produce, including a home veggie plot. I find the whole reduce your carbon footprint thing very admirable and would love to be able to do it. Looking at the wilting tomato plants in our veggie plot, I keep thinking we must start again with more vigour - in the spring. I can't stand Kingsolver's hectoring tone though and am not sure if I can get past page 36. |
| July | Love in the time of cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - more from book group. Magical realism's too close to fantasy fiction for me to pick up usually. Florentino Ariza falls in love with Fermina Daza and woos her via love letters for several years only to be rejected by her when he asks for her hand in marriage. But Florentino does not give up and loves Fermina for half a century, throughout her marriage to Dr Juvenal Urbino, and eventually gets his gal. Supposedly very passionate, I just found this tedious. I did, however, really enjoy the film. |
| August | Marriage for beginners and other poems by Catherine Bateson I’m not usually one for reading poetry (I think pulling apart Sylvia Plath’s Daddy at high school does that to your poetry appreciation gene) and when this slim little book appeared as a request none was more surprised than me. When had I requested this? I had a quick flip through the book, getting the gist of the subject matter then went back for a more leisurely peruse. It won’t take you long but it’s worth the read. Most of the poems are about relationships – Marriage for Beginners, there is a sadness to some – Six Degrees in Separation , but also other topics as in Ode to My Docs (Doc Marten shoes), How to Go Fishing, etc. Poetry for beginners it could be, a gentle, beautiful introduction to reading poetry and enjoying it! |
| September | Popeye Never Told You : Childhood Memories of the War by Rodney Hall Australian author, Rodney Hall, was born in England to an Australian mother. His father died when he was only 6 months old. As the book opens, Rodney is five years old and WWII has begun and the family are hiding in the space made between the upright piano and the back of the sofa as bombs rain down. Mum brings a biscuit tin into their hideout and shows the kids photos of her life in Kangaroo Valley in far away Australia where they will go after the war. The book chronicles the adventures of Rodney (aged 5-9), his sister Diana and brother Michael as they roam about town while their mother is at her job at the Ministry of Food, getting into all sorts of scrapes, petty thievery, trespass and battles with gangs. Other significant adults are Gran, Aunt Olive, Uncle Ralph, Aunt Joan, Uncle Ken and for a while, Guy the policeman lodger. The writing style reminds me very much of Kieran Smith Boy with sentences full of non-sequiteurs and misunderstandings of the adult world around him. we play hands-knees-and-bumps-a-daisy, and Diana and i bump our bottoms and this is so funny we fall over and bottom is a naughty6 word, and Gran says we can have as many apricots as we like so im up on the step ladder and im puling them off her tree to stuff them in my mouth and theyre so squishy the juice runs down my chin – p.10 Hall says in the notes his objective was to “recapture each incident as it was stamped on my memory at the time” and he uses the child’s voice exceptionally well. Scattered throughout the book are poignant little sentences that so elequently capture the longing this little boy has for his unremembered father. but theres so many things i need to ask you, – p.142 There were just a couple of things that jarred for me; Rodney, brought up in England, calls trousers “pants” and sweeties “lollies” the Australian versions of these words that the adult Rodney now uses. But these are only a very minor and I just loved this book. It was read in just one cosy afternoon in front of the fire. Highly recommended. |
| October | What Men Want in Bed by Bettina Arndt I read this because one of my book group members is an indexer and indexed the Sex Diaries and I wondered if she'd worked on this one too. Respected sex therapist, Bettina Arndt, had more than 150 men keep diaries for her so she could learn why sex matters so much to men, their secret delights and fears, their triumphs and disasters, what turns them on and their relationships. with their partners. This is not a how-to book. Behind the coy cover and arresting title is a very serious book. Over half the book is given over to discussion of erectile problems, especially following prostate surgery. Erectile dysfunction (ED) can be devastating to men's sense of their manhood and equally to their partners and according to Arndt erectile problems affect around 50% of men over fifty so it's something that affects a lot of people. A bit of a crusader for men's sexual health, Arndt discusses how even doctors may be unsympathetic/dismissive of the plight of men affected by ED and how many men do not get the help they need because of medical attitudes, their partners' attitudes and because treatment can be very expensive. It seems there is not the same support for men in this thing that affects their sexuality so badly as there is for women in the equivalent situation - post mastectomy. It's a fascinating read and an important one for men over 50 . . . and their partners. I'm going to give What Women Really Want in Bed by Cynthia W Gentry (doesn't sound like she should be writing sex manuals, does she?) and Dana Fredsti - so I know what to ask for!! |
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| Name:annierob | Details |
| January | I don't usually read fantasy but George R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire has really got my attention. I have read vols 1 and 2 'Game of Thrones' and 'Clash of Kings'. Its so much better than others in the genre I attempted long ago. Martin has created a very believable world (with climate problems yet) but there are good and bad characters on both sides, good but flawed, and a number worth cheering on. I don't know if I would try other fantasy authors, but I will certainly continue with this saga. |
| February | This month I've cast my mind back to my school days when Medical Romances were all the rage with us. I haven't read one since, so it will be a trip back down memory lane or a great shock. Will let you know. Over the wet weekend I read 'A Mother for his Family' by Alison Roberts. Doctor hero, nurse heroine, usual misunderstandings that I remember from my schoolday reading. However, a big change in that the bride was pregnant when she had her beach wedding. A definite no-no in the old days when, whatever about the groom, virginity was de rigeur for the bride. It was an easy morsel to swallow, sweet and pleasant. Thinking about March. |
| March | Haven't read anything by Matthew Reilly yet, so he's the one for March. Whatever is on the shelves tomorrow. |
| Name: Maria_M | Details |
| January | Spirit gate by Kate Elliott. This is going to be my very first fantasy book EVER! I get confused just reading the blurbs for this genre. It's a thick book and the first in an epic series, so I may have bitten off more than I can chew... |
| February | Veronika decides to die by Paul Coelho. I'm not sure what genre this is, all I know is that it is definitely out of my comfort zone. This was recommended by another staff member. |
| March | I haven't read anything by Matthew Reilly so I thought this would be my challenge for March. I've chosen Contest simply because the setting is in a library! Really looking forward to this read. |
| April | While I do enoy reading a variety of mystery/crime novels I thought I would make The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde my next challenge as this type of mystery is defintely out of my comfort zone. This book has been described as "whoppingly imaginative", "playfully irreverent" and "delightfully daft" and seems to be a fabulous example of genre-blending to its extreme. Really looking forward to it. I am also participatng in the Book Binge challenge. |
| May | Ok, I'm going to have to cheat this month, because even though I have been doing a lot of reading, I haven't had a chance to pick one that is out of my comfort zone for May. Instead I will put here one of the books I read for bookbinge month in April which was out of my comfort zone. I tried L.J. Smth's The Awakening which is the first in the Vampire Diaries series. I really didn't enjoy the book-I felt the storyline and dialogue was too juvenile for me and this got quite annoying, but I do see how this would appeal to younger readers who enjoyed the Twilight books. I won't be rushing out to read the rest of the series. |
| June | I am probably one of the last people on earth who is yet to read a novel by Nora Roberts so for June I have decided to try Northern Lights. I started watching the film while waiting to go to a training seminar and didn't get to see the end so I am very intrigued as to what the book will bring. |
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| Name: Sonya_l | Details |
| January | Once I was a princess by Jacqeline Pascarl. I am not a huge fan of biographies, so decided to make one my first challenge - I had someone else pick a title for me. A few of our staff are participating in the challenge, although some may not choose to write about it. We are going to pick books for each other to really make things interesting. So far I am finding the book to be OK to read, but it hasn't converted me to a bio fan. |
| February | Cents and Sensibility by Maggie Alderson. I rarely read chic - lit - it tends to be a little "fluffy" for me, but I enjoyed this for what it was - light entertainment, designed to allow your brain to switch off from serious concerns. I won't rush into reading any more, but at least I can add another name to my list of chic-lit recommendations for customers. Next month - Christian fiction - book 1 of the Left Behind series. |
| March | Left Behind by LaHaye & Jenkins. I have to admit approaching this with trepidation, as I am not a follower of Christian religion, but thought that the plotline (featuring the disappearance of millions) might be the focus, with the "Christian" side of things a background. I was wrong. The Christian focus was extremely strong, and I only made it half way through. I imagine it would have appeal to a Christian readership, but not to those who are not already believers. Besides the religious element, I thought the characters were a little flat and predictable, and the story line a little obvious. I guess in hindsight, a book about the Rapture would be strongly religious by its nature.Perhaps I should have chosen a different piece of Christian fiction as my introduction to the genre. |
| April | The Pilo Family Circus by Will Elliot. This month I decided to pick a book that I hated the look and the blurb of. When this first came in to the library I took one look at the cover and went - "No way am I going to read that" The cover art did not appeal(it features a creepy clown - shades of Stephen King's Pennywise), and when I read the back I was not the least attracted. What better challenge book!. I read it fairly easily (hard to describe - kind on horror / black fantasy / macarbe humour) but can't say that I would rush out to read more. It was certainly out of my comfort zone, but I would find it hard to think who to recommend it to. |
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Name: Vicki013 | Details |
| January | I read Scar Tissue by Anthony Keidis, the lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I don't even like this band! But as a teenager, I couldn't get enough of the Rock Biography and devoured them. I had not picked one up for about 20 years and thought, "lets see if the world of Rock Bands has changed in the last 20 years". I can say with some certainty that it has not - there is still lots of sex, drugs and rock 'n roll. This book did not disappoint that voyeuristic side of me. I was amazed that Anthony continued to function as a human being, made okay rock music and stayed alive throughout this crazy, addictive time. Of course, Anthony is now a recovered drug addict and never wants to go there again....hmmmm, we will wait and see. |
| February | I cannot believe I went down this path again and tortured myself with more. This month I read the Bryce Courtenay sequel to The Persimmon Tree - Fishing for Stars. I didn't like the characters in The Persimmon Tree so I don't know why I thought I might enjoy reading more about them in the sequel which is a continuation of their lives. If you enjoy long winded historical sagas featuring baby-boomer generation self-centred characters, then this is the book for you. |
| March | Shannon Bennetts Paris – A Personal Guide to the City’s Best by Shannon Bennet, Scott Murray and Friends. As I am about to visit France I thought I had better do the right thing and start researching where I was going. What I didn't expect was to find a book that I would read from cover to cover and thoroughly enjoy! I even bought it for a friend of mine for her birthday as she is such a francophile and heads there every 2 years or so....here is an excerpt from the book that I felt covers it perfectly: “For anyone concerned by our highlighting so many ‘expensive’ Michelin-starred restaurants, I have three things to say: only a bad meal is an expensive meal; you cannot take it with you when you go; and expensive restaurants can employ up to 100 people so every diner there is actually helping the lives and dreams of a lot of people”. |
| April | French on the Go by Anne Heminway. French language CD course. Of course it is out of my comfort zone but I need some basics when I turn up in Paris! Excellent course for not only learning language but also some customs, geography and social etiquette. |
| May | So Much to Tell You by John Marsden. I enjoyed the Tomorrow series but what would another book without my favourite characters be like? While not my favourite book ever, I enjoyed getting to know Marina and her family secrets. Good young adult book that deals with many issues, and social isolation well. I can see many young adults identifying with Marina. |
| June | The River Baptists by Belinda Castles. This was suggested by my best friend and as I started reading, I thought she had gone mad. It took me until page 100 until I started even liking the characters. But once I got over this hurdle, I was finding excuses to go to bed and read the book - the story had been built up so much that I couldn't wait to read until the end to find out what was going to happen! Romance, intrigue, violence and family secrets. Much better than anticipated. |
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| November | Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard ~ a delicious love story – with recipes – can't wait to try the Quick and Dirty Chocolate soufflé. Captures an American living in Paris beautifully. I know, not out of my comfort zone but I have been doing so well - I needed a treat! |
| December | Perfumes :The Guide by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez ~ Lush. Putting in to words what I have always thought about my perfumes. Although with some of my faves they are a bit harsh eg: p. 323 “Sicily (Dolce & Gabbana) ** oleaginous floral. Indigestible soapy floral with a weird, rice-like bergamot top note, a sort of sun-faded Bal a Versailles.” I am a bit nervous now - do I smell like that? Is that why you are avoiding me????? Thanks everyone for a great reading year - don't forget to check out Blue Mountains Readers Blog: http://readersinthemist.blogspot.com |
| Name: LibraryLandLady | Details |
| January | I decided to read Where Men win Glory: the Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Kraukauer after my husband had finished it. I picked it up for him as he likes reading US military type books and is originally from the USA. It is a biographical account of promising NFL player Pat Tillman, who joined the military after 9/11 and who was killed by 'friendly fire' in Afghanistan. Although outside my comfort zone, the story of Pat Tillman has stayed with me. Krakauer pulls no punches in his account of the cover up of the circumstances surrounding Tillman's death and indeed of the role the CIA has played in Afghanistan from the Cold War through to the present day. |
| February | Under the Dome by Stephen King is a book that I wouldn't ordinarily have read as it is in our horror section and I usually steer clear. I haven't read a Stephen King book in over 20 years and was quickly caught up by his great storytelling ability. He has a great knack of putting everyday people into shocking but believable situations and looking at their actions with a magnifying glass. I just hope that what happened to the townsfolk of Chester's Mill, Maine doesn't happen to any community that I am a part of. I couldn't put this book down and at 1074 pages it was hard to hold up! |
| March | Flood by Stephen Baxter I never read fantasy so this book was really outside of my comfort zone and even though it sounded ok from the blurb on the back, this is the most boring superficial book I have read. The characters are one dimensional, the storyline while somewhat believable (it is a post apocalyptic look at the results on the earth and its inhabitants by an ever rising sea level) takes on an unbelievable aspect because the main characters spend all of the time conveniently avoiding anything more upsetting than their AxysCorp coveralls fading and needing mending. Lucky for me I was reading it on holidays or I would have ditched it without finishing it. And I never did find out why the hostages were taken in the first place. |
| April | Angel Time: the Songs of the Seraphim by Anne Rice This is my first Anne Rice book and I am not a fan of 'dark gothic tales' and I wouldn't ordinarily have read this book if I hadn't seen it in my boss's office and read the blurb. The story appealed to me and it turned out to be quite a good read and I enjoyed it. Not sure whether I will read the next in the series but I might try one of her Christ the Lord books just to see what they are like. |
| May | House Rules by Jodie Picoult - I swore that I would never read a Jodie Picoult book but...never say never and as this is a read outside of your comfort zone exercise, and having seen My Sister's Keeper on a flight home from the US and sort of enjoying it, I thought - why not! Let's just say I have gone back to my original plan - I didn't actually finish it - I just couldn't connect with the characters - they were all very superficial and if I don't connect with the characters then I don't really care what happens to them. I still can't understand why people rave about her books...someone - please enlighten me. |
| June | Gave myself a break this month and read inside my comfort zone. |
| July | Still reading in my comfort zone...it is so comfortable here!! |
| August | Read The Debutante by Kathleen Tessaro which is slightly out of my comfort zone. It is essentially a romance. Boy meets girl... girl is unsure...boy decides to forget girl...girl decides she likes boy..is it too late?....thank goodness no and they live happily ever after. |
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| Name: ThereseS | Details |
| January | The Ten Rules of Rock and Roll by Robert Forster. I know next to nothing about this topic but I do like the writing style of the author who contributes to the Monthly. I can suggest this title to you , it comes with 5 stars from me. Contains snippets about various music groups, personalities, trends. I learnt quite a bit. Some moving writing about the death of his long time friend and Go Betweens collaborator. |
| February | Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. It was recommended on the last First Tuesday Book Club in December. I do read some classics!(Dickens, Austen, Mann) but they are not part of my normal reading diet. Too many new books coming out.Jason Steger's description persuaded me to try it.Here I go....and I did not last long. Found Emma insufferable and the story rather boring, though a friend said she enjoyed it on spoken word. |
| March | A fantasy fiction book : title to be decided. I will have to leave this genre till I am feeling stronger...will try Stephen Leather's latest Nightfall. If Anthony Horowitz thinks it is a wicked read then maybe I will like it...a little boring, too much description, it went on and on. |
| April | Queen Victoria : demon hunter : A.E. Moorat. This will be a challenge! AlexanderCYSLib is reading it after me. |
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Name:Miztres | Details |
| January | Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky: Long and miserable though it maybe, the looking into the mind of a criminal and the psychology of crime is interesting. Surely a really die hard crime fan could struggle through and receive for their pains not just an enjoyable read but a lesson on the human mind. |
| February | The People's Train by Thomas Keneally: A very entertaining and informative look at early 20 century Australia, immigrant's experiences and the heady world of politics at that time, seen through the eyes of a Ukrainian Bolshevik. Not as dry as it sounds. Based on a true story (or several true stories) this would be a great bridging story for those who love non-fiction and biographies. |
| March | Scarecrow by Matthew Reilly: I can see how Matthew Reilly's books can be suggested for Year 9 boys upwards. Action packed with lots of onomatopoeia and suspense (I don't I've had to live through so many countdowns in a book before). Don't go looking for in depth characters here, settings that dominate the story or even sparkling language, but the story does move along and you're left enough off kilter to never be sure what was going to happen next. And, the good guys are good (on the whole) and the bad guys are as black as black bad. Round it off with a bittersweet happy ending and your young man classic fiction. Roll over Quartermain, Shane Schofield is in town. Charles Kingsford Smith and those magnificent men: I finished Scarecrow early (well starting it in February will do that) so I'm getting two books into one month. I have high hopes. Though I wouldn't normally read history, I do love it, and have always had a soft spot for early aviation. And these are the homegrown heroes. Looking forward to something different. An excellent story of Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith's life interwoven the lives of the great aeronautical pioneers. It's a big book so only for the eager readers, but having the whole history of flight opened up through the life of 'Smithy' was a revelation. |
| April | Book Binge on the Australian Children Book Council 2010 Shortlist. What I've read so far... Pearl verses the world Mr Chicken goes to Paris Megafauna of Australia Fox and fine feathers The Wrong Book Fearless Matty forever The Whisperer Clancy and Millie and the very fine house Australian backyard explorers Liar: I've got sucked into this one and now have to read it all the way through. In one chapter the kids are in a class on censorship which got the branch talking about censorship in general and then onto Banned books. I was thinking that for Banned Books Week we could all read a book that has been banned. Shouldn't be too hard, some of the greatest pieces of literature have been banned at one time or other. (Love this idea: Vassiliki) I'm also got around to The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas. Like helenc above I found it harsh, coarse and extreme. It seems to be the worse collection of human beings the world even created...and then they do something that shows their humanity and you have to care for these characters and how their lived unfold. Certainly not something I would normally read. I must live in fantasy land as I don't believe that this story is a slice of Australian life. I didn't believe characters such as these could exist...maybe I just want to believe that characters like these don't exist. |
| May | A thousand splendid suns by Khaled Hosseini: To a friend I blithely commented that this book is an Afghan Color Purple. Set over thirty years from before the Soviet occupation to 2007 and the rebuilding of Kabul. The lives of two women a twined together by custom and law as they make a life for their family under the rule of a brutish man in a war torn city. Of course, now I will have to read The Kite Runner. Oscar Wilde and the candlelight murders by Gyles Brandreth: I'm breaking the rules and reading some thing I'd normally read but it's May and Uni testing time...I need a mental break. It was intriguing to get such an intimate impression of Oscar Wilde, the story is fictitious but the character has been well researched. For those who like Sherlock Holmes mysteries. |
| June | The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: Having read the second book first I felt I should read The Kite Runner and wasn't disappointed. I really came to dislike the weakling Amir who is surrounded by the most wonderful people. But I guess its easy to be weak when everything is done for you. Preferred A thousand splendid suns for its theme of Endurance. Captivated by Nora Roberts: I don't enjoy the voyeurism and cliche and this book had both in spades. I was hoping that the promise of witches would hold my interest but I think I would have preferred a green skinned wart covered hag than the perfectly beautiful Morgana Donovan and her wayward but perfectly handsome lover Nash Kirkland. I understand this book is the first in a trilogy so for those who want a romance with witchcraft check it out. |
| July | The luck of the Bodkin by P.G. Wodehouse: After a comment on the First Tuesday Book Club I searched out this Wodehouse comedy not knowing really what to expect. I now know they are classic English farce with lots of "Pip pip, tally-ho, old boy" public school nonsense. Wodehouse wrote for Hollywood and obviously writes what Americans expect Englishman to be like. In saying that, it's a good hearted, innocent rope full of misunderstandings, co-incidence and the fabled line "...wheels within wheels...". Character is a big influence, but the convoluted meaderings of the Story is what sells this book. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D.Salinger: I'd never read this at school and am glad I didn't. Being a lot like Holden Caulfield at school I think I would have lost a lot of the point of this story. Even now much of the symbolism is lost on me (check out the link above). I can see that this book above all so far should be discussed and hashed out because I wonder if one mind is enough to get all of it. Character gateway for sure though the symbolism is interesting. Does that go in story or language? The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle: I didn't leave my comfort zone for this one but there are a few books this month I thought I could afford a little fun. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: A fictitious character even in his own story. Sparked parallels for me with the next story... I dream of Magda by Stefan Laszczuk: ....as they both deal with unrequited love, obsession, grief and even a little madness. Life after losing the one you love through the eyes of two brothers from Melbourne suburbia. Character and language driven. |
| August | The Eyewitness by Stephen Leather: Well researched and detailed this is the story that spans two horrors of human society genocide and slave trading set in the Balkans three years Serbia's invasion of Bosnia. Very gritty; full of sex, drugs and violence and the worst that people can do to each other. It is a thriller so 'story' is The Eyewitness' gateway, as Jack is a pretty 2d character. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells: I was surprised by the sense of place as our hero (I don't think you ever find out his name) roams through the countryside from Woking (South West of London) into the City proper escaping the relentless power of the Martians. I was also pleasantly surprised to feel that even though it is more than 100 years old, the novels language and pace was not dated. May want GoogleMaps up while reading it. The List all Answers by Peter Goldsworthy: Outside my usual reading zone The List of all answers in a collection of short stories mostly based in and around Adelaide. Place is a big gateway to this book as the stories. I particular favourite is the title story which is inspiring me to write my own List of all answers |
| September | Rage of Angels by Sidney Sheldon: Being one of the glamour authors I was expecting a story with a strong character but was surprised to find this book more story driven with lots of thrilling moments. Deep emotion is created bluntly and by the death of a child. I was disappointed that setting didn't play more of a part as this books is set in criminal law system, New York in the 60s and 70s. A female in a male dominated (and agressive) industry would surely have to contend with more sexism. A woman living an independant life, her way. The Reef by Di Morrissey: Another independant woman making her way book. It reminded me briefly of Cloudstreet with family tragedy leading to pressured personal relationships and eventually the forced companionship on a reef island leading to new ways of thinking and independance. Not as lyrical as Cloudstreet of course, the gateway for The Reef is Setting from farm, inner city and the reef. May contain traces of magic by Tom Holt: Maybe it was a protest against the nonsense I'd had to endure above, maybe a protest as I neared the end of my uni studies for another year, but I NEEDED something funny. Tom Holt delivered with a book about an ordinary man who sells magical items, his demon possessed SatNav and unrequited love. Chris Popham is a self depreciating fellow who never seems quite as dumb as he makes out. Baffled and befuddled as his world is turned inside out he still works it all out in the end. Definitely a Character gateway book but there's enough quirky Language to give a giggle or two. |
| October | The Outsider by Albert Camus: Also known as The Stranger, is the story of a man with little empathy who comes up against society and it's demand to show emotion (love, grief, guilt). Another book worth chatting about as the themes of truth and society's ethics would be interesting to dicuss. Meursault is an unlikable grey character that almost seems to have no opinion or ideals. He allows himself to be swayed into actions by those around him with little thought on consequences. Only in the last does he show any passion in the form of righteous indignation andanger. It is only then that you can say you've seen the character. Gateway...I guess is Character, you see everything through this transparent man's eyes. The Road by Cormac McCarthy: A bleak story of a man and a boy in a post apocalyptic landscape following a road south to what they hope is a better life. Landscape is dominant as many places retain their name though not one person in the story is known by their own name (if a name at all). There is some simply beautiful language..." each the other's world entire...), but it is the boy, the man and their desperate struggle that compels you to keep reading. Good point, for those who find visualising stories difficult, The Road is now a movie. |
| November | City of the beasts by Isabel Allende: I can't believe I'd never read anything by Isabel Allende. I now know that she's a strong character writer who envokes a fantasy feel to our very real world. Right up my alley. City of the beasts is the first in a series that follows the adventures of Alexander Cold and his grandmother. Isabel has written a book that is highly accessible to all ages without "dumbing down" the book's message. The truth about these strange times by Adam Foulds: I picked this book up by chance with no expectations and found myself sucked into the world of Howard and Saul, an odd couple odd couple who's devotion for each other lead them on a road trip across Britian fleeing parents, police and World Memory Championships. This is a character driven book as the story is only the inevitable result of two such characters. This book is charming, humourous and reminds me of the importance of loving family. |
| December | The patron saint of eels by Gregory Day: Picked at random at the end of a long day when I realised I had nothing to read. The patron saint of eels is a very simple gentle story about country town life on the brink of major discovery by tourism. It's about the local and local life the workings of man upon the land and how the land works upon man. But mostly its about the magic that is life, the appreciation of what we have now before 'heading north' to heaven or mirror earth. Language and character driven somehow I'd picked another book right up my alley. I will have to try better and find a really difficult book before the end of the year! Sixty Lights by Gail Jones: To say this is a story of orphaned children is to understate this complicated novel which moves like poetry through the two lives of a mother and daughter. Lucy is fascinated by light (a magnifying glass, reflections, magic lantern shows, bioluminance, Issac Newton) leads her eventually to photography and her greatest passion. Snippets of story weave in and out of the two lives so though the reader can understand where all the threads of life lead, characters are often perplex as to the significance of events and small tokens. Beautifully written this book is for anyone who loves language and how it alone can love a story. Lucy's character is enchanting though and the view of an Early Victorian world (Australia, England and India) is intriguing. |
| Name: tip1010 | Details |
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| February | "Before they are hanged". Joe Abercrombie has written a really enjoyable Fantacy novel which combines elements of humor with quite realistic scenes of torture and suspence. This is great fun for adults. Website |
| March | Furst, Alan "Confessions of a correspondent" These spy novels and their characters portray ideas that would very clearly fit today's world situation, in that some governments do very bad things and other governments and individuals will try to bring them down. This writer illustrates the methods of the day and the risks and emotions of those collaborating to end the terror, in this case Faschism. |
| April | Barker, Juliet "Agincourt" This is a brilliant account of the battle conducted using Bows and arrows against Knights on horseback. It intrigues me that there was very little forethought by the French to trying alternative tactics and testing the ground that they had the enemy on. This is the great thing about a book like this, you can't help thinking you could have positioned the army better and applied a better strategy. |
| Name: Jennynik | Details |
| January | Only Joined in February! |
| February | This month’s selection for me was by Ion, our Reference Librarian. Ion chose “Me Cheeta” the autobiography. Although I love animals (most of them) and read occasional biographies and autobiographies (think Ozzy Osbourne, Suzi Quatro, Tom Cruise and the like) – this was definitely out of my comfort zone and not a book I would have chosen for myself not being a great chimpanzee fancier! Having said that I did find the book entertaining. Part love story (Cheeta’s love for Johnny Weismuller) and part old Hollywood (Marlene Deitrich, David Niven), Cheeta’s writing style was highly engaging. I never knew a chimpanzee could have such a sharp tongue! Some of Cheeta’s observations were quite bawdy; focusing on the sexual behaviours of his companions – but then again he is a chimpanzee. This book also has a serious side, that of the role of using animals for the entertainment business. Cheeta’s commentary on the early part of his life is particularly poignant as he describes the various conditions he was kept under and the training that he was given. All up a good read, especially for lovers of Hollywood stories as some of Cheeta’s insights are very funny. Thank you Ion! |
| March | March is Nancy Kress - Steal Across the Sky, chosen for me by Clinton our Local Studies Historian. Might be slightly cheating as I enjoy Sci Fi .. but haven't read any Nancy Kress! Finished!! (And it was an enjoyable read) “Steal Across The Sky” is a ‘what if’ sci fi book set in our near future. The Atoners, an alien race, have contacted humanity and have indicated that they must atone for a crime they committed 10,000 years ago. Through a website, witnesses are chosen to visit other planets and observe what the Atoners have done. The book is in three parts; the first part the voyage to other planets and what the Witnesses observe: the second two parts what happens when they return to earth. What I particularly liked was how the author throughout the book put in additional information that provided some background to the main story such as an Atoner joke, or a flyer from an anti-Atoner group. This added to the world view that was created. The language in this book was extremely accessible – in some other sci fi books I have been bamboozled by physics, but not this one. If you are new to this genre I would recommend this book as an excellent introduction. And my second book for March was Jacquot and the Angel by Martin O’Brien. This was a challenge set by Angie at our branch Library. I do not read a lot of crime or mystery so it served a dual purpose of a book for the RA Seminar AND a challenge book. I really enjoyed this novel as the setting (a French town ) and the characters (quirky) were engrossing, well written and quite believable. When the characters were not pivotal to the story I felt like they were off doing things I should know about! I also feel that should I ever go Provence I will know this town’s place. O’Brien has also written other books about Detective Jacquot which I now MUST read. |
| April | April is Western Month! This is self chosen as I must confess I have NEVER read a western. I need to prove or dissprove my theory that Westerns are Mills and Boons for blokes! Finished and I must admit for a 158 page book it was a real slog. I still don’t know if they are Mills and Boons for blokes (I can’t really base a theory on one book!). I did have another Western to read but life is too short and it is Book Binge month! However “Halfway to Hell” by Blake Morgan – what can I say – plenty of shooting, some really nasty characters, and the good guys triumphed in the end. Oh and there was one feisty female who was ahead of her time by being educated and involved with a good guy in quite an intimate way – but he did propose in the end. This genre is not for me. |
| May | I am waiting for someone to suggest a new out of comfort zone book! In the interim - I haven't read a classic for a long (very very) long time. For some reason "Tess of the D'urbervilles" by Thomas Hardy springs to mind! This will be my (self inflicted?) self chosen book to keep me going! Well, cheated a bit on this one and read the Wikipedia entry instead because - Miriam our Children's Librarian has challenged me to read some of the Selby Books by Duncan Ball. Thank heavens! I'm starting with Selby's Secret the very first one. What a treat. Selby is my kind of dog. He has a glorious sense of humour and gets up to mischief often. The format of these stories is really good and I can see why they are rarely on the shelf. Each story is complete within itself. I am so glad I read these as I can now confidently recommend Selby books to parents. They would be especially good for relucatant readers as they are funny and short. |
| June | Australian month. My friend Kay has just finished reading "Breath" by Tim Winton and wants to share her thoughts about the book. Kay said that "Breath" is really atmospheric and she could barely put it down. I havent read a lot of Australian authors ever since "Oscar and Lucinda" by Peter Carey which I found incredibly tedious. If I finish "Breath" I will move on to "The Tax Inspector" by Peter Carey to give him another go. Move aside Jim Butcher (First Lords Fury - Book six of the Codex Alera - fantastic series), here goes Tim! Well ..thank you Kay! What a great book! I also found "Breath" unputtable downable. The theme of breathing that ran throughout the novel gave it quite a tense atmosphere. This is essentially a 'coming of age novel'. The characters, and for me especially Eva, were wonderful in the fact that they were flawed and real. I found Tim Winton's use of words seductive and they created vivid images of what he was describing. I finished this in two days and I now want to read more of this author. I would thoroughly recommend this book. How sad .. no time for the "Tax Inspector". |
| July | This months out-of-comfort reading is something historical. I had wanted to read Alison Weirs book about the wives of Henry VIII but unfortunately our copy is missing. The wonder of our shelves has revealed "Fatal Majesty- The drama of Mary Queen of Scots" by Reay Tannahill so this one will be my July book (and in keeping with my underlying queen theme!) Oh deary deary me - what have I done! 10 pages in and I know I will not be able to go any further. It is well written but in tiny (must be 6 font!) type and.. 400 plus pages. I am sure we are not meant to torture ourselves for the challenge. I am also running out of July to read something historical. The new book is "Why Mermaids Sing" by C.S.Harris which is set in London in 1811. Hopefully the Queen will be mentioned somewhere! This book was an interesting read. By interesting I mean not what I would normally select but worth reading. The tile comes from a John Donne poem so I read a little poetry too although this particular poem is not terribly pleasant and rather scathing of women as was pointed out in the book. C.S. Harris provides some intriguing detail about 19th century London. One character, Tom was the main character’s (Sebastian St Cyr) ‘tiger’ which I know now is a man servant, groom or footman. The murder in this book was quite well plotted and I was reminded of the division that existed between the physician and the surgeon. The only unfortunate thing about this book is that it was preceded by two others which must give more details about Sebastian’s life so I felt a bit left out. I would recommend this book though – C.S Harris uses language well. I was given the impression of an older England without old English. Oh and I can't remember if the Queen was mentioned! |
| August | Mmmm on holidays this month so will need to think about this months selection! Well while I was away I caught up on numerous chick lit titles that I found at the second hand bookstore (a great selection for a bookshop in ******!). For my more 'serious' reading I read two of the titles that our Book Clubs are doing in the coming months. The first one was "Winter House" by Nikki Gerrrard. This was initially quite confronting as it starts off with Marnie summoned to a friends house in Scotland because he is dying. This book discusses the way the past has shaped the characters to bring them to where they are now. It is also written in more than one viewpoint, Marnies and Ralph's (the character who is dying). I found this book to be quite thought provoking and it is definately a good selection for a book club as it has many areas that could be discussed. The second book was "Mr Rosenblum's list" by Natasha Solomon. This book was an absolute delight. I loved the characters and the writing. Mr Rosenblum is an immigrant and this book follows how he settles in to his new country. Without giving the plot away - keep an eye out for the wooly pig. I also gave this book to my husband to read - he also thoroughly enjoyed it. Again, this is a great book club selection as there are many themes that could be discussed. I liked August!! |
| September | Thank you to our Youth Officer who has given me three Young Adult books that are suitable for teenage boys. (Not my usual reading selection that's for sure!) I have "The Enemy" by Charlie Higson, "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman and "Raven's Gate" by Anthony Horowitz. I will start with "The Enemy" because it looks like it contains zombies! Not quite zombies as they are not dead but still living and suffering from a very nasty disease. "The Enemy" is a great read - I can see its appeal for male readers - lots of battle scenes, quite a bit of interestingly described gore and a fast moving pace. There are two stories running here - one concerned with a group and the other with one character, Small Sam. This book is well written, in accessible language but not patronising for teenage readers. The only bad bit is that it is book one of a series and now I really need to find out what happens next. "The Graveyard Book" was a wonderful story. Bod's adventures as the only living inhabitant in the graveyard (and beyond) were beautifully written . The other characters, and particularly Silas, were well created. There are enough surprises for late teens and not too many overly scary bits for the younger reader. It is also written in chapter type format so would be a good book for bedtime reading. I must admit I am already a fan of Neil Gaiman so this book wasn't any hardship. Didn't get round to "Ravens Gate" unfortunately. |
| October | Must be non fiction month. I rarely read non fiction so this will be out of my comfort zone. Mmm. I dabbled in "The Miracles of Mary - everyday encounters of beauty and grace" by Bridget Curran. This book was very readable though according to a collleague, it presented the encounters in a rather simplified form. I would recommend this book to school children who needed to find out information on miracles, or, someone who wanted to begin reading about Mary. My other book was "Major Pettigrew's last stand" by Helen Simonson - yes not non fiction! This book was being read by one of our book groups so I thought I'd best read it too, to discuss it with some knowledge! A really good read and very much in the same vein as "Mr Rosenblums list" in the theme of overcoming prejudice and difference. I would recommend this to readers who enjoyed a character driven story set in an English country village. |
| November. | Just finished the first three Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse books. I read these to compare the writing with the HBO TV series. The books are certainly different. Many of the characters are completely and only play minor roles. Now I need to read all the rest of this series! Novembers challenge is to read "Casper the Commuting Cat" by Susan Finden which is a little bit cheating as I like cats. I will also read an Australian history book, "The Essence of Kokoda" by Patrick Lindsay which is out of my comfort zone. Two chapters into Casper and it was requested by a customer so Casper will be read another day! "The Essence of Kokoda was a wonderful book. It contained lots of photography and personal accounts by diggers who were engaged in World War II. This book was very accessible and would be suitable for junior readers. The Kokoda track has been in the news often, so it was a humbling experience to read about the men who fought in this area. |
| December | The last month - and I am going to read something Christmas related. Not sure what - but something is bound to pop up - but perhaps not A Christmas Carol! |
| Name:Sherrey | Details |
| January | My first out-of-comfort zone challenge was to read a book described as 'humorous' or 'comic'. I chose Stealing Picasso, by Anson Cameron. Set in 1986 in Melbourne, the story is built around the theft of Picasso's Weeping Woman from the National Gallery of Victoria by a group calling themselves the Australian Cultural Terrorists. The theft really did take place and the painting was recovered from a locker in a railway station, but the thieves were never caught and charged. The book creates a story of the theft, takes a satirical look at the art world, has a large cast of colourful characters - fictional artists, gallery staff, businessmen, crooks, politicians, lawyers, bikie gang members, all of whom are involved in various scams - and alludes to real people (such as Whiteley, Picasso, Dora Maar). The plots and sub-plots are convoluted. For those who know Melbourne, it's interesting for the descriptions of places and institutions. I did enjoy the black humour arising from the story-line and the actions of the characters, and I liked the word pictures and the involved plot. Will I read another 'humorous' book? Yes, I suppose so, sometime, but in general I prefer more subtle humour than the type delivered in Steaing Picasso. |
| February | Aother challenge for me this year is to read books by best-selling authors whom I've not read. The first was Testimony by Anita Shreve. The story of a sexual encounter between three youths and an under-age girl is told from the points of view of different characters in the drama. The story unfolds gradually, like layers being peeled away. The narrators, bit by bit, reveal what actually happened and why, and the impact of the incident on the central characters and their friends and families - opportunities and careers lost, marriages ruined, life ended. The book raises ethical questions, but does not necessarily answer them. I kept asking myself - Why did the headmaster act as he did? What would have been the common-sense response? Are the two central female characters merely stereotypes? Is it fair that the nasty types probably got off more lightly than the nice ones? Anyway, it was page-turner, and I'll check out another Shreve novel soon. |
| March | This month I read a thriller that I normally would never have chosen, given the jacket blurb: ‘Hunter is … one of our finest practitioners of the classic blood-soaked and propulsive American thriller'. I do like thrillers, but not necessarily blood-soaked American ones. The book is I, Sniper, by Stephen Hunter. My partner said ‘Don’t worry about the jacket blurb –you like Lee Child, don’t you? Read it!’. It was good advice – I couldn’t put it down. What are the appeal factors? Strong central character; good versus bad; complicated plot; lots of technical detail. I’m now halfway through his previous book, Night of Thunder. Back to 'out-of-comfort-zone' reads - I've got a Laurell K. Hamilton graphic novel, and a Nora Roberts romance involving supernatural beings for my next challenges. |
| April | Laurell K Hamilton graphic novel - Guilty pleasures - Anita Blake, vampire hunter. What can I say? Didn't mind the graphic novel format - interesting change for me; a bit hampered in my understanding of the story by it being volume 2 not volume 1 (didn't notice when I picked it up); verdict - not for me - just couldn't get enthused about the characters or the story. |
| May | Nora Roberts 'Hollow' trilogy - romance, suspense, a demon, small-town ambience & history, forthcoming doom if the team can't put it right - three strong handsome men, three independent, attractive, women & how they deal with the supernatural and seemingly pre-ordained events. Expected to not like it but I couldn't put it down. Read all three in a rush - Blood brothers; The Hollow; the Pagan stone. Don't think I've read much Nora Roberts before, so I look forward to reading some others - I'm sure that her many titles encompass different types of stories. I've enjoyed her JD Robb books that I've read in the past. |
| June | Cruise control, by Sarah Mayberry. Harlequin Mills & Boon, Blaze category - definitely out of the norm for me. Hotshot corporate lawyer decides to change her life and conservative ways. Leaves her job, gets new haircut and new wardrobe, sets up a luxury hire-car business and becomes a chauffeur. Rich, handsome client, initial antagonism and sexual attraction, growing understanding, etc. Australian author, set in Sydney. Short book, so a fast read. Implausible story, but diverting during the time it took to read. |
| July |
| Name: Karen B. | Details |
| February | Being one of the most unromantic people on the planet (I sat on the first rose I ever received and feel sick whenever I try to read Twilight) I thought it would only be fitting if I gave a romance novel a go this month. Luckily my grandmother had given me a Nicholas Sparks novel for Christmas which, at that stage, was sitting in the back of a cupboard gathering dust. It turned out The Last Song was not as bad as I imagined. It focuses on the relationship between a father and daughter as well as a blossoming love story between two teenagers. Luckily for me, Sparks went easy on the sentimental dialogue so I didn't have to gag too often. It was an easy read and would be suitable for anyone that wants a simple, sweet story with strong characters and a bit of drama. I think I could read another Sparks novel, but I don't think I'm quite ready for Mills and Boon just yet! |
| March | This month I decided to venture into the world of graphic novels. Being a person who loves reading but has almost no interest whatsoever in art or drawing I thought I'd hate them. I'm amazed that I've proved myself wrong. I wanted to avoid reading a superhero novel (men flying around in tiny underwear just don't work for me) so I tried Frank Miller's Sin City: the hard goodbye. I heard the movie was great so thought I'd try the novel. I actually really enjoyed it. It's about a criminal on parole seeking veangence for the death of a prostitute he's fallen in love with amidst the dark world of Sin City. The graphics complemented the storyline and added to the crime noir tone. Be warned though, there is a great deal of sex and violence in the book and being a graphic novel, it leaves nothing to the imagination. Overall, while the storyline was cliched, it was a fun, quick and easy read. I wouldn't mind reading more in the series though I think I'll avoid the superhero novels for the time being. |
| April | At the recommendation of a colleague, I decided to read a non-fiction science book this month. Sound boring? Not when it 's Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. The last science book I read for leisure was Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time (I was 14 and was trying to prove to my father that I was smarter than he was), a book that bored me to tears. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was actually a really good read. Bryson blends information with humour and those quirky facts that we all love to recall on trivia nights. He knows how to explain ordinarily complex topics in interesting and understandable ways. After reading this book, I will never look at the night sky or the Earth in the same way again. |
| May | I was scarred by Crime Fiction ever since I studied it for HSC English, but seeing as that was almost 10 years ago I decided that this month I'd give it another try. I chose to read Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie, at the recommendation of my mother. This, and other Crombie books cover the investigations of Gemma James and Douglas Kincaid, detectives from Scotland Yard. They are 'Agatha Christie' style murder mysteries i.e. the reader is able to work out the killer from the clues. In this book, they investigate the death of the son-in-law of a well known conductor and his opera singer wife. While I can see why readers would enjoy this style of book (it keeps them thinking), I have to come to the sad conclusion that I'm just not a Crime Fiction person. I think I found the characters hard to relate to with their rather annoying personalities (upper class snobbery). There was also supposed to be some kind of attraction between the two detectives but I didn't feel this, partly because most of the time they were investigating people separately and rarely spoke throughout the entire novel (that and the male detective was smitten with one of the suspects and unprofessionally failed to keep his pants on for the whole novel). Having studied law at uni, I also couldn't help but think about all the legal problems in their investigative techniques - this, I understand, is my own problem. All up, I'd probably recommend this for those who like Agatha Christie, but it's just not for me. |
| June | I remember trying Fantasy for the first time as a Kid. All my relatives seemed to assume that I'd love them and so showered me with all their novels. I didn't love them at all. I found them boring and very difficult to relate to. So this month, I decided to try fantasy as an adult. At the recommendation of my fantasy loving sister I tried Kate Forsyth's Dragonclaw. This is book one in the Witches of Eileanan series. After reading it I can now say that I am a fantasy book convert. You know you're enjoying a book when you're 26 and would rather spend Saturday night reading at home than going out to a bar/club. It's the story of a revolution brewing in a land where witches and fairy creatures are banned. I think what I loved about it was the action/adventure as well as the element of escapism. I'm really looking forward to reading the whole series. |
| July | This month I didn't necessarily go for a book outside my comfort zone. I went for a book that was described by one of our Patrons as: ' . . . a book with the most terrible language all through it. I couldn't read it all as the words used are disgusting. It should never have got printed. Yuk!!!' Naturally, that's like telling a child 'don't touch'. I had to read it. Born Evil by Kimberley Chambers was riddled with bad language on every page of the book, along with sex scenes and drug references, but that is the tone of the book. It is largely set in the slums and undergrounds in England where drug use, violence and bad language is rife. It follows the story of a young mother in a bad relationship who gives birth to an 'evil son'. After being viciously beaten, she leaves her 'evil' partner and starts a new life. Ten years later she has a new husband and two other children but her son is still 'evil'. This is when her ex-partner comes back into his life causing trouble for all concerned. I think if the author had toned the book down it wouldn't have been convincing. The book and its characters are rough and the language is part of the characterisation. Overall, the book was an easy read, however, I did find it a bit far-fetched (the 'evil' son theme was a bit too much to take and really wasn't convincing). |
| August | This month I decided to try a Western and wow . . . it was corny! My favourite part was when the good guys and bad guys all shoot each other while the head of the baddies just casually rides away into the sunset (I don't know that the author was trying to make the reader laugh or not but it was hilarious and had me shaking my head and rolling my eyes at the ridiculously stupid presentation of masculinity). Appaloosa by Robert B. Parker was still mildly entertaining while being completely corny. I can understand why Westerns are referred to as the Mills and Boon for men. It was easy to read and not designed to make the reader have any profound thoughts. There were lots of stereotypes i.e. men have no fear, women marry and sleep with men for money, but I guess that's what these genre's are all about. Overall, it didn't bore me to tears but it was sexist enough to make this feminist cringe. |
| September | This month was horror month. I love horror movies so it has always surprised me that I've never really taken to horror books. I tried to read Stephen King's The Stand when I was 12 but I just found it too jumpy and couldn't get into it. I read Pet Sematary when I was 14 and didn't find it too remarkable. On reflection this was probably solely to do with my age. If a good teenage reader will not be able to a relate to some of the very adult issues in these books. A couple of years ago I tried a Dean Koontz book - I found this to be so unremarkable that I've forgotten the title. I also read, Red Dragon and while I found it a little freaky it didn't really stick in my head. After all that I thought I'd give Stephen King another go. I vaguely remember being interested in Carrie in High School but never got around to borrowing it. Now I've done so and really enjoyed it. I didn't find it scary (I usually don't), however it was a really great psychological horror that deals with the paranormal along with issues such as school bullying and child abuse. Carrie is a teenage girl growing up in a strictly religious household with her abusive mother (and when I say abuse, I mean the mother almost takes her eyes out in one scene). Carrie is also bullied at school and it is a culmination of these things that causes her to unleash the teleknietic powers she has within her - in a bad, somewhat horrific kind of way. I really liked the way King wrote the book from different character's perspectives, includng reports from Scientists after the 'incident'. I really enjoyed it and went on to read Salem's Lot - a fun, basic Vampire story. I'm not reading The Shining. It looks like I'm now a horror convert. |
| October | This month I decided to try my first audiobook. Ironically, I listened to The Reader. While I can see the value of audiobooks (I was able to listen while walking from one place to another), I found I just couldn't connect to the story like I ordinarily would. I think this is the type of book I would really like but when it's read in a thick American accent (it is set in Germany) I just can't get into it. One of my workmates did point out that much of the audiobook experience comes down to the narrator so maybe next time I'll build up the courage to try another one with a better narrator. Despite this the experience did give me the opportunity to try out Overdrive so now I can say I have first hand experience when I'm helping people with all it's problems. |
| November | This month I read a book my sister had been challenging me to read for a while. When I first tried to read Eat Pray Love months before this I had to put it down after the first paragrah as it described events that are way too close to my own heart. However, I found I really enjoyed it the second time around and I'm glad I read it. It's one of my favourite books. The section on India is particularly interesting and enlightening. I found I could really identify with Elizabeth Gilbert and occasionally felt as though the book were speaking to me personally. It was a really interesting read but I'm told not to see the movie - apparently, it ruins the books appeal. |
| December | So this December, one of my work colleagues set the challenge - we each read a Chrsitmas book. I decided to combine the two reading challenges by reading a book of christmas short stories: Sexy Shorts for Christmas. I haven't read an adult christmas book in my life and I haven't read a lot of short stories. While the short stories were written with great wit, 25 stories about sex at christmas does get hellishly boring and I found myself tuning out. I think short stories should all be a little different from each other. |
| Name: Alexandercyslib | Details |
| February | Confessions of a liar, thief and failed sex god by Bill Condon If you loved Craig Silvery's Jasper Jones you will be hooked on Bill Condon's latest novel. It's 1967. Young Neil is about to lose his brother to War, be faced with the brutal death of one friend and discover another, he falls in love and unwillingly treads a path that may lead to murder. A great gut twisting read, highly recommended for older readers. Matty forever by Elizabeth Fensham 'With a friend like Matty nothing else matters'. A beautiful tale of friendship, racial tolerance and family, that could be set in any Australian suburban community. Ideal for children aged 7 to 9, this story is broken into short accessible chapters and will be easy for children to emphathise with. The greatest blogger in the world by Andrew McDonald Charlie's mission is to 'be the hero, get the girl and save the day', oh, and win the Greatest Blogger in the World Competition. He has plenty to Blog about – a mate with an illegal red-cordial business at school, a little brother who only wears a tuxedo, a mother who wants world dominanion and a duck named Barcode. A quirky book that is targeted for years 5 and 6, but is a challenging read. Pink by Lili Wilkinson Ava is intelectual, uber-cool, black, seriouse and a lesbian; But she wants to be perky, pink and popular. So she is stripping the black from her hair, hanging with the pastels and joining the school musical. Ava is determined to be everything the world wants her to be. Pink is witty, sharp and chocked full of awesome. The poison throne by Celine Kiernan Set in a fantastical medieval Europe, fifteen year old Wynter Moorehawke is a unique girl; qualified in a man's trade, best friends to the princes, speaks to the kings' cats and knows a few spectres to boot. This first book of the Moorehawke Trilogy is compelling storytelling. If you liked Phillip Pullman's Dark materials trilogy you will love this. |
| March | For the Readers Advisory seminar Murder in the Metcalfe, I am attempting to read a mystery. I have selected Donna Leon's Through a glass, darkly. I don't read mystery novels and found them to be not my taste, they are grounded in reality and focus on the darker side of humanity (well, it is a murder mystery after all). However Leon's Commissario Brunetti is a very interesting character, I love the way he engages with the other characters and his predisposition towards his food is very entertaining, I have been thinking of Grappa more this week than I usually do - I like to think that's the books influence! I was a bit supprised that there was not a death till half way through the book. The setup was rather thourogh and in my opinon rather too drawn out. Leon loves to flourish with her scenes and it can be very beautiful and atmospheric, but at times too much. I would recomend this title to a reader who loves setting and character above plot and pace. |
| April | Horror upon horror, I'm reading romance! Attempting it anyway. Loves me, loves me not edited by Katie Fforde and Sue Moorcroft. A collection of 40 short romance stories: the theory is that if they are short, I may be able to supress my gag reflex! Had a bit of a false start, romances are emotionaly draining (or that could have been my family dinner). Didn't get past short story 1, when I fell into Hush, hush by Becca Fitzpatrick by accident - it is twilight but substitute vampires with fallen angels. Although upon reflection Twilight /Hush are really paranormal romance - have thought about writing off the romance... will persist. Read 10 out of the 40 short stories. Really enjoyed 3 of those: a paranormal (ghost) romance, a big business merger and the historical (time traveller) romance. Definitely decided the period romance is not for me. Also read Cleaving: a story of marriage, meat and obsession by Julie Powell. I really enjoyed Julie and Julia and so was really looking forward to reading this. It's not what i expected. It is the slow erosion of a marriage - quite opposite of my Romance challenge - It was really enjoyable and slightly squeamish! |
| May | I am tackling Jane Austen this month. Have been recomended Persuasion as it is short. That is not normally a plus, but I will be moving this month, so likely to be short on reading time. |
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| Name: HarasP | Details |
| March | Having just attended the "Murder in the Metcalfe" RA seminar, I have been inspired to attempt this challenge. Considering the only books I have read this year so far have been Georgette Heyer, I'm sure you all agree it's a good thing too! So, Georgette pretty much takes care of Jan & Feb... March I am going to assign to Paper Doll by Robert B. Parker, which was the book I chose to read for the seminar. It was a bit of cheating as I had already read this book a few years ago. I wanted to read Parker as he died recently, and I love the character of Spenser. I think I like Spenser so much because he is Parker - you only had to check out his author photo to see what Spenser looked like, as well as Pearl the Wonder Dog! But the aim of this challenge is to read outside your comfort zone, so next month I am thinking about reading a Western - it is the last genre I would ever consider reading. I figure start with the worst and get it over with. Any Western buffs out there, I'm open to suggestions... |
| April | I decided on Colt Creek by Roy Le Beau, which is the 4th book in the Buckskin series. I had intended to research the Western genre and pick a definitive classic, but of course just ended up raiding the Western paperback stand at work and went purely on the cheesyness of the cover with the blurb, "The women gave him a warm welcome; the Coe brothers met him with red-hot lead." Hmm. I think that Jennynik may be correct in her theory that Westerns are Mills & Boon for blokes. I haven't finished it yet, but there has been a lot of tough-talking, shooting, drinking & whoring (women are horribly objectified and there has so far been one rather altogether too unpleasant sex scene which I won't go into)...all of which I expected a Western to feature, but I think I chose a bad example. I'm not against reading a bit of trash, but the sex scene just pushed things a bit too far for me. Just found this review - wished I had read it before choosing this book! Needless to say I haven't finished - the rape scene was the last straw! |
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| Name. Shirlmo | Details |
| March | I decided to join this challenge after attending the RA seminar " Murder in the Metcalfe". I have always loved Dean Koontz's books and had never really thought about the genre he wrote. just enjoyed reading his novels for the reading value only. Until Tuesday I would have said that I did not read paranormal, but have realised that this where His novels fit into. The only genres I do not read are fantasy,sci-fi and Westerns as the Westerns are a blokey Mills and Boon, so I will attempt to do so in the following months. By the way I am an avid reader. It is my hobby and my esape from the realites of the problems of home., I have discovered that I read most genres and like so many I have fav authors, so to go out of my comfort zone, I am going to read authors that I do not normally read. |
| April | I don't normally read Judy Nunn, so at present have just started Maralinga. After this I intend to read a western. Maralinga was better than I thought. I don't normally like novels that have a political type theme but this was okay. A big little life: Dean Koontz This is actually non fiction dealing with his dog Trixie.This was not quite what I was expecting as it was a 'soft' read. Michelle McDonald: The kiss of Saddam. non fiction. Not my usual taste, although I do read biographies. Its just "different". I only picked it up because the book was launched at my library. Did not finish this one Sam Gort: Renegade Gun. This is way out of my usual reading., but I said that I would read a Western, so this is it. It is as I thought...Westerns are a blokey Mills and Boon Michael Palmer: The last surgeon. This was an enjoyable read Di Morrissey; Silent country I don't normally read Di Morrissey but have decided to give this a go. It was okay but again with a slight political agenda and that is what I don't like. |
| May | I do not read Stephen King. I am going to this month attempt to read Stephen King: The girl who loved Tom Gordon. Out the titles we hold this one sounded more appealing than the rest and also it is not a Large tome. I actually was unable to put this down. it was enjoyable. May try one of his larger tomes Kathryn Fox: Without consent. Had not tried this author before and found myself thoroughly enjoying it. Sandra Brown: Rainwater. I don't normally do Sandra Brown. Will see how this will go. I enjoyed this book, though the blurb states that this is an abberationt to her normal writings, I could not put this book down. Stephen King: Bag of bones. As stated I said that I would try a larger tome of his. My daughter said that the girl who loved Tom Gordon was not in his usual style. So I am trying this title. This book was really hard going. It was slow moving and I did finish it but did not enjoy at all. Andrea Fuller: A summer to remember. This was not an actual Mills and Boon, but it was in the mode of Mills and Boon. Much to my surprise I enjoyed this read. Although it was a typical sickly romance, it did have a good stroy line. I looked at several graphic novels to read and did not borrow because I could not figure how to read them. If the writing went from right to left or just how they should be read. |
| June | The short second life of Bree Tanner : an Eclipse novella / Stephenie Meyer. Did not enjoy this novella. the original books were fine. |
| July | Paulo Coelho: Brida definitely not my usual reading as this novel is based on witch craft. Being confined to a hospital bed and desperation for something to read is the only reason this book was read cover to cover.; |
| August | Sebold, Alice. The lovely bones. I attempted to read this years ago and gave up on it, as it did not make sense to me then. I saw the movie at a pizza and movie night and the move was okay so decided to give this book another try. It did make sense this time after seeing the movie, but it was till not my kind of read. I don't like reading anyhting to do with Gosts. My daughters have decided to read it and the first one actually enjoys the book. |
| September | Sassoon, Jean For the love of a son. I read approxin]mately a 1/4 of this book and just could not get into it. Gave it up as a lost cause. |
| October | Dirscherl, Frank: The Wraith. This is written by a satff member and he has since written a few more. This is pulp fiction and I did not like it, |
| November | Macomber, Debbie. Summer on blossom Street. I have not read any of the other books in this series, maybe that is why this did not appeal to me. I am not sure why I did not like this but maybe the way it is written did not appeal. After this foray into Macomber I don't think I will be reading any of her other novels. |
| December | Allen, Charlotte Vale: Sudden Moves. I had never read any of Charlotte's novels before and decided to pick this from the shelf. I had been looking at Novel List + to get an idea of what to try and this book jumped out at me. Although it does not appear to be as you near the end of the book it is a 9/11 tale, but very interesting. I will be reading more of her books in the future. Bates, Susannah: Under a sapphire sky. Had not heard of this author before. I have plowed through this book although it is not an inspiring read. Surely the author could have made a story that revolves around gems more interesting than a sloooooooow romance story. A lot more could have been done with the plot. :( |
| Name. Monique | Details |
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| March | Hi I joined the librarians reading challenge after attending the Murder in the Metcalfe seminar @ the State Library. This gave me my first outside the genre book, of adventure, as I read Matthew Reilly's Seven Ancient Wonders. I really enjoyed this book, I liked the setting, the hero, the other characters and it was really well written. However, its a bit like a roller coaster ride , with constant action all the way, with no time to eat. This inspired me to try the second in this series, the Six sacred Stones, but I couldn't do it, it was too fast paced, and I feel like I'm still recovering from the first book! I will definitely recommend and read more Matthew Reilly books in the future. |
| April | I wanted to read as many books as possible this month but uni assignments prevail!! Can we do this fun and fabulous sounding challenge later in the year ie. in uni break? I have read another book though, this time I tried fantasy. I read a book reccomended by a friend and collegue called Dragon Flight the first in a series. It was to my surprise a really great read! aspects that appealed to me were the idea of having a dragon as means of transport, and travelling to different weyrs. I enjoyed it so much that I requested the second book in the series (Dragon Quest) to see what happens next. I also read the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, recommended by a customer who read it for her book group, "The Book Thief", ditto, both being books I would recommend to anyone. They are both really well written and thoroughly enjoyable to read. |
| May | This month I read two books, the first being "The Lovely Bones" , with it coming out at the movies there was a lot of hype so I thought I'd read it. I initially thought it may be too close the thriller genre I generally read, but I found it was more about Susie's experience of watching people from heaven and how they dealt with her shocking death. It was brilliantly written and I really enjoyed it. The second book was also by Alice Sebold, this being Almost Moon. I listened to it as an audio book, which I think is a good way to experience this book. It is beautifully written, describing the 24 hours of a womans life, during which she kills her mother. Again, this story is not written from the angle of whether she gets caught, but goes back and forth between the past and present in an attempt to explain the circumstances of how this situation came to pass. It is quite slow paced, and not a book I think I would have finished if it was not in the audio book form. I found I had to really persevere to finish it, as the plot was not convincing and I didn't really like the main character Helen, who appears to have mental problems like her mother and seems to be looking for excuses for her actions. Overall, it was an interesting exploration of this womans mind. I also read a biography "Watch you bleed: The saga of Guns and Roses" which was entertaining and eye opening if not completely factual. |
| June | This month I am reading chick lit. This has to be the hardest thing yet. I first tried "tHis Charming Man' by Marion Keyes, but I don't care! I don't care what the four women though to Paddy getting married. I didn't find it entertaining , although I can see it could be, and didn't bother finishing it. I also tried Confessions of a Shopaholic, reccomended by two of my sisters- "you'll love it" I didn't. I ended up more worried about the credit card bill! I'm not a shopper, but people who love shopping (like my sisters) would be able to relate to this book. (They have gone on to read sequels and watch movie). I am currently trying Cecelia Ahern's " Where rainbows end" . It is written in the form of letters, emails, texts etc back and forth between two friends. So far its great! I'm about a third of the way through and really enjoying the story. I'm alternating it with Mark Gimenez's legal thriller "Accused" which is just brilliant- and yes, smack bang in the middle of my comfort zone. |
| July | I have become a fan of Cecilia Ahern, listening to more of her books, including "The gift" and "A place called here" which I particularly liked. I am currently listening to "The book of tomorrows". As my challenge for this month I have turned to the 1001 books you must read collection at our library. I firstly read " The Catcher in the Rye" as this is a book that Mel Gibson's character in the movie "Conspiracy Theory" felt compelled to collect, and I have always wondered what the fuss was about. It was pretty hard going, but well worth the effort in following Holden's journey for three days of his teenage life. I then read "To kill a Mockingbird" which was brilliant and eye opening, in the way that African-American people were treated in those times. I have since reserved the movie version of the book, and my 15 year old daughter is now reading the book. |
| August | have read an Ian Mc Ewan book "Solar", as it has popped up frequently on list of recommended book group reads, as I am trying to compile one for our library. I have not read this author before, and don't think I would normally pick up this book from the shelves as the cover and the blurb were not appealing to me. unfortunately, my instincts with this novel were right. I found the pace to be slow, and the central character to be totally unlikeable. I felt there was nothing about Beard I caould identify with. He seems cold and heartless, an opportunist who basically, you hope gets whats coming to him. It was (dare I say it!) way to long and a bit tedious overall. The saving grace of the book for me was the young graduate student having an affair with Beards wife, and how Beard handled this. I would only recommend this book to people who enjoy a very detailed, slow paced book, with a focus on the character and who are already fans of the author. |
| September | This month I have decided to read a mystery or three. (if I have time). I started with Lillian Jackson Braun series, which was recommended by a customer as a light easy and humourous read, if you don't want to think to much. I read "The cat who ate Danish modern". (second in the series, because I couldn't get my hands on the first title) It was everything that was promised. It was light, entertaining and amusing. I liked the main character, Jim Qwilleran and his cat Koko, with a good storyline. I will definitely being reading more of this series. I have also read "A fine balance" a story set in India about four main characters following their lives throughout the era of Indri Ganhdi 's Emergency. I found the book to be deeply moving and very sad. It describes the effect that the changes introduced during these times on each of the main characters lives, and the effect of the caste system in India. The title is apt, referring to maintaining a balance between hope and despair. It was compelling read, one of the best books I have read in a long time and if you haven't already read it, make it a priority to read it now. |
| October | With Halloween approaching, I decided to try a Horror story. I was a bit scared, so I decided to try and educate myself about zombies(they are a bit scary). I found an anthology of 19 short stories. It was brilliant! I absolutely loved it. As it was in the form of short stories, I was able to sample how different authors perceived zombies. There were tales set in the past and future and all were completely different. I particularly enjoyed "family business" 'what Maisie knows" and "Lazarus" they were all very differerent, but equally enjoyable. All but one appealed to me, being well written and well told. I found them to be trilling rather than scary, as well a thought provoking in some cases. I also read Jasper Jones which is reminiscent of "To Kill a Mockingbird" It was a great read, hard to put down from the first chapter. Its has a good storyline, characters you can identify and empathise with, as well as a mystery and a touch of romance. I will be reading "Rhubarb" also by Craig Silvey, very soon. |
| November | I am trying another biography, this time about Lady Ga Ga. I think she is a fascinating character and I wanted to know more about her rise to fame. The author of her book is obviously a huge fan, which is both good and bad. I feel that this limited to how objective he was in her portrayal, and it was somewhat whitewashed, glossing over her time as a burlesque dancer, and mentions in passing her drug addiction. However, it would be a good book to recommend to all ages, as it is a positive and upbeat book about a talented perfomer, who in my eyes is now a positive role model for teens. There are lots of pictures of her unusual and creative dress sense. It was light and entertaining, and worth a read. I also read a book that fascinated me. I found it on the new books list for the library. The title is "My name is memory" which is a kind of fantasy/love story, where a character named Daniel has memory of all his past lives. The story describes his lives, and how he searchs for Sophia, a woman whom he feels a great connection with, and has loved throughout each of these life times. I found myself totally caught up in the story, loving the descriptions of his past lives and who he was in each life and how he behaved, how he recognised others from previous lives, both good and bad, some with a memory like his. I really enjoyed it when he identified Sophia, and described how she had reincarnated. I found myself hoping for a "happily ever after" ending- I'll leave you to see what happens! |
| December | My dad is a fan of science fiction, and so I am reading a title by E.C Tubb "The winds of Gath". This is the first novel in a series called "The Dumarest of Terra"series. My dad has the whole series, so hopefully this will be good, so can read and enjoy a new genre of books. I'll keep you posted. I will also make a last ditched effort to try a graphic novel (again!) I generally find graphic novels a bit too busy, but I will try! I have also just finished "The curious incident of the dog in the nighttime". I really enjoyed this title, almost believing that the main character, an autistic boy actually wrote the story. It is exceptionally well written from the boys perspective on the situation at hand, has a great storyline, with a twist near the end when you find out who actually did the dog in, and why. The main character is very likeable and you find yourself cheering him on, and thinking his parents shouldn't underestimate him. Definitely worth a read. |
| Name: Kathryn | Details |
| March | I've also joined the challenge after attending the RA Murder@The Metcalfe seminar. As a ref librarian with a meagre diet of fiction this is the motivation I need to keep me reading fiction. The book I have chosen for this month is a YA title The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (author of Coraline - I have not read the book but did enjoy the film and it's sensibility a great deal). Since picking up this book I have discovered that it was awarded the 2009 Newbery Medal and the 2009 Hugo Award for Fiction. I tried reading Harry Potter but just couldn't get into it - this is much more to my taste. So far I'm finding it an engaging read. Dark themes but with a gentle central character. |
| April | OK, here we go with "out of comfort zone" titles. Romance this month. I've chosen Pillow Talk by Freya North. Romantic Novel of the Year Award 2008. I hope I like it because it's 432 pages......I didn't like it, gave up after 60 or so pages. Too much padding, I could see where the story was headed. I just didn't care about the characters despite the plot sounding OK - revisiting first love etc. In desperation I picked up a Jennifer Crusie novella (Hot Toy). Vassiliki has recommended her. Finished it in a couple of days. Snappy albeit implausible plot line. I'll look for another romance and see how I go. |
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| Name. NatG | Details |
| January | The Innocent - Coben, Harlan. I hadn't read anything by this author, I took it away on holidays and read it in a couple of days. |
| February | The Single Man - Christopher Isherwood. I heard about the movie, and didn't think it would have a long release so read the book instead. It took a long time to get into and was a bit of a struggle to finish. This is outside my comfort zone because I haven't read any gay fiction before |
| March | Saturday by Ian McEwan. I tried to read Atonement a few years ago, but didn't get very far. This was a book club read, which is the only reason I finished it. There was too much detail which distracted from the storyline. |
| April | Battlelines - Tony Abbott. I steer well away from anything to do with politics and governement. We'll see how this book goes... I didn't get very far... At one point he said it wasn't a biography; I didn't get far enough to see if it stopped being one. #bookbinge |
| May | Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck. I am enjoying the humour and the vivid landscape in this book. |
| June | Foundation - Isaac Asimov. I rarely venture into science fiction, and not ususally the big names in the genre. I found this easy to read, but wanted more character details. The end let me down a bit as well, as it was building up to a confrontation between two worlds, but nothing actually came of it. I'll still read the next book in the series... eventually. |
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| Name. Stephanie | Details |
| January | Fierce - Kelly Osbourne. I thought that this book would be a bit of fun and nothing too serious to read. I actually quiet liked this book and is a good book to give to a young adult who needs a bit of motivation. I tried a few other books this month that I didn't complete cause I just couldn't. Wicked by Gregory Maguire, Three weeks to say goodbye by C.J. Box, My horizontal life : a collection of one-night stands by Chelsea Handler. |
| February | Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan tried and failed again with this book. I don't know if it was that I wasn't in the mood to read it or that it just could'nt get into it. First month where I couldn't find a book to read outside my comfort zone. |
| March | Bareback - Kit Whitfield. I normally don't read paranormal/urban fantasy novels. But after the RA Seminar Diana Tixier Herald made this book sound so good I couldn't not read it. As a novel I could ignore the fact that part of the novel was based around non-human characters and just see it as a mystery story. I would recommend this title to customers and friends |
| April | Bookbinge month - finding it hard to find enough time to read with uni work but here are the list so far. The best is yet to come, Maternity bride, Finger lickin' fifteen |
Name: KerrieK  | Details | |
| January | Stretched to a thriller - David Gibbins Last Gospel then Atlantis. Both very interesting from an historical point of view but his gadgets got me in the end. A little too much James Bond. |  |
| February | Not outside the comfort zone but a big read, Edward Rutherfurd's New York. Not as good as London or the Irish ones but certainly a lovely way to learn history. |  |
| March | A mystery for Murder at the Metcalf - The Stuart Sapphire. Bit of mix up, time travel, history with a murder mystery thrown in. Not a bad read but certainly not taxing on the grey matter. |  |
| April | Book binge probably isnt going to work with me as getting the time to read is not easy. I have ambitiously loaded up a few in the wardrobe though so we shall see how I go. :) Ok well one trashy romance down (not outside comfort but all I was in the mood for). I have also picked up one called The Sex Inspectors Masterclass by Tracey Cox and Michael Alvear. a VERY good read. VERY good ideas and fun for those of us who have been in a relationship for a while and things are well, you know how they get. Now all I have to do is convince Himself to look at it, or at least my notes. Now where did I put the chocolate sauce......... :) LOL The Sex Inspectors Ok, having read other people's ideas I picked a western for my wardrobe collection to read, Sharpshooters For Hire by Ron Watkins. It was def Mills and Boons for blokes. I picked the plot a mile away and just waited for it to unfold. Not bad for a train ride or to read whilst in the car. Next is a high school nemisis; Persuasion by Jane Austen. Ok, I couldnt do it. Her rambling sentances half a page long, three pages to say something as simple, as you need to rent the house out cause you're broke, just DROVE ME CRAZY!!!!!!!! Sorry but that is a NO to Miss Jane Austen from now to for ever! Next: YAF, Macbeth and Son by Jackie French. Wonderful book! Read it in a day being not that large. A great look at Scottish history and a well told story about teenage issues on a small scale. Loved the characters. Contest by Matthew Reilly. Completly not my thing but how could I not after hearing him at the State library??? Talk about action packed. The only thing that stopped me from reading on was my eyelids closing! Fantastic stuff. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I enjoyed this one. Once you got into the lengthy way of describing things it was a nice story, I particuarily liked the part where the creature told his story. Surprised myself with being a very good read. Another Matthew Reilly - Ice Station Just as action packed as Contest but I did get the feeling that Scarecrow, like James Bond, should have been dead several times over. A good escape. Erica James - The Queen of New Beginnings. An anniversary present from my husband. A very nice story which had me laughing out loud on several occasions. I shall be looking at more of hers. Alison Weir - The Lady in the Tower - Not outside my comfort zone but my first ever audio book, so the format is out of my zone. I have however discovered that my Sony Walkman does NOT bookmark. Nor does it skip tracks so now I have to hold down the fast forward button ...all the way to 358mins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARGH!!!! |   |
| May | I am going to read the first book I hear about on TV, radio, the net etc that I can get my hands on. This should be interesting. Well I didnt hear or see anything so therefore couldnt read any of them! I read a straight fiction,not my ususal thing, Accidental Father, about a man who inherits a 13yrd old daughter he didnt know about in a will. She is a 13yr old iPod wearing, text addicted, surly child and having one of those at home myself, I found her antics amusing as they reflected my own household on occasion. It was a good read but it did not finish well, leaving several unfinished issues which was annoying. | |
| June | Going to try a biography this month. Dont usually do them, they just dont appeal to me, especially the ones about truamatised children etc. This one is called The Necklace by Cheryl Jarvis. According to the blurb it is about a group of ladies who put in together to buy a 15 carat, 118 diamond necklace (mined from nonconflict areas of course!). From sharing the necklace they go on to do other great things. I shall let you know. It was a good read, not really about the necklace but about the issues that co-owning and item and then using it to inspire, raise money and bring you together it will do. Several amusing moments, particuarily when husbands wont agree to the $1200 lay out for the share in the necklace, they are then told of The Rule. You MUST have sex wearing nothing but the necklace at least once on your turn. Deal clincher! A very good story that makes you think baout the relationships you have around you. | |
| July | I think I will try the banned book idea. OK trashed that one. Picked a true mystery. Iris Gower House of Shadows. I like Iris Gower so i thought I would be able to like a mystery by her. No usch luck. I read it, but I still cant stand the whole mystery thing, drives me batty. Give me a good TV mystery anytime but just not in print for some reason. Also managed to finish all of Matthew Reilly's books (amongst a few others) so now i am up to date with him and early anticipating his Christmas release. | |
| August | Well I havent read alot of things this month. I am off to Melbourne next month to see the Titanic Exhibition so I have been reading up on the great ship. I have discovered I had rellie on the ship - 1st Class no less!!!; and they survived in lifeboat number 5. Amazing what you find out! I did listen to a talking book - Fly by Michael Veitch it is Michael's reports of his interviews with WW2 pilots. His boyish excitemment 'I have shaken the hand of a man who shook the hand of Hitler' is endearing. I think the only way i could have read this was by talking book. I am not a technical person (just ask my husband) so the plane's details I tuned out of but the life experiences of those pilots interviewed were worth the jargon. Truly inspiring people. | |
| September | More Titanic reading. I have Beaneath Hill 60 on my bedside table BUT two chapters in we watched the movie and ***spoiler alert*** after the demise of poor Private Tiffin I am too heartbroken to continue it at present. If only life were like Disney. I think, after coming across this morning, I will read the Poseidon Adventure by Paul Gallico. In keeping with the ship theme but also a classic that I normally wouldnt go near. |
| Name: Jeffry2 | Details |
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| Name: Missmarple | Details |
| May | Mapping of love and death - by Jacqueline Winspear. Latest in the Maisie Dobbs series. These mysteries have a strong sense of time and place, and are set in England - mostly London and Kent between the wars. They would be of interest to history as well as mystery readers as they are less straight who-done-its, as explorations of a time when the social fabric was changing. The problems Maisie is asked to solved usually stem from social upheaval and uncertainty than simple malice. Mortal engines series - Philip Reeve. Fabulous 3 part YA series. Very strong male and female characters in imaginative steampunk setting. Have had a lot of fun re-reading these adventures with my teenage son, particularly exploring the moral ambiguity of many of the adult characters. Jarvis 24 - by David Metzenthen. One of the CBCA shortlist in Older Readers. Funny, great male friendship and equally interesting unfolding themes of grief, love and sport. I though it caught the tone of teenage male bonding and humour very well. Dragon haven - Robin Hobb. This is the second installment in the Dragon Keeper series. It threatened to get as bogged down in parts as the characters were in their journey, but it was worth slogging through the (rather large) book to get to the last third of the story. I think it suffered like most middle parts of trilogies in that the characters were already set and the journey or quest had already begun, so the plot development was slow. All the same - I will want to read book three to find out what happens to the dragons and their keepers! Fever Crumb - Philip Reeve. Set in the same world of Mortal Engines, but many many years before. Beautiful steampunk image on the hardback cover. I was in two minds whether to read this so soon after re-reading Mortal Engines, and it may have been a mistake. I think it suffers in comparison, as I was no so drawn to the characters. I have a little way to go, and it looks like it will also carry on to a sequel. I might wait a bit longer to read that one though. |
| June | Ice Princess - Camilla Lackberg. I have read a few nordic mysteries, but none by Lackberg. This is the first in the series staring police detective Patrik Hedstrom. Coming from a hot dry country, where a pleasant walk is one you take along the beach, it is so unusual to read about characters rugging up to trudge through the snow to take a walk along a frozen shore. The scenery and wilderness of Fjallbacka, a Swedish coastal town are a fascinating part of this story. The spare way of writing is very appealing. The Janus Stone - Elly Griffiths. This is the second book by Griffiths about Ruth Galloway, a forensic archaeologist. In her own words Ruth is a fat loner, perfectly happy in her own company thank you very much. There is nothing twee about Ruth. Set in Norfolk around the saltmarshes this is another series where location is a vital character in the story. Read the first one The crossing places for a real sense of place. Shroud for a nightingale - P.D.James. Classic P D James! Perhaps a bit dated now with setting and attitudes, but a very solid mystery. The background of a nurses training school, with all the strictures that entails is an interesting setting. Originally written in 1971 it is good to see how far women's professions have come in 30 years. For example, a nurse who married had to resign - what a waste! Queen Victoria's Underpants- Jackie French and Bruce Whatley. Yes, a picture book - and absolutely fantastic. Check it out. |
| NAME Psychedelic | BOOK DETAILS |
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| February | WOLF HALL by Hilary Mantel only a challenge for me to have this 650 pager read in the three week borrowing period because of heavy demand. Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres. I enjoyed this obviously for its historical detail. Following the huge cast of characters and political events it deals with added to the challenge. |
| March | For Murder @ the Metcalfe I stumbled across and chose to read a mystery by Paul Theroux A dead hand: a crime in Calcutta since I have' nt read anything by him before. I would'nt recommend this book, the mystery content was disappointing and was only worthwhile reading because of Theroux's skill at describing the country and its culture. |
| April | Read in a couple of hours Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as discussed on The First Tuesday Book Club & for good measure The Body-Snatcher both by Robert Louis Stevenson. Didn't know it was a short story. Pleased to have read it finally since there are so many TV and movie adaptations. Can't say I enjoy reading literature with this formal language style. BAREBACK by Kit Whitfield recommended at Murder @ the Metcalfe is a good example of genre blend of mystery and paranormal. Took a couple of chapters before getting into story but in the end it was a fairly satisfying read. |
| May | LITTLE BEE by Chris Cleave uplifting and at time humorous story of an unusual friendship between a young Nigerian illegal immigrant and a recent widow SOLAR by Ian McEwan: Chose this following good reviews on First Tuesday Book Club. Had started reading ON CHESIL BEACH some time ago but gave up as very slow going. I enjoyed Solar's humour and look at such an unpleasant man. which made the ending very satisfying. |
| June | MR ROSENBLUM'S LIST by Natasha Solomons: on the best sellers list. An easy enjoyable read with the theme of follow your dreams no matter the obstacles. |
| July | THE BOHEMIAN GIRL by Kenneth Cameron: Spectrum recommendation. Mystery set in London 1901. Descriptive of London in that period along with its language and mores. The mystery seemed a bit convoluted. Also, MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND by Helen Simonson another best seller. Labeled at our library with a romance sticker so decided this was my romance read. Not tacky though and another easy enjoyable read set in contemporary British society dealing with family relationships and cultural differences. |
| August | MIDDLESEX by Jeffrey Eugenides. When borrowers asked for this I kept thinking of Middlemarch until someone briefly explained the main theme! A Pullitzer Prize winner in 2003. This book was both funny and sensitive with great characters to like alot.Also Butterfly by Sonya Hartnett my young adult choice as suggested on ABC radio morning show bookclub. A coming of age story touching on the sometimes painful experience amongst peer groups when trying to be accepted at all cost. |
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| Name: SuperJaz | Details |
| January | I decided to kick off the year with a little light holiday reading courtesy of The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler. Fluffy romance novels don't usually appeal to me but as I was travelling to California, the setting of the novel, and wanted something to pass time in airport lounges it seemed to fit the bill. Did I enjoy my reading experience? Yes, especially the keen observations on the differences between men and women. Did it make me want to revisit the Jane Austen novels I'd already read and explore those I hadn't? Yes. Would I recommend the book to others? Yes, but don't expect reading it to be a life-changing experience. |
| February | Continuing my Jane Austen theme, this month I chose to read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: the classic Regency romance - now with ultraviolent zombie mayhem by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith. I chose this because I'm not a fan of splatter books and I'd never read a zombie themed novel before. I was fully expecting to cringe my way through it but, to my surprise, thoroughly enjoyed myself, frequently laughing aloud. The book retains the style and wit of the original while adding that little something extra. Would I recommend the book to others? Yes, but it's probably not one for purists. |
| March | Changing tack completely this month I decided to read A.B. "Banjo" Paterson's Collected Verse. I haven't read much poetry before and this book has been sitting on my shelf since 1983, so it was about time. First published in 1921, the language Banjo Paterson uses and the lifestyle he describes seem quite foreign. It's also very blokey - in fact from reading his verse, I'm not even sure they had women back then. But I really got a strong sense of his love of the Australian bush, especially horses and country folk and he conveys well the humour and hardships of the time. Would I recommend the book to others? Yes, if you have an interest in Australia's past. |
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| Name : Kaye J (mystery reader) | Details |
| January - a best selling author I've never read | The first challenge book was Jodi Picoult's "The tenth circle" My feelings are mixed on this. It was a ripping, easy read, hot button issues and the teenage party scene has made one of the Mother's in my bookclub fear ever letting her daughter out again. I did go on and read Salem falls. But in the end it was a bit like fast food. Goes down easy, makes you want more but when you do you feel bloated. |
| February - a classic | The next was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. My heart and face fell when the book clubbers agreed to this one. 800 pages!! I was surprised by how sensitive Tolstoy was to the situation of women but admit I started skimming when he started rambling about the state of Russian agriculture and the nature of the Russian peasantry. |
| March - henlit | This month I decided to try some hen lit. Chick lit for older women but without so much sex, alcohol and smoking. I read Elizabeth Berg's The art of mending. It's about how members of a family can have very different experiences of childhood and be blind to the emotional abuse of another sibling. Beautifully written. |
| April - humour | For the challenge I tried humor. I went with one of the many Austen rewrites "Jane bites back" by Michael Ford Thomas. In this Jane Austen is a vampire who works in a bookstore and is annoyed by all the Austen cash ins being produced. Not as funny as I'd hoped, would rather re-read the originals. |
| May - graphic novel | I had come across a lot of interesting reviews of Craig Thompson's graphic novel Blankets so this seemed like a good choice for the May challenge. It was a very moving, beautifully done coming of age novel. It covered issues like bullying, being the outsider, a crisis with religious faith and the first experience of love. Good for anyone who thinks all graphic novels are just mindless comic books. |
| June - spy/political thriller | This month was spy / political thriller month. While I have seen a lot of the movies I hadn't actually read a James Bond book. I chose Casino Royale and enjoyed it as a light, action romp. For a bit more meat I was advised to read some Frederick Forsyth and read the Odessa file. The information about what happened to Nazi war criminals after the war was fascinating. The only reservation I had was that sometimes you felt like you were being hit over and over with endless facts at the expense of mood and characterisation. It detracted from the suspense for me as I didn't care enough about the main character. At times I felt like he should have been writing non-fiction. |
| July - historical | As a young teenager I loved the Jean Plaidy historical novels but haven't read any since I was fourteen so thought I would revisit this genre. The first I chose was The devil's queen by Jeanne Kalogridis. I picked it as I remember Catherine DeMedici being a wonderfully wicked character in Jean Plaidy. Unfortunately this seemed to be a bit of a character rehabilitation. It was light and I doubted its historical accuracy. For a historical novel to work I think it needs some basic bedrock of fact that you can trust and then spin the fantasy about the characters about it. I found the nice, maternal, motherly Catherine hard to believe in and a bit wishy washy. Not to be deterred I picked up Philippa Gregory's The constant princess about another Katherine, Katherine of Aragon. It has an impressive bibliography for a fiction book and Gregory does have a PHD. It was a bit of a love story, with another character rewrite. This Katherine, as the daughter of Isabella of Spain was more passionate, manipulative and intelligent than the historical portrait of Katherine as the passive, pious cast off wife. Interesting, easy to read but did lose my interest part way through. I have reserved Wolf Hall to see if this has more bite to its history. (P.S I read it and yes, it was a wonderful rewrite of the character Thomas Cromwell. Looking forward to the next installment) |
| August - sci-fi | This month I decided to read science fiction. I chose a classic work, Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson. I was impressed by the amount of work he did in creating the world of the first Martian colony but I did find that I often got bogged down in all the technical details. For me the most interesting thing was the interplay between the different personalities and the conflicts between them. I loved how they first colonists were subjected to a barrage of psychological tests to make sure they were suitable for the experiment but naturally were so desperate to be on the mission that they all lied in their tests - and were all bright enough to get away with it. Utopia is impossible. |
| September - non-fiction | I love fiction and read it almost exclusively so I thought I would try a non-fiction book. I was fascinated by the blurb on Wedlock : how Georgian Britain's worst husband met his match by Wendy Moore. A rich heiress is duped into marrying an absolute cad and "subjected to appalling violence, deception, kidnap and betrayal" as well as her battles with a court system that offered little rights and protection to women. This was more astounding than most fiction. |
| October - Young adult | Failure. The nearest I came to the challenge was reading a YA novel by Nette Hilton called "The innocents" I don't read YA but I admit I picked this up because it looked like an intriguing mystery and it was. The writer doesn't write down for children, she reflects the dilemmas and often gruesome issues that children deal with. I can't say this was truly outside of my comfort zone as I would happily recommend it to any adults that enjoy a good bit of suspense. Otherwise this month too many books I had requested came in that I couldn't resist reading. My non-fiction choice last month was fairly light so to redeem myself this month I read David Hick's Guantanamo: my journey. I find it hard to describe this book without falling into cliche's but it was shocking and so disappointing that our government allowed an Australian to be held in such inhumane conditions without trial or charge for so long. |
| November - boys adventure | At the library I do recommended reading handouts but I was accused of being biased because the handouts are too female oriented. So I thought I would broaden myself and read some good rollicking boysey adventure. The one I chose was Clive Cussler's Raise the Titanic. He is an author that has been enthusiastically endorsed by a male friend and customer. Unfortunately I wasn't so enraptured. To me the writing was very cliched, clunky and the characters wooden. I struggled on but in the end opted for the Nancy Pearl 50 page rule and stopped. However I didn't give up on the boys genre. Instead of adventure I tried a couple of more male oriented mysteries. The first I tried was Peter Temple's Truth but I found the terse writing style impossible to warm to. Then I started Jonathan Kellerman's Deception but again found the macho banter offputting. So this month hasn't encouraged a broader reading choice. |
| December - letters | A couple of weeks ago I watched Love in a cold climate on DVD and became fascinated by the Mitford sisters. During a quiet moment I picked up the volume of their letters edited by Charlotte Mosley and became hooked. Before this I had never understood why anyone apart from serious scholars would read collections of letters, perhaps I was thinking of the stilted letters I wrote as a child. What a difference these are. They are full of life and energy and feel very much like listening in on the conversations of these intriguing women. As Charlotte Mosley puts it, it is incongruous to read Unity Mitford's accounts for her friendship with Adolf Hitler as she writes in a "breathless, enthusiastic style more fitting a romance novel". It is mindboggling to read statements like "had lunch with Hitler and he talked about the Jews which was lovely" Having read Mein Kampf it is hard to picture anything Hitler had to say about the Jewish people as lovely. (The Mitfords : letters between six sisters) |
| Name: PhilippaJ | Details: |
| January | Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith. I read this for my book group. We were doing "Vampires vs. Zombies". It is basically the classic Pride and Prejudice with zombies thrown in. I found it quite humerous to begin with but it really is a one-joke book, so after a while I got bored with it and gave up before finishing. I also read Dead until Dark by Charlaine Harris as my Vampire book. I never read paranormal romance but I love the True Blood tv series. Kind of enjoyed the book but not as much as the tv series (sorry!). I started reading the second in the series, Living Dead in Dallas but had to bring it back for a reservation. Not sure I will bother finishing it. |
| February | The naming of Tishkin Silk by Glenda Millard. This year I decided to try reading some children's and young adult fiction because my readers advisory skills in these areas are woeful!! This book was recommended to me by one of our junior staff. I loved it but spent part of the book sobbing...make sure you have tissues if you read it. |
| March | I'm afraid this month I didn't read outside my comfort zone. I love reading non-fiction and travel narritives. I read In the Empire of Genghis Khan by Stanley Stewart, which tells the story of his journey across Mongolia on horseback. Before the dawn by Nicholas Wade, a "popular science" book about human prehistory. I found parts of it very interesting but some of his conclusions a bit suspect. Left for dead: how I survived 71 days in the Outback by Ricky Megee. Story of a man left standed in the Australian outback and how he survived by eating bush foods, frogs and insects! Not particularly well-written but an easy read and a fascinating story. |
| April | Have read lots of young adult this month for the book binge. I will put the first one I read here...which was Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It was recommended to me by another staff member. It is a dystopia/futuristic type story where a group of teens are abandoned in the wilderness and have to fight to the death in a reality tv/"Survivor" type situation. I'm not sure I'd be game enough to recommend this to a young adult because there is quite a lot of violence in it. I really enjoyed it though. Something else outside my comfort zone was Addition by Toni Jordan. It is an enjoyable romance where the female character has obsessive compulsive disorder and counts everything. It's all about accepting and celebrating differences in other people. I never read Romance but maybe I will try a few more after this one. |
| May | Y the last man: Unmanned A graphic novel!! I have tried one graphic novel previously (Watchmen) and found it very difficult to read. I couldn't integrate the pictures and text. Much easier the second time around. I have already reserved the second in this series, so maybe I have been converted to graphic novels. The storyline in this series is that one day every single male mammal dies - except for the hero "Yorrick" and his pet monkey. |
| June | To kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee. I must've been the only person left in Australia who had never read this classic. A workmate recommended this to me and I have really enjoyed it. Perhaps not having to write an essay on it has helped! |
| July | Boneshaker by Cherie Priest. This is a "Steampunk" novel. I wasn't aware of this genre (really a subgenre of Science Fiction) until a colleague lent me this book. I have now created a display for our public on this genre because I love the artwork associated with it! |
| August | I decided to read some short stories, as I don't often bother with them. But OK, I am cheating a little bit, reading some Stephen King short stories - I quite like some of his novels. The book is called Just after sunset. I am enjoying the short format, and if I have time I might try another volume by someone I have never heard of. |
| September | I have decided to attempt to read a couple of random Mills & Boons. OK, my Mills & Boon experiment was a complete failure. I read a few pages but just couldn't take the cliches and overblown language. I have forgotten the title of the one I tried, I will try to track it down. It was Bertoluzzi's Heiress Bride by Catherine Spencer. Randomly picked from the Mills and Boon shelf. |
| October | I randomly picked the book Stolen Time by Sunny Jacobs off the paperback shelf in a hostel while I was away on holiday. It was the true story of a woman who was wrongly imprisoned on death row for murder. I found it very difficult to get through because of the style of the writing. |
| November | What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty. A light chick-lit style novel. I enjoyed it as I read it, wanted to find out what happened in the end, but not a particularly memorable book. |
| December | December will be Horror month for me. I do read Stephen King, but he is the only "horror" writer I have ever tried. I guess I like him more for his characters and language than the horror element. I have picked 2 books recommended by NoveList. So cold the river by Michael Koryta and Handling the undead by John AjvideLindqvist. |
| Name: penelopemay | Details: |
| March | Reading outside my comfort zone is certainly a challenge for me. I rarely have the time to read at all and if I grab a book it's often with small hope of finishing it at all. My choice of reading is almost always within the genre I love historical fiction.I have never been a great admirer of short stories or mythology so reading 'Dream Angus:The Celtic God of Dreams' Alexander McCall Smith was my first attempt to step outside my comfort zone. Five Celtic legends alternate with modern tales and successfully weave dreams and reality into an entrancing read. Angus the Celtic God of love, youth and beauty is on a mission to find his own great love Caer swan maiden of his own dreams.Each of the modern stories carried a moral and a lesson to be learned.I'm not a convert yet.I still prefer a big juicy story that does'nt stop after ten pages. |
| April | I thought I would read non fiction for April. Richard Glover of 702 ABC Radio Drive fame is the author of “The Mud House: Four friends, one block of land, no power tools.” For 25 years he built a mud brick house in the NSW bush near Taralga. Working with a friend, journalist Philip Clark, they approached this daunting task with very little skill, a great amount of naivety and a down to earth (excuse the pun) sense of humour. They learnt each job at a time, quite often from books and magazines. Male bonding, fatherhood, friendship are explored and discussed all with a quirky sense of honesty and self depreciation . I was surprised that I enjoyed this book. I doubt that I will ever take on such a challenge myself but I can at least appreciated the huge amount of patience and perservance it must have taken to achieve their goal ‘ Mr Glover says ‘ “I made the house and it made me” that just about sums it up. |
| May | ‘The Girl in Times Square’ by Paullina Simons I have finally relented and ploughed through a novel by a much celebrated and recommended author Paullina Simmons. A contemporary mix of love story and thriller it is also very much a ‘sick’ or ‘ill’ book. Lily is the twenty year old central character. Her life is irrevocably changed by two catastrophic personal discoveries, her diagnosis of cancer and the fate of her missing friend and flat mate. The novel deals in depth with Lily’s oncology treatment and is subsequently not for the faint hearted. I perhaps was not prepared for this and may have judged the novel too harshly. I found it way too long and disturbing. ,evoking memories too close to home. Perhaps I’m a little too sensitive, I need to harden up. Throw me another Paullina Simons and I may try to be kinder in my opinion. |
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| Name:Wild_one | Details: |
| April | I really liked the idea of the book binge & so have been trying to read things here & there out of my 'comfort genres'. I started with Dan Brown's 'The lost symbol', which I read half a chapter of & thought that 'that's enough', as it was exactly as I thought it would be & the main character & I didn't get along. It was good to have a read of some his stuff finally though, I know what I'm recommending now. Then I went to 'The Joyful path to good fortune' which is a Buddhisty book that I dip into when I can - it's great, I would recommend Kelsang Gyatso to anyone interested in Buddhism. Next I read Nora Roberts 'The black hills' which was lots of fun - the main character Lil was ballsy & appealing & the description of the scenery of the hills in Montana as well as the weaving of the cougars throughout the story was really appealing. I would definitely recommend her books .... not that they need any recommending! I've also started Germaine Greer's 'On rage', which is really good, but different to what I thought - thus far it is mostly focused on her anger at the treatment of Aboriginals in Australia, a sentiment I can definitely sympathise with, but I was hoping for a more general discussion on the topic. I tried a Western next, which I think is the only genre I've never tried. I chose a book from the most popular author Zane Grey titled 'Rogue River Feud' and it started out really well, the description of the river was quite lyrical, obviously written by someone with a great fondness for the landscape. Enter the characters & it was downhill from there I'm afraid - the main character Kevin had been away to war, had a canon explode in his face whilst serving [the details about his metal jaw made me squirm] & the tale of what he came back to in terms of feckless sweetheart & deceased mother was downright depressing. I skipped to the end & I'm pleased that it had a happy ending, he meets & marries a frontier chick named Mary, whose father has a secret goldmine & so he's married an heiress! The mention of 'halfbreeds' near the end again made me squirm & I have to say that this sort of book is REALLY a generational sort of book, i.e. you have to have a certain sort of attitude or frame of reference to enjoy it. |
| Name: Annecd | Details |
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| Tem's Reading Outside the Zone Log | ||
| June | For the Love of Julie - Ann Ming: I usually tend to avoid books like this especially since it concerns murder and rape, but I was captivated by the title and even more so by the blurb within. Ann Ming writes a compelling story, about the events that lead to her youngest daughter Julie being killed, and the many obstacles she faced in trying to get the police to believe her when Julie first goes missing. Unfortunately the police ineptitude in locating her daughters body, leads to eventually allowing the killer to go free. Their failure to determine the cause of death, due to the advance decomposition of the body was a key factor in there being a hung jury in the second trial. This book was very easy to read, simple and thankfully not too graphic. What makes this unfortunate true story even more amazing is Ann Ming's (Julie's mum) actions and the historical repercussion she had on the UK's legal system as she strives for justice for her daughter's murder. I was so fascinated by the story, that I ended up researching the case on the Internet. |  |
| July | The Slap - Christos Tsiolkas: Predominately a fantasy/paranormal reader I always have to push myself to read anything outside this genre. However I'm glad that I did in this case! I heard a lot about this book before I picked it up, with many of those opinions being mostly negative. However I loved it! Love the sordid characters, my changing opinion of each character as their background, personality is revealed bit by bit through each person's narrative. Neither the language, nor the sex scenes fazed me as I was kept hooked wondering what the eventual outcome of the slap impact on each of the characters. |  |
| August | Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy Well I thought it's about time I read a 'Classic'. So here goes, though this book is huge with small writing, probably not the easier book to start reading during August: the month of Book Week ugh. Here's hoping I will be able to finish it this month. |  |
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| Name: Mookstar aka Jasmine | Details |
| August | I know, I know, I've been meaning to upload this for a while. I decided to start off with a non-fiction war novel. Totally something I would not normally read but war is a current topic of debate. The Good Soldiers by David Finkel is about soldiers in Iraq who decide they will make a difference. They were part of a new strategy for Iraq in January 2007 - US President's Bush's "The Surge". But it was clear from early on that this task would be almost impossible. You are right there with the soldiers and they are full of gusto at the beginning. Reality begins to hit when a serious of one word answers before heading off means they have planned thier funerals. For those that come back, they will never be the same. I liked it - a good read, like an extended news feature article and insight into the world of war and soldiers. |
| September | A bit of light reading this month - some chick lit - which I haven't delved into for a long while - Jessica Rudd's Campaign Ruby. What a laugh!. Lots of fun as Ruby finds herself mistakenly sending an email to all her international work colleagues after getting the sack and finds herself coming to Australia - a bottle of red wine will do that!, She gets herself into trouble all the time and doesn't listen to her head at as she becomes caught up in an election with lots of familiar elements. Very light and entertaining novel. I couldn't read this stuff all the time - but its good for a break from the usual crime and mysteries I prefer. |
| October | Moon's A Balloon by David Niven. Well this choice is because so many people said it was a memoir that made them laugh out loud. It was a best seller in the 70s. So this month is a little bit memoir/retro. So I borrowed the audio book/CD and while I did chuckle along at times at this old Hollywood actor's antics - it wasn't hilarious. But it was interesting to delve into the first part of his life and hear all the name dropping and marvel at how he managed to further his career with little training and lots of embarrassing situations. Not one for me but good if you want a taste of "old" Hollywood. |
| November | Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I don't think I would normally read a book about a circus in Depression-era USA but I heard Robert Pattinson (Twilight) was going to be in the film version so our book club read it. I really enjoyed it. It is a pageturner and it is two stories in one with an older Jacob in a nursing home reflecting on his life during the circus years and young Jacob falling in love, saving an elephant and witnessing cruelty to both man and beast. But is is a good yarn that part adventure and fairytale. I might even read her new book Ape House. |
| December | The Rose Boys by Peter Rose - I thought this was an insightful look into a family with one sporting brother who became a paraplegic and one who went onto become a poet. It is certainly a different memoir than I would normally read - blokes and football, poetry and homsexuality. The amazing strength, resilience and devotion to family by the parents is admirable and inspiring. Details of the brothers lives are intwined with snippets on people interviewed for the book and a few mentions of sporting greats. There are lots of amusing and touching anecdotes as they all struggle with the practicalities of assisting a paralysed family member live at home. It is not sad or depressing but he tells it like it is and it becomes a deeply moving tribute from a son to his parents and brother as he also struggled to find his place in the world. |
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Latest page update: made by cwbourke
, Jan 9 2011, 8:48 PM EST
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57 words added view changes - complete history) |
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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| cbroomhead | The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas | 2 | May 9 2010, 9:46 PM EDT by miztres | ||
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Thread started: Mar 6 2010, 1:06 AM EST
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The Slap was the selected book for the Readers Cafe - book discussion group at Concord Library. We had a lot of discussionsgritty and otherewise about its colourful characters and their varied ways. The theme has a Greek bias being Greeks are superior to other race. I find that quite offensive. Some in the group could mot finish the book. Some of the comments: found it boring, offensive language and sex thoughts and scenes sprinkled right through the book probably to counteract the boredom.
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| miztres | Unshelved | 0 | May 9 2010, 9:41 PM EDT by miztres | ||
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Thread started: May 9 2010, 9:41 PM EDT
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I just want to remind you that the boys from Unshelved also do book reviews in which they tell us why they picked up a book, why they kept reading it and who they will give it to. Go and check out the latest reviews at:
http://www.unshelved.com/2010-5-6/Book_Reviews Go for the reviews, stay for the comic. Enjoy! miztres
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| Creativefishi | 2010 Librarian's Reading Challenge | 0 | Mar 12 2010, 11:22 PM EST by Creativefishi | ||
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Thread started: Mar 12 2010, 11:22 PM EST
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I just started the Librarian’s reading challenge, great contributions from everyone.
• [March reading challenge] The Templars: The History and the Myth: From Solomon's Temple to the Freemasons by Michael Haag My reading challenge for March is a non-fiction book. I usually rarely read books about history or religion, if it wasn’t required reading. A colleague during lunch time has lent me his own book. The book is well written and is a fascinating read. It has history and religion but with a story telling writing style that it does not feel too heavy to read. I felt the author presented different facts and point of views in a controversial period of history.
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