ATKINSON, KATE., When will there be good news? (Published: 2008)
What a great read! This is the third Jackson Brodie novel and I was gripped from the start.
We follow the stories of Jackson Brodie, a former policeman and private investigator, Joanna Mason and Reggie Chase. The other characters we meet are all connected in some way to what Joanna witnessed as a 6 year old, 30 years ago.
The way Atkinson weaves these stories together is very clever and seamless. I certainly didn't guess the ending. Atkinson leaves it open for another Jackson Brodie novel, and I can't wait.
This book is classified as a mystery but it is so much more than that. Yes it is a mystery, but is also about relationships, friendships and personal strength.
I can only say again - what a great read!
Reviewer: Angie L.
BENNETT, ALAN, 1934- , The uncommon reader. (Published: 2006)
A very funny and subversive tale of a reading obsession which almost prompts a constitutional crisis. The Queen accidentally discovers reading when her corgis stray into a mobile library parked at Buckingham Palace. She had not read for enjoyment before so the court and government are surprised and challenged when she develops into a dedicated and intelligent reader.
Reviewer: N. P.
BIGGS, JOHN., Tin dragons. (Published: 2008)
This tale of revenge, romance and redemption begins in China, but in the late 1880s soon moves to the tin mining region of North-East Tasmania. Jack and Charlie hope to make their fortune mining tin, while Teresa and Lizzie plan to make a living offering what they can. The threads of their past lives and dreams of happy futures come together with swashbuckling adventure and thwarted romance. The historic backdrop of the shanty towns is brought to life in this fictional story which weaves to a satisfying conclusion the prejudices and cultural differences between the Chinese and European sojourners.
Author John Biggs' grandfather Walter was a son of Alfred Barrett Biggs who was famous for making the first telephone call in Tasmania. Walter, who lived at Scottsdale for many years, passed on the stories of the early days to his grandson who so ably has related these through the eyes of his characters.
Reviewer: Marion
BLUNT, GILES., The delicate storm. (Published: c2003)
A dismembered body in the Ontario snow immerses Detective John Cardinal of the Algonquin Bay police force, and his partner Lise Delorme, in an unsolved case involving the Quebec Liberation Front Separatists and acts of terrorism committed 30 years earlier. Author Giles Blunt has created a mystery with a number of intriguing threads and a strong sense of place and community.
Reviewer: Judy Gill
CONDON, BILL, 1949 - , Dare devils. (Published: 2007)
Dare devils is a book about friendship, fun, dating and a list of things to do in your life. A teenager by the name of Jack meets and becomes close friends of the new kid Tony Thornton (aka: Thorns) and his life changes dramatically, as he is dying because of a heart problem. A happy and sad book.
Reviewer: Joel Harbottle
CORRIS, PETER, 1942 - , Open file. (Published: 2008)
Forget afternoon tea by the fire whilst a little old lady is murdered in a seemingly quiet village. This is the latest Cliff Hardy and a good read. If you're a Cliff Hardy fan, you know what you're in for. No surprises, but Peter Corris is still turning out a good mystery after 33 Cliff Hardy books.
Cliff finds a 20 year old unsolved case he worked on and the book takes us back over it. A young man goes missing and 2 years later his father hires Cliff to find him. The family at the centre of the plot is extremely flawed but believable and Cliff comes up against the usual villains and cops to try and get the information he needs. There's a good mix of military history, politics, violence, sex, food, drink and humour in this book. Worth reading whether you're a Cliff Hardy fan or just want a good, light but worthy Australian mystery.
Reviewer: Angie L
COX, JOSEPHINE., Rainbow days. (Published: 2000)
This book keeps you enthralled from start to finish. Set in the early 1900's, it is a story of endearing love, heartache, murder and an ultimate happy ending.
Reviewer: Gwen
DARCY, EMMA., Who killed Camilla. (Published: 2003)
Third novel in a light crime series. Hollywood's hottest property, Camilla Page, has just finished her latest movie and has just chosen an exclusive Queensland resort as a setting for her surprise wedding to Australian camera man Jimmy Ryder. When Camilla disappears and Jimmy is killed, romance writer CJ finds herself "helping" the police including adversary Peter Turnbull in their investigations.
Reviewer: Nella
EVANOVICH, JANET., One for the money. (Published: 1994)
Want to take your mind off global warming, electricity bills etc.? Grab a copy of one of Janet Evanovich's books! You will laugh so much you'll forget any other problems!
Preferably start with this first book, One for the money. By the time you have met up with Stephanie Plum the hapless bounty hunter, her sidekick the luscious Lula and also Stephanie's mad granny who packs a pistol, you will be hooked and ready for the next title, Two for the dough!
There are fourteen books in the Stephanie Plum series so far, the last called Fearless fourteen (Pub: 2008), of which there is, as expected, a waiting list....but well worth waiting for!
Reviewer: Patricia Waite
FARRANT, NATASHA., Diving into light. (Published: 2008)
Every summer Florence goes to France to stay with her grandparents, along with an assortment of cousins. She is shy and feels a bit left out, but gradually over the years, she blossoms.
We next meet Florence as an adult living alone in London with her newborn daughter.
Why doesn't Florence want any contact with her family? What is Mimi, her grandmother, hiding from the rest of the family? And how does the secret tunnel in her grandmother's garden, used by the Resistance during World War II, bind these two women together?
This is a good read with an air of mystery about it. It took me a while to get into the book, but when I did, I really wanted to know what had happened to Mimi during the war and to Florence, to make her break off any contact with her family.
The ending was a bit of a disappointment to me, a bit too cheesy for my liking, but I still enjoyed the mystery and the main thread of the story, so it is worth reading. Farrant writes well about her characters and , for me, Florence, Mimi, Matt and Ben were really brought to life.
Reviewer: Angie
FORSYTH, KATE, 1966- , The tower of ravens. (Published: 2004)
The tower of ravens is a very good book though it is a bit tricky to understand the language in it. I would recommend to anyone to read this book and the other books in the series.
Reviewer: Oliver
HARVEY, MICHAEL T., The Chicago way. (Published: 2007)
Fast-paced, page-turning thriller and first in a series about former policeman, Michael Kelly, now a Philip Marlowe style crusading sleuth. Kelly sets out to find a brutal rapist who apparently walked out of prison nine years previously. His investigation uncovers a massive cover-up with links to a notorious serial killer on death row.
Reviewer: N. P.
HEWSON, DAVID., The garden of evil. (Published: 2008)
Sixth in the Nic Costa series - dark police thrillers set in Rome; a shabby studio, two corpses sprawled before a painting redolent of Caravaggio, a gun chase which kills Costa's wife of three months, former FBI agent Emily Deacon, a young religious Sister art expert and a strange cult.
Reviewer: Nella
HILL, REGINALD., A cure for all diseases. (Published: 2008)
After the explosion that nearly wiped out the redoubtable Superintendant Andy Dalziel, he is recovering his strength at the Avalon clinic in Sandytown, a seaside health resort.
Luckily for Andy's equanimity, a much loathed local landowner is found ruesomely murdered. While D.I. Peter Pascoe is in charge of the case during Dalziel's recovery, the wily old war-horse still manages to out-think everybody to solve the case, all the while trying not to tread on Pascoe's toes.
A great deal of this book is written in the form of emails written by another observer of events, Charlotte (Charley) Heywood, a recently qualified psychologist also staying at the Avalon clinic. Charley is a girl whose Yorkshire sense and toughness incites the admiration of the notoriously hard-to-impress Superintendant.
Other chapters are written in the form of a (hilarious) verbal diary that Dalziel commits to a dictaphone.
Throw in the Superintendant's old nemesis Franny Roote into the mix and this book wil keep you guessing.
Hill's writing is effortlessly entertaining and amusing; so much of the dialogue in this novel made me laugh out loud, especially many of Dalziel's broad Yorkshire-isms. While the book is a little slow to start, once the corpse appears on the scene, the story moves on at a cracking pace.
Reviewer: J. White
HOFFMAN, ALICE., The third angel. (Published: 2008)
Alice Hoffman has written many books, so each time a new one comes out, I wonder if she will have lost the knack of turning out a good story. The answeer is no, she hasn't.
The book covers the present time and then takes us back to London in the 1950's and 1960's. The story revolves around the Lion Park Hotel and the main characters in the book are all connected in some way to this place. We follow sisters Maddy and Allie in the present day and then go back to Allie's mother-in-law's story and then back further still to Lucy, the girls' mother's story.
Alice Hoffman has a real talent for drawing us into a story and making her characters real, flawed human beings, not story book people. The story has all the usual ingredients for a good family saga - i.e. love, sex, humour and tragedy; but Ms Hoffman offers us more than chick lit.
I thought the last part of the book was a little weak, but I can forgive Alice Hoffman for that because the rest of it was so good.
If you like Anne Tyler, you'll like Alice Hoffman.
Reviewer: Anglie L
HOLT, HAZEL., A death in the family. (Published: 2006)
Hazel Holt's Sheila Malloy has been likened to a modern day Miss Marple. There are some similarities. Sheila lives a quiet, unremarkable life in a village where she lives in happy retirement taking part in community activities. The plot is fairly simple and straightforward. There are no tricksy twists; no hidden surprises waiting to leap out of the closet. If there is a criticism, it is that the details about Sheila's life is a little too mundane. There are only so many times you can read about Sheila being asked to bake a cake for an afternoon tea and maintain interest. Having said that, A death in the family is a quick, entertaining read which will appeal to those whose crime fiction tastes are on the lighter side.
Reviewer: Judy
HOWELL, KATHERINE., Frantic. (Published: 2007)
This is the first title in the Detective Ella Marconi series by Australian author Katherine Howell. The fast-paced, action-packed story keeps you engaged from start to finish! Following the lives and dramas of the emergency services personnel in Sydney, this novel is hard to put down.
Reviewer: Kylie Embury
JACOBSON, MICHAEL, 1961- , Windmill hill. (Published: 2003)
A young architect kidnaps his grandfather, Blink Johns, from a nursing home in Launceston and drives him to Queenstown. Blink has been a champion gardener; now he is losing him mind. The narrator wants to give Blink one last chance for a dignified life. He takes him to Queenstown, the place where Angus Bain, Blink's comrade at arms in World War I, lived before the war that brought them together. Blink blames himself for Angus' death. With the help of Gemma, the owner of a boarding house, they set about creating a beautiful garden in a barren and "dead" landscape as restitution for Angus' death.
This is not soppy or sentimental but is powerfully emotional; a story of mateship, family, mental healing and care for the environment.
Reviewer: N. P.
McINERNEY, MONICA., Those Faraday girls. (Published: 2007)
Maggie Faraday grows up in a lively Hobart household with her grandfather, four aunts and her young mother, Clementine; and memories of her grandmother, Tessa, To enable Clementine to pursue her studies, the aunts make a pact that they all will live at home until Maggie turns five. Then twenty years later when Maggie is living in New York, something happens that changes everything. Her manipulative grandfather contrives to gather all the family, except one, to his holiday home in Ireland. It is there, during the traditional July Christmas celebration, that all the secrets and lies that bind the family together, but almost tear them apart, are revealed to Maggie.
Since Monica McInerney is such a superb storyteller, the 633 pages fly by quickly.
Reviewer: Marion S.
MARKE, A. C. T., Love on the run: a Temlett Conibeer story. (Published: 2008)
This is a really good read; very humorous and you learn a lot about New Guinea (Papua). I highly recommend this book. Has very funny incidents etc.
Reviewer: Margaretha E. Eker
MILNER, DONNA., After River. (Published: 2008)
Natalie Ward grows up on a dairy farm in British Columbia in the 1960's. She is surrounded by a loving family and they seem to have the perfect life.
One day, Richard (River) Jordan arrives at the farm. He is a young American draft dodger and he endears himself to the whole family, even Dad, who resists his charms at first.
On evening, it all changes. I won't say more than that, but you must read it. Natalie is now an adult and she returns to the town she grew up in as her mother lays dying, and she must face her demons.
This is a family sage but with a difference I think. It's not entirely predictable, or cheesy, and the characters are flawed and believable.
I think it's a beautifully written book and worth the effort.
Reviewer: Angie L.
ROBINSON, PETER, 1950- , Titles: In a dry season. (Pub: 1999); Cold is the grave. (Pub: 2000)
When my sister suggested I read a detective novel, I was not very interested. However, Peter Robinson soon had me going back to the bookcase looking for "another".
The stories he weaves are gripping, his characters real and well portrayed, and the twists and turns of the plots keep me guessing to the end. I am now looking for yet "another" and there are plenty to choose from.
Reviewer: Marge
ROBOTHAM, MICHAEL., Bombproof. (Published: 2008)
Written especially for the Books Alive 2008 promotion, this psychological thriller is sure to encourage young men to read. It is fast-paced and full of adventure. I read it in one day as I could not put it down. The reader can only feel sorry for the unfortunate Sami Macbeth who, in the first place, does nothing wrong, but becomes the most wanted man in England. The London tube bombings come to mind as the story follows Sami's travels around the city in his bid to escape those who are hunting him down.
Reviewer: Marion
ROBOTHAM, MICHAEL., Titles: The suspect. (Pub: 2004); Lost. (Pub: 2005); The night ferry. (Pub: 2007); Shatter. (Pub: 2008)
These 4 extremely riveting and occasionally very touching thrillers set in Britain form a series linked together by main characters who appear in each, either in minor or central roles.
Lost features DI Vincent Ruiz who is middle aged and part Romany. In this novel he is not even officially assigned to the case he is working on, and also has temporary amnesia. Helping him to work things out is the author's favourite character, the psychologist Prof Joseph O'Loughlin (Joe). Joe is the centrepiece of 2 of the novels and in one, The Suspect, is pursued as a possible killer by Ruiz.
The Night Ferry stars DC Alisha Barba who is working as a diplomatic guard whilst recuperating from an on-duty accident which occurred when she was working with Ruiz. Barba is an unusual heroine as she is Sikh-British. The author paints an entrancing, colourful and believable portrait of her and her Sikh parents and brothers.
One of the strengths of Robotham's writing is that Ruiz, Barba and O'Loughlin are all characters that are fully drawn with their strenghts and their weaknesses. They are easy to identify with and seem very human. I like all three and cannot choose a favourite.
The plots of the novels are dark of course and there are some very nasty villains; the crimes are gruesome and you may wish to skip quickly through these sections if you have any sense.
A highlight of these books for me is Robotham's understanding of the human heart and mind and his insights into the work of his psychologist, Joe. The Suspect is worth reading simply for the introductory pages in which Joe is trying to talk an adolescent into not committing suicide, or for the 6 pages that tell the story of Joe and his Aunt Gracie. Gracie's life inspired Joe to study psychology.
Reviewer: Jane W.
WALLNER, MICHAEL, 1958- , April in Paris. (Published: 2007)
Corporal Michael Roth, a translator, is sent to Paris to help the Germans in dealing with resistance fighters. He tries to separate his life from his work by wandering around Paris in civilian clothing. His impeccable French allows him a freedom few others can enjoy. When he falls in love with a bookseller's daughter, he has to choose between duty, life and destiny. This love story will haunt you long after you finish reading it.
Reviewer: Nella
WATERS, SARAH, 1966- , The night watch. (Published: 2006)
Sarah Waters, the widely-renowned wordsmith of three previous novels set in the late 1800s and with lesbian themes - Tipping the velvet (Pub: 1998), Affinity (1999), and Fingersmith (2002) - has made a brave step away with The night watch.
Set in 1940s wartime London, and with no particular protagonist, she has used four years of meticulous research to make the novel as historically correct as the others. Unlike her past work though, The night watch has a very new kind of structure. Starting in 1947, we are introduced to the five main characters, each scarred by the war. Kay has become reclusive since the war's end - she was an ambulance driver, nightly seeing the true horrors of battle - and searches the streets, dressed like a man. Helen works at a match-making agency and is becoming painfully aware that her love for Julia is becoming unrequitted. Julia is a mystery novelist, who although clever and warm, is private, aloof and often unintentionally hurtful. Working with Helen is Viv, a glamorous but secretive young woman who continues a six-year affair with a married soldier, but feels something changing. Viv's brother is Duncan, a meek and troubled man fresh out of prison and having trouble adjusting.
From there on the book moves to 1944, revealing more of the story through the noise and terror of the war. Kay is with Helen - who meets Julia, Kay's ex-lover. Duncan is suffering in his four-year prison term (for what, we are not told until the end), and Viv is meeting Reggie, her soldier, in various hotels across the city. This second part of the novel is the longest and where the characters are truly revealed. The third section, 1941, is a chapter's length and fills in gaps.
Personally, I can't say this is my favourite Waters novel - only because it does not have the gothic romance of Fingersmith, but it is, however, showing her growing talent in character development, and for once includes a man as a protagonist. Still, though, I have the same problems believing that a character such as Kay would be lucky enough to find such a number of female lovers in succession, especially 60 years ago, and the fact that they are all acquaintances is a little too coincidental. Then again, the writer is a lesbian herself and researches her settings so thoroughly; I suppose she would know better than myself.
Despite that, compared to her previous novels, the characters are far more human and easier to relate with - dealing with modern troubles and in a world closer to our own. The splitting of this book into three parts, (each three years apart) is a clever one, but it still makes the ending ambiguous (for instance, the book ends when Helen meets Kay, possibly implying her fate was sealed from then on). I kept flicking back to the beginning to find the full picture. You are given the ending first but keep reading to discover whether it was happy or not. Only a writer truly confident in the strength of her characters could pull it off, and Waters does.
Reviewer: Robyn Kemp
Are we there yet?: Rach and Jules take to the open road / Weiss, Rachael, 1964- , and Adams, Julie. (Published: 2005) 910.4 WEI
Rach and Jules, two thirty-something single girls set out on a road trip from Sydney for two weeks contemplating the big issues of life and having fun drinking and pampering themselves. As this light-hearted, amusing chick-lit travelogue unfolds, the girls realize that maybe being single is not so bad after all. But it doesn't stop them from thinking about the next date!
Reviewer: Marion
Designing handcrafted cards: step-by-step techniques for crafting 60 beautiful cards: paper quilling, decorative cutting, piercing, embossing, folding, layering, weaving and more! / Choi, Claire Sun-ok. (Published: c2004) 745.5941 CHO
This step-by-step card making book is one of the best I have read (so far!). The cards are beautiful but not complicated and the instructions are clearly written for even a beginner to understand.
Reviewer: Gwen
In Tasmania / Shakespeare, Nicholas. (Published: c2004) 994.6 SHA
Nicholas Shakespeare's discovery of his ancestor, Anthony Fenn Kemp, takes him on a journey throughout Tasmania and beyond tracing his forebear's footsteps. It is intriguing that, at the beginning of settlement in Australia, this ubiquitous rogue turns up in Sydney, York Town and Hobart. Shakespeare weaves a wide-ranging story merging his extended family history with other stories and events in Tasmania. I feel that the middle of the book becomes a little too bogged down as the author grapples with the Tasmanian Aboriginal question. But overall it is an enlightening book and well worth reading, especially for those with an interest in Tasmania.
Reviewer: Marion S.
Marley and me: life and love with the world's worst dog / Grogan, John, 1957- (Published: 2006) 636.7527 GRO
Marley and me is a great, intriguing book. It's all about a dog's life from the day he was born to the day he found it hard to walk and had to be put down.
This book will make you laugh, cry and wonder how naughty one dog can actually be. He is a dog like no other and it's a story you'll never forget.
If anyone ever gets the chance they should read it. It's a story everyone will love. I recommend it to ages 13+ but if younger children want to read it, there is an adapted version called Marley: a dog like no other.
The author, John Grogan is the owner of Marley. He now lives in Pennsylvania with his wife Jenny and their three children. He has written many other books including Bad dogs have more fun and The dog behaviour answer book.
Reviewer: Sarah Goss
Me, myself and Prague: an unreliable guide to Bohemia / Weiss, Rachael, 1964- (Published: 2008) 914.3712 WEI
When Rachael Weiss was almost forty, she decided to quit her job as a secretary in Sydney and move to Prague for a year. She dreamed of a romantic Bohemian life as an artist living in an attic overlooking the Charles Bridge while creating the next "great Australian novel". In reality she resided in a suburban flat, did not write a novel, and failed to find love. But she did discover herself and her extended family; and her passion for the Czech Republic persuaded her to pen this entertaining book of her experiences. It brought back memories for me, as the author describes vividly the Czech people and places just as I recall them. The beautiful old city of Prague, wonderful Cesky Krumlov and the spa town of Marienbad (Marianske Lazne) are all here, with her quirky friends thrown in too, along with the beer, potatoes and rude checkout chicks.
Reviewer: Marion
100 strangest unexplained mysteries / Lamy, Matt. (Published: 2004) 001.94 LAM
This is a really interesting book. I personally found it quite spine chilling. As the name explains, it has 100 unexplained mysteries ranging from ghost stories to beasts and mystical places.
The scariest story that I read would have to be "moth man", which was a story about a creature that abducted animals and attempted to eat or disturb human beings. He was twice the size of a normal man and had huge wings like a moth and he was all brown, apart from two glowing red eyes.
This book gave me an excellent understanding of some of the really scary stories that are out there; some I'd never heard of, and some really chilled me to the bone!
I encourage as many people as possible to read this book. It is truly amazing!
Reviewer: Emma Hodge
The spiral staircase: a memoir / Armstrong, Karen, 1944- (Published: 2004) 920 ARM
The British author Karen Armstrong is a former Catholic nun who still views herself as an outsider to wider society. Her passion is studying and writing about world religions; her book A History of God was a great success in the USA. Post September 11th 2001, she became a spokesperson for Islam as she didn't want to see that religion associated only with the acts of a few extremists. Yet she herself now follows no faith; her guiding philosophy is "the science of compassion".
The spiral staircase is the story of Armstrong's life post-convent (1969 to 2004). It replaces an earlier more commercial, glossier work Beginning the World, which Armstrong wishes had never seen the light of day. Staircase is certainly an intellectual and reflective work. The author indulges in a lot of self-analysis but it is necessary. Shining through the book is a sense of optimism and wonder and an acceptance of the ups and downs of her life. A number of times, Armstrong reached the end of one venture without any obvious path to take to the next one. Not surprisingly, this was pretty confronting to endure. Her writing is honest and at times delightful. The description of her relationship with Jacob, an autistic child and also her adventures on her first visit to the Holy Land when filming for British TV are two highlights of the book. The title is taken from the staircase in TS Eliot's sequence of poems Ash-Wednesday.
Reviewer: Jane Wilson
Things the grandchildren should know / Everett, Mark Oliver. (Published: 2008) 781.066 EVE
Mark Everett, 45, aka E, is the founder of the alternative rock band The Eels. His father, Hugh, who lived with him but virtually never spoke to him, was a brilliant physicist who formulated the concept of parallel universes. This memoir is about tragedy writ large. E is the only survivor of his small nuclear family.
The book is a rivetting, enjoyable read. Every work feels authentic and it's a privilege to share E's insights on death, compassion, love and life. Even better, E has a wonderful, dry, wacky sense of humour. His ability to understand himself and forgive his parents (a term to be used loosely in E's case) shines through the book. Creative, artistic readers will relate to E's driving passion for music and songwriting which keeps him sane through innumerable dark times.
Essential reading for parents of teenagers, older teens and for baby boomers faced with the responsibility of caring for elderly parents.
Reviewer: Jane Wilson
The wild ride: revolutions that shaped Tasmanian black-and-white wilderness photography: from the sublime to the skyline / Haygarth, Nic. (Published c2008) 778.936 HAY
This beautifully illustrated book has been published as a result of two State Library of Tasmania fellowships. It celebrates the early Tasmanian photographers whose stunning views in black and white promoted tourism, conservation and the creation of reserves. Photographers such as the Anson brothers, John Watt Beattie, Fred Smithies and Stephen Spurling II and III, went to extreme lengths to capture the picturesque and sublime images in remote areas of Tasmania.
Reviewer: Marion
ADORNETTO, ALEXANDRA., The shadow thief. (Published: 2007)
Millipop Klompet lives in the bleak, bland town of Drabville where all the people are supposed to wear the same thing and are not allowed to have fun. But Milli wants out. Her friend Ernest Perriclof feels less the need for adventure, although his friendship with Milli finds him without a choice.
When Milli takes Ernest on the adventure of their lives to a house that lies beyond the town park, neither Milli nor Ernest anticipated how far this adventure will take them. Soon after entering the house, they find themselves being held captive in this unorthodox, bizarrre house owned by the town mayor and an aging wizard known as Aldor, who has stolen all the shadows from the residents of Drabville. With the help of an anxious flamingo, the mayor's unruly daughter and a familiar stranger, Milli and Ernest take it upon themselves to set the shadows free and restore individualism to the city.
The shadow thief would be an enjoyable read for all ages. It is funny and exciting but I advise you to have a dictionary present when reading because of the array of words and constant fantastical vocabulary.
Reviewer: Hannah Porsbro-Pedersen
BUCKLEY-ARCHER, LINDA., The tar man. (Published: 2007)
I read this book a few months ago. It was about two teenagers time-travelling to 1763. The Tar Man lived in 1763, but then travelled to a new time. One of the teenagers got stuck in 1763 and the other did everything she could to get him back to their time. The tar man, written by Linda Buckley-Archer is the second book (in the series The enlightenment of Peter Schock) and the first book is called Gideon the cutpurse.
The book is very interesting and if you are into time travel and adventure, then this book is for you!
Reviewer: Kimberley Goldsworthy
DELANEY, JOSEPH, 1945- , Revenge of the witch. (Series: The last apprentice; 1) (Published: 2005)
Thomas Ward is almost 13 years old and is the seventh son of a seventh son. His parents look for an apprenticeship for their youngest son, as there is not enough work on the family farm. "Old Gregory" is again looking for an apprentice "Spook" (he has already been through 29 others!) who must be the seventh son of a seventh son - thus possessing some second sight.
A spook has the responsibility of ridding the local county of ghosts, disgusting boggarts and bloodthirsty witches. The trade unfortunately means that people tend to avoid spooks, and thus it is a lonely life. Tom befriends Alice, a girl with pointy shoes (apparently not a good sign) - will this work to his advantage or his disadvantage?
The last apprentice will see Tom go through some truly hair-raising experiences as he learns what being a spook is all about. Can he make it? More to the point, does he want to?
Contains lots of icky, ghoulish, bloodthirsty details, if you like that kind of thing!
Reviewer: Jane White
FENTON, CORINNE., The dog on the tuckerbox. (Published: 2008)
A beautifully illustrated, simple retelling of the legend of Bullocky Bill and his faithful dog, Lady. What happened to Bill is left unspoken; instead, children and their parents are left with an enduring image of patience and faithfulness.
Reviewer: N. P.
ALEXIE, SHERMAN., The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. (Published: 2007)
Hilarious, poignant and heart warming. An award winner that young people will want to read!
Arnold Spirit Jnr is a fourteen year old Spokane Indian living on a reservation. His family is poor; his parents are drunks. He asks them "who has the most hope?" They answer simultaneously "white people". After a disquieting talk with his maths teacher, Mr P., Arnold decides to go to school in Reardan, the racist town just outside the reservation.
Reviewer: Nella Pickup
McNAB, ANDY., Titles: Boy Soldier; Payback; and Avenger. (Boy Soldier series Published: 2005; 2006)
I came across these books by chance when looking at the new additions shelves in the Youth Section. What a good find! Anyone who enjoyed the Alex Rider Stormbreaker series by Anthony Horowitz will enjoy these books. In fact I enjoyed them more because, apart from no. 3, Avenger, they seemed to be describing events that could be real and not focusing so much on the evil genius scenario.
The heros of the books are orphan Danny and his grandfather Fergus, a former crack SAS officer who has been branded a traitor and is in hiding in Britain. Fergus initiates his grandson into SAS methods. Their adventures on the run, their covert operations and their pursuit of villains seem very authentic because they appear to use genuine SAS techniques eg. SOP (standard operating procedure), ERV (emergency rendevous) etc etc. These abbreviations are explained in the books and listed in the glossary.
The books are short and very hard to put down. They are made more intriguing by the fact that one of the writers was a SAS soldier, highly decorated in the Gulf War. His name is a pseudonym, only silhouette photos are available and he is in hiding from terrorist groups around the world. He was an orphan himself, having been abandoned as a baby in a carry bag on the steps of Guy's Hospital, London.
5 stars out of 5 *****!!
Reviewer: Jane W.
MORRISON, GRANT., Titles: Animal Man Vol 1: Animal Man; Animal Man Vol 2: Origin of the species; Animal Man Vol 3: Deus ex machina. (Graphic novels)
Originally published in the late 1980s, Grant Morrison re-imaged a lame 60s second-rate hero into a book that challenged social issues on animal rights as well as telling a story that became increasingly metaphysical metatextual.
Buddy Baker is an "out" superhero. He doesn't have a secret identity but still goes by the name Animal Man; his wife and children are aware of what he does; his friends and neighbours all know who he is. Buddy is able to "borrow" the abilities of animals: a bird's flight, the strength of a rhino, the smell of a bloodhound.
His story starts out with him coming up against the usual run of two-bit supervillains but gradually he is made aware of the terrible predicament of live animal experimentation and whaling. Joining up with a band of animal liberationists he raids labs to free animals and tries to stop a dolphin hunt in the Faroe Islands that is being done in the name of "cultural heritage".
During all this Buddy seeks the origin of his super powers. His memories of finding a crashed alien spacecraft and being exposed to radiation don't seem to tally. In New Mexico, on the advice of a Native American shaman, he takes peyote mushrooms and has strange visions that culminate in Buddy's realisation that he may be a fictional character. At the critical moment he slowly turns his head back over his shoulder and looks directly out of the page at the reader shouting, "My god! I can see you!" Stuff that makes your spine tingle!
Morrison has done a fantastic job of making us care for Buddy and his family. We see them at their best and their worst. Gradually the superheroics become secondary to what happens to Buddy, but not in a soap opera way. All the emotions are played for real rather than a cheap thrill.
It's no wonder that Glasgow born Morrison is ranked up there with Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore when it comes to graphic novels!
Reviewer: Derek
