My name is Alison Porter and I began my life, in 1958, in Bridport, Dorset. My parents had grown up in Dorset, and their parents before them. My dad worked in the local bank and my mum did repairs and alterations for a nearby dressmaker. My brother, Michael, was four years older than me. We … Continue reading Alison | Lizzy Stewart #GraphicNovel
Marie Curie is one of my personal heroes. Ever since my Year 12 science depth-study on her, (which incidentally helped me to top the class and receive my one and only first-in-class medal) I have been constantly drawn to her story. As part of my depth-study research, I read Ève Curie's bio about her mother, … Continue reading Marie Curie & Her Daughters | Imogen & Isobel Greenberg
After thoroughly enjoying my time with Charlie, and his new boyfriend Nick in Heartstopper Vol 1, I knew I had to complete the trilogy to see how things turned out for them. Heartstopper Vols 2 & 3 shows that being in love is pretty easy for these two sweet guys. The hard part is coming out … Continue reading Heartstopper Vol 2 & 3 | Alice Oseman #GraphicNovel
How can someone so young be so successful already? Alice Oseman has been a YA publishing sensation for 6 years now. She was only 19 when her debut YA novel, Solitaire first appeared. Solitaire is narrated by Tori Spring 'a pessimistic...teenage speed skater with a penchant for solving mysteries'. The story is all about her, … Continue reading Heartstopper Vol 1 | Alice Oseman #GraphicNovel
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Invention of Nature, comes a breathtakingly illustrated and brilliantly evocative recounting of Alexander von Humboldt’s five–year expedition in South America. Humboldt (1769-1859) was an intrepid explorer and the most famous scientist of his age. His restless life was packed with adventure and discovery, but his most … Continue reading The Adventures of Alexander von Humboldt by Andrea Wulf & Lillian Melcher
The run into Christmas and the silly season, leaves me tired, frazzled and depleted most years. This year I'm attempting a calmer, kinder approach. As a first line of defence I started interspersing junior fiction reads amongst my regular reads several weeks ago. I've been saving all the interesting looking ones for months now, so … Continue reading Australian Junior Fiction Catch Up
This is one graphic novel that really packs a punch. The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman is one man's journey to understand what happened to his father during WWII. It's obvious from the opening pages that what happened to Vladek during the war had a huge impact on everything that came after. His marriages, his … Continue reading The Complete Maus | Art Spiegelman
Smile and Sisters have been two very popular books at work with 11-14 year old girls. Now I see why. Raina Telgemeier has created two very personal, engaging stories from two significant events in her pre-teen years. Smile details her rather horrific orthodontic work, while Sisters not only features her relationship with her younger sister, … Continue reading Smile & Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
I'm glad this is a book I don't actually need right now. What To Do When I'm Gone: A Mother's Wisdom to Her Daughter is exactly what it says it is. When Hallie had one of those moments during her early twenties when she suddenly realised that one day her mum would die, she felt … Continue reading What To Do When I’m Gone by Suzy Hopkins & Hallie Bateman
I love this series of early readers so very, very much.It's clever. It's fun. And it's a little subversive. It also follows the golden rule that a truly great, entertaining children's book is a truly great, entertaining book for adults as well.Apocalypse Meow is the fourth book in Blabey's Bad Guys series.We last saw our … Continue reading The Bad Guys Episode 4 Apocalypse Meow by Aaron Blabey
To my mind, Aaron Blabey can do no wrong!His series of early readers featuring four of literature's bad guys trying to make good is consistently funny, smart and unexpected.In Episode 3 The Furball Strikes Back, we find our four +1 bad guys coming face-to-face with the baddest, most evil of all creatures - Dr Rupert Marmalade, … Continue reading The Bad Guys Episode 3 The Furball Strikes Back by Aaron Blabey
Katie @Doing Dewey is hosting a challenge throughout February to encourage us to read a genre we tend to avoid.This month I am reading graphic novels and discussing what keeps me from reading more books in this genre.Today's discussion topic is "It's Complicated".The idea is to discuss what has kept us from reading more of our … Continue reading Reluctant Romantic – It’s Complicated
Katie @Doing Dewey is hosting a Reluctant Romantic challenge throughout February. The idea is to embrace a genre that you normally avoid.Our first post is called Genre Speed Dating - what genre are you getting to know this month? Why do you want to give it a chance?February is going to be graphic novel month on … Continue reading Reluctant Romantic – Graphic Novels
"Go be a hero"What a great line.Sadly for The Bad Guys (Mr Wolf, Snake, Piranha and Shark) their idea to show the world that they are, in fact, good guys hasn't quite gone to plan. News reports of their first event have completely misrepresented what actually happened.They decide they need to do something more dramatic … Continue reading The Bad Guys Episode 2 Mission Unpluckable by Aaron Blabey
Do you have a reluctant reader in your house?Then I may have found the perfect book for you to tempt them with.Aaron Blabey has ventured away from picture book territory into early reader land with The Bad Guys: Episode One.In an attempt to convince us all that the Big Bad Wolf is simply misunderstood, Blabey … Continue reading The Bad Guys Episode One by Aaron Blabey
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