Tommy had intended to spend the last night at the old house sweating through three shirts and four pairs of underwear. I cannot remember the last time I devoured a book in a weekend. However, Michael Thompson has written an engaging, easy-to-read story with a fascinating premise that I couldn't put down. How To Be … Continue reading How To Be Remembered | Michael Thompson #AUSfiction
When I was ten, I would have devoured this gem of a book, several times over! The Secret Library of Hummingbird House features a mysterious old house, a secret book and time travel (amusingly, back in time to the 1970's when I was ten)! What's not to love?Especially when it's all wrapped up with a very … Continue reading The Secret Library of Hummingbird House | Julianne Negri #AWW
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
I thoroughly enjoyed The Bones Clocks and have recommended it to many, many people who have never read a David Mitchell before. I found The Bone Clocks to be very accessible and not as dense or as incomprehensible as his earlier works (I attempted to read Cloud Atlas and The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de … Continue reading Slade House | David Mitchell
One of the things I enjoy about reading Stephen King is the connections.King has created three fictional towns based in Maine that reappear regularly in his books - Derry, Jerusalem's Lot & Castle Rock.Many of the characters from these towns also pop up in unexpected places.Pennywise the Clown & Randall Flagg are two that cross … Continue reading 11/22/63 by Stephen King
It's Monday, but I have nothing new to add to this blogging week.Life is still crazy, busy.And I'm still reading Testament of Youth & The Brain's Way of Healing.ToY is extraordinary - moving & desperate, beautifully written, but it's a slow, thoughtful read and I usually only manage to read a couple of chapters in … Continue reading Back to Blackbrick by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald
Following a scalding row with her mother, fifteen-year-old Holly Sykes slams the door on her old life. But Holly is no typical teenage runaway: a sensitive child once contacted by voices she knew only as “the radio people,” Holly is a lightning rod for psychic phenomena. Now, as she wanders deeper into the English countryside, … Continue reading The Bone Clocks | David Mitchell
I haven't read a lot of teen/YA fiction lately - it has been boring me to tears to be perfectly honest.Which is difficult, when it's my job to read children's book!Thank goodness then, for Meg Wolitzer and Belzhar.I was reluctantly, then wholeheartedly, drawn into this sad world of teens with 'issues' and their special school, … Continue reading Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer
This weeks Friday Flashback is a modern day classic that regularly features on school reading lists and 'must-read' Australian books lists.It won the CBCA award for older readers back in 1981.And it was made into a movie in 1986 (see below).Ruth Park wrote novels for adults and children. She was born in New Zealand but moved to Australia when … Continue reading Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park
I've decide to write three reviews for Murakami's trilogy (even though they're presented in English in one huge book) as a way to give me a breather between each one. I've never read any Murakami before so I wasn't even sure if I would like it, his style, the translation - anything! And I knew absolutely nothing … Continue reading 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
Phyllis Wong and the Forgotten Secrets of Mr Okyto is a fun mystery story. Phyllis is into magic and she has a knack for it. Her great-grandfather was a world famous magician who disappeared mysteriously; Phyllis has obviously inherited his abilities. Phyllis also fancies herself as a bit of a super-sleuth. So when the lady in … Continue reading Phyllis Wong and the Forgotten Secrets of Mr Okyto | Geoffrey McSkimming
For young girls who love their EJ 12 books comes a new series about a time-travelling 11 year old - Arkie Sparkle Treasure Hunter.Arkie's parents are archaeologists, hence her name! The series begins when Arkie's parents are kidnapped and Arkie is left a series of clues and challenges - she must find seven treasures across … Continue reading Arkie Sparkle Treasure Hunter | Petra James
Apparently this is a German trilogy recently translated into English...I couldn't tell at all, especially as most of it was set in London. The story raced along smoothly, with lots of action and funny dialogue. I found the time travel parts more interesting than the time spent at school. But the early school scenes obviously … Continue reading Girl About Time Ruby Red | Kerstin Gier
This is obviously the summer of the light teen romance, because here is another one! It's 1996 and Emma gets a new computer from her Dad complete with Windows 95. Her neighbour and best friend, Josh gives her a CD-Rom for free online access. But when she sets up her email account and logs on...Emma ends … Continue reading The Future of Us | Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
I'm not sure where to start with The Double Shadow. I almost gave up after the first few chapters - I felt they were unnecessarily obtuse and difficult. But Sally Gardner's reputation made me pick it up again a few days later. And I was hooked. A memory story will always suck me in and one written … Continue reading The Double Shadow | Sally Gardner
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