Literary Brooding

All these Perfect Strangers - Aoife Clifford Advanced reading copy - March 1st 2016 by Simon & Schuster AU I was provided with an advanced copy by All these Perfect Strangers by NetGalley for an honest review. A young woman with a complicated past attempts to secure a new future but as she undertakes treatment truth and lies weave together in a clever thriller. Penelope has returned home after attending her first year at University, to a town that she hates and where a great number of people hate her. In an attempt to help her resolve and discuss her feelings about events that have occurred, her psychiatrist encourages Pen to commit to paper the story of what has occurred. We soon learn that Pen is linked to a series of murders that have been committed at University and we learn of an earlier incident as well. This is fast paced and you are quickly devouring the words on the page. I knocked this book over in a day and I really did not want to put the novel down. You are fro

My Brilliant Friend - Elena Ferrante Kindle Edition, 336 pages Published July 24th 2013 by Text Publishing A story of friendship between two young women that is forged through poverty, violence, family expectations  and discovering love. This is a powerful novel that resonates the difficulties of friendship as you mature. The doubts of having a close friend who you come to rely on and the anxieties of finding your own place in the world. Ferrante writes with great beauty, capturing the world her characters inhabit with great realism and you can vividly picture the streets, the shops that they walk through. The characters that she has created are flawed, beautiful and ugly. It is their ugliness I found the most compelling as it you appreciate their motivations. There are also insights which come as shock when the age of the parents is revealed and you realise that this is a cycle of behaviour. There is a great deal to like about the novel, it is richly detailed and the chara

Well someone has not been updating the blog due to a number of reasons but the biggest excuse is life. Sometimes it just gets in the way. There were some real highlights Lynda LaPlante's Tennison, Geraldine Brook's The Secret Chord and Robert Galbraith's Career of Evil. So here are the books I have worked my way through. Restless - William Boyd Paperback, 336 pages, Published 2007 by Bloomsbury I have not read any of William Boyd’s works before and thought it was about time I took the plunge. The selection of Fearless was based on purely the blurb that a mother announces to her daughter that she was a spy during World War II. Eva Delectorskaya/Sally Gilmartin is an intriguing character as a young woman thrust into a world of espionage. You are drawn into her story as she slowly hands to her daughter Ruth the chapters of her life. Ruth is struggling with her life, trying to balance being a single mother, teaching foreign students and trying to complete her degree.

Numero Zero - Umberto Eco Expected publication: November 3rd 2015 by Houghton Mifflin Numero Zero starts with a man, who we later know as Colonna worried almost to the point of paranoia as to the reason why there is no water coming from his tap. Colonna ponders about who turned off the tap and why did they do it. Whereas the reader is wondering why is this person so bothered about such an insignificant event? Then Eco begins to unravel the story as you go back to learn about a newspaper in name only, that ‘produces’ stories that will never go into publication, a romance and a conspiracy theory about Mussolini that has everyone involved. This is the part where I start the review and this is the part that I am struggling with for the simple reason I do not know what to make of what I read. There were parts I enjoyed and parts I thought would never end. There were the wonderful descriptions of character ‘She was slim and spoke with cautious gaiety’ and place ‘this vast res

Criminal - Karin Slaughter Paperback, 448 pages,  Published July 1st 2012 by Century Have not read any of Karin Slaughter's Will Trent series before so coming in at book six does require a little bit of catch up but the book easily read be as a stand alone. Will Trent's past has caught up with him and he really does not know how to react to the events that are unfolding around him. Slaughter knows the dark side of human nature and creates characters that lift off the page. She creates macabre crimes and knows how to keep you guessing. You jump back and forwards through time as you unravel the crime and understand the characters more. At the start this seem to make the novel a bit disjointed and difficult as a reader to get into. Once you get over those early chapters it is a really engaging read. For more information on Karin Slaughter check out her website

Monkey Grip – Helen Garner Hardcover, 363 pages Published November 20th 2013 by Penguin Books  (first published January 1st 1977) I have read two of Garner’s works previously being Joe Cinque's Consolation, A True Story of Death, Grief and the Law and This House of Grief. Both books are examinations of true crime and compelling read but Monkey Grip is the first fictional novel of Garner’s that I have read. Set in 1970s Melbourne, Victoria, Helen Garner captures a time where there is no internet, no mobile phones, no automatic teller machines and leaving notes as an explanation was the norm.  Unemployment is real, struggling to live is real, access to cars is limited but people find a way to enjoy life. They go dancing, they go to the local baths, they ride bikes, visit the markets and visiting families and friends. While it could come across as idyllic there is two main conflicts the drugs and relationships especially with Javo.  It is a world that is now alien to many and o

Close Your Eyes Michael Robotham Paperback , 392 pages Published August 2015 by Sphere I have never read a Michael Robotham novel and after ‘Close your Eyes’ I will be picking up the seven other books in the series. This is a cracking read, can be read as a standalone, is full of twists and turns with a great lead character. Joe O’Loughlin is a clinical psychologist who is struggling to cope with his physical limitations and a desire to reunite with his family. He is trying to leave behind a career that has almost destroyed him and along comes a phone call that throws him back into the deep end. A mother and daughter are found murdered in a remote farmhouse and what seems to be isolated event turns into a complex investigation. Robotham’s writing is sharp and concise, he keeps the story moving along and engaging. I was drawn into the novel and it is a cliché but it’s true, this is a real page turner. The characters Robotham has created are well fo

The Grey Raider John Flanagan Paperback , 512 pages Published July 1st 2015 by Transworld Publishers   Two Captains, two ships - go head to head in a rip roaring battle fought on land and sea. During the Civil War the Confederates are relying on the CSS Manassas and Captain Pelle to disrupt the Union supply lines by sinking ships and making sea travel as perilous as possible. Pelle’s success on the sea pushes up insurance rates and the Union needs to stop him. The Union turns to Captain Stacey of the USS Oswego. A man who is bull headed but determined to succeed at any cost to sink the Manassas. Adding to the intrigue Stacey and Pelle have a history that makes the battle very personal. What a cracking read, action packed, intense and an intriguing battle of wits between two very different men. There is a lot to like about Flanagan’s Grey Raider. Flanagan has done his research and he seamlessly takes you into this wonderful nautical world. You really

Dangerous Lies - Becca Fitzpatrick Kindle Edition, 400 pages Expected publication: November 10th 2015 by Simon & Schuster Becca Fitzpatrick has a bit of a following as young adult writer with her ‘Hush. Hush’ series. In her latest offering of Dangerous Lies, Fitzpatrick will certainly keep her legion of fans glued to the pages. Having witnessed a brutal crime Estella is renamed Stella and finds herself bundled into witness protection, cut off from a life she loves and ripped away from Reid her true love. Stella is not sure things could get much worse until she finds herself stuck in Thunder Basin, Nebraska which is a backwater town. What is meant to be a safe haven becomes a world of trouble for Stella who finds that she continually swimming against the tide. Not only does she have to contend with a criminal trying to ensure she does not testify, a local town bully takes an instant dislike and then there is Chet Falconer. He makes Stella question all she believes is true an

Go Set a Watchman - Harper Lee Hardcover, 278 pages,  Published July 14th 2015 by Harper There is a lot to take in and I will do a longer review later but these are my first thoughts on the book. What happens when all you believe, all you trust is found not be to true? How do you align the memories of the past with the reality of now? This is what confronts Jean-Louise when she returns to Maycomb for a two week break from New York. Each time she returns Jean-Louise notices a change in the town and the people, nothing too major but the changes are unsettling. This time she is aware that the relationships between the townspeople have changed and that the 'negroes' are treated with suspicion and fear. It is almost like a coming of age story but accepting that sometimes the people we consider as Gods have faults and fears of their own that we overlook. Jean-Louise is still feisty and willing to verbally duel with just about anyone. She finds herself caught between worlds

Tom Houghton - Todd Alexander Paperback, 295 pages, Expected publication: October 1 2015 by Simon & Schuster AU  Escaping the school yard bullying and the dramas of home, young Tom Houghton turns to golden age of Hollywood cinema. Whereas older Tom Houghton has turned 40, is starring in a gender role reversal of ‘Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf’ and struggling with his identity. I was provided with a copy from NetGalley for a review. I was pleasantly surprised by this novel and its complexity. The story is told by 12 year old Tom ad 40 year old Tom and the cross over in narrative is easy to follow. Older Tom at 40 is a mess, he has no self-worth, is prone to acts of self-destruction and is trying to maintain a relationship with his daughter. The younger Tom is self-obsessed, highly intelligent and fixated on being something better than the school bullies.  As you move between the viewpoint of young and old Tom both voices are engaging. It is younger Tom’s story that really co

That thing called life has got in the way of some serious reading which has meant I have fallen behind in posting up reviews. So this is a catch up post. The Seed Collectors - Scarlett Thomas Hardcover, 384 pages, Published July 2nd 2015 by Canongate Aunt Oleander has died and as the family gathers to remember and mourn, the secrets begin to emerge. This is a complex story that deals with family and is difficult to review. I was provided a copy by Netgalley. On one hand I was completely absorbed by the writing, the descriptions are fantastic, all the senses are captured and you are drawn into the novel. Yet at times I felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of characters who are trying to bring their narrative to the fore. At times I was not sure whose view point I was reading and it would take me some time to determine which character it was. The story jumps all over the place and then there is peppered throughout random pieces on topics like philosophy. All the characters

The Closers - Michael Connelly Paperback, 432 pages Published October 2nd 2006 by Grand Central Publishing I have read a couple of Michael Connelly's novels before and I was impressed by the Poet that I had read many years ago. I have mot followed the Harry Bosch series at all and what I have read has been out of order. This is no exception as I have picked up book 11. Bosch has had three years away from the police force and has returned to join the Open/Unsolved Crimes team. His first case with partner Kiz Rider they are looking at the death of 16 year old girl. Connelly is masterful in plotting the story, allowing you to follow Bosch's reasoning and every clue is there for you to find. There is a bit of misdirection as Bosch sometimes goes down the wrong rabbit hole but he eventually comes back to discovering the truth. The writing is tight and the descriptions are wonderful, it is a great piece of escapism. You can read this book as a stand alone with no problems

Mind Games - Teri Terry Paperback, 448 pages  Published March 5th 2015 by Orchard Books It is not often I start writing a book review half way through but in the case of Teri Terry’s Mind Games I feel compelled to. The reason why? I am not sure if I want to continue reading the story. I will finish the story but it is a struggle. I was lucky enough to be provided with an advanced copy by Net Galley for an honest review. Luna (named after the Rowling’s Luna Lovegood) is high school kid who is a refuser in a world where everyone is hard wired to cyberspace. As a refuser she does not partake in the cyber world. At school she is ostracised because of this. When the novel opens Luna and Hex are pulling off a major prank. The story has promise at this point, I am engaged and liking the characters. The world Terry has created is rich in detail and believable. The move to society that is controlled and lived through an online world is interesting and believable. The first quarter of th

The Sisters Brothers - Patrick deWitt Two brothers, two contract killers and they have a job to do.   Set in the wild old west this book has moments of humour, brutality and interesting characters. I have to be honest I really started out enjoying the book for the 40 off pages I was really into it. Then I started to disconnect and I was never sure why. I was enjoying the direction the book was going and was engaged in what was happening. As I went along I was more and more disconnected and then I figured out why. It was Eli, the protagonist of the novel. I just found his monotonous voice and his plodding along very irritating. I realise that many people rate this book highly and I understand why but it was just not for me.

The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) Kody Keplinger This book starts off at a cracking pace and does not let up.   We meet Bianca Piper at the Nest, the local teenage hotspot and she is over it. While her friends Casey and Jessica dance the night away, Bianca drinks cherry coke and chats to the barman. She is cynical, smart, and loyal and has a razor wit. Crashing into her world is Wesley Rush the school stud, the one they all swoon over and he certainly knows it.   Wesley tells Bianca where she stands in the pecking order of dating that she is the tool, the designated ugly fat friend who is a gate way to the beautiful friends. As the story progresses we learn that Wesley is not her only problem as her home life is unravelling and she is struggling to find ways to cope. There is a great deal to like about this book, Bianca’s voice is strong, consistent and engaging. Like any teenage girl she makes her mistakes and struggles to figure it all out. Yet she keeps trying and keeps

The Lost Swimmer – Ann Turner Expected publication: June 1st 2015 by Simon & Schuster AU Rebecca Wilding is in the prime of her life where everything should be perfect, she has a great job, wonderful husband, adult kids and the perfect beach house. Yet slowly everything begins to unravel, the university she works at is facing cutbacks, she is at loggerheads with the dean, she faces allegations of fraud and the possibility her husband is having an affair. Travelling from Australia to Europe for work Rebecca and her husband Stephen try to reconnect but deception and paranoia weighs the marriage down. The book is part mystery and part dissection of relationships. Turner creates a rich tapestry of characters that are flawed, vivid settings and powerful prose. It is easy to lose yourself in this book as you try to determine where the guilt lies. As a reader I found Rebecca a frustrating character, there were several times I wanted to scream at her and that was good. She made mi

Trigger Warning - Neil Gaiman Paperback, 352 pages Published February 3rd 2015 by Headline I may be a bit naïve but the art form that is the short story does not seem to be supported by the publishing world which is a real shame as Neil Gaiman makes you realise how special short stories are.  Gaiman has created 24 stories though not following any theme is a collection that is vibrant, diverse, scary, engaging, funny and a couple of surprises. Being a huge fan of Gaiman’s works some of the stories I had read elsewhere but it was nice to revisit them.  However I would say The Sleeper and the Spindle is best read as the illustrated work.  It is hard to pick a favourite but here are some that I really enjoyed: The Thing about Cassandra – when a fictitious girlfriend becomes real and it is a delightful twist.  The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountain – I had read this previously but a wonderful story about a man who seeks the truth about his daughter (and I am t

Th is House of Grief - Helen Garner Paperback, 300 pages,  Published August 2014 by Text publishing   Before I start doing the whole review thing let me say This House of Grief is a remarkable book, just completely remarkable. On Father’s Day 2005 in Victoria, Australia, three young boys drown when the car their father Robert Farquharson was driving veered off the road and plunged into a dam. The story became national news and for over eight years the question that surrounded the case was it an accident or murder? For Garner the question of accident or murder is not the driving need to resolve. Garner takes you on a journey; she leads you through the court case, introduces you to the players and tries to unravel the complexities of human nature when dealing with grief. As you read, you feel like Garner is chatting with you, telling you her thoughts, her observations and taking you into her confidence. You are able to witness the demeanour of the accused, the impact on the Gra

Church of Marvels -  Leslie Parry ebook, 320 pages, e xpected publication: May 5th 2015 It is New York 1895 and four characters are drawn together by a series of events that is nothing what you expect. The book is touted as a cross between Night Circus and Water for Elephants it is none of these it so much better. It is darker, more vibrant and utterly compelling to read. Each chapter is told from a different characters point of view, usually this has can be jarring but Parry makes it flow and you are immersed in this wonderful story. It is about family secrets, guilt and growing up. The story hangs on Odile’s journey as she tries to find her twin sister, Belle. All Odile has to find Belle is one clue and she follows the trail. She meets Sylvan who works cleaning out the shit houses, he hopes to find a small fortune in the faeces and if that does not happen he fights for cash. Yet for a man who really is at the bottom of society he has the kindest of hearts when he finds a bab

The Captive Prince C.S Pacat Paperback, 268 pages,  Expected publication: April 7th 2015 by Viking: Penguin, f irst published February 4th 2012 Akielos and Vere are two warring countries who have come to an uneasy truce. Akielos’s legitimate heir to the throne Damianos is betrayed after the current Kings death and he is sold into slavery to his enemy Prince Laurent. His name is changed from Damianos to Daman and he is sent off to Vere to become a male pleasure slave. When I started reading this novel I was completely unaware that it had come into being as a series of chapters gradually released online. So I come to the story with fresh eyes and reading it complete. The novel starts off quickly with Prince Damianos in the first three chapters stripped of power and position and sold into slavery. To be honest it was a bit too quick and could have done with a bit more world building. Pacat has created an interesting world but you do not get an opportunity to appreciate the

Useful Debra Oswald Paperback, 320 pages Published January 28th 2015 by Viking: Pengui n  The central character is Sullivan Moss who has traversed through his 30’s by being a genial drunk and avoiding all responsibilities in life. The death of a childhood friend and Sullivan’s failure to deal with it makes him decide that suicide is the best option. Yet Sullivan cannot even succeed in killing himself. While recovering in hospital he has an epiphany of sorts and decides to donate a kidney so that he can be considered useful. Circling around Sullivan is a group of people who care and have the shits with him at the same time.  It is this group of friends who provide Sullivan with the means to move forward. Though to donate a kidney, Sullivan has to clean up his act, get healthy and, get a job he cannot do it without help. That help comes from his ex-wife Astrid who connects him with Natalie who is looking for a house and dog sitter. The supporting characters in Sullivan’s journey

The Sleeper and the Spindle Neil Gaiman Hardcover, 68 pages Published October 23rd 2014 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Let me start by saying I am a huge fan of Neil Gaiman's work and will be very biased in this review. I really loved this re-telling, I loved the artwork and I loved everything about it. What I loved is you have a Queen who does not want the 'so-called happy ever after'of marriage, children and a kingdom to rule. So when the Dwarves come to tell her of a danger in the land she is only too happy to go on an adventure. There is a rhythm to the text that keeps you engaged but it almost feels heavy. It is almost as if Gaiman has captured on page the sleep curse that has captured an entire city. You feel each step is difficult to take, each movement forward harder to make and I loved that. The presentation of the book is superb, the drawings are stunning and the splash of gold here and there is delightful. A really wonderful twist on a fairy tale. H

Deadly Heat Richard Castle Kindle Edition , 294 pages, Published September 17th 2013 by Hyperion This is the fifth book in the series and while enjoyable it was a bit disappointing. Heat and Rook are trying to solve a serial killer, a bioterror plot and tie up the loose ends of her mother's murder. There is a lot going on and the writer is able to keep us entertained and keeps the novel moving forward and a good pace. This is a good solid crime thriller and does not disappoint in that respect. What disappoints for me is the melding between the TV show Castle and the books means that the characters are almost indistinguishable of each other. The earlier books you really did feel like you were getting a bonus with Heat and Rook being similar but still different. In this book if you substituted Heat for Beckett and Rook for Castle it would not matter. They are way too similar and for me that was the disappointment. I liked the original concept, I like the crimes

The Mandarin Code Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann Harper Collins, August 2014, 327 pages A body is pulled from Lake Burley Griffin and what would appear to be a suicide turns into an international conspiracy that could result in war between China and the United States of America with Australia trying to find a safe middle ground.  Harry Dunkley a veteran news reporter is given some juicy leaks that lead him on the story of a life time and possibly uncovering his best friend’s killer.   The Australian Government is in turmoil and seems to be heading from one disaster to another.  The Mandarin Code is the second book in the Harry Dunkley series and I can honestly say I did not know there was a first book. This book can be read as a standalone without any knowledge of the first book.  There are layers upon layers of conspiracy, dodgy political deals, backstabbing and numerous grabs for power.  While Dunkley is the character that the story hangs off there are several other pl

A Christmas Carol -  Charles Dickens It has been a while since I have read Dicken's Christmas Carol and I am glad the book club suggested it. For all the awful television remakes when you finally go back to the source material it is a wonderful discovery. I had forgotten the humour in the tale and the wonderful character descriptions. My favourite was " the little tailor, whom he had fined 5 schillings on the previous Monday for being drunk and blood thirsty in the streets ." It is was good to come back to the story and revisit this well known tale.

The Buried Giant  Kazuo Ishiguro Paperback, Allen & Unwin, released 5 March 2015  " Let's try Axl. Let's both of us try. It's as if we have mislaid a precious stone. But surely we'll find it again if we both try ." Set in Briton post King Arthur, we meet Axl and Beatrice, an elderly married couple who are struggling to remain relevant in their village. It is a harsh environment that they live in but you soon come to learn that there is something wrong. A mist has settled over the land and people are no longer able to remember, even events that have happened that day are quickly forgotten. Village life is hard for Axl and Beatrice and they are shunned due to their age and it is against this backdrop that Axl and Beatrice decide it is time to visit their son. From here we are taken on a journey of memory, loss, revenge, love, betrayal, pain, and devotion. " Forgive me, mistress. This country awakens so many memories, though each seems like some