Literary Brooding

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