Literary Brooding

Well it's been a slump, I have been reading but not with same intensity as I normally do. To try and kick things off, I have started reading Louise Penny's Still Life. Anyway here is my catch-up for the last couple of months. It is a rather diverse list.  My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent Kindle Edition, 432 pages Published August 29th 2017 by Fourth Estate (first published April 29th 2017) For 14-year-old Turtle/kibble/Julia she lives in a man’s world on a farm that is slowly decaying around her. Her father, Martin, believes that the world is ending and prepares his daughter to face doomsday by teaching her survival skills. Turtle knows how to handle guns, knives and survive off the land. The life with her father is not rosy and as the story progresses you become more aware of how dysfunctional the relationship is.  This a book that will divide readers as the subject matter is quite brutal. It is not the subject matter that is the problem but the handling.  Writte

Bowerbird by Alana Valentine Paperback Published 2018 by Currency Press Alana Valentine is an Australian playwright who is well known for her verbatim theatre scripts. Valentine takes the actual words of real people and creates a theatrical production. Sounds easy right? It is far from that.  The beauty of Valentine's book is that she does not lecture on structure, inciting incidents, turning points. For Valentine '... craft is simply the ability to have what you imagine on the page correlate with what works as drama on the stage.' Valentine takes you on a journey of success, failure and more importantly learning how to craft a narrative from the words of other people respectfully. The importance of not betraying the trust that individuals have shown you in telling their stories.  The other journey is that of Valentine emergence as a playwright and her continual efforts to continue to bring her work to the stage. She does not stray from discussing self-doubt. jealous

Yep, that bloody thing called life has overwhelmed me. While I have been reading, writing reviews has slipped away. This is the catch-up of all that I have used to escape that thing called reality. The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter Kindle Edition, 528 pages Published August 8th 2017 by William Morrow Charlotte and Samantha Quinn, teenage years should be the beginning of new adventures but a brutal home invasion turns their lives upside down. The real pain of what occurred will be brought to light, some twenty odd years later when the family confront the ghosts of the past through the events of a school shooting. There is little let up as events unfold and you become embroiled in the character’s lives. Charlotte Quinn is determined, bull headed and broken. You find yourself rightly frustrated by Charlotte’s approach to the situation around her and her flaws makes her believable. Sam Quinn who comes into the story a little later is also broken, but her determination comes from

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer  by Michelle McNamara Kindle Edition, 340 pages, Published February 27th 2018 by Harper Sometimes you need to know the truth. In Michelle McNamara's case she has an obsession to discover who was responsible for at least 12 murders, more than 50 rapes, and over 100 burglaries. The book is drawn together from the unfinished manuscript after her death and her notes.  The book is compelling for the simple reason the voice of McNamara that comes through as the guides you through the complexities of understanding the timelines of what has happened.  She builds the world the responsible (as taken from the book to describe the person) is able to walk in, the lack of lighting, the creeks, the suburbs, the houses and you can picture everything vividly. You are able to imagine yourself standing in shadows watching the watcher as they plot out their crimes.  McNamara helps you unde

The Search for Nefertiti by Joann Fletcher Paperback, 464 pages, Published August 1st 2005 by Hodder Paperbacks  I first come to meet Joann Fletcher and her passion for all things Egypt through a couple of documentaries so I was pleased to come across this book. It is an interesting read and to me came across as part autobiography and historical exploration. There is some downside and upside to this. It did take some time to get into this book as for the first couple of chapters Fletcher meanders between telling her life story and the history of Egypt. It is not until the halfway mark that Fletcher really finds her groove. As she explores, explains and provides a readable and highly engaging journey through Egyptian history. I am what one would consider an armchair historian, I read, query and appreciate what is being is presented. I can not tell you if Fletcher's conclusion as to whether Nefertiti survived Akhenaten and took the throne. it is plausible as any of the other

A People's History of the Vampire Uprising  by Raymond A. Villareal Kindle Edition. Expected publication: May 29th 2018 by Hachette Australia From the outset, I have to admit that I am a fan of the genre where some virus thing alters the human condition (whether it be vampires, zombies or werewolves) and the fight for survival that ensues. I particularly like the books that use a mixture of eyewitness accounts, media articles and classified government memos to give legitimacy to the alternate universe that is constructed. In ‘A people’s history of the vampire uprising’, Raymond A Villareal has undertaken to bring a new spin to this genre by recreating the vampire myth. The time is now, Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber are still selling music and down in New Mexico a new disease has emerged where people like to drink blood and shun the sunlight. First on the ground to examine this new disease is Lauren Scott from the CDC, who tries to prod the Government into action and discove

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Creekwood) by Becky Albertalli  Kindle Edition, 313 pages Published April 7th 2015 by Penguin Simon is 16 at high school and suffering all the normal teenage angst of who is he, where does he belong and how do you get the courage to talk to someone you like? The twist is that for Simon well he likes guys not women and that makes life even more complicated. This is a gentle coming out story told through Simon's point of view. It is funny, it self-deprecating and treads through the complexities of teenage relationships where everything is life and death. The characters are well thought out and Simon is beautifully flawed. As he discovers more about who he is, he also realises just how much he does not know about his friends. The characters voices are spot on and really engaging. What I really like is when Simon does encounter issues when he makes his sexuality known Albertalli demonstrates what a perfect world can be for young people. When

The Nowhere Child  by Christian White   Paperback, 306 pages Expected publication: June 26th 2018 by Affirm Press Here you are coming up to 30 years of age and you think you have your life together, you are teaching photography, have a place of your own and a loving family. Then one day a male stranger sits down in front of you and says, ‘you are my long lost sister who disappeared over 28 years ago.’ Well, that would certainly turn your life upside down and that is exactly what happens to Kimberly Leamy. For Kim has to know the truth and leaves Australia to head back to Manson, USA to discover the truth about who she is. White has crafted an intriguing mystery thriller that keeps throwing doubts and suspicions on a cast of fascinating characters. The story is told via switching from ‘now’ to ‘then’ as you learn about the events surrounding Sammy’s disappearance and Kim’s attempts to learn about her past. From the outset, you are quickly absorbed into this fast-paced novel. The

Egyptian Enigma (Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth #3) by L.J.M. Owen Paperback, 384 pages, Published March 1st 2018 by Bonnier Publishing Australia I had heard about this series and had wanted to read it for some time. This is the third book in the series. Elizabeth Pimms, librarian and archaeologist is in Egypt living the dream as she visits all the famous sites and museums. The trip is not all fun when someone breaks into her hotel and steals her white journal. Returning to Canberra, Elizabeth begins an investigation into the Royal Egyptian family connections of who the Golden tomb may have been constructed for. She also is trying to finalise her papers for academic publication, undertake tutor responsibilities and deal with her family issues. Elizabeth has a group of friends who assist in this cycle of printing out 3D life size mummies, measuring them, examining them and discussing who they might be. Thus takes up the majority of the book. It is interspersed with descriptions

The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club by Sophie Green Kindle Edition, 384 pages, Published August 8th 2017 by Hachette Australia Five women each in their own way are isolated are invited by Sybil to join the Fairvale Ladies Book Club. Fairvale is sprawling property in the Northern Territory that closes down over the wet season and waits for the dry season to run the steers and make ends meet. Sybil who is the matriarch of the Baxter family, that runs Fairvale, is facing upheaval in her life. One of her sons Lachlan has turned his back on the family and the other Ben has recently returned from overseas with a new British wife Kate who is struggling to adapt. Rita is Sybil's life long friend who works as at Nurse at the Flying Doctors. Sallyanne is married to an alcoholic husband and is struggling to raise three children. Della is from Texas, who is trying leave the shackles of a restrictive family and make it on her own. All of them find themselves in the N

Haxby's Circus by Katharine Susannah Prichard Paperback, 288 pages, Published August 1st 2013 by HarperCollins - AU (first published 1930) " You play with an idea. Then it hypnotises you. The comedy becomes tragedy ." This is a corker of a novel and captures the difficulties for women involved in a travelling family circus troupe. The head of the family Dan Haxby is a showman through and through and nothing is more important than putting on the show. When we first meet the family times are tough but they are making a living and doing what they love. Gina Haxby is a hard worker out of the ring, making sure animals are fed, costumes are ready and then she performs the most difficult of tricks on the back of a horse in the ring. She is vivacious and is able to see the soul of a person not their physical appearance. Rocca the show's clown dwarf becomes fast friends with Gina. It is he who can see her intelligence and that she is more than just a performer. He als

Outliers – Malcolm Gladwell Hardcover, 309 pages, Published November 18th 2008 by Little, Brown and Company (first published 2008) There is no doubt that Malcolm Gladwell has a curious and exploratory mind. He delves into the mystery of how and why people seemingly become an ‘overnight’ success. Gladwell unpacks how several people and groups obtained success looking at the common denominators and the circumstances that led up to how they developed into an ‘instant’ success.  It is interesting read and in a way states the bleeding obvious. That practice, practice and more practice, sprinkled with opportunity and support will help develop success. It is that simple, the theory that is being presented. As I read the book and case study after case study was used to demonstrate Gladwell’s theory and at one stage I wanted to say stop. I get it, no one is an overnight success and you have made that clear. I am not sure I needed another 200 odd pages to keep making that point even clear

Batgirl: The Greatest Stories Ever Told by Dennis O'Neil Paperback, 160 pages, Published December 21st 2010 by DC Comics The problem with this collection of stories about Batgirl that it represents both the best and worse of the DC treatment of this character. You start with what is perhaps the best known origin story of Batgirl as Barbara Gordon. This was created in the late 60s, is representative of its time but there is hope for Batgirl as character. I mean I did not mind that Barbara Gordon becomes a crime fighter because she likes the excitement and thrill of getting into a scrape with some baddies. From these humble beginnings you could see the possibility of a really interesting character arc in the making. However, that slowly unravels as you read through the decades. It was great that  Barbara, runs for Congress but the motive was appalling.  The further you travel through the decades the more Batgirl becomes tepid and almost ineffective as a crime fighter. The Batgi

The Twentieth Man by Tony Jones Paperback, 482 pages, Published July 26th 2017 by Allen & Unwin Sydney, 1972 two bombs are detonated in the CBD targeting Yugoslavian business owners. Anna Rosen, an ABC journalist, has been investigating alleged war criminals harbouring in Australia who are members of the Ustasha movement is certain that they are responsible for these recent attacks. Complicating matters for Anna is that her former lover, Marin Katich who disappeared two years ago maybe caught up in the workings of the Ustasha due to his father’s involvement. Anna is working under two motives one to discover the story about the Ustasha and the other to discover why Marin left her. Woven through this narrative is the Australian political climate at the time, with the power shift to the recently elected Labor (Socialist style) Government flexing its muscles after many years of the Liberal Party (Conservative) rule. The Attorney General, Lionel Murphy is raging against the Austr

Wimmera by Mark Brandi Paperback, 262 pages, Published June 27th 2017 by Hachette Australia Two young lads growing up in a rural Australian town, the sun is hot, the days are long and holidays are spent catching yabbies and playing cricket. Indirectly, the suicide of a teenage girl in who lives near by, for Fab and Ben brings about a slow tragic change in their relationship.   The book is written in a lyrical poetic style as you are drawn into the world of the boys Fab and Ben. The boys try to understand their own sexual awakening and how to interact in the world of adults. There is so much that is left unsaid through out this book. The suicide of Daisy, it would seem that everyone in the town knew what has happening but looked the other way. Just as every one looks away from the alcohol and domestic abuse that happens on a regular basis.  As the boys finish primary school we are catapulted into the future with Fab working a dead end job and using booze and drugs to f

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan Hardcover, 432 pages Published August 15th 2017 by Big Mouth House Sometime ago I was watching the ABC Book Show and the author CS Pacat was talking about this novel and highly recommended it. I was intrigued enough to make the purchase and I am glad I did.  You meet Elliot at the same time Elliot discovers that he can see a field in the middle of a field that none of his class mates can. Elliot is offered an opportunity to go over the wall and study in this ‘somewhat’ magical land. On this new land he meets Serene a beautiful elf and Luke who comes from the most influential families. Serene and Luke are warriors, whilst Elliot is a diplomat but in this land it might of the sword that counts.  Let me straight up say this is a corker of a novel. It is character driven and primarily from Elliot’s point of view. As the reader you are standing right next to Elliot and everything reveals itself as he discovers what happens. Normally I fin

Pompeii by Mary Beard Hardcover, 348 pages Published 2008 by BBC I am a sucker for books on history but inevitably, I find the style to be dry, pitched at the upper levels of academia or aimed at primary school aged children by being overly simplified. Mary Beard does not fall into these categories at all; she has a wonderful, enthusiastic approach to history. With Pompeii, Beard takes you by the hand and guides you through the city streets. You are provided with insights into the daily life of the citizens through their words scrawled on walls and the possessions left behind. Beard provides you with the conventional and opposing views on how archaeologists interpret the discoveries. How many brothels were there? How did the baths actually work? How were the streets laid out? How was a vineyard laid out? While Beard is taking you through this history she is gently challenging the preconceived notions that we have of Pompeii as a city suddenly frozen in time by a volcano. This is

Force of Nature (Aaron Falk #2) by Jane Harper Paperback, 384 pages Published September 26th 2017 by Macmillan Australia There is always trepidation when you commence reading the second novel of an author who has seemingly come out of nowhere with a best seller. There is probably not many people who have not read ‘The Dry’ which featured Australian Federal Police (AFP) officer Aaron Falk. In ‘Force of Nature’ we move into the oppressive Australian bush which is dense, thick, quiet, dark and damp. It provides an appropriate backdrop for a group of a women who are ‘encouraged’ to undertake a corporate bonding session by navigating from one point to another. It does not take long for the group to lose their way and find themselves facing other unknown dangers, including the possibility of being stalked by a serial killer. Aaron Falk and his partner Carmen Cooper are investigating the dealings of the company Bailey Tennants and have been relying on Alice Russell to procure the info

Ready Player One - Ernest Cline Paperback, 374 pages,  Published April 5th 2012 by Arrow Books (first published August 16th 2011) It is 2044 and earth has been wasted by the depletion of fossil fuels and ignoring the impact of climate change which has resulted in widespread poverty and social inequality. A place of solace is the online virtual reality world OASIS that provides education, work, retail and social opportunities. OASIS is owned by GSS and created by James Halliday, who when he dies announces in his will that hidden in OASIS is an Easter Egg. That the person who finds the egg will inherit the company GSS and his personal fortune. Halliday provides a cryptic clue and the establishment of an online scoreboard to monitor who progresses through each stage. For five years no names appear on the scoreboard. Matt Watts a teenager living in the stacks, which is mobile homes stacked on top of each other, is dirt poor, making average grades through high school, ignored by girl