Reviewed by Ian Lipke Jo Harkin’s hero is depicted at the beginning of the story as a small boy living on a farm where his greatest menace is the village’s devil goat. All is normal behaviour for John Gollan until his life is upended; he is not John Gollan but the son of the long-deceased
Reviewed by Richard Tutin I have enjoyed watching cricket in its various forms for most of my life. It’s enjoyable to watch closely contested five-day test matches with scarce wickets and runs. In the games where Australia participates, the baggy green cap is frequently seen. Of course, not all players are wearing it throughout the
Reviewed by Norrie Sanders Most of us have grown up with the idea that the Antarctic is a relatively untouched land of ice, mountains and penguins. It seems unthinkable that we should exploit it for mining or oil or whales. Yet through the 19th and most of the 20th centuries, Australia saw Antarctica as a
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke The author of this children’s book is Jacqueline Anne French AM, known professionally as Jackie French. She is an Australian author who has written across several genres for both adults and children. Her most notable works, among the 200 she has written, include Rain Stones, Diary of a Wombat, The Girl
Reviewed by Colleen McLennan Alice Austen is an American writer, playwright, screenwriter and producer. She was a student at the University of Oregon and was a member of the women’s track team. She studied at Harvard Law School and was the co-founder of the Harvard Human Rights Journal, and studied creative writing under Seamus Heaney.
Reviewed by Rod McLary Dystopian novels – and there are many of them from Brave New World to The Road to The Handmaid’s Tale – all attempt to anticipate the future and of course we have no way of telling whether they are or will be accurate. Some assume huge scientific advances, others a cataclysmic
Reviewed by Clare Brook My Name is Emilia Del Valle is the latest historical-fiction novel by Isabel Allende set in nineteenth century Chile. Written in the first person, it reads like a memoir. However, Emilia del Valle is a fictional character who is determined to overcome her impoverished background and the societal conventions of the
Reviewed by Richard Tutin When someone wishes to pursue a momentous project at all costs they are often regarded as being obsessive. If they manage to complete it well, they are then called visionary. Such is the situation with Charles Todd whose greatest achievement was the completion of the Overland Telegraph in 1872. David Dufty
Reviewed by Rod McLary Psychologists say that a white lie is a small, socially acceptable untruth told – among other reasons – to avoid embarrassment. It can also be a lie of omission; that is, when something incorrect is said and there is no attempt made to correct the error. But as with so much
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Weathering the Storm is the latest book by Queensland writer Mandy Magro who has been producing books in the romance genre since 2011. She writes with authority using insights from her own previous adventures. As a passionate woman and a romantic at heart, Mandy loves writing about soul-deep love, the Australian
Reviewed by Rod McLary There is something about rural noir which immediately engages the hearts and minds of Australian readers. Whether it is the immersion in the landscape, the laconic dialogue of the characters, or the familiarity of those characters, the novels in this genre – think Jane Harper, Chris Hammer, Jack Heath and others
Reviewed by Ian Lipke This is vintage Nora Roberts – with the odd strength and certainly weakness thrown in. It is a novel about an injured cop who fights to bring down a pair of twisted killers. Natural Resources police officer, Sloan Cooper, and her partner had just taken down three men preying on hikers
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Once again well-known celebrity Anh Do and illustrator, Anton Emdin, have combined to produce another book in the series Smarty Pup. For those who do not know this series, Lily’s dog JJ had once had purple space goop plopped on him and since then he had become a talking genius, so
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke This book is another beautifully presented hard-covered children’s book about Dreaming stories. Presented by First Nations’ people, these books share the stories and knowledge passed down from generations to generations. The information in this particular book is presented by Uncle Bud Marshall who shares information of the land around Nambucca Heads.
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke This beautiful hard-covered children’s book is by debut author Sharara Attai. She believes that the racial and cultural diversity within her own children and their cousins is a good reflection of modern-day Australia. Through the brief text on each page and illustrations including people from diverse backgrounds, she shares the message