Reviewed by Wendy Lipke The title of this book may sound a little bizarre, but the story is set in France, in an area near the Eiffel Tower and this district is a micro city with its sidewalk cafes, traditional bakeries, old fashioned bistros, florists, and a library. There are also a perfumery and a
Reviewed by Rod McLary Although the title would suggest that the character Rat Daniels is the focus of this coming-of-age novel, that is not the case. The main protagonist is Jimmy Quinn who narrates this thoroughly enthralling novel. But Rat – whose real name is Damien Daniels – is at the centre of the narrative
Reviewed by Gayle Williams Red Lake by Australian author Jason Summers launches what promises to become the Harper Quinn Mysteries. Former Homicide Detective Sergeant Harper Quinn has returned with her family to the country town of Koorinda, New South Wales, where she grew up, to take up the role of Sergeant at the small local
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve The intricacies of a Victorian marriage are beautifully created in Emily Howes’s book devoted to the frequently overlooked Mrs Dickens. It is the result of extensive research skillfully enhanced by her imagination. Catherine Hogarth marries the renowned novelist and they enjoyed a delighted happiness, initially, but sadly that did not continue.
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve This fine historical novel begins against the backdrop of the Civil War in China and concludes after the massacre in Tiananmen Square. These tumultuous events, the most significant in recent Chinese history, are a stark contrast to the lives of three women and their families. In turn, they form part of
Reviewed by Gayle Williams James Hunt’s Love Needs No Words is a heartfelt memoir capturing the challenges and victories of raising his two non‑verbal autistic sons. Hunt brings readers into the everyday realities of their lives, highlighting what it means to parent children in a society that misunderstands them. Hunt’s memoir also highlights a very
Reviewed by Rod McLary William Faulkner once said The past is never dead. It’s not even past. And this new novel by Australian Chinese writer Isabelle Li exemplifies that quote as she sets out the story of Mr Zhao, his carer Sister Fu and his son Jr. They live in Shenyang in Northeast China at
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke The children’s picture book, Tiki and Jill, retells the story of the Great Australian Camel Race, an endurance undertaking from Ayres Rock (Uluru) to the Albert Shire on the Gold Coast. This covered a distance of 3260 kilometres and took place between 28th April and the 16th of July 1988. The
Reviewed by Ian Hamilton It may be that there are more periods of history when this book would have been banned than periods of history when this book would be published. Think back to the test cases of the twentieth century, perhaps most famously that of D. H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Although published in
Reviewed by: Gayle Williams People often find themselves at a metaphorical crossroads in life. In The Crossroads by C. J. Box, Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett is found at a literal one — slumped over the wheel of his pick-up truck with a bullet through his head. Three roads run out from that lonely junction,
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke The back cover of this children’s hard covered book, tells the reader that: ‘In this book you’ll find lots of things that grow Branching ever upward, or tangled deep below…’ While the front cover has the words ‘Seeds of wisdom only nature knows’. This is a book that not only tells
Reviewed by Rod McLary According to the Urban Dictionary, ‘tight lines’ is a good luck wish between fishermen – meaning that if your lines are tight, you are catching lots of fish. And Tight Lines is the title of this coming-of-age novel by Allee Richards and tells the stories of Luke, Josh and Matty who
Reviewed by Rod McLary This sprawling saga tells the story of Pastor Martin Gerlach, his wife Alma and their fourteen-year-old son Benjamin – or ‘Benno’ – who live on a Lutheran mission deep in the Australian outback. It is 1922, and the Pastor and his family have travelled from Leipzig to run the mission with
Reviewed by Rod McLary Grunge literature – or simply grunge lit – is a genre of Australian literature which looks at the lives of young people in disadvantaged circumstances and often deeply involved in alcohol or drug abuse. The characters live on the social and cultural margins of their city. The term was created after
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Simply Beside Herself is the first novel by Judith Katherine who has always been fascinated by the narratives around role and how it can either broaden or narrow our worlds. Often people get caught up in doing the right thing, and what others expect by not making a fuss. This is