An Adventure in Reading

My musings and reviews have moved

2015-04-28T01:11:00.001-07:00

I've moved all my new postings to my website: www.susanmaywriter.com

For three years I created content for four different blogs. Yes, four!

Call me crazy. No, lets make that call me naive to think I could run that many blogs and keep up the fiction writing.

All my book and film reviews and musings on writing are now over at my blog/website An Adventure in Words. So there is nothing new here, but a lot of good old posts reviewing books and interviewing authors if you would like to hang around here for a bit.

Join me at www.susanmaywriter.com and see what's happening in the world of storytelling.

YOU by Caroline Kepnes

2014-09-29T20:55:00.000-07:00

Rating: ✪✪✪✪✪out of 5 Stars

Release Date: UK, Australia, US September 2014

Author’s Website: Caroline Kepnes on Facebook

Publisher’s Website: Simon & Schuster (purchase information)

AMAZON: CLICK HERE

My thoughts:

I’ve a new obsession that I need to share. I read a lot, but so few books go beyond "pretty good." Maybe once or twice a year I find a book that is a real thrill to discover. Discovering a debut author who has also written the best book I’ve read all year is very exciting. You know the type of book I’m talking about, where you pick it up and flip to the first few pages, thinking: Yeah, what’s so good about you that everyone is talking? Then out of curiosity you unsuspectingly read the first few pages just before you think you’re going to turn out the light. Two hours later you’re thinking: I need to go to sleep—but I can’t. I’m sucked in. Then the next day, the thought of getting back inside that world sends a little tingle up your spine. That’s Caroline Kepnes’ YOU.

Stephen King’s 1987 Misery was one of those novels, too, that had everyone talking. The insanity and obsession of Annie Wilkes was both mesmerizing and horrifying in equal quantity. In the same year, the film Fatal Attraction gave us the iconic portrayal of obsession with Glen Close aiming her crazy desire at Michael Douglas. They were visceral experiences. Misery and Fatal Attraction spawned a myriad of copycat plots, but I personally don’t think anything has come close to creating their claustrophobic feeling of obsession. That is, until I recently read YOU, debut novel from talented (very talented) U.S. author, Caroline Kepnes.

YOU is simply brilliant. From the first chapter, you’re sucked into the world of bookstore manager Joe Goldberg, whose instant attraction to a random customer, Guinevere Beck, takes obsession and love to a whole new level. She has a boyfriend, but that’s no problem for Joe. She has a demanding girlfriend who keeps getting in the way. No problem either for Joe. These problems have a way of working themselves out when Joe is around. He tracks the love of his life via social media. (Note, this is, also, a cautionary tale on not revealing too much on your Facebook and Twitter accounts.) Things head down a very dark and dangerous rabbit hole and some people are not coming out alive. That’s love, and Joe will do anything for love.

Guinevere is a fabulous character, too. She’s not a perfect girl. In fact, she’s self-indulgent, obsessive, and insecure, but Joe still loves her and it’s his hilarious commentary on her and her friend’s failings that make this book so special. Written in second person, we are right inside Joe’s head as he speaks directly in his thoughts to Guinevere, her boyfriend, and anyone else he encounters. This style of writing is unusual, yet it works perfectly in creating the feel for a story that is all about head games. Now you might think being inside the head of an obsessive narcissist with murderous tendencies wouldn’t be the most pleasant of visits, but thanks to Kepnes's witty prose, you actually come to like Joe—he’s kind of cool. Each time you open the pages you are both excited and terrified to discover what he will do next. I don’t ever want to meet someone like Joe, but boy I sure do love him.

YOU is one of the most exciting and thrilling reads released this year. A book about obsession will obsess you. When they talk about guilty obsessions this book is it! Great news is that a sequel is on its way.

Thank you to the awesome people at Simon & Schuster Australia for my review copy.

BOOK BLURB

When aspiring writer Guinevere Beck strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe works, he’s instantly smitten. Beck is everything Joe has ever wanted: She’s gorgeous, tough, razor-smart, and as sexy as his wildest dreams.
Beck doesn’t know it yet, but she’s perfect for him, and soon she can’t resist her feelings for a guy who seems custom made for her. But there’s more to Joe than Beck realizes, and much more to Beck than her oh-so-perfect façade. Their mutual obsession quickly spirals into a whirlwind of deadly consequences...

A chilling account of unrelenting passion, Caroline Kepnes’s You is a perversely romantic thriller that’s more dangerously clever than any you’ve read before.

About the author:

Caroline Kepnes is a native of Cape Cod and the author of many published short stories. She has covered pop culture for Entertainment Weekly, Tiger Beat, E! Online and Yahoo. She wrote episodes of 7th Heaven and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Her directorial debut short film Miles Away premiered at the Woods Hole Film Festival and took third place in the Audience Award for Comedy Short. Caroline is a Brown University graduate who splits her time between Los Angeles and Cape Cod. Her favorite beverages are vanilla latte and root beer flavored vodka. She doesn't do well with flies, needles or freeways.

Dick Wolf & Two Fantastic Thriller Reads

2014-08-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

Rating: ✪✪✪✪ out of 5 Stars

My thoughts:

Who hasn’t seen at least one episode of Law and Order, the longest running scripted show on television? It’s been around, would you believe, since 1990. Dick Wolf, the creator of the show, is an award winning director, and producer. Now he's turned his hand to writing books, and he's proved that he can tell gripping stories no matter the medium.

In 2013, he released his first book THE INTERCEPT, and it took me a while to get around to reading it. (If you saw my to-be-read review pile, you would be afraid.) Once I did get to it, I read it in a few sittings. It was brilliant, and a masterful thriller debut.

Its not surprising that Wolf can write a page turning thriller/drama. He does wonders with a 40-minute television slot. Through that discipline, it’s clear he’s learned the craft of grabbing hold of a reader and not letting them go until the last page.

This year he’s released the second in the series THE EXECUTION—although you can read either of these books as a stand-alone. Both stories are a cross between a police procedural and a political thriller set in New York.

His protagonist, Jeremy Fisk, is an investigating officer from the department's Intelligence Division in New York, and he is the perfect, intelligent character on the wrong side of authority to take us on a thill ride.

The story setups are very good. In THE INTERCEPT a plane hijacking is foiled and the passengers who prevent it become instant celebrities. Fisk suspects there is more to this attempt than meets the eye, and that there is an even greater terrorist threat connected to it.

In THE EXECUTION, we follow on directly from the first book, and in the opening scenes, there are some grizzly, nasty chapters à la Breaking Bad involving a Mexican drug lord. Wolf introduces us to Detective Cecilia Garza of the Mexican intelligence agency, and she is a great foil for Jeremy Fisk.

Dick Wolf has become one of my favorite authors. I never miss an episode of Law and Order; in 24 years I’ve only ever missed a couple of episodes of any of the series. I won’t be missing any of his books either. He is an accomplished author and knows how to entertain in any format.

Thank you to Hachette Australia who supplied both these books to me in return for my honest opinion.

BOOK BLURB

THE INTERCEPT

Four days before the dedication of the new Freedom Tower at ground zero in New York City, five passengers and a flight attendant bravely foil the hijacking of a commercial jet en route to the city. Thrust into the national spotlight, 'The Six' become instant celebrities, hailed for their bravery. But iconoclastic New York Police investigator Jeremy Fisk believes there's more to this than a simple open-and-shut terrorism case. Fisk -from the department's Intelligence Division - suspects that in reality this is an early warning signal that another potentially more devastating attack is imminent. Fisk and his team spring into action, but as each promising new lead fizzles to nothing they realise that their opponents are smarter and more dangerous than anyone they've faced before. The seemingly invisible enemy is able to exploit every security weakness, anticipating Fisk's every move. And time is running out until ground zero day...

THE EXECUTION

THE SECOND PAGE-TURNING THRILLER FROM THE CREATOR OF LAW & ORDER STARRING NYPD SPECIAL AGENT JEREMY FISK.

Soon after the Mexican presidential election, twenty-three bodies are discovered beheaded on the United States border, each marked with a unique symbol - a carving of a hummingbird. Detective Cecilia Garza of the Mexican intelligence agency recognizes it as the signature of Chuparosa - an assassin feared for his cunning and brutality. The fierce and intense detective has been pursuing the killer for years, yet knows little about him, except that he's heading to New York - with the rest of the world. It's United Nations Week in Manhattan and Jeremy Fisk can't let grief over a devastating loss keep him from his duty to safeguard the city. Complicating matters is news of a mass murder nearby - and the arrival of the disturbingly beautiful and assertive Cecilia Garza, determined to do things her way.In the race to catch Chuparosa, these uneasy allies must learn to work together, and fast. As they soon discover, there's more to this threat than meets the eye - and Fisk will have to learn the hard way that justice is not always blind.

Release Date: The Intercept January 2013

The Execution January 2014

Author’s Website: Jeremy Fisk on Facebook

No author website but the character Jeremy Fisk has his own Facebook page.

Purchase in Australia: QBD Bookstore & other good book stores

Publisher’s Website: Hachette Australia

About the author:

Dick Wolf, an award-winning writer, director, producer, and creator, is the architect of one of the most successful brands in the history of television - Law & Order, the longest running scripted show in television history. He has won numerous awards, including two Emmys, a Grammy, and an Edgar.

Mr Mercedes by Stephen King

2014-08-03T00:16:00.000-07:00

Rating: ✪✪✪✪ ½ out of 5 Stars

Release Date: June 2014

Author’s Website: http://stephenking.com/

Purchase in Australia: QBD Bookstore & other good book stores

Publisher’s Website: Hachette

My thoughts:

Stephen King has been talking about this book for ages. He came up with the idea after hearing about the true story of a woman who accidentally crashed her car into a crowd of people waiting outside a store.

In his story, of course, it’s a psychopath that crashes the car, and he’s not a bit sorry. In fact, he planned it. He’s so proud of it, and so surprised that he gets away with it, that he writes a letter to retired cop, Bill Hodges, outlining what a thrill it was to kill all those people. Retirement hasn’t treated Hodges so well, and he’s playing should I-shouldn’t I with his revolver.

This case, which he calls Mr. Mercedes, after the stolen car used in the crime, is one of his unsolved cases and still weighs heavily on him. Receiving the letter, reignites his will to live and thus begins a cat and mouse game between the detective and Mr. Mercedes, who despite his protestations, isn’t done yet with his killing spree.

If you enjoy Stephen King’s style, then you will enjoy this book. There are no supernatural nasty creatures in this one. It’s just a plain old homicidal maniac. Stephen King calls it “his first hard-boiled detective book,” but he certainly brings his flourish for creating the insane, evil mind to the party. Mr. Mercedes is filled with King’s neat way with words and a story that will keep you travelling along way past the speed limit until the very end.

Here's a link to Stephen King talking about the book. CLICK HERE

About the author:

Seriously if you don’t know who Stephen King is, where have you been living for forty years, but just on the remotest chance that you have never heard of him… Stephen King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction, and fantasy. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and many of them have been adapted into feature films, television movies and comic books.

The Swimmer by Joakim Zander

2014-07-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

Rating: ✪✪✪✪✪ out of 5 Stars

Release Date: July 2014

Purchase in Australia: QBD Bookstore & other good book stores

More Information: More Information

Publisher’s Website: Harper Collins

My thoughts:

When you discover a new author it’s such a thrill, isn't it? I remember, in my twenties, reading Robert Ludlum’s The Matarese Circle, Ken Follett’s Eye of the Needle, Frederick Forsyth’s The Day of the Jackal and being blown away. How did these guys write like this? I was hooked on them and, subsequently, read everything they wrote after that. Somehow over the years I drifted away from spy thrillers. They became cliché, mostly derivative of these master’s genre work.

So when I was handed The Swimmer by Joakim Zander, I wasn’t expecting to become excited about the genre again. But Zander’s book has everything that Ludlum, Follett, and Forsyth's books did. His skill with words, the imminent feeling of suspense, and a layered, intriguing story combine perfectly for an exciting read. What makes it even more amazing is that this is a translation from Zander’s native Swedish.

Klara Waldeen was orphaned as a child and raised by her grandparents in an isolated area of Sweden. As an adult, she now lives in Brussels and works as a political aide.

A million miles away, in another life and another country, an old spy who had prioritized his job over his family now ponders his choices in life; his only solace, swimming. Then, on Christmas Eve, Klara is dragged into a race against time and unseen enemies via an ex-lover Mahmoud Shammosh when he, inadvertently, comes across sensitive information. Thus begins a wild chase across Europe against pursuers who will kill to maintain their secret. Elsewhere, Swedish lobbyist, George Lööw, is assigned a client with a suspicious agenda. He suddenly finds his life threatened and involved in the pursuit against his will.

When the retired spy realizes who Clara is, he, too, becomes embroiled in the chase. Little does Klara know that a man she doesn’t know, but has always wondered about, may be the only person who can save her.

After setting up the characters, this book ramps up and doesn’t let you go. The Swimmer has an unassuming cover, but within that cover is an explosive read that will have any spy-thriller fan rejoicing. This is the perfect thriller.

About the author:

Joakim Zander was born in 1975 in Stockholm, Sweden. He was raised in the small town of Söderköping but, growing up, he also lived in Syria and Israel and was a high-school exchange student in the USA. After completing his military service in the Swedish Navy, he studied law at Uppsala University and later earned a PhD in Law from Maastricht University. Cambridge University Press published his dissertation, The Application of the Precautionary Principle in Practice, which was awarded the Rabobank Prize. Zander has worked for the European Parliament and the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium. He currently lives in Helsinki, Finland where he serves as a lawyer for the EU during the day and writes at night. The Swimmer is his first novel.

The Clifton Chronicles: Be Careful What You Wish For by Jeffrey Archer

2014-07-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

Rating: ✪✪✪✪✪ out of 5 Stars

Release Date: March 2014

Author’s Website: http://www.jeffreyarcher.co.uk/site/

Purchase in Australia: QBD Bookstore & other good book stores

Purchase Book U.S.: Amazon

Publisher’s Website: Pan MacMillan

Only Time Will Tell: THE CLIFTON CHRONICLES 1 Released 2011

The Sins of the Father: THE CLIFTON CHRONICLES 2 Released 2012

The Best Kept Secret: THE CLIFTON CHRONICLES 3 Released 2013

What You Wish For: THE CLIFTON CHRONICLES 4 Released March 2014

My thoughts:

Since Not A Penny More, Not a Penny Less, I’ve idolized Jeffrey Archer as an author. Jeffrey Archer is the master of characterization and suspense. Somehow he commands that you care about the results of a high school exam, the vote for a board Chairman, or whether a cruise-ship will meet its construction deadline. None of these challenges are exciting mysteries. Yet we must know the answer.

At age 74, after 35 years as a best-selling author, and over 270 million copies of books sold, Lord Archer has brought us a great series: The Clifton Chronicles, which follows the life and story of Harry Clifton and his heirs. We meet Harry in 1919 Bristol and follow him and his friends through to the 1940’s and the Second World War, and in Be Careful What You Wish For, the fourth volume we are taken through 1957 to ’64.

This book is essentially Harry Clifton’s wife, Emma Barrington-Clifton’s, story. Readers enjoy front row seats at the boardroom drama of Barrington’s, Emma’s family’s ship-construction company. The board-members are gambling the future of the company on the building of a luxury liner. High stakes criminal Martinez, who bears a murderous grudge against the Clifton family, is out to scuttle Barringtons, and there is much fun with wheeling and dealing in shares and board appointees. Like the previous books, this leaves us hanging on a cliff. It has all the twists, turns, dirty tricks, tragedies and vendettas that have made this series so fabulous.

Jeffrey Archer is possibly the greatest storyteller of our time. The Clifton Chronicles, his most ambitious story, requiring of Archer a commitment of more than five years, with rumors that the five-part series may become seven. The series only curse is that there’s a year's wait after each book.

Book Blurb:

The Clifton Chronicles Series

Only Time Will Tell Released 2011

The epic tale of Harry Clifton's life begins in 1919, in the backstreets of Bristol. His father was a war hero, but it will be twenty-one tumultuous years before Harry discovers the truth about how his father really died and if, in fact, he even was his father.

Only Time Will Tell takes a cast of memorable characters from the ravages of the Great War to the outbreak of the Second World War, when Harry must decide whether to take his place at Oxford, or join the fight against Hitler's Germany.

In Jeffrey Archer's masterful hands, you will be taken on a journey that you won't want to end, even after you turn the last page of this unforgettable yarn, because you will be faced with a dilemma that neither you, nor Harry Clifton could ever have anticipated.

Only Time Will Tell: THE CLIFTON CHRONICLES 1 Released 2011

The Sins of the Father: THE CLIFTON CHRONICLES 2 Released 2012

The Best Kept Secret: THE CLIFTON CHRONICLES 3 Released 2013

What You Wish For: THE CLIFTON CHRONICLES 4 Released March 2014

About the author:

Jeffrey Archer, whose novels and short stories include Kane and Abel, A Prisoner of Birth and Cat O' Nine Tales, has topped the bestseller lists around the world, with sales of over 270 million copies. He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (seventeen times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries). The author is married with two sons and lives in London and Cambridge. www.jeffreyarcher.com

Googly Eyes & Fibber Board Games Reviewed

2014-07-01T22:42:00.001-07:00

We’ve become real board game players in this house in the past few months. Mostly the game of choice is Monopoly or Uno. We’ve even bought a few different sets of Monopoly.

The eleven-year-old, Harry, is a problem, though. He gets bored easily and doesn’t like Monopoly. So we have a quick game of Uno with him (a game he will play) and then we are down to wheeling and dealing on the real estate with the thirteen-year-old, Bailey. The eleven-year-old then heads off to play his video games. Such a shame, because board games are a fun family activity.

Our games cupboard is filled with various games, but there is nothing other than Uno (which is really a card game, I know) that all of us enjoy playing together. That is until we were sent Googly Eyes to trial and review.

Check out this video I made and photos and you will see why. Its absolute hilarious fun for all ages and my whole family recommends.

GOOGLY EYES

First up, the glasses alone supplied days of fun for the boys. They are hilarious to wear and to view through. Don’t drive with them or walk too far; they really do make it difficult to see.

This game is basically Pictionary but with your vision impaired. It is so much fun.

Now when I say, Shall we play a game? the instant response is “Googly Eyes”. The only negative is that the timer didn’t work. However, with smart-phones these days that isn’t a problem. I hope the makers will, also, bring out new card packs. We are playing it so much we are getting through the cards very quickly.

FIBBER

Fibber, the other game we were asked to review, was quite fun but really we would recommend it for maybe ten and under.

In this, you play cards down from your hand and have to say what the card is without showing it. The goal is to get rid of all the cards in your hand by pretending the type of cards you're playing are not actually what you are playing, if you don't have the right ones in your hand.

If someone thinks you’ve fibbed about your discard card, then they can call you a “Fibber.” My kids enjoyed calling each other names for sure. If the player is not telling the truth, the “Fibber” has to wear an extension on his glasses over his nose, à la Pinocchio, and pick up all the cards in the discard pile. If they were telling the truth, you do. Its pretty silly, but still fun. Each time you are caught fibbing, you get a another piece for your nose. If you enjoy a wine, I can imagine the laughs.

It’s very simple, but next to a game like Googly Eyes, it has nowhere near the appeal or longevity of play. Our family still had fun though, but its Googly Eyes all the way here.

If you want to find out more about these games or where they are stocked, please visit Crown and Andrews www.crownandandrews.com.au

Runner by Patrick Lee

2014-05-12T01:20:00.001-07:00

Rating: ✪✪✪✪✪ out of 5 Stars

Release Date: February 2014

Author’s Website: http://www.patrickleefiction.com

Purchase in Australia: QBD Bookstore & good bookstores

Purchase Book U.S.: Amazon U.S.A.

Publisher’s Website: Penguin

My thoughts:

The first thing you will notice about “Runner” by Patrick Lee is the striking cover (Australian/UK version)The next thing is that the hours have gone by and you haven’t stopped reading. Time just runs away with this book.

It takes off from the first page at a gallop and never stops. In the beginning, you’re reading a thriller, then it seamlessly morphs into a techno sci-fi story. Last time I enjoyed a story in this genre as much, I was reading a Michael Crichton (I really miss Crichton) book.

Sam Dryden, a highly skilled ex-special forces soldier is taking an evening jog when he encounters eleven-year-old Rachel fleeing heavily armed men who are trying to kill her. Sam’s instincts kick in and, before he knows it, he’s helped the girl temporarily escape her pursuers.

However there’s something unusual about Rachel, and Dryden finds himself in the middle of a mystery that he needs to solve to save the girl. Rachel has no memory of her past except for the last two months, until Dryden begins to realize why she is the subject of the intensive search. She is a very special girl.

The secrets, danger, and pace don’t let up until the end, which if you are anything like me will come not long after you start reading. You literally cannot put this book down, a rare experience for me lately. The perspective fluidly switches between Rachel and Sam and their pursuers, who utilize state of the art technology in their pursuit.

Co-incidentally while I was reading “Runner” another avid reader friend told me about a great series that I must read as I was telling her about “Runner.” Turned out we were talking about books from the same author. So Lee’s trilogy “The Breach Series” “is now high on my list of must-reads.” We're both now big fans of Patrick Lee. Excuse the cliché but run to your nearest book outlet and grab this book? Ready… set… go.

P.S. The red cover is the U.S. version. I much prefer the Australian/UK version. Its the reason I picked it up from my huge pile of review books.

Book Blurb:

Sam Dryden, retired special forces, lives a quiet life in a small town on the coast of Southern California. While out on a run in the middle of the night, a young girl runs into him on the seaside boardwalk. Barefoot and terrified, she's running from a group of heavily armed men with one clear goal—to kill the fleeing child. After Dryden helps her evade her pursuers, he learns that the eleven year old, for as long as she can remember, has been kept in a secret prison by forces within the government. But she doesn't know much beyond her own name, Rachel. She only remembers the past two months of her life—and that she has a skill that makes her very dangerous to these men and the hidden men in charge.

Dryden, who lost his wife and young daughter in an accident five years ago, agrees to help her try to unravel her own past and make sense of it, to protect her from the people who are moving heaven and earth to find them both. Although Dryden is only one man, he's a man with the extraordinary skills and experience—as a Ranger, a Delta, and five years doing off-the-book black ops with an elite team. But, as he slowly begins to discover, the highly trained paramilitary forces on their heels is the only part of the danger they must face. Will Rachel's own unremembered past be the most deadly of them all?

About the author:

Patrick was born in west Michigan in 1976. His accomplishments over the next eighteen years

included waiting for Nintendo to be invented and then playing lots of Nintendo. In his twenties he sold two screenplays to movie studios in Los Angeles, but neither was produced. Patrick blames Hollywood's prejudice against rugged, Brad Pitt-aged protagonists. On the other hand, even Patrick's limited success in the movie business was a great way to avoid doing any actual work for the entirety of his twenties.

In his early thirties he started writing novels, and managed to sign with the coolest agent in the business: Janet Reid at FinePrint, who promptly sold the first two books of the Travis Chase series to HarperCollins. Patrick's relatives expressed relief that he probably wouldn't end up sleeping on their couches.

The Cinderella Moment by Jennifer Kloester

2014-03-25T22:13:00.001-07:00

Rating: ✪✪✪✪✪ out of 5 Stars

My thoughts:

Even though I don’t normally read YA romance books—I’m normally a sci-fi, dystopian reader—this book was a refreshing breath of fresh air. I will admit to being quite the fan of America’s Next Top Model and the fashion world. And I shall certainly put my hand up to share that I watch Mad Men for the clothes.

But I’d never thought to read a book set within this world. Well silly me, because this was so much fun. I love the setting in Paris and author of The Cinderella Moment, Jennifer Kloester, certainly knows how throw almost insurmountable problems at her characters who are then ingenious in finding determined ways around them.

The protagonist Angel is a wonderful character and I love her determination to succeed. She rather reminded me of Emma Harte of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s A Woman of Substance, one of my favourite heroines. I just love tenacious women; they are so inspiring.

I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves fashion, a page-turning read and a fresh take on a classic fairytale.

Book Blurb:

A love of fashion.

A couture competition.

A once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Angel wants to be a fashion designer, but without money or connections, it's going to be a challenge. So when she gets a chance to head to Paris, Angel grabs it – even if it means masquerading as her best friends Lily. That can't be too hard, can it?

But faking things doesn't come easy, and when Angel meets her very own Prince Charming, things start to get complicated. She needs to stop her secrets unravelling if she wants to live happily ever…

From exciting talent Jennifer Kloester comes a modern fairytale of high society, mistaken identity, love, betrayal, friendship – and great clothes.

Release Date: July 2013

Author’s Website: http://www.jenniferkloester.com/

Purchase Book: Amazon

Publisher’s Website: Penguin

About the author:

Jennifer Kloester loves to escape into a good book. She began writing her own stories in primary school and was living in the jungle in Papua New Guinea when she discovered Georgette Heyer's wonderful historical romances. Those books took her to London, Paris and New York and inspired her to write her two novels The Cinderella Moment and The Rapunzel Dilemma. After spending three years living in the desert in Bahrain, Jennifer now spends most days writing in a book-lined study in an old manse. She is also the author of two books on Georgette Heyer: Georgette Heyer's Regency World and Georgette Heyer: Biography of a Bestseller.

Blue Into The Rip by Kev Heritage

2014-03-10T01:46:00.000-07:00

Rating: ✪✪✪✪✪ out of 5 stars

My thoughts:

Blue Into The Rip is quite a different YA book. It doesn’t have vampires, it’s not about the end of the world, has no bows and arrows, and there is no magic to be seen anywhere. It’s a sci-fi adventure in a similar vein to Ender’s Game with time travel thrown in for good measure.

What a fantastic debut novel from Kev Heritage. Blue Into The Rip has everything going for it: time travel, interesting characters, suspenseful situations, good guys, bad guys and camaraderie.

Blue finds himself four hundred years in the future thanks to a rip in time. The world is a very different place. Our fifteen year old protagonist ends up in the academy of a mysterious military organisation called SEARCH. This is where the action really starts, where Blue makes friends and enemies and begins his own search to find a way home.

There is also an environmental message thrown in about the possible future of the planet with global warming. It certainly is a great premise for a series and I really look forward to spending more time with Blue. So few stories are written aimed at middle school boys and older with an interesting premise and this certainly fills a gap there.

If you are an adult, don’t let its YA tag stop you reading it. Blue Into The Rip is well written, creative, and just shows you that Independent authors are creating work as good, if not better than traditional publishers. I highly recommend you join Blue for a rollicking, thought-provoking adventure.

Book Blurb:

Blue didn’t want to be in the future They didn’t want him there either…

A rip in the fabric of time, a far-flung globally warmed future, a flooded Earth and the only remainder of civilisation – a militaristic organisation living underneath ‘Desert Amazon’…

Getting back home to rescue his little sister Annie was the only thing that mattered to messed up, mixed race teenager, Blue (named after his stupid, googly blue eyes) – and that was the problem – home was over four hundred years in the past.

Ripped forwards in time from his odd hippy parents, their peculiar house and his lonely school life, Blue had only one thing on his mind: return. But how does a lowly cadet in a militaristic Academy living in a post-apocalyptic future achieve such a goal, especially with the distractions of girls, pilot training, spacewalks and his almost constant unpopularity?

The more Blue found out about this flooded, gung-ho annoying future, about himself – who and what he was (was he even human?) – and the equally disturbing and shocking truth about his ‘parents’ – the more he realised getting home was the only solution. Wasn’t it? If Blue knew one thing, it was that he would at least try.

Release Date: January 2014

Author’s Website: http://www.kevheritage.com

Purchase Book: http://www.kevheritage.com/blue-into-the-rip/

Publisher’s Website: Independent Author

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill ★★★★★

2014-01-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

A HELLUVA RIDE

NOS4A2 in USA (pronounced Nosferatu)

NOS4R2 elsewhere

This is one of those stories where fifty pages in you realize you’re having the best reading fun you’ve had in ages. You don’t know where it’s going and you don’t care. It’s a ride, and you realize you are in the hands of a capable author.

It’s no surprise that Joe Hill’s “NOS4A2” is so captivating, as many have felt the same way when reading one of his Father’s books. Joe Hill, son of Stephen King, has entered his father’s domain. And, like his Father, he can tell a mean story and create characters with rich inner lives.

This is his third novel (“Horns” and “Heart Shaped Box”). This story is comparable to the best work of King, and at near 700 pages it’s just as weighty. It’s such a great read, though, you will be glad for every page.

We meet a young tomboy, Vic McQueen, who has a special gift. When she cycles fast enough, while thinking about a lost object, she magically crosses over the no-longer-in-existence “Shorter Way Bridge.” The bridge always takes her to the geographical location of the lost object.

Charlie Manx is a nasty creature who kidnaps young children whom he believes are at risk of an unhappy future. Creepy sidekick, Bing, relishes his role which is killing the children’s parents. The kidnapped children are transported to the strange, magical Christmasland, via Charlie’s 1934 Rolls Royce Wraith, number plate NOS4A2. Along the way the children’s goodness is stolen, so they arrive no longer human sporting little, sharp teeth.

When Vic and Charlie’s paths cross, she becomes the only child to ever escape him, and Charlie finds the adult Vic a determined, dangerous adversary.

The depth of the characters, who are flawed, broken people struggling with huge issues, make this a superior horror story. In “NOS4A2” Hill has created a comprehensive, well imagined world. If you love horror, if you love great writing, if you love reading a story where you can’t predict the end, then climb into “NOS4A2.” It’s one helluva ride.

Thank you to the great people at Hachette Australia for my copy of Joe Hill’s NOS4A2.

INTERESTING INFORMATION

RELEASED: May 2013

For more information about this book: Click HERE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joe Hill is a recipient of the RAY BRADBURY FELLOWSHIP and the winner of the A.E. COPPARD LONG FICTION PRIZE, WILLIAM CRAWFORD, WORLD FANTASY, BRITISH FANTASY, BRAM STOKER and INTERNATIONAL HORROR GUILD AWARDs.

His short fiction has appeared in literary, mystery and horror collections and magazines in Britain and America.

Previous Books: NOS4R2, Horns, Heart-Shaped Box, 20th Century Ghosts

Marie Claire: 10 Years of Great Food by Michele Cranston ★★★★★

2013-10-24T20:40:00.001-07:00

ONE FOR “COOKBOOK” COOKS

Reviewed by Carmel (my sister-in-law)

My sister-in-law, Carmel, is an amazing cook. She has four gorgeous children, and they would have to be the luckiest kids on the planet to eat her meals every day. At most family gatherings, Carmel is the designated dessert-bringer. Her cakes are legendary and worth driving long distances to scoff.

She, also, has strong opinions. If she doesn't like something, like books I recommend, she tells me. So, I thought who would be more perfect than my sister-in-law to review a few of the gorgeous cookbooks on offer. If Carmel says it’s a good cookbook then I can guarantee it is a good cookbook and worth the dollars.

This book she absolutely loves and it has become a mainstay in her kitchen.

Over to Carmel…

I am what you would call a “cookbook cook” and I like to think I can cook anything as long as I have the recipe in front of me and a picture. Of course, this doesn’t include spaghetti and meatballs or crumbed chicken/meat, as these I can do in my sleep and my family would happily eat only these dishes on alternate nights. However for the sake of variety and nutritional value, I need four to five other meals to fill my dinner week.

Hence, a good cookbook is essential. And, no, I don’t want to Google recipes on my iPad. I like to turn a page and have a beautiful book sitting on my bench.

So, over the years, my cookbook collection has grown. Despite the fact I have a shelf (actually several shelves) full of cookbooks, I always find myself using the same ones. My favourites include several of the Marie Clare series.

The people at Marie Clare have released “Marie Claire: 10 Years of Great Food” and it has quickly become the “king” of my cookbook collection. After using this book for a few months I can say it definitely ticks all the boxes for those of us that are dedicated “cookbook cooks”:

þ Simple recipes with precise instructions—Tick

If you follow what is written, you cannot get it wrong. The instructions are short and to the point with no unnecessary family stories or historical references to the origin or region from which it evolved.

þ Recipes use every day, easily sourced products—Tick

You don’t have to drive thirty minutes to the alternative farmer’s market to buy some herb of which you will only use two leaves leaving the rest to wilt in the fridge. And you won’t have to go to the specialty gourmet food shop for a spice costing twice as much as anything in Woolworths or Coles, which then sits in your pantry until it’s use by date expires.

þ Beautiful pictures showing exactly what the dish should look like—Tick

There are no scenes of the countryside or elaborate table settings with flowers and fancy tableware that dwarf the actual dish, just mouth-watering photos of the food.

þ Tips and facts scattered throughout the recipes—Tick

These are short, useful, easy to read, and almost always answer any queries that inevitably come to mind as you read through the recipe.

The recipes that I have tried all worked very well, not that I necessarily liked each one but that is a personal preference on flavours and taste. And, if in the future I did decide that I liked figs with chicken then I would no doubt make the “Chicken and Baby Fig Tagine” again because, according to my family, it was delicious.

“Marie Claire: 10 Years of Great Food” is a beautifully presented book with an exceptional variety of recipes that look like ‘dinner party’ food but are actually simple enough to cook any day. So often when you are looking at buying cookbooks you will think “Do I really need another cookbook?” Well, this one you do!

“Marie Claire: 10 Years of Great Food” is available now and RRP is $59.99 (well worth it Carmel says.)

Thank you to Allen and Unwin Australia for Carmel’s review copy

VISIT Murdoch Books for purchasing details and more information on books authored by Michele Cranston.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Join Michele Cranston, award-winning food writer and stylist, on a journey that will transport you from an alfresco table in summer through to a wintery afternoon of comfort food. Along the way you will experience the fresh seasonal flavours that have always been associated with marie claire recipes.

Simple, innovative and inspiring, this book brings together over 250 of Michele’s favourites — from Lemon and thyme lamb cutlets and Chicken and baby fig tagine to Summertime pavlova and Chocolate mousse cake.

Layered with anecdotal tales and memories 10 Years of Great Food with Michele Cranston captures her passion and talent that form the core of these enticing recipes.

Mob Rule by Hannah Evans ★★★★★

2013-09-15T21:20:00.001-07:00

Reviewed by Mel Hearse

You know you've joined the MOB when you hear...

'My, are they all yours?'

'Bless you!' (Occasionally)

'Poor you!' (Frequently)

'Lucky you!' (Once)

And of course, the ultimate: 'So... are you going for a girl?'

I rarely say this, being aware that we all have our own tastes, but Mob Rule is a hands-down, must-read for all mothers of boys (MOB). Fellow MOB-er, author Hannah Evans, manages to make you spit your morning coffee in laughter at her tales of the high jinks and hilarious antics of life as the sole female in an otherwise all male family. Being in the same boat, and having read on the topic before, I was prepared for something clichéd and self aggrandizing, but Evans has created a book that is fresh, funny and something that’s as good for a MOB as a solo weekend at good hotel.

If you’ve ever done the long haul driving holiday (why do we think this will work?) this is the book for you. If you’ve ever questioned your femininity based on your fallback wardrobe of boots, trackies and pull on jumpers, then this is a must read. And if you’ve ever found your house…well, just impervious to any kind of cleaning, then this is a sanity saver – going on the philosophy that laughter is the best medicine.

I gave it 5 stars – and I’m as surprised as you are.

My review copy of Mob Rule thanks to the publisher who rules

My very own paper copy to love and treasure from the very deep but fun people at Bloomsbury Australia

INFORMATION:

Release Dates: February, 2013

To purchase: click here

Author’s Site: http://www.hannahevans.co.uk/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hannah Evans has three small boys. In her world, farting is so much more interesting than phonics, dam-building trumps damsels in distress any day and, astonishingly, she now instinctively knows the difference between a Frontloader and a JCB. It's a world of mud - and just occasionally blood - sweat and tears. It is also a world of indescribable joy.

Often light-hearted, always engaging, she specialises in researching and creating VIVID and EMOTIVE features, that delve into the idiosyncrasies of the human race.

MOB Rule is the funny, honest and eye-opening account of Hannah's experiences as a Mother of Boys. Supplemented by recipes, quizzes, mnemonics and mysteries, it is the indispensible book for anyone who finds themselves adrift on a sea of testosterone, wondering when the lifeboat is going to show up.

You may be outnumbered, your face may be frazzled and your toe-nails black and bare, but know that, far from being alone, you're part of a very special club. Welcome to ... the MOB!

Dust by Hugh Howey ★★★★★

2013-09-09T00:20:00.001-07:00

DONE & DUSTED, SADLY

WOOL introduced the silo and its inhabitants.

SHIFT told the story of their making.

DUST will chronicle their undoing.

Welcome to the underground.

The conclusion of a great series brings great sadness for the fans. Hugh Howey’s “Wool” saga only came into existence just over two years ago. So it’s been quite a whirlwind ride for fans and the author until now the release of Dust brings us the finale.

Howey leapt from self-published author to New York Times bestselling novelist in record time. On the way, he changed the way authors and the publishing world did business by refusing to relinquish his e-book rights for seven figure publishing deals. He finally signed a historic deal with Simon & Schuster who received only paper-book distribution while Howey kept his lucrative e-book rights.

With the publication of “Dust,” our visit to the Silo has ended. If you haven’t read “Wool” and “Shift” (the second book), then stop reading this review, and immediately purchase these two. You won’t regret it, and you will join the millions of fans who can’t get enough of this world.

It’s impossible to review “Dust” and not reveal spoilers for the original two, so I will give only a general outline of the world. “Wool” fans this is a brilliant continuation directly from “Shift” and finds the lead characters still embroiled in the politics of the Silo.

The silo, which consists of nearly two-hundred below-ground, concrete levels, is filled with thousands of survivors from an event occurring over 60 years before. The unremembered event left the outside world uninhabitable with toxic air. Inhabitants who breach the strict Silo laws are sent outside to clean the one screen which gives the occupants a view of the desolate world; their last act before death by the poisonous fumes.

The silo is segmented into class structures from I.T. on top, through to the middle levels, to the lower class “down deep.” From the “down deep” a hero, Jules, arises. She begins to question their world at a perilous risk to her and, also, the silo.

“Dust” is an exciting adventure ride introducing new characters and new challenges for those we have come to love. Some will live, and you will be surprised by those who die. It is a satisfying conclusion to one of the greatest science-fiction worlds created in modern literature.

Read my review of Wool

Read my review of Shift

Read my interview with Hugh Howey: "A Shift in Power

My review copy of Dust thanks the wonderful and generous HUGH HOWEY

My very own paper copy to love and treasure from the very deep but fun people at RANDOM HOUSE Australia.

INFORMATION:

Release Dates: 17th August, 2013

To purchase from Hugh direct: click here

Australia and New Zealand: September 2013

To purchase: click here

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hugh Howey is the author of Wool, a bestselling novel that has appeared in the top 5 of science fiction on Amazon. He is also the author of the award-winning Molly Fyde Saga. He lives in Boone, N.C. with his wife Amber and their dog Bella.

Sign up to receive Hugh Howey's newsletter

Visit Hugh Howey's official website

Follow Hugh Howey on Facebook

Follow Hugh Howey on Twitter

Watching You by Michael Robotham ★★★★

2013-09-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

NOTHING BEATS A ROBOTHAM THRILLER

Last year, Michael Robotham’s book, “Say You’re Sorry” was the must-read book

among my friends. Many of them stopped their lives for a few days while they read it, and some reading it in one sitting. It was so good that Stephen King named it in his top three reads for 2012. I wholeheartedly concur with the master of suspense. This is all to say that Michael Robotham comes highly recommended and writes a great story.

He writes dark killer thrillers and “Watching You” is classic Robotham. He really puts his protagonists through the wringer, and again we meet another poor character who is dealing with great adversity. Robotham brings back our favorite psychologist, Joe O’Loughlin, who is also dealing with his own personal physical and emotional adversity, .

Marnie Logan has good reason to be depressed and in need of O’Loughlin’s services. Her husband disappeared over a year ago, without a word, leaving her a poverty-stricken single mother. She has been forced into prostitution in order to pay off her husband’s debts to a money-lender. And she, also, has this strange feeling she is being watched.

When a book of Marnie’s life is discovered which includes pictures, interviews with friends and old teachers, and other people from her past, she believes her husband was creating a birthday surprise. But something is not right. In order to help Marnie, O’Loughlin interviews some of the people from her past, and discovers their stories of Marnie seem to be of a darker and entirely different person.

Robotham writes suspense with the best, and he weaves the story of Marnie’s misaligned past beautifully with the added tension of an unknown stalker. Who is the stalker and, in fact, who really is Marnie?

“Watching You” is another thrilling book in the O’Loughlin series, and while “Say You’re Sorry” is still my favorite. You cannot beat a Robotham thriller.

My review copy of “Watching You” supplied by the very nice people at Hachette Australia

Read my 2013 interview with Michael Robotham on "Say You're Sorry"

Read my review of "Say You're Sorry"

INTERESTING INFORMATION

RELEASED:

Australia & New Zealand: August 2013

USA: Hardcover March 11 2014

For more information about this book: Click HERE

Read a sample: First Chapter

Visit Michael Robotham’s Website: Click HERE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born in Australia in November 1960, Michael Robotham grew up in small country towns

that had more dogs than people and more flies than dogs. He escaped in 1979 and became a cadet journalist on an afternoon newspaper in Sydney.

For the next fourteen years he wrote for newspapers and magazines in Australia, Britain and America.

In 1993 he quit journalism to become a ghostwriter, collaborating with politicians, pop stars, psychologists, adventurers and show business personalities to write their autobiographies. Twelve of these non-fiction titles were bestsellers with combined sales of more than 2 million copies.

His first novel 'The Suspect', a psychological thriller, was chosen by the world’s largest consortium of book clubs as only the fifth “International Book of the Month”, making it the top recommendation to 28 million book club members in fifteen countries. It has been translated into twenty-two languages.

His second novel 'Lost' won the Ned Kelly Award for the Crime Book of the Year in 2005, given by the Australian Crime Writers Association. It was also shortlisted for the 2006 Barry Award for the BEST BRITISH NOVEL published in the US in 2005.

Michael's subsequent novels 'The Night Ferry' and 'Shatter' were both shortlisted for UK Crime Writers Association Steel Dagger in 2007 and 2008. 'Shatter' was also shortlisted in the inaugural ITV3 Thriller Awards in the UK and for South Africa's Boeke Prize. In August 2008 'Shatter' won the Ned Kelly award for Australia's best crime novel. More recently, 'Bleed for Me' – Michael's sixth novel – was shortlisted for the 2010 Ned Kelly Award. His latest novel 'The Wreckage' has won universal praise and was described by Nelson De Mille as 'one of the best novels to come out of the chaos of Iraq.'

THE KINGMAKER'S DAUGHTER by Philippa Gregory ★★★★

2013-08-29T09:29:00.003-07:00

Reviewed by Emily Barber

‘The Kingmaker's Daughter’ by Phillipa Gregory is the gripping story of the daughters of the man known as the "Kingmaker," Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick: the most powerful magnate in fifteenth-century England. Without a son and heir, he uses his daughters, Anne and Isabel as pawns in his political games, and they grow up to be influential players in their own right.

At the court of Edward IV and his beautiful queen, Elizabeth Woodville, Anne grows from a delightful child to become ever more fearful and desperate when her father makes war on his former friends. Married at age fourteen, she is soon left widowed and fatherless, her mother in sanctuary and her sister married to the enemy. Anne manages her own escape by marrying Richard, Duke of Gloucester, but her choice will set her on a collision course with the overwhelming power of the royal family and will cost the lives of those she loves most in the world, including her precious only son, Prince Edward. Ultimately, the kingmaker's daughter will achieve her father's greatest ambition.

First of all a disclaimer of sorts: I love Sharon Kay Penman's ‘The Sunne in Splendour’ set in the ‘War of the Roses’ period and I have read it multiple times. So my reactions whilst reading ‘The Kingmaker's Daughter’ are coloured by that. There were multiple times whilst reading I found myself saying "Wait, that's not right" and I had to remind myself that both books are novels and no one can know the truth about character and motivations. However, most readers won’t know this.

In saying that I did enjoy this book and Phillipa Gregory deserves much praise for this series. I highly recommend this book, but I have to warn readers that this is an intense and dark part of history and there is no happy ending.

My review copy of THE KINGMAKER’S DAUGHTER thanks to the very wonderful people at Simon & Schuster Australia.

Release Dates: Australia and New Zealand: August 2013

CLICK THROUGH FOR BUYING INFORMATION: HERE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Philippa Gregory was an established historian and writer when she discovered her interest in the Tudor period and wrote the internationally bestselling novel The Other Boleyn Girl. Now she is looking at the family that preceded the Tudors: the magnificent Plantaganets, a family of complex rivalries, loves, and hatreds.

Her other great interest is the charity that she founded nearly twenty years ago: Gardens for The Gambia. She has raised funds and paid for 140 wells for the primary schools of this poor African country. A former student of Sussex university, and a PhD and Alumna of the Year 2009 of Edinburgh University, her love for history and commitment to historical accuracy are the hallmarks of her writing. She lives with her family on a small farm in Yorkshire.

She welcomes visitors to her site www.PhilippaGregory.com

The Shining Girls Lauren Beukes ★★★★½

2013-08-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

THRILLER THAT SHINES

Lauren Beukes said in an interview that the only way she could write her horrific, serial killer Harper was to hurt him at every opportunity possible. And injure him quite often she does which only makes him more frighteningly real.

She also didn’t want to glorify violence against women. So each victim of Harper’s is given a full life before Harper whisks it away. They are women who are Mothers, journalists, nurses, social advocates and their lives are revealed within their eras in fascinating detail.

The Shining Girls is an extraordinary book in that it crosses genres. It’s a crime thriller but also a work of science fiction. And it’s about as complicated as a time travelling book can be as the killer leaves victim’s personal objects from one era on the body of another victim in another decade.

Beukes kept meticulous charts on her wall, while writing the book, showing where and when objects were taken and then placed, where Harper was injured, how long before he healed, along with the timeline of victim’s lives and deaths.

Harper living in 1926 is drawn to an abandoned house that works as a portal into the future. Any time he thinks about he can travel to. He has a compulsion to kill and particularly enjoys visiting his victims as children in order to confirm they are his shining girls. Behind their eyes he can see a glow.

Kirby is the only victim to survive an attack. Years later, interning for the Chicago Sun-Times, Kirby teams up with a reporter who covered her attack and slowly they discover connections between her and numerous murders in the past.

We all know Harper is the killer. The real thrill is watching characters discover the truth. Beukes is a gifted author who works seamlessly in the complex time travel arena. Just like Audrey Niffenegger’s ‘Time Traveler’s Wife’ this book will haunt you with the possibilities. You will marvel, too, that an author with such a moral compass can write one of the truly most evil killers ever put to page.

My review copy of The Shining Girls thanks to the shiny people at HARPER COLLINS PUBLISHERS Australia

USEFUL INFORMATION

Release Dates:

Australia and New Zealand: May 2013

Purchasing details: Click here

Author’s Website: LAUREN BEUKES

Sample Read: Click here

THE AUTHOR

Lauren Beukes is a novelist, TV scriptwriter, documentary maker, comics writer and occasional journalist. She won the 2011 Arthur C Clarke Award for her novel ZOO CITY, set in a fantastical Johannesburg where guilt manifests as spirit animal familiars. Her previous works include MOXYLAND, a dystopian cyberpunk thriller set in Cape Town under corporate apartheid. She helped create South Africa’s first half-hour animated TV show, URBO: The Adventures of Pax Afrika, and has written kids animated shows for Disney UK and Millimages in France.

Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns by Lauren Weisberger

2013-08-18T20:51:00.000-07:00

She’s Baaaaaack!

Reviewed by Mel Hearse

I’m a fan of Weisberger’s work—Last Night at the Chateau Marmont is my personal favourite, and while her latest, the hotly anticipated sequel to the best selling Devil Wears Prada, fails to knock it off the number one perch for me, it’s certainly a great read.

Following on from the original Devil, Revenge Wears Prada sees Andy at the newly turned age of thirty, now an incredibly successful magazine editor, and working closely with her best friend Emily, another Runway survivor (yes, THAT Emily). She’s about to be married and has been careful to stay clear of Miranda Priestly, her dreadful first boss. But Andy’s luck is running out. Miranda Priestly isn’t the kind of woman who hides in the background.

In the words of the book’s blurb—Miranda’s baaaaack...and more devilish than ever.

If I have a complaint about the sequel, it’s that there wasn’t much of the Devil herself, and where she did appear there was a slight feeling that it was really a tack on moment, included simply for continuity or a sense of obligation to the franchise. The strength of the book is Andy. Her story line is interesting enough to class this book as a masterpiece in its genre (Hey, literature it ain’t, but as a good chick-lit novel it excels.)

Overall, the book is a great read, any issues are no more than niggles. The book is aspirational, glossy and all the basic things you want in a good beach read.

I give it three stars for execution, four stars for delivering the fun factor.

Our review copy of Revenge Wears Prada thanks to the stylish people at HARPER COLLINS PUBLISHERS Australia

BOOK BLURB

Everything′s in place for the season′s hottest launch:

Tall latte (with two raw sugars)? Check.

Gucci trench (draped over desk)? Check.

Outrageous, unreasonable demands? Check.

Andy has just turned thirty and is an incredibly successful magazine editor, working closely with her best friend Emily, another Runway survivor. She′s about to get married - life′s on track and she's been careful to stay clear of Miranda Priestly, her dreadful first boss. But Andy′s luck is running out. Miranda Priestly isn′t the kind of woman who hides in the background.

She′s back... and more devilish than ever.

USEFUL INFORMATION

Release Dates: Australia and New Zealand: June 2013

Purchasing details: Click here

Author’s Website: LAUREN WEISBERGER

Sample Read: Click here

THE AUTHOR

Lauren Weisberger is the author of the mega success The Devil Wears Prada. It is almost autobiographic, since Lauren did start her career as an assistant to Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour. She then moved to Departures magazine where she began writing both for the magazine and in writing classes by night. She debuted with The Devil Wears Prada, which exists in more than 4 million copies and became the Golden Globe award winning motion picture starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway.

With her second book, Everyone Worth Knowing Lauren Weisberger proved that she was not just a one hit wonder, with more than a million copies in print to prove it. .

Lauren Weisberger is now married to Mike Cohen who is also a writer.

The Australian Women's Weekly FOOD WE LOVE ★★★★★

2013-08-04T22:49:00.001-07:00

I CAN BAKE! I CAN BAKE!

When I think of The Australian Women’s Weekly cookbooks I think of my first attempts, over thirty years ago, at cooking and my first ever cookbook, The Women’s Weekly Cooking Class Cookbook. I loved it so much because until I owned that book everything I cooked was a disaster. They had fabulous pictures of every step of the process and a picture of how the dish was meant to look at the end. I truly learnt to cook with that book. Until a recent house move that book sat on my shelf for three decades.

Of course, over the years you add more and more books to your collection and most of mine were Women’s Weekly. Any time favourite cookbooks are mentioned amongst friends there is usually the comment, “You can’t go wrong with a Women’s Weekly.”

The Australian Women’s Weekly cookbook series has been around since 1976 beginning with Best Ever Recipes. After that one book a year was released and they have now sold over 75 million copies worldwide across 100 countries.

Enough of history though, you want the review part don’t you?

So, when my The Australian Women’s Weekly ‘Food We Love’ (favourite recipes from the AWW Test Kitchen) arrived, I took one look and fell in love. This book was first published in 2006 and this is the latest 2013 edition.

In Food We Love 90 past and present staff of the AWW Test Kitchen have gathered together their favourite recipes. Even though some of the recipes are years old, these are recipes they helped develop and are still cooking today for their family and friends.

Let me be honest, despite my cooking experience—some say I am not bad—I am not a baker.

Muffins, yes!

Biscuits, rarely!

Ice-cream with a banana for dessert, mostly!

I blame the oven every time a cake failed. Of course, said my friends nodding, while probably thinking she can't bake. It’s always the oven, right? Eventually, I gave up and brought salads or Tim Tams to gatherings .

So the first section I turned to in Food We Love was ‘Baking’. Here is the real test of the success of a cook book for me. Can I bake something from it and not watch my family chew for far too long on the initial bite?

Results: Moist orange cake. Yes! “Please make another,” said the 10 year old.

Moist coconut cake with coconut ice frosting. Yes! “Wonderful and different,” congratulates the husband.

Carrot and banana cake. Yes! “Please pack extra for my lunch,” said the two boys who normally will only take those horrible, deadly, sugary muesli bars you buy from the shop.

Cinnamon teacake. Yes! Yes! Yes! Everyone loved this big, yummy, donut-tasting cake which my fussiest son devoured after first licking—yes licking—the side nervously having experienced my baking for years.

And this is only some of the baking section. There are finger foods, soups and starters, and mains; broken into the usual meats, pasta & rice, seafood, salads, and accompaniments. Then desserts, baking (wonderful baking) and even Christmas fare.

It’s bright and breezy and basic—with a beautiful picture of the result—which is what we average cooks want. In the side column of the recipes there is also a little blurb from the test kitchen employee who chose the recipe. They tell you who they are and why they love this recipe.

The Australian Women’s Weekly Food We Love is now the cook book I love. I could write so much more about this book but I have a lemon sour cream cake in the oven and …

Review copy thanks to my delicious friends at Bauer Media

Please click here for purchasing info and further details.

More Women’s Weekly Cookbooks to check out HERE

Published: June/2013

Page extent: 240pp

ISBN: 978-1-74245-385-9

RRP: $29.95

NIGHT TERRORS ANTHOLOGY edited by Karen Henderson

2013-08-03T21:16:00.000-07:00

Since the rise and rise of eBooks, short stories and novellas have become increasingly popular. I think of short stories as a sorbet between longer books; something to refresh your palette before moving on to that six hundred page tome or if you are a Stephen King fan one thousand plus page doorstop.

The “Night Terrors Anthology” edited by Karen Henderson of Kayelle Press is a creepy little anthology of all things nasty with an abundance of demons, vampires, ghosts and the undead. Inside are seventeen top-notch horror stories from international authors; many of whom are award winners.

The quality of the stories ranges from very good to exceptional. The first of the anthology, “A World Not Our Own” by J.C. Hemphill proves you can’t trust vampires and is as far from “Twilight” as a good vampire story should be.

Now the publishing and film and television world have fallen in love with zombies, zombies have become the new black. Move over Edward. Read “Share the Love” by Chris Donahue to get your quality zombie fix.

“White Lines, White Crosses” by Andrew J. McKiernan could have been written by Stephen King. It is a cool little ghost story about a teenager’s desire to fit in and the price he pays when the peer pressure comes from the other side of the grave. It is seriously dark and beautifully paced.

There is also a few classics thrown in for good measure. They are just as fresh today and fit right in with their modern counterparts; Edgar Allan Poe’s “A Tell-Tale Heart, “The Dead Girl” by Guy de Maupassant and “A Ghost Story” by Mark Twain.

The “Night Terrors Anthology” is a solid collection with some truly enjoyable, clever tales that will stay with you whether you want them to or not. The “Creepy” Badge of Honor is awarded to Editor Karen Henderson for having a great feel for a good story.

Thank you to Kayelle Press for our e-review copy of Night Terrors Anthology.

This book is available in paperback and e-book format

Visit http://www.kayellepress.com/shop/night-terrors-anthology/ for more details and to purchase.

ABOUT KAYELLE PRESS

Based in Australia, Kayelle Press is a new independent publisher of speculative fiction, which includes fantasy, science fiction and horror. We will publish books for young readers, young adults and adults that will tempt your imagination and allow you to escape into unknown worlds.

Most of our books will be available in paperback and various digital formats. They can be purchased through this website or from your favourite online book store. Alternatively, you can request an order form through email and send the order through the post with a bank cheque, money order or international draft. Refer to our How to Order page for more information.

Raven Girl by Audrey Niffenegger ★★★★ ½

2013-07-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

FLIGHT OF BEAUTIFUL FANCY

My ten and twelve year old boys are, sadly, at an age where they don’t want me to read to them anymore. In fact, thanks to iPads, X-boxes and cable TV, they don’t even want to read themselves anymore.

However, they both expressed interest in me reading them “Raven Girl”. In the end, my hubby sat in and for several nights our family eagerly anticipated the next reading. Reading this book with them was a wonderful experience. First they wanted to read it; then they didn’t want me to stop. They loved the story and wanted it read again. A miracle.

“Once there was a Postman who fell in love with a Raven.”

The opening line in this modern-day, dark, fairy tale begins a marvelous tale of a postman who “thought he had seen just about everything Her Majesty’s Postal Service could offer in the way of danger and difficulty, hilarity and boredom”. When he rescues a baby raven, which has fallen from her nest, they fall in love and eventually have a baby raven girl who has human form but speaks in raven. Like any child, the raven girl is not happy with herself and seeks to be transformed.

Niffenegger has collaborated with Royal Ballet Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor to produce a ballet based on this book. It premiered at the Royal Opera House in London in May 2013.

Audrey Niffenegger was on my list of beloved authors before this book. Her first novel, “The Time Traveler’s Wife” was an international best-seller and her second book, a ghost story entitled “Her Fearful Symmetry”, is in my Top reads.

Niffenegger puts words together from which spin magic. She is also a talented artist. In “Raven Girl”, she not only wrote a charming tale, she also illustrated it beautifully using the 17th century technique of aquatint, which uses metal, acid, wax and rosin to achieve delicate tone and detailed images.

Anyone, any age reading this will fall in love with the tale of the “Raven Girl”. It is a book of exceptional beauty and one to treasure.

My review copy of RAVEN GIRL thanks to the hardworking people at RANDOM HOUSE Australia.

Release Dates: Australia and New Zealand: May 2013

Useful Links

For purchasing details and more information: click here

Visit the official website for Audrey Niffenegger

Read a free chapter of RAVEN GIRL

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Audrey Niffenegger is an exceptionally creative writer and visual artist who has achieved enormous success in both worlds. Her debut novel, The Time Traveler's Wife, has sold more than seven million copies worldwide and has been translated into forty languages. A Richard & Judy book club choice in the UK, it has been a huge bestseller all round the world. In the Daily Telegraph's readers' poll of the 'Top 50 Books of All Time' it appeared at no. 11. Niffenegger is also the author of two 'novels-in-pictures', The Three Incestuous Sisters(2005) and The Adventuress (2006), both published by Cape. Her graphic novel The Night Bookmobile was serialized in the Guardian and published on the Cape Graphic list.
A Chicago native, Niffenegger received her MFA in Printmaking and Drawing from Northwestern University. Her art has been widely exhibited in the United States and is in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress and Harvard University's Houghton Library.

Devil in the Hole by Charles Salzberg ★★★★

2013-07-28T02:40:00.001-07:00

Into the mind of a murderer

Reviewed by Tracy Harris

James Kirkland is not your typical nosy neighbor. So, when he notices all of the lights blazing in his neighbors house, he’s curious but not curious enough to knock on the door and inquire after their health. He is inquisitive enough to notice that the lights are slowly burning themselves out.

A phone call to the police results in the discovery of the gruesome murders of an entire family including the dog, minus one member. John Hartman, husband, son and father of three is missing and all evidence points to him as the prime suspect.

We are given an unusual insight, discovering the story through the eyes of a cast of characters who have their own individual opinion on the man who is John Hartman. From the senior investigator who has become obsessed with apprehending Hartman, to his former mistress, to past work colleagues and even his postman. Even Hartman's side of the story is revealed through his viewpoint; a man who has committed the unthinkable crime and managed to elude authorities but not himself.

Based on a true story, the John List murders, reading the first page to Devil in the Hole is like having just one potato chip. You simply must have more.

Read this book if you want to treat yourself to a novel that is different, a novel not told from the traditional single viewpoint, but through multiple character’s viewpoints. I felt this allowed an opportunity to discover each individual's opinion of Hartman, through their own distinct and unique interactions. This way we have an opportunity to attempt to understand how such a horrendous crime impacts everyone.

Thank you to author Charles Salzberg who contacted us directly and supplied a copy of his novel.

PURCHASING DETAILS: Click here
IN AUSTRALIA: Click Here

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Charles Salzberg is a New York-based novelist, journalist and acclaimed writing instructor.

A celebrated and popular creative writing teacher, he has been a Visiting Professor at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, and has taught writing at Sarah Lawrence College, Hunter College, the Writer's Voice, and the New York Writers Workshop, where he is a Founding Member. He is a consulting editor at the webzine Ducts.org and co-host, with Jonathan Kravetz, of the reading series, Trumpet Fiction, at KGB in New York City.

Visit Charles' website here.

SHIFT by Hugh Howey ★ ★ ★★★

2013-07-06T00:39:00.000-07:00

READ MY FASCINATING INTERVIEW WITH HUGH HOWEY: CLICK HERE

A MASTER STORYTELLER STRIKES AGAIN

The beautiful blue covered book that is SHIFT, prequel to Hugh Howey’s mega-hit WOOL, sat on my bedside table for a week; not because I didn’t want to read it but I was simply delaying gratification. I knew once I started it, I would devour the 576 pages in a few days and then I would be forced to leave the world of Howey’s Silo and would have to wait months until the final book in the trilogy was released.

It’s hard to find eloquent words to describe my love for the genius of Hugh Howey. Reading his work reminds me of how I felt almost forty years ago when I first read Stephen King’s CARRIE. For me, no author has ever measured against Master King’s writing. There are many great writers who have penned wonderful books but Howey and King have one thing in common. They are storytellers before they are writers.

Even more exciting is that Howey is one of the new breed of Indie Hybrid authors, self-publishing his e-books and licensing the paper-book distribution rights to major publishers. So, he can write and deliver great reads quickly; no more waiting for the publishing world’s limit of one release a year.

SHIFT takes us back to the beginning before Wool; before the world was laid waste and toxic by something that happened sixty years ago, forcing the few thousand remaining human beings to live in two hundred storey silos. The silos are layered with not only physical levels but political and social stratas and are governed under strict rule. None of the Silo inhabitants remember what happened before.

Whilst reading Wool, (which I recommend reading before Shift) there were what you could presume were plot-holes (as it turns out they were purposely there). These are resolved in Shift as we travel from the destruction of Earth to the monotonous existence of the inhabitants of Silo One who are cryogenically frozen and awakened for their shifts of varying lengths.

This new world and its progression through several hundred years is told through the stories of various characters: the engineer who unwittingly designed the silos, a shift worker who remembers fragments of another life, a courier who becomes embroiled in an uprising, a child trapped for years in a computer safe room.

It is science fiction work but it crosses genres ingeniously and the reason for Howey’s huge success is the human stories he tells. Through his wonderful and rich characters Howey challenges us to contemplate hope and humanity. Just like King’s millions of loyal fans who read every book he releases, there will be few initiates to the Howey style who will not continue to follow him wherever he chooses to write. And that’s the kind of passion a good story-teller evokes.

My review copy of Shift thanks to the hardworking people at RANDOM HOUSE Australia.

For more information please visit http://www.randomhouse.com.au
Release Dates: Australia and New Zealand: May 2013

To purchase: click here

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

THE MIDWIFE'S TALE by Sam Thomas ★★★★

2013-07-01T19:47:00.002-07:00

Reviewed by Tracy Harris

In the early 1600s, a woman’s role was easily categorised as that of being a wife and mother. Nothing more, nothing less. Except in the case of twice widowed Lady Bridget Hodgson, who serves her community in the role of midwife, tending to ladies and maids and everyone in between.

York in 1644 is not a pleasant place, even for an educated and wealthy woman such as Bridget. A civil war is splitting the country in two, and Parliament’s forces are at the city’s walls. In the midst of this uncertainty, one of Bridget’s friends is accused of murdering her husband, an act of petty treason. Esther Cooper begs Bridget to help prove her innocence and save her life.

Appalled at the way Esther’s trial is handled and at the attitude of the Lord Mayor, Bridget finds herself drawn towards proving Esther’s innocence, and her life, ably assisted by her new maid, Martha Hawkins. For a lady’s maid, Martha has an unusual skill set and understanding of the seedier side of life which comes in surprisingly useful in a city under siege, where unsavoury characters lurk around corners and danger comes in all shapes and sizes.

Samuel Thomas has captured his female protagonist with a realistic hand, keeping her wit and wisdom fresh and believable. His enthusiasm for Reformation history keeps the story flowing without becoming bogged down in dreary details. Samuel based his character Bridget on a midwife by the same name who practiced in York and whose Will can found online at the Borthwick Institute for Historical Research website.

However the most unique aspect of this book is its historical accuracy as far as midwifery. We are taken on a journey into a world that exists no longer, but was an integral and essential part of life in the 1600s. As a midwife, Bridget is not only responsible for bringing new life into her world, but for interrogating single mothers and ensuring the fathers’ of their children take responsibility for their actions.

A mystery with a unique setting, The Midwife’s Tale is certainly a novel worth exploring, if you like facts along with your fiction.

FOR PURCHASING INFORMATION: CLICK HERE
VISIT THESE SITES FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE AUTHOR:

WHAT’S FOR DINNER by Curtis Stone ★★★★

2013-06-18T06:24:00.001-07:00

GORGEOUS CHEF, GORGEOUS FOOD

Okay let’s address the elephant in the room. Curtis Stone is gorgeous isn’t he? He is the image of the Australian male I would like us Aussies to be known for around the world. This is opposed to the long-haired, flip-flop wearing, beer guzzler larrikin that is held up on a regular basis.

He’s a charming, enthusiastic guy who cooks, and any girl would be pleased to take him home to their Mum. A Swiss guest in my house picked up the book the day it arrived and with a big smile on her face, asked, “Who is this Curtis Stone?” Hear the emphasis on “this” and you will understand why she asked. “And he’s Australian?” she said after I answered her. “Hmmm.”

Calm down now ladies because, sadly, he married in June 2013. If the pictures in his latest cookbook, “WHAT’S FOR DINNER?” are anything to go by, actress Lindsay Price, his wife, is just as gorgeous and lovable as him.

They have a beautiful son Hudson, born on November 6, 2011 and photos of the family feature throughout the book. The photos are delightful and several friends oohed an ahhed over the family shots at a recent dinner.

Curtis knows we are busy. Personally, my feet rarely touch the ground between running the taxi-driver service after school, writing commitments and catching up with friends and family. Is anyone else’s diary, whether you have kids or not, any different these days? So we want good easy-to-make food to fuel us.

“Dinners at my house were all about being together,” says Curtis in the book’s introduction and I agree. We’re not a fast-food family either. So, we cook most nights and really try to vary our menu.

There are more than one hundred and thirty delicious recipes in “WHAT’S FOR DINNER?” and having trialed quite a few we (my husband loves to cook too) found them very easy to follow. Publishers send cookbooks to non-chefs like me because if I can use them anyone can.

Each sections is separated into days of the week: Motivating Mondays, Time-Saving Tuesdays, One Pot Wednesdays, Thrifty Thursdays, Five-Ingredient Fridays, Dinner-Party Saturdays, Family Supper Sundays and finally Something Sweet.

On each recipe page Curtis has added his own little story on the meal; where he first came upon it, why he chose it and ‘Curtis’s Kitchen Notes’ with hints and tips. It’s almost like having him in the kitchen with you. The meal pictures are beautiful and mouth-watering and he’s created some new takes on classic recipes.

If you can’t have Curtis Stone in your home (I know I am only just coming to terms with that) this book is a lovely stand-in. Who knows, with such easy recipes, maybe the man of your house may become inspired. Then you, too, will have your own version of Curtis in no time.

P.S. Would make a lovely gift for Mum or a friend. Next time you are invited to dinner, don’t bring wine or chocolates, bring ‘Curtis’.

My review copy of Curtis Stone’s What’s For Dinner? thanks to the gorgeous people at RANDOM HOUSE Australia.

Release Dates: Australia and New Zealand: May 2013

Useful Links

For purchasing details and more information: click here

Useful Links

Visit Curtis Stones' official website
Follow Curtis Stone on Facebook
Follow Curtis Stone on Twitter

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Curtis Stone is a chef, author and TV personality. His philosophy is to cook as Mother Nature intended—buy local, seasonal and organic ingredients, keep recipes simple and allow the food to speak for itself.

It’s a world Curtis already knows well. Born in Melbourne, Australia, Curtis’s passion for food was inspired as a boy by his mother’s baking and his grandmother’s famous fudge. Mid-way through business school he left to don his first apron at the Savoy Hotel in Melbourne and later honed his skills in London under legendary three-star Michelin genius Marco Pierre White at Café Royal, Mirabelle and the revered Quo Vadis.

Curtis appeared in a number of cooking programs in the UK before hosting three seasons of Surfing the Menu in Australia—an instant international hit which caught the eye of US producers. This led to his own US series Take Home Chef on TLC in 2006, which has since been enjoyed in more than 70 countries.

Inspiring home cooks is Curtis’ vision as he works selectively with grocery stores to improve fresh produce offerings, devise recipe cards and help families think seasonally, shaping the nation and their shopping habits. As he loves to point out: "when you walk down the street and someone comes up and says, ‘You know what? We never used to cook fish in our house. Since we’ve tried that salmon recipe we have it once a week.’ The feeling that gives you is worth a million other things."

Curtis lives in Los Angeles with partner Lindsay Price and their son Hudson, born in November 2011.