Month: April 2015

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Post Script: Season Of Shadow and Light

Season of Shadow and Light

Season of Shadow and Light

Jenn J McLeod

Simon & Schuster Aust

A CBC Company

ISBN: 9781925030280

 

 

Description:

Sometime this season…

The secret keeper must tell.

The betrayed must trust.

The hurt must heal.

 

When it seems everything Paige trusts is beginning to betray her, she leaves her husband at home and sets off on a road trip with six year old Matilda, and Nana Alice in tow.

But stranded amid rising floodwaters, on a detour to the tiny town of Coolabah Tree Gully, Paige discovers the greatest betrayal of all happened there twenty years earlier.

Someone knows that truth can wash away the darkest shadows, but…

 

My View:

A beautiful Australian narrative full of larger than life characters, wild and glorious countryside, horses, romance, secrets, love, connections , family and a fantastic message about acceptance – there is a little something in this book for all to enjoy.

 

There is a beautiful passage in this book that sums up love and acceptance remarkably well, Alice is talking to Paige about Alice’s relationship with her mother Nancy, ‘No labels Paige, remember. It was your mother who hated them. She never referred to herself as anything other than a woman who feel in love. It so happened to be with another woman. It might have easily been with a man, she told me once, insisting, “Love is about connection.” ‘

What an important understanding.

 

NB This book was provided for review by the publisher.

 

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Post Script: Bad Seed – Alan Carter

Local police drama at its best.

BAD SEED

Bad Seed

Alan Carter

Fremantle Press

ISBN: 9781925162257

 

Description:

When wealthy property developer Francis Tan and his family are found slain in their mansion, Cato Kwong is forced to recall a personal history that makes his investigation doubly painful. The killer is elusive and brutal, and the investigation takes Cato to Shanghai. In a world of spoiled rich kids and cyber dragons, Cato is about to discover a whole lot more about the Chinese acquisition of Australian land—about those who play the game and those who die trying.

 

 

My View:

A complex plot sited both in Perth Western Australia and Shanghai that is choc- o- block full of mystery, intrigue, politics and dark humour. Sins of the past play softly in the background, slowly gathering momentum and reaching a crescendo colliding with events of today. There are a few bloody deaths to investigate whilst light is shed on policing habits and idiosyncrasies that come under investigation in their own right (eg crime and corruption hearings) and plenty of local social commentary (eg Abuse in Government care) that will be very familiar to the local reader.

 

I particularly enjoyed Mr Carter’s method of naming his characters; for those who are unaware Mr Carter is well known in the Western Australia’s documentary scene, a very talented individual, and I found myself smiling and having a chuckle as I recognised some familar names ( though not their traits) in this book .  🙂

 

This is the third book in the Cato Kwong series but can easily be read as a stand a lone.

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This Movie Trailer Is Chilling.

I am a big Johnny Depp fan – are you? I have seen most of his films and loved the series that started his career – 21 Jump Street. Up until today my favourite film that he has starred in was Donnie Brasco but that favourite has just been usurped by  The movie “Black Mass” – and that is based only on viewing  the trailer – it is superb –  spine chilling. What do you think? Oscar contender here I think.

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Post Script: The Sense Of An Elephant – Marco Missiroli

This is writing with heart and soul filled with quirky characters, secrets and brilliant observations of life.

The Sense of An Elephant

The Sense of an Elephant

Marco Missiroli

Picador

Pan Macmillan Australia

ISBN: 9781447241935

 

 

Description:

Pietro arrives in Milan with an old bicycle and a battered suitcase full of tokens of the past. He takes up a post as concierge in a small apartment building, where it soon becomes apparent he has a deep-seated reason to be there. Living in the palazzo is Luca, a doctor, whose wife Viola carries a secret that could destroy their marriage; the bereaved lawyer Poppi, kind and desperately lonely; and elderly Paola and her damaged son, both looking for impossible love. Right from the start Pietro has a special interest in Luca and his family, and soon he’s using the concierge spare keys to let himself into his apartment while the family is out. Pietro’s story is told in snatches and flashbacks, each prompted by one of the objects and notes he keeps in his suitcase, and gradually we find out what has brought him to be guardian of these lost souls, so late in his life . . .

 

My View:

A memorable narrative filled with what at first appears to be quirky individuals but as you read further you begin to know these characters as individuals with a past that has shaped their present in unique ways; as individuals that are flawed, that are real, lives where love or loneliness has shaped and determined their paths.

The biggest theme and the most moving is the evocative sense of an elephant… elephants ”… take care of the herd without regard to kinship.” (p.65 ) The protagonist Pietro, the keeper of secrets, is charged with taking care of those around him, his community, but he is also determined to protect his own kin; a difficult act to balance.

But this is more than a story about love, themes of death and assisted dying are also woven into this intricate plot; death of a child, death of a lover, a partner…death of aspirations and plans for the future. The sub story of the old man who cares for his son who needs the assistance of tubes and machines to live is heartbreaking. What a wonderful example of love this is.

There are so many memorable moments and observations in this novel but one that will stay with me is this, Luca says to Pietro (p.193) “When my mother was dying she told me she had one single passion in her life. “Papa,” I said to her. ”No,” she said….”It was someone I knew before I was married,” my mother said. “The only good secret in my life.”… ‘I asked my mother how she came to marry my father. She said, “Papa was the love for a lifetime.” So what was the other? “The other was the love of a lifetime.”

Great characters, brilliant observations of love and life and death and an ending that will bring a tear to your eye. Memorable reading.

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Post Script: The Shut Eye – Belinda Bauer

The Shut Eye

The Shut Eye

Belinda Bauer

Random House UK, Transworld Publishers

Bantam Press

ISBN: 9780593072875

 

Description:

 

Bauer’s great gift is her ability to surprise the reader’ Sunday Telegraph

 

Five footprints are the only sign that Daniel Buck was ever here.

 

And now they are all his mother has left.

 

Every day, Anna Buck guards the little prints in the cement. Polishing them to a shine. Keeping them safe. Spiralling towards insanity.

 

When a psychic offers hope, Anna grasps it. Who wouldn’t? Maybe he can tell her what happened to her son…

 

But is this man what he claims to be? Is he a visionary? A shut eye? Or a cruel fake, preying on the vulnerable?

 

Or is he something far, far worse?

 

My View: 

Brilliant.   Amazing.  Incredible.  Delightful.  Haunting.  Evocative.  Engaging.  Surprising.

Have you got the hint? I loved this book! Superb writing, wonderful complex narrative, a hint of dark humour, exceptionally moving characters… psychics, love, death and a mania of blue and circles I could feel and see myself!! This must be one of the most outstanding reads I have come across. The last thing I will say about this read is don’t just take my word for it – read this yourself – YOU MUST READ IT.

 

 

 

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Post Script: What She Left – T. R. Richmond

What She Left

What She Left

R. Richmond

Penguin UK – Michael Joseph

Michael Joseph

ISBN: 9780718179366

 

Description:

What She Left is a touching and exciting novel that surprises at every turn. Recommended for fans of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl or Jane Shemilt’s Daughter.

 

The Book

When Alice Salmon died last year, the ripples were felt in the news, on the internet, and in the hearts of those who knew her best.

But the person who knows her most intimately isn’t family or a friend. Dr Jeremy Cook is an academic whose life has become about piecing together Alice’s existence in all its flawed and truthful reality.

For Cooke, faithfully recreating Alice’s life – through her diaries, emails and anything using her voice – is all-consuming. He does not know how deep his search will take him, or the shocking nature of what he will uncover…

 

 

My View:

An interesting premise, that, ironically I thought was not best delivered in electronic format (ironic as the novel relies of the footprints of social media to share this story); for me this is largely about formatting – I always enlarge the font on my ereader and consequently this disrupts the original pagination which confused me as to whose voice I was hearing and in what time frame (I am assuming that if I had read this in paperback I would have noticed the page breaks/new entries/voices and followed the story easier). Unfortunately I found the constant skipping back and forth in time a little confusing and hard work to read and not compelling. But that is just me.

 

Update – the physical book arrived in the mail this week – just flicking though it I can see it will be much easier to read and keep up with events than in the ebook.

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Big Brook Dam – Holiday WA

Bob The Dog Enjoying A Stroll Around Big Brook Dam

Bob The Dog Enjoying A Stroll Around Big Brook Dam

What a perfect day for a walk in the bush! Big Brook Dam which is located close to Pemberton, provides a perfect space for walks or bike rides, with or without your four legged friend (on a leash of course), an opportunity for a swim- weather permitting,  a BBQ or picnic, a chance to canoe or just simply be. We decided to enjoy the sunny conditions and take Bob the Dog for a stroll around the lake  – the paths make it so easy! And plenty of great photo opportunities.   (And close by there are bush camping grounds that allow dogs- we checked this out for the next trip to Majimup/Pemberton).

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Big Brook Dam April 2015

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Manjimup Famers Markets – Holiday in WA

Today we experienced the warmth and passion of the local producers and farmers selling their goods at the Majimup Farmers Markets. Such friendly stall holders; these are the people who grew or made the produce or collected the eggs…food with a genuine low food mile and so fresh!  For breakfast we had  toasted sour dough bread, free range eggs, freshly picked apples and pears (some new varieties to try) … for use in the week we have  freshly harvested potatoes,  fresh garlic grown within 8kms of the markets, LovingGift Organic dark chocolate and a jar of fermented vegetables…so much great produce, we couldn’t carry any more! During the week we are purchasing more apples and pears from the orchard to take home with us; fresh, crisp,delicious.

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Post Script: Fairway To Heaven: Lily Malone

“Jack always said that bunker was ours. When we’d tee off the twelfth, he’d wink and say,’ Ready for the fairway to heaven, babe?’ Now it feels more like the highway to hell.”

Fairway to Heaven

Fairway to Heaven

Lily Malone

Escape Publishing

ISBN: 9780857992376

 

Description:

It’s going to take more than summer loving to heal old wounds, but a remote beach, old friendships and a bit of sunshine might just spark a second chance at love.

When Jennifer Gates drives to Sea Breeze Golf Club to kick off date-night with her boyfriend, the last thing she expects is to find Golf Pro Jack giving one of his lady students a private—and very personal—lesson in bunker-play.

Lucky for Jenn, her best friend gives her the keys to the Culhane family’s beach shack on the white-pepper shores of Western Australia’s Geographe Bay. Jenn hopes a weekend on the coast with her young son will give her the space she needs to rebuild her confidence after Jack’s betrayal.

But she’s not the only person seeking sanctuary by the sea. Brayden Culhane is there too, and Jenn can’t look at Brayden without remembering the tequila-flavoured kiss they shared on the shack steps years ago.

As long-buried feelings are rekindled, and a friendship is renewed, Jenn knows it is more than lazy summer days bringing her mojo back. Romantic sunsets, ice-cold beers and the odd round of golf can only go so far, because this time trusting Brayden with her heart won’t be enough. Jenn has to learn to trust her body, too.

 

My View:

I should start by stating that Romance in not a genre I usually favour but Lily Malone’s writing style is a bit like a good Australian Sauvignon Blanc – full bodied, fresh, crisp with hints of spice and a satisfying end note 🙂

To start with – I love the cover of this book – it is so reminiscent of many of the coastal holidays we have had with wooden stairways leading to spectacular beaches in the south west of Western Australia. The settings  in the book are beautiful and show case the coastal towns of the Geographe region superbly.

 

Lily Malone’s characters are warm, generous and supportive and soon feel like friends you have known for a long time. We quickly have a vested interested in the outcome of the protagonists’ journeys.

 

The dialogue is contemporary and youthful and flows easily – Lily makes writing look easy. And Lily shares a wonderful and realistic understanding of what it is to be a woman, to be a mother and be the parent of a toddler. “It’s taken the bottle of milk and a back patting marathon, but Seb is officially in bed for the night. The peace is so beautiful someone should paint it.” I think most parents can relate to this!

 

This is a warm and enjoyable novel yet manages to touch on many contemporary issues; the Fly In Fly Out Lifestyle, motherhood, parenting, and sexual health to name but a few. A very enjoyable read Ms Malone.