aussie author

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Review: We All Lived in Bondi Then – Georgia Blain

We All Lived in Bondi Then
Georgia Blain
Scribe
9781761380730
RRP $29.99

Description:

From the author of the multi-award-winning bestseller Between a Wolf and a Dog, a powerful collection of previously unpublished stories.

A sister is haunted by the consequences of a simple mistake. A daughter searches for certainty as her mother’s memory degrades. An encounter at a house party changes the course of a life.

In We All Lived in Bondi Then, beloved Australian author Georgia Blain returns to her resonant themes of relationships and family, illness and health, love and death. Composed in Blain’s final years, these nine stories grapple with large questions on a human scale, brimming with her trademark acuity, nuance, and warmth.

My View:
This is not just a book for those who enjoy the short story genre. This is a book for those who love great writing, emotive and evocative prose and a fabulous sense of place, even if that place maybe somewhere buried deep in side you.

This read is not melancholy but I grapple to find the words to explain just how deeply personal yet relatable these words are. Bitter sweet…yes a touch of bitter sweet, a touch of sadness…a touch of hope, words reaching out to your heart.

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Review: The Housemate -Sarah Bailey

The Housemate
Sarah Bailey
Allen & Unwin Aus
ISBN:9781760529338

Description:
Three housemates.
One dead, one missing and one accused of murder.

Dubbed the Housemate Homicide, it’s a mystery that has baffled Australians for almost a decade.

Melbourne-based journalist Olive Groves worked on the story as a junior reporter and became obsessed by the case. Now, nine years later, the missing housemate turns up dead on a remote property. Oli is once again assigned to the story, this time reluctantly paired with precocious millennial podcaster Cooper Ng.

As Oli and Cooper unearth new facts about the three housemates, a dark web of secrets is uncovered. The revelations catapult Oli back to the death of the first housemate, forcing her to confront past traumas and insecurities that have risen to the surface again.

What really happened between the three housemates that night? Will Oli’s relentless search for the murderer put her new family in danger? And could her suspicion that the truth lies closer to home threaten her happiness and even her sanity?

A riveting, provocative thriller from the bestselling author of The Dark Lake, Into the Night and Where the Dead Go.

My View:
Friday night I decided to do a little reading before bed, around 3.30am I turned over the last page….ahhhh…what a FANTASTIC READ!

Do yourself a favour, pick up any book by this author, you will not be disappointed.

PS Sarah Bailey has a new book coming out next month, Body Of Lies, another in the DS Gemma Woodstock series, I cannot wait for this.

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Review: What to Do When You’re Not Sure What To Do – Davina Bell and Hilary Jean Tapper

What to Do When You’re Not Sure What to Do
Davina Bell, Hilary Jean Tapper
Lothian Books
Hachette Australia
ISBN:9780734422088
RRP $24.99

Description:

From the team who created the beautifully illustrated and bestselling picture book What to Say When You Don’t Know What to Say comes another gentle exploration of new experiences and emotions for children as they navigate the world outside of home.

It might not be how you imagined . . . at first.
Find a you-shaped space.
Let yourself!

Another warm and whimsical guide to negotiating life’s little and big moments, What to Do When You’re Not Sure What to Do focuses on situations outside a child’s home and domestic realm where they might feel unsure. It’s another gentle exploration of empathy, courage and confidence from award-winning and much-loved author Davina Bell and with beautiful, heartwarming illustrations by Hilary Jean Tapper.

My View:
Another winner from this team! Beautifully illustrated with delicate and naive figures, the messages here is not just for children.

The messages in this book are told with a gentle, positive voice. Simply a beautiful book, the text and illustrations dancing across the pages in harmony.

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Review: You Belong Here -Laurie Steed

You Belong Here
Laurie Steed
Margaret River Press
ISBN:9780648203902

Description:

Jen and Steven meet at sixteen and marry at eighteen. Soon they’re the parents of three young children.

Initially, the kids keep them together until love turns to lies and the family implodes. As they become adults, each child faces love and loss in the shadow of their family legacy.

You Belong Here is a book about trust and connection. About what keeps us going in spite of ourselves.

About a place where we belong.

About the Author:
Laurie Steed is the author of Love Dad (2023) You Belong Here, (2018), and the editor of Shibboleth and other stories, published 2016. His short fiction has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and published in Best Australian Stories, Award Winning Australian Writing, The Age, Meanjin, Westerly, Island, and elsewhere. Laurie lives in Perth, Western Australia.

My View:
I do love a book that is set in locations that are very familiar to me, You Belong Here takes me on journeys to the past and back to the present, in Perth, Western Australia, in doing so evoked a lot of memories for me.

This book is written with honesty, at times with humour, with compassion, and shines the light on the “real” of families and relationships. I see the stages of grieving reflected in this narrative- a grieving for those no longer with us and those no longer in our life’s trajectory. Life happens. Life changes who we are and how we responds to things, this is clearly demonstrated in this account.

Do not open this book expecting a softly, softly, cosy family drama, elements of grit and suspense had me racing to read the conclusion.

Now to start Laurie Steed’s new release, Love Dad. I will let you know how I get on with that one.



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Lunchbox Boss: Sue-Chini Fritters – George Georgievski

Lunchbox Boss
George Georgievski
Plum
Pan Macmillan Australia
ISBN: 9781761265938
RRP $26.99
**photography by Mark Roper

“These zucchini fritters are named in honour of my sister, Sue. Whip up a batch of these nutritious fritters and pop them in your kids’ lunchboxes for a super-healthy and tasty lunch.” p70

Ingredients:
400 g (3 cups) grated zucchini
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs
75 g (1⁄2 cup) plain flour
30 g (1⁄4 cup) finely sliced spring onion
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
130 g (1⁄2 cup) natural yoghurt
Makes 10

Method:
Place the zucchini and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine.
Set aside for 10–15 minutes for the salt to draw the moisture out
of the zucchini and prevent soggy fritters. When ready, use your
hands to squeeze the moisture out of the zucchini and discard
the liquid.


Add the eggs, flour and spring onion to the bowl and stir to
thoroughly combine – the mixture should be almost sticky.
Prepare a large plate or tray lined with baking paper to place
the fritters as you make them.

Scoop a couple of tablespoons of mixture for each fritter and use your hands to shape the patties.
Before you start frying, line a large plate with paper towel. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, then add the fritters.


Cook for around 3 minutes, or until golden brown, then turn them over and cook for 3 minutes more. (You might need to cook these in two batches, depending on the size of your frying pan.) Place
the cooked fritters on the paper towel to drain any excess oil. Pop the fritters into the lunchbox. You can either dollop the yoghurt on top of the fritters or include it as a dip on the side in its own little spill proof container.


TIPS
The fritters will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days. Making the mixture the night before and popping it into an airtight container in the fridge will save you loads of time in the morning.

Gluten free Gluten-free plain flour is perfect with this recipe.


Dairy free – You can swap the natural yoghurt for a plant-based option.


Fussy eaters – Swapping out the yoghurt for mayo or sweet chilli sauce is an option to tempt picky kids.

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10 Things You Didn’t Know About Karly Lane

Karly Lane has a new novel out this week – Time After Time and to celebrate I thought we would try and discover a little more about Karly.

Ten Things You didn’t know about Karly Lane

  1. I am a Collector of Animals

Mostly horses—brumbies to be exact. I fell in love with them after researching If Wishes Were Horses, a number of years ago and after visiting the association responsible for rehoming the wild horses, ended up bringing home a mare and foal, and so started my addiction. I also have chooks, dogs, cats, ducks and guinea fowl (Do. NOT. Get . Me. Started. On those) The most stupid animal on the planet. Seriously.

  • I have a fear of frogs

I am petrified of the things. Can’t stand the thought of them. There was that one time I tried to add a little bit of humour into a scene of Morgan’s Law…the frog in the shower scene, thinking it would be funny…I found myself emotionally traumatised for weeks afterward!

  • I LOVE Scotland

I REALLLLLLLY do. I went over there to research some family history and explore some of the places I’d heard stories about growing up, and simply fell in love. I came home and begged my publisher to let me write a book set in Scotland so I could use all the places I’d been to over there in it. Thankfully Scotland is as rural as Australia so I added an Australian tourist, and Take Me Home was the book that came out of it.

  • I own  a castle….well sort of…

So, following on from the whole Scotland love thing, I visited our family castle in Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye. It’s been in the MacLeod family for over 900 years and the castle itself is built on ruins that go back ever further than that. When I say our castle, I mean, technically there may be a few million descendants in front of me, but, you never know…one day, I could inherit the place…just sayin.

  • I have a title and I own land in Scotland

You can call me, Lady Karly, if you like, and I am the proud owner of a lot of land…*cough* oops, sorry that should be a plot of land…like a 1 metre square, plot to be exact…but still…apparently the title is real. I can even pass it down through my kids after I’m gone…cool huh!

  • I met Dwayne Johnson

Okay, this one was a lie, but it’s really hard to come up with TEN interesting facts about yourself…

  •  I need coffee first thing in the morning.

No lie there. Absolute truth. My kids to this day won’t even try and talk to me until they know I’ve had coffee.

  •     I used to be a pathology collector.

Yep…I was a vampire and I loved it.

  •     I don’t plot any of my books.

It all comes down to the fact I’m really impatient. (Oh, that could have technically been another FACT instead of number 6 I suppose…but it’s not exactly as interesting as the Rock.)

I tend to get an idea—sometimes it’s a scene, or a conversation between two characters. Other times it’s the whole what if scenario that just makes me sit down in front of a blank word document and start typing. About halfway through I always decide that this is the most stupid method of writing a novel ever and I should have just sat down and plotted the whole book out first, but by then I’m already invested and I just have to plough my way through.  

   I am ALWAYS on Facebook…

Honestly, I am, so look me up and send a friend request so you can keep up with all the craziness that seems to make up my daily life and writing.

———————————————————————

Grab a copy of Karly’s new book – Time After Time – its the one with a quote by yours truly on the back!

.

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Review: Stone Town – Margaret Hickey

Stone Town

Margaret Hickey

Bantam

Penguin Random House

ISBN: 9780143777274

Description:

Stone Town is captivating new rural crime drama from the author of the bestselling Cutters End.

With its gold rush history long in the past, Stone Town has definitely seen better days. And it’s now in the headlines for all the wrong reasons . . .

When three teenagers stumble upon a body in dense bushland one rainy Friday night, Senior Sergeant Mark Ariti’s hopes for a quiet posting in his old home town are shattered. The victim is Aidan Sleeth, a local property developer, whose controversial plans to buy up Stone Town land means few are surprised he ended up dead.

However his gruesome murder is overshadowed by the mystery consuming the entire nation: the disappearance of Detective Sergeant Natalie Whitsted.

Natalie had been investigating the celebrity wife of crime boss Tony ‘The Hook’ Scopelliti when she vanished. What did she uncover? Has it cost her her life? And why are the two Homicide detectives, sent from the city to run the Sleeth case, so obsessed with Natalie’s fate?

But following a late-night call from his former boss, Mark is sure of one thing: he’s now in the middle of a deadly game . . .

My View:

William McInnes, opps sorry Mark Ariti is back in another rural crime drama – and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this read! Once again I could see this narrative playing out as if watching the show on TV; the landscape is familiar, the characters well developed, though only the protagonist has a face I recognise, Australian actor William McInnes, the rest are yet to be cast 🙂

I am now waiting for the next episode of this series…there must be another mustn’t there??

A 5 star read.

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Review: One of Us-Kylie Kaden

One of Us

Kylie Kaden

Panterra Press Aus

ISBN:9780648677093

Description:

Behind the tall hedges of the affluent, gated community of Apple Tree Creek, not all is as it seems …

Out of the blue, Gertie’s husband decides they need a break and he’s leaving her with their three children. Two streets east and three gardens down, successful businesswoman Rachael discovers her husband has cheated on her – again – even though she’s pregnant with his third child. Thrown together by a chance encounter, the two women bond over the shared disaster that is their marriages.

But did one husband push his wife too far?

When the ambulance sirens cut through the serenity of Apple Tree Creek, the small community is shocked at the violence that’s played out in their midst. CCTV reveals no outsiders visited the estate that night, confirming that the assailant must have been one of their own. Is the culprit still living among them? And why didn’t any of the cameras, designed to keep them all safe, catch anything?

As the web of neighbourly relationships unravels and the workings of their inner lives are exposed, questions will be asked, but not everyone wants to learn the answers.

You can only push people so far.

My View:

A dramatic opening scene – a body…police, traumatised family close by. Who did it? And so the story begins.

We look back to reveal the culprit. We learn about the daily lives and grind of the families living in a gated, secure community. So many secrets. You really cannot judge people by their appearances, who knows what is going on behind the public facade. And can I say upfront – the death- couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person 🙂 I really disliked all the male characters in this book.

For me this had a touch of the Stepford Wives, I dont really know why I felt this commonality, perhaps the neat and tidy outer appearances, the messy reality behind the scenes? Its a “feeling” that has lingered with me long since I read this book.

If you are looking for a character driven mystery with a touch of “fly on the wall” knowledge of the lives behind the gates, then this one if for you. And I bet you wont guess “who dunnit” 🙂 I didn’t.

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Review – The Banksia House Breakout- James Roxburgh

The Banksia House Breakout

James Roxburgh

Ventura Press

ISBN: 9781920727857

Description:

When Ruth Morris is moved into Banksia House by her workaholic son Michael, she is eighty-one years young, mourning her loss of independence, and missing her best friend Gladys terribly.

So when she learns Gladys is dying a state over in Brisbane, Ruth is determined to say goodbye. Enlisting the help of her fellow residents, Ruth makes a daring departure from Banksia House alongside renowned escape-artist Keith, and her formidable new friend Beryl.

The journey from Sydney is far from straightforward, featuring grimy hotels, hitchhiking, and a mild case of grand theft. This unlikely trio finds themselves on the trip of a lifetime, where new connections blossom amidst the chaos. But the clock is ticking and Gladys awaits – will they make it across the border in time?

In this joyous and captivating read, debut author James Roxburgh delivers a heart-warming tale that will have you cheering for Ruth from beginning to end.

My View:

This is a standout debut novel. Character based – there will b e some you will love and some you are glad to see them get their “just desserts” 🙂 Perhaps this book could be best described as a “coming of old age” novel; nursing homes, dementia, cancer, elder abuse, power shifts in relationships….adventure, trying new things, new relationships, helping others…its all here.

A poignant start that might resonate with the baby boomer generation (now looking at the health/housing situation of their aging parents) the book then offers adventures with hilarity, compassion and a tinge of sadness. The overarching theme I think is “live in the present, not the past, not the future” and that relationships matter.

A great read.

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Review: In Moonland – Miles Allinson

In Moonland

Miles Allinson

Scribe

ISBN: 9781925322927

Description:

‘A parent’s love for a child, you probably know this yourself, it’s pretty bottomless. It goes down into the guts of the world. But a child’s love for a parent is different. It goes up. It’s more ethereal. It’s not quite present on the earth.’

In present-day Melbourne, a man attempts to piece together the mystery of his father’s apparent suicide, as his young family slowly implodes. At the ashram of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, in 1976, a man searching for salvation must confront his capacity for violence and darkness. And in a not-too-distant future, a woman with a life-altering decision to make travels through a climate-ravaged landscape to visit her estranged father.

In Moonland is a portrait of three generations, each grappling with their own mortality. Spanning the wild idealism of the 70s through to the fragile hope of the future, it is a novel about the struggle for transcendence and the reverberating effects of family bonds. This long-awaited second outing from Miles Allinson, the multi-award-winning author of Fever of Animals, will affirm his reputation as one of Australia’s most interesting contemporary fiction writers, and urge us to see our own political and environmental reality in a new light.

My View:

A book that is literally in four parts.

And perhaps that makes reviewing this the hardest thing; the parts. I found the first section mildly intriguing, yes there is sadness, a mystery, a family experiencing relationship issues. I liked the writing in the first person – it felt a little like reading the protagonists diary – I enjoyed this style and the quirky characters encountered.

For me part two was the most interesting. The trip to India (fathers), the life in the cult, the “fly on the wall” experiences the author shares with you and that mystery, the shocking revelation … and others of family violence, abuse…. which leads us to part 3 – more of the discoveries of events in India told by bystanders or others involved. Memory is an interesting thing.” We’d made up our minds a long time ago, hadn’t we?  That was the agreement. You were my brother and that’s what you wanted. So I knew the script pretty well. I half believed it anyway, after all those years. I said my lines. I wasn’t bad…” p 198.

For me the first three sections were enough to convey the story, to expose some incredible secrets and to discuss generational violence, sins and secrets. The “hippy era” was very interesting. The reflections on those times illuminating. Section four didn’t really add much for me – either it could have been longer or not there at all…

All in all an interesting read with lots of surprises, a trip or two down a distant memory lane, a reflection of the 70’s  in Australia and India, a look at culture, religion, cults and families and all that dirty linen.