What would you do if a baby washed up in a boat, accompanied only by her dead father? Would you wonder what had happened to her mother? And if you lived on a remote island housing a vital lighthouse, how would you go about reporting the lost (and found) baby? Add another complication – you […]
When discussing reading with students over the past weeks, we have often referred to the ability of books to take you different places, on a journey and to put you in someone else’s shoes. After a busy week, that is exactly what I needed – and today’s mode of transport was The Wishbird by Gabrielle Wang. The […]
Spending time reading catalogues and reading guides is a great way to take a breather between book reviews. It helps gather ideas about all the new books about. Unfortunately, it also increases the length of the list of books you really should read… The ‘2013-2014 Kids’ Reading Guide’ put out by the Australian Booksellers Association is […]
For some time, following the success of the ‘Twilight’ series, a massive number of Twilight-themed books appeared. Even now, bookshops and chain stores are laden with vampire love stories of various qualities. Now is the time to herald a new wave of books – this time based on werewolves. (For those who are ‘Team Jacob’ perhaps?) One well-written […]
‘Lamplighter’ is the sequel to the first book in the Monster Blood Tattoo trilogy. ‘Foundling’, the first book, introduced the reader to the highly original world of the Half-Continent, where there reigns a continual battle for supremacy between monsters and humans. Monsters are seen as an evil scourge and to be killed as quickly as […]
Now out in cinemas, the Light Between Oceans, is a powerful story – with lots of questions about how the decisions we make can drastically impact the lives of others. Previously reviewed here, the story remains thought-provoking, heart-breaking and well-worthy of being made into a movie – but READ IT FIRST – it’s an incredibly […]
Authors come from many diverse walks of life – and not all of them write their first book straight out of school as many would like to think: # Toni Jordan (Nine Days) has worked as a sales assistant, molecular biologist, quality control chemist and marketing manager. # Sarah Butler (Ten Things I’ve learnt About […]
And the winner is: The Light Between Oceans*, by M.L.Stedman -a debut novel which is… …primarily set in the 1920s, far off Western Australia’s south-west coast, as well as in a small mainland port, The Light Between Oceans is an evocative tale with an irresistible ethical and emotional conundrum at its heart. The book riffs […]
Each year, the Independent Bookseller Awards pick the best of the best of Australian fiction and non fiction writing. These list include great reads for students and their families, some of which the library has already purchased. Two shortlists for this year include the following books (those with * are currently available from our library): DEBUT […]
From the author of ‘A Man called Ove’, translated from Swedish, ‘Anxious People’ is a humorous book of life observations. Set in a small Swedish town where nothing much happens, the tale opens with a bizarre bank robbery (at a cashless bank) which then turns into a hostage drama at a nearby apartment building. As […]