Theresa Smith's Blog, page 104
May 23, 2019
Bookish TV: Game of Thrones The End
This post is more for me than anyone else, because I wanted to save each of these S8 episode recaps from the Booktopia blog. Not having pay TV meant that I had to wait until Tuesday of this week, the day after the season finale aired, to purchase GOT S8 on Google Play. To keep me going each week, I indulged in reading Sarah McDuling’s marvelously entertaining weekly recaps.
I’ll disclose right here that I love spoilers. Not spoiling things for other people, but spoiling it for myself. I’ve always been the one to read a last page of a book, and I never commit to a TV series unless I can read a synopsis, or preferably a spoiler, online. I like to know what I’m in for.
So, if you haven’t watched GOT S8, but intend to, and you don’t like spoilers, then don’t click on the links. I’ve put them here all in the one place because I intend on reading them again, since I’ve now watched all of the episodes. I pretty much agree with everything Sarah says, both before watching and after. That’s probably why I found reading them so entertaining. A GOT kindred spirit!
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Sarah McDuling, Booktopia’s resident Game of Thrones lover and spoiler enthusiast, recaps each episode of season 8:
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Now, before I end this post, I just want to publicly declare that I LOVED THE ENDING! I am not one of those fans calling for rewrites and beating their fists on the ground in outrage. Nope. Loved it. It was perfect. Each character fulfilling their destiny and exactly where they needed to be at the end.
And…
Look away now unless you want one character spoiled…
Last chance…
Don’t say I didn’t warn you…
It’s always a pleasure to see your favourite character – from both the books and the TV series – come up trumps in the end.
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I don’t need anything more than this!
All hail the Queen of the North!
May 22, 2019
Book Review: The Gift of Life by Josephine Moon
About the Book:
You’ve been given the gift of life, now go live it.
Gabby McPhee is the owner of The Tin Man, a chic new cafe and coffee roasting house in Melbourne. The struggles of her recent heart transplant are behind her and life is looking up – until a mysterious customer appears in the cafe, convinced that Gabby has her deceased husband’s heart beating inside her chest.
Krystal Arthur is a bereaved widow, struggling to hold herself and her two young boys together since Evan’s death, and plagued by unanswered questions. Why was her husband in another city the night he died? And why won’t his spirit rest?
Krystal is convinced that Gabby holds the clues she needs to move towards a brighter future. Gabby needs Krystal to help her let go of her troubled past. The two women must come together to try to unlock the secrets in Evan’s heart in order to set free their own.
By the internationally bestselling author of The Chocolate Promise, this is a profound and moving novel about the deeper mysteries of love and loss – and the priceless gift of life.
My Thoughts:
‘There it was, beating away, pumping her blood, keeping her alive. Someone else’s heart. A heart full of nerve cells that had lived inside another human being from not long after conception to their time of death. A heart that might have travelled the world. Fallen in love. Been betrayed. Been educated. Indulged. Danced. Lied. Cheated. Gambled. Recovered. Swum in foreign oceans. Rock climbed. Painted. Loved horror movies. Craved friendships. Felt, seen or experienced a million things that Gabby never had.’
What a novel this one turned out to be! I had fairly high expectations of this being excellent, I’ve read Josephine Moon’s previous novels, but this story still managed to catch me by surprise. The extent of my engagement with the process of organ donation to date has been to tick yes on my driver’s license and make it clear to my husband that this is what I want in the event of my death. I’ve never had to go through the process of donating a loved one’s organs (as yet), and I’ve also never had to deal with the recipient side of things. So everything I read in this novel was fairly new to me. It’s such a deeply personal decision, with such wide reaching effects, and I think that Josephine Moon has crafted a story about this with the utmost sensitivity and insight. The Gift of Life is a special novel that contains a valuable and well-balanced presentation of both the benefits and difficulties of organ donation, offering insight from both the donating family and the recipient.
‘She rinsed the breakfast bowls, thinking about the scar that ran down Gabriella’s chest, imagining what it might look like, wondering if it was straight or jagged, an ugly purple or fine white. She wanted to see it. It would be an exquisite horror, a breathtaking pain, to see the line, the incision, and know that Evan’s heart was just there, centimetres below. Krystal craved that pain. It was sick, clearly. Probably something like deliberately cutting herself with a knife.’
Gabby is the recipient of a heart and two years on, has begun to feel the presence of her donator through sensory experiences and vivid dreams. Krystal is the wife of Gabby’s donator and is desperately seeking answers that will help her understand why her husband was in another state when he died, instead of up the road at his job. A newspaper article in which Gabby accidentally discloses the date of her transplant provides the catalyst for these two women meeting. There is a lot of mysticism woven throughout the narrative and it does require the reader to let go a bit and just go with it. Everything Josephine has written is backed by anecdotal evidence, but even so, it could still be a leap for some. I don’t have a problem with this sort of storyline though, where souls linger and pass on messages, where people can be caught ‘in-between’ life and death. I think that if you’re brought up with any sort of religious influences, ideas of souls and the afterlife are pretty much par for the course. I found myself heavily invested in this story, the plausibility of it not a stretch at all. It’s fascinating, but also a bit frightening, to think that the recipient of a donated organ might feel, smell, see, taste and remember things the way the original owner of the organ might have done. I’m not too sure about visitations by the spirit of the deceased donator, but in this case, within this story, it all worked for me.
‘Not only did Gabby have Evan’s heart, she had his memories too. His memories! The one thing that should have been exclusive to Krystal was her memories of Evan and of their lives away from his interfering family or his toffy friends or even the friends they’d shared at the restaurant. The one thing she had to offer her children were memories. And now a stranger – another woman – could lay claim to them.’
Needless to say, The Gift of Life is a highly emotional story. But it’s a beautiful one. Josephine Moon deftly handles the minefield of issues and difficulties associated with such a delicate topic. I really felt so much compassion for both Gabby and Krystal, their burdens and pain, their hopes for their future, and their mutual need for answers from Evan. They were both wonderfully flawed, so realistic, and I really enjoyed spending time with them. This novel is perhaps the lightest from Josephine in terms of her trademark food-lit slant, and while I missed the deliciousness of her previous novels, there is plenty here about coffee, all of which I knew nothing about prior to reading. I had no idea, for example, that the coffee beans themselves can be flavoured; I thought the flavours just came from the syrups added during the brewing process. I’m pleading tea drinker status here, I don’t drink coffee at all, so I guess it should come as no surprise that everything to do with coffee was new to me. The Gift of Life is one novel I highly recommend, far and wide. Despite the gravity of the themes, the characters are terrific and there are plenty of moments of sunshine and laughter. This is above all a very hopeful read, up-lifting and insightful.
‘We’ll give up drinking and we’ll spend our money on disgusting, healthy green juices or something.’
Krystal shuddered. ‘We don’t have to do that, do we? Couldn’t we spend our money on imported cheese or something?’
‘Yes! Even better.’
‘All right, done. Cheese it is.’
Thanks is extended to Penguin Random House Australia for providing me with a copy of The Gift of Life for review.
About the Author:
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Josephine Moon was born and raised in Brisbane, had a false start in Environmental Science before completing a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and then a postgraduate degree in education. Twelve years and ten manuscripts later, her first novel The Tea Chest was picked up for publication and then shortlisted for an ABIA award. Her bestselling contemporary fiction novels are published internationally. They include The Tea Chest, The Chocolate Promise, The Beekeeper’s Secret, Three Gold Coins and The Gift of Life.
In 2018, Josephine organised the ‘Authors for Farmers’ appeal, raising money to assist drought-affected farming communities. She is passionate about literacy, and is a proud sponsor of Story Dogs and The Smith Family.
She now lives on acreage in the beautiful Noosa hinterland with her husband and son, and a tribe of animals that seems to increase in size each year. She wouldn’t have it any other way.
To find out more about Josephine Moon and The Gift of Life, read my interview with her here.
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The Gift of Life
Published by Penguin Random House Australia
Released on 2nd April 2019
May 21, 2019
Behind the Pen – A Few of my Favourites with Elizabeth Coleman
Today I warmly welcome Elizabeth Coleman to Behind the Pen, here to share with us a few of her favourites. Over to you Elizabeth…
What is your favourite…and why…
Character from one of your books?
I have a particular soft spot for Dave Rendall, a suburban solicitor in Losing the Plot. Dave is a real sweetheart. I sometimes wish he wasn’t fictional so I could hang out with him!
Scene from one of your books?
I’m fond of a scene where Dave attends a meeting of an elderly ladies’ romance readers’ club in the hope of learning what women want from men, but ends up leaving more confused than ever.
Movie of all time?
It’s hard to name just one, but I’m a huge fan of ‘Lars and the Real Girl,’ starring Ryan Gosling, written by Nancy Oliver and directed by Australian Craig Gillespie. I think it has the perfect combination of poignancy and comedy, which is a very tricky line to tread. It’s funny, sad and humane to its core.
Book that you always keep a copy of and recommend to others?
I love Kate Atkinson’s four Jackson Brodie books, beginning with ‘Case Histories.’ She’s a genius with character and has a very subversive wit. I always have those books by my bedside and recommend them to others.
Fashion accessory that despite having plenty of, you still keep collecting?
Coats! I looked in my wardrobe the other day and realized I have a surplus of them.
Drink that you enjoy every day?
Coffee – and one too many thereof, I suspect.
Treat you indulge in?
I love a good massage.
Place to be?
This will sound cheesy, but wherever my partner is. I love hanging on the couch with him at home or exploring the wider world together.
Person you admire?
People like Tim Costello from World Vision, who are driven by compassion for others rather than the pursuit of riches for themselves.
Season of the year?
Autumn. I love how the air cools, the leaves change colour and the harsh summer light softens into gold.
More About Elizabeth:
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Elizabeth Coleman is the author of four published plays, including the smash hits Secret Bridesmaids’ Business and It’s My Party (And I’ll Die If I Want To). Her theatre writing has also appeared in several anthologies. As a screenwriter Elizabeth adapted Secret Bridesmaids’ Business into an award-winning ABC telemovie and has written for many of Australia’s most popular dramas, including Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and Bed of Roses, which she co-created with Jutta Goetze. Losing the Plot is her first novel.
Losing the Plot
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Funny, charming and captivating, with a plot within a plot, and a girl who is looking for love in all the wrong places.
Vanessa Rooney is a thirty-something dental hygienist who finds herself a single mum with a hole in her heart where her husband had been.
Somehow she finds the courage to fulfil her childhood dream of writing a romance novel but soon discovers that her novel has been plagiarised by her idol, celebrity author Charlotte Lancaster.
Vanessa reluctantly sues Charlotte with the help of suburban solicitor Dave Rendall, who’s nursing some unfulfilled dreams of his own. When gun QC Marcus Stafford agrees to join their legal team, Vanessa feels like her perfect man has stepped right out of the pages of her book and into her life.
As all hell breaks loose publicly and privately, Vanessa confronts a painful past and realises what Dave already knew – that she’s an intelligent, funny, amazing woman and Marcus Stafford is, well, a tosspot.
Vanessa finally understands that what she wanted wasn’t what she needed, but has this realisation come too late?
Published by
Allen and Unwin
Released April 2019
May 20, 2019
Book Review: The Sparkle Pages by Meg Bignell – #DNF
About the Book:
A wonderfully original and heartfelt comic novel about one woman’s mission to reignite the passion in her marriage – and rediscover herself.
‘Is marriage just a series of texts about where the children are and whether we need milk until one of you dies?’
Susannah Parks – wife, mother, cleaner of surfaces and runner of household – is a viola virtuoso. Except she hasn’t picked up a viola for over a decade. She has, however, picked up a lot of Lego, socks, wet towels and other exhibits of mundanity. She has also picked up on the possibility that her husband has lost interest in her. (And frankly, she’s not very interested in Susannah Parks either.) But this year, she has resolved to be very interesting. Also thoughtful, useful, cheerful, relevant, self-sufficient, stylish, alluring and intelligent.
In her highly confidential diary, Susannah documents the search for the elusive spark in her marriage, along with all the high and low notes of life with her four beloved children, with her free-spirited (and world famous) best friend Ria, and with Hugh, the man who fills her heart with burning passion and her washing pile with shirts.
And perhaps amid the chaos she might be brave enough to find the missing pieces of herself.
WARNING: CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE, SEX SCENES AND FANTASIES ABOUT HUSBANDS UNPACKING THE DISHWASHER.
My Thoughts:
I wanted so much to like this novel. It’s so beautifully sparkly with its gold page edges and gold foil cover design, but you really should never judge a book by its cover – that old saying is so true! I persevered with this one until around the 80 page mark, but with an ever growing review pile, I’ve begun to be a bit more savage and have decided that if a book isn’t grabbing me a few chapters in, I’m going to pass on it. I skipped ahead from page 80 to the last two chapters, and it seemed like a very nice story, but that alone wasn’t enough to keep me going. I’ve seen some favourable reviews for this novel, from bloggers I follow as well as on Goodreads, so I think it’s worth explaining why this book just didn’t work for me.
‘Hugh sighed and said, “Don’t overthink it, Susannah. Don’t dream up problems. We’re fine.”’
This quote, from page 43, pretty much sums up my feelings on this story. The whole thing seemed set to be about Susannah overthinking things, hiding in her closet to write about them, rinse, repeat. Diary narratives are not a favourite of mine, and this one is entirely a diary, there’s no break from it, so no break from Susannah. I’m also not a fan of parenting novels: the type where much of the story is made up of the daily grind of parenting depicted with overblown comic conjecture. I’m currently living that daily grind, minus the comedy; I don’t want to read about it. I read to escape, to walk in different shoes, not to be reminded of my everyday life. Sometimes, a book can be particularly funny, or endearing enough to cut through this for me – a recent example: How to Be Second Best by Jessica Dettman, but this is rare. I just don’t like reading about parents and their kid issues. They pale in comparison to real life and after a while, the spills, sassy back-chat, and endless rounds of mayhem cease to be funny. I’m also having an on again off again relationship with contemporary fiction at present. So there’s a few reasons why this one didn’t work for me, and it’s pretty much a clear cut case of ‘it’s not you, it’s me’.
I have no doubt that fans of contemporary fiction, especially chick-lit, will find much to enjoy in this novel.
Shelley from Book’d Out enjoyed The Sparkle Pages – check out her review here.
Thanks is extended to Penguin Random House Australia for providing me with a copy of The Sparkle Pages for review.
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The Sparkle Pages
Published by Penguin Random House Australia
Released on 16th April 2019
May 19, 2019
Book Review: The Cinema at Starlight Creek by Alli Sinclair
About the Book:
A heart-stirring novel of loss, love and new hope set against the glamorous backdrop of 1950s Hollywood and a small Australian country town.
How far would you go to follow your dream?
Queensland, 1994: When location manager Claire Montgomery arrives in rural Queensland to work on a TV mini-series, she’s captivated by the beauty of Starlight Creek and the surrounding sugarcane fields. Working in a male-dominated industry is challenging, but Claire has never let that stop her pursuing her dreams-until now. She must gain permission to film at Australia’s most historically significant art deco cinema, located at Starlight Creek. But there is trouble ahead. The community is fractured and the cinema’s reclusive owner, Hattie Fitzpatrick, and her enigmatic great nephew, Luke Jackson, stand in her way, putting Claire’s career-launching project-and her heart-at risk.
Hollywood, 1950: Lena Lee has struggled to find the break that will catapult her into a star with influence. She longs for roles about strong, independent women but with Hollywood engulfed in politics and a censorship battle, Lena’s timing is wrong. Forced to keep her love affair with actor Reeves Garrity a secret, Lena puts her career on the line to fight for equality for women in an industry ruled by men. Her generous and caring nature steers her onto a treacherous path, leaving Lena questioning what she is willing to endure to get what she desires.
Can two women-decades apart-uncover lies and secrets to live the life they’ve dared to dream?
My Thoughts:
I have adored each of Alli Sinclair’s novels to date and her latest, The Cinema at Starlight Creek, is no exception. I think I read this at the right time too as I had just come away from quite a heavy read in a genre that I don’t normally dabble with, so it was nice to be able to relax with something easy. Now, I want to point out though, that by easy, I don’t at all mean light and fluffy. What I mean is that this was easy to get lost in and it wasn’t hard work to read: the writing was so eloquent, the story so absorbing, and the characters were realistically crafted. In short, this is a superb read, and with its themes of inequality and discrimination, it’s also ideal as a book club pick.
There is a strong parallel between the two women at the helm of this story, Lena and Claire, which becomes apparent early on, strengthening as the story progresses. I enjoyed this mirroring of experiences, with the author demonstrating within her two eras – 40 years apart – that some things are slow to change, so slow, that change is at times not even apparent. The main issue Alli tackles in The Cinema at Starlight Creek is that of inequality and discrimination within the film and television industry. There are some powerful examples woven into both narratives, and I will admit that many caught me by surprise – and I don’t mean that in a good way. The double standards, the games of sabotage, the blatant discrimination towards women: lower wages, lower conditions, yet higher expectations when it came to body size and shape, modesty and chaste behaviour. In Claire’s circumstances, she had to fend off on the job hostility and bullying from a man who was disgruntled at her getting the position she was in over him. I liked how the author gave Claire and Lena different career paths but within the same industry, effectively demonstrating the widespread nature of these issues.
‘She stared at the food and shake in front of her. When was the last time she had eaten something she wanted? Something that wasn’t water-based, like celery or carrots? Lena picked up a fry and used it to push the others around the plate. Just being near the fries made her skin feel like it was coated in grease. But they smelled so good. Lena quickly shoved the fry in her mouth, closed her eyes and chewed slowly, allowing the salty goodness to dance across her tastebuds. Never in her life had a fry tasted so delicious. Opening her eyes, she stared at her plate, the willpower she’d been cultivating since working with Lawrence falling by the wayside. In her head she could hear Lawrence chastising her about the potential size of her derriere if she ate such food. And he’d be telling her this while stuffing his face with a burger. Her gaze rested on the milkshake and an image of Yvonne struggling to get the zipper done up on Lena’s latest gown crowded in on her.’
Another element to this story that I found interesting was the impact working in the film and television industry had upon a woman’s personal life. For Lena, it was as far reaching as having her relationship status dictated to her. For Claire, it was the burden of succeeding, putting all else aside to chase the next job, to be as ‘free’ to move about as a man. These women both struggled to be taken seriously, their roles important, yet deemed secondary and always at risk of being taken away from them – minor misdemeanours regarded in the same vein as serious ones. The scrutiny must have been exhausting to the point of debilitating.
‘I seriously don’t think us being a “couple” off-screen gets more people interested in us or our movies.’
‘My teenage nieces would say otherwise.’
‘How can all this be healthy, though? Men—and women— can be very successful without being tied to someone else.’
Pierre let out a loud laugh and doubled over, clutching his side. ‘Oh, Lena. You do amuse me.’
Tension gripped her shoulders and raced up her neck. ‘I am not here to amuse. I am voicing my concern that a woman is not considered successful in this industry unless she is attached to a man off-screen. Why are women seen as a threat just because they don’t have a husband? Or, worse, people think there’s something wrong with them, so no one will marry them?’
Pierre snort-laughed then stopped. ‘You’re serious? Happy married couples on-screen, happy married couples off-screen, this is how they want it. Good little Americans living the dream. You don’t want to be responsible for tearing the very fabric of our society, do you?’
Old world movie glamour was captured to perfection within this story and I felt as though I was transported while reading it. Likewise, the vivid descriptions of the Starlight Cinema itself were evocative of days gone by, the beauty of it apparent in the way Alli brought it to life for her readers. She has such a skill when it comes to breathing life into her stories, sprinkling a special kind of magic throughout that speaks to me of a great passion for her subject, no matter what she writes about. She’s firmly on my ‘read everything this author ever writes’ list. The Cinema at Starlight Creek is highly recommended reading and I can assure you that the story itself is every bit as beautiful and atmospheric as the cover that adorns it.
‘You remind me so much of me when I was younger.’ Hattie’s smile was slow and warm. ‘You’re strong, independent, and want to change the world. I did— for a time. And I suspect you will as well— with longer-lasting effects, I hope.’
Thanks is extended to HarperCollins Publishers Australia for providing me with a copy of The Cinema at Starlight Creek for review.
About the Author:
Alli Sinclair, an adventurer at heart, has won multiple awards for her writing. She is Australian and has lived in Argentina, Peru and Canada, and has climbed some of the world’s highest mountains, worked as a tour guide in South and Central America and has travelled the globe. She enjoys immersing herself in exotic destinations, cultures and languages but Australia has always been close to Alli’s heart. Alli hosts retreats for writers and presents writing workshops around Australia, as well as working in film on international projects. She’s a volunteer role model with Books in Homes and is an ambassador for the Fiji Book Drive. Alli’s books explore history, culture, love and grief, and relationships between family, friends and lovers. She captures the romance and thrill of discovering old and new worlds, and loves taking readers on a journey of discovery.
Alli’s website is: www.allisinclair.com
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The Cinema at Starlight Creek
Published by HarperCollins Publishers Australia
Released on 20th May 2019
May 15, 2019
Book Review: Daughter of Bad Times by Rohan Wilson
About the Book:
A suspenseful, truthful and compelling novel from the critically acclaimed author of The Roving Party.
Rin Braden is almost ready to give up on life after the heartbreaking death of her lover Yamaan and the everyday dread of working for her mother’s corrupt private prison company. But through a miracle Yamaan has survived.
Yamaan turns up in an immigration detention facility in Australia, trading his labour for a supposedly safe place to live. This is no ordinary facility, it’s Eaglehawk MTC, a manufactory built by her mother’s company to exploit the flood of environmental refugees.
Now Rin must find a way to free Yamaan before the ghosts of her past and a string of bad choices catch up with them both.
In its vision of the future, Daughter of Bad Times explores the truth about a growing inhumanity, as profit becomes the priority.
My Thoughts:
Futuristic novels are not my usual reading fodder, but I have to say, Daughter of Bad Times is compelling reading. It’s a view of our world as a place where climate change has led to the disappearance and destruction of many islands, leaving a whole host of environmental refugees. You’d be forgiven for thinking right now that I’ve made a mistake with the ‘futuristic’ bit, but therein lies the novel’s strength. It might be set in 2075, but here in 2019, this is foreseeable. The other main theme running through this story is the concept of refugee facilities as cash cows. Specifically, refugees are lured out of emergency camps with the promise of a new life in a new country in exchange for one year of their life spent in a refugee facility. However, from the moment of agreement, they are charged exorbitant rates for their travel expenses, relocation fees, and upkeep once they are in the facility, rapidly accruing a debt they will never be able to clear. They must work in the facility manufacturing plant to reduce their never-ending debt, assembling junk toys and the like. They have of course been lied to, and have no idea that there is no way they can ever leave, debts can’t even be paid by someone else, because the host country has only agreed to the arrangement on the provision that the refugees remain in the facility, ineligible for visas. Pretty damned awful stuff, but again, chillingly foreseeable.
‘So that’s where the Australian facilities come into the picture Alessandra started looking for a new product, one that had better margins, better growth potential, and a more investor-friendly pitch. What better pitch than helping the refugees of the world? Who doesn’t want to help refugees, right? The five Australian facilities – Wollongong, Ballina, Port Lincoln, Bunbury, and Eaglehawk – are immigration detention centres, sure, but they’re also manufacturing plants. That means two revenue streams for one facility. And we also clean up our image. We’re not just a corrections company anymore – now we’re building communities, we’re saving lives.’
The novel alternates between Yamaan, a refugee in the Eaglehawk facility, located in Tasmania, and Rin, the heir to the throne so to speak – the CEO’s daughter. These two are former lovers. It’s a complicated relationship that I will admit, did nothing for me. I wasn’t convinced by the authenticity of it. To me, when considered from Rin’s perspective, Yamaan came off as Rin’s plaything, a whim on the part of a spoilt rich girl with a poor me syndrome. The relationship seemed entirely based on sex with the power weighted exclusively in Rin’s favour. I think the character of Rin just needed deeper examination. I couldn’t get a bead on her, she was all over the place and sketchy with her loyalties and morals. Even her motivations to save Yamaan were fundamentally selfish – she wanted him out of the facility because she wanted him back in her bed. I had a lot of unanswered questions about her and her behaviour, whereas with Yamaan, he was extremely well fleshed out. I had such a strong sense of who he was and his motivations and morals were clearly apparent. His sections were the ones I enjoyed the most, and the ones which elicited the most empathy within me.
When Rin leaks the truth to the world and the refugees find out, protests swiftly turn into riots. Again, there are eerie shades of truth playing out here. Unfortunately, it was from here on in that Rin’s character really took a nosedive for me. Rin shares some rather scathing thoughts as she arrives at the Eaglehawk facility. Specifically, references likening being in Australia to crawling around the butthole of the world; Australian accents sounding like the honking of a goose; and Aussie’s favouring all that is old fashioned because with a future so ugly we prefer to turn backwards. Hhmm. I’m not a zealot patriot, but these comments came one after the other within half a dozen pages. It repelled me a bit, to be honest, and I don’t feel it added value to the story. We have a lot going on in this country that could be done better, absolutely, but I wouldn’t live anywhere else. Comments like this in a novel written by an Australian author are disappointing.
That aside, Daughter of Bad Times is a solid read, a political thriller that offers readers a futuristic glance at the world we just might be heading towards. It raises questions about human rights and dignity; about catastrophic climate change and displacement; and about the blurring of refugee aide with business principles – a thriller with an alarming undertone. Recommended reading.
‘I was weak and I was wrong and I let them take you when I didn’t want to. That’s the truth. You were the daughter of my bad times and I was too weak to protect you.’
Thanks is extended to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy of Daughter of Bad Times for review.
About the Author:
Rohan Wilson is an award-winning writer and critic. He is a bestselling author of three novels, The Roving Party (2011) To Name Those Lost (2014), and Daughter of Bad Times (2019). Rohan lives in Brisbane where he lectures in creative writing. He can be found on Twitter: @rohan_wilson
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Daughter of Bad Times
Published by Allen and Unwin
Released May 2019
May 13, 2019
Book Review: The Tiger Catcher by Paullina Simons
About the Book:
Can true love ever die? The first novel in a beautiful, heartbreaking new trilogy from Paullina Simons, the international bestselling author of Tully and The Bronze Horseman.
Julian lives a charmed life in Los Angeles. Surrounded by friends, he is young, handsome, and runs a successful business. Everything changes after he has a fateful encounter with a mysterious young woman named Josephine.
Julian’s world is turned upside down by a love affair that takes him-and everyone else in his life-by storm. For the two new lovers, the City of Angels is transformed into a magical playground.
But Josephine is not what she seems and carries secrets that threaten to tear them apart-seemingly forever.
A broken man, his faith in tatters, Julian meets a mysterious stranger who tells him how to find Josephine again if he is willing to give up everything and take a death-defying trip from which no one has ever returned.
So begins Julian and Josephine’s extraordinary adventure of love, loss, and the mystical forces that bind people across time and space. It is a journey that propels Julian toward an impossible choice which will lead him to love fulfilled … or to oblivion.
The Tiger Catcher takes readers from the depths of despair to the dizzying heights of joy in the first novel of an unforgettable trilogy of love lost and found. For all fans of Outlander, The Time Traveler’s Wife and Jojo Moyes.
My Thoughts:
Paullina Simons is an author whose novels I always enjoy. Each new story from her is unique; she doesn’t seem to write to a formula, which is really rare nowadays, particularly with those big named authors who are backed by big publishers. There’s a certain type of safety in sticking to what works, I suppose, but I crave unique books, stories that are edgy, funny as well as heartbreaking, and in this, Paullina Simons never fails to deliver. In her latest release, The Tiger Catcher, she brings to us the first in a new trilogy, and this is as different as it comes. Of course, I loved every bit of it. I thought I’d include her author’s note at the beginning of this review, to set the scene, so to speak.
‘I have taken a few liberties with mathematics, longitude, geography, various disciplines of science, the calendar, and the English language. There will also undoubtedly be some unintended tiny errors of fact. For all this, I beg your indulgence. As for the tale’s more fantastical assertions, I stand behind them. First, tiger catching is a real thing. Second, shame toast is crazy delicious. And, when properly applied, love can accomplish remarkable feats.’ – Author’s Note.
I am totally on board with all of that! Some people may find this novel a bit too different, particularly those who are dedicated The Bronze Horseman fans. The Tiger Catcher is nothing like that one. It’s fiction in its purest form, not based on a real event, not set against the backdrop of something that actually happened, nor is it inspired by the life of a remarkable person. I enjoy all of those things, but there’s something to be said for a novel that is pure fiction – a totally out there adventure with a speculative edge that challenges the reader to just let go and suspend belief for the sake of a good read. And that’s exactly what this is. Now, before I go any further, I need to tell you something very important, because I know that for many of you, this can be make or break: this novel has time travel in it. I’m not spoiling anything by telling you this, but I will be if I tell you more, so my lips are now sealed on that topic. Except to say that I LOVE time travel. It’s my favourite sort of science fiction, and while I wouldn’t go so far as to label The Tiger Catcher as science fiction, it certainly has elements of it.
“Listen to me very carefully,” Devi said. “Take your assumptions about what you know and throw them all out the window. All of them. You need to learn a new language. The language of the meridian, of universal time, of hope, and of faith. That’s your missing first principle right there.” Devi drew his finger in a straight line along the counter. “One of the many fallacies in your thinking comes from drawing time with a ruler on a flat surface. That’s not what time is. That’s not what the meridian is.” Devi formed his hands into a ball. “In the space-time beyond this earth, the meridian is not a line but a celestial sphere. What’s another name for celestial? Heavenly. Spiritual. Otherworldly. Godly.”
“Or planetary.” Trying to be scientific about it.
“Yes,” Devi said. “Pertaining to planets. By definition, outside our known world. To make sense of the physical contradiction that is time, certainly to alter it requires an observer and a mover, like an axle in a wheel. It requires a soul. It requires you.”
The heart of The Tiger Catcher beats with a love story, but it’s by no means a romance. What often accompanies great love? Pain. Epic, splintering, grounding pain. And the pain takes just as much of a centre stage as the love in this novel. Which is another reason why I enjoyed it so much. No, I’m not addicted to pain and suffering; it’s just that I’m a sucker for a grand love story. And all the great ones have pain, at some point, and in spades. If it’s worth having, it’s worth bleeding over. In Julian, Paullina Simons has created a man that every woman will want to hug and comfort. You’ll all be secretly wishing for your own Julian, a man who crosses the dimensions of time on the off chance he’ll breathe the same air as his beloved Josephine again. And he’s perfectly imperfect. I don’t know how she did it, but she nailed it with Julian. There’s also a fantastic supporting cast propelling this story along. And it’s so funny, more sharp wit than slapstick comedic, but it all works so well. This is vivid, sensory writing, an immersive experience for the reader and a bit of a masterclass for the writer.
‘Shock grinds down human beings. They can’t act, react, can’t speak, can’t feel. Sometimes they hear agony so unbearable that their minds block it out. You hear that sound, you know something terrible has happened. Someone has suffered an unsurvivable wound. Screaming like an uncontained blaze that obliterates everything. Sometimes you must close your ears and eyes to it, you must close your heart to it if you are to survive yourself.’
The best part about this novel? The end is temporary because book two, A Beggar’s Kingdom, comes out towards the end of July, and the third book, Inexpressible Island, will be released some time in November. How exciting – and refreshing! – to not have to wait a year in between each instalment. I highly recommend The Tiger Catcher and have already begun my count down for book two.
Thanks is extended to HarperCollins Publishers Australia via NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Tiger Catcher for review.
About the Author:
Paullina Simons was born in Leningrad in 1963. As a child she emigrated to Queens, New York, and attended colleges in Long Island. Then she moved to England and attended Essex University, before returning to America. She lives in New York with her husband and children.
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The Tiger Catcher
Published by HarperCollins Publishers Australia
Released on 15 April 2019
May 12, 2019
Slowly does it…
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I feel like a tortoise at the moment, inching my way through life but not seeming to ever get very far. It feels like it’s taking me a million minutes to read each book I start. I’m still reading everyday, but not very fast. With some books I’ve picked up lately, this can be put down to engagement. The story and/or the characters have just not grabbed me. Or the opposite: I’m loving what I’m reading so much that I’m lingering over it and taking far longer than I normally would to get to the end. And while neither of these things should really be an issue, as a blogger, and more importantly, a book reviewer, I feel a pressure mounting, one that’s very much in keeping with my mounting #tbr. The books keep arriving, and so many look SO GOOD. More concerning, the emails are flooding in, polite enquiries from publicists who are quite rightly wondering where the review I promised them is. Don’t worry, I’m wondering the same thing myself. I fell behind in the lead up to Easter, house guests for a week followed by a week away and then Easter and straight back to work. Life is busy, I work everyday, I have three teenagers, five pets, a husband, a large house that has far too much white in it and never seems to stay clean, a laundry pile that refuses to shrink in size. And then there’s sleep – always craving it and never seeming to get near enough of it. I keep thinking: nothing’s changed from before Easter to now…what is my problem?
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Last week, for three days, I had the pleasure of being a ‘Writer in Residence’ for the high school I work for, but with the junior year 7 to 9 students (my regular work is exclusively with year 10 to 12). This was the most terrifying, exhilarating, rewarding, and inspirational teaching experience of my working life. The creativity these young minds were filled with! I have come away feeling lighter, inspired, and filled with a renewed confidence about our younger generation. I was certainly tired after each of these days, but it was a good tired, as opposed to a dragging myself through the motions tired. I also feel incredibly lucky to work for a school that allows its employees to step out of one role and into another for three days, especially a creative one like being a writer in residence. I feel confident too, that my son is attending a school that values creativity and learning enrichment alongside the curriculum.
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Last night, I attended the ‘Teachers Ball’, a social event reserved for Education Queensland employees in this town. I had a fantastic night with colleagues and meeting new people who work at other schools in our town who I would not normally have come across. Why is this even worth mentioning? Because normally I avoid events like this. I regretted buying the ticket 30 seconds after I’d paid for it, but I began telling myself I was looking forward to it, buying myself a new dress and matching earrings, further deepening my financial commitment to the event. I’m so glad I did. The food was delicious, the live music fantastic, and we danced the night away, singing 80s and 90s hits at the top of lungs on the dancefloor. If they hold another one next year, I’ll be purchasing my ticket without regret.
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So maybe this tortoise is beginning to make some progress, but just at a different pace from before. Maybe, I just need to cut myself some slack. I read because I love to get lost in other worlds and other lives. I review because I love to write and share books with others. When did this become a race? A quest to post a review everyday? I used to post an author interview every Wednesday, but you will have noticed that dropped off towards the end of last year. I still love to interview authors, but I’m more selective now, only interviewing the ones I’m truly interested in learning more about, as opposed to every author that requests one. My reviews are so far away from being posted everyday. And you know what? I’m beginning to make peace with that. To write the type of long reviews that typify this blog requires close reading, and that type of reading takes time. If you are an author waiting on a review from me, please be patient. I will get there. If you are a publicist beginning to wonder if you’ve wasted a book on me, I assure you that you haven’t. And if you are a reader of this blog, I thank you for your readership and comments. I love this community of book bloggers and readers and value the contribution it makes to my life.
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Slowly, slowly…the tortoise always gets there in the end. Perhaps it’s not about the pace but more about achieving balance and satisfaction. Maybe…
May 10, 2019
#Book Bingo – Round 10
Now this was an easy choice!
Historical:
The Chocolate Maker’s Wife by Karen Brooks
‘It’s this aspect of chocolate I believe will allow our establishment to cast others into the shade. In due course, naturally.’ He smiled. ‘While coffee clears the mind, facilitates conversation and allows insights, chocolate is for those who seek pleasure . It’s the ultimate temptation: Eve’s apple in this overgrown city garden. I intend that every man and woman will desire to bite into its flesh and drink its juices.’
This novel is nothing short of delicious. It’s infused with chocolate, the descriptions so vivid you can taste them. With all of that history that I mentioned above, the excellent characterisation, the chocolate making, some pertinent social issues under the microscope, as well as a family mystery and some pretty dark skeletons rattling around in the manor closets, I am truly in awe at the scope and cohesion of this novel. It’s remarkable, rather political in a very clever way, a brilliant historical fiction that has jumped right to the top of my favourite books ever list. Needless to say, I recommend it highly!
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For 2019, I’m teaming up with Mrs B’s Book Reviews and The Book Muse for an even bigger, and more challenging book bingo. We’d love to have you join us. Every second Saturday throughout 2019, we’ll post our latest round. We invite you to join in at any stage, just pop the link to your bingo posts into the comments section of our bingo posts each fortnight so we can visit you. If you’re not a blogger, feel free to just write your book titles and thoughts on the books into the comments section each fortnight, and tag us on social media if you are playing along that way.
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May 8, 2019
Book Review: Sixty Summers by Amanda Hampson
About the Book:
Life is too short for compromise …
When Maggie, Fran and Rose met in their youth, they had dreams and ambitions. Forty years later, the three friends are turning sixty, each of them restless and disenchanted with their lives.
Fran works in a second-hand bookshop. Her lover, one of a long line of disappointing men, is drifting away and her future is uncertain.
Maggie married into a volatile family. Her beautiful, indulged twin daughters are causing havoc and her elderly mother-in-law has moved in and is taking charge.
Rose has been an off-sider for her hopelessly vague but academically brilliant husband and their two sons. Time is running out to find and fulfil her own ambitions.
In an attempt to recapture the sense of freedom and purpose they once possessed, they decide to retrace the steps of their 1978 backpacking trip through Europe and set off an odyssey that will test their friendship, challenge their beliefs and redefine the third age of their lives.
My Thoughts:
‘She would give anything to feel, even for a brief moment, that charge of the energy, optimism and lightness she had felt back then, a time when she believed that her life had finally begun. She’d felt free and brave and strong. This flat was her stronghold, Maggie and Rose were her family – the centre of everything. It was as if she had been trying to replicate that experience ever since; trying to find a relationship that would be everything they had been to her. How could she have known that that time would always remain the happiest, least complicated era of her life?’
I do enjoy Amanda Hampson’s novels, with their crisp and engaging prose. Sixty Summers was a bit of a challenge for me though. Overall, this is a good novel, and many readers will love it, but I just couldn’t bond with any of the characters. The generation gap was too vast, preventing me from properly becoming invested in their lives, problems, and new beginnings.
‘It’s a bit like being in a Beckett play. We’re trapped in the same conversations and, sometimes, the same conflicts we had forty years ago, with only slightly different subjects.’
I did however really enjoy the travel aspect of this story, particularly the then and now comparisons. Forty years is a long time, places change a lot. I really liked the idea of retracing a path travelled long ago, noting the changes, both for the better and the worse.
‘Anyone who saw them would assume they were three old hens on a cosy holiday, never suspecting that they had met their younger selves, witnessed their lives from a different angle, and were changed in ways even they couldn’t yet know.’
Sixty Summers is an ideal read for the armchair traveller and for those who enjoy the perspective of an older protagonist. It’s a novel that ends very well and demonstrates that you are never too old to rediscover who you are and pursue what you want.
Thanks is extended to Penguin Random House Australia for providing me with a copy of Sixty Summers for review.
About the Author:
Amanda Hampson grew up in rural New Zealand. She spent her early twenties travelling, finally settling in Australia in 1979 where she now lives in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Writing professionally for more than 20 years, she is the author of two non-fiction books, numerous articles and novels The Olive Sisters, Two for the Road, The French Perfumer and The Yellow Villa.
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Sixty Summers
Published by Penguin Random House Australia
Released on 1st May 2019
