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Book Reviews
One True Thing- Nicole Hayes
Reviewed by Jaimee
A nice alternative to dystopian fantasy. Following in the tradition of Looking For Alibrandi, this is a “real life” fiction about Frankie. Frankie, whose mother is the current Victorian Premier, who is in the middle of election season, and is being trotted out as part of the &lsquo... (continued)
So You've Been Publicly Shamed- Jon Ronson
Reviewed by Elias
When Jon Ronson discovers a fake account on Twitter bearing his name and picture, posting fatuous updates about imaginary food, he is, naturally, annoyed. Being an investigative journalist, he soon tracks down those responsible – a group of young academics running a dubious experiment &n... (continued)
Spark- Rachael Craw
Reviewed by Imogen
This is a great book for teens. A girl named Evie is a normal teenager one day, and the next she is a Shield, a protector for her friend Kitty. Evie doesn't know who she is protecting Kitty from- all they know is that someone is out to get her. I really enjoyed this book- it's a gr... (continued)
The Paying Guests- Sarah Waters
Reviewed by Lee
A beautifully written, entirely engaging novel set in 1920s London. This is a London recovering from WWI, its inhabitatnts negotiating subtle (and not so subtle) soicial and economic change. A widow and her daughter, whose circumstances are slowly shrinking, live in a large fraying house. Taki... (continued)
Lost and Found- Brooke Davis
Reviewed by Jaimee
This is undeniably the best debut novel I have ever read. Lost and Found is a beautifully human tale about how a little girl, an old lady, and an old man, learn to grieve and to laugh, to cry and to smile, to fear and be thrilled. While a story about death and loss wouldn't always be c... (continued)
The Lies of Locke Lamora- Scott Lynch
Reviewed by Jeremy
Stranded and starving orphans are not meant to survive for long in Camorr, a city of dark alleys, rancid canals and sprawling slums. Locke Lamora, blessed with a quick wit and a certain moral flexibility, is one of the lucky few. When he is taken under the wing of a priest of the Crooked Warde... (continued)
Wolf Hall- Hilary Mantel
Reviewed by Elias
Hilary Mantel's dark masterpiece, charting the traslation of Thomas Cromwell from Putney blacksmith's son to brilliant and drangerous courtier in the court of Henry VIII. A literary page-turner and insightful, unsettling reflection on history and power, Wolf Hall is set at a time when ... (continued)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower- Stephen Chbosky
Reviewed by Brendan
Written as a series of letters to an anonymous stranger, this coming of age account invites the reader into a world populated by unforgettable characters sure to remain in your mind long after the last page is turned. We accompany Charlie, the eponymous wallflower, as he navigates the world of... (continued)
Death of the Artist
Reviewed by Reuben Roache-Dubois
On the 13th of August, graphic novelist Karrie Fansman invited four old friends from university to an isolated cottage on the misty moors of the Peak District to join her for a week of hedonism and creativitiy. Like Shelley and Byron before them, they would use the retreat to tell storie... (continued)
All the Bright Places, by Jennifer Niven
Reviewed by Reuben Roache-Dubois
Sweepingly beautiful and unflinchingly honest, All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is the most eloquent YA book of this generation. When two characters come together in a narrative it can seem forced and shallow, yet both Finch and Violet are so much more than words on a page. These charac... (continued)
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
Reviewed by Gillian, Berkelouw Books, Mona Vale
Helen Macdonald's first encounter with her female goshawk is an unforgettable moment rendered with electric brilliance. Bred in an aviary and transported in a box the bird (Mabel) sees in the open for the first time ever on delivery into Macdonald's care. The encounter launches o... (continued)
The Torch by Peter Twohig
Reviewed by Gillian, Berkelouw Books, Mona Vale
I enjoyed Peter Twohig's first novel, The Cartographer, so was keen to read his new book The Torch. This book continues the story of the Blayney kid, the boy whose twin brother died in a playground accident. It's a year later (1960) and the kid has developed an interest in pashing... (continued)
Yes Please
Reviewed by Abby @ Paddington
Amy Poehler is a force to be reckoned with. From SNL and Parks and Recreation fame and movies such as Baby Mama, Amy has established herself as a frontrunner in comedy - as well as balancing her life as a mother and screenwriter. Yes Please is a raw account of her life from a struggling ... (continued)
Sydney Beaches - A History
Reviewed by Gillian, Berkelouw Books, Mona Vale
In 2009, historian Caroline Ford was awarded the NSW Archival Research Fellowship that allowed her to write her new book Sydney Beaches - A History. This means we get a thoroughly researched book tracing the history of European engagement with the beaches. Caroline is most thorough in expl... (continued)
This House of Grief by Helen Garner
Reviewed by Gillian, Berkelouw Books, Mona Vale
Any new book by Helen Garner comes with a great sense of anticipation and high expectations. Over her long writing career she has transformed from a writer of edgy fiction exploring Melbourne's urban life of the seventies to an independent, intelligent interrogator of events that capture h... (continued)
Golden Boys by Sonya Harnett
Reviewed by Gillian, Berkelouw Books, Mona Vale
The two families at the heart of Sonya Hartnett's new novel, Golden Boys, each have their problems. Joe and Elizabeth Kiley live in a three bedroom house. They already have six children and the oldest, Freya, is worried that another is on the way. They live frugally and when we meet them s... (continued)
Pandora Jones Admission by Barry Jonsberg
Reviewed by Tara -Berkelouw Hornsby
Barry Jonsberg has been shortlisted for, and won, numerous Children’s Literature awards. His previous novel, ‘My Life As An Alphabet’ won the 2013 Gold Inky and the Children’s Peace Literature Award. ‘Pandora Jones’ is his first young adult series. Pando... (continued)
Smoke And Bone Trilogy by Laini Taylor
Reviewed by Tara -Berkelouw Hornsby
Laini Taylor is an American novelist whose career began with 2004’s ‘The Drowned’ in which she refined her signature style – a perfect mixture of fantastical folklore, old-world sensibilities and gothic themes. She was a National Book Award finalist in 2009 for ‘L... (continued)
52 Suburbs Around the World by Louise Hawson
Reviewed by Gillian, Berkelouw Books, Mona Vale
In 2012, photographer and blogger, Louise Hawson, set off with her 8 year old daughter Coco, on a year long trip around the world planning to visit and blog from 52 suburbs, in well known global cities, showing the underbelly, the counterculture and the glorious ordinariness of life wherever s... (continued)
The Italians at Cleat's Corner Store by Jo Riccioni
Reviewed by Gillian, Berkelouw Books, Mona Vale
Working in a bookshop is probably a terrible education for a budding novelist. You get to see first hand how many books publish every month and how few actually achieve significant success. That made the publication of Jo Riccioni's new novel quite an event for us. Jo used to be a booksell... (continued)