a little fantasy * a little sci fi * a little love
It's risky writing a sequel to a popular novel. It could feel rushed. It may not reflect the same spirit. It may run out of fresh ideas. This sequel to Invisible Boys has none of these issues. Every novel Holden Sheppard has written is a page turner. His characters are well developed and very accessible. …
Continue reading "Book Review – Yeah the Boys by Holden Sheppard"
This is more than a Romance novel. At its heart it is a comparison of indigenous issues in both Australia and Hawaii. It explores similarities and differences as three fifty-something female friends take a holiday. A trip which includes running a half marathon. I read this book at the start of my own long vacation …
Continue reading "Book Review – The Paradise Pact by Anita Heiss"
My favourite Magda Szubanski sketch is called Satan's Brides. From the comedy show Fast Forward, it features her female co-stars as suburban housewives coming together because they need to summon the devil. They have an important question they need to ask. You can click the link above to watch it. I knew before I read …
Continue reading "Book Review – Reckoning by Magda Szubanski"
The Japanese have a beautiful culture. It's polite and reflective. It sometimes takes on kooky elements. All of which are found in Kawaguchi's novella, Before the Coffee Gets Cold. There's a cafe where a ghost sits in the same seat every day, reading. When she needs to go to the toilet (did I mention kooky?), …
Continue reading "Book Review – Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi"
I've wanted to read this for a while. I loved Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go and was indifferent to Klara and the Sun. Of course, I've seen the movie of The Remains of the Day which I suspect has a different ending. I'm not totally sure as it's been a while. Mr Stevens is a …
Continue reading "Book Review – The Remains of the Day by Kazio Ishiguro"
I loved this book! This is a memoir with artistic license, as Nour himself points out in the Author's Note at the front of this work. What follows is an entertaining array of stories from his life. These anecdotes are from the point of view of a closeted Australian born man with Egyptian heritage, although …
Continue reading "Book Review – How to Dodge Flying Sandals by Daniel Nour"
They say, write what you know. This is evident in Emma Grey's beautiful novel, The Last Love Note. It's the story of Kate, a thirty-something woman who is married to her soul mate, Cam, a young English professor who is suffering from Alzheimer's. This story begins several years after Cam has passed, then flits back …
Continue reading "Book Review – The Last Love Note by Emma Grey"
First off, the plot is perfect for a movie. It lends itself much easier to a screen adaptation than Holden Sheppard's other works - each dramatic cinematic beat is here. Two earlier scenes really resonated, setting up Jack Brolo's low opinion of himself, and later, his state of mind returning to the town he grew …
Continue reading "Book Review – King of Dirt by Holden Sheppard"
I'm not the audience for this autobiography. But this doesn't cloud my judgement about how well this is written for the readership it is intended for. So I'll start by explaining why it didn't totally capture my attention. I was thirty-three when out football star, Ian Roberts' autobiography came out. And while I enjoyed it …
Continue reading "Book Review – Caught in the Act by Shane Jenek a.k.a. Courtney Act"
I could tell you the whole plot in one paragraph. Yet instead of a light tale stretched over the length of a novel, Revolutionary Road is a deep study of its characters. The story revolves around Frank and April Wheeler, a young married couple who believe they are more clever than they actually are. Frank …
Continue reading "Book Review – Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates"
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