His 'n' Hers by Mike Gayle

A light romp through a couple’s life – today as divorcees and looking back to the 80s to when they met and fell in love.   Written with wry wit and humour, the story is an enlightening read into a man’s mind (if you’re a woman!) and no doubt into a woman’s mind should you be a man!

Jim and Allison meet at University –their first encounter is less than promising – and the first few years the relationship doesn’t progress far at all.  With the end of Uni and changes to those around them though, their relationship moves quickly and soon they share a flat, a cat and their lives.   Life often sends us curveballs though, and Jim & Allison are no exception as they find their relationship shattered and their lives head in different directions.

A few years later with their new lives, they meet and as they remember their former relationship they try and work out where it went wrong and ultimately, is it too late for them.

A good holiday read and worthwhile for the insights into how our other halves think.

Last Voyage of the Valentina by Santa Montefiore

As I’m currently in love with all things Italian (I'll blame the lovely Carla Coulson for encouraging this addiction!), but tending to read heavily in the memoir department, I decided to take a sidewards step when I saw this book recommended on a blog and instead read a novel set in Italy. 

 

Although the story didn’t grab me in the first chapter or so, it didn’t take long to get its hooks into me and I really didn’t want to put it down.  

Written in two time periods – the end of WWII and the swinging sixties/seventies the story takes place in England and Italy.   Starting with an assassination it sets the scene immediately that there is more to this story than meets the eye.

Alba, an extremely attractive young woman in her twenties, who lives for the moment, uses men for sexual companionship and odd-jobs but doesn’t let herself get involved emotionally with any of them, and manages to live on her allowance rather than work.   She lives on her father’s houseboat in London (called the Valentina) and grew up in a comfortably well off family in rural England with her father, Thomas, her stepmother  Margo (“the Buffalo”) and step siblings.   

Apart from knowing her mother  Valentina was Italian and that she died shortly after her birth at the end of WWII, Valentina is a mystery to Alba as she is not a topic of conversation and indeed is never referred to by the family.  In a rather spoilt-brat style, she tries to get her father to impart details about Valentina and squarely lays the blame on her step mother for wiping out her mother’s memory.

In an effort to find out more, her novelist neighbour suggests the use of her literary agent, Fitz, as a pretend boyfriend (who is already in love with her from a distance) as he is the sort of ‘suitable’ young man her family would approve of and her father may indulge more information to another man about the mysterious Valentina.

The information is enough to set Alba to discover more about her mother in Italy – specifically the small village of Incantellaria, on the Amalfi Coast.   In the process of discovering her mother’s story in which she sees some uncomfortable similarities between them both, she learns the value of community, the love of family and we see Alba finally grow up.

The story could have happily ended a number of times in the latter quarter of the book, with a satisfactory “happy” ending, but the author drew it out more and personally I was a little unsettled with the actual ending, but it didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the story overall.

The descriptions of Italy appear very accurate, and you can feel the heat, the dryness and the light of the Amalfi Coast in summer as you read.  The characters were also brought to life with descriptive writing.   I was surprised to learn that the author, Santa Montefiore isn’t Italian, but Argentinian/English and this was her first published novel that was set in Italy.

Overall, an enjoyable romance with enough action, suspense and tragedy to keep the story rolling along.     

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Having read and enjoyed a couple of Neil Gaiman's books - notabably the Anansi Boys and Stardust - I was given The Graveyard Book to read, and I'm so glad I did.

Aimed at all ages, but principally a children's book, it is a typical Neil Gaiman book - just a little off centre, or almost normal,but with a supernatural twist.

A toddler escapes his bed at the precise moment that the rest of his family are murdered by a knife wielding "Jack". The child toddles out, along the road and into an old graveyard where the residents take it upon themselves to protect and look after him by giving him the Freedom of the Graveyard.

He becomes Nobody (Bod) Owens and grows up quite normal - even if he does happen to have parents, carers, teachers and friends that have long since passed over and are invisible to everyone else. Chats with, for example, long dead poets, an old Roman, ghouls and even the non-dead (but not alive either) make for a emminently enjoyable read.

His education is, to say the least, interesting. Of course instruction in things like how to Fade, Dreamwalk and ask for help in numerous supernatural languages, is of questionable benefit in the land of the living. Nevertheless, he IS a living boy and as such does long to be outside the graveyard. However venturing outside also means that his protectors have limited power to help him and the mysterious Jack could find him again and finally finish his work of so many years ago.

An adventure story sprinkled with wisdom, mystery and excitement, I urge you to read and enjoy.... and start looking for more books by this wonderful author.

Some bestselling books and award winners from 2009

I picked up a great reading guide from my local bookshop call "the Independent Book Guide" (Summer 2009) put out by a group of Australian independent booksellers.

Here are some interesting lists from the guide.

Bestsellers 2009 (Jan-Oct):

Fiction

The elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Breath by Tim Winton
The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

Non Fiction

Dreams From My Father by Barak Obama
The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge
The Audacity of Hope by Barak Obama
Heaven and Earth by Ian Plimer
Geed Me Now by Bill Granger
The House At Salvation Creek by Susan Duncan
The SMH Food Guide
A Lion Called Christan by Bourke and Rendell

Children's books

Twilight Saga
The Diary of A Whimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
The Henderson Boys by Robert Muchamore
Zac Power by H I Larry
Cherub by Robert Muchamore
Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
The Magic Ballerina by Darcey Bussell
The 39 Clues by various authors
Harry Potter by J K Rowling
Grug by Ted Prior
Rainbow Magic by Daisy Meadows

Other children's bestsellers not necessarily part of a series were:

Evernight by Claudia Gray
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Imagine by Alison Lester
Where Is The Green Sheep by Mem Fox
Ten Little Fingers by Mem Fox
Tales of Beedle the Bard by J K Rowling
Possum Magic by Mem Fox
Thomas the Tank Engine by Rev. Awdry
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
Hairy Maclary From Donaldson's Dairy by Lynley Todd
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

The booklet also mentioned some 2009 award winners:

The Crime Writers Association 2009 Gold Dagger Awards

Winner:
A Whispered Nam by William Brodrick

Shorlist:
When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson
In the Dark by Mark Billingham
Hit and Run by Lawrence Block
A Whispered Name by William Brodrick
The Coroner by M R Hall
Dark Times in the City by Gene Kerrigan

The Australian Independent Booksellers Indie Award 2009
(decided by popular vote of independent bookshops Australia wide). Prize: $15,000 AUD

Category Winners:
Non Fiction - The Tall Man by Chloe Hooper
Debut Fiction - The Virtuoso by Sonia Orchard
Children's book - Pearl Verses the World by Sally Murphy and Heather Potter
Fiction - Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

The overall award went to the Fiction winner, Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey.


The Miles Franklin Award 2009
(Awarded for the novel of the year which is of "the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases"). Prize: $42,000AUD

Shortlist:
Breath by Tim Winton
Ice by Louis Nowra
The Pages by Murray Bail
The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
Wanting by Richard Flanagan

Winner: Breath by Tim Winton

The Orange Prize for Fiction 2009
(open only to women, established by journalists and publishers). Prize: 30,000 pounds

Shortlist:
Scottsboro by Ellen Feldman
The Wilderness by Samantha Harvey
The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt
Molly Fox's Birthday by Deirdre Madden
Home by Marilynne Robinson
Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie

Winner: Home by Marilynne Robinson


The Man Booker Award 2009
(awarded to works of literary fiction written by a citizen of the British Commonwealth or the republic o Ireland). Prize: 50,000 pounds.

Shorlist:
The Children's Book by A S Byatt
Summertime by J M Coetzee
The Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
The Glass Room by Simon Mawer
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

Winner: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

The 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

Finalists:
The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich
All Souls by Christine Schutt
Oliver Kitterdige by Elizabeth Strout

Winner: Olive Kitterdige by Elizabeth Strout



Looks like I have some reading to do!

Evelina by Fanny Burney

I was fortunate enough to see a blog mention this little gem. First published in 1778, this classic is a delightful romance set in 18th century England. First published anonymously, it was an immediate success and was the first of the novels written by Fanny Burney (later Madame D’Arblay).

Basically a love story constrained by the social mores of the time, it will have you avidly reading - occasionally sighing at the longing and love story between Evelina and Lord Orville, sometimes frustrated by Evelina’s inability to extricate herself from some people and situations, wincing at poor Evelina's discomfort, and even laughing out loud to the Captain’s tricks.

Written as a series of letters, the story follows the introduction into society of Evelina, unrecognized daughter of Sir John Belmont and his deceased first wife. Brought up in the country by Rev. Villers, who was both the tutor of her grandfather, Mr Evelyn, and guardian of her mother, Carolyn, Evelina at the tender age of 17 is sent for a visit to Lady Howard at Howard Grove. Lady Howard’s daughter, Mrs Mirvan then takes her daughter Maria and Evelina with her to London to await the return of her husband from sea, Captain Mirvan. Thence really begins Evelina’s awakening!

Evelina’s visit to London and exposure to society is both awe inspiring and confusing for the innocent girl and she makes the first of many social faux pas as we are introduced to the social moirés of 18th century England.

Twists and turns, confusion and false identities abound and it is a surprisingly hard book to put down!

Although it predates her, any lovers of Jane Austen will definitely enjoy this satirical look at the fashionable society of the day. Highly recommended!!

Spelling Rules & Grammar Guides

Author: www.KidsLearningisfun.com

I’m always correcting the children’s spelling and whilst my grammar isn’t poor, I must have missed the week at school when they covered things like clauses and collocation. (Have you ever heard of that last one??)

My son, in year 6, comes home with English homework that really makes me wonder if I was even on the planet for grammar lessons. The girls, in Year 3 don’t stretch me quite so far … yet!

I was thrilled to find the website KidsLearningisfun (through the fabulous site Connect2mums) who make some tremendous little guides for parents and children to keep at home and help out when you get stuck with helping with homework. I have two guides - Spelling Rules and Grammar which are aimed at grades 1 through 7.

My son at 11 is quite capable of using the guide himself (without involving me at all – always a good thing) and I can show the girls (age 8) the more basic levels.

The guides are well designed – each page on the spiral bound book is laminated so eating afternoon tea and doing homework isn’t as damaging as it could be! The guides are colour coded for easy and quick reference.

I like the spelling rules – mentioning some of those tried and true favourite sayings to remember your spelling such as “i before e except after c” that they no longer seem to teach in schools, and going into more depth by covering less well known rules and exceptions.

The grammar book is sure to become well used. Even my son took an interest flicking through it to refresh his memory, saying “I always forget what nouns and stuff are”. Hmmm, well boys are known for their inability to express themselves!

The guides are well priced at $22.95 for the Grammar and $19.95 for the Spelling Rules. Basically if you have a child currently at primary school or starting soon, these will become an indispensable part of the homework roundabout.

Trinny and Susannah - What you wear can change your life

Authors: Trinny Woodall; Susannah Constantine


A self-confessed Trinny and Susannah watcher, this is the first book of theirs I have read and I’m glad I have!

Of “What Not To Wear” BBC fame, the famous duo share their insights with the women of the world to give them all more confidence (and look better too!).

The book covers basics such as sorting out what shape you actually are, good underwear and what colours will suit you, it then goes on to more involved topics like encouraging you to cull your wardrobe and sort out storage.

I love how they feature themselves as prime examples of what to do and what not to do, and they’re not afraid to share their faults with the world.

Great tips on beauty, hair, makeup and accessories, for which women basically have an inexhaustible need! So, no complaints in that department

As a bonus there are even tips for pregnancy and travelling. All in all a book full of wonderful gems of advice that won’t go astray.

Naturally, this isn’t a deep book. It's light, humorous and more of a ready reference guide. Skim through once quickly and then take the advice section by section as you have need.

The Audrey Hepburn Treasures

Authors: Ellen Erwin, Jessica Z Diamond

I just adore Audrey Hepburn and this book makes you feel like one of the family!

With a foreward by Audrey’s son Sean Ferrer, he offers a glimpse into the private Audrey and shares some of her most treasured mementos and memories.

Presented as part book/ part album the book includes replicas of original photos, letters and documents stored in special sections throughout the book.

Starting with photos and documents from Audrey’s birth and childhood and proceeding through the special occasions and career milestones throughout her life. Treasures such as a receipt for Audrey’s Best Actress Oscar for Roman Holiday from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, fan letters and programs from her shows. Memories such as a note from Audrey’s grandfather, Baron van Heemstra, after he saw her dance in 1944, a letter from Cary Grant in 1982 and press clippings about Audrey. Photos such as Audrey’s baby photo, dance photos, family occasions and many more personal mementos.

Truly one for the fans that want to know the enigmatic Audrey that little bit better.

50 Books You Can't Put Down

From the 2008 Books Alive Guide (Australia)



The Household Guide to Dying - Debra Adelaide (fiction)
Breath - Tim Winton (fiction)
People of the Book - Geraldine Brooks (fiction)
The Spare Room - Helen Garner (fiction)
Scar Tissue - Anthony Kiedis (biography)
The Six Sacred Stones - Matthew Reilly (fiction)
Exit Music - Ian Rankin (fiction)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson (fiction)
Infidel - Ayaan Hirsi Ali (autobiography)
A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini (fiction)
God's Callgirl - Carla van Raay (autobiography)
Change of Heart - Jodi Picoult (fiction)
Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert (autobiography)
Those Faraday Girls - Monic McInerney (fiction)
Skin and Bone - Kathryn Fox (fiction)
7th Heaven - James Patterson with Maxine Paetro (fiction)
Secrets of the Red Lantern - Pauline Nguyen with Luke Nguyen and Mark Jensen (autobiography)
The Forgotten Garden - Kate Morton (fiction)
Somme Mud - EPF Lynch (biography/war)
Vietnam: The Australian War - Paul Ham (war)
Les Norton and the Case of the Talking Pie Crust - Robert G Barrett (fiction)
Turn Turn Turn ... Please - Kerry O'Keeffe (sport)
Over the Top with Jim - Hugh Lunn (autobiography)
That'd Be Right - William McInnes (autobiography)
The Day After Tomorrow - Allan Folsom (fiction)
Nothing to Lose - Lee Child (fiction)
The Memory Room - Christopher Koch (fiction)
Addition - Toni Jordan (fiction)
Voodoo Doll - Leah Giarratano (fiction)
The Rouseabout - Rachael Treasure (fiction)
Avoiding Mr Right - Anita Heiss (fiction)
This Charming Man - Marian Keyes (fiction)
Back from the Brink - Peter Andrews (environment/agriculture)
True Green - Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin (environment)
He'll Be OK - Celia Lashlie (family/health)
Girl Stuff - Kaz Cooke (family/health)
Lucky for Me - Frank Robson (autobiography)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling (fiction/fantasy)
Obernewtyn (book 1 of Obernewtyn Chronicles) - Isobelle Carmody (fiction/fantasy)
The Gift (book 1 of Pellinor series) - Alison Croggon (fiction/fantasy)
Superior Saturday (book 6 of The Keys to the Kingdom series) - Garth Nix (fiction/fantasy)
Twilight - Stephanie Myer (fiction)
George's Secret Key to the Universe - Lucy and Stephen Hawking (children's nonfiction)
Treasure Fever (book 1 in the Schooling Around series) - Andy Griffiths (children's fiction)
Water Witcher - Jan Ormerod (children)
The Waterhole - Graeme Base (children)
Parsley Rabbit's Book about Books - Frances Watts and David Legge (children)
Quest for the Crown (book 1 in the Faraway Fairies series) - Eleanor Coombe (children's fiction)
Go Girl! Angels: Anniversary Edition - Chrissie Perry and Meredith Badger (children's fiction)
Nim's Island - Wendy Orr (children's fiction)

Rachel's Holiday

Author: Marian Keyes

Another humorous Irish romp - although with a dose or two of reality quite apparent. Very touching and some true sadness (albeit only in moments) that will have tears and sniffles threatening to make an appearance.

Rachel Walsh is Irish, living in New York, with her best friend since childhood, Brigit. Brigit and Rachel are fun-loving and out for a good time, naturally always on the lookout for men and they love to poke fun at a group of Irish lads that are in a somewhat 70s haze in the looks department. Rachel falls in with one of the lads, Luke - tall, manly and sexy, but embarrassingly un-hip.

Rachel gets caught up in the New York lifestyle and finds herself in hospital, surprisingly, after having her stomach pumped after imbibing too many drugs.

Her family fly her home to Dublin and promptly deposit her in the 'Cloisters' - an addiction fighting centre, reportedly frequented by celebrities. Fully prepared for a nice holiday with massages, spas, high quality food and luxurious surroundings, Rachel meets a variety of addicts, but can't quite understand why she is there - after all, she doesn't have a problem... does she?

Well worth the read with a nice happy ending!

Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married

Author: Marian Keyes

Lucy Sullivan - in her twenties, an office worker and a serial dater of unsuitable men.

Lucy sees a fortune teller with some co-workers and is told that she will be married within 18 months. Considering she is currently footloose and fancy free this comes as something of a surprise to Lucy so she discounts the possiblity. However, her co-workers are soon linking events to the prophecies they received and everyone starts to think that Lucy really WILL be married soon.

Lucy actually does meet a man - totally unsuitable of course which Lucy can't resist and she starts to think maybe he is 'the one'. Of course to complicate matters there are other men in her life as well - could one of them be the lucky man instead?

On route to finding her marital bliss Lucy learns more about herself and her family than she ever suspected.

Amusing and eminently readable, as all Marian Keyes novels seem to be, this is the perfect novel to get away from your own life and find yourself flatting in London on the lookout for Mr Right.

Northanger Abbey

Author: Jane Austen

I recall reading this book repeatedly from the age of about 12 and have very fond remembrances of it. Given the current Jane Austen ‘festival’ screening at the moment on the ABC I decided to re-read the novel.

It is a quick read – written in a lighthearted and easy style and with the Austen stamp of the heroine undergoing some trials before gaining the happiness she so richly deserves.

Catherine Morland – age 15, from a loving family of 10 children, not poor but not rich, is taken to Bath by wealthy neighbours the Allen’s where she meets with predominately two families – the Thorpe’s and the Tilney’s.

Catherine meets Henry Tilney at a dance in Bath and he is humorous and attentive - she is quite taken with him. Unfortunately he disappears after the dance although she keeps her eye out for him.

Mrs Allen recognizes Mrs Thorpe as an old school friend and introduces her daughter Isabella. Isabella is pretty and vain and is constantly seeking attention from the opposite sex. Isabella and Catherine become fast friends given that Isabella sees Catherine’s brother James (who has been at Oxford with her brother, John, and visited the family the past Christmas) as a prospective husband. She pursues James and gains a proposal of marriage.

Meanwhile John Thorpe decides Catherine is pretty enough to make her his bride - but Catherine is completely unaware of his intentions.

Henry Tilney makes a reappearance, this time with his sister Eleanor. Eleanor is sedate and friendly and Catherine feels instantly comfortable in her presence as well as being glad to extend her acquaintance with Henry.

After some misadventures with John Thorpe, Catherine sees him in a more true light which makes her affection for Henry even stronger. Henry’s father, General Tilney encourages the relationship between Catherine and his children and invites Catherine to Northanger Abbey.

Isabella in the meantime meets Captain Tilney – Henry’s older brother (and heir to the family fortune and estate) and flirts unashamedly, to the detriment of her engagement which is soon called off in distress by the heartbroken James.

Full of a love of mystery novels, Catherine soon imagines all sorts of terrible things about the Abbey and gives herself a scare or two quite quickly. The General turns out to be quite a tyrant and she starts to imagine that he may have had something to do with the untimely death of Mrs Tilney some years before.

Shortly after this, the General removes to town whereupon the young people have an enjoyable time without the strictness that the General imposed upon their lives. This eden is interrupted however with Catherine’s speedy ejection and return to her family. Eleanor is deeply troubled and embarrassed by the leaving and Catherine despairs that it has happened whilst Henry is absent so she cannot see him before her departure.

She returns home to her home in Fullerton, none the worse for the experience, but melancholy at the loss of her friend Eleanor and of Henry, whom she supposes she will never see again.

Unexpectedly Henry returns, explains and apologises for her departure, advises he has split from his father and of course proproses. Catherine’s parents agree to the marriage but gently demand that the General’s consent should be sought. Of course he declines, but given an excellent marriage by his daughter Eleanor and the good humour that ensued, as well as a clarification of Catherine’s position - permission is given within six months of the proposal.

A highly recommended read for everyone after a light Austen novel.

The Northern Lights (aka The Golden Compass)

My son (age 10) read this book – it took him a couple of months but he did get through it, understood it and enjoyed it. He recently started the second book so I took the plunge and read The Northern Lights – part 1 of the trilogy. It was actually a terrific read, fast paced and straight forward. The book introduces you to some wonderful characters that are very easy to like - or dislike, as the case may be!

The story is set in a parallel world – similar to our own but slightly different. The main character of the book is Lyra, a pre-teen who is apparently orphaned. She lives with scholars at Oxford where as the only child (apart from servant’s children) she runs wild and her education is rather hotch-potch. All humans in Lyra’s world have a demon, a companion that takes the form of an animal (but can speak) and when the human dies, so does the demon – the demon is compared to a soul in the book.

WARNING: STORYLINE SPOILERS!

Lyra’s uncle Lord Asriel is an explorer and scientist (and a powerful personality) who visits the college where Lyra is early in the book, but soon returns North to his mysterious research into “Dust”. Shortly after he leaves, children start to go missing from their families and the story of the “Gobblers” arises. Soon, children go missing in Oxford and one of Lyra’s friends is taken. At the same time, the Master of the college sends Lyra to live with Mrs Coulter, an educated and beautiful woman who has apparently had some contact with Lyra’s uncle. Before Lyra leaves, the Master entrusts to her care an aleithometer which he instructs to keep secret and tells her she must learn to use it herself. So begins an amazing journey for Lyra.

Initially she is well looked after and even pampered, but Mrs Coulter shows her dark edge and Lyra runs away. She is captured/saved by the Gyptians and in their endeavours to retrieve their missing children accompanies them North. There she has more adventures befriending an armoured bear, witches and finding the stolen children. The reader learns of Lyra’s importance and a prophecy concerning her.

Hearing Lord Asriel is imprisioned, Lyra sets off to free him and in the process becomes known as Lyra Silvertongue. She finds Asriel, who in his research, has discovered another world through the Northern Lights – he makes a bridge to this world and crosses over, unaware that Lyra has followed him.

I would highly recommend this book to any youngster capable of reading a novel and it’s a quick and entertaining read for the adults too!

Mr Darcy’s Diary

I was interested to read this – women are always interested to hear what men REALLY thought, and I believe I had a desire to believe that men feel with the same depth of passion, to the detriment of everything else, when they fall in love. The author, Maya Slater (a woman), obviously wanted the same thing and she served this up in a nicely bound little package!

So, perhaps reality has to take a few leaps…. but it was nice to think that it could be so, that Mr Darcy did indeed feel the torment of unrequited love (at least for a little while). There is a little explanation at the end of the book that the diary was found in a little bureau that was being auctioned and it was found to bear a striking similarity to the story described in Pride and Prejudice. A nice touch.

This is pure fan-fic, a spin off from an established novel that meets the needs of the fans in wanting to know more – what happened before, after or behind the scenes. As such it does a credible job, but would have been better to have been written by a man. My husband immediately said when he saw me reading it, “well Mr Darcy wouldn’t have called it a diary… he would have called it a journal”. Hmmmm, it was an unsettling thought, but a realistic one. So as this thought sat and grew, I became a little more skeptical of Mr Dacry’s purported side of things as I read.

However, all said and done, it was a pleasant, easy read, that lovers of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice will no doubt enjoy!

101 favourite books - Australia

The Australia bookseller Dymocks recently released results of a survey of more than 15,000 members of their booklovers program. It is an eclectic mix – classic literature, comtemporary novels, fantasy epics and children’s favourites. Here are the 101 favourite books voted on:

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings Series - J.R.R. Tolkien
3. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
4. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
5. Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
6. The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
7. Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling
8. The Power of One - Bryce Courtenay
9. Magician - Raymond E. Feist
10. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
11. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
12. Cloudstreet - Tim Winton
13. Cross Stitch - Diana Gabaldon
14. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
15. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
16. Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom
17. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
18. The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
19. Mao's Last Dancer - Li Cunxin
20. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
21. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
22. The Bronze Horseman - Paullina Simons
23. The Bible
24. Eragon - Christopher Paolini
25. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
26. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Series - Douglas Adams
27. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
28. Tomorrow, When the War Began - John Marsden
29. Ice Station - Matthew Reilly
30. Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery
31. The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy
32. The Life of Pi - Yann Martel
33. Perfume - Patrick Suskind
34. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
35. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
36. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
37. Twilight - Stephanie Meyer
38. Angels and Demons - Dan Brown
39. The Pact - Jodi Picoult
40. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
41. Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
42. April Fools Day - Bryce Courtenay
43. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Dernieres
44. Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
45. Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
46. The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
47. Tully - Paullina Simons
48. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
49. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
50. A Fortunate Life - A. B. Facey
51. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
52. River God - Wilbur Smith
53. Wild Swans - Jung Chang
54. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
55. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
56. The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley
57. Persuasion - Jane Austen
58. The Shipping News - Annie Proulx
59. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
60. Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
61. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
62. Possession - A.S. Byatt
63. We Need to Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver
64. Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
65. My Family and Other Animals - Gerald Durrell
66. The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
67. Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
68. Dune - Frank Herbert
69. Emma - Jane Austen
70. Marley and Me - John Grogan
71. Middlemarch - George Eliot
72. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
73. The Count of Monte Christo - Alexandre Dumas
74. The Secret history - Donna Tartt
75. Chocolat - Joanne Harris
76. Dirt Music - Tim Winton
77. Looking for Alibrandi - Melina Marchetta
78. My Brilliant Career - Miles Franklin
79. The Ancient Future - Traci Harding
80. Belgariad Series - David Eddings
81. The English Patient - Michael Ondaatje
82. The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
83. The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
84. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
85. The Stand - Stephen King
86. It - Stephen King
87. Northern Lights - Nora Roberts
88. The Diary of Anne Frank - Anne Frank
89. The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards
90. The Outsider - Albert Camus
91. The Riders - Tim Winton
92. Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson
93. Across the Nightingale Floor - Lian Hearn
94. Atonement - Ian McEwan
95. Circle of Friends - Maeve Binchy
96. Seven Ancient Wonders - Matthew Reilly
97. Tess of the D'Ubervilles - Thomas Hardy
98. The Godfather - Mario Puzo
99. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
100. The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory
101. The Red Tent - Anita Diamant

The Bitterbynde Trilogy: The Battle for Evernight

Close on the heels of The Lady of the Sorrows, I have now read the last in this trilogy.

In this closing book of Imrhein/Rohain/Ashalind she has recalled her previous life and is suffering once again under the Langothe (yearning for the land of Faeran) which may eventually kill her unless she can seek relief from the High King of Faeran himself. She realizes that the unseelie forces have been marshalled under the guidance of the Crown Prince of Faeran, Morragan, and from stories knows that the High King of Faeran, Angavar, is sleeping somewhere on Erith awaiting to be called forth in a time of need.

In her confusion, she decides it is best to seek the gateway to Faeran herself so that she can advise the gatekeeper of the secret word to open the box containing the keys that have locked the doors between the worlds of Faeran and Erith. The gatekeeper can then retrieve the High King and deal with Morragan. Her maids, Viviana and Caitri accompany her on the journey from Huntingtowers, through the Khazathdur forest, watery Irallillir and partway through the orchards of Cinnarine. On their journey they are accompanied by a swan maiden, a urisk and a waterhorse who are all seelie.

The unseelie forces are on the hunt again and The Hunt itself kidnaps Viviana with her dyed golden tresses and Caitri. Rohain/Ashalind abandons her further journey north to the Faeran gateway to try and rescue her friends and so travels east to the country of Namarre and the stronghold of Morragan himself. Here she is quickly discovered and is imprisoned whilst Morragan tries to both fight the armies of the King-Emperor and find out the location of the gateway Ashalind came through. Here she finds out the true identity of Thorn.

Her mind still blocked to the gateway’s location, Morragan eventually fights Angavar and is mortally wounded although he retains some semblance of life as a Raven who is allowed to go free. Thorn and Ashalind are reunited and betrothed and plan to seek the gateway after the coronation of the new King-Emperor.

(I shall refrain from the final ending however!)

It was pleasing to see a decent map included with this book making the journeys of Ashalind easier to follow. I admit to finding myself becoming a tad frustrated with the main character’s undertaking her journey/quests almost on a whim and basically unprepared and had to continually remind myself that this character was only supposed to be a girl of 17, however given her maturity in other aspects, this really annoyed me! Given the complete concentration on Ashalind in this third book, I would have liked to have known something about what was going on in the rest of the land – perhaps the story needed to be written from two perspectives?

I must admit that I was pretty disappointed in the ending. It felt as though it was cut dramatically short, missing the detail evident in the rest of the books. Also the possibility of two alternate (and brief) endings felt rather unsatisfactory. Given the fairy tale quality of the books, I truly wanted to be ensured of a fairy tale ending. Naïve of me perhaps but it still doesn’t change such a desire!

The Bitterbynde Trilogy: The Lady of Sorrows

After reading The Ill Made Mute I just couldn’t wait to read the subsequent novels and so I read The Lady of Sorrows as soon as I got it!

In this book, Imrhein continues on her quest to find the King and inform him of the treasure under Waterstair. Fully recovered after the healing by the Carlin Maeve One Eye, and in disguise as Lady Rohain of the Sorrow Isles, with her golden tresses dyed black, she proceeds to Caermelor Palace. She is admitted and speaks with the King’s trusted Dainnan leader, Tamlain Conmor and tells her tale of the Waterstair treasure. She helps to retrieve it with the Royal Bard, Thomas Rhymer and is rewarded handsomely for her assistance.

Having to wait upon the King’s availability to bestow her newly gained title, she learns the nuances of court life however her naivety and youth leads her to believe the best of people when they certainly don’t deserve it. Her maid, Viviana, however is true and loyal. She is thrilled when she discovers that Siandah, the Ert with whom she discovered the Waterstair treasure is still alive although imprisoned in the Palace’s dungeons. She intends to plead for his life with the King but in the meantime Siandah encourages her to visit Isse Tower where her earliest memories lie to see if more of her life can be remembered. A few fleeting memories have already started to return but she doesn’t understand them.

A fellow courtier, who has befriended Rohain (but whose motives are suspect), sees Rohain’s golden roots when she is assisting with her hair one day and shortly after discovers her identity, telling her to leave Court immediately or she will tell everyone that she is not who she says she is. She departs for Isse Tower where as Lady Rohain she learns a little – that the deformed mute was found near Huntingtowers, a few hours ride from Isse Tower. She decides to journey there however her journey is not completed before she needs to return to the tower where she finds her quarters have been attacked by unseelie forces. She is reunited with Thorn who she finds is not just a Dainnan warrior. Returning to Caermelor with Thorn she is incredibly happy but still has little knowledge of her life before Isse Tower. Thorn departs to the wars and she is left on the enchanted Isle of Tamhania till his return.

She spend time on Tamhania but eventually it is attacked and she flees along with the other inhabitants. Finding herself shipwrecked on the shore near Huntingtowers, she proceeds there along with Viviana and Caitri and regains her memory.

Once again the story is magical and very poetic. You feel wonder as her story is revealed and once again I can’t wait for the next book.

The Bitterbynde Trilogy: The Ill-Made Mute

A sweeping fantasy novel by Cecilia Dart-Thornton. From the first page Cecilia draws you in with vivid descriptions in a well constructed world. You can tell it is going to be an interesting journey as you have immediate empathy for the poor damaged creature who has the lead role in the novel. You feel elated in its eventual escape, but worry for its safety and relief at its seeming rescue. You feel worry and thrill in accordance with the story and the end literally left me with tears streaming down my face.

It has more flesh than some of the more ‘standard’ fantasy novels that have an aim and try and get there (with as much done as possible) in a straight line. This story however, meanders along and asks you to enjoy the journey. The prose is rich and poetic and incredibly detailed, so if you like action style fantasy novels this won’t be one for you.

The lore and bestiary of the world is well thought out and draws heavily on little known Celtic lore, but the high number of unusual words make it a slight trial if you let yourself get bogged down on them. A more comprehensive phrase and word reference would have been helpful in this respect.

The basic story is that of a severely disfigured and mute foundling, reared in a remote castle by a lowly servant, where it is abhorred by all who see it. Lonely and longing for something more, the youth escapes on a Windship that is attacked by pirates and culminates in a sudden escape/rescue by a red-haired Ertish adventurer. Truths are revealed and a name bestowed upon the nameless fugitive. A magical journey ensues with the Ertishman. Learning that the disfigurement may be healed, a journey to far Caermelor to seek a famed healer is undertaken with disastrous results and a wilderness must then be crossed with two companions – a young Ertishman who feels bound to assist the mute, and a Dainnan ranger who is courteous but distant.

I am looking forward to reading the next instalment in the trilogy!

100 books times two

I went into my local library last week to see if I could borrow Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. Would you believe there wasn’t ONE Bronte book on the shelf? Not even Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre! Now either that means they are all out being read or they just aren’t very popular so not kept. I enquired at the desk and they happily agreed to get Tenant in from another library, so it, at least, wasn’t “out”. I also looked in the local bookshop a few weeks ago and the only Bronte I could find there was Jane Eyre (which I already have). I would have thought all Bronte were “classics” and always on hand.

This led me to wonder, what exactly are people reading? After coming across the ‘100 books that all children should read’ list recently I thought there are bound to be some lists of books that people think are ‘the best’. After searching these lists and discarding those with limitations (eg. written in the 20th century or written by authors of the same nationality, etc.), I came across two lists of 100 books that were 4 years apart. They are from the same country (UK) and yet they vary quite a bit. I surmise that people’s views are to some extent affected by what they are currently reading (recent releases) and even watching (films based on the books). Are many of these your favourites?

BBC 2003 list of Top 100 books:

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkein
2. Pride & Prejudice, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pulman
4. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty Four, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter and the Philospher’s Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkein
26. Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
33. The Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
39. Dune, Frank Herbert
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
44. The Count of Monte Chriso, Alexandre Dumas
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
48. Far from the Maddening Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
54. Anna Kerenina, Leo Tolstoy
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
57. Swallows and Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts and Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden
63. A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCullough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchet
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
70. Lord of the Flies, William Golding
71. Perfume, Patrick Suskind
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
75. Bridget Jones’s Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jaqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
88. COld Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Fiest
90. On the Road, Jack Kerouac
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
92. The Clan of the Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour of Magic, Terry Pratchett
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
96. Kane and Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
98. Girls in Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight’s Children, Salman Rushdie

The Daily Telegraph (UK) 2007 list of 100 books you can’t live without:

1. Pride & Prejudice, Jane Austen
2. Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkein
3. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series, JK Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
6. The Bible
7. Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four, George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
11. Little Women, Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22, Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
16. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkein
17. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveller’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch, George Eliot
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Graeme
31. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia, CS Lewis
34. Emma, Jane Austen
35. Persuasion, Jane Austen
36. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
41. Animal Farm, Goerge Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney, John Irving
45. The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins
46. Ann of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
47. Far from the Maddening Crowd, Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies, William Golding
50. Atonement, Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi, Yann Martel
52. Dune, Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time, Mark Haddon
60. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck
62. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
66. On the Road, Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure, Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones’s Diary, Helen Fielding
69. Midgnight’s Children, Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick, Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens
72. Dracula, Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes from a Small Island, Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses, James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons, Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal, Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession, A S Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple, Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary, Gustave Flabert
86. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte’s Web, EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven, Mitch Alborn
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection, Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness , Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory, Iain Banks
94. Watership Down, Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet, William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables, Victor Hugo.