Title: Lena’s Decision Author: Bec McMaster Series: London Steampunk #1.1 Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Australian authors, Steampunk romance, Vampires Dates read: 30th December 2019 Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: Bec McMaster Year: 2016 5th sentence, 74th page: Lena’s lips stiffened.
Lena’s discovered a family secret. But now she has a huge decision to make. How will it affect her future?
This is a great short story filler between the activities of Kiss of Steel and Heart of Iron. Or at least, that’s what it feels like to me. A sort of prologue before you get into the next novel. Which I plan on doing soon… very, very excited. I just need to actually get Heart of Iron to put on my shelves. Luckily I have Tarnished Knight in the meantime.
This short story provides some great foreshadowing to the greater series. It hints at the problems to come. Although, there’s not a great storyline throughout. Lena finally discovers the family secret, finally makes a move on Will and then has to actually deal with the consequences of her actions.
Will is also kind of stupid. Which seems to be the trend with men in many of the romances that I read. He’s a moron who is trying to protect a wilting flower. And I’m looking forward to him discovering the fact that Lena isn’t some precious gem, and getting a well deserved kick up the butt.
Title: Kiss of Steel Author: Bec McMaster Series: London Steampunk #1 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Australian authors, Steampunk romance, Vampires Dates read: 22nd – 26th December 2019 Pace: Fast Format: Novel Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca Year: 2012 5th sentence, 74th page: Honoria stared at him through passion-glazed eyes.
WHEN NOWHERE IS SAFE Most people avoid the dreaded Whitechapel district. For Honoria Todd, it’s the last safe haven. But at what price?
Blade is known as the master of the rookeries – no one dares cross him. It’s been said he faced down the Echelon’s army single-handedly, that ever since being infected by the blood-craving he’s been quicker, stronger, almost immortal.
When Honoria shows up at his door, his tenuous control comes close to snapping. She’s so…innocent. He doesn’t see her backbone of steel – or that she could be the very salvation he’s been seeking.
I got about halfway through this book over a year ago. But it was in eBook format, which I always struggle with, so I decided to buy the physical copy and enjoy it that way. Then it sat on my shelf for an untold length of time (actually, it was about a year, but I digress). And after just ripping through this, I’m wondering why I left it just sitting there for so damn long! This is a great steampunk romance that draws you straight in and is a really easy read. The thing that I got most excited about with this though… the author is an Aussie. So now I know that I have to buy the entire series. Because Aussie.
I have a lot of vampire books. And I have a lot of steampunk books. I have never read a story which combines the two. And then adds in romance. Which was really amazing. I loved the idea of both steampunk and vampires. Romance and a little bit of clockwork. Alright, this isn’t as intensely steampunk as some of the other books on that shelf. But it still has that fantastic flavour. And although this is a romance, it’s not as intensely romantic and lustful as many of the other books in that section of my shelves. A great balance all round.
There is a lot of backstory and tragedy to the characters in this. Even, the secondaries have a heap of backstory. Whilst the secondaries don’t really have theirs shared, the slow unravelling of Blade and Honoria’s secrets and hurts was enthralling. There was just enough of a hint that something else was going on that I found it impossible to put down. Plus, their constant dance of almost getting together made me want to know WHEN.
The leads in this story aren’t perfect, they’re wonderfully flawed. And I always love a great, flawed hero. Honoria, although tough needs to get out of her own headspace and realise that while she’s smart, she’s also kind of blinded and dumb about things. Something that I have in common with her… and Blade, he’s kind of beautiful, but also unwilling to bend and change to suit another person’s needs. Which kind of makes them a perfect couple – both irritatingly stubborn, but intrinsically caring.
Title: Red Phoenix Author: Kylie Chan Series: Dark Heavens Trilogy #2, Dark Heavens #2 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Australian authors, Chinese mythology, Demons, Gods Dates read: 3rd – 9th December 2019 Pace: Fast Format: Novel Publisher: Voyager Year: 2007 5th sentence, 74th page: We moved the Wudang Academy from the Mountain to here in Hong Kong.
IMMORTALS, MARTIAL ARTS, GODS AND DEMONS
The intrigue deepens as the demon threat closes around mortals and gods alike…
When Emma Donahoe took the position of nanny to John Chen’s daughter Simone, she never expected to be caring for the child of a Chinese god, and she didn’t expect that demons would want him dead. Nor has moving from nanny to partner in his heavenly realm made Emma’s life any easier.
Now a powerful race of demons has been created to hunt her and her family from Hong Kong to Europe. And she and Simone have become targets – pawns to be used in a deadly celestial power play.
It’s been a long time since I read this. And now I’m remembering why Dark Heavens is one of my all time favourite series. I think that come the new year (since my TBR starts again at the turn of the year) this will be the first series I sink my teeth into. There is just an amazing style, writing and storyline to this story. It is intense, fast-paced and filled with a great sense of humour. Which, since Chan is an Australian author, it’s the kind of humour that I love and recognise.
I picked this up in the week that I was not only feeling a little sad, but I was also feeling really, really sick. Normally I read a booka day, plus get all of my work and housework sorted. Yet, I’ve barely been able to pick up a book. So sinking myself into the world of Emma, John, Simone and their incredibly off-centre family was the perfect anecdote for my horrible week. There’s nothing like a well-loved story to help pick you up.
I knew it from White Tiger, but Red Phoenixhighlights how truly insane Emma is. I’m all for doing anything in the name of love… but what she does and gives up in the name of her love… I actually can’t fathom that. Which of course, makes this a brilliant book because it takes me to places that I would never willingly go myself (even though it’s actually not possible… but you get my drift). I also love that she is so loyal. Everything she does is in honour of the people she treasures. That part I can actually completely understand.
This is the book in which Michael first joins the family. He’s such a great addition to the storyline, and, if memory serves me (it’s been a long time since I’ve read the books), he becomes a really powerful character within the storyline. The web of family, relations and loyalties is getting more and more complex, and this is exactly why I love this series so much. The connections between the modern world and the mythical. And the relationships between father and son, father and daughter, so on and so forth.
Title: Among the Pigeons Author: John L. Read Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Australian authors, Conservation, Non-fiction Dates read: 2nd November – 5th December 2019 Pace: Slow Format: Novel Publisher: Wakefield Press Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: The first time I harboured strong feelings towards cats was at our family farm in the South East, in South Australia.
So why keep cats indoors?
During the last century, global domestic cat numbers rocketed past 200 million. Hundreds of thousands of diseased, injured, malnourished or simply unwanted cats are euthanased every year by despondent animal welfare workers. Misplaced sentimentality, sometimes promoted by cat food companies, has exacerbated this situation through promoting irresponsible feeding of strays.
Ecologist and author John Read has travelled the world consulting cat experts and collating the most recent science. In II Among the Pigeons II he balances the allure of indoor cats with the animal welfare, human health and conservation issues they create when allowed to roam. But he also presents solutions, from breeding ideal indoor pet cats to development of humane tools to control feral cats.
In striking parallel to the repercussions of human-induced climate change, warnings about the damage wrought by free-ranging cats have been largely denied or overlooked. But we ignore these issues at our peril. For our own mental health and the endangered wildlife worldwide, time is running out.
I bought this when I was doing fieldwork out on a reserve a bit over a month ago. I have heard of the author before from fellow ecologists. But mostly, I wanted to buy it because the topic of this is incredibly topical and important to my heart. It’s also, I’m pretty sure a must read for all Australians. After all, it is especially important that we understand and appreciate our cat problem and the damage that it does to us.
This novel is highly factual. Although, for the amount of statistics and information that is squeezed into this, it isn’t dry in the slightest. Actually, it’s next to impossible to put down. The more you read, the more you want to as Read pulls in anecdotes and information from not only my own backyard, but also from around the world.
Of all the non-fiction books I have on my shelves, this is the one that I most definitely relate to the best. It not only talks about a lot of people and places that I know intimately, it’s also an issue that I’m constantly rallying against. But, since I know a lot of cat lovers, I’ve been incredibly hard-pressed to convince them that cat ownership is maybe not the best thing for our environment and the health of Australia.
Even if you are a cat lover, Read is able to provide his readers with a well-thought out argument. He doesn’t offer answers, but he highlights the problem that we are facing. And emphasises that we need a solution of some kind. Whatever works for the individual.
Title: A Guide to Native Bees of Australia Author: Terry Houston Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Australian authors, Insects, Non-fiction, Science Dates read: 16th October – 29th November 2019 Pace: Slow Format: Non-fictional text Publisher: CSIRO Publishing Year: 2018 5th sentence, 74th page: As the bee immatures reach maturity and pupae give rise to adults, the mite nymphs moult to become hypopi and mount their new bee hosts in preparation for being carried out of the brood cells to begin yet another cycle.
Bees are often thought of as yellow and black striped insects that live in hives and produce honey. However, Australia’s abundant native bees are incredibly diverse in their appearance and habits. Some are yellow and black but others have blue stripes, are iridescent green or wasp-like. Some are social but most are solitary. Some do build nests with wax but others use silk or plant material, burrow in soil or use holes in wood and even gumnuts!
A Guide to Native Bees of Australia provides a detailed introduction to the estimated 2000 species of Australian bees. Illustrated with stunning photographs, it describes the form and function of bees, their life-cycle stages, nest architecture, sociality and relationships with plants. It also contains systematic accounts of the five families and 58 genera of Australian bees. Photomicrographs of morphological characters and identification keys allow identification of bees to genus level. Natural history enthusiasts, professional and amateur entomologists and beekeepers will find this an essential guide.
This book has been insanely helpful to my understanding and knowledge of native Australian bees. A lot of what I’ve witnessed in the field was supported and further expanded by this book. Yet, it was also filled with approachable language that even people who don’t pursue a PhD would be able to understand. Not something I often find in my science books.
The layout of this book is wonderfully logical. It starts with an overview of Australian bees, starts to go into the specifics of their biology and then, finally, ends with a breakdown of the specifics of each family found within Australia.
There’s not much more I can really write about a nonfictional text in an interesting manner. But, suffice it to say that I would be referring to this a lot as I march around the bush in search of pollinators and other interesting invertebrates.
Title: Born to Run Author: Cathy Freeman Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Australian authors, Biographies, Indigenous Australians, Inspiration, Sport Dates read: 20th – 22nd November 2019 Pace: Slow Format: Novel Publisher: Puffin Books Year: 2007 5th sentence, 74th page: We pressed them together to signify that we were blood brother and sister forever.
Hi guys,
Ever since I was little I only had one dream – to win a gold medal at the Olympics.
When I was twenty-seven years old, my dream came true. I’ll never forget that night at the Sydney 2000 Games – as I crossed the finish line, it was as if the whole of Australia was cheering for me.
Sometimes I still wonder how it happened. When I was growing up, I felt no different to anyone else. I lvoed having fun with my brothers, sleeping over at Nanna’s and going horse riding with my dad. But I especially loved to run. With the help of my family, coaches and teachers, I became the best female 400-metre runner in the world.
I hope you enjoy my story, and that it inspires you to chase after your dreams, too!
❤ Cathy
I remember watching the Sydney 2000 Olympics as a kid. Remember watching Cathy Freeman light the torch, remember when she won her golds. Although I didn’t understand what the “big fuss” was, I did feel that same national pride as everyone else. What I had never realised was that she wrote a biography seven years later. I only discovered this because I happened to be looking for a book written by a female athlete. And I’m really glad that I did…
This is one of the easiest biographies I think I’ve ever read. It is open, honest and fun. there isn’t a lot of detail throughout the pages, but rather, an outlining of each piece of information as you progress through the years of her life. And it was a far more interesting journey than I was kind of imagining. Freeman not only talks about her love of running and freedom, but she also discusses her thankfulness for her family and the support that she’s received.
Not only is this an inspiring story – it’s also one that is very much about family. There is not a chapter in the novel that doesn’t mention her mother and step-father, father and siblings. Anne-Marie her deceased sister is specifically talked about throughout. It’s not just about the journey and the hard work that Cathy Freeman had to put in to her passions to get to the Olympics. It’s also about the fun, the family and the journey. Something that I can’t forget and will definitely flick through again when I need a reminder that YOU CAN DO THIS!
My biggest regret with this story is the fact that I didn’t know about it until recently. This would have been a phenomenal book to read when I was younger. This is a good insight into a very well known Indigenous Australian and some of the hurdles that she had to overcome because of Australia’s racism.
Title: Looking for Alibrandi Author: Melina Marchetta Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Australian authors, Book to Film, Contemporary, Family, Young adult Dates read: 23rd – 24th September 2019 Pace: Fast Format: Novel Publisher: Puffin Year: 1992 5th sentence, 74th page: ‘I can look after myself,’ I argued as I followed her into the house.
And what’s this about you and your friends driving around Bondi Junction half-dressed last week?’ ‘Who told you that?’ ‘Signora Formosa saw you. She said you and your friends almost ran her over. She rang Zia Patrizia’s next-door neighbour and it got back to Nonna.’ Telecom would go broke if it weren’t for the Italians.
Josephine Alibrandi is seventeen, illegitimate, and in her final year at a wealthy Catholic school. This is the year her father comes back into her life, the year she falls in love, the year she discovers the secrets of her family’s past and the year she sets herself free.
I’ll run one day. Run for my life. To be free and think for myself. Not as an Australian and not as an Italian and not as an in between. I’ll run to be emancipated.
This book is amazing! Ground shakingly, life-changingly
amazing. Which shouldn’t surprise me. Since I felt that way about the movie
when I first saw it as a teenager. After all, it’s about a young Australian
girl who is just trying to find where she belongs in the world. Trying to fit
in amongst racism and parental expectations. Trying to understand the past and find
a way towards a new future. All things that we struggle with ourselves, just
with different pressures.
There is so much pressure put on students who are studying
year 12. Stupid amounts. I remember my year 12 year, we were all told to put
all relationships on hold and just study. That is not a sane, safe or
reasonable thing to ask anyone. Let alone a teenager. Josie’s story encompasses
that year and the pressures that we all feel about our future, our choices and the
external requirements people place on us perfectly. Her sarcastic, attitudinal
teenage voice carries the message better than any other story would – and make
it far more relatable for someone like me, who was a highly attitudinal
teenager.
The relationships in this story are intense. And real. And, when bad things happen, heartbreaking. Enough so that I started weeping in the car. In the middle of summer. With my partner looking on in total confusion. Marchetta manages to create characters that you knew in high school. Dynamics that you too had, even if they were people of a slightly different socioeconomic group, or background. From that moment of first falling in love to letting go of the crush you always had, to seeing the “mean girl” as just another real person… she manages to show the growth and change that we all went through at such an important time in our lives.
Australia is known as a multicultural country, but it’s not always so accepting. Marchetta helps to bring this to life, not only in Josie’s experiences, but the tales of her mother and grandmother. Interweaving three generations of strong women into one story and showing the importance of family takes you on a fantastic journey. Not only through Australia’s cultural past, but also in the making of Josie Alibrandi and bringing all three women full circle to who they are today. And oh, my beating heart… now I just want to read this amazing novel all over again…
In the city of Imardin, where those who wield magic wield power, a young street-girl, adopted by the Magicians’ Guild, finds herself at the centre of a terrible plot that may destroy the entire world…
Sonea has learned much at the Magicians’ Guild and the other novices now treat her with a grudging respect. But she cannot forget what she witnessed in the high lord’s underground room – or his warning that the realm’s ancient enemy is growing in power once again. As Sonea learns more, she begins to doubt her guildmaster’s word. Could the truth really be as terrifying as Akkarin claims, or is he trying to trick her into assisting in some unspeakably dark scheme?
I really didn’t love how this story ended. Alright, luckily
there is a trilogy to follow on. But seriously… the way that ended?!?! It was a
freaking frustrating ending to a trilogy. Although I still loved it. And
couldn’t put it down. And had a huge smile on my face even as I was screaming
on the inside. Alright, I was also cheering on the inside, because after all,
the good guys won and Sonea actually did get a bit of a happily ever after.
Just not the one that I wanted for her…
The Black Magician Trilogy is one of those series that I didn’t feel like I had to rush to pick up the next book. But I also wanted to find out what happened next. Which is why it took me about two years to read all three books. Which, ironically is the timeline of the actual story. Maybe that’s why I was happy to take a while to read it… the storyline isn’t incredibly fast paced, but it is super intense.
I loved how this story comes full circle. In the beginning,
Sonea starts her life in the Slums and is running in fear from the Magicians’
Guild. Throughout this final instalment, she is returning to parts of her life
in the Slums, and is, once again, kind of on the run from the Magicians’ Guild.
Although not as seriously as previously. The end scene also sees her working
both her magician life and old life into one another into a hopeful future. Actually,
all of the mini storylines throughout this story emphasise this hopeful and
bright future for the fantastic cast of this series.
Although I didn’t rush to pick up each book in this series, reading this did remind me of why I have got many, many books by Trudi Canavan on my shelves… her writing is amazing. Her characterisation is intense. And the storylines never quite work out the way I had expected… which I just adore. There is nothing I love more than a good surprise. And this finale definitely has that in store. Along with a number of other little moments which will have you staying up ridiculously late at night, unable to put the book away…
Title: What I Like About Me Author: Jenna Guillaume Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Australian authors, Contemporary, Young adult Dates read: 22nd – 25th July 2019 Pace: Fast Format: Novel Publisher: Pan Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: We couldn’t wait until we were both old enough.
HERE LIES MAISIE MARTIN, DEAD FROM EMBARRASSMENT, AGED SIXTEEN.
The last thing Maisie Martin thought she’d be doing this summer is entering a beauty pageant.
Not when she’s spent most of her life hiding her body from everyone.
Not when her dad is AWOL for Christmas and her best friend starts going out with the boy she’s always loved.
But Maisie’s got something to prove. And she’s not going to let anything or anyone – including herself – hold her back.
I got this book in a book box from YA Chronicles. I had no idea what to expect. I’d never read anything from Jenna Guillaume. And I’m only just getting into contemporary young adult stories. But I absolutely loved it! This story is a bit like the movie Dumplin’ (I haven’t read the book yet), but with a more Australian and satirical spin. Which of course is why I loved it so much…. A sassy Australian novel about coming of age and loving yourself for who you are. Or at least finding a way to like yourself…
As a child, I was lucky to be slender, I won some good
genetics. So I honestly don’t understand what it’s like to be a bigger girl.
But. I do understand what it’s like not to like my own body. Not to feel 100%
comfortable in it and not sure that I like what I see. This novel touches on
that issue beautifully. I think it’s something that every woman goes through at
some point. A desire to be more “something” something that our friends, family,
celebrities are and we’re just not. And although everyone purports self-love, it
really does start with self-care – learning to like oneself, before you decide
to love yourself.
Being a teenager is incredibly awkward. There is nothing about
it that is easy and simple. And, as an adult, I look back on some moments with
humour and a bit of wistfulness. But, as a teenager? I thought that everything embarrassing
or silly was just the end of the world. That I was always going to be an
ungainly, awkward girl-child with no sense of identity and self. Which meant
that reading this story of someone going through the exact same thing made
me laugh quite a bit. Alright, there were some moments that were way more
embarrassing than anything I’d been through, but there were others that I could
relate to FAR too well.
The only thing that I didn’t love about this book is the
fact that I read it in winter. This is a fantastic beach read, summer story. But,
I seem to have picked it up in some incredibly horrible weather. Weather that
had me curling up inside on the couch, longing for the beach and beauty that
Maisie is surrounding herself and her teenage dramas with.
Title: Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence Author: Doris Pilkington Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Australian authors, Book to Film, History, Indigenous Australians Dates read: 8th – 12th June 2019 Pace: Slow Format: Novel Publisher: University of Queensland Press Year: 1996 5th sentence, 74th page: It was at that moment this free-spirited girl knew that she and her sisters must escape from this place.
This is the true account of Doris Pilkington Garimara’s mother Molly, made legendary by the film ‘Rabbit-Proof Fence’.
In 1931 Molly led her two sisters on an extraordinary 1,600 kilometre walk across remote Western Australia. Aged 8, 11 and 14, they escaped the confinement of a government institution for Aboriginal children removed from their families. Barefoot, without provisions or maps, tracked by Native Police and search planes, the girls followed the rabbit-proof fence, knowing it would lead them home.
Their journey – longer than many of the celebrated walks of our explorer heroes – reveals a past more cruel than we could ever imagine.
I watched the movie Rabbit-Proof Fence years and
years and years ago. But I only recently found out that it was actually a book.
Written by the daughter of Molly, the girl who made all of the strong decisions
in their journey. Which of course meant that I had to buy the book straight
away. And sink my teeth and brain into this amazing journey. Something that made
me uncomfortable to read about, but not as bad as I thought it would make me
feel.
This is a must read book for any Australian. It’s a part of
our history that is just touched upon, but by Doris writing of her mother’s
plight, her family’s history and the colonisation of their country, you suddenly
become far more aware of what the First Nations people went through. Although
the movie tends to be something that is watched in high school, the book gives
a lot more background on the family structure and relationships of the girls.
The past and the history of their families and peoples’ before they were even
conceived.
I was expecting a lot of angst out of this story. I was
expecting a tale that would make me feel guilty, because the movie kind of
does. But it isn’t like that. The facts are simply laid out and the
determination of Molly is highlighted again and again. It makes you admire her
and wonder what would happen if you were in that situation. How you would deal
with something that was so unfathomably horrible, and find a way to fix it.
This is one of those books that I’m going to make my
children (if I have any) read. It won’t leave my shelf and isn’t one that I’m going
to give away. It is an incredibly easy book to read and one that when you close
the last page, you just lie there kind of stunned. Stunned at the strength and resilience
of one small girl. Filled with admiration of her strength and power. Seriously.
Just read this book.
Earth and Skye 