If I Die Before I Wake
Really enjoyed this novel, with all of the twists and turns in the plot - kept me guessing right until the end.Written on the late 1930's it is a typical film noir type of novel, with murder, under lying sexual tension and characters who you don't know whether to trust or not.
A great little novel.
Engleby
Very disappointed as I usually really enjoy novels by [a:Sebastian Faulks|4229|Sebastian Faulks|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1349875568p2/4229.jpg], and this one is not up to the standard of [b:Charlotte Gray|7902726|Charlotte Gray|Sebastian Faulks|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1269358467s/7902726.jpg|1741653], [b:Girl At The Lion d'Or|937054|Girl At The Lion d'Or|Sebastian Faulks|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320445834s/937054.jpg|1093014] or [b:Birdsong|578489|Birdsong|Sebastian Faulks|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320445687s/578489.jpg|1093016].The lead character Mike Engleby is a serial liar and denier of the truth, constantly re-imaging what has happened, until in the end it is difficult to actually understand what is true and what is false. Perhaps this is the whole premise of the novel, if it is, then it successful. However as a result of this I had no empathy with the character, and didn't really care what happened to him.
If I had not chosen this book for a reading challenge, I'm not actually sure if I would have finished it.
A big disappointment.
Paper Doll Bowie
What more could you want for a Christmas present than a David Bowie dress up doll - awesome!!!!!
The Perfect Family
Couldn't decide whether to give this book 3 or 4 stars, in the end decided upon three for a number of reasons:1) A bit too much religion in it for my liking
2) Twists in the story were flagged well in advance
3) Not all of the main characters were well rounded
Having said this though it was a heart felt story, about a teenage boy coming out to his family and the impact this had on all his family and friends.
The ending was a bit too syrupy for my liking, but it was an easy read, and gave you food for thought.
Death in Brunswick
Very enjoyable black comedy, about a couple of mates, a dead drug dealer and a religious mother, set in the suburbs of north Melbourne.Not wanting to give anything away, don't read this book if you are easily offended, or have just eaten a pizza, as you will not want to eat one again.
The story moves at a rapid taste, and although it has a fairly simple story line, it is well written and very easy to read.
I loved it, and now want to find a DVD of the movie.
After January (Uqp Young Adult Fiction)
This is only the second Nick Earls novel that I have read and although the storyline is a relatively simple one - boy meets girl during summer holiday – it is well told and draws you in. You want to know how it is going to end. The characters, especially Alex the lead boy character, are well drawn and there is a nice supporting cast of parents and neighbours. A nice easy summer read.
1
Untitled Novel: Foden
Wasn't too sure about this book when I started, as physics and meteorology are not my favorite subjects, but I loved it. This is a novel with a strong narrative, well paced and easy to read. The meteorology aspect of the novel is explained in layman's terms, and really adds to the detective element of the story.With a factual background, embellished with a detective story, this novel follows a young weatherman on his journey to accurately forecast the weather needs for the D-Day landings in northern France. The characters, true and fictional, are well fleshed out and creditable, especially those with the leading roles. Having read the story I now want to know more about what happened, especially what in the story is actual fact as opposed to fiction.
Don’t be put off by the subject matter; this is a really good story.
Stag: A Story
Great short story, loved the lead character, and his struggles with being himself - I'm sure all of us straight or gay can relate to this.Can't wait to read more about Oliver.
Cairo
Interesting book, based around a true incident that occurred at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.The writing style took a while to get used to, but once I was used to it, the story was an easy read. Character development was a bit stunted, though sufficient for the story - it would have been interesting to know the back story of more of the protagonists.
The reason I have given four stars is for the evocation of Melbourne in the 1980's, the weaving in of the real life events and the fact that you are never quite sure at the end what the outcome is - something which is always good, being left with your own thoughts on what happened.
On the Beach (Vintage Classics)
Loved this book, from the first to last page. The writing style was straight forward and relatively unemotional, which really suited the subject matter. In fact at the end of the book the lack of emotion in the writing, made the end of the story that much more moving - this possibly sounds strange but is true.The depiction of how the people and society was impacted by the "last war" were realistic and very believable, especially the slow deterioration in services, resources etc.
You may wonder what you would do if the world was going to end at a point in the future - how would you react to certain death? what would you do? How this is depicted in the story seems realistic to me, but who knows?
I loved this book, and will now be looking to catch up with other of Nevil Shute's novels.
Eleven Seasons: Vogel Award Winner
If you grew up in, or lived in Melbourne from the mid 1980’s to mid 1990’s this novel should bring back lots of memories. If you take even the slightest interest in footy, it will be of even more interest to you – and you don’t have to be a Hawks supporter, even Pies supporters like me will enjoy it.Well written, in an easy to read style, this is a great book if you want a good story and something not to deep to think about. That is not to say that the story is light, it isn’t, it’s just that with the easy style it is written in, the sometimes dark subjects don’t feel that heavy.
The story takes you on a journey with Jason, the lead character, through his time in school, his life as an amateur footballer and the ups and downs in his personal and family life. With each chapter reflecting a year or a footy season, the narrative is not of a continuous nature, but one that is broken up but picks up from where it previously left off.
A great story, with a big heart, that I thoroughly enjoyed.
In the City: A Celebration of London Music
If you are interested in English music of the last 50/60 years this is a great book to delve into. Spanning the history of music in London from medieval times to 2010, it is a great read, with lots of insights and stories that I did not previously know. The chapters from the late 1950's to 2000 were of the most detail and interest, and really demonstrated how interlinked all the various musical genres are.
The Son
I loved this book from the first to the last page.The story of a father coming to terms with the death of his son, told from the perspective of his dead son, is both moving and uplifting at the same time. Though it sounds a morbid story, and it is sad, there is a feeling of the celebration of life through out the story.
On occasions it does feel as if the translation misses something, how good would it be if I could read it in the original French?
I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a positive story about how good we are as people at over coming tragedy and carrying on to live full lives despite what has happened.