Save Me by Lisa Scottoline

Part moral dilemma, part thriller, Save Me looks at the enormous impact bullying has on a young family and their close-knit community. Scottoline examines the role of the media in creating and influencing public opinion and the power of online social networking. At the heart of her novel is an exploration of our responsibilities, both morally and legally, when faced with an emergency situation. Should the ‘Good Samaritan’ be impartial?

Rose McKenna knows that her daughter Melly is being targeted by bullies because of the birth mark which covers part of her face, and in an attempt to keep watch over her signs up as a lunch monitor at her school. Rose never could have imagined that this decision would turn into a nightmare which would haunt her and her family. Despite being a brand new building a fire sparks in the cafeteria and Rose is faced with a choice that no parent should ever face. Should she get the children right in front of her to safety before she rescues her daughter who has been trapped in the bathroom?

When her daughter’s chief bully is hospitalised in critical condition, Rose’s choices that day see her vilified and harassed. To make matters worse it appears that she might have a legal case to answer. Faced with losing her family and everything she holds dear Rose doesn’t know which way to turn. The chance remark of a construction worker raises doubts in her mind and she embarks on a mission to find out what really caused the explosion. In the style of all good thrillers, the deceit and corruption goes all the way to the top.

Save Me by Lisa Scottoline

Full dark, no stars / Stephen King

Horror is not my usual choice but seeing a reader's blog recently (sorry, can't find it again to link to) which suggested trying some Stephen King short stories might be a not so horror-ble introduction to this popular author I gave him a try. Not true! I could only read the first story Big Driver before sending the book back to the library shelves. In this story a farmer makes his son help him kill the wife/mother who is threatening to make big changes in their lifestyle. What follows is the deservedly horrible lives each of them end up having. King even makes this miscreant red neck into a librarian with no qualifications at the end of a string of jobs he has to take up after losing the farm. Pffftt.

Dianne

Full dark, no stars / Stephen King

The Lovely Bones / Alice Sebold

I have a confession to make. Sometimes when I feel a bit down I like to read passages from my favourite books. I know it's strange but sometimes it's so nice to get lost in the words, tone and meaning of a good stories. The Lovely Bones is one of those books I've read over and over again.

The story is narrated by Susie Salmon - a teenage girl who is brutally raped and murdered in the first chapter. Yes, that's right, it's narrated by the deceased. Susie watches over her family and friends - seeing them grow and change over the years following her death. She also describes her own personal journey - coming to grips with the fact that her life has ended so early.

Despite the morbid subject matter, I can only describe this as a beautifully written book. It doesn't paint the picture of a family that comes together to grieve a lost daughter/sister. Instead, it paints a picture of a family that falls apart over it, leaving individuals who must then put themselves back together with renewed life.

Sebold uses language that is both simple, haunting and surreal to create the tone of this book. I walked away feeling satisfied.

The Lovely Bones / Alice Sebold

The boy who dared / Susan Campbell Bartoletti

"A novel based on the true story of a Hitler Youth."

This story is told in flashback, as seventeen-year-old Helmuth Hubener lies trembling in a prison cell, awaiting the executioner. The reader is hooked from page one of this biographical novel, based on a real person, but presented in a fictional form.

Helmuth is a patriotic German schoolboy, a member of the Hitler Youth, but as the story develops we see him start to question Hitler's Germany; how the Jews are being treated; the censorship of truth. This is the true story of how one heroic youth stood up against the Nazi regime.

The writing style is compelling and suspenseful. The tone both inspirational and moving. This is a beautifully written book that tears at your heart when you finish the story and turn the pages of the detailed Author's Note, to see a photo of the real Helmuth, and other poignant images from his short life.

A Newbery Honor Book Author

The boy who dared / Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Milkweed / Jerry Spinelli

"A beautifully written parable about daring to be different." The Guardian

Milkweed is the moving story of Misha, or 'Stopthief' as he was often called, who doesn't know if he is a Jew or a Gypsy. Set in Nazi-occupied Warsaw, we follow Misha's journey through the streets of Poland, to the ghetto and beyond. We see his admiration for the German soldiers, 'Jackboots', and the slow realisation of what is happening around him. Although the brutality is not graphic, it is clearly present, and seen through Misha's innocent perspective.

Historically accurate, the book is a compelling and harrowing read. The writing is fast-paced and the sentences short and simple, though at times quite lyrical and descriptive.

Milkweed is a powerful and poetic tale of survival.

Golden Kite Award Winner
Newbery Medallist Author

Milkweed / Jerry Spinelli

Once / Morris Gleitzman

"This story is my imagination trying to grasp the unimaginable." Morris Gleitzman

The tender story of Felix, a young Jewish boy thrust into a terrible world not of his understanding. This is a beautifully written story told from the innocent perspective of young Felix, as he searches for his parents in Nazi occupied Poland. Initially, Felix's innocence and faith in people spares him from the full horror of his situation, but the reader is well aware of the persecution taking place and it is heartbreaking to come to this realisation before Felix does. For those who have prior knowledge of the events of history it is a sad and harrowing read.
The book is written in a compelling, first person narrative, with a simple style of writing, clearly representative of Felix's voice.
Once is the first in a trilogy, followed by Then and Now.
Once is a short, easy read and any reader would eagerly embrace the second book, the equally enthralling Then, at its conclusion.

Cathy

Once / Morris Gleitzman

The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly

If you're a fan of edge of the seat thrillers, this is a book for you. This is the fourth in a series featuring crime reporter, Jack McEvoy, who has just been laid off in a downsizing by the Times newspaper and decides he wants to finish with one last big story.

The story begins with Jack investigating a trunk murder, the apparent killer being a sixteen year old drug dealer. As he digs deeper for the story, he slowly discovers links that lead to the disturbing truth.

The story is narrated alternatively by Jack and Wesley Carver-'the Scarecrow' the real serial killer, who is identified early in the piece. He is a computer mastermind who hunts for victims via the internet. I found this method of telling the story helped to build the tension and suspense, as you are aware of what is happening from both points of view. You want to keep turning pages to see what happens as Jack, the hunter, becomes the hunted...

This was the first Michael Connelly book I ever read, and it can be read without having read any of the others in the series. Listening to this story as an audiobook was particularly effective as hearing the two voices of the main characters made it come alive, with the increasing suspense apparent in their voices.

This book will certainly make you think twice about surfing the net- is someone watching you?

The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly

BUMPER : The Life and Times of Frank "Bumper" Farrell

Frank Farrell, a Sydney legend, was born in Surry Hills, brought up in Redfern, Tempe and Marrickville, and educated at Marist Brothers Kogarah.

Farrell ruled Darlinghurst and Kings Cross from 1938 - 1976, dishing out punishments which would not be tolerated today. He arrested anyone who did not fit his stereotype as "normal", to fill his cells and boost his arrest rate. Two of his most notorious enemies were underworld queens Kate Leigh and Tilly Devine, who as well as being sworn enemies of each other, were enemies of Bumper. While slicing a spit roasted pig at her 50th birthday party, Kate was heard to say "I wish this was Bumper".

As Farrell rose through the Police Force ranks he earned a reputation as a feared and revered detective. His harassment and intimidation by use of fists and boots is still remembered today, by many in the community.

As a representative and Newtown football player his football playing was the same style - fists, boots, thuggery.

I could not finish this book, a glorified story of a protected bully.

Wendy, Sylvania

BUMPER : The Life and Times of Frank "Bumper" Farrell

Cheap : the high cost of discount culture / by Ellen Ruppel Shell

If you enjoy the warm afterglow of bagging a bargain at your local big box store, then Cheap is the cold shower that might give you pause for thought. Many things are certainly a lot cheaper than they have ever been. From 1971 to 2003, as incomes rose, Americans spent 32% less on clothes, 52% less on appliances, and 18% less on food. However, over the same period mortgage payments increased 76%, health insurance 74%.
So things are not cheap where it counts, and those things that are cheap are not sustainable, for they are cheap at the expense of skills, wages, the environment, human rights & culture. You would need half a dozen books or more to do this subject justice. Thankfully, Ellen Ruppel Shell provides extensive references for those wanting to explore, say, the insights gained from the studies of consumer behaviour in the chapter "Winner Take Nothing”.
Purveyors of cheap have turned traditional retailing on its head -
"Discounters shroud their offerings, selling virtually identical products as different brands, and B-grade versions of national brands. Or, like IKEA, they hide shoddy construction - and questionable practices - with clever image making and design. The cheaper the goods, it seems, the harder retailers work to keep us from knowing about them, and the more narrowly we focus on price, the easier we are to fool."
Product knowledge thus seems impossible in a world of commerce where it is difficult to know where a product came from or the conditions under which it was manufactured. And if consumers cannot buy based on knowledge of product, then price alone becomes the determinate. This triumph of cheap was abetted by television advertising which, the author argues, “was particularly vital for the low service discount chains that, with no experienced salesforce to push product, relied on the customer to come to their stores pre-loaded with wants."
Is there a solution? How to arrest price's race to the bottom, dragging living wages and the environment with it? Even with laws in place, there is still human nature to contend with. By way of a remedy of sorts, Shell takes her cue from Adam Smith's ideal of "enlightened self interest”, and gives us the closest to a working example in Wegmans Food Market. The key to company profits seems to be investment in well remunerated and looked after staff, which in turn attracts and keeps customers, qualities beyond mere price that support wages and profits.
An excellent book, even if the ideal marketplace of Adam Smith seems unattainable. Perhaps the user generated revolution of Web 2.0 will assist in greater product awareness amongst consumers. Or does the promise of instant gratification via online bargains just compound the problem?

Cheap : the high cost of discount culture / by Ellen Ruppel Shell

The address book / Jane Clifton

This new book by Aussie author, musician, actress Jane Clifton is a memoir about the homes she has lived in - all 32 of them at this time.

Jane is a truly international citizen who has resided in Victoria for some time now. The many residences in many countries began as a result of her dad's British Army career and overseas postings. Being of a similar age I very much enjoyed her exploration back into time and place as she searches for "home". Is home the bricks and mortar, the family and friends, or the memories?

If you have only ever lived in the childhood home and the marital home, take a trip with Jane and share her adventures.

Dianne

The address book / Jane Clifton

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas : a fable / John Boyne

"Fences like this exist all over the world. We hope you never have to encounter such a fence."

A poignant and deeply moving portrayal of the experience of two young boys in Poland during World War II. The main character is nine-year-old Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer, and the book details his meeting with another boy, a Jewish prisoner in a concentration camp, named Shmuel, and the devastating consequences that follow.

The beauty of the book is the innocence and childlike perspective with which it is written, and it is what we bring to the book, with our knowledge of the atrocities of war that the unspoken horror of the story is revealed. The book does not fail to move, and as is implied by the subtitle "a fable" it also cries out to teach, so that we may learn from the past.

This is a wonderful piece of Historical fiction and the tone is both haunting and thought-provoking. In 2007, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas was awarded the Irish Children's Book of the Year and the People's Choice of the Year. It has received acclaim world wide and was released as a motion picture in 2008.

Cathy

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas : a fable / John Boyne

The River Wife by Heather Rose

This poignant tale of love, longing and loss introduces us to some strange, but interesting characters. It is a quirky blend of fable, myth and fairy tale which has a modern environmental undertone. The River Wife is fish by night and human by day as her mother was. She was taught to tend the river and keep the stories of the world alive.

The River Wife was brought up by her perfectly “normal” human father who, when he got old and tired, planted himself on the bank of the river and “grew” into a tree with moss growing all over him.

Climate change had a serious effect on the River Wife because it meant an enforced separation from her first husband the Winter King (he could manifest either as a bear or a human). He chose not to eat his wife when he caught her in the river, but ate the trout instead because they were bad mannered.

She began to question where she belonged when she met and fell in love with the human Wilson James. They found that they had much in common including the loss of a child. The sacrifice that parents, in particular mothers, make for their children is part of the mystery that is hinted at and becomes the dénouement at the end of the book.

Note: The author is from Tasmania and is the chairman and founder of Green Team Australia

Jeanette

The River Wife by Heather Rose

Batavia by Peter FitzSimons

In the 17th century the spice trade was a very lucrative venture.  The long sea voyage from Europe to the Spice Islands via the Cape of Good Hope was dangerous.  The Dutch East India Company decided that they could shorten the journey by travelling east from the Cape of Good Hope and across the Indian Ocean close to the coast of Western Australia.  There were however, no accurate charts of these waters until the 18th century.

On 27 October 1628, the Batavia commissioned by the Dutch East India Company, set sail under the command of Francisco Pelsaert on its maiden voyage for the Dutch East Indies, to purchase spices.  On board the Batavia were 322 men, women and children, along with a considerable amount of money and treasure.  Also on board were skipper Ariaen Jacobsz and a junior officer Jeronimus Cornelisz, both with other ideas. During the journey to Cape Town Jacobsz and Cornelisz begin to recruit fellow mutineers promising them a share of the treasure.  The author uses the initial part of the book to set the scene and relationship of the characters. When the Batavia left Cape Town,  it is thought that Jacobsz deliberately steered the Batavia off course so that a mutiny could take place and the mutineers could escape safely to land.

The Batavia met with disaster when it ran aground on a reef at the Houtman's Abroltios Islands.  The ship gradually broke up and all but about 40 people on board made their way to one of the nearby islands.
It soon became apparent that there were limited easily obtainable food and water supplies on any of the islands, though natives were briefly sighted.  Pelsaert and 47 others set off in a long boat to get help in the East Indies.

What followed was the systematic murder of some 110 men, women and children who were seen to be a burden on the limited food and water supplies or eventually just because of boredom by the main villain Cornelisz but backed by Jacobsz and their fellow mutineers.  One group of soldiers who went in search of water on a neighbouring island managed to repel the murderous advances of the mutineers and lived to testify against them after the survivors were rescued.

This fictional account of murder, sexual slavery and greed is backed by journals, letters and documents written at the time.  Some of the skeletons of those murdered have been found to further testify against this bloody period of history.

If you like murder, mayhem and history, this is the book for you.

Batavia by Peter FitzSimons

‘The Girl in Times Square’ by Paullina Simons

I have finally relented and ploughed through a novel by a much celebrated and recommended author Paullina Simmons.  A contemporary mix of love story and thriller it is also very much a ‘sick’ or ‘ill’ book. Lily is the twenty year old central character. Her life is irrevocably changed by two catastrophic personal discoveries, her diagnosis of cancer and the fate of her missing friend and flat mate. The novel deals in depth with Lily’s oncology treatment and is subsequently not for the faint hearted. I perhaps was not prepared for this and may have judged the novel too harshly. I found it way too long and disturbing. ,evoking memories too close to home. Perhaps I’m a little too sensitive, I need to harden up. Throw me another Paullina Simons and I may try to be kinder in my opinion.

Penny.

‘The Girl in Times Square’ by Paullina Simons

Never let me go by Kazuo Ishiguro

This is the first book I have read by Kazuo Ishiguro, author of the classic " The remains of the day". I don't want to reveal to much about this story , as part of this books appeal is that the plot of the story is revealed slowly, compelling the the reader to keep reading to find out more.

The story is narrated by Kathy H, a 31 year old, who works as a carer of donors. It begins with Kathy's recollections of her earlier life at Hailsham, an exclusive English private school. The story, on the surface, appears to be about Kathy and her two close friends, Ruth and Tommy, and how over time, their lives become entangled in a love triangle. It describes their childhood at Hailsham, where there is an emphasis on self expression and creating art, and the importance of being healthy. Smoking in particular, is absolutely forbidden. As the story progresses, the true horror of Hailsham slowly dawns on you, through veiled hints and references and use of words such as complete, carers, students and donations.

I found this to be a very sad book, but it is beautifully told, and is a story that stays with you, raising questions about the future and humanity.

It was made into a film in 2010, (to critical acclaim), but I would recommend reading the book first, as the movie reveals the true nature of Hailsham near the beginning of the story, focusing more on the relationships of the trio.

Never let me go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Hand me down world by Lloyd Jones

A puzzle that is unravelled by the telling of the story by many different witnesses.

A woman we come to know as Ines works as a maid in a resort hotel in Tunisia. She suddenly abandons her job, and through the eyes of observers such as a policeman, a truck driver and some hunters, we follow her perilous journey from Africa all the way to Berlin. We can see she is desperate, but why is she travelling there? She has no money, no possessions, no identity cards and, at the outset, no friends.

Our understanding of Ines’ story changes as a series of narrators give us their perspective of their encounter with her. They have each drawn their own contradictory conclusions – and the reader forms their own. Finally we get to hear Ines’ own version of her journey.

I found this a compelling tale and thoroughly enjoyed the read.

Sue S

Hand me down world by Lloyd Jones

Hatchet - Gary Paulsen

I first read Hatchet when I was 12 and I think I've probably re-read it about 5 times since then over the years.

This is a wilderness survival novel about Brian, your everyday suburban teen who is travelling to visit his father in Canada from the US. When the pilot flying the Cessna they are traveling in has a heart attack, Brain is flung into manhood and survival mode. He has to first land the plane in the Canadian wilderness and then struggle to survive in the wild, miles from civilisation and help, with only the Hatchet his mother gave him before he left.

Brian's mistakes and triumphs are captured in this novel along with his frustration and fear of never being rescued. I enjoyed reading about Brian's transformation from an unfit boy from the city into a man who has to kill for food and defend himself against dangerous animals. The part with the skunk was my favorite.

If you like Bear Grylls or nature documentaries, or even just stories about survival, I'd highly suggest this one to read. There is also a sequel - Hatchet: Winter which is fantastic too.

Jess

Hatchet - Gary Paulsen

Zombies vs unicorns

With the release of the Twilight books the most current and pressing question on everyone’s lips is - are you a team Edward or team Jacob fan? Well I think it’s obvious … team Jacob of course!

But how would you fair in answering a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? This is just what this anthology edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier sets out to do. There are strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories written by a team of great authors (Garth Nix, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfield just to name a few) and before each story is a short snippet from the two authors' long standing blog debate about zombies and unicorns.

Now it might be my personal macabre leanings, but I thought that the zombie tales were particularly strong, I mean decomposing flesh and brain nomming can’t get much better huh? Although a Cabot’s rainbow farting unicorn does sound pretty cool and I have to say it almost had me leaning towards team unicorn. But everyone knows Zombies are so awesome - they could probably create Zombie unicorns and that would be the end to the debate.

This is a fun well written collection of stories, very entertaining – now I only wish they’d release a book to help me sort out the ultimate question – which is better - wizards or vampires?
Tara

Zombies vs unicorns

Henry Hoey Hobson by Christine Bongers

This title has been shortlisted for the Children's Book Council of Australia Book Week awards. The quirky title helps set the scene for an enjoyable book. Henry Hoey Hobson arrives at his sixth school, Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. Even though he is used to moving to new schools, Henry is mortified that he is the only boy in Year 7.

After an incident involving his mouth full of braces and blood coming from his mouth, Henry is labelled a 'vampire.' To add further to his woes he is seen helping the new quirky neighbours move a coffin into their home!

Henry decides to focus on training for the upcoming swimming carnival and soon makes a friend at the pool who also goes to school with him. After his mother is in an accident, he spends more time with his quirky neighbours and soon finds life can take unexpected turns.

This is a great kids novel that deals with everyday life in a both a humorous and sensitive way.

Henry Hoey Hobson by Christine Bongers

The Skull of the World - Kate Forsyth

This is the 5th book in Kate Forsyth's Witches of Eileanan series and in my opinion one of the best. I actually read this for the Read It 2011 Twitter challenge. The theme of May was #grrlpower and there was a lot of it in this new instalment.

The Skull of the World focuses on the journey of Isabeau, our original protagonist. It takes off where she left off in Book 3 - in a self-imposed exile on the Spine of the World. Isabeau is learning from her father's people, the Khan'cohbans, and is soon to embark on her Journey of Initiation to the Skull of the World. It is here that she discovers her remarkable and unique power (there's no way I'm telling you what it is, you'll just have to read the book). She returns to Luceshire and continues her study to become a Sorceress only to find her life uprooted again when the evil Margrit of Arran strikes. Isabeau, using her newfound Sorceress skills and that talent she found in the Skull of the World (the one I'm not telling you about) is the only one who can stop Margrit.

This is one of my favourite books in the series and a great choice for #grrlpower. We've known Isabeau from the first book where she was nothing but a 16-year-old girl with very little understanding of witchcraft and the world outside of the woods in which she lived. Now she's grown into a powerful witch with the potential to be one of the greatest Sorceress's of all time. Along the way she meets with adversity and has to fight her mental and physical demons to get where she is today. These include the memory of being tortured, her horribly maimed and disfigured hand and the realisation that her path may not be like that of her Sister's. Isabeau makes a choice to overcome these difficulties and this choice leads to an inspiring personal journey.

I really enjoy Kate Forsyth's style of writing. She draws the reader in with her intriguing plotlines and (while I know it sounds cliched) if I had hours I'd be completely immersed in this series. It's great to see her characters develop and grow, and, after 5 books, it will be sad to see the series get completely wrapped up in the next book. Great read!

The Skull of the World - Kate Forsyth