Wonder is the first book from R J Palacio and I guess the best way to describe it is to say it’s close to The Boy in Striped Pyjamas. If you cried reading that book, you’ll cry more often when you read Wonder. Auggie Pullman is a bright ten year old who has been home-schooled up until now. The reason for this is he was born with a terrible facial deformity and in spite of many operations, Auggie still doesn’t look like you or me. His parents have decided if he goes to school he’ll be better equipped to cope with the world, and we go through this really tough year with Auggie. This book is a sure winner!
Two of my very favourite authors have new books coming in April - Helen Dunmore’s The Greatcoat and Anne Tyler’s The Beginner’s Goodbye. They are both slim novels, novellas really, and both are centered around ghosts. Tyler’s story is about Aaron, slightly handicapped with leg and arm problems, and his wife Dorothy, a doctor who doesn’t give much of herself. Dorothy is killed in an accident in their home, and Aaron is totally grief-stricken. Then he starts to see Dorothy, talk with her, and even discuss the cracks in their marriage. Dunmore’s book is set in the 1950s near an airfield where bombers left on their run to Germany in World War II. Isabel and Philip are newly married and have come to this small Yorkshire village where he will be the junior GP. Isabel finds an old RAF greatcoat in the cupboard and uses it to keep warm at night. Then in the middle of the night, after her husband is out attending an emergency call, she starts hearing knocking on the window, and there, on the other side, is a young RAF pilot, and it seems she remembers him. But is he real? Two great stories.
I thought it would be interesting to talk about a couple of books for that 10 to teenage years group. I’ve read all these books, and can easily recommend them. Firstly is Andrew McGahan’s new series for teenagers, The Ship Kings. The first book is The Coming of the Whirlpool, the story of Dow Amber, born the son of a woodsman so must follow his father’s path. But Dow has a passion for the sea and this leads him to a village of fearful people, a ruling class of people (the Ship Kings) and a brush with a monstrous whirlpool. For slightly younger readers, there is John Stephens’ The Emerald Atlas, where three children become involved in an ancient prophecy. For the older kids, you cant go past Blood Red Road by Moira Young, a dystopian novel with Saba going in search for her stolen brother. The best teenage book I’ve read this year. It is for the older kids, because Saba does end up cage fighting. And lastly in this group, James Moloney’s Silvermay, the story of Sixteen year old Silvermay who must protect Nerigold’s baby from the dark forces of Coyle Strongbow. All four books will guarantee hours of silence in your home.
I hope you all had a very happy Christmas. On December 23 our computer point of sale died, and trying to get any kind of technician around Christmas is virtually impossible. But I’d like to thank two people - Mike Rooke from M D Rooke and Assoc of Newport who came very quickly to help us, and Peter from Rox Support who actually had a scanner in stock and kindly left it in his letterbox for Franck, complete with his two month old baby, to pick up. Thank you both, because you helped us through an incredibly difficult day. And with that, we all wish you a very happy New Year, and may your problems be little ones. Hope to see you soon.
This beautiful book explores the incredible history and natural beauty of the coastline between North Head and Barrenjoey. The scalloped beaches found here were home to the coastal clans of the Eora people for at least 20,000 years before the arrival of Europeans. Their water skills and ability in the surf underscore the northern beaches as the birthplace of Australian beach culture, where beach bathing, body surfing, surf life saving and board-riding all began in this country. But it is not just surfers who are drawn to the surf zone, that ever changing interface between ocean and shore that can in turn be calming, thrilling, or threatening. Poets, artists, photographers, architects, and dreamers are inspired by the beauty and drama of this coastline. Part history, part photography, it’s a brilliant book.
This week we spent Roger’s birthday voucher for Rockpool Bar and Grill. Had a fabulous dinner, beautiful wine and great service - thanks Minna. The next day I wanted to look through Neil Perry’s new cookbook, called of course Rockpool Bar and Grill. If you’re interested in where Perry sources his food, you can meet his suppliers who are just as passionate about their product as he is. Then you can see how it’s prepared and presented. It’s a very inspiring book, and one I’ll treasure for years to come. And of course it will help me remember what a fabulous night we had.
There’s nothing like a bit of blood and ice when the weather starts warming up and I found Mons Kallentoft’s Midwinter Sacrifice just hit the spot during the heat of last week. An obese, dead man is found hanging from a tree in the countryside, and the police have to start trying to work out who he is and then just who wanted to kill him. We get involved with ancient Swedish gods, a corpse that is watching and commenting on the investigation, and a detective, a single mother, dealing with a difficult investigation and a teenage daughter. The story caught me up, and I revelled in the freezing snow when it was so hot outside. This is the first of what will be a quartet.
Did that title get you? I’m actually talking about Tony Birch’s book Blood, a novel I picked up last week and couldn’t put down. He’s an Australian author I haven’t read before. This book is about a brother and sister, a mother who is more intent on her next man and her next drink, and the grandfather who for a little while provides some stability. The brother, Jess, has sworn to protect his little sister, a promise made in blood, and their journey from the country back to the city, the dangers they face, the people, some good, some bad, that they meet, will keep you gripped. It’s an amazing journey and you want to cheer for Jess as he fights for survival. A great story.
Charles Frazier wrote Cold Mountain, one of 1997’s brilliant books, and now here is his third book, Nightwoods. It’s one of those books I didn’t want to end, a story I became completely caught up in. It’s set in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. Luce and her sister have had a rough childhood with an alcoholic mother and a father who couldn’t leave WWII, so Luce is living alone in an old, deserted mountain lodge, caretaking. Then her sister Lily is killed by her husband, and her young twins, mute because of what they have witnessed, are put into Luce’s care. But the husband escapes jail, and comes after the twins because he believes they know where Lily hid his stolen money. Frazier is brilliant in taking us into the mountains and making us become part of this story. Just loved this book. One of this year’s best. Oh, and Ellie had her little baby on friday morning. Remy and Ellie are doing well.
I’m sorry its been a while since I’ve written about the books I love. Two reasons: one was a fabulous two weeks in London, two was Ellie who wants to have her baby too early. Still, Ellie is holding on, and we wait day by day. Back to books - I did love The Broken Ones. Irwin is a Queensland author, it’s his second book and it’s great. Speculative fiction, set in the near future, with everyone acquiring a personal ghost, a ghost who says nothing, just stands there and looks at you. Of course, this gets wearing and society is starting to fall apart. Detective Oscar Mariani’s personal ghost is a young boy he doesn’t recognise but is his constant companion while Mariani investigates a series of murders involving young girls and arcane symbolism. The trail leads to the upper levels of power. I find it really exciting to read a new (for me) Australian author who writes like a dream. I felt this book is a must-read, and I’ve chosen it for our October bookclub.
