Gareth Ford is working long hours in the iron ore industry in Western Australia. He is a solo parent with plans for improving his future. But then his past starts to catch up. When Gareth’s housemate is found dead, the local police discover that he has a file and it is flagged. This is because […]
Plenty of smooth action in Aussie thriller Read Post »
When the State steps in to take over the care of a child when families are unable to, those children should be safe. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case, and Beverly Wardle-Jackson’s story highlights just how badly things can go wrong. She was born to a broken family, her father drifting in and out of
State’s failure of care a sad tale Read Post »
The premise for The Secret Life of James Cook sounds a bit naff. A fictionalised account of the famous navigator’s early life up to his first circumnavigation, based on letters to his patient wife . . . who actually destroyed the letters so no one ever knew the contents. Graeme Lay has recreated Cook’s life,
Imagination fills gaps in story of James Cook Read Post »
I refuse to set myself a bucket list and believe the phrase should be eradicated from our language, but must admit I did enjoy this trip through what many would see as the ultimate bucket list. Author Daniel Smith has compiled a fun and diverse list of 100 things most of us are unlikely to
Dreaming of the impossible Read Post »
New releases coming in July. FICTION China Rich Girlfriend, by Kevin Kwan: A funny tale of social climbing, lovesick bilionaires and art-world scandal. Published in July by Allen & Unwin (RRP $33), this is from the bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians. The Festival of Insignificance, by Milan Kunder: The first novel in twelve years,
On the bookshelves: July 2015 Read Post »
Chris Hadfield is without doubt the world’s most well- known astronaut since the hey-day of the Moon landings and Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. He is the dude who made us all smile last year with his music video of David Bowie’s Space Oddity because, aside from anything else, he is probably one of few
Astronaut’s exploits are out of this world Read Post »
This was my first encounter with the very popular “legal-thriller” genre and so I had no reference point against which to compare it. After reading The Gods of Guilt, I doubt that it will be my last encounter. The main character is Mickey Haller, an LA-based defence attorney who comes with the usual “baggage” of
Cracking good read Read Post »
This little book takes on the gender debate with four talented feminist writers and critics taking a crack at the argument both for and against those hairy creatures we share our lives with: Men. In centuries past, women have tended to end up getting a bit of a raw deal: We’ve put careers (and sometimes
Tackling gender debate with lots of humour Read Post »
Found only in New Zealand’s waters, Hector’s dolphins are both cute and fascinating. They are also – as the publisher points out – as “Kiwi as the kiwi but their numbers are under threat”. All too often, we lose sight of what it is that makes our little corner of the world so appealing to
Seeing the value in NZ’s dolphins Read Post »
Three years ago, and just a couple of weeks after the deadly Canterbury quake, Japan was also hit by a big quake. While more than 180 died in the 6.3 magnitude Canterbury quake of February 22, 2011, Japan initially got through the violent March 11 quake (a whopping magnitude 9) relatively unscathed. It was the
Harrowing accounts reveal disaster details Read Post »
