With the short but not-so- sweet blurb on the back of this book telling us that Hannah Reilly had a perfectly happy life until the day her husband failed to come home, it comes as absolutely no surprise that her husband fails to come home in the very first chapter. Unfortunately, that isn’t the end […]
■ REVIEW: Before We Met
No surprises policy not so good in book Read Post »
Life for the average 16-year-old can be pretty tough, and for Dylan Mint, it is tougher than most. Dylan isn’t particularly average. In fact, he has Tourette’s and his life is a constant battle to control his swearing, his tics, and – when he’s under stress – his howling like a dog. Could things be any
■ REVIEW: When Mr Dog Bites
Hilarity amid deluded need for bucket list Read Post »
I’m not usually a fan of the books that insist on footnotes. I avoid them or make a slow decision about whether they are actually needed and what they could possibly add to the book. Why not just include those moments in the main text of the story? However, for New Zealand author Robert Glancy
■ REVIEW: Terms and Conditions
Quirky debut mixes drama, mystery to good effect Read Post »
It’s so easy to feel a disconnect between the vacuum packed offerings in the meat aisle at your local supermarket and the origins of that product on the farm, but it is important that we know – and care about – where our meat comes from. As the world’s population grows, the need to produce
■ REVIEW: Farmageddon The True Cost of Cheap Meat
Will we pay the price? Read Post »
My Notorious Life was inspired by the true story of 19th century New York midwife and abortionist Ann Trow Lohman, better known as Madame Restell; a woman once labelled “the wickedest woman in New York”. At the age of 13, young Axie Muldoon was living a hard life as an Irish immigrant in New York
■ REVIEW: My Notorious Life by Madame X
True midwife drama drawn from history Read Post »
Dogs have been getting some bad press lately, with a few wayward canines making headlines for all the wrong reasons. However, as the author of this beautiful book points out, the companionship of a dog is the oldest of all human/non-human bonds. I grew up in a home full of kids and pets and the
■ REVIEW: Dogs Make Us Human
Celebrating the bond between man and dog Read Post »
Author Caroline Paul has drawn on the real-life experience of having her moggy companion Tibula, also known as Tibby, go walkabout to produce a cute and quirky tale. Incidentally, Tibby’s feline sibling is named Fibby (short for Fibula), and it was while the author was recovering from breaking her own tibia and fibula in a
I picked up this book and was riveted from the first page. Sadly, by the third chapter the momentum was slowing. By the fifth chapter, my get-up-and-go had got up and gone. I’d lost interest in the book. It’s the story of Charlie Weir, a bloke who deals with other people’s demons for a living
■ REVIEW: Trauma
Great read … to start with Read Post »
