“The Storyteller” by Jodi Picoult.

I find Jodi’s books hit and miss, some I love, some I can’t get into and never finish. Mum recommended this one and gave it to me after she read it so it’s probably one of the former :-)

Started reading: 24/06/2018
Finished: 10/07/2018
My score/review: 9/10

“All the light we cannot see” by Anthony Doerr

Recommended by my Mum :-) I bought this book at least 2 years ago but only now prioritising more time to read novels again (mostly on the bus) as I really miss it.

Such an excellent book! It's an historic novel set in the Second World War, very moving and beautifully written, with such lovely moments of love and compassion and bravery shining strongly through that makes you have faith in the goodness of most humans even when surrounded by so much violence and horror inflicted by others. Also makes me wonder why we humans don't seem to learn from the horrific wars of the past and keep repeating them over and over in different places and different contexts.

Started reading: 7th Nov 2017

Finished: November 2017

My score: 10/10

"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs

This was one of those book purchases facilitated by being in an airport with a small amount of local currency that needed to be spent before leaving the country. It might have been on my Bali trip but I can't really remember. It has been sitting on my shelf, still in the plastic wrap for over a year, and considering the movie is coming out now and the trailers look great, I thought I'd better hurry up and read the book. 

I hadn't realised this was in the genre of Young Adult fiction when I started reading it. I love how the book is based on actual peculiar photos the author found in various collections and markets and antique shops and that he built such an imaginative story around them. There are some really incredible photos included throughout the story, some of which must have been 'faked' in some way by the original photographer, and others that just manage to capture a creepy or peculiar expression on a child or a strange scene. Although creative and interesting, the story itself is a bit childish/teenager-ish in many ways (which is understandable now I know it is meant to be YA fiction) yet it also has elements of horror and supernatural magic throughout. I really liked it as it was unique and interesting and especially since the photos are 'real' photos it adds another layer to the story for me. I would really like to see the movie now. And will be keeping my eyes open for unusual photos at markets and second-hand shops from now on! At the end of the book it mentioned there is a sequel "Hollow City" which I will see if my local library can get in for me to read at some stage.

Started reading: 23 September 2016
Finished: 2nd October 2016
My score: 7/10
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Supernatural, Horror 

"After Darkness" by Christine Piper

This is the first book I have read as part of the Aussie Author Challenge 2016. I chose to read it as it was given a 5 star recommendation on the Book Lover Book Reviews blog: http://bookloverbookreviews.com/2014/06/book-review-after-darkness-christine-piper.html

This book reminds me in style, quality and similar subject matter/themes to some of Bryce Courtenay's work (but a much shorter book than most of Courtenay's massive novels). I felt a real disappointment and loss when Bryce Courtenay died as the realisation that he wouldn't be writing any more awesome stories for me to read sunk in as I have thoroughly enjoyed and been caught up in many of his books. I'm feeling very impressed and feel a new hope after reading this book that this new Aussie author could potentially take over where Bryce Courtenay left off. I hope Christine Piper becomes as prolific and consistently awesome an author as Courtenay in the years ahead.

This book "After darkness" alternates between 3 locations and times: Early 1930s in Japan, late 1930s in Broome, Western Australia, and during the Second World War in the Loveday internment camp in South Australia. The main character Dr Ibaraki is a reserved, discreet Japanese medical doctor with a background in medical research. He moves to Broome to become head of a small hospital in the Pearl diving community in order to escape some events in his past which are slowly revealed as the novel progresses. He's then arrested and put in a prison camp in Australia during WW2 due to his Japanese background. I didn't know a lot about the prison camps in Australia during the Second World War, so it was a bit of an eye-opener for me to read a novel based on a bit of our history that isn't widely spoken about now. It also highlights the unfortunate timelessness of many of the issues of racial discrimination, conflict of ethics, and loyalty that are faced by many, even if the focus or details change with the decades.

Started reading: 6th February 2016.
Finished reading: 8th February 2016.
My score: 8/10
Aussie Author Challenge Stats: Female Author, New to me, WW2/historical fiction genre.

"Sorry" by Gail Jones

This book was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award 2008, and was recommended to me by a lady who works in Dymocks bookshop in Rundle Mall as a great 'Aussie author'.

I found the actual writing style and prose of this book to be quite captivating, it was simply beautifully written. I enjoyed reading the book just for the beauty of the language used. However as the book progressed I was left a bit unsatisfied with the actual story; it was quite a short book (approximately 200 pages), and so many of the themes and characters could have been explored in more detail. All the characters seem to be lonely misfits in one way or another, and the characters and the story are all quite tragic, and pretty far-fetched and unbelievable in many ways. Little snatches of Shakespeare appear throughout the book, and while at first I enjoyed this, it soon became overdone and a bit ridiculous in the remote Outback setting. The main character, a girl named Perdita, lives in the outback with her two strange, apparently mentally-ill parents.  The book spends a lot of time skirting around a traumatic event in Perdita's life that leaves her with a debilitating stutter, and although it is finally explained towards the end of the book, there is no justice, so I found the ending pretty empty and sad. My favourite characters were Perdita's two friends - a deaf and mute boy, Billy, and an Aboriginal girl, Mary, - they were by far the characters that I felt the most empathy for, and I would have liked to read more about them, and less about Perdita and her melodramatic mother and unlikable father.

Started reading: 9th March 2014
Finished: 21st March 2014
My score: 6.5/10
Aussie Author Challenge stats: Female author, New to me, Genre: Literary fiction.

"The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" by John Boyne

 

A very sad and very powerful story of the Nazi concentration camps, told with a simplicity and innocence that reminded me of "the little prince". Unforgettable. It's hard to know what else to say about this book, but it's definitely now in the list of "must read" books when people ask me for recommendations. I think the book could be described as a fable and although it is written as a children's story and from the point of view of a 9-year old boy, it definitely covers some very challenging/disturbing/important moral issues at it's heart. I guess that's what reminds me of "the little prince" or perhaps even "the Alchemist". It tells the (possibly implausible) tale of two 9-year old boys on opposite sides of the fence at 'Out With' (alternative name for Auschwitz concentration camp) who become friends, despite one being the privileged German son of the Commandant of the camp, and the other being a Jewish boy from Poland who is imprisoned in the camp. I thoroughly recommend this book, although be warned it is not a happy book to read (obviously due to the topic) and you will probably need a box of tissues handy.

Started reading on my kindle: 27 Dec 2013
Finished: 30th December 2013.
My score 9.5/10.

"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

This book is an historical novel that was highly recommended to me by more than one person lately. It was written by an American author, Mary Ann Shaffer, but finished off by her niece Annie Barrows and published after Mary Ann's death. The title is quite long and curious, but don't let that put you off reading it. It is set during and in the aftermath of WW2, mainly in the Guernsey Channel island which is a small rural island that is part of the UK and was occupied by the Germans during the last World War. It is narrated mainly through a series of letters which is quite unusual, but very effective. You see the story through several characters eyes, and as they are told through personal letters you really form an attachment to the various characters as if they were people you actually know and care about. Many of the characters in the book share a love of books and the arts in various forms, and if you are a book-lover it is lovely to read and connect with characters with the same love. The details of what the war was like on the Channel islands was fascinating to me as I knew little of the history before reading this book. 

A lot of people recommended this book to me. I found that it reminded me a lot of another book I read this year - "War Brides" by Helen Bryan. So if you have read "the Guernsey Literary and potato peel pie society' and enjoyed it but haven't yet read "war brides" I think you might like it. I read "War Brides" earlier this year and my review can be found here.

Started reading "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" on my kindle: 24th December 2013 Finished: 27th December 2013
My score: 8.5/10

"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak

This book was like nothing else I've read before. I don't think I can even remember another time when a book made me physically cry so that I couldn't see the words to keep reading, but the last 50 pages of this one did. I don't think I will ever forget this book. I 100% recommend it, despite the tears, it is one of the best books I have ever read. It is written from the point of view of a very unique narrator - "Death" who oversees and follows the main characters of this book during the time of Nazi Germany. Despite how grim this story sounds from my review so far, trust me it has so many beautiful unforgettable moments in it, and it is told in such a different way to other stories I have read, it is a great book. I don't want to give the storylines away, just want to say that you really need to read this book.

I actually read this book without realising it was written by an Australian author. It was recommended to me by a few friends and one of them lent me their copy to read. It turns out the author is Australian, so I have added this book to my Aussie Author Challenge list, as a male author (new to me), historical fiction genre.

Started reading: 6th October 2013
Finished: 19th October 2013
My score: 10/10

"War Brides" by Helen Bryan

This book is set mainly in the era of World War II in the UK, with the exception of the initial and final chapters which are set approx. 50 years later. It is an historical novel, following the lives of 5 very different women from diverse backgrounds who all end up living in a small country town called Crowmarsh Priors during the war. Reading this book reminded me of when I was at school and read "Goodnight Mister Tom" about the children being evacuated to the country from London during the war to avoid the bombings by the Nazis, or some of Richmal Crompton's "Just William" stories set in wartime UK. Although many of the characters in "War Brides" initially frustrated me with their immaturity, I really enjoyed the book especially as I got further into it and the characters developed. The book gives some insight into what it might have been like for women during the war, trials and dreams and daily life, and how they coped and responded in different ways. It also has an element of espionage and gives some insights into the French Resistance efforts, and the trials and terrors besetting Jews at the hands of the Nazis. I quite enjoyed this book, although was somewhat disappointed with the ending.

Read: 15th - 18th June 2013
My score: 8.5/10