Book Review: Laugh Your Head Off 4 Ever (Children's/Middle Grade)

Title: Laugh Your Head Off 4 Ever
Author: Various
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Aus
Publication Date: 30th October 2018
RRP: $19.99 
Pages: 208
Format Read: Hardcover
Source: Courtesy of Publisher

 Just when you thought you were safe.....nine of Australia's favourite kids' authors are ready to get heads rolling - again.

9 authors
9 stories
to make you laugh your head off 4EVER

A runaway pram + an artsy alien + a cereal monster +a word-stealing curse + one dancing dad + three feral fairies + an evil genius + a hairy birthday + a super-duper pig = one hilarious book. 

Filled with delightfully quirky illustrations by Andrea Innocent, Laugh Your Head Off 4 Ever will appeal to both girls and boys, from middle to upper primary. 

This is another hilarious anthology of silly and fun stories by some of Australia’s best children’s authors.

Nine short stories perfect for bedtime that can be read alone or read out loud.

Runaway Pram by Andy Griffiths

A baby pram, a dog, a train, a trampoline and a backyard pool makes for the most terrifying ride of Andy’s life.

Harriet’s Spacey Friend by Lisa Shanahan

Harriet’s parents can’t seem to see that their new visitor is an alien, and things keep mysteriously disappearing. But when Gran disappears Harriet decodes it’s time for action.

I Hate Bananas by Marcus Emmerson

A mallowman cereal monster, a warrior dwarf with a Scottish accent and the threatening apocalypse will have readers holding their breath with this story.

Use Your Words by Penny Tangey

When Darcy becomes frustrated with his little sister, Freya, he puts a curse on his mother that impairs her speech. He needs to work closely with Freya to find the spell to lift the curse before his mother is operated on. He realises that Freya is not so bad after all.

Dad Dancing by Felice Arena

Hamish’s dad decides to bust a move on the dance floor at the school dance and now everyone is laughing at Hamish. That is until the other dads join in. They are having so much fun all the kids end up joining in too.

The Feral Fairies of Foggarty’s Field by Katrina Nannestad

These are the fairies that no one talks about, the not so sweet feral fairies, causing mischief and mayhem everywhere.

Evil Genius by James Roy

A family road trip and mum’s sneaky bribe to stop the children complaining in the back seat. Score one for the mum’s with this story. My favourite!

Eleventy-Five by Yvette Poshoglian

This story has a bit of a Freaky Friday theme. Sam is staying with his Grandad and as the day goes on Grandad is feeling more energetic and spritely but Sam is suddenly getting older. He is getting grey hairs and needs to take a nap. What can Sam do to reverse this change?

An Absolutely Definitely True Story by Matt Stanton

An absolutely true story about a super-duper pig and a frog who need to help save the Prime Minister.

Perfect for reading alone or aloud, this gorgeous hardback is sure to bring laughter and joy into your household.

This collection of crazy, silly and addictive stories by some of Australia’s best known children’s authors would make the perfect Christmas gift.

 Suitable for ages 5 - 14 years and beyond.

My Rating  5/5      🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 
This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie author challenge

Andy Griffiths: author of the best selling and award-winning Treehouse series.

Felice Arena: author f the best selling and award-winning Specky Magee series.

Yvette Poshoglian: author of the fabulous Frankie Fox Spy Girl series.

Marcus Emerson: author of the immensely popular Diary of a Sixth Grade Ninja series.

Matt Stanton: best selling author and illustrator of the Funny Kid series.

Katrina Nannestad: award-winning author of The Girl, the Dog and the Writer in Rome.

James Roy: acclaimed author of the Edsel Grizzler series.

Lisa Shanahan: author of the hilarious My Big Birkett.

Penny Tangey: comedian and author of Clara in Washington.

Featured in the back of the book is a little about each author and their books. Each author also answers the Question; What makes you laugh?

 

Book Review: Kat: The Legend of Gnawbonia by Nick White

Title: Kat; The Legend of Gnawbonia
Author: Nick White
Illustrator: Nick White 
Series: Volume 1

Publisher:Bonobo Books
Publication date: 2017
RRP: $50.00
Pages: 168
Format Read: Hardcover
Source: Courtesy of author

In the great city of Catifornia, the Meofia are by far the most feared of all the felines. At home, their baby sister Kat is enslaved under lock and key. Done with the constant abuse, she escapes, embarking on a perilous journey far beyond the land of cats.

Lost at sea, Kat is captured by a ruthless gang of notorious pirate dogs and forced to the depths of the ocean in search of treasure; where she discovers an ancient city, lost in time.

Here, Kat comes to terms with who she truly is – gaining the courage to fight for her life and freedom, to fulfil an ancient prophecy that she inevitably finds herself entwined with...

A new style of book, a fusion of various parts. Adventure novel, graphic novel and picture book.

Anyone that follows me will know that I don’t usually rave about, or even mention, the covers of the books I review; even though some of them are stunning. However this book’s cover and packaging is so gorgeous I just have to rave about it a little. The book is bound in hardcover in a brown leather look with scrolling and the title text printed in silver. It also has a red ribbon bookmark. It comes in a white slipcover which also has the text in silver. It’s a book you just can’t help but pick up and admire.

Kat lives on the island of Catifornia. She is a slave to her seven brothers, all members of the much feared Meow Meow Meofia. Kat is never allowed to leave her house, only to catch fish for her brothers’ dinner. When Kat dares to defy them they beat her. She spends her time watching Loose Flea movies and reading an old book given to her by her mother. The book was about an ancient city called Purtopia and it was the land of Kat’s ancestors.

Kat gathers the courage to escape along with her best friend, a rat named Pea. Kat soon learns that the world is a dangerous place and she can’t trust anyone. Her only escape is to leave Catifornia and travel across the sea. After many harrowing weeks on the ocean they are picked up by a band of pirate dogs. The dogs were from the island of Gnawbonia which was in a bad state and the dogs were starving. Kat uses her wit and expert Kung Fu moves to save her and Pea’s lives as she fights the pirates, goes under water to discover the lost city of Purtopia and fights a giant squid.

She may just be the one to save the dogs on the island of Gnawbonia.

This is a memorable tale of good triumphing over bad and of long held prophesies fulfilled. A story of being brave in the face of adversity.

There is animated violence and plenty of breath-holding adventure. The occasional toilet humour will have readers giggling.

The book is written and illustrated by Nick White and the beautifully illustrated pages are something to behold. My granddaughter had much fun finding the little mouse hidden on each page.

The story is easy to follow and would be enjoyed by readers 10+ years.

I’m eager to see what adventures White has in store for Kat and Pea in Volume 2.

You can see more of the illustrations on the author’s website, where you can also order the book. This would make a beautiful Christmas gift. However you will need to be quick as this is a limited edition.

                       www.legendofkat.com

Kat is an advocate for animal rights and 10% of all profits from sales of the book goes to animal charities. 

My rating  5/5    🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Content: animated violence

Age level: 10+ or mature readers 6+

This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie Author Challenge

Nick is originally from Sydney, Australia, and has spent the last 18 years as a commercial artist, lending a hand to some of the biggest ad and design agencies in the UK, NZ and Australia.

 
  

Book Review: Scrublands (Crime Fiction)

Title: Scrublands
Author: Chris Hammer
Publisher: Allen & Unwin 
Publication date: August 2018
RRP: $32.99
Pages: 496
Format Read: Uncorrected Proof Copy
Source: Courtesy of Publisher

In an isolated country town brought to its knees by endless drought, a charismatic and dedicated young priest calmly opens fire on his congregation, killing five parishioners before being shot dead himself.

A year later, troubled journalist Martin Scarsden arrives in Riversend to write a feature on the anniversary of the tragedy. But the stories he hears from the locals about the priest and incidents leading up to the shooting don't fit with the accepted version of events his own newspaper reported in an award-winning investigation. Martin can't ignore his doubts, nor the urgings of some locals to unearth the real reason behind the priest's deadly rampage.

Just as Martin believes he is making headway, a shocking new development rocks the town, which becomes the biggest story in Australia. The media descends on Riversend and Martin is now the one in the spotlight. His reasons for investigating the shooting have suddenly become very personal.

Wrestling with his own demons, Martin finds himself risking everything to discover a truth that becomes darker and more complex with every twist. But there are powerful forces determined to stop him, and he has no idea how far they will go to make sure the town's secrets stay buried.

Journalist Martin Scarsden arrives in Riversend, a town traumatised by tragedy, to write a piece on how the residents are coping one year on from a mass shooting. However as he talks to more and more locals, the reason for the shooting doesn’t seem to fit the perpetrator. With his journalistic instincts propelling him on, Martin’s focus begins to shift and he becomes further embedded in the lives of the residents. But not everyone is happy about him being there as slowly one by one the town’s secrets are disclosed.

What originally looked like an open and shut case turns into a compelling mystery filled with assumptions and lies.

Hammer throws his readers straight into the height of an Australian summer with his vivid descriptions of the unrelenting heat, the diminishing rural town and the ever present threat of bushfires.

Four different crimes, all taking place in and around the same drought-ravaged town, all separate but all inter-linked, driven by greed and hate, guilt and hope.

Scrublands is a taut thriller with well developed characters and multiple plot lines that will keep you turning the pages.

The mystery had me completely baffled and my head was whirling as each new revelation was revealed. I was totally immersed in the characters and their stories.

A compulsive thriller that will haunt you long after you have turned the final page.

A must read for fans of Jane Harper.

Content: minimal coarse language

                Minimal violence (well it is a crime thriller)

                Road kill (a sad but unavoidable part of rural Australia)

My Rating 5/5     🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

 Chris Hammer was a journalist for more than thirty years, dividing his career between covering Australian federal politics and international affairs. For many years he was a roving foreign correspondent for SBS TV's flagship current affairs program Dateline. He has reported from more than thirty countries on six continents. In Canberra, roles included chief political correspondent for The Bulletin, current affairs correspondent for SBS TV and a senior political journalist for The Age.

His first book, The River, published in 2010 to critical acclaim, was the recipient of the ACT Book of the Year Award and was shortlisted for the Walkley Book Award and the Manning Clark House National Cultural Award.

Chris has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Charles Sturt University and a master's degree in international relations from the Australian National University. He lives in Canberra with his wife, Dr Tomoko Akami. The couple have two children. 

This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie Author Challenge

Book Review: The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village by Joanna Nell

Title: The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village
Author: Joanna Nell
Publisher: Hachette Australia 
Publication Date: 25th September 2018
RRP: $29.99
Pages:400
Format Read: Trade Paperback
Source: Courtesy of  Publisher 

 A moving, funny, heartwarming tale of love and friendship, for anyone who loved The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, The Keeper of Lost Things and Three Things about Elsie.

It's never too late to grow old disgracefully ...

The life of 79-year-old pensioner Peggy Smart is as beige as the décor in her retirement village. Her week revolves around aqua aerobics and appointments with her doctor. The highlight of Peggy's day is watching her neighbour Brian head out for his morning swim.

Peggy dreams of inviting the handsome widower - treasurer of the Residents' Committee and one of the few eligible men in the village - to an intimate dinner. But why would an educated man like Brian, a chartered accountant no less, look twice at Peggy? As a woman of a certain age, she fears she has become invisible, even to men in their eighties.

But a chance encounter with an old school friend she hasn't seen in five decades - the glamorous fashionista Angie Valentine - sets Peggy on an unexpected journey of self-discovery. Can she channel her 'inner Helen Mirren' and find love and friendship in her twilight years?

I was quite torn by this book. It was funny and entertaining but I also found it easy to put down. I was easily distracted by other things and it ended up taking me a week to read. I wasn’t drawn into the story or the characters, just a mere bystander.

I couldn’t relate to Peggy, a frail 79 year old. My mother at 80 and my mother-in-law at 89 are both active, vibrant and extremely self reliant people.

I really enjoyed the politics of the retirement village which elicited quite a few giggles and Peggy’s crush on Brian was sweet and this was one plot line I was eager to see through to the finish.

At times I felt quite saddened by Peggy’s circumstances and her inner thoughts and at other times she had me in fits of laughter.

Nell covers many women’s health issues in a humorous, but never demeaning, way.

Peggy’s constant thoughts of “looking after” Brian, ironing his clothes, cooking his meals had me rolling my eyes and wondering if Peggy really wanted to gain any independence.

The introduction of Angie, Peggy’s best friend from school days, was a breath of fresh air; at last salvation. Angie had lived a wild, crazy life and the two hadn’t seen each other for 50 years but they instantly reconnected, old friendships are like that. I loved Angie....and then I didn’t! You will have to read the book to find out why.

Even though I struggled to love this book I would suggest you read it if you have an ageing parent, you may learn some empathy, or if you are approaching the retirement home stage, you will learn to speak up, play up and never stop having fun.

My rating 3/5                 🌟🌟🌟 

  

Photo courtesy of Goodreads

Joanna Nell was born in the UK and studied medicine at Cambridge and Oxford universities. Her short fiction has won multiple awards and has been published in various journals and literary anthologies. 

As a GP with a passion for women's health and care of the elderly, Joanna is drawn to writing character-driven stories for women in their prime, creating young-at-heart characters who are not afraid to break the rules and defy society's expectations of ageing. 

Joanna lives on Sydney's Northern Beaches with her husband and two teenage children.