Book Review: The Long Road Home by Fiona McCallum

The Long Road Home

by

Fiona McCallum

Publisher: Harper Collins Australia 
Imprint: HQ Fiction
Publication date: 23rd March 2020
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 412
RRP: $32.99 AUD
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 Alice Hamilton is enjoying her new life in Ballarat with the freedom to explore her future now she's stepped away from the constraints of her upbringing. She's learnt the hard way that knowledge is power, and is looking forward to her legal studies, then making a difference as a lawyer with heart.

But whilst Alice's life is looking up, back in Hope Springs the world of her former husband Rick Peterson is unravelling. After a chance meeting a few months earlier, Rick and Alice have reconnected. And it's fortunate they have, because Rick is about to need Alice's friendship like he's never needed it before.

Rick has always felt a bit lost - as a farmer, he could never admit he didn't feel the deep connection to the land that the only son and third generation farmer should. And now he's suddenly being forced to come to terms with just why his heart isn't in it and what's behind his fractured relationships. Has his whole life been a lie - and if so, where did that lie begin?

The Long Road Home follows on from A Life of Her Own and whereas this story stands alone you will want to read the previous story about Alice’s struggle to achieve a life away from her emotionally abusive family.

I know in the first book I found it hard to connect with Alice as a lot of the story was centred around her negative thoughts.

“At the end of the day, Alice, we’re responsible for our own happiness and wellbeing. Once you realise that, life becomes a lot easier to manage.”

Now Alice has moved away from her family and started to do more of what pleases her she has become more aware of how negative she was and has striven to turn this around. I applaud Alice for this as it must have been hard. But you can see the difference it made when she smiled more, laughed more.

This story is not only about Alice’s road to self discovery. When her ex-husband Rick needs a shoulder to lean on after a death in the family Alice is there for him. Rick’s story is heart-felt. As explosive secrets are uncovered he finds he has no-one to turn to in his hometown of Hope Springs and is heartily welcomed into Alice’s new circle of friends in Ballarat.

I loved the mystery surrounding Rick and how Alice and Rick slowly uncovered the details. It was shock after shock and I was eagerly invested in finding out the final outcome.

The Long Road Home is an emotional story of self discovery, long held secrets and finding your true calling from one of Australia’s much loved novelists.

My rating  4/5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fiona McCallum was raised on a cereal and wool farm near Cleve on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula and remained in the area until her mid-twenties, during which time she married and separated. She then moved to Melbourne and on to Sydney a few years later.

An avid reader and writer, Fiona returned to full-time study as a mature-age student and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in professional writing and editing and a second major in history in 2000. She then began a consultancy providing writing and editing services to the corporate sector. While studying, and then working, Fiona found herself drawn to writing fiction where her keen observation of people and their everyday lives could be combined with her love of storytelling.
Now a full-time novelist, Fiona writes heart-warming stories that draw on her rich and contrasting life experiences, love of animals and fascination with human nature. Her first novel, Paycheque, was published in 2011 and became a bestseller. In the nine years since, Fiona has written another ten bestselling novels: Nowhere Else, Wattle Creek, Saving Grace, Time Will Tell, Meant To Be, Leap of Faith, Standing Strong, Finding Hannah, Making Peace and A Life of Her Own. The Long Road Home is Fiona's twelfth novel.
Fiona currently resides in suburban Adelaide.

Click on the book cover to read my review:

This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie Author Challenge  and the Australian Women Writers challenge

 

 

Book Review: The Year That Changed Everything by Cathy Kelly

The Year That Changed Everything

by

Cathy Kelly

Publisher: Hachette Australia 
Publication date: 27th February 2018
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 320
RRP: $29.99AUD
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Own read

Three women celebrate their birthdays . . . 30. 40. 50. But their milestone birthdays marks the start of a year that will change everything . . .

Ginger isn't spending her 30th the way she would have planned. Tonight might be the first night of the rest of her life - or a total disaster.

Sam is finally pregnant after years of trying. When her waters break on the morning of her 40th birthday, she panics: forget labour, how is she going to be a mother?

Callie is celebrating her 50th at a big party in her Dublin home. Then a knock at the door mid-party turns her perfect life upside down . . .



 

It’s Callie’s 50^th Birthday. The day her whole life will implode and she, and her rebellious 14 year old daughter, will need to completely reassess their lives.

It is also Sam’s 40^th Birthday. A day that will see all Sam’s dreams come true but will also open up every insecurity she has ever felt.

Ginger should be celebrating her 30^th Birthday but instead she is attending best friend Liza’s wedding. She really doesn’t mind, her birthday can wait and there is a cute guy that has been very attentive. A chance overheard conversation has Ginger’s whole idea of friendship, and her own self image, shattered.

Told in alternating point of view of Callie, Sam and Ginger. Three complete strangers all sharing the same birthday and all found their lives changed forever in The Year That Changed Everything.

This is not only a story of how these three women fell apart and slowly rebuilt their lives and their confidence but also about family and finding true friendship where you least expect it. Each of the women, in their time of need, were supported by loving family.

I really enjoyed each woman’s journey and the anticipation of how they were going to meet but it is hard not to connect more with one character than another and Ginger was definitely my favourite.

We see, through Ginger, that body image is a real threat to someone’s self esteem and viscous comments by people posing as friends can reinforce this but when she has supportive people around her Ginger’s confidence soared.

There were also many wonderful supporting characters that were there to provide comfort, humour and even a love interest throughout the book.

The Year That Changed Everything is a feel good story of self discovery.

My rating  4/5    ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Photo credit; Goodreads

Cathy Kelly is published around the world, with millions of books in print. Cathy is the bestselling author of THE HONEY QUEEN, ONCE IN A LIFETIME, BETWEEN SISTERS and THE YEAR THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING, and is a No.1 bestseller in the UK, Ireland and Australia. Her trademark is warm and witty Irish storytelling about modern life, always with an uplifting message, a sense of community and strong female characters at the heart.
She lives with her family and their three dogs in County Wicklow, Ireland. She is also an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland, raising funds and awareness for children orphaned by or living with HIV/AIDS.

 

 

Book Review: Symphony for the Man by Sarah Brill

Symphony for the Man

by

Sarah Brill

Publisher: Spinifex Press 
Publication date: March 2020
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 256
RRP: $29.95 AUD
Format read: Paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher  

1999. Winter. Bondi. Harry’s been on the streets so long he could easily forget what time is. So Harry keeps an eye on it. Every morning. Then he heads to the beach to chat with the gulls. Or he wanders through the streets in search of food, clothes, Jules. When the girl on the bus sees him, lonely and cold in the bus shelter that he calls home, she thinks about how she can help. She decides to write a symphony for him.

So begins a poignant and gritty tale of homelessness and shelter, of the realities of loneliness and hunger, and of the hopes and dreams of those who often go unnoticed on our streets. This is the story of two outcasts – one a young woman struggling to find her place in an alien world, one an older man seeking refuge and solace from a life in tatters. It is also about the transformative power of care and friendship, and the promise of escape that music holds.

 

I’m finding it hard to put my thoughts about this beautiful book into words.

Set in the winter of 1999 when the streets of Sydney were being cleaned up for the coming Olympics.

Symphony for the Man is a beautifully written story about a homeless man, living in a bus shelter in the seaside suburb of Bondi, and a young woman, an introvert, lacking direction in her life.

The woman see harry asleep in the bus shelter and wonders what she can do for him. She wants to do something that no one else has done. She decides to write a symphony for him.

I loved how Brill portrayed Harry’s thoughts. Every word was so real and utterly believable, from Harry’s compulsive clock watching every morning to his interactions with other homeless men and care worker Brian.

I felt more invested in Harry’s story than I did in the unnamed young woman. Although I did enjoy her growth once she had a purpose given to her by Harry, her life changed, she changed.

In this nuanced story Brill gives us the human side to homelessness and shows that there is compassion everywhere in the small acts of kindness that people preform everyday. Like the Vietnamese restaurant that gives Harry food after closing, the librarian that offers shelter and comfort, the cafe worker who without question gives Harry a coffee and Brian the care worker who trolls the streets at night looking out for the homeless never expecting a thanks.

Sparkplug Films have optioned the film rights for the book and I would love to see this on the screen. That closing scene would be amazing! There is plenty to be sad about in this story but there is also so much to take heart from.

If you have every passed a homeless man on the streets and wondered at their circumstances this is the read for you.

*Note: Must be read whilst listening to Beethoven’s Eroica.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 

My rating   4/5

photo credit: Spinifex Press

Sarah Brill grew up in Perth and began writing at the age of 15. She initially focused on playwrighting but also wrote for film and radio. She attended four National Young Playwrights Workshops before graduating to the National Playwrights Conference in 1994 

Her first novel Glory which dealt with anorexia was published by Spinifex Press in 2002. After the birth of her children Sarah became interested in sustainability and permaculture. In 2017 Sarah completed a Masters of Sustainable Built Environment and currently works in organics diversion. Sarah lives in Sydney with her partner and three sons. Symphony for the Man is her second novel. 

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

and the Australian Women Writers challenge

 

 

 

Book Review: Esme's Gift by Elizabeth Foster

Esme's Gift

by

Elizabeth Foster

Publisher: Odyssey Books
Publication date: 30th November 2019
Series: Esme #2
Genre: Middle Grade / Young Adult
Pages: 266
Format read:  Paperback
Source: Courtesy of the author

In the enchanted world of Aeolia, fifteen-year-old Esme Silver is faced with her hardest task yet. She must master her unruly Gift – the power to observe the past – and uncover the secrets she needs to save her mother, Ariane.

In between attending school in the beguiling canal city of Esperance, Esme and her friends – old and new – travel far and wide across Aeolia, gathering the ingredients for a potent magical elixir.

Their journey takes them to volcanic isles, sunken ruins and snowy eyries, spectacular places fraught with danger, where they must confront their deepest fears and find hope in the darkest of places. Esme’s Gift, the second instalment in the Esme trilogy, is an enthralling fantasy adventure for readers 12 years and over.

Esme’s Gift carries straight on from Esme’s Wish. Esme returns home to try and convince her father to return to Aeolia with her. Fearing for her mental health he makes an appointment with a psychiatrist. Esme flees to Aeolia in a last bid effort to save her mother.

I really enjoyed Esme’s Wish and the second book in the trilogy didn’t disappoint.

Esme joins again with friends, Lillian and Daniel, on a dangerous quest to find the rare ingredients for an elixir to save her mother’s life. There are people that do not want Esme to complete her quest and she must decide who she can and cannot trust.

The city of Esperance, with it’s magic now returned, is preparing for a mayoral election. The magic gifts bestowed upon the citizens were imaginative and unique. There was also plenty of humour as the school students were learning to control their gifts.

The story has plenty of action and danger with splashes of humour interspersed throughout. As well as magic a slight paranormal element is introduced into the story.

The city of Esperance is well developed and exquisitely described.

Esme’s gift is another enthralling installment in the Esme series and I’m hoping for more inclusion of the dragons in the next book.

Age level 12+
Mild violence

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

My rating  5/5

 

 Elizabeth Foster read avidly as a child, but only discovered the joys of writing some years ago, when reading to her own kids reminded her of how much she missed getting lost in other worlds. Once she started writing, she never looked back. She’s at her happiest when immersed in stories, plotting new conflicts and adventures for her characters. Elizabeth lives in Sydney, where she can be found scribbling in cafés, indulging her love of both words and coffee.

Click on the book cover to read my review

 

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

and the Australian Women Writers challenge

 

 

Book Review: How it Feels to Float by Helena Fox

How it Feels to Float

by

Helena Fox

WINNER OF THE VICTORIAN PREMIER'S AWARD PRIZE FOR WRITING FOR YOUNG ADULTS 2020

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia 
Publication date:  23rd April 2019
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 384
RRP: $17.99 AUD
Format read: Paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 Biz knows how to float. She has her people, posse, her mum and the twins. She has Grace. And she has her dad, who tells her about the little kid she was, and who shouldn't be here but is. So Biz doesn't tell anyone anything. Not about her dark, runaway thoughts, not about kissing Grace or noticing Jasper, the new boy. And she doesn't tell anyone about her dad. Because her dad died when she was seven. And Biz knows how to float, right there on the surface - normal okay regular fine.

How it Feels to Float is a heartfelt story of teenage Biz’s life with mental illness.

The story is told in the first person through Biz’s eyes, so we get to experience exactly how she feels. Her highs and lows.

Biz is a girl who thinks deeply and feels deeply. Her father’s death when she was only 7 years old has had an enormous affect on her and she seems to connect her inability to cope in some way with her father’s death and needs to bring him to life in her mind. There is an element of magical realism as Biz talks with her father’s ghost.

I usually find it hard to connect with a character with depression because I don’t understand it. I can't understand that darkness that envelops them. But what I ascertained from the story is don’t try to understand just be there for them and give support without advice or judgement.

This is the kind of unconditional support that Biz received from Jasper (a boy from school) and his grandmother, Sylvia.

Biz goes through a few ups and many more downs but she manages, sometimes with the help of professionals, to stay afloat.

How it Feels to Float is a story both heartbreaking and uplifting filled with despair, hope and love.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

My rating   5/5

Photo credit: Goodreads

 

 Helena Fox lives in Wollongong, Australia, where she runs creative writing workshops for young people. She’s a graduate of the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina.
She has travelled widely, living in Peru, Spain, the U.K, Samoa, and the US. Of all her adventures, Helena is proudest of the work she has done helping young people find and express their voice.
How It Feels To Float is her debut novel. 

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

and the Australian Women Writers challenge

#AWW #AusBookBloggers

 

Book Review: Euphoria Kids by Alison Evans

Euphoria Kids

by

Alison Evans

Publisher: Echo Publishing
Publication date: 4th February 2020
Genre: Young Adult / LGBT / Fantasy
Pages: 247
RRP: $19.99 AUD
Format read: Paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher via B Fredericks PR

Ever since the witch cursed Babs, she turns invisible sometimes. She has her mum and her dog, but teachers and classmates barely notice her. Then, one day, Iris can see her. And Iris likes what they see. Babs is made of fire.

Iris grew from a seed in the ground. They have friends, but not human ones. Not until they meet Babs. The two of them have a lot in common: they speak to dryads and faeries, and they're connected to the magic that's all around them.

There's a new boy at school, a boy who's like them and who hasn't found his real name. Soon the three of them are hanging out and trying spellwork together. Magic can be dangerous, though. Witches and fae can be cruel. Something is happening in the other realm, and despite being warned to stay away, the three friends have to figure out how to deal with it on their own terms.

Although not the intended readership, I absolutely loved this magical and tender story.

Alison Evans has a wonderful way of expressing feelings and emotions.

Iris is a plant child. They grew from the ground. The child of Clover and Moss. They know they are different. A non-binary child that talks to the fairie, Saltkin, in the garden.

“I didn’t want to be a strange baby made of plants, but it hasn’t caused any problems. I don’t know if anyone else can tell.”

Babs is trans-gender, a witch left a spell on her that makes her invisible. Life can be lonely when you are cursed with bouts of invisibility but one day Iris sees her and a friendship begins. Iris can see that Babs is made of fire.

I enjoyed watching the friendship between Iris and Babs develop and also the introduction of the new boy, a trans-gender who hadn’t yet discovered who he was.

“Here’s a boy, not sure of his name or what he is made of. Iris grew from a seed under moss, brimming with new magic. And me, a fiery mess of a girl, crackling when I walk. I forged my own name. I’m invisible sometimes, but I know who I am.

He just needs time. I hope he knows that.” - Babs

Babs’ words are filled with such confidence and compassion.

The characters grew and developed. There was no mention of bullying and the teens were responsible, caring and respectful of their parents. In turn the parents were supportive. It was such a heart-warming thing to see these loving close-knit families.

The magical element of the story is captivating. The teens live on the edge of the National Park and within the park is The Realm, a dark place they are warned to stay away from.

As Babs is drawn to the forest the tension mounts, making this a story that is hard to put down until you know the final conclusion.

Euphoria Kids is a tender, touching story seeped with magic bringing to life the earth, the plants and all things magical.

I finished this book wanting more!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

My Rating   5/5

Photo credit: Goodreads

Alison Evans is the author of Ida, which won the People’s Choice Award at the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2017.

Their second novel, Highway Bodies, was published earlier this year and they are a contributor to new anthology, Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories.

They are based in Melbourne. 

 




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

#AussieAuthor20  

 

Storybook Corner Book Review: The Truth Pixie Goes to School by Matt Haig

The Truth Pixie Goes to School

by

Matt Haig

Illustrated by Chris Mould

Publisher: Canongate Books
Publication date: 1st August 2019
Genre: Children's
Pages: 122
Format read: Hardcover
Source: Won in a giveaway

New school. New friends. Same old pixie.

'Aada started her new school,
And the pixie came too.
But this school was a place
Where it was hard to be true . . .'

An uplifting story that will delight younger readers and help them to be themselves in their school uniform. With words by the bestselling mastermind Matt Haig and pictures by the inky genius Chris Mould.

With Dot starting school this week I thought The Truth Pixie Goes to School an apt read.

There once was a girl

Who lived far away

And tried to be kind

Whatever the day.

Aada lived with her dad. She was sad because she was moving towns and had to start a new school. This is sad at the best of times but poor Aada’s Gran had died and her father had lost his job. But Aada had her best friend, the Truth Pixie, who went with her everywhere and when times were tough and Aada was sad the Pixie was always there to cheer her up.

When they started school the Pixie was outspoken and everyone laughed at her for being different. Aada was embarrassed and wanted to fit in with the other kids so she turns her back on the Pixie. The Pixie, rejected, leaves and goes home. Aada soon misses her quirky best friend but has she lost her forever?

The Truth Pixie Goes to School is a fun, enjoyable story told in rhyming verse. The quirky illustrations by award winning illustrator Chris Mould are as much a part of the story as the verse that accompanies them.

A poignant tale with themes of bullying, hurting a friend’s feelings, being true to yourself, saying sorry and not changing to fit in with the crowd.

Don’t try to be something

You really are not.

Your one true self

Is the best thing you’ve got.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Dot's rating  5/5

About the author:

Photo credit: Goodreads

 
As well as being a number one bestselling writer for adults Matt haig has won the Blue Peter Book Award, the Smarties Book Prize and been nominated three times for the Carnegie Medal for his stories for children and young adults.
In 2018, The Truth Pixie was a Sunday Times children's bestseller.



  

About the illustrator:

Photo credit: Goodreads

Chris Mould went to art school at the age of sixteen. he has won the Nottingham Children's Book Award and been commended by the Sheffield Children's Book Award. he likes to write and draw the kind of books he would have liked to have had on his shelf as a boy.






 

Book Review: Saving Missy by Beth Morrey #BRPreview

Saving Missy

by

Beth Morrey

Publisher: Harper Collins Australia
Imprint: HarperCollins -  GB
Publication date: 20th January 2020
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 384
RRP: $29.99AUD
Format read: Uncorrected paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Better Reading

The world has changed around Missy Carmichael. At seventy-nine, she's estranged from her daughter, her son and only grandson live across the world in Australia, and her great love is gone. Missy spends her days with a sip of sherry, scrubbing the kitchen in her big empty house and reliving her past--though it's her mistakes, and secrets, that she allows to shine brightest. The last thing Missy expects is for two perfect strangers and one spirited dog to break through her prickly exterior and show Missy just how much love she still has to give. Filled with wry laughter and deep insights into the stories we tell ourselves, The Love Story of Missy Carmichael shows us it's never too late to teach an old dog new tricks. It's never too late to love

Missy Carmichael is an elderly widow feeling the desolate loneliness of a large empty house now that her husband is no longer with her and her two children have moved on with their lives. Son Alistair is living in Australia and keeps in touch via email but Missy is finding it hard to have anything interesting to email about. Whilst her daughter, Melanie, lives closer their relationship is strained after an argument and they very rarely have contact.

There are flashbacks of a young Missy and the high profile life she had with her college professor husband. There are also hints of a terrible secret that Missy has been burdened with throughout her life.

I immediately felt sympathetic towards Missy’s situation but as you get to know her you can see she is quite a negative person with words like impostor, fraud, fuddy-duddy often peppering her thoughts. She had a habit of judging people by their appearance and I think she thought other people were judging her as she was frequently humiliated, embarrassed or mortified in public.

When Missy meets the exuberant Angela and her young son Otis I was sure Angela was only looking for a babysitter. She then introduces Missy to designer and fellow dog-walker Sylvie who soon makes her way into Missy’s home and life. It was easy at the start to think the worst of these two bossy and extrovert characters but meeting them proved to be the best thing that happened to Missy.

Maggie and Sylvie take Missy in hand and show her that life is to be lived.

Saving Missy is a beautifully written, heart-felt story about friendship, opening yourself up to new experiences and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.

I really enjoyed the way Missy slowly opened up and changed, proving you are never too old to change, grow and make new friends.

                         🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

My rating  5/5

Beth Morrey was inspired to write her debut novel, Saving Missy, while pushing a pram around her local park during maternity leave. Getting to know the community of dog owners, joggers, neighbours and families, she began to sow the seeds of a novel about a woman saved by the people around her, strangers who became friends.Previously Creative Director at RDF Television, Beth now writes full time. She was previously shortlisted for the Grazia-Orange First Chapter award, and had her work published in the Cambridge and Oxford May Anthologies while at university.Beth lives in London with her husband, two sons and a dog named Polly.