Book Review: The Art of Friendship by Lisa Ireland

Title: The Art of Friendship
Author: Lisa Ireland
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Publication Date: 24th April 2018
Pages: 400
Format Read: Paperback
Source: Publisher supplied.


Blurb

We all expect our friendships from childhood to last forever...

Libby and Kit have been best friends ever since the day 11-year-old Kit bounded up to Libby's bedroom window. They've seen each other through first kisses, bad break-ups and everything in-between. It's almost 20 years since Libby moved to Sydney, but they've remained close, despite the distance and the different paths their lives have taken.

So when Libby announces she's moving back to Melbourne, Kit is overjoyed. They're best friends - practically family - so it doesn't matter that she and Libby now have different ...well, different everything, actually, or so it seems when they're finally living in the same city again.

Or does it?


My thoughts

Lisa’s last book, The Shape of Us, has been shortlisted for the AusRom Today Reader’s Choice Award for book of the year, and Lisa has been shortlisted for the Best Established author. The Shape of Us was also in my top 10 reads of 2017.

The Art of Friendship wasn’t exactly how I imagined it to be. I thought it was going to be a BFF, follow their lives, a bust up then HEA. Basically it was along those lines but so much more. It was a look at the different types of friendships we have during our lives. Friends that come and go and those that we have known forever, these know all our secrets. Sometimes you follow different paths, as is the case with Libby and Kit, but there is so much history that binds you. Friends come and go, people change, and your best friend from childhood and your teens may not connect with you in adulthood. Is there a time when you should let these friendships go?

“There’s something about friends we form in childhood that makes them hard to let go, even when we no longer have anything in common.”

The narrative is written in both Libby and Kit’s POV so the reader gets a very good idea of how both women are thinking of the friendship and each other. However, the main focus is on Libby as she moves through different friendship groups and how these friendships affect her relationship with Kit.

Watching their relationship was painful with the back and forward bitterness and Libby’s overreacting to situations. I was really hoping the girls would work it out as lifelong friendships are so precious.

Ireland conveys through her story that some friendships are for a common reason, some only for a season and others are a bond that traverses time and distance.

                                    

The Art of Friendship will make you stop, think, ponder and question every friendship you’ve ever had.

Lisa Ireland came across this idea of friendships and how they impact our life after seeing an article on ghosting, which is apparently a real thing in this overly connected world of social media.

Ghosting: (noun)

The practice of ending a personal relationship with someone suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia for my copy for review purposes.

Content: infrequent coarse language, implied sex.

My rating 4/5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

About the author

Lisa Ireland lives on the Victorian coast with her husband and three sons. After working for many years as a primary school teacher, Lisa is now a full-time writer. When she's not writing, she can be found drinking coffee with friends or wandering along the beach with her extremely disobedient but totally lovable dog, Lulu.


This review is part of the Book Lover Book Reviews Aussie author challenge
and book #13 in the Australian Women Writers Challenge 

Book Review: The Frog Who Was Blue (Children's Picture Book)

Title: The Frog Who Was Blue
Author: Faiz Kermani
Illustrator: Naomi Powell
Publisher: Troubador Publishing
Publication date: 28th January 2017
Pages: 32
Format read:softcover
Source: own purchase

Blurb
 It's not always easy being different, as Biriwita the blue frog is only too aware. He longs to be accepted at Croak College, the most famous school for frogs in Malawi, but the other students all turn their backs on him. He is just too different!

The Frog Who Was Blue is a witty and charming tale underpinned by the message that being different to others is no bad thing. It will appeal to children aged 7-9. 





My thoughts

Deep in Malawi, in the heart of Africa, lay Lake Ticklewater. It was the home of many creatures, but especially frogs, who lived there among the stones and wild plants. No one could remember why, but the Lake Ticklewater frogs were all blue. Apart from that, they were ordinary frogs.

Biriwita lived among a small community of happy frogs until one day he received an invitation to the famous Croak College, The best college in all of Malawi. He was nervous about leaving his family but Biriwita wanted to follow his dream, so he left for the college. When he arrived all the frogs were green and they laughed at him because he was blue. All the teasing and nasty words made Biriwita sad and scared so he hid from everyone. Biriwita is sitting alone watching the other frogs having fun in the water when he sees impending danger. A crocodile is slipping into the pond!

What will Biriwita a do? Can he save the green frogs?

Of course this story has a happy ending with all the frogs, green and blue, getting along.

The Frog Who Was Blue is a story about following your dreams even in the face of adversity and that someone being different isn’t a bad thing. Everyone can do great things.

The illustrations by Naomi Powell are in a freehand style and are playful and subdued.

I love Biriwita’s little pet snail who is always close by (with his little snail trail behind him) during Biriwita’s journey. A delightful addition!

You can view Naomi’s distinct artwork on her website. www.naomipowell.com

The double entendre in the title is one the children easily understood when I explained it to them.

Recommended for ages 3 – 7 years.

4/5 stars🌟🌟🌟🌟

   
The Frog Who Was Blue is being published to support the World Medical Fund (WMF), a medical charity working in Africa. WMF's focus is on the region's poorest and most vulnerable children, including AIDS orphans, whose practical and cost-effective programmes treat over 25,000 children every year in rural Malawi. This life-saving work relies entirely on donations. More information about the WMF is on their webpage, www.worldmedicalfund.or 


About the author

In his free time, Faiz loves writing funny children's books, especially frog-themed ones (frog-friendly fiction).

These include My Alien Penfriend, Golbo the Spider's Amazing Vacuum Cleaner Adventure, The Frog Who Loved Mathematics, The Frog in the Skyscraper, The Frog Who Was Blue and The Toad Who Loved Tea.

His books have won awards in the US and UK and have been translated into French, German, Spanish and Russian. He is involved in various literacy projects with schools and is always happy to hear from anyone on ideas for educational collaborations.

Book Review: The Last Straw by Ed Duncan

Title: The Last Straw
Author: Ed Duncan
Publisher: Self published
Publication Date: 2nd December 2017
Pages: 227
Series: Book#2
Format Read: Paperback
Source: from author Via Book Publicity Services

Blurb
 When a teenage girl witnesses a carjacking gone bad, she is marked for death by a crime boss with no apparent motive. A black lawyer and a white enforcer with an unlikely history forge an uneasy alliance to protect the girl from a hit man with an agenda of his own.

After they find out that the crime boss is the father of the black teenage carjacker, Paul Elliott - lawyer and close friend of the witness’s family - begins counseling them.

As the long-simmering feud between Rico and John D'Angelo reaches boiling point, bodies start to pile up in rapid succession... and old scores will be settled.


My thoughts 
If you haven’t read Pigeon Blood Red, go read it first. You don’t necessarily need to read it to understand The Last Straw but you will want to because Rico is so freakin awesome.

Rico as cool as a cucumber, hit man for hire, is the best anti-hero I’ve read for a long time. Rico claims he never took out anyone who didn’t deserve it. A motto that left some wriggle room. He doesn’t have friends but he does have respect and Paul Elliot is a man he respects, they are worlds apart but also very similar in many ways. When Paul ends up as a revenge target of one of Rico’s enemies, Rico knows he must step in and protect an innocent man.

Rico always gives his enemies a chance whether they take it or not is up to them. We see a much softer side of Rico when he is with girlfriend Jean. He is protective but not controlling.

’He was a ball of contradictions; as faithful as a cocker spaniel or as vicious as a pit bull’

Duncan gives the reader a deep connection with each character; explaining their background and current circumstances.

The plot was well-rounded with defined characters and excellent pacing. The ending tied up a little too nicely for this realist but this was a minor concern in an overall superb read.

Content: infrequent coarse language. Some violence.

4/5 stars

I received a review copy from the author via Book Publicity Services

About the author

 Ed is a graduate of Oberlin College and Northwestern University Law School. He was a partner at a national law firm in Cleveland, Ohio for many years. He is the original author of a highly regarded legal treatise entitled “Ohio Insurance Coverage,” for which he provided annual editions from 2008 through 2012.

Ed currently lives outside of Cleveland, OH. The Last Straw is the second installment in the Pigeon-Blood Red trilogy.

Spotlight on other books I've read this month - April

                                           
    The Gaslight Stalker (Esther & Jack Enright Mysteries #1)
     by David Field

     Published by Sapere Books

My thoughts
  The Gaslight Stalker is author David Field’s take on the Jack the Ripper case, crossing fact and fiction to give the reader an eerie tale set in the back alleys and dingy pubs of 1880’s London.
The Gaslight Stalker is the first in a series featuring Esther Jacobs and Jack Enright.
In book one the Ripper is on the loose and a friend of Esther’s is murdered. Constable Jack Enright arrives to interview Esther. Esther considers herself a bit of a sleuth and her keen observation skills are a welcome help with the case. Jack becomes smitten with Esther and a romance ensues.

I’m not well versed on the Jack the Ripper case so cannot comment on any authenticity of the murder element, although it has the feel of a well researched story with excellent characterization and sense of place.

At times the story jumped from one scene to another without a break and I found this confusing.

The mystery was good and although predictable it didn’t spoil my reading pleasure.

Jack and Esther’s romance was sweet and had plenty of ups and downs which elicited sympathy from this reader.

The Gaslight Stalker is a superb start to a new series.

With thanks to Sapere Books for my copy.

Content: coarse language, sexual references, descriptive murder scenes.

                                                     -----------

A Place to Remember (Contemporary Fiction)                                                                                                                             by Jenn J Mcleod                                                                                              

  
Published by Head of Zeus

 My thoughts

A Place to Remember is told in two time frames. Ava in her late 50’s and with failing health looks back 30 years to her 20’s and a love that ended abruptly sending her around the world on a quest in her late father’s honour. Present day Ava is a highly successful business woman who has brought up two children and run a large bakery franchise on her own. Her only regret is leaving the B & B Ivy-May, where she worked as a kitchen-hand, and the owners’ son, John, behind 30 years previously.

The books main theme is one of lost love but the story runs through many themes that are relevant and important to life on the land. Issues such as keeping rural towns alive and ensuring the townsfolk have access to doctors and schools, diversification of properties such as incorporating a B & B or retreats into a cattle farm, recycling and responsible land and cattle management, the burden of debt on farmers and their families, have been scattered throughout the story.

The story captures the fervour of love and the despair of a love lost, but never forgotten.

McLeod writes women that are strong, determined and extremely likeable.

There is so much depth to this story it’s hard for me to include everything in my review. Parent/ child relationships are also another driving force throughout the story.

Finally; the setting of A Place to Remember, Ivy-May near Candlebark Creek in the Capricornia region of Queensland was a character in itself, beautifully described, evocative and alluring it will have many a reader eager to experience the setting in real life.

McLeod’s entertaining and witty sense of humour is scattered throughout the story.

Highly recommended for lovers of romance, secrets and rural settings.
Book #10 in the Australian Women Writers Challenge
Book #6 in the Book lover Book reviews Aussie author challenge. 
This review is part of the Beauty & Lace Book Club
 

                                                          ------------------

   Dragon of the Month Club (Middle Grade fantasy)
    by Iain Reading

    Published by: Self published

My thoughts
 Ayana has recently moved to a new town and a new school. To escape the school bully she takes refuge in the local library where she meets Tyler and they soon become firm friends. In the Library they come across a magical book that adds new pages each month with instructions on conjuring a different dragon each time. After filling out a form in the book they soon find themselves enrolled in the Dragon of the Month Club. Some are easy to conjure whilst others will take more time and skill. When one of the spells goes wrong they are pulled into a magical world filled with danger.

I loved the idea that the magical world they entered was actually Tyler’s bedroom which had come to life. As they entered each story book he had on his bed they faced different perils requiring problem solving and team work to overcome.

Tyler’s bedroom had turned into an animated world. The bedspread of islands, palms and oceans were now all real, every book a new adventure from China to Victorian London, where they meet Sherlock Holmes. They encounter the worms and sand hills of Dune and the scissor man from Grimm’s fairytales.

The idea of conjuring dragons from the elements (water, steam, wood, sand) was unique but I felt the dragons could have featured more and been more significant to the story.

Reading’s stories are educational as well as entertaining. The author included fun facts, about the stories the children ventured through, at the end of the book.
I really enjoyed this story suitable for ages 7 – 10 (please see content rating). It was extremely readable but to become a 5 star read it need a few things:
Tighter editing
Explore themes fully – the bullying of Ayana caught my attention and empathy then petered out.
Equality in characters- in the author’s attempt to create a strong female role in Ayana he has inadvertently made Tyler look weak. I’m hoping Tyler will come to the fore in book 2.

Recommended for children that enjoy magical realism.
CONTENT: cautionary tales – may scare sensitive children. Characters say the words “bollocks” (in the sense of meaning nonsense) and “crap”.

My thanks to the author via Book Publicity Services for my review copy.

                                                ----------------------------

Little Gods (Literary Fiction) 
 by Jenny Ackland 

 Published by Allen & Unwin

My thoughts 
 Little Gods is a story of a regular family. Three sisters so very different, yet bonded by blood. Thistle- the philosopher, she believes in speaking up and speaking the truth. Audra- quiet, invisible, almost ghost like very rarely seen or heard. Rue- a catastrophizing mother who believes children should be protected from life and kept away from harsh realities. They are close but also annoy each other deeply. They don’t have deep and meaningful conversations. They bottle up their emotions just like any ordinary family. What struck me is the realness of the characters. This story is not escapism; it’s a stark look at reality.

Part literary fiction, part coming-of-age, Ackland’s writing is lyrical and original. A touching story that raises the question of how much or how little should we tell our children. Does withholding a truth really protect them?

Narrated by 12 year old tomboy Olive, she knows how to manipulate her peers. She’s not scared of anything especially the Sands boys. She likes to ask questions to know the how and whys of the world. When someone mentions she once had a sister she is determined to find out the truth even if it means listening in to conversations and piecing together snippets of information to formulate her own truths.

If you grew up during the 70’s or 80’s Little Gods is a nostalgic trip through childhood from going to the local pool to buying a razz and riding your bike through the local bush, Little Gods is authentically Australian.
Little Gods is a heartfelt coming-of-age featuring a young girl who is wilful, fanciful and brave and through her Ackland has captured the essence of 1980’s Australia.

With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my uncorrected proof copy.
Book #11 in the Australian Women Writers challenge
Book #7 in the Book lovers book reviews Aussie author challenge.

Book Review: The Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey

The Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Series: Gemma Woodstock #1
Publication Date: 1st June 2017
Pages: 440
Format read: Paperback
Source: Own


Blurb

 In a suspense thriller to rival Paula Hawkins and Tana French, a detective with secrets of her own hunts the killer of a woman who was the glamorous star of their high school.

Rose was lit by the sun, her beautiful face giving nothing away. Even back then, she was a mystery that I wanted to solve.

The lead homicide investigator in a rural town, Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock is deeply unnerved when a high school classmate is found strangled, her body floating in a lake. And not just any classmate, but Rosalind Ryan, whose beauty and inscrutability exerted a magnetic pull on Smithson High School, first during Rosalind's student years and then again when she returned to teach drama.

As much as Rosalind's life was a mystery to Gemma when they were students together, her death presents even more of a puzzle. What made Rosalind quit her teaching job in Sydney and return to her hometown? Why did she live in a small, run-down apartment when her father was one of the town's richest men? And despite her many admirers, did anyone in the town truly know her?

Rosalind's enigmas frustrate and obsess Gemma, who has her own dangerous secrets—an affair with her colleague and past tragedies that may not stay in the past.

My thoughts

 The Dark Lake is the debut novel of Australian author Sarah Bailey.

Gemma Woodstock is a Detective Sergeant in the small rural town of Smithson. One of the local teachers, who also happens to be an old classmate of Gemma’s, is murdered and the ensuing investigation causes Gemma’s past to come crashing back to haunt her.

I can’t say I liked Gemma and some may question her morals but I didn’t dislike her. I was certainly intrigued to find out what made her tick. She was complex, complicated, obsessive and slightly off kilter. It was very risky having such a flawed protagonist however Bailey has pulled it off with ease. Gemma is basically a good person but sometimes good people can do bad things and unintentionally hurt others.

Bailey weaves the themes of Romeo and Juliet, star-crossed lovers, deception, lies and tragedy throughout the story.

The story moved at a slow pace. There is a lot of moving back and forward in time with back-story filling in the gaps and building on the mystery.
I was captivated by the prose. Bailey has a way with words that had me mesmerized. It is easy to lose yourself in the writing alone.

I pretty much guessed the murderer but I couldn’t work out the motivation and it didn’t spoil the story or the tornado like ending.

The second Gemma Woodstock novel 'Into The Night' is due to be released in October 2018 and I’m looking forward to seeing how Gemma moves on with her life and to immerse myself in some more captivating writing.

My rating 5 of 5 stars

About the author

  Sarah Bailey is a Melbourne based writer with a background in advertising and communications. She has two young children and currently works as a director of creative projects company Mr Smith. Over the past five years she has written a number of short stories and opinion pieces. The Dark Lake is her first novel.

Book Review: Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer

Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Publication date: 27th February 2018
Pages: 352
Format read: Paperback
Source: Own


Blurb

The 2:00 a.m. call is the first time Lexie Vidler has heard her sister’s voice in years. Annie is a drug addict, a thief, a liar—and in trouble, again. Lexie has always bailed Annie out, given her money, a place to sleep, sent her to every kind of rehab. But this time, she’s not just strung out—she’s pregnant and in premature labor. If she goes to the hospital, she’ll lose custody of her baby—maybe even go to prison. But the alternative is unthinkable.

As weeks unfold, Lexie finds herself caring for her fragile newborn niece while her carefully ordered life is collapsing around her. She’s in danger of losing her job, and her fiancé only has so much patience for Annie’s drama. In court-ordered rehab, Annie attempts to halt her downward spiral by confronting long-buried secrets from the sisters’ childhood, ghosts that Lexie doesn’t want to face. But will the journey heal Annie, or lead her down a darker path?

Both candid and compassionate, Before I Let You Go explores a hotly divisive topic and asks how far the ties of family love can be stretched before they finally break.

My thoughts 

Two sisters, two very different life outcomes. Lexie is a doctor engaged to Sam who is also a doctor. Annie is a drug addict. Lexie is not surprised when she gets a call for help, from Annie, in the middle of the night. It’s not the first time it has happened. But now Annie is pregnant and that changes everything.
”There is no off switch to the love between sisters” - Lexie Vidler

Who isn’t intrigued by dysfunctional family stories! I could clearly see from the Facebook discussion for this book that so many readers could relate to the sisters on different levels – unparented children (when the parent is not mentally present), drug abuse, sibling connections.

The story is set in Alabama where there are strict laws on drug use in pregnancy and any woman who is reported with drugs in their system whilst pregnant faces criminal charges for child endangerment with a penalty of a jail term. This causes a moral dilemma for Lexie. Should she protect her sister from authorities or protect the unborn child.

”What Annie is facing is a nightmare – but she is my sister. I’d never want her to face this alone.” - Lexie Vidler

Lexie has brought Annie up since the sudden death of their father when their mother became mentally detached from the world. Lexie saw every one of Annie’s problems as a failure and she needed to fix it. Lexie was not used to accepting help and kept shutting Sam out however Sam was sensitive and supportive, never judgemental, he knew how to rein Lexie in when she was going too far. I was so glad that Rimmer didn’t disappoint me and Sam stayed a constant until the end. *sigh*

Lexie and Annie’s story is intense and relatable, it will make you angry and break your heart; it opens up a lot of moral issues for discussion.
The dual narration, present day told by Lexie and the past through Annie’s journal entries, had this reader switching allegiances as the full story was revealed.

I will finish with this quote from Annie. It just killed me.
” How many thousands of dollars do you sink into a person before it stops being selfless and starts being ridiculous? How many times do you bother to revive someone who is nothing but a drain on you and society?” – Annie Vidler.

What if this was your sister or brother, your own child? Would you ever stop helping someone you love?

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Content: frequent coarse language, drug use, sexual assault.

About the author

Kelly Rimmer is the USA Today bestselling women’s fiction author of five novels, including Me Without You and The Secret Daughter. Her most recent release is Before I Let You Go. She lives in rural Australia with her husband, 2 children and fantastically naughty dogs, Sully and Basil. Her novels have been translated into more than 20 languages. 

 
This book is part of the Booklover Book Reviews Aussie author challenge
and book #9 in the Australian Women Writers challenge

Book Review: Esme's Wish by Elizabeth Foster

 

Esme's Wish by Elizabeth Foster

Publisher: Odyssey Books
Publication date: 30th October 2017
Pages: 252
Format Read: Paperback
Source: Gift from author



                                                       Blurb

           “A fresh new fantasy of an enchanting world.” - Wendy Orr, author of Nim’s Island and Dragonfly Song.

When fifteen-year-old Esme Silver objects at her father’s wedding, her protest is dismissed as the action of a stubborn, selfish teenager. Everyone else has accepted the loss of Esme’s mother, Ariane – so why can’t she?

But Esme is suspicious. She is sure that others are covering up the real reason for her mother’s disappearance – that ‘lost at sea’ is code for something more terrible, something she has a right to know.

After Esme is accidentally swept into the enchanted world of Aeolia, the truth begins to unfold. With her newfound friends, Daniel and Lillian, Esme retraces her mother’s steps in the glittering canal city of Esperance, untangling the threads of Ariane’s double life. But the more Esme discovers about her mother, the more she questions whether she really knew her at all.

This fresh, inventive tale is an ideal read for younger teens.


                                              My thoughts                                    


Esme’s Wish is the debut novel and first in a series by Australian author Elizabeth Foster.

Esme’s mother had disappeared seven years ago, thought to have been lost at sea. Her father is now remarrying but Esme doesn’t believe the ‘lost at sea’ claim and while her father is away on his honeymoon she plans to do some investigating of her own.
While searching for clues about her mother’s disappearance Esme finds a doctor’s note about her mother’s headaches, delusions and talk of other worlds. Was her mother ill and nobody told her?

After following an eagle down to the beach Esme notices a lustrous shell in a rock pool but as she reaches for the shell she is pulled into the pool and plummeted down into its depths. When she surfaces she is in another world. She is befriended by Daniel and this is where Esme’s real journey begins.
As Esme tries to uncover what happened to her mother more mysteries are revealed that will have a lasting effect on Esperance and its people.

Foster’s writing is beautifully descriptive and flows effortlessly. Esme has a strong personality thriving in seclusion after being shunned by most of the town folk. She soon becomes firm friends with Daniel and Lillian and learns to trust and rely on others. I liked that the three teens could be friends without a love triangle in sight.

I loved the town of Esperance with its watery canals, gondolas and bridges which reminded me of Venice.
The world of Aeolia is tied to the Gods and frequent mentions of Greek Gods through statues and paintings gives scope for additional research.

The magical element was enchanting; my favourite being Akitsu’s shop with its enchanted paper fish, birds, beetles and butterflies all so delightfully imagined and brought to life on paper.

The story wraps up well, however also leaves on opening for the sequel Esme’s Gift.

Recommended for readers 10+ years
Content: battle with a spectre

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



                                                   About the author

 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.
 

this review is part of the Boolover Book Reviews Aussie author challenge 
and Book #7 in the Australian Women Writers Challenge