Book Review: The Age of Light by Whitney Scharer

 The Age of Light

by

Whitney Scharer

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Imprint: Picador

Publication date: 12th February 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 375

RRP: 29.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Age of Light

The Age of Light is a fictional rendition of the life of artist Lee Miller, concentrating on the years she spent with Ray Man. After extensive research and finding little is taught about Lee Miller in art history courses Whitney Scharer has written a darkly intoxicating story about the woman behind the man.

The main timeline of the book is the late 1920's and set in a bohemian Paris. Lee has left New York and modelling behind and wants to pursue a career in photography. When Lee meets Man ray they embark upon a passionate affair. Man Keeps Lee close but she doesn't mind as they are working together and experimenting with photographic techniques. As Lee builds her own confidence in her work, Man's jealousy and real personality show.

Lee and Man's affair is totally consuming but it is this affair that suddenly makes Lee realise that it's not her controlling men with her beauty, The men in her life have always controlled her.

There are chapters on Lee's life as a journalist during the war. However these are very short and only give flashing scenes of the horrors that damaged her and caused her withdrawal from society. There are also flashbacks to Lee's childhood showing the trauma that shaped her personality.

I liked Lee and could understand it was her upbringing that made her so aloof. Scharer doesn't play on the bouts of depression that obviously plagued Lee's life instead giving her readers a story of growth and survival in a male dominated world.

The Age of Light was an engrossing read. I read it in a day! It would not only appeal to readers interested in the Arts but anyone who enjoys a good story of betrayal.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Review: Voices in the Dark by Fleur McDonald

Voices in the Dark

by

Fleur McDonald

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 31st October 2023 

Genre: Rural / Suspense

Pages: 368

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback) 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via DMCPR

 

Review: Voices in the Dark 

I always eagerly await each new release by Fleur McDonald. Her knowledge of and dedication to small communities, farming and the problems they face shines through in her stories.

Voices in the Dark is a stand alone rural suspense novel featuring country cop Dave Burrows however he is not the main character in this story.

Sassi Stapleton is driving to Barker after a late night call asking her to come immediately as her grandmother is seriously ill. When Sassi doesn't arrive at the expected time, her uncle notifies Dave and the police get into action.

Fleur McDonald packs an emotional punch as the police, ambulance and emergency services work together in a harrowing rescue scene.

Voices in the Dark focuses on the Stapleton family and their struggles to reconnect and get over the demons of the past. There are lots of appearances from characters I have grown to love from previous books. Mia the young constable, Dave and Kim all have strong parts in this story. Lots of well placed backstory keeps new readers up to speed.

Fleur writes magnificent stories about country people, farming and the problems remote areas face but also highlights the special bond small communities have. Even though the gossip abounds they will do anything to help each other.

Voices in the Dark is a story about family secrets, elder abuse, letting go of resentments, moving forward and starting over. 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Book Review: The Emerald Tablet by Meaghan Wilson Anastasios

The Emerald Tablet

by

Meaghan Wilson Anastasios

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication day: 25th June 2019

Series: Benedict Hitchens #2

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 416

RRP: $29.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Emerald Tablet

Meaghan Wilson Anastasios, using her knowledge as an archaeologist and her time working in the Middle East, has written an atmospheric and riveting story centred around a race to find a mythical emerald tablet that holds the power to destroy mankind.

The Emerald Tablet is set in 1956 during a time of political upheaval in the Middle East as Britain, France and Israel fight over the rights to the Suez Canal.

Benedict Hitchens puts everything on the line as he follows the clues and deciphers the puzzle that presumes to lead to the final resting place of the Emerald Tablet.

The Emerald Tablet was a fabulous read, fast paced, full of twists and rich in danger. I enjoyed following Ben as he found the clues and deciphered each one to move on to the next clue. It was a race against time as the countries he crossed were in the midst of political turmoil and he also had an old foe to beat to the final prize. That is, if the Emerald Tablet is fact and not purely a myth!

Meaghan Wilson Anastasios evokes an astute sense of place and time with lots of history included and extracts from The London Times.

I loved everything about this story; the race, the twists, the suspense, the betrayals and I found it hard to put down as the story sped to the final conclusion.

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Content: a graphic sex scene

               torture scenes

You can read my review of The Honourable Thief (book #1) at this link:

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2018/08/book-review-honourable-thief-historical.html

 

 

Book Review: Wild and Crazy Guys by Nick De Semlyen

 Wild and Crazy Guys

by

Nick De Semlyen

How the Comedy Mavericks of the 80's Changed Hollywood Forever

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Imprint: Picador

Publication date: 11th June 2019

Genre: Non-Fiction

Pages: 336

RRP: $12.99AU (eBook)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Wild and Crazy Guys

I'm sure Wild and Crazy Guys will be enjoyed by anyone interested in celebrity and film trivia.

 

The book follows the careers of well-known Hollywood stars Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy and John Candy from the early days of Saturday Night Live (SNL), an American live television sketch comedy variety show, to the many movies the actors appeared in.

 

Nick De Semlyen provides a no holds barred behind the scenes look at the friendships, the rivalries, the bust-ups and the tantrums as the book covers their careers during the 70's and 80's.

I didn't know any of the 70's movies mentioned but I did know the actors and the 80's movies they starred in and it was interested to learn how the ideas came up for these movies.

The author describes the inspiration behind many of the movies and comedy acts, detailing not only the successes but also the flops. Many of which were conceived in a drug-fuelled haze.

The book is set out like a documentary, with interviews from the stars themselves, flashbacks and pages of colour-plate photos.

If you are after a bit of nostalgia or are just curious to find out what the comedy of the 80's was all about, Wild and Crazy Guys will not disappoint.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Challenges: Non-Fiction reading challenge

                    TBR challenge

Book Review: Out of Breath by Anna Snoekstra

 Out of Breath

 by

Anna Snoekstra

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 6th July 2022

Genre: Suspense / Thriller

Pages: 320

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Out of Breath

Out of Breath fell a little flat for me. There were a lot of scenes were a sense of foreboding built and then everything was fine. I felt maybe the author was trying to tease the reader with suspense building throughout the novel but it didn't really work for me.

 

The pace was slow however I did find the plot intriguing. Jo is on a working holiday in Australia and to maintain her Visa she must work as a fruit picker in the outback for a specified number of weeks. When the charismatic Gabe suggests she find the commune he is living on she leaves the farm but Jo soon finds she is in way over her head and she doesn't know who she can trust.

Reader empathy for the main character, Jo, is built up early in the novel and I found myself interested in her journey and wanting her to find peace within herself.

 

There are many wonderfully described moments throughout; with time on a mango farm, a trip through the Australian outback and deep diving for oysters. I think it was these moments, and the excellent sense of place that Snoekstra evokes, that saved the novel for me.

 

Out of Breath is an evocative read if you want to experience the remoteness of outback Australia, but I wouldn't really call it a thriller. 

3.5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐½

About the author

Anna Snoekstra is the author of Only Daughter, Little Secrets and The Spite Game. Her novels have been published in over twenty countries and sixteen languages. She has written for The Guardian, Meanjin, The Griffith Review, Lindsay, LiHub and The Saturday Paper.

Book Review: The Sunday Story Club by Doris Brett & Kerry Cue

 The Sunday Story Club

by

Doris Brett & Kerry Cue

An anthology of stories from the heart

 

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 25th June 2019

Genre: Non-Fiction / Anthology

Pages: 272

RRP: $32.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Sunday Story Club

The Sunday Story Club is a collection of stories that have evolved from a real life face-to-face gathering of women where through contemplative questions the group have deep and structured conversations about things that really matter.

 

Doris, a psychologist, author, poet and psychotherapist and Kerry, an author, journalist and mathematician came together to organise a salon at which people could engage in meaningful, in-depth conversations but instead of discussing weighty topics of the day they would discuss their own inner worlds.

The Sunday Story Club is a collection of fifteen questions and ensuing short stories that have been explored at some of their meetings.

I didn't expect to be quite so moved by the stories shared in this book. Each story was unique showing vastly different circumstances but all highlighting resilience, bravery and hard-won wisdom. There are stories included with themes of bullying, dysfunctional families, anorexia, cancer, infertility, depression and self-image; each woman speaks from the heart about her life experiences.

In this busy technical age of emails and texts The Story Book Club is a book to remind us of the power behind real face-to-face conversations to enlighten and heal.

Brett and Cue have also included notes on starting your own story salon and sample questions to steer the conversations.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the authors

Doris Brett is a clinical psychologist as well as multi-award winning author. She his published books in a variety of genres ranging from novels to poetry to memoir, to narrative therapy for children and even a book on bread-baking. She lives in Melbourne with her husband.

 

Kerry Cue is a humourist, mathematician and journalist who has written for every major newspaper in Australia. Kerry is also the maths blogger, Mathspig. She studied Science/Engineering at Melbourne University and taught maths and science for ten years before becoming a bestselling author of twenty humorous and education books.

Book Review: The Last Line by Stephen Ronson

 The Last Line

by

Stephen Ronson

Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton

Publication date: 16th November 2023

Genre: Historical Fiction / Crime

Pages: 341

Price: $16.99AU (kindle edition)

Will be out in paperback in Australia on 13/2/2024

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

 

Review: The Last Line

I have to say I love to read any stories set during WWII. I have read many and they have all been diverse in the area of the war the stories are centred on.

 

The Last Line is set in country England on the outskirts of the war zone but the citizens are still very much aware that the Germans could arrive at any minute.

 

The protagonist John Cook is a farmer but he has fought in WWI and Afghanistan. He is a trained killer.

When a young woman is found murdered on his land he is the prime suspect to a lazy police force. Knowing the murder won't be investigated further, John turns vigilante and starts his own reconnaissance work, never expecting the level of corruption he will become embroiled in.

The Last Line is a fast-paced mystery thriller written in a crime noir style narration. It is hard not to barrack for John, he is a marvelous anti-hero. There is a lot of violence throughout the novel and the main subject is quite confronting. However, I loved all the intrigue and the character of John was very believable. He made mistakes and took them badly.

The setting is fabulous - distanced from the war yet right there amongst it with children being evacuated from London and billeted to country families, whilst underground groups are setting up defence tactics if the Germans reach them.

The Last Line is a great read! I'm looking forward to another John Cook novel and wondering where he will go from here.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Stephen Ronson grew up in Sussex, and spent a large part of his childhood exploring the woods and fields around Uckfield, many of which were still dotted with reminders of WW2 - pill boxes, tank traps, nissen huts, and graffiti left by soldiers awaiting D-Day.

He is a passionate student of local history, and when he learnt about Auxiliary Units - groups of men who were instructed to lay low during the predicted nazi invasion and lead the fight back, he knew he had to write about a Sussex farmer, one with a love of the land, and a natural desire and ability to get the job done.

Many of the locations and characters in the John Cook series are inspired by real places and real people. In particular, Stephen was inspired by his grandparents, Eric, Bessie, Peter and Vera, each of whom did their bit on the home front.