Book Review: Grandparents by Michael Carr-Gregg

 Grandparents

by

Michael Carr-Gregg 

A practical guide to navigating grandparenting today

 

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 3rd October 2023

Genre:  Non-Fiction 

Pages: 305

RRP: $29.99AU (C format paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Grandparents

When my children were young I found Michael Carr-Gegg's advice was always quite reassuring and grounding.

 

I found Grandparents was a book full of sound advice. Some areas weren't relevant to me at this stage however Grandparents is a book you can go back to and read relevant chapters when needed.

 

I think the book would be particularly beneficial to those who haven't had a baby in the house for decades. Having worked in childcare I don't have that feeling of starting anew.

 

I loved the following quote and I think it is very apt.

  "Grandkids above all will remember your sense of fun."

This is a book to read before the baby is born as it has sections on communication, preparing for the grandchild, the birth and the first few weeks. There is also a section on how you should react to the news of a pregnancy (okay, I thought that was a bit strange).

 

I do think the expectant parents could benefit from reading the book before handing it to the grandparents.

 

Take from the book areas that relate to you and your family dynamics - don't expect the entire book to resonate. 

 

Just as many of today's grandparents attended playgroups as young mums to connect and chat to other mums, playgroups are still a vital area for connection. As more and more grandparents are minding their preschool aged grandchildren the opportunity to discuss concerns and swap ideas with other grandparents is vital. I run a grandparents' playgroup in my local area where we support each other, talk about local facilities for children and connect in a relaxed atmosphere.

 

My rating 3 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Dr Michael Carr-Gegg is an adolescent psychologist, a well-respected speaker and one of Australia's leading authorities on teenage behaviour. In 1985, he founded CanTeen, the acclaimed cancer patients' support group for teenagers in New Zealand and Australia.

 

He has written several bestselling books on parenting. he has also worked with organisations including Reach Out and Beyondblue and was the resident parenting expert on Sunrise. He has won many awards for his work. 

 

 

Book Review: Girl in the Rearview Mirror by Kelsey Rae Dimberg

 Girl in the Rearview Mirror

by

Kelsey Rae Dimberg

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 25th June 2019

Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Pages: 384

RRP: $29.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Girl in the Rearview Mirror

I wasn't sure how I would enjoy this when I first started reading, as it had a political lean, but I surprised myself and raced through it in a day!

 

Finn Hunt moves to Arizona to invent a new life and leave her past behind. After a chance meeting with Philip Martin, the son of a US Senator, she is offered a position as nanny to Amabel, Philip and Marina's 4 year old daughter. Ensconcing herself into their luxury lifestyle Finn is besotted with the charismatic Philip and would do anything to protect him.

There was a lot going on in this story; media hype, stalkers, parties and plenty of lies and secrets.

I did find Finn to be extremely annoying, she made lots of bad decisions. However I did feel sorry for her as she thought she was part of the family, not simply an employee. I do think if her character had been a bit better fleshed out this would have been a five star read.

Dimberg slowly feeds the reader snippets of Finn's past which builds on the mystery whilst at the same time Finn's obsession with Philip has her digging into his past bringing up information that the family would rather leave buried.

The Girl in the Rearview Mirror has a twisty plot where the lines of what is truth and what is false blur into each other. A totally addictive story that kept me reading until the final dramatic ending. 

The Girl in the Rearview Mirror is a fabulous debut. I'm looking forward to Kelsey's next novel.

My rating 4 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Kelsey Rae Dimberg received an MFA from the university of San Francisco and studied at the Barrett Honors College of Arizona Sate University, where she was editor-in-chief of the literary magazine Lux, and received the Swarthout Award in Fiction. Girl in The Rearview Mirror is her first novel. Kelsey has lives in eight states and currently resides in Milwaukee.

Book Review: Back on Track by Tricia Stringer

Back on Track 

by

Tricia Stringer

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 4th October 2023

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 454

RRP:$32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Back on Track

I always get excited when there is a new Tricia Stringer novel in the offing and Back on Track is every bit as enticing as Tricia's previous contemporary fiction novels.

 

Ketty Clift, owner of Ketty Clift Couture, an upmarket clothing shop in Sydney, is back. If you have read Table for Eight you will know Ketty and her penchant for cruises and helping people.

 

Ketty has decided to try a different style of holiday this year and is treating her whole team to a trip on The Ghan. Things are falling apart at work and she wants her employees to bond both in and out of work.

 

I loved the trip on The Ghan, armchair travel at its finest. And if you've already taken the trip it will bring back many memories.

 

Each of the co-workers have minor life problems to sort through and I enjoyed the way Stringer brought such diverse personalities into the mix and gave them differences to work through. We get to know a few other passengers on the train and a multitude of mysteries run through the plot making it engaging and page-turning worthy.

 

There is, for me, a standout theme of ageism and Ketty addresses this in her usual straightforward style with advice about not taking derogatory remarks from others that diminish your self esteem and also not bringing this on yourself with comments like; 'I'm too old for that' and 'I'm having a seniors moment.'

There are also themes of judging people, trust, friendship and how the seeds of doubt can grow quickly once planted.

 

Hop aboard The Ghan and join Ketty and her crew for a trip through Australia, beautiful scenery and a bit of side drama. There is never a dull moment when Ketty is in charge!

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Tricia Stringer is a bestselling and multiple award-winning author. Her books include Keeping Up Appearances, Birds of a Feather, The Family Inheritance, The Model Wife, Table for Eight, seven rural romances and a historical saga. Tricia grew up on a farm in country South Australia and has spent most of her life in rural communities, as owner of a post office and bookshop, as a teacher and librarian, and now as a full-time writer. 

Other reviews:

Birds of a Feather 

Keeping Up Appearances 

Table for Eight

 

 

 

Book Review: Undefendable by Sulari Gentill & Sarah Kynaston

 Undefendable

Edited by

Sulari Gentill & Sarah Kynaston

The story of a town under fire

 

Publisher: Clan Destine Press

Publication date: 26th November 2022

Genre: Non Fiction

Pages: 178

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Undefendable: The Story of a Town Under Fire 

As we approach another dry, hot summer who can forget the summer Australia burned.

 

In the summer of 2019/2020 the township of Batlow in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains was declared ‘undefendable’ from the fire megafront. While most evacuated, many stayed to fight. In the end, the undefendable town was saved by volunteers – by farmers, teachers, electricians, retirees, and boys barely out of high school.

Sulari Gentill and Sarah Kynaston have delivered a heart-warming collection of poems, recollections and photographs from the very people who were on the ground during the fires of the summer of 2019/2020.

Sulari Gentill is herself a resident of the small close-knit community of Batlow - the town that was declared undefendable against the fires.

With a united front the residents, the Bush Fire Brigade and the Town Brigade banded together to do everything possible to save their town. They took on the fire and they won!

Everyone tells the story of their own personal experiences during that time. Most of the stories are in a conversational tone and told almost two years after the fires the awe and pride the story tellers feel comes through in the prose.

I really enjoyed Edmund Gentill's recollections. His writing is eloquent and with the resilience of youth his words are laced with humour.

Undefendable is a heart-felt anthology that showcases a town united, coming together and surviving when all odds were against them.

My rating 5/ 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the editors

 

Sarah Kyneston is a berry grower, beekeeper and (as Sulari says) the person in Batlow who knows everyone.

Sulari Gentill is also the author of the 10-book Rowland Sinclair mysteries series, The Hero Trilogy (YA); and two standalone crime novels, Crossing the Lines, and The Woman in the Library.

 

Book Review: A Jewish Girl in Paris by Melanie Levensohn

 A Jewish Girl in Paris

by

Melanie Levensohn

Adapted from a translation by Jamie Lee Searle

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 9th August 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 448

RRP: $34.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: A Jewish Girl in Paris

A Jewish Girl in Paris is a must read for all historical fiction fans. Moving from war torn Paris in the 1940's to Washington DC in the early 2000's.

 

On his death bed in 1982 Jacobina's father confesses to having another daughter, Judith, who he left  behind in Paris after divorcing her mother. Over two decades later Jacobina confides in volunteer care-worker Beatrice that she promised her father she would find out what happened to her half-sister. Beatrice offers to help her and a friendship sparks between the two women.

 

1940's Paris, and Judith is attending University, working in the library and falling in love with the handsome Christian. Life is perfect! But the German occupation is increasing and the Jews are being vilified more and more.

 

A Jewish Girl in Paris is a beautiful story that I didn't want to end. A fictional tale of courage and resilience, inspired by real events and circumstances.

I loved Judith's naivety and her thoughts that everything will be fine. It came across as very realistic.

The story follows Judith's life leading up to her being sent to Auschwitz. Showcasing her bravery, and Christian's determination to save the woman he loved. 

Beatrice works for the World Bank but her character really evolves when she volunteers as a care-worker and meets Jacobina and the search for information on Judith starts.

There are a few "sliding door" moments, when key characters miss each other by mere moments, which I thought were an ingenious addition to the story.

A Jewish Girl in Paris has a tantalising blend of danger, romance, mystery and historical events.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ + an extra ⭐ for a character named Veronica 💖

About the author

Melanie Levensohn studied international relations and literature in France and Chile. She earned her master’s degree from Sciences Po in Paris. She later became a spokesperson for the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, reporting from countries in crisis round the world. From 2006 to 2013 Melanie worked as a communications at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., managing corporate external relations for the Caribbean region. She now lives in Geneva.

Book Review: Force of Nature by Jane Harper

 Force of Nature

by

Jane Harper

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 26th September 2017

Series: Aaron Falk #2

Genre: Crime / Suspense 

Pages: 384

Source: Own purchase

 

Review: Force of Nature

Force of Nature is book two in the Federal Agent Aaron Falk series. Jane Harper's debut novel The Dry was a huge success so Force of Nature had huge shoes to fill. I found it was every bit as atmospheric and pagerturnerish (that's a real word) as the first book.

Five women enter the Giralang Ranges on a team building event and only four return; late, muddy and distressed. Alice Russell is missing and everyone is assured she will be found cold but safe. Only Aaron knows she is a whistleblower in a major fraud case.

 

The story moves from the present day search for Alice to the four days the women spent in the bush. The chapters are short and the move between the two time frames is quick, which keeps the story moving along at a fast pace.

Through conversations between Aaron and his partner Carmen we get to know more about them and their personal lives.

 

Harper's writing is engaging and the hostile environment of the Australian bush is perfectly rendered to keep the suspense level high. 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author (from front of book)

Jane Harper is the author of the international bestseller The Dry, The Lost Man, The Survivors and Exiles. Her books are published in forty territories worldwide. Jane has won numerous top awards including the Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year, the Australian Indie Awards Book of the Year, the CWA Gold Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel, and the British Book Awards Crime and Thriller Book of the Year. Jane lives in Melbourne with her husband, two children and two cats.

Book Review: Simply Lies by David Baldacci

 Simply Lies

by

David Baldacci

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 28th march 2023

Series: Mickey Gibson #1

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Pages: 400

RRP: $34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Simply Lies

I'm sorry to say that Simply Lies was not my favourite David Baldacci novel!

I absolutely loved the Atlee Pine series and couldn't get enough of her. I was sorry to see the series end.

 

Simply Lies is the first book in a new series featuring protagonist Mickey Gibson. Gibson is a former detective now working for private investigation company ProEye, tracking down the hidden assets of the extremely wealthy who have mounting debts.

 

Gibson is conned into investigating the death of a known criminal and once she is in, there is no backing out.

Simply Lies has a very complicated plot and I couldn't understand Mickey's motivation to become so involved in this case.

There weren't a lot of characters in the novel but everyone had two, sometimes three, different names. Baldacci includes lots of dialogue and internal monologue - two of my pet hates.

I did enjoy the unexpected twists in the story and I have to admit the plot wasn't at all predictable.

I definitely plan on giving the next Mickey Gibson novel a try as I know Baldacci can write a compelling five star worthy novel.

My rating 2 / 5 ⭐⭐

About the author

David Baldacci is one of the world’s bestselling and favourite thriller writers. A former trial lawyer with a keen interest in world politics, he has specialist knowledge in the US political system and intelligence services, and his first book, Absolute Power, became an instant international bestseller, with the movie starring Clint Eastwood a major box office hit. He has since written more than forty bestsellers featuring, most recently, Amos Decker, Aloysius Archer, Atlee Pine and John Puller. David is also the co-founder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across the US.

 

Other books I've read by David Baldacci:

Daylight

 

Long Road to Mercy

 

Mercy

 

Minute to Midnight

 

6:20 Man