The prefect explanation of book reading and reviewing – I think I paint my reviews with my own delight or lack of. How do you read/review your reads?
Image courtesy of Aerogramme Writers’ Studio
This is Not Goodbye
It’s time to farewell this blog, it has outlived its purpose, it has become apparent (by the lack of books I am receiving for review from most Australian publicists – not you Brendan ) that the blog format is no longer one they are willing to support. This has been a difficult decision, one I have mulled over for a few years ( yes the decline in blog “acceptability” has been going on for that long). I cant stand the thought of loosing all the reviews I have here, the support they give to so many writers, the wonderful discoveries of great new to me authors and books… so I am going to try and transfer as many reviews as I can to a new Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/carolseeleyreads/ before the blog account is deactivated ( in a few weeks)
Hope you can join me on this journey. And whilst you are “joining” check out my art here : https://www.theeastcoastartstrail.com.au/artist/carolseeleyart
Thanks for the years of support on my reading journey.
Review; Once We Were Wildlife – Inga Simpson
Once We Were Wildlife
Inga Simpson
Hachette Australia
ISBN:9780733651014
RRP $29.99
Description:
A tender, luminous collection of interconnected tales that explore love, longing and the wilderness – both within and around us.
In this compulsive compilation of eleven stories and one poem – set against scorched landscapes, wild oceans, and rocky terrain – Simpson follows people on the edge of desire, heartbreak and change.
In ‘Poached’, an ex-soldier finds himself between a poacher and a Bengal tiger. In ‘The Wash’, a woman’s reckless ocean swim reveals the instinct to survive and the end of a passionate love.
From the aching intensity of romantic love to the quiet devastations of motherhood and ageing, Simpson’s literary prowess keeps us riveted by the power of nature to shape human relationships and worlds. Melancholic and joyful, masterful and inspiring, this is contemporary fiction at its finest by Australia’s foremost writer of the natural world, Inga Simpson.
My View:
Firstly this book is a joy to have in your hand; I loved the feel of it, the gold lustre, the smoothness, the weight, the image, perfect.
Then comes the writing – deep, emotive, captivating, engaging…words to make you think. In this collection, the very first story, The Wash was so powerful, it reached out and let loose my memories of the beach, of swimming against a tide, of being in a rip…all the energy, the power of the waves, the fear, the exhaustion, and finally the gratitude when “dumped” and spat out at the end… you survived this. Such a powerful and emotive piece of storytelling.
Continue reading and you will discover a vast array of subject matter, emotions and in depth studies of connection.
Short stories have never been so good to read.
Review: The Gambler – J P Pomare
The Gambler
J P Pomare
Hachette Australia
ISBN:9780733653087
RRP $34.99
Description:
A highly charged crime-thriller – the first in an electrifying new series – by multi-award-winning prince of the twist, J.P. Pomare.
PI Vince Reid is visiting an old friend when he’s offered a case he can’t Why did a respected local woman open fire at a political rally, killing a promising young university graduate? It’s easy money, he’s told. A sure thing.
But as Reid delves further into the case, the stakes are higher than he imagined. There are invisible players pulling the strings. Will he walk away a winner or pay for the ultimate gamble with his life?
My View:
My social media feeds are full of the political and social situations occurring in the USA – narratives that seem incredulous to outsiders looking in; what once was a great democracy, sadly now reading like something out of The Diary of Anne Frank, so as I began reading this latest book by J P Pomare, I felt am unsettling familiarity with the landscape of this work of fiction. Small town America, gun control, conspiracy theories, greed, domestic violence….corruption ….are captured succinctly and effortlessly.
Small towns are the forte of J P Pomare’s story telling, credible, possible and believable story arch’s carry us along as we strive to discover the truth. I enjoyed the dual time lines, the “before” and “after” employed to tell the characters stories and how they intersect in this twisty and surprising investigative mystery, no secrets are going to be given away, suffice to say the plot, the characters, the landscape are all well developed and engaging. If you like P I procedurals this is a the start of a great new series.
Review: Rumour Has It – Karly Lane
Rumour Has It
Karly Lane
Allen & Unwin
ISBN:9781761069352
RRP $34.99
Description:
Karly Lane’s new page-turning, thrilling rural romance from this bestselling author with over 650,000 books sold.
In a small town, rumours can make or break a reputation. But after thirty years can the truth heal a broken heart?
After an enforced end to her tumultuous teenage love story, Aubree’s life was so simple—she married Fletcher, had two children, worked in the successful family business and lived in the small town she grew up in.
But thirty years later she’s divorced, her kid’s lives are imploding and her ex-husband and his father have placed the family into the centre of major scandal and the ruthless gossip mill.
As if that wasn’t enough, her old love now rides back into town with a score to settle, igniting even more rumours. The whole town seems to know everything about her before she does.
But as past and present collide, will the truth win out—and maybe even rekindled love, too?
My View:
The timing of this book is perfect! It’s the end of what has been a very hard year for so many people, you can feel the tiredness and depletion everywhere you turn, and this read provides the reprieve you need right now. This is heartfelt, heart warming and will lift your spirits and put a smile back on your face.
Great timing, great read. Thanks Karly.
Review: The Warrumbar – William J Byrne
The Warrumbar
William J Byrne
UWA Publishing
ISBN:9781760803117
RRP $34.99
Description:
On the day man first walks on the moon thirteen-year-old Robbie Brennan meets Moses, an old man camped by the side of the road. Over the following months, Robbie is drawn to Moses’ stories — tales of hardship, war, and redemption — unearthing a past entwined with his own. When Robbie learns that Moses grew up at the Mission, the Aboriginal reserve that once existed on the outskirts of town, with his mother Delsie, Robbie’s understanding of his family’s history and identity is forever changed.
At home, Robbie must navigate the unpredictable wrath of his beloved but sometimes violent father, a man whose temper keeps the household in a constant state of anxiety. But when Robbie witnesses a tragic event at the Warrumbar dam, his world is shaken further. Haunted by his past in the boys’ home and terrified of the consequences, he faces a choice: speak the truth and risk everything or stay silent and carry the burden forever.
But in a small country town where a boy like Robbie — poor, on society’s margins, and with ‘some of that black blood in him’ — is rarely believed, does the truth matter? Set against the backdrop of 1969 Australia, The Warrumbar is a compelling coming-of-age story about love, injustice, and the courage it takes to do what’s right.
300 pages, Paperback
My View:
Deeply moving, poignant. This book reads like a time capsule of small town life in rural Australia in the late 60’s -70’s and for some of you reading this you will find this highly relatable, I did.
Byrne gently writes, then you are surprised with gut wrenchingly raw descriptions of life for the marginalised and disadvantaged in a small town (or perhaps in town in Australia,). This one, two punch of gentle/raw is powerful and unexpected.
A great read.
Review: The Peach King – Inga Simpson
The Peach King
Inga Simpson
Lothian Children’s Books
Hachette Australia
ISBN:9780734418517
RRP $24.99
Description:
A contemporary fable about the resilience of nature from Inga Simpson, one of Australia’s leading nature writers, with paintings by acclaimed illustrator Tannya Harricks
When Little Peach Tree was just a sapling, all they could see was row upon row of other peach trees. And, on top of the hill, watching over the orchard – the Peach King.
As seasons pass, bringing cycles of change, Little Peach Tree grows and grows.
But darker changes are stirring. Soon rain is scarce, the forests turn brown, animals flee and the sky turns red.
To protect the orchard, the Peach King faces grave danger and Little Peach Tree must find their voice.
My View:
I was pleasantly surprised to discover Inga Simpson had written a children’s book, it is not often you encounter an author with such a range of writing styles; Understory; a life with trees (nature writing), Nest contemporary fiction, Where the Trees Were a coming of age story, Mr Wigg nature based, gentle and flowing fiction, The Last Woman in the World – literary horror, The Thinning – dystopia/literary fiction, Willowman – contemporary fiction, The Book of Australian Trees -non fiction, picture book, Fatal Development – thriller, and now The Peach King – a beautifully illustrated, modern fable that will enchant the adult reader and the child listener.
My granddaughter is besotted with this book, each time she visits she sits quietly, engaged and enthralled as we read her this book.
This gentle narrative will easily translate to the small screen, the illustrations making a great basis for a delightful, animated children’s program.
An engaging 5 star read. My question is, what will Inga Simpson tackle next in her writing career? I cant wait to find out.
Review – The White Crow – Michael Robotham
The White Crow
Philomena McCarthy #2
Michael Robotham
Hachette Australia
ISBN: 9780733651342
Description:
Ambitious young police officer Philomena McCarthy, the daughter of London’s most notorious mob boss, returns in the latest propulsive thriller by author Michael Robotham.
Philomena McCarthy has defied the odds to become a young officer with the Metropolitan Police because her father and her uncles are notorious London gangsters.
On patrol one night, Philomena finds a barefoot child, covered in blood, who says she can’t wake her mother. Meanwhile, three miles away, a London jeweler has a bomb strapped to his chest in his ransacked store and millions are missing.
These two events collide and threaten Philomena’s career, her new marriage, and her life. In too deep, and falling further, Phil must decide who she can trust—her family or her colleagues—and on what side of the thin blue line she wants to live.
My View:
Incredibly engaging. Pulse racing. Read in one breath!
Although this is the second in the Philomena McCarthy series it easily translates to a standalone work of excellent fiction (I read without sighting the first in the series).
This is a terrific, fast paced, action packed, police procedural. Block out a day and be prepared to be mesmerised, for alarms to sound. Do you wear one of those fitness tracker watches? The ones that measure steps, sleep, stress, pulse etc? I do. Around page four hundred and four my watch pulses, vibrates, sends me a “stress alarm” 🙂 I take a deep breath and keep reading, its only thirty more pages to the end.
What a fabulous read.
Thinking Out Loud: The Rising Tide of Fake Book Reviewers and the Sexualisation of #Bookstagram
I haven’t published a good think piece for quite some time, but I’ve found myself increasingly irritated by many things to do with the book reviewing…
Thinking Out Loud: The Rising Tide of Fake Book Reviewers and the Sexualisation of #Bookstagram
I am in total agreement…. And would like to add that with book reviews, number of followers isnt a good bench mark for potential “views” of reviews, people search for the title or author… or use what comes first in their search engines…
And blog reviews are more than hastags!
I too feel abandoned by (most) of the publishing houses.
Reading and reviewing is often a thankless experience; it takes time – 8-12 hours to read a book, then the review write up… for no recompense, and more often than not no acknowledgement or view by the publisher/publicist. (UWA publishing, you may be the exception)
If the blogger is acknowledged or quoted on the back page of a new release you are not even informed and more often not even provide with a courtesy copy of the said book.
Sounding a little peeved, YES.
Once we actually chatted with publicists about the book….
And then it costs, I pay a yearly fee to have my reviews available, I have more than 10 years of reviews on my site that rely on me funding the hosting etc for whose benefit?
If you are wondering why you n longer see many reviews from me, above are many of the reasons.
Review: Pull of the Moon – Pip Smith
The Pull of the Moon
Pip Smith
UWA Publishing
ISBN: 9781760803032
Description:
Coralie threw the life jackets one by one, as hard as she could, and watched them catch on the wind and blow into the sea.
Coralie is thirteen years old and lives on Christmas Island, where sea birds circle the sky and the seasons are marked by the migratory patterns of crabs. But life on the island isn’t always paradise.
During a fierce tropical storm, a fishing boat carrying eighty-nine asylum seekers crashes into the island’s cliffs. Coralie locks eyes with Ali, an eleven-year-old Iranian boy, as his mother pulls her life jacket over his head. But soon Ali disappears beneath the waves and when his body isn’t recovered, Coralie resolves to do everything she can to find him.
Pip Smith’s The Pull of the Moon explores what happens when the urge to help collides with the unfathomable uncertainty of loss.
My View:
A thought provoking, poignant and beautifully written novel. This is the sort of read where you want to grab your highlighter and sticky notes and markup all the wonderful descriptive and emotive sentence to savor again and again.
It’s the sort of read that will have you thinking and then thinking some more; about life – family, the big picture and the small, about the world; refugees , conservation, migration – forced and legal, about the options people have or don’t have…
There is a particular reference to a homing pigeon and its cage ….about freedom, reliance, the necessities of life, a “good” life…this “visual” keeps replaying in my head. The writing, the prodding of your conscience…subtle, elegant, powerful.
And did I mention inspiring? This what is one my easel this week….thoughts of shipwrecks, dilapidated, unsafe vessels at sea. Do you “see it”.
This is a thought provoking read.
Review: Burning Mountain – Darcy Tindale
Burning Mountain:
Darcy Tindale
Penguin Random House Australia
ISBN:9781761049774
Description:
In April 2006, fifteen-year-old Oliver went hiking to the lookout on Burning Mountain – and vanished without trace.
His schoolfriends – Bob, Bell, Phil and Paul – were the last ones to see him on the trek, yet the teenagers were never able to explain his disappearance.
Almost twenty years later, Detective Rebecca Giles is called to bushland on nearby Mount Wingen. There a skull has been dug up, reviving the mystery that has haunted the Upper Hunter area for years.
Giles is convinced that they have finally found the missing boy, and that his four friends – all now in their mid-thirties – have always known much more than they revealed. In particular, about the argument that caused Oliver to head down the mountain on his own.
But when she discusses the case with her father, retired Superintendent Benjamin Giles, another suspect is thrown into the mix. One that for Giles is uncomfortably close to home . . .
My View:
An intriguing read. This book, whilst it fits neatly into the genres of crime fiction, police procedural, manages to simultaneously give voice to those who have experienced domestic violence and/or child sexual abuse. I applaud you.
A fast paced read. A fly on the wall look into the lives of ordinary people living in the shadow of complicated socio economic and relationship challenges, haunted by events of the past.
This is the second book featuring Detective Giles, whilst I haven’t read the first in this series it did not prevent me from engaging with or enjoying this read.
This is an author to watch out for.
Reading, Writing and Riesling 