Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now. This firecracker of a novel details the sparkling but short life of a very successful 70’s band who once flew so very close to the heat of the…
The Girl on the Page by John Purcell is a pacy page-turner that raises interesting questions regarding the divide between commercial and literary fiction. Through the characters of Amy, a commitment-resistant book editor, and Helen, a literary great who is struggling with the manuscript she’s been paid a whopping advance for, this novel gets to…
The British Special Operations Executive (SOE) conducted espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in occupied Europe during WWII. The Juliet Code focuses on the actions of the operations of the SOE to greater extent through the eyes of British agent and wireless operator Juliet (her story is told in real-time and reflection) as she is asked to…
Eleanor’s Secret by Caroline Beecham is part mystery, part love story, and proved just right for a couple nights’ winter reading. Here’s the blurb: London, 1942 When art school graduate, Eleanor Roy, is recruited by the War Artists Advisory Committee, she comes one step closer to realising her dream of becoming one of the few…
A dark, but extraordinary tale, The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris was confronting, raw and evocative in an entirely different way. Here’s the blurb: Lale Sokolov is well-dressed, a charmer, a ladies’ man. He is also a Jew. On the first transport from Slovakia to Auschwitz in 1942, Lale immediately stands out to his fellow…
Between Us is Clare Atkins’ second young adult novel. Like her first novel, Nona and Me, Between Us uses personal stories to explore cultural politics in Australia. Three distinct voices tell the story of Between Us— Ana, Kenny and Jono. Ana, is a teenage asylum seeker from Iran. She lives with her pregnant mother and…
Into the World by Stephanie Parkyn is historical fiction that’s both rich in fiction and character, delivering a memorable story of a woman named Marie-Louise, who dresses as a man and finds herself on a dangerous expedition around the world. This is the blurb: 1791. In the midst of the French Revolution, unwed mother Marie-Louise Girardin…
Love and loyalty were tested in Tess Woods’ latest release Beautiful Messy Love, a heart-tickling page turner that is special to me for more than one reason. Three actually. Firstly, Tess is a writer I have come to know and admire, not only for her honest, heart-centred writing, but her passion for social justice. Secondly,…
A book dealing with the modern-day experience of selfies, social media and cyber-bullying … it’s the kind of read that’s right up my alley. And Wendy James delivered the goods. With a bite. Here’s the blurb: Blogger Lizzy’s life is buzzing, happy, normal. Two gorgeous children, a handsome husband, destiny under control. For her real-life…
I’ve heard so many good things about Rashida Murphy’s book, The Historian’s Daughter, that I had to read it for myself. Here’s the blurb: In an old house with ‘too many windows and women’, high in the Indian hills, young Hannah lives with her older sister Gloria; her two older brothers; her mother – the Magician; a colourful…
