September here we come

Well August finished up way too quickly and although I managed to get in a lot of reading along with my new gym routine, I have been dragging my feet in doing reviews, so going to spend the next few days typing as if my life depended on it. I have read some great books in August and have been really happy with finding some lesser known authors who have brought a breath of fresh air from the big books being released.

I have just uploaded a review of Marriage Material by Sathnam Sanghera and it was a delight. I love to read books about immigrants, especially as it is constantly on the news about the horrors of allowing migrants through our great borders. Of course living in Australia, there is nobody in this country who wasn't a migrant somewhere back in their histories, and I just think of how diverse our culture is with the great additions through time. This book made me appreciate how hard working people are to provide their families with a new life and how shallow and ignorant a lot of people are in not accepting the unknown! Don't think it will ever change though.


In my slew of reviews, I have also uploaded reviews for A Serpentine Affair by Tina Seskis, The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler and The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson - all as far removed in writing style as you could get - check out the reviews to see which ones I preferred!

There have been two disappointing reads in August - The Dominant by Tara Sue Me and ..... yep you guessed it Sylvia Day with Afterburn.


I am off to Hong Kong in a few days for a long weekend of hopefully sightseeing and lazing by the pool, whilst Natalie is heading back to the UK for a work conference and to catch up with friends, so we will get a chance to do more reading on the long haul flights. Also super exciting for Natalie is the release of her second book - Stubborn Love which is due out on 5 September 2013. A great read I am sure.

Well time to stop procrastinating and more reviews, I could almost feel the whip cracking.

August is quickly disappearing

It is constantly amazing that the months seems to slip by quicker and quicker. Of course my to read book pile is still growing and with the addition of a Kindle, it just means that there doesn't look like as many books arriving via the postman. That coupled with winter here in Perth finally arriving, well for the last couple of days anyway where it has been windy and rainy, although still a relatively pleasant 20 or so degrees, makes for perfect reading weather. I have read a mixed bag this month with:-

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson
Losing Hope: A Novel by Colleen Hoover
My Education by Susan Choi
Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty

Of course then the hard work starts with writing a review.

There have also been some award lists issues which, as always, peaks my enthusiasm and the hope that the award winners will read my lofty ideals of an award winner. In the past this has not always been the case, but I live in hope, so yet more books have been added to the list.

I am currently reading Marriage Material by Sathnam Sanghera and loving it, I could say it is something I wouldn't normally read, but in fact it is exactly the type of book I love to read. An immigrant family struggling to find their place in a new society whilst still holding onto their culture.

After than on the pile to read is Questions of Travel by Michelle de Kretser who has just picked up the Prime Minister's Literary Awards after she scooped the Miles Franklin Award earlier this year.

Of course this weekend is taken up with visiting the University of Western Australia's annual Save the Children Book Fair where I can browse books and purchase all those missing ones from my series.

Books for July 2013

There are a lot of book reviews for July 2013 which have been uploaded to get you reading.


Tampa by Alissa Nutting. Recommended as a controversial novel about a controversial topic and I can't highlight enough that this book will get everyone talking.

The Round House by Louise Erdrich. Recommended as a look at how far would you go for your friends and family. This book will also open your eyes at the judicial system in relation to native Americans.

Entwined with You by Sylvia Day. This is recommended to make you appreciate your won relationships.

The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski. This is recommended as a step above most of the books in this genre - an interesting and funny book that will make you want to grab the moment.

A Trick I Learned from Dead Men by Kitty Aldridge. Recommended as a quirky read about funeral care and family breakdown.

The Expats by Chris Pavone. Recommended for a look at how dreary expat life can be, but just not living up to the promise of suspense.

Upcoming Movies - The Book Thief and Catching Fire

The release date for the film adaptation of Zusak's 2006 The Book Thief has been pushed forward to 15 November 2013! Originally scheduled for release January 2013, it was moved forward to compete in the 2013 award season. Narrated by death himself, the novel is set in Nazi Germany during 1939. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier and will become busier still. Liesel, a 9 year old girl is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story from the time she stole her first book "The Gravediggers Handbook" and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall. This has an all-star cast with Geoffrey Rush (Hans Hubermann), Emily Watson, Sophie Nelissa (Liesel Meminger) and filmed in Germany. Click here to view the movie trailer.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. One of the few Young Adult books that has been made into a great movie.
Catching Fire is an upcoming American science-fiction adventure film based on Suzanne Collins' novel, Catching Fire, the second installment in The Hunger Games trilogy. Due for release on 20 November 2013, check out the trailer here.

Love2Read

Love2Read are counting down the days to The Reading Hour which kicks off on Saturday 24 August, with fun events being added to the site and lots of exciting activities being planned at libraries, schools and businesses all over the country. There are now only 30 days until celebrations commence on how easy it is to give the gift of reading! Easy you say? Yes. It takes just 10 minutes a day, an hour a week, to give your child - or yourself! - the life-long benefits that stem from an enjoyment of reading. So join in the celebration at your local library or school, tell your friends, plan an event at home, or have a an event for staff in your office – the ways to celebrate The Reading Hour and sharing books together are endless! Check out the Love2Read website.

The season of book awards

Well the season of book awards is in full steam with a constant flow of awards being awarded - check out OurBookClub for a full list of popular prizes. What I find strange is that the same books seem to be nominated for each award. I am not naïve enough to think that every judge reads all the books that have been awarded without having their attention drawn to certain books/authors without the assistance of publishers. It is a bit sad, but realistic, as there are so many books and so many books that don't met their promise. One of my biggest pet hates at the moment is the proliferation of books that have or are being published with so many editing errors. Sometimes this may be cause by the obvious publishing differences between print and online books, but it is a small thing to control. This is even worse is some self published books where the editing is woeful, I am sure that even Microsoft Word spell checker hasn't been utilised. So after my gripe, it doesn't stop me reading, reading and reading some more. As usual the piles of too read books are even bigger than the piles that have been read pile. I have even put a stop on book purchases until I start to make a dent. Hmm may need to give up my day job for that to happen. Happy reading Tracy