Thursday, July 5, 2012
Loving the classics
I can't help it, I just love classic romantic tales. Like so many women I can't get enough Jane Austen, in any format. Of course, I love Mr Darcy and Lizzy and Mr Knightley is my favourite Austen hero but they all pale into insignificance next to Jane Eyre and Mr Rochester. You thought Elizabeth Bennet was a strong woman, Jane is much stronger and as for the romance, well, Jane Austen's stories are about class and manners, she was such an astute social commentator, but Charlotte Brontë's book is so full of passion!
I have recently read two other Brontë books, Vilette and The Professor and I have enjoyed them immensely (it helps to have a little French!). What an extraordinary family the Brontës were! I rather prefer Charlotte and Anne (The Tenant of Wildfell Hall) to Emily, I have read Wuthering Heights twice but find it a lot bleaker than the stories her sister wrote and I certainly don't fancy Heathcliff!
Which classic romatic hero is your favourite?
Amy
Posted by
Amy
at
11:57 AM
|
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett
Posted by
Caitlin
at
5:07 PM
|
Labels: Australian author, Favel Parrett, Miles Franklin shortlist, Tasmania
Friday, June 15, 2012
Animal People by Charlotte Wood
I found the ending redeeming and satisfying. I enjoyed the openness, the promise of something beyond the story.
Posted by
Caitlin
at
4:20 PM
|
Book Challenge: Books you may have missed!

Posted by
Caitlin
at
4:13 PM
|
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Strictly Confidential by Roxy Jacenko
Jasmine Lewis, affectionately known as Jazzy Lou, is a go-getter, much like the book’s author, Roxy Jacenko.
Roxy Jacenko works in fashion PR in Sydney owns her own business, Sweaty Betty PR, and is famous for being classy, tough and good at what she does. Funnily enough, this even extends to writing a pretty decent chick-lit novel.
At the book’s beginning, we find Jasmine working for Wildenstein PR, with a control-freak boss. Yet when her boss finds her captured in the paper, in a compromising position with a client (read the book to find out), she gets fired from her job.
Jasmine, a borderline Nurofen Plus addict and all-round workaholic, (you’d have to be to get out of bed at 3am to rescue a client from a night club) opens her own PR business, aptly titled Queen Bee PR - and this is where the fun begins!
With an interesting range of characters (supposedly based on some of Sydney’s elite), and enough drama to keep you on your toes, this book would make the perfect holiday read, whether you are curled up by a roaring fire or lazing by the beach – though a cocktail in hand is definitely recommended!
Find this book at the library!
Posted by
Caitlin
at
4:06 PM
|
Friday, April 27, 2012
The Younger Man by Zoe Foster
‘How young? Like, eighteen?’ ‘No, you sicko...twenty-five.’ Abby looked down. ‘How. Old.’ ‘Twenty-two.’ ‘WHO’S the sicko?? Twenty-two! Was he wearing a nappy?’ Oh, you’re an idiot. Twenty-two is an adult! God knows what I was up to at twenty-two, but I wasn’t a child. I knew what I was doing.’The conclusion doesn’t feel as if Zoe has fought too hard to tie everything up in a neat little bow, but it is still satisfying. The Younger Man is a great option for an easy-to-read romantic novel for the intelligent reader. I wouldn’t recommend this book to males or those with a distaste for chick-lit. Find The Younger Man in the Adult Fiction section of the library.
Posted by
Caitlin
at
4:22 PM
|
Labels: Australian author, chick lit, Zoe Foster
Monday, February 27, 2012
The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai
This delightfully written tale includes, among other things, the Russian ‘mafia’, a road trip (including numerous dodgy budget hotels and one gin induced hangover), a bunch of lies and a very precocious ten-year-old boy.
Children’s librarian, Lucy Hull, begins to worry about one of her regular young patrons, Ian Drake, at for a number of reasons:
1. Ian’s mother suggests to Lucy that he should only read books with “the breath of God in them”,
2. Lucy inadvertently finds out Ian has been attending anti-gay classes run by an organisation called Glad Heart in a town two hours drive away, and
3. She finds Ian camped out in the library one morning when she opens up – Ian has run away, and he is taking Lucy with him!
Unsure of whether Lucy has kidnapped Ian, or whether he has kidnapped her, this story is about running away, being true to yourself and realising being a kid isn’t always easy, but is often a lot of fun!
The enjoyment in reading The Borrower was that the plot was unpredictable, I was never sure of how the book would end, but I enjoyed the trip along with Ian and Lucy immensely and was sad when it finished.
Heartfelt characters and a lot of silliness makes this story burst at the seams with loveliness… you don’t have to be a librarian to enjoy this story – just enjoy sharing the joy of reading.
Posted by
Caitlin
at
4:34 PM
|
Labels: American author, Library, Rebecca Makkai