Tag Archives: review

June 2017 Round Up

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Things have been a bit slow for me on the reading/blogging front since I went back to work. So, I’ve lumped May and June together in my round up. Only problem with that is, I have to stretch my burned-out brain back to May to think up a few sentence to say. Damn I wish I had thought to pre-write them.

Books Read: 9

Blueback by Tim Winton: This “ecological fable” was absolutely beautiful. I borrowed a copy from my local library, but intend to buy a copy for my sons to read when they are older. Blueback was a joy to read and one I promise you’ll want to re-read. A book with heart and a message that needs to be heard.  [Goodreads]

To Betray My King (The Betrayal Legacy #1) by Kayla Lavan: I enjoyed stepping into Ms Lavan’s medieval world of Sol and meeting the magic weavers she has filled it with. I read a review copy that I found to be a little rough around the edges at times, but never the less a light and fluffy read.  [Goodreads]  [Review]

The Simple Gift by Steven Herrick: The Simple Gift was beautiful. I actually hugged the book at the end. I borrowed a copy from my local library and am now thinking that I need to try and buy Steven’s whole back catalog for myself and the boys when they are older, as the three borrowed books of Steven’s I have read I have adored. The Simple Gift is a story of friendship and second chances, of healing and new love.  [Goodreads]

Homies by David Gonzales & Elliott Serrano: Homies is a collection of four separate stories featuring (for the most part) the same key characters. I read a review copy and once I warmed up to the characters I found this comic to be a quick and enjoyable read. The later two stories being my favorites.  [Goodreads]  [Review]

Play by Jez Alborough: Seriously, I have read this book to Riley every night since it arrived and he is still in love with it 6+ weeks on. We read a review copy and found it to be a fantastic story told mainly through the art. The images are magnificent, coming off colourful and clear on the high quality paper used. [Goodreads]  [Review]

Night Swimming by Steph Bowe: An adorable feel good romp about first love, true friendship, growing up, finding your inner strength and a place in the world. [Goodreads]  [Review]

Counting to D by Kate Scott: While the story is rather light and fluffy it touches on a lot of extremely important topics beautifully; peer pressure, social acceptance, learning disabilities and self-worth. It is a heart-warming, fun and fast read.  [Goodreads]  [Review]

Last Rites (Paranormal Detectives, #5) by Lily Luchesi: In book five we get to delve deeper into Harriet’s past, see Danny and Angelica get married, meet the first ever Vampire and experience the epic end of an era.  [Goodreads]  [Review]

Saga #43 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples: After a short break SAGA is back with a new a new story Arc and it didn’t disappoint.  Bring on issue 44!!!   [Goodreads]

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I’m back at work full time, Riley’s just turned Four years and Ethan Six months. We are starting to figure out a routine. We’ll get there and hopefully that’ll mean more read time for me. I knowingly didn’t give myself a big target this year, so i’m still ahead in my Goodreads challenge LOL.

Until next time, enjoy your shelves

Review: I’m Australian Too by Mem Fox

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34396859I’m Australian! How about you? Many people from many places have come across the seas, to make Australia their home. How Australian is that?

Hardcover, 32 pages
Published March 1st 2017 by Scholastic Australia.
Goodreads View.
Mem’s Website.

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Mem Fox my dear, I didn’t think it was possible to love you anymore than I did after Possum Magic and Time for Bed, but now I do!

I was so excited when I saw this beautiful book by Mem Fox and illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh. It celebrates Australia’s multiculturalism, promotes racial equality and shines a spotlight on refugees. All this is wrapped up as a fun and colourful sing-song story to be adored and absorbed by the minds of our young children. Mem Fox you are a wonderful, wonderful woman. I will be repeatedly reading this to my boys.

I’m writing this review after just reading I’m Australian Too for the first time with my 3.5-year-old son. He was fresh out of the bath and about to get into bed, perfect mummy and son book reading time.

This book is absolutely beautiful.  On our first read through when I got to the page that starts with “Sadly, I’m a refugee – I’m not Australian yet.” My spine tingled and a wicked smile crept on my face. I was thinking: You go Mem Fox! Stick it to the haters.

By the end of the second read through I had tears in my eyes and was getting choked up trying to finish the last page. My heart is humming and I need to tell the world about this book. READ IT TO YOUR KIDS. Refugees are mentioned. Aboriginals, Italians, Greeks, Somalians – the list goes on and on – are mentioned. It is truly beautiful.

The last page ends with the line “Together now, we live in peace, beneath the Southern Star.” Oh Mem, how I wish that was so and I hope for a tomorrow when it is!I’m Australian! How about you?

Review: How Not to Fall in Love, Actually by Catherine Bennetto

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29991690Life is 10% planning, 10% design and 80% totally winging it…

A hilarious debut for all fans of Mhairi McFarlane and Lisa Owens.

Simon & Schuster (Australia)
General Adult Fiction
Published: 01 Feb 2017
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Emma has a job in television which is distinctly less glamourous and exciting than it sounds. She’s managed to claw her way up the ranks from Tea-Maker and Rubbish-Collector to 2nd Assistant Director (heavy on the ‘assistant’. Even heavier on the ‘2nd’).

So when she finds she’s accidentally very pregnant and at the same time accidentally very sacked (well, less accidentally: she did tell her boss to stick his job up his bum), she knows things are going to have to change.

Luckily she’s also accidentally the heir to a lovely cottage in Wimbledon, with a crazy Rottweiler-owning octogenarian as a neighbour and a rather sexy boy as an accidental tenant. But this baby is coming whether she likes it or not, and she needs to become the sort of person who can look after herself let alone another human being – and quickly.

Hilarious and heart-warming, How Not to Fall in Love, Actually will make you laugh, make you cry, and will reassure you that perhaps your life is not that bad, actually…

What people are saying about How Not to Fall in Love, Actually: 

‘It’s fresh, young and very exciting. A fuzzy, warm and sparkly story by a very talented author. I can’t wait to see what else Catherine Bennetto has in store for us’ Simona’s Corner of Dreams

‘A phenomenal cast of characters and some real laugh out loud moments. Brilliant!’ Heidi Swain, author of The Cherry Tree Cafe and Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market

‘More bubbly than a big glass of champers and just as fun. How Not To Fall In Love, Actually is bright, breezy, and the perfect way to beat back the winter blues‘ Georgia Clark, author of The Regulars

Links: Goodreads | Amazon AU | Amazon US | Bookdepository | Booktopia
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MY THOUGHTS: 

*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*

We follow Emma as an accidental pregnancy makes her stop and take stock of her life, which up to that point had only consisted of a shitty job, a shitty apartment and a shitty boyfriend.

At the start we met 27-year-old Emma just before she finds out she is pregnant. The story covers the months that she is pregnant, with the book ending just hours after the baby is born.

It took me the first half of the book to really get into the story, but I think that’s more because of the fact I was only squishing in a few pages here and there. I managed to get enough sit down time to finish the second half of the book in one day and found myself really enjoying it.

The leading Lady: Emma did at times come off as self-absorbed and whining. But she was pregnant and being pregnant is hard even with a loving and supportive partner and here she was trying to go it alone, so she is forgiven. Emma matures in the second half of the book and I ended up really liking her and wanting her to have a happily ever after. *spoiler alert: she gets her happily ever after*.

The impregnator/ex-boyfriend aka Ned: By the end of the first chapter I already disliked Ned, he came off as a lazy good for nothing leach. But chapter six proved him to be an absolute asshole with him draining Emma’s bank account before her overly trusting pregnant ass even thinks to remove his access.

The supporting cast: The book had some rather amusing background cast members; Emma’s infuriating and over the top mother, the nosey old couple next door and green thumbed Joe were standouts for me.

While the story was predictable at times it still gave me the warm fuzzies.Image result for warm and fuzzy memeThe writing was humours, flowed easily and was a joy to read. I will be keeping an eye out for Catherine Bennetto works in the future. star.4

Review: The First Third by Will Kostakis

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17185857Life is made up of three parts: in the first third, you’re embarrassed by your family; in the second, you make a family of your own; and in the end, you just embarrass the family you’ve made.

That’s how Billy’s grandmother explains it, anyway. She’s given him her bucket list (cue embarrassment), and now, it’s his job to glue their family back together.

No pressure or anything.

Fixing his family’s not going to be easy and Billy’s not ready for change. But as he soon discovers, the first third has to end some time. And then what?

It’s a Greek tragedy waiting to happen.

* * * * My Thoughts * * * *

I read The Sidekicks and loved it. I’ve now read The First Third and loved it. I must get my hands on more! You, Mr Will Kostakis are brilliant and I love your humorous and heartwarming style.

In The First Third we follow 17 year-old Bill as he navigates first love and the monumental task his ill Grandmother has given him to put his broken family back together. With the help of Bill’s best friend Lucas and a pretty girl named Hayley, Bill manages to make some major progress with his family and help some other people out along the way. The ending leaves you with tears in your eyes, a warm fuzzy feeling in your heart and hope for the future.

Bill is a total sweetheart and reading along with his interactions with his friends, family and especially his Yiayia is a treat for the soul.

As with The Sidekicks the story flows beautifully, the characters are engaging and feel real. There is no denying that Mr Kostakis has the ability to tell a meaningful and captivating story. I am looking forward to reading more by him in the future.

Five Stars

Kostakis Links: Goodreads | Twitter | Website | Facebook

Booktopia | Amazon AU | Amazon US | Bookdepository 

Review: Life Sentence by Lily Luchesi

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She can fight evil, but can she fight the darkness in her own blood?

After the disastrous events with Miranda have subsided, Danny and Angelica have to adjust to a new kind of life at the Paranormal Investigative Division.

Fiona is still on the loose, and she has all of Hell on her side. Danny begins to enhance his psychic abilities with the help of a soul just like his. Angelica is caught between a rock and a very dark place.

Can their love survive these new trials, or will the past tear them apart?

* * * * My Thoughts * * * *
I’m sitting here pondering the three books that currently make up Lily’s Paranormal Detectives Series (a 4th is coming early next year!) and for the first time since Harry Potter a third book in a series is my favorite. Well for now because I don’t know  what the forth book will bring.

This installment was fast paced and action packed. I really enjoyed reading this paranormal /horror /action /romance mix. If this book was on a menu it would read: Flash back entree, Demon action main with a side dish of psychic powers and newly turned vampire and a large serve of Inter-species romance for desert.

I was excited at the end of Miranda’s Rights to see how Leander’s character played out in this book and I was not disappointed. I was drawn to Leander in Miranda’s Rights. I was intrigued by his darkness and mystery. The whole time I was reading Life Sentence I had to remind myself he was the “bad guy” and I shouldn’t like him, but meh, I dug his self-righteousness and self-imposed darkness – oh dear, moving right along.

I loved the edition of Mark and Brighton’s characters and the initial stand-off-ish suspicion between Danny & Brighton. I really hope Mark, Brighton and Danny are back for the next installment, but the feeling I got the feeling from the epilogue that we might be following Angie solo in book four with appearances from Leander. I’m sure what ever direction Lily takes the characters in it will be awesome. I will have to patiently wait and see. Five “It drew me in and I would happliy re-read” Stars

Five Stars
* * * * Lily’s Links * * * *

Review: Adulthood Is a Myth by Sarah Andersen

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25855506Adulthood Is a Myth: A “Sarah’s Scribbles” Collection by Sarah Andersen

Are you a special snowflake?

Do you enjoy networking to advance your career?

Is adulthood an exciting new challenge for which you feel fully prepared?

Ugh. Please go away.

This book is for the rest of us. These comic document the wasting of entire beautiful weekends on the internet, the unbearable agony of holding hands on the street with a gorgeous guy, dreaming all day of getting home and back into pajamas, and wondering when, exactly, this adulthood thing begins. In other words, the horrors and awkwardnesses of young modern life. Goodreads – Booktopia – Bookdepository

* * * * * * My Thoughts * * * * * *

Oh Sarah Anderson how I love you, your Instagram account always puts a smile on my face and so did this humorous and adorable collection of fantastic comic strips! And the cover is furry! 🙂

Sarah just about touches on everything there is to touch on in life and this book would be a great addition to every woman’s pick-me-up-crappy-day-solutions collection.

star.5

Seriously I’m not going to say anything else. If you don’t believe me go check out her Instagram.

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Review: The Sidekicks by Will Kostakis

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25574212

The Swimmer. The Rebel. The Nerd.

All Ryan, Harley and Miles had in common was Isaac. They lived different lives, had different interests and kept different secrets. But they shared the same best friend. They were sidekicks. And now that Isaac’s gone, what does that make them?

Will Kostakis, award-winning author of The First Third, perfectly depicts the pain and pleasure of this teenage world, piecing together three points of view with intricate splendour.

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Paperback, 256 pages. Published February 29th 2016 by Penguin Australia.
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Goodreads – Website – Twitter – Facebook

Amazon AU – Booktopia – Amazon US – Book Depository

* * * * * * * My Thoughts * * * * * * *

Set in northern Sydney The Sidekicks is the story of three very different boys. While on the verge of manhood they suffer the loss of a mutual friend. We follow each of the boys as they go on to deal with their friend’s death. The trauma initially separates them, but by the end of the book it has brought them together with a closeness they never had before. This is a story of love, loss, friendship, sexuality, homophobia and just wanting to fit in.

The Boys:

“The Swimmer” I was immediately drawn to Ryan (Thommo). His character straight up felt kind hearted and genuine. My heart wanted to reach out and hug him. The poor boy not only had to deal with the loss of his best friend, but with coming out to the world.

“The Rebel” Scott (Harley) is bloody adorable. Harley was the kind of boy I swooned over in school, and rightly so, thanks for proving me right Harley. Harley really grows up after losing his mate and he does everything he can to put things right. I outwardly applauded him (seriously my husband looked at my like a was mad clapping at a book) as he ran off to find and support Ryan.

“The Nerd” I was most afraid for Miles after the loss of Isaac. He really ends up in a dark place, but thankfully that big beautiful dastardly brain of his sees the light and lets the other two boys in. I wasn’t as drawn to Miles as the other two boys at first, but seeing the world through his eyes and his projected vision of the future, was a really strong and brilliant way to finish the story off.

star.5

Review: The Complete Alice in Wonderland by Carroll adapted by Moore & Reppion

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Take one politely stubborn and opinionated young girl. Add an overactive imagination. Shake in a heavy mix of puzzling and bizarre guides. Reduce all morals and lessons to the nonsensical degree and send it all on a journey to nowhere…

These are the ingredients that Lewis Carroll combined to create a fairy tale unlike any another. Dynamite is proud to present for all ages The Complete Alice in Wonderland; the most vivid adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s genre bursting tale of young Alice and her adventures in Wonderland. It contains Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass and the LOST chapter form Looking Glass “The Wasp in a Wig!”

Join Alice on her whimsical journey down the rabbit hole. From her initial meeting with the White Rabbit in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, to her final dinner party with the entire (and outrageous) Through the Looking Glass cast, every moment of Alice’s adventures in that astonishing landscape is captured in gorgeous detail. With old favorites like the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter joined now by a long-forgotten Carroll creation, The Wasp, in one of the book’s latter chapters, children and adults alike can rediscover the complete Alice tale and fall in love with Wonderland all over again!Alice 1Published on the 19th April 2016, The Complete Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll adapted by Leah Moore and John Reppion, illustrated by Erica Awano. GOODREADS

Alice 2

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for a an honest review, THANK YOU.Alice 3

 * * *  MY  THOUGHTS * * *

DEATH LOVE LUST Anthology

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28869647by Aurelia Fray, Catherine Stovall, Lily Luchesi, Emma Michaels, Michael Cross, Iskra Ryder, Patrick Tumblety, Libby Bishop, Charlotte Ondac, Jenn Nixon, Jaclyn Osborn, Jen L. Joyal, Victoria Kinnaird, Olivia Harper

DEATH LOVE LUST.

Death is definite. Love is infinite. Lust is eternal.

In the end, death always wins. And what of the threads that remain? Love? Lust? The desire to feel both? The desire to return to the living and feel again? Because, despite death, the heart will forever pine for the love that once was; the love that was once tangible but now is reflected back only in memories and photographs. Both love and lust are stronger than death and will always linger long after life is pulled from us. Because of this we will always remain definite, infinite, and eternal.

Published February 4th 2016 by Hot Ink Press.

GOODREADS – AMAZON AU – AMAZON US

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~  My  Thoughts  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

I received an ARC of this book in an exchange for an honest review, THANK YOU :-).

As I normally review teen appropriate YA books I better stress the fact that this anthology is for 18+ Adults Only!

I love anthology’s! I think they are great for getting a little peep at different authors ‘voices’ and finding new favorites.

The Death-Love-Lust Anthology is a collection of adult poems and short stories exploring, you guessed it, death love and lust, featuring both hetero and homosexual couples – oh and delicious demons and righteous reapers.

The poems are absolutely beautiful, I read them all multiple times.

The stories range from dark and mysterious to sexy and sinful, with beautiful deep everlasting love shining through.

Normally I’d stay away from erotica that dabbles with death, but as the lovely Lily Luchesi was a part of it and given how I really enjoy her Paranormal Detective series, I gave it a go. I was pleasantly surprised! This is a collection of well-rounded pieces connecting life, death and love. Obviously there were some stories I preferred over others, but as a whole it was a really enjoyable, engaging and entertaining read.

star.4

Grumpy Cat Volume 1 by Ben McCool

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Grumpy Cat, Volume 1 by Ben McCool, Royal McGraw, Elliott Serrano, Ben Fisher, Steve Uy(Author) (Illustrations), Ken Haeser (Illustrations), Tavis Maiden(Illustrations), Agnes Garbowska (Illustrations).

Children’s Fiction
Publishing on the 16th Feb.
Dynamite proudly presents the comic book misadventures of Grumpy Cat, featuring “The World’s Grumpiest Cat” and her brother, Pokey! With her ever-present pout and sassy disposition, Grumpy Cat has won the hearts of people everywhere. Now, her unbearable cuteness and infectious sourpuss are featured in an all-new, all-sensational collection of comic stories, sure to make fans of all ages laugh! If you love the memes, the videos, and that irresistible scowl, then get ready for the wildly fun antics of Grumpy Cat and Pokey!

* * * * * * My Thoughts * * * * * *

Many thanks to the publisher via NetGalley for a copy of this book to read and review.

Grumpy Cat who’s real name is Tardar Sauce was born in April 2012 and thanks to an underbite and feline dwarfism she has a grumpy looking pout.  She shot to fame in September 2012 when a photo of her started circulating the internet and subsequently sporned multiple memes. GC meme

I don’t think you need to know who grumpy cat is to find this cute comic collection a fun read. But i’d be shocked if you hadn’t ever heard of her.

wxtkkpmrbnqnqhat4njuGrumpy Cat Volume 1 is a humorous, quick and light hearted read about two cats who are polar opposites personality wise and the mischief they get up to.

I think it’d be the perfect thing to have in a waiting room /coffee table as it would appeal to a large age range, who doesn’t like a grumpy cat and there isn’t anything in there anyone can get offended about.

Grumpy Cat reminds me of 90’s Garfield. With Grumpy Cat we get humor and sarcasm. She is grumpy yet adorable, loves food, loves to sleep and has a dog and Pokey to reign over. There are haunted houses, broken smart phones, stolen treats, revenge (against the dog) and more.  I give It Three “I Liked It” Stars.

star.3

If you want more check out Grumpy Cat on Goodreads or Author Ben McCool’s Website.

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