Books In Print

An evening with Elliot Perlman

2011-11-17T20:28:00.001+11:00

Together with our friends at Jeffreys Books, Books In Print will be hosting an evening with Elliot Perlman where he will discuss his work and read from his latest novel The Street Sweeper.

When : Wednesday 30th November - 6:30pm for 7:00pm start
Where : Cafe La Via - 252 Glenferrie Road, Malvern 3144 (map)

Finger food and refreshments served on arrival.

Limited tickets are available and can be purchased at Books In Print for $12.
* Bookings are essential so please get in early to avoid disappointment.

Summer Reading Guide 2011-12

2011-11-14T22:15:00.001+11:00

The annual Books In Print Summer Reading Guide is out now!
Pick up your copy in store or access the catalogue online here.

All That I Am by Anna Funder

2011-11-13T22:50:00.001+11:00

Hamish Hamilton
9781926428338

A fantastic read. Germany in the 1930s: left-wing political opponents of Hitler and the Nazis are under threat of death or deportation to the newly established concentration camps. Ernst Toller, poet, veteran of the Weimar Republic’s government, and political activist, is a wanted man. Dora Weiss, feminist and socialist, is also wanted by the authorities under the Nazis’ control. Together and separately they try to maintain a political opposition to the increasingly violent regime of Adolf Hitler. Eventually they are forced out of Germany to England, where they continue their activities against the regime in Germany, before Toller leaves for the USA. Their separate, tragic fates are recalled by Dora’s cousin Ruth, now a frail old woman living in Sydney, who was both an observer of events and of Dora’s ceaseless involvement in the political activities of the German refugees. A beautifully written novel of political and emotional commitment and betrayal in threatening times.

BiP staff review by Chris

Midnight In Peking by Paul French

2011-09-15T01:17:00.004+10:00

Penguin

9780670080922

This book provides the hat-trick of good “midnight” reads for me, starting with Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil then Midnight in Sicily and now Midnight in Peking. They all fall outside my preferred reading but I enjoyed them nonetheless. This is not to say that I’m going to plunge headlong into true crime but Paul French’s writing is certainly compelling. His subject matter is the gruesome murder of a young Englishwoman in Peking in 1937. His purpose is to present his understanding of how it came about and why no-one was brought to justice. The star of the book is Peking herself and the tumultuous period of her history.

BiP staff review by Sue

To Be Sung Underwater by Tom McNeal

2011-09-15T01:08:00.001+10:00

Hachette

9781408703038

While I can’t be as effusive as Marcus Zusak in his praise for this book, I certainly enjoyed it. For me, the strength of it lies in the dialogue and how the characters of Willy Blunt and Judith Toomey take shape during the course of their interactions with each other. They are memorable for the fact that they demonstrate the pure luck of finding an easy companionship as a mainstay for a good life.

BiP staff review by Sue

Get Reading! in September

2011-09-05T10:44:00.002+10:00

Get Reading! (formerly Books Alive) is a nationwide government initiative developed through the Australia Council for the Arts. Central to the promotion is the FREE 50 Books You Can't Put Down Guide which showcases guaranteed great reads for everyone including lovers of fiction, crime, history and biography as well as books for young people.

Purchase any of the 50 recommended books in September and you will receive a limited edition FREE book - either a collection of new short stories by contemporary Australian authors or an exclusive new story by award-winning children's author Emily Rodda.

This month Get Reading! celebrates its 10th birthday with a nationwide program of author events and almost 200,000 free books to give away. You can catch Anita Shreve at the Wheeler Centre on the 15th and Liz Byrski at Malvern Library on the 27th.

Kate Grenville reads from Sarah Thornhill

2011-08-12T22:09:00.004+10:00

This powerful novel will enthrall readers of Kate Grenville's bestselling The Secret River, winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize.

Sarah Thornhill is available in September. Call or email to pe-order your copy.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

2011-08-08T16:31:00.038+10:00

Walker Books

9781406311525

In June Patrick Ness was awarded the Carnegie medal for his young adult novel Monsters of Men, the third book in his Chaos Walking series. The two previous books - The Knife of Never Letting Go and The Ask and the Answer - were shortlisted for the prestigious award in 2009 and 2010.

Patrick Ness @ Books In Print

His latest novel is based on the ideas and illustrations of Siobhan Dowd, an author whose premature death prevented her from writing the story herself. Ness never met Siobhan, even though they shared the same literary editor. Even so, after Dowd's death from cancer, aged 47, in 2007 he was asked to take the idea she'd been developing for her fifth novel and write it himself.

The result is A Monster Calls, the story of 13-year-old Conor who is coming to terms with his own mother's battle against cancer. "I would normally say 'no' to turning someone else's idea into a book," admits Ness. "But the idea was so strong and so vivid that I never felt like I was completely fabricating something she didn't want.

Read the complete BBC article here.

The Age Book of the Year 2011

2011-08-06T21:36:00.004+10:00

The shortlist for the 2011 The Age Book of the Year awards was announced today, populated with new names and old favourites published by a mix of independents and multinationals. There are 3 prizes awarded for fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

Fiction - Lovesong by Alex Miller; Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey; The World Beneath by Cate Kennedy; Summertime by J M Coetzee; Come Inside by G L Osborne.

Non-Fiction - The Lost Mother by Anne Summers; Listening To Country by Ros Moriarty; Ten Hail Marys by Kate Howarth; Flying With Paper Wings by Sandy Jeffs; Otherland by Maria Tumarkin.

Poetry - Taller When Prone by Les Murray; Authentic Local by Pam Brown; Wimmera by Homer Rieth; A Whistled Bit of Bop by Ken Bolton; Pirate Rain by Jennifer Maiden.

The winners will be announced at the Melbourne Writers Festival (25 Aug - 04 Sept)

Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

2011-08-06T19:57:00.000+10:00

Read Books In Print staff review by Sue.

Man Booker Dozen

2011-07-27T23:07:00.003+10:00

The 2011 Man Booker longlist includes books by four first-time novelists, one former Man Booker Prize winner and two previously shortlisted writers.

Our pick is Snowdrops by A D Miller.
Read staff review by Sue.

Also on the list - The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes; The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst; Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman. Click here to see the full longlist.

Wish Your Were Here by Graham Swift

2011-07-27T23:00:00.006+10:00

Picador

9780330535878

I can't endorse this book enough. If not simply for the beauty of the writing but also for the way Swift chews over the choices facing his characters - a bit like a contemplative cow chewing its cud. Dairy farming is at the heart of the story, and the chain of events that lead a farmer's son to turn back on his birthright. In this context, it is a testament to the struggling of many against the crippling blows of mad cow, as well as foot and mouth disease. Not that this is laboured, for above all, the book offers a deft exploration of the ties that bind us.

BiP staff review by Sue

Five Bells by Gail Jones

2011-07-27T22:51:00.005+10:00

Vintage

9781864710601

It's not often that you finish a book and decide to reread it straight away. This is what I have done with Five Bells. I found the structure intriguing and wanted to review how her four main characters may have glanced off one another when they converged on Circular Quay one fateful Saturday. I first visited the area at a very young age and have been held in its thrall for most of my life. It is this setting and on this day that we get to understand her characters and the 'baggage' they bring to the quay. Not only did the setting strike a chord with me but also a little gems like this: "People have too little faith in modest conversation, she thought, and in what was known but remained silent or impossible to express. The veneration of small sentences, or a gesture, or even a single word; this was the fabric of civility, the basic social contract. One could die without it." Food for thought in today's world. I loved this book.

BiP staff review by Sue

2011 Miles Franklin Award winner

2011-06-28T18:37:00.016+10:00

That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott
Picador
9780330404235

That Deadman Dance is a story about the early contact between Europeans and Indigenous Australians, set in and around Albany. In October 2010, reviewer Toni Whitmont spoke to Scott in about his novel.

Many readers will be unfamiliar with the history of early contact between the Noongar and the Europeans. Is this a work of fiction, or are the events and characters based on known facts?

That Deadman Dance is a work of fiction, but one that is inspired by, and that draws on, specifics of the early history of a region—in this instance, the area in and around the town today known as Albany, Western Australia. I see the novel as a sort of ‘analogue’, drawing upon a reasonably specific history in order to tease out the possibilities in the interaction between Noongar people and Europeans, and—perhaps—to suggest possibilities still latent today. Crucial to that inspiration is the Noongars’ confidence, innovation and inclusiveness, as well as their willingness and ability to appropriate and use European cultural forms and transform them within their own traditions.

Does the ‘Dead Man Dance’ exist?

Not as described here. It has its origins in a military drill performed by Marines on a beach along the south coast prior to colonisation that was transformed into a Noongar dance. There’s an ambivalence in the name: on the one hand, Noongar people may initially have thought the new arrivals were not fully alive or human—djanaks: devils or ghosts, perhaps—thus, ‘dead men’. On the other hand, the adaption of that dance may have been the ‘beginning of the end’ of a way of life, and thus for the novel’s central character Bobby, and his community, an ending. Bobby may be a ‘dead man’. However, since he does not die, is it only a dance learned from ‘dead men’, and one among other examples—like perhaps this novel—of forms explored and played with as ways of expressing place and identity. New cultural forms always have consequences, sometimes good and sometimes bad.

This book seems to be about forging an identity and finding your place in a changing world. Given your Aboriginal ancestry, does this reflect your own journey?

Given my Aboriginal identity, the novel explores how we can connect an ancient heritage, its strengths and weaknesses, to contemporary existence. I’m interested in finding empowering ways of carrying that past into the present, in ways that are not only reactive and reductionist. I’m not sure that the story is a reflection of a journey, as such, rather it’s about finding possibilities and potential in history—in positing alternatives. I am interested in story rather than polemics, in agency and resilience, and in ways that literature might function politically, but also subtly.

In recent years some exceptional books have been written about early contact between Aboriginal and English people, such as Kate Grenville’s The Secret River and Richard Flanagan’s Wanting. That Deadman Dance is rooted in the soil and sand of coastal south-west Western Australia. How important is the notion of place to our understanding of these stories?

I can’t speak for the others, but I believe and hope it is [important] in the instance of That Deadman Dance.

You have spoken publicly about the Australian neurosis concerning identity, race and history. Are we any closer to laying these ghosts to rest?

Listening to diverse voices and other stories, having courageous conversations and respectful dialogues will help us all heal. I’m not sure we need to ‘lay those ghosts to rest’. Sometime they may need to be listened to also.

This interview first appeared in the October 2010 issue of Bookseller+Publisher magazine. Read Toni Whitmont's book review here.

Two Greeks by John Charalambous

2011-06-03T20:11:00.002+10:00

University of Queensland Press

9780702239045

Harry Stylianou is an angry man, driven by a conviction that the world is not a safe place and that no one and nothing can be trusted. Since his arrival as an immigrant from Cyprus he has married an Australian woman, Carol, and has fathered two children, Angela and Andy. He has moved his family to Hampton, away from Melbourne’s Greek community. His anger encompasses work, life in general, family, neighbours and ‘Greekness’. Carol waits for the implementation of no-fault divorce legislation so that she can escape from her domineering husband. It is left to Andy to form a bond with their new Greek neighbour, Mr. Voreadis, who becomes an important figure for the ten-year-old boy as he provides worldly – and particularly Greek – wisdom for the youngster to digest. Concern over the attempted anti-government coup in Cyprus in 1974 finally brings about a meeting between Harry and their neighbour, and it is through Mr. Voreadis and his love of dancing that a temporary peace breaks out. However, in time the Stylianou family is destroyed from within by Harry’s limitless fury. John Charalambous has written an intimate story of the destruction of a family, played out against the suburban and migrant cultures of the 1970s. An overwhelming sense of missed opportunities leaves the reader wondering what might have been…

BiP staff review by Chris

The Moment by Douglas Kennedy

2011-06-03T19:48:00.003+10:00

Hutchinson

9780091795849

There is always a moment when you choose whether to place your trust in the one you love. I have been a fan of Douglas Kennedy for a few years now; The Moment is definitely his most accomplished book yet.

Thomas Nesbitt is a recently divorced writer of travel books living a solitary life in Maine. When a parcel arrives for him from Berlin, he is transported back to his first visit there 25 years prior when he was young and ambitious. Hoping to immerse himself in the life of the divided city, he funds his stay by writing scripts for a free radio station which broadcasts to East Germany. There is introduced to a young political refugee who is working as a translator. Thomas and Petra fall head over heels in love, which sounds really cheesy, however the succinct, gritty writing makes it anything but.

BiP staff review by Leonie

Past The Shallows by Favel Parrett

2011-05-07T22:43:00.007+10:00

Hachette

97807336256579

I was pleasantly surprised to discover one of my former (Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing) classmates’ novels in print. My admiration increased immensely when I read Past the Shallows; it is, quite simply, breathtaking. In a small community on a forbidding stretch of Tasmanian coast, brothers Harry and Miles’ lives are ruled by the sea. The shadow of their Mother’s death hangs in the air; questions remain and, although Harry was too young to remember the accident, Miles is beginning to piece things together. Through the eyes of the two boys, the reader is taken on a poignant and unexpected journey. Beautiful, tragic and highly evocative in it’s portrayal of the ocean, the author’s sparse prose hits just the right notes; never too much information nor too little. Past the Shallows is a story that lingers long after reading. You will feel compelled to tell your friends about it; lend it to them; give it as a gift! Although I had access to a ‘free’ copy, I will buy this novel (not least to support the publication of new local authors, but) because it’s a ‘keeper’; something to treasure and re-read. Highly recommended.

BiP staff review by Penny

The Precipice by Virginia Duigan

2011-05-07T22:29:00.003+10:00

Vintage

9781741667165

I grabbed this book purely on face value - i.e. the jacket and the title which conspired to make me think I was in for a dark tale full of drama and suspense. I was, however, unprepared when the crunch finally came. This is mainly due to Dugian's skill at lulling us into a false sense of security amid the idyllic landscape of the Blue Mountains. She also distracts us with convincing characters. Her main character, Thea, is so comfortable in this environment that when she leads us to the actual precipice, we simply marvel at its beauty. Thea had planned for the perfect retirement dream home. This was not meant to be, though, and we learn from Thea's Journal, as well as her conversations with near neighbours and close friends how this dream evaporated. Circumstances and lessons learnt lead to the dramatic climax. It is Thea's story and the strength of the book is in her narration. Well worth reading.

BiP staff review by Sue

The Legacy by Kirsten Tranter

2011-05-07T21:57:00.007+10:00

Fourth Estate

9780732290818

Kirsten Tranter's first novel, The Legacy, is a worthy inclusion in the Miles Franklin longlist. As someone who grew up in Sydney and lived in New York for 8 years, she is well able to give a local feel to these twin settings of the story. At its heart there is a compelling mystery - what indeed happened to Ingrid whose unexpected inheritance plunges her into marriage with a New York art dealer. At first her friends back home struggle to cope with her departure but when she disappears on 9/11, they fear for the worst. There is a Brideshead Revisited feel to the early part of the book which is a perfect couterpoint to the mounting tension that follows. Tranter's own experience of New York at this tragic time adds weight and insight to her tale.

BiP staff review by Sue

Half of the Human Race by Anthony Quinn

2011-04-23T06:25:00.007+10:00

Jonathan Cape

9780224087308

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book. I do not pretend to be a cricket buff, but the game is presented as a cornerstone of English life via two of the main characters who are champions with the bat. The tock of runs scored in county cricket resonates as background noise to the plot lines. This is counter-balanced by the relentless thunder of mortar encountered during service in World War I. Service and its accompanying obedience are themes cast in unfavourable light through the shocking casualties of war. They are also called into question by the suffragettes whose increasingly militant movement is unsettling the status quo. So, the background is a particularly tumultuous time in history and the characters are particularly believable in their attempts to navigate their course through it.

BiP staff review by Sue

2011 CBCA Book of the Year Shortlist

2011-04-12T20:59:00.003+10:00

The Children's Book Council of Australia today announced the 2011 Book of the Year shortlist.

Among shortlisted titles are

The Midnight Zoo by Sonya Hartnett

The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta

Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood

Just A Dog by Michael Gerard Bauer

Vioet Mackerel's Brilliant Plot by Anna Davis

The Red Wind by Isobelle Carmody

Toppling by Sally Murphy

The Deep End by Ursula Dubosarsky

Noni The Pony by Alison Lester

Mirror by Jeannie Baker

My Uncle's Donkey by Tohby Riddle

Drawn For The Heart : A Memoir by Nicolas Brasch

The Return of the Word Spy by Ursula Dubosarsky

The full shortlist can be viewed here

Winners for each category will be announced on Friday 19th August.

2011 Orange Prize Shortlist

2011-04-12T20:49:00.002+10:00

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

Room by Emma Donoghue

The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna

Great House by Nicole Krauss

Grace Williams Says It Loud by Emma Henderson

Annabel by Kathleen Winter

Those Who Come After by Elisabeth Holdsworth

2011-03-24T21:58:00.008+11:00

Picador
9781405040501

Born in the Netherlands just after World War II, Elisabeth Holdsworth spent her early life in the south-western province of Zeeland before migrating to Australia with her parents in 1959. She completed her education in Melbourne. Holdsworth is an essayist, poet, and writer of short stories and reviews, and has been published in Best Australian Essays, Heat, Southerly, Island, The Monthly, Mattoid and Transnational. She won the inaugural ABR/Calibre prize for her essay An die Nachgeborenen: For Those Who Come After, which was published in the February 2007 issue of Australian Book Review and later broadcast on ABC radio. Elisabeth lives with her husband in Goulburn, NSW.

Read an excerpt of Those Who Come After

Pulse by Julian Barnes

2011-03-24T21:35:00.004+11:00

Jonathan Cape
9780224091084

Love Julian Barnes! Based soley on Arthur & George, I might add. So, I fell on Pulse, only to waver at the prospect of it being a collection of short stories. This is not an aversion of mine but a proven reluctance among our customers. Should I spend time reading it, only to find I had trouble convincing others to do the same? Well selfishness prevailed - to be rewarded with gems. There's something in each story tying it to the notion of 'pulse'. I love the dinner party series, being hugely reminiscent of nosh-ups we all share. I have read all of the stories twice which is the best thing about short stories - it's so much easier to revisit them.

Books In Print staff review by Sue

2011 Indie Award Winners Announced

2011-03-24T21:20:00.035+11:00

Australia's independent booksellers have announced The Happiest Refugee the winner of the Indie Book of the Year Award 2011.

Individual category winners are

Best Fiction | Bereft by Chris Womersley (Scribe)
Best Non-Fiction | The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do (Allen & Unwin)
Best Debut Fiction | Rocks In The Belly by Jon Baure (Scribe)
Best Children's Book | Mirror by Jeannie Baker (Walker Books)

Snowdrops by A D Miller

2011-03-02T10:45:00.006+11:00

Allen & Unwin
9781848874541

The fact the A D Miller was the Economist magazine's Moscow correspondent from 2004-2007 and that he travelled widely across Russia and the former Soviet Union adds an air of authenticity to this his first novel.
He filters his familiarity through his main character Nick, an English lawyer, who acts on behalf of a consortium of western banks lending money to developers in Russia. Nick has enough Russian, enough cultural sensitivity and enough disenchantment with his old life in England to fancy finding himself in a permanent relationship with a Russian. Herein lies the nub.
What makes the book memorable for me s the wat the story is told, or more precisely, the way Nick tells it. He is about to be married and had decided to come clean to his intended and give a written account of his time in Russia. In doing so, Miller has created a powerful and poignant narration. The starting point is, "I smelled it before I saw it." As this follows the definition of 'snowdrops' in Moscow slang as being the corpses that come to light in the thaw, you could be forgiven for thinking you're in for a typical thriller. This novel has much, much more to offer.

Books in Print staff review by Sue

Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

2011-03-02T10:41:00.009+11:00

Fourth Estate
9780732289225

Caleb's Crossing is typical Brooks with a great story being richly told. I'm sure the purists would criticise her for tinkering with history, but she's not an historian, she's a novelist with a nose for a good story. Who could blame her for taking a local's interest in her surroundings and through her craft try to encourage a broader appreciation of their significance.
Martha's vineyard is her stomping ground and that of Caleb, though they are separated by hundreds of years. She is Australian born and drawn to this heartland of modern civilisation while Caleb, an American Indian, is born to it. His crossing refers to his education at the hands of the Pilgrim Fathers.
A key player in this conversion is Bethia Mayfield who narrates and chronicles the story of Caleb's new life from when they first meet in the wilderness to his untimely death. Brooks captures the harsh reality of this new world for all concerned. It is a memorable book and as with her previous works gets you to think outside the confines of her artifice.

Books in Print staff review by Sue

The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean

2011-02-27T12:33:00.007+11:00

Hachette

9781444720358

Yes, I was drawn to this book by the cover! It jolted my memory to a dress that I can remember my mother wearing when I was very young. It was a special dress - made for dancing - and it almost had its own persona. This is at the heart of The Secret Lives of Dresses.

During the course of the story, our heroine undergoes a transformation from a devotee of the cargo-pants and t-shirt wearing brigade to a vintage dresser. The turn of events leading to this involve a story of loss, obligation and love. The clothes are the magic thread binding the story which deftly contrasts the notion of just pulling on any old thing to the power of dressing. However, the novel has nothing to do with 'power dressing'

It made me reflect on the absolute joy of pulling on something that actually fits and actually suits, and how rarely this happens 'off-the-rack'. My mother made all her own clothes and knew how inspirational fabric can be. I found the ideas behind the story inspiring and it made me nostalgic for the style of the vintage era - though maybe not for corsets!

Books in Print staff review by Sue

visit Erin McKean's vintage fashion website

The Happiest Refugee : A Memoir by Anh Do

2011-02-18T16:09:00.009+11:00

Allen & Unwin
9781742372389

**Update - The Happiest Refugee is the winner of the 2011 Indie Book Of The Year

Love of family and a belief that anything is possible are two of the themes of Anh Do’s book. He learnt many positive lessons from his father, who seemed able to deal with any problem, even rescuing two of his mother’s brothers from a re-education camp by impersonating an officer and later masterminding the escape from Vietnam of 40 relatives and friends. Even when his father descends into alcoholism and violence after a catastrophic business failure and then leaves his family, Anh can still tell his father’s story with love and respect, realizing that his love for his father will outweigh his father’s faults. Anh’s dedication to his mother, brother and sister and the realization that his parents gave up everything for their children’s future is at the core of everything he does. His own hard-earned success as a comedian and actor take second place in the book to his life with his wife and children. Public response to the book was amazing. As soon as people heard Anh being interviewed on ABC radio they came rushing in to buy the book. It was the strongest response to any author’s radio interview that I have experienced. A truly inspiring read.
Books in Print staff review by Chris *****

Mezza Italiana: An Enchanting Story about Love, Family, La Dolce Vita and Finding Your Place in the World

2011-02-18T15:33:00.006+11:00

by Zoe Boccabella
ABC Books
9780733329548

Zoe Boccabella grew up in Brisbane, in an Anglo-Italian family. Her father’s Italian family had strong links back to ‘home’ and Zoe was constantly being reminded of her Italian heritage. However, this was ‘Joh’s’ Queensland in the nineteen-seventies and eighties and Zoe was taunted at school as a ‘wog’ and Italian food and culture were openly derided. Consequently Zoe tried to adapt, ‘not to stand out or be different’. It is not until she is in her twenties, travelling around Europe with her boyfriend, that Zoe can bring herself to visit her family’s home village of Fossa, in the mountainous Abruzzo region. After years of denial Zoe immediately realizes her emotional link to the house, in which her family has lived for several centuries, and her Italian ancestors. What follows are wonderful descriptions of relatives and other villagers, the countryside and the food – the Abruzzo produces more superb cooks than any other part of Italy. When an earthquake strikes Zoe describes the strength of the villagers to endure yet more hardship. This is a beautifully written memoir full of characters and places which will appeal to the literary traveller, to people who already love Italy and to all those intending to visit.

Books in Print staff review by Chris *****

The Sparrows Of Edward Street by Elizabeth Street

2011-02-18T15:29:00.009+11:00

University of Queensland Press
9780702238758

Elizabeth Stead takes readers into the hard, grinding world of a New South Wales Housing Commission Camp for the homeless at the end of 1948. The three remaining members of the Sparrow family, widow Hanora and her two teenage daughters Aria and Margaret Rose, have been evicted from their lodgings after Hanora’s brief career as a kept woman ended with her lover’s appearance in the divorce courts. Father Sparrow had already suffered death by feline when he was run over by a Council van full of stray cats. Hanora takes up residence in a disused military camp, at 19B Edward Street, in one of eight hundred huts made of fibro, corrugated iron and rough timber; boiling in summer and freezing in winter.
The younger sister, Margaret Rose, the ‘Colonial Royal’, is embarrassed and humiliated; in her sister’s words she has ‘never coped well with life overturned’. Hanora is overcome by events and exists in a haze induced by various pharmaceutical products. Aria, who is the narrator of the novel, is the older sister and it is she who takes on responsibility for her family. She is a fixer and is sparrow-like in her manner: she loves her namesakes as ‘brave, scavenging little creatures’ but ‘sly as crows and with the hearts of savages’. It is not long before Aria starts to organize some of the camp’s more helpless residents; she always finds time to help others regain their confidence and self-respect. She also has a habit of saying exactly what she thinks, which often gets her into trouble, but she won’t apologize: ‘I’m not sorry’ is her catchcry. A trickle of money comes from Margaret Rose, who works as an apprentice to a milliner and Aria, who gets by as a ‘bottom-of-the-ladder’ photographic model; her physical assets are employed to ‘love’ a variety of commercial products. She does not believe in lost causes; when things get desperate for the Sparrows, it is Aria who puts her pride and reputation to one side to fight for a better future for her family.
The Sparrows of Edward Street is a wonderful novel about family relationships, about overcoming hardship and the strengths that people can gain from pulling together to beat the odds. It also provides an insight into the lives of those left damaged and poor in the years after World War Two. This is a story told with great humour; you will never look at a sparrow in the same way again.

Books in Print staff review by Chris *****

2010 Booker Prize Winner

2010-10-25T22:27:00.002+11:00

Miles Franklin Literary Award

2010-06-25T10:50:00.000+10:00

2010 Miles Franklin Award Winner
Peter Temple - Truth

At the close of a long day, Inspector Stephen Villani stands in the bathroom of a luxury apartment high above the city. In the glass bath, a young woman lies dead, a panic button within reach.
So begins Truth, the sequel to Peter Temple’s bestselling masterpiece, The Broken Shore, winner of the Duncan Lawrie Dagger for Best Crime Novel.

Hunger Games 3 : Mockingjay

2010-06-22T12:06:00.000+10:00

Worldwide Release - August 25th 2010!

Rare & Curious: The Secret History of Governor Macquarie's Collectors' Chest by Elizabeth Ellis

2010-06-17T20:59:00.004+10:00

Miegunyah Press/Melbourne University Publishing

9780522853797

In 2004 the Macquarie collector’s chest was acquired by the Mitchell Library, where it was re-united with its twin, the Dixson Galleries chest, which had been acquired by the library in 1937. The newly-arrived chest had been in storage in a Scottish castle for more than one hundred and fifty years since its departure from Australian shores in 1822. The chests had been created more as ‘cabinets of curiosities’ to display paintings and samples of fauna for pleasure. Made in part from rosewood and red cedar, both native to New South Wales, the chests are examples of the fine furniture created in the colony. Elizabeth Ellis, has produced a fascinating, detailed investigation into the provenance of the chests. The story covers personal and professional ambition, the lives of the convict artists and craftsmen who worked on the chests and the development of skilled labour under Macquarie, all set against the background of the infant colony.

Books in Print staff review by Chris *****

We, The Drowned by Carsten Jensen

2010-06-17T20:55:00.005+10:00

Harvill Secker

9781846553677

Jensen introduces the reader to the small Danish community of Marstal, a port on the island of Æero which was renowned for the prowess of its sailors, at the outbreak of war with Germany in 1848. What follows is an exciting romp which follows several generations of Marstallers as they pursue their fates on the high seas. The book is peopled by a number of vivid characters, including Laurids Madsen, who survives the 1848 conflict and immediately sets sail for foreign shores, and his son Albert who, years later, sets off in pursuit of his father. Albert eventually returns to Marstal, where his considerable material success is sadly offset by an unwanted gift of prescience which enables him to foresee the loss of Marstal’s ships and their crews in the First World War. Under Albert’s tutelage a young boy, Knud Erik, learns seafaring skills against the wishes of his mother Klara, the widow of a Marstal sailor. When Klara inherits Albert’s fortune she uses the money to undermine Marstal’s shipping industry to save the men from the clutches of the sea. She is angry and distraught when Knud Erik goes to sea and becomes embroiled in the naval conflict of the Second World War. Spanning a hundred years of maritime adventure, this 690-page novel creates its own world of magic.

Books in Print staff review by Chris *****

The Lessons by Naomi Alderman

2010-04-22T21:13:00.008+10:00

Viking
9780670916290

The storyline seemed very familiar; a disparate group of first years at Oxford are invited to share a rundown mansion with fellow student Mark - wealthy, fragile and promiscuously gay. But what differentiated this novel, and had my nose firmly stuck in it for 2 days, was the quality of the writing. The dynamics of the group, first at college and then in the ensuing years, was so well drawn for the reader - their aspirations, secrets and betrayals. The 'lessons of life' learnt, and ignored.

This is Alderman's second novel. She was named Young Writer of the Year after publication of her debut novel Disobedience.

Books in Print staff review by Deborah ****

CBCA Award Shortlists Announced

2010-03-30T21:04:00.006+11:00

The 2010 Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards shortlists were announced today.
Click here to see more.

Stay tuned for information on Book Week, which will be running from 21-27 August.
The theme this year is across the story bridge.

Miles Franklin longlist announced

2010-03-17T20:10:00.007+11:00

Lovesong by Alex Miller

The Bath Fugues by Brian Castro

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey (B fmt due May 2010)

Sons Of The Rumour by David Foster

The Book Of Emmett by Deborah Forster

Siddon Rock by Glenda Guest

Boy On A Wire by Jon Doust

Figurehead by Patrick Allington

Patrick And Oliver In America by Peter Carey

Truth by Peter Temple

Butterfly by Sonya Hartnett

The People's Train by Thomas Kenneally

Shortlist announced in April

Winner announced June 22

Orange Prize longlist announced

2010-03-17T20:08:00.001+11:00

Among the longlisted titles are

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

This Is How by M J Hyland

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

The Long Song by Andrea Levy

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

Small Wars by Sadie Jones

Shortlist announced April 20

Winner announced June 9

Mother's Day Classic 2010

2010-03-06T09:46:00.011+11:00

After finishing the 4km run in the top third last year, I have been in training for this year's 8km event. This is my opportunity to help make a difference in the lives of those women living with breast cancer now, and those who may be diagnosed in the future.

Last year, with the help of my colleagues and customers at Books in Print, I raised a grand total $2,053, putting me in the top five fundraisers in Melbourne. Please help me smash this total by making a donation at my online sponsorship page. All proceeds go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Thank you,

Kristy @ BiP

Fancy Goods

2010-02-19T23:16:00.006+11:00

Back in June 1921 when Bookseller+Publisher magazine was founded by D W Thorpe, it went by the name of The Australian Stationery and Fancy Goods Journal. Now we can keep up with plenty of book related news and reviews on a blog named in honour of that original unwielding-yet-charming title, written by the Bookseller+Publisher team and their friends in the trade.

You will find a link to Fancy Goods under Interesting Book Stuff on the BiP blog homepage.

Coming in March

2010-02-19T23:03:00.010+11:00

Gravel by Peter Goldsworthy

Hamish Hamilton

9781926428192

A contented woman finds herself considering bizarre sexual invitation that just days before filled her with scorn. A mediocre man is pulled into a strange dance with his stalker. A father gives his daughtr a Christmas present with a disturbing history. An ugly sports parent plays a game of ridiculous chance. A young boy's music lesson offers him a discordant insight into adult behaviour. And in a primal tale about the borderline between animals and humans, death is horrifyingly not the end of the story....

Compulsively readable, pitch-perfect in mood, Gravel ponders the forces that can wear down a marriage, darken desire, and lead people to thwart their best intentions.

Read one of the stories from Gravel here.

After Nam Le's The Boat, I am thoroughly looking forward to this one! - Kristy

As predicted, I loved Gravel. Very powerful stuff. - Kristy

Wheeler Centre to open in February

2010-02-01T22:09:00.005+11:00

The Wheeler Centre : Books, Writing, Ideas is a new cultural institution due to open at the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne this month. The centre, named after the founders of Lonely Planet travel guides, will become a hub for Victoria's literary and publishing community, dedicated to the discussion and practice of writing and ideas through a year-round programme of talks, lectures, readings and debates. The centre will also house the Melbourne Writers' Festival, Victorian Writers' Centre, Australian Poetry Centre and Emerging Writers' Festival.

Check it out!

Book Club Member Open Days

2009-11-23T16:05:00.005+11:00

Next week we will be holding our annual Book Club Open Days.

All current members will receive 20% off any purchases made on

Wednesday 25th November (9am - 8pm)
and
Sunday 29th December (10am - 5pm)

Books Alive 2009

2009-08-31T20:18:00.008+10:00

Last week was the official launch of Books Alive 2009. The annual government-funded promotion aimed at encouraging Australians to 'Get Reading' will run until the end of September. Customers who purchase any title from the 50 Books You Can't Put Down guide will receive one of the following titles free (while stocks last).

10 Short Stories You Must Read This Year

Something for everyone in this all-new collection of stories by ten of Australia's best writers.

Grug Learns To Read by Ted Prior

Grug, who began his life as the top of a Burrawang Tree, is back in brand-new story about learning to read.

Document Z

2009-08-19T14:39:00.008+10:00

by Andrew Croome

Allen & Unwin

9781741757439

Document Z is last year’s Australian / Vogel Literary Prize winner. Written by Andrew Croome, it is a political tale of espionage, intrigue and betrayal. It tells the story of the defection of the Petrovs, Vladimir and Evdokia, from Soviet Russia to Australia in Canberra in the 1950s.

The story is a documented part of Australian history. It was covered extensively in the media at the time. However, in Document Z, the author converts ASIO documents, first-hand accounts and 1950s and 60s media hysteria into a cohesive whole. The novel was written over three years as part of a PhD. Andrew Croome’s exhaustive research is combined with a keen sense of literary intuition. The story is interesting enough in its own right but Croome’s ability to get right inside the minds of the main players on both sides and those on the sidelines adds a whole other dimension to the reader’s experience. The story moves along at a steady pace; a well-structured plot peppered with stop-and-think insights into the mental states of various characters and sharp observations that confirm in the author that all-important writer’s quality of Empathy. While much of the novel’s subject matter is born of research, it is the imagined and the embellished in it that both successfully announces Croome’s arrival on the literary scene and brings out the humanity behind a story that without this treatment could so easily have been consigned to mere factual records, transcripts and the dusty pages of history. In Document Z, the Petrovs and their story are very much alive. Croome even gives an ASIO agent a pulse. Who knew? Brilliant from start to finish!

This is a review from The Weekend Australian

by Simon

The Book Of Emmett

2009-07-11T18:58:00.006+10:00

by Deborah Forster

Vintage

9781741667868

Set in Footscray, Deborah Forster's home territory as a child, The Book Of Emmett is a novel with a great sense of place. Largely autobiographical, the novel tells the story of the Brown family and in particular the life story of Emmett Brown, patriarch and his dark, violent nature. This is a story of domestic violence and its effect on adults and children. Emmett is a man of brooding passions, whose rages terrorize his wife and children. The book traces the complex relationships between brothers and sisters and the love and pain that evolve between them. Deborah Forster has commented that Footscray is like an extra character in the novel, and she delights in recounting details of the suburb and culture of her childhood. The Book Of Emmett is a novel about love, hope and survival; at Emmett's funeral his children realise that they loved and learned from their father, who as a younger man had recited poetry to his wife but whose failures in later life had taken him back to his own abusive childhood with terrible consequences for all of them. Beautifully written, this is a book which will live long in the reader's memory.

by Chris

Read Cathy's review of The Book Of Emmett.

Fugitive Blue

2009-07-11T18:50:00.002+10:00

by Claire Thomas

Allen & Unwin

9781741754094

The narrator of Fugitive Blue is a young art conservator in Melbourne who has been entrusted with the restoration of an unusual panel painted in ultramarine. As she tries to investigate the provenance of the painting, which has arrived in Australia with an post-war Greek migrant family, she is drawn into the history of the painting itself. The creation of the painting in Renaissance Venice was itself controversial; ultramarine was one of the most expensive pigments used by master painters and was never allowed to fall into inexperienced hands. Threaded through the novel is a parallel story which follows the conservator's developing obsession with her task and the collapse of her relationship with a young actor. Claire Thomas' novel is alive with references to art and the history of art; she looks at the role of women in art and the methods of the old masters. In a relatively short novel she has created a work of depth, with writing which brings Renaissance Venice to life and which also details the art of the conservation world of today. With a lightness of touch and beautiful writing Fugitive Blue is an exceptional first novel.

by Chris

The Virtuoso : A Novel

2009-07-11T18:44:00.002+10:00

by Sonia Orchard

4th Estate

9780732288075

Sonia Orchard’s debut novel is inspired by the life of Noel Mewton-Wood, an Australian-born pianist and a prodigy of Sir Thomas Beecham. He first rose to fame in London during the Blitz in World War Two, performing concerts with Beecham and recitals which continued through bombing raids and which helped to galvanize the spirits of Londoners during the darkest days of the war. Sadly Mewton-Wood committed suicide in 1953 at the age of 31 after the death of a lover. The narrator of the novel is a young musician who himself is enthralled by Mewton-Wood’s youthful expertise and beauty. The young man’s longing and obsession for the charismatic Noel are sadly one-sided; the reader is left to endure the narrator’s inevitable decline into melancholy. Sonia Orchard writes beautifully about music, which is at the centre of the novel, and about the hazardous nature of homosexual love in the England of World War Two and the more difficult, puritanical, post-war years when the police were active in the prosecution of such activity. The writing is absorbing; Sonia Orchard reveals the musical and emotional life of a young Australian musician of great promise. Anyone with an interest in music will find the book an absolute joy.

by Chris

Pescador's Wake

2009-07-11T18:40:00.003+10:00

by Katherine Johnson

4th Estate

9780732288266

Based in part on the true story of the pursuit of a Uruguayan fishing boat by an Australian vessel in the Southern Ocean in 2003, Pescador’s Wake recounts on one level the chase through some of the world’s most dangerous waters and on another it describes the emotional impact on the families left behind in both in Uruguay and Australia. Desperate to escape enslavement to the unscrupulous Spanish owner of the Pescador, the ship’s captain chooses to risk the lives of his crew in order to land his illegally-caught catch. The captain of the Australian vessel, who is struggling to come to terms with the death of his son, is ordered to follow ‘in hot pursuit’. The text has an immediacy which both puts you the reader in danger with the seamen in the middle of the raging oceans and also gives you insight into this hazardous occupation and the fragile life of the families left at home. Katherine Johnson’s writing describes vibrantly the sprawling southern oceans and the extreme weather conditions endured by those who work there. She is also able to portray the searing impact of family loss and deprivation on the women left behind on shore. Excellent.

by Chris

A Beautiful Place To Die

2009-07-11T18:34:00.001+10:00

by Malla Nunn

Pan

9780330425056

Detective Emmanuel Cooper is the main character in this murder mystery set in the small town of Jacob’s Rest in a remote South African province. He is sent to investigate the death of the local police chief in suspicious circumstances. He discovers a community deeply split along racial lines at a time in South Africa history when the recent introduced racial segregation laws are being rigourously enforced. The sons of the dead man are looking for someone to blame and the Special Branch, which imposes its presence on the investigation, is looking for a murderer who suits their needs. Cooper has to work surreptitiously with a coloured policeman and a Jewish doctor, unusual allies in the community, to go beyond prejudice to find justice. Many secrets, including those of the dead captain Pretorius, are uncovered during the investigation. As the plot unwinds the reader is presented with tales of sexual depravity and family members who are prepared to protect even the worst of secrets. Malla Nunn has written an intriguing novel which works both as a crime novel and an account of the devastating effects of institutionalized racial prejudice. A terrific novel with a great sense of time and place.

by Chris

The Lost Life by Steven Carroll

2009-06-18T17:18:00.008+10:00

Steven Carroll’s The Lost Life follows the successful Miles Franklin Award-winning The Time We Have Taken. In this new novel Carroll leaves behind the familiar setting of Melbourne, taking the reader back in time to England in the year 1934.

Catherine and Daniel are young lovers from a town north of London. When first we meet them they are sneaking off together on a hot summer’s day to enjoy a swim in one of the pools within the walled gardens of ‘Burnt Norton’, a large country house that readers familiar with Eliot’s work will recognise as the title of the first poem from Four Quartets.

While in the gardens, the lovers witness a very private ‘ceremony’ between Miss Emily Hale, an American woman whose rented cottage Catherine has been hired to clean and the famous poet T.S. Eliot. The ceremony ends with the burial of a metal box in the flowerbed. The older lovers depart leaving Catherine and Daniel hidden in the bushes wondering at the import of what they have witnessed. Before Catherine can stop him, Daniel, known in the village for his mischievous pranks, leaps out of the bushes and digs up the metal tin. He does so for ‘a lark’ and as a sort of gift to Catherine. She is unimpressed despite her curiosity and orders him to return it to the flowerbed. However Daniel fails to do so before Miss Hale and Eliot return to find the ground disturbed and the box missing. Eliot immediately suspects his estranged wife of having a hand in the disappearance of the box (she is unwilling to admit the failure of her marriage and has taken to stalking him). The poet is furious and inconsolable and the incident leads him to depart from the village days later.

Read the rest of Simon's review here.

Dog Boy

2009-05-26T20:10:00.006+10:00

by Evan Hornung

Text

97819215200099

Dog Boy is a story about four-year-old Romochka, abandoned by his mother and uncle in Moscow in the mid 1980s. Alone in an apartment with no food and no heating, Romochka is forced onto the streets, with the voice of his mother ringing in his ears - 'Do not talk to strangers'. Hungry and freezing, the boy sees a dog on the street and recalls a memory of hugging a neighbour's dog and being warmed by the fur. He follows the dog into the basement of a blackened, windowless church, and so begins the tale of Romochka's life as a dog.

This beautiful and brutal book is eloquently written, and it's impossible not to be touched by the characters (both dog and human). Long after you finish reading this, the story will replay in your head.

by Karen

Still Alice

2009-05-26T19:54:00.005+10:00

by Lisa Genova

Simon & Schuster

9781921470264

First time novelist Lisa Genova has written a well-crafted, intelligent story. When fifty-year-old Alice can't remember her way home from her daily jog, she realises that something is seriously wrong. With trepidation Alice tells her doctor, and her symptoms and further testing confirm that she is suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's Disease. The diagnosis is tragic, especially for someone like Alice who is a world renowned expert on linguistics and a published Harvard Professor. As Alice's world falls apart, she tries valiantly to hold on to her true self while renegotiating her relationships with her husband and children. Her relationship with her youngest daughter is fractitious and Alice disapproves of her lifestyle, while her husband would rather pretend that nothing has changed. Alice knows that soon she will soon forget everything, and all that will be left is love. The author is well equipped to write about this subject as she has a PhD in neuroscience and is a columnist for the National Alzheimer's Association.

I really enjoyed reading this, the characters were very interesting, and the dialogue is quite restrained so it never falls into mawkish sentimentality.

by Karen

Tsiolkas wins Commonwealth Writers' Prize

2009-05-20T22:11:00.008+10:00

Best-selling Melbourne author Christos Tsiolkas has won the 2009 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for his critically acclaimed fourth novel The Slap.

At the award ceremony held on Saturday at the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival, Mohammed Hanif's A Case Of Exploding Mangoes also won the overall prize for best first book.

Click here for information on all of this year's regional winners.

Jasper Jones

2009-05-13T19:18:00.011+10:00

by Craig Silvey

Allen & Unwin

9781741757743

Jasper Jones is an outcast growing up in a small mining town town in Western Australia during the Vietnam War. His aboriginal mother is dead, and his caucasian father is a deadbeat drunk.

In a place where everyone knows everyone else's business, the disappearance of the shire president's daughter is all the more mysterious. But Jasper knows the truth. The girl is dead. And he knows full well that if the body is discovered, he will be blamed immediately. So Jasper enlists the help of Charlie, a bookish thirteen year old, to dispose of the evidence so they can get to the bottom of the mystery themselves. Charlie is apprehensive, but is compelled to help his new friend all the same. And as they try to figure out what happened to the missing girl, the family secrets of a cast of endearing, alcoholic, racist, and abusive characters are revealed. A very entertaining and insightful read, packed with hilarious, witty dialogue. I absolutely loved every minute of it! Recommended for book groups.

The film rights for Jasper Jones were secured by an Australian producer before it's publication.

Craig Silvey's first novel Rhubarb was written when he was just 19 years old.

by Kristy

Miles Franklin Shortlist

2009-04-16T22:44:00.001+10:00

Breath by Tim Winton

Ice by Louis Nowra

The Pages by Murray Bail

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas

Wanting by Richard Flanagan

The winner will be announced on the 18th of June.

Of the 55 books submitted for this year's Miles Franklin Award, the following ten titles made the longlist

Addition by Toni Jordan

A Fraction Of The Whole by Steve Toltz

Breath by Tim Winton

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas

Wanting by Richard Flanagan

Fugitive Blue by Claire Thomas

Ice by Louis Nowra

One Foot Wrong by Sofie Laguna

The Devil's Eye by Ian Townsend

The Pages by Murray Bail

Click here for more info

The Book Of Emmett

2009-03-05T20:25:00.005+11:00

by Deborah Forster

Vintage

9781741667868

A powerful read, set in Footscray, The Book Of Emmett tells the story of a family dealing with the effects of an extremely abusive father. Emmett is an intriguing character, although abusive physically and psychologically to his wife and children due to a problem with alcohol, he is also at times a most inspirational father, always trying to instill his love of literature upon his children (his only other passion apart from alcohol it would seem). The children are obviously all damaged in their own way from his abuse and as they grow older, deal with this in different ways as they watch their father age and diminish with the years.

A harrowing novel in many ways (it made me cry more than once), very well written and though provoking. Recommended for book groups.

by Cathy

Yarra : A History Of Melbourne's Murky River

2009-02-28T14:30:00.008+11:00

by Kristin Otto

Text

9781921520006

The information in this book is fascinating, I do love a good local history! But the way it was presented drove me crazy. The blurb on the back says that it 'sometimes meanders along with the same unhurried languor as its namesake'. I found this construction less than charming, in fact it made reading the book quite confusing at times and unnecessarily irritating. The maps are also poorly reproduced and difficult to read, the photos/pictures likewise. A pity becasue, as I said, an absolutely fascinating subject.

By Christine

The Girl On The Landing

2009-02-28T14:23:00.010+11:00

by Paul Torday

W & N Fiction

9780297855330

I have mentioned this book elsewhere, but will do so again as it has just been released this week. Despite a less than flattering review in The Age this morning, Elizabeth S and I really enjoyed it. Basically the story is woven around mental illness and the consequences of the patient deciding to cease his medication. Lots of suspense and surprise. I loved it.

By Christine

Read Christine's review of The Inrresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce

2009 Commonwealth Writers' Prize

2009-02-24T18:17:00.012+11:00

The shortlists for the 2009 Commonwealth Writers' Prize have been announced.

Among the shortlisted titles are :

- Breath by Tim Winton (best book)

- The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas (best book)

- The Spare Room by Helen Garner (best book)

- The Good Parents by Joan London (best book)

- The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (best first book)

- The Boat by Nam Lee (best first book)

Click here to see the complete shortlists.

Butterfly

2009-02-04T17:16:00.013+11:00

by Sonya Hartnett

Hamish Hamilton

9780241015421

Sonya Hartnett's novels are read by adults and young adults alike, and her first novel since being awarded the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (March 2008) will no doubt appeal to an audience well beyond the age of the protagonist.

Set in 1980s suburban Australia, Butterfly tells the story of Plum Coyle, later dubbed Aria, fast approaching her fourteenth birthday, after which she hopes that her old life, awkward body, and best friends (her worst enemies) will be a thing of her past. Plum's charming and glamorous neighbour Maureen, a wife and mother, soon becomes a coveted friend, but for reasons that Plum is initially oblivious. Maureen, recognising her sadness, reassures Plum that she understands her plight, telling her that she is strong and beautiful, even capable of becoming a fashion model. When she's with Maureen, Plum feels like the girl she had always wanted to be.

Plum is faced with more tribulations when her friends turn on her (for good reason), ruining her birthday party, and again when she discovers Maureen's secret - a secret with the potential to tear Plum's family apart.

Butterfly is beautifully written and cleverly expresses the trials of early adolescence, and dynamics of Plum's loving family versus her tentative place in the schoolyard.

by Kristy

Life Class by Brenda Niall

2009-01-31T14:07:00.005+11:00

An autobiography by the biographer if you will. I knew nothing at all about Brenda Niall and I thoroughly enjoyed reading Life Class. I learnt of her childhood, in Kew, her schooling at Genazzano and her years teaching at the fledgling Monash University. And I learnt of the biographies she has written. More interestingly, though, I discovered how she decides who to write about and how to structure their lives in print. Her research into each of her subjects and how bias is a fact of life in biographical writing to be avoided if possible was fascinating. The dilemma wether to reveal skeletons found in closets was also absorbing. A lovely little book.

by Christine

The Patient by Mohamed Khadra

2009-01-31T13:32:00.007+11:00

Dr Khadra's follow up to Making The Cut, in which he sets out his fairly strong opinions on the state of health care in Australia (mostly a cot case in urgent need of repair). He does this by using the journey of Jonathan Brewster, your standard Type A corporate high-flyer, from his diagnosis to eventual death from bladder cancer. The book is written in two layers: one a very dry diatribe on public health policy, doctors, nurses etc and the other a very affecting tale of the one-way cancer trip and the disintegration it causes. Accused of being arrogant and patronising in Making The Cut (many nurses hated it!), he is nevertheless capable of writing very well about the human condition and how disease disrupts everything around us. He tells Jonathan's story with genuine feeling and I thought it was excellent. It's just a pity that it was continually interrupted by Khadra's barrow-pushing most of which we've heard before. Hopefully next time (and I hope he has more books in him) the good doctor will stick to what he does very well: writing about patients as people.

by Christine

The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark

2009-01-23T23:22:00.013+11:00

One of the most delightful debut novels I’ve read in a long time. Maybe it’s the lack of expectation I had, or maybe it’s just that I was in the mood for a pacy, entertaining and uncomplicated read. Whatever the reason, it was enjoyable from start to finish.

I’ve been raving about it to all and sundry, describing it mostly as a cross between The Da Vinci Code and Like Water for Chocolate, but set in Venice in the rat-infested late 1490s. What a combination!

The story follows Luciano, a hungry street kid with only his wits to keep him alive, until he is literally pulled from the street by a renowned chef to become his apprentice. Determined to rise above his lowly status, he works hard and pesters the ‘Maestro’ with questions about life, learning, and the mysterious book that has Venice abuzz with gossip, and one that the chef seems to know a lot about. Historical figures such as Borgia and Landucci are on a mission to find and destroy the book, believing the myths about its power of immortality and alchemy. But Luciano finds out it is much more powerful than even these men suspect.

Elle Newmark’s writing is deceptively simple and light; I got a cooking and history lesson almost without realising it! There were some very blatant manipulative touches in the way she propelled the novel’s early action, but I was happy to go along for the ride, and ultimately very glad I did.

Venice and food and the delights of cooking feature as separate characters in the narrative. The murky canal city, with all the secrets she is purported to harbour, makes a perfect setting for a novel about food, religion, immortality and maintaining self-belief. But it’s far more entertaining than this summary suggests! Go and buy it for someone who loves food, history and appreciates a pacy but intelligent holiday read - but read it yourself first!!!

by Lisa

Rosewater and Soda Bread by Marsha Mehran

2009-01-17T15:45:00.006+11:00

The sequel to Pomegranate Soup which I haven't read. Continues the story of the Aminpour sisters Marjan, Bahar and Layla and their Persian cafe in small village Ireland. Weaves together themes of ethnicity, love, community spirit, compassion, cooking and religion effortlessly. Using the conceit of cooking as a metaphor for life, Rosewater And Soda Bread is delightful - I hope Marsha Mehran has a further sequel in the pipeline. I also hope that the it's predecessor is soon available! Would suit readers who liked Chocolat, Guernsey Literary etc..

by Christine

The Irresistible Inheritance Of Wilberforce by Paul Torday

2009-01-17T15:30:00.005+11:00

Wilberforce is a thirty something IT whizkid with a hugely successful software company to his name. He is also emotionally crippled (courtesy of disengaged parents and emotional neglect as a child) who is chewed up and spat out by most of the people he meets. The two people who actually care about him, his business partner and his wife, are in turn chewed up and spat out by Wiberforce. I read the book with an appalled fascination, witness to Wilberforce's determined and relentless track towards self-destruction using his alcoholic 'inheritance' from his friend Francis. The book could variously be called The Road To Perdition or How To Ruin Your Child In 308 Pages. It was great!

Also great is Torday's new novel due out in March: The Girl On The Landing. Basically murder, skeletons in closets, criminal insanity and treatment of serious mental illness! I couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed it.

by Christine

Goldengrove by Francine Prose

2008-11-04T17:05:00.004+11:00

A beautifully written tale of a family trying to deal with the sudden death of a family member. Margaret, eldest child of Henry and Daisy and sister to thirteen year old Nico, drowns in the local lake, possibly of a non-treated heart condition. The excruciating rawness of grief isolates Nico and her parents: her mother blocks it out with prescription drugs, her father buries himself in his bookshop, Goldengrove, and his unfinished novel. Nico stumbles into a relationship of sorts with Margaret's boyfriend Aaron, himself desperately unable to cope. Prose seems to write about grief from the inside and I found her story quite moving. The family are not healed after the death in the family because one never is, but at novel's end she brings the family to a satisfying place: ' bobbing into the blinding light' where 'we had to relearn to breathe'. A place where missing Margaret was still painful, but someone had ' lowered the volume of the siren song that so nearly took us down with her"

by Christine

Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill

2008-10-13T10:07:00.006+11:00

This amazing story of African girl Aminata's escape from abduction, slavery and cruelty to become the doyenne of the abolitionist movement is a knock-out. Hill writes with a beautifully restrained lyricality, and creates a very compelling voice for this heroine who straddles multiple worlds and cultures. Historically, the novel is rich and fascinating, and takes the reader inside Aminata's experience of slavery with a depth that has, in my humble opinion, never before been achieved in English literature. Without a doubt, this is my book of the year!

Elly J. (Elizabeth)

$32.99 TP

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

2008-10-13T09:56:00.012+11:00

A man enduring a long recovery from horrific burns. A woman, possibly suffering from mental illness, who takes on his care. A figurative and literal journey to Dante's Inferno and back. And a love between two people that has outlasted centuries and even death. These elements combine to create one of the most enjoyable flights of fancy published this year - for open-minded readers who want a dash of magical realism to spice up their summer reading.

Elly J. (Elizabeth)

$32.95 TP

A Most Wanted Man by John le Carre

2008-10-08T21:25:00.004+11:00

John le Carre's latest novel, A Most Wanted Man, is set in Hamburg, Germany, the city where Mohamed Atta and other members of Al Qaeda prepared for their assault on the United States — a “guilty city,” in one character’s words, which hatched this terrorist cell, and which, in the years since the attacks, has become a focal point for German, American and British intelligence.

Read the NY Times article...

Man Booker Shortlist Announced

2008-09-14T13:32:00.012+10:00

Australian Steve Toltz's debut novel A Fraction Of The Whole has made the shortlist for this year's Man Booker prize.

The other shortlisted novels are :

White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry

Sea Of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh

Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher

Clothes On Their Backs by Linda Grant

Kristy gives this book 5 stars *****

Murder Farm by Andrea Maria Schenkel

2008-09-02T12:05:00.015+10:00

This novel is based on a real case that occurred in Germany in the 1920s: an ageing farmer, his elderly wife, their daughter, the daughter's two young children and a maid were all brutally murdered on their farm in the remote countryside. Schenkel's narrative gradually untangles the mesh of events, each chapter being a different eyewitness's account of events. Its gentle sketching-in of events of the decade preceding the murders also makes this a fascinating portrait of postwar Germany (the murders are relocated by the author to the 1950s). I read it in two hours - it is not long, almost a novella, and is easy to read - but the story was extremely compelling and it kept me guessing until the very end. Without spoiling the story, more horrifying than the murders themselves are the dark family secrets revealed during the course of the investigation - this is a dark book. Would appeal to both crime and general readers alike.

Elizabeth J. (Elly!)

The Minutes of the Lazarus Club by Tony Pollard

2008-08-31T12:38:00.007+10:00

Have just started reading this and finding it most interesting. A surgeon in 1857's London becomes involved in a clandestine off-shoot of the Royal Society: members include Darwin, Bazalgette and Brunel. The atmosphere is murky, at times gory and very mysterious. To quote the blurb: the enigmatic machinations of a dark conspiracy set the scene for a thriller read.

Christine

$32.95 TP

America America by Ethan Canin

2008-08-13T21:12:00.011+10:00

Reading this at the moment. Historical novel set in the 1960s and '70s near the Great Lakes in the US. A young boy from a working-class family is 'adopted' by the scion of the local leading industrial family who are major supporters of the Democrats. In later life, the boy becomes a journalist on the local newspaper. As narrator of America America he records the rise and fall of the local Democrat Senator and his attempt to run for the presidency of the United States. Really well written, a detailed, thoroughly interesting novel.

Chris

$32.95 TP

Six Suspects by Vikas Swarup

2008-08-13T21:02:00.019+10:00

Not Q & A part two. A longer, deeper novel of great black humour which features modern Indian stereotypes; the corrupt politician, his son the untouchables young businessman who is immune to the law, a Bollywood actress who needs to stay in front of the cameras, an innocent tribal man who confronts the sophistication of India's cities, a street kid on the way up, and a holy fool in the form of an American tourist. When the young businessman in killed whilst celebrating his (lucky and illegal) escape from a murder charge, there are six suspects for his murder. The book follows the story of each suspect.

Very entertaining, but a more serious read than Q & A. Highly recommended.

Chris

$32.95 TP

The Rip by Robert Drewe

2008-08-13T20:53:00.012+10:00

In this new collection of short stories, some are good - The Lap Pool, The Water Person and the Tree Person, The Life Alignment of the Coffee Grower - others seem more like sketches for short stories. Set in exotic Australian locations such as Byron Bay, the Queensland coast and the West Australian coast. Entertaining reading.

Chris

BiP Children's Blog

2008-08-06T21:34:00.005+10:00

We have decided to create a separate blog dedicated to children's books.

Check it out at booksinprintkids.blogspot.com

Books Alive 2008

2008-07-26T12:17:00.015+10:00

Tomorrow is the official launch of Books Alive 2008. Bombproof by Michael Robotham is exclusive to Books Alive, and will be available free with any purchase from the '50 Books You Can't Put Down' guide.

Books Alive is an annual government promotion running from 27 July until 31 August.

Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs

2008-07-22T10:27:00.014+10:00

Feeling jaded with forensic anthropology as practised by Tempe Brennan, I have skipped the last few novels by Kathy Reichs. On a lazy Sunday recently I picked up an advance copy of Devil Bones. Not only did I finish it in a day, but I was pleasantly surprised by the freshness of both plot and characters. Yes, it's still about 'bones' with probably more technical detail than the reader desires. But Reichs takes you into the world of exotic religions in her quest to identify two young victims found in a cellar complete with decapitated chickens,animal bones and other fetishes. Santeria, voodoo, devil worship, wiccas....the narrative is taut, with surprising twists.

Deborah

$27.95 TP

Books In Print Celebrates 20 Years

2008-07-21T22:25:00.001+10:00

Stay tuned for details of our upcoming birthday celebrations!

The Other Hand by Chris Cleave

2008-07-21T21:41:00.014+10:00

The story is told in alternating chapters by a young Nigerian refugee, Little Bee, and a female British journalist, Sarah. The pair met on a beach in Nigeria in a shocking scene where Sarah loses a finger in an effort to save the young girl’s life. Years later, Little Bee is released from a British detention centre with no paperwork, and turns up on Sarah’s doorstep the day of her husband’s funeral. Sarah decides to take Little Bee in until she can figure out what to do with the girl. Little by little, Little Bee reveals details of her final days in Nigeria, including the brutal rape and murder of her older sister, her escape to the UK, and her time in the detention centre. The book is exceptionally well-written, funny and shocking. Great for book clubs.

Kristy (Cathy, Chris and Elly have also read The Other Hand)

$32.99 TP

Crime prize winners

2008-07-21T19:11:00.004+10:00

Frances Fyfield has won the Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award for her novel Blood From Stone, and Tom Rob Smith won the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for his first novel, Child 44.

Karen

2008-07-20T21:17:00.009+10:00

Hell by Yasutaka Tsutsui ***
Elegance Of The Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery ***1/2
House Of Special Purpose by John Boyne **1/2
American Rust by Philipp Meyer ****
Gone by Michael Grant (older readers) ***
Vintage Alice by Jessica Adams ***
Of Bees And Mist by Erick Setiawan **
Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey ****
Voluntary Madness by Norah Vincent ***1/2
Wetlands by Charlotte Roche **
We Are All Made Of Glue by Marina Lewycka ****1/2
Book Of Emmett by Deborah Forster ***1/2
Marriage Club by Kate Legge ***1/2
Dog Boy by Eva Hornung *****
Rainy Season by Myfanwy Jones ***
Butterfly by Sonya Hartnett ***
Still Alice by Lisa Genova ****
Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill ***
Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson ***
Child 44 by Tom Robb Smith *****

Elly

2008-07-20T20:43:00.006+10:00

Beatrice And Virigl by Yann Martel

Nothing Was The Same by Kay Redfield Jamison

Columbine by Dave Cullen

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

The Vagrants by Yiyun Li

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Heaven's Net Is Wide by Lian Hearn

Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill

A Good And Happy Child by Justin Evans

Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

The Other Hand by Chris Cleave

Murder Farm by Maria Davidson

A Case Of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif

Sue

2008-07-20T20:39:00.008+10:00

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Ransom by Davoid Malouf
Selected Works Of T S Spivet by Reif Larsen
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
Marriage Club by Kate Legge
Piano Teacher by Janice Lee
Wanting by Richard Flanagan
American Journeys by Don Watson
Forgeotten Garden by Kate Morton
America America by Ethan Canin
Good Parents by Joan London
Independence Of Miss Mary Bennett by Colleen McCullough
The Crossroads by Niccolo Ammaniti
Strangers by Anita Brookman
The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville
One Morning Like A Bird by Andrew Miller
House At Salvation Creek by Susan Duncan
The Boat by Nam Le
When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson
Life In Seven Mistakes by Susan Johnson
Spare Room by Helen Garner

Penny

2008-07-20T20:38:00.001+10:00

Fraction Of The Whole by Steve Toltz
One Foot Wrong by Sofia Laguna
Fermin by Sam Savage
My Name Is Will by Jess Winfield

Lisa

2008-07-20T20:37:00.000+10:00

Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark

America America by Ethan Canin

Kristy

2008-07-20T20:34:00.043+10:00

Sideways by Patrick O'Neil ***** (If you liked Marching Powder)
Beautiful Malice by Rebecca James *****
Dry Season by Dan Smith ****
The Worst This She Ever Did by Alice Kuipers **1/2
How To Talk To A Widower by Jonathan Tropper ***1/2

This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper ****

Gravel by Peter Goldsworthy ****

Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel ***

Sleeper's Wake by Alistair Morgan ****1/2

John Dies Near The End by David Wong **

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger ****

Romance by Denis Robert **

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami ***1/2

Vernon God Little by D B C Pierre ****

The Death Of Bunny Munro by Nick Cave **1/2

Born To Run by Christopher McDougall ****

Strange Places by Will Elliott ****

The Danger Game by Kalinda Ashton ****

This Is How by M J Hyland ***

Electroboy by Andy Behrman ***

The Blue Notebook by James A Levine (Aug) ****

Disco Boy by Dominic Knight ***

Wetlands by Charlotte Roche **

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey *****

If I Stay by Gayle Forman ****

The Book Of Emmett by Deborah Forster ****

Heliopolis by James Scudamore ****

I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti ****

The Jesus Man by Christos Tsiolkas **

Things We Didn't See Coming by Steven Amsterdam ***

Up A Tree In The Park At Night With A Hedgehog by P Robert Smith **

The Anatomy Of Wings by Karen Foxlee ****

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates ***

The Coma by Alex Garland ***

Butterfly by Sonya Hartnett ****

The Crossroads by Niccolo Ammaniti ****

Rainy Season by Myfanwy Jones **

Life Of Pi by Yann Martel ***** The Beach by Alex Garland *****

The Boat by Nam Le **** The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas ***

The Other Hand by Chris Cleave ****

A Fraction Of The Whole by Steve Toltz *****

How The Lights Get's In by M J Hyland

Life On The Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers ***

Christine

2008-07-20T20:27:00.013+10:00

Other Anzacs by Peter Rees

Bloodletting And Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam

Direct Red by Gabrielle Weston

Cry Me A River by Steve Posselt

Tiger's Eye by Inga Clendinnen

The Lucky Ones by Tohby Riddle (young adult)

Long Life by Nigel Nicolson

Valley Of Grace by Marion Halligan

Marriage Club by Kate Legge

Struggletown by Janet McCalman

Pursuit Of Oblivion by Richard Davenport-Hines

Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Beginner's Guide To Living by Lia Hills

Blessed Days Of Anaesthesia by Stephanie Snow

Seven Little Billabongs by Brenda Niall

Life Class by Brenda Niall

The Patient by Mohamed Khadra

Rosewater And Soda Bread by Marsha Mehran

Irresistable Inheritance Of Wilburforce by Paul Torday

Girl On The Landing by Paul Torday
Case Book Of Victor Frankenstein by Peter Ackroyd
Rescue Man by Anthony Quinn
God's Architect by Rosemary Hill
Lieutenant by Kate Grenville
Churchill And Australia by Graham Freudenberg
Hunting Elephants by Roy James
Dead House by Maria Simms
The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas

Minutes Of The Lazarus Club by Tony Pollard

Six Suspects by Vikas Swarup
Life In Seven Mistakes by Susan Johnson

Cathy

2008-07-20T20:12:00.014+10:00

Liar by Justine Larbalestier (young adult)

How The Light Gets In by M J Hyland ***

The Ask And The Answer by Patrick Ness (older readers) ****

Stolen by Lucy Christopher (young adult) ***

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson ****1/2

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson ****1/2

The Blue Notebook by James A Levine ***

Reunion by Andrea Goldsmith ****

The Bride's Farewell by Meg Rosoff ****

Beautiful Dead 01 : Jonas by Eden Maguire (young adult) ***

Forest Of Hands And Teeth by Carrie Ryan (young adult) ***

Evernight by Claudia Gray (young adult) **1/2

The Dog by Kerstin Ekman ****

Before I Die by Jenny Downham **

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (older readers) ****

If I Stay by Gayle Foreman (young adult) ****

After The Fall by Kylie Ladd **

When The Hipchicks Went To War by Pamela Rushby (young adult) ***
Worldshaker by Richard Harland ***
Book Of Emmett by Deborah Forster ****
The Slap by Christos Tsioalkis ***
Butterfly by Sonya Hartnett ****

White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (Booker 08 winner) ****
Where The Streets Had A Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah (young adult) ***
Loathing Lola by William Kostakis (young adult) ***
Somebody's Crying by Maureen McCarthy (young adult) ****
Kaspar Prince Of Cats by Michael Morpurgo (younger readers) ****
Cherub : The Recruit by Michael Muchamore (older readers)
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer ****

The Other Hand by Chris Cleave ****

Deb

2008-07-20T20:10:00.011+10:00

The Lessons by Naomi Alderman
Second-Last Woman in England by Maggie Joel
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
The Lessons by Naomi Alderman
Trust by Kate Veitch

Mr Rosenblum's List by Natasha Solomon

Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell

Trespass by Rose Tremain

The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly

Marriage Club by Kate Legge

Preacher by Camilla Lackberg
Darker Domain by Val McDermid Reunion by Andrea Goldsmith Arctic Chill by Arnaldul Indridason Private Patient by P D James

Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs

The Rip by Robert Drewe Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen

Chris

2008-07-20T20:05:00.013+10:00

Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

The Dogs And The Wolves by Irene Nemirovsky

A Beautiful Place To Die by Malla Nunn

Pescador's Wake by Katherine Johnson

The Virtuoso : A Novel by Sonia Orchard

Fugitive Blue by Claire Thomas

The Book Of Emmett by Deborah Forster

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

A Most Immoral Woman by Linda Jaivin

Selected Works of T S Spivit by Larsen Reif

Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell

Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Ransom by David Malouf
Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb
Wanting by Richard Flanagan

America America by Ethan Canin
Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
A Fraction Of The Whole by Steve Toltz

Six Suspects by Vikas Swarup

The Rip by Robert Drewe

The Other Hand by Chris Cleave

Books In Print Members Club

2008-07-20T18:44:00.002+10:00

The aim of the Book Club is to provide regular book-buyers with a benefit for the level of support they give to Books In Print.

Purchases made by book club members earn bonus points at a rate of 1 point for every $1.10 spent (ie. $1.00 + 10% GST). When members' purchases reach a total of 150 points they become eligible for a Bonus Voucher valued at $15.00 which can be redeemed at Books In Print. Members must produce their Bonus Voucher at the time of sale to receive the benefit, and vouchers can be redeemed for goods only, not for cash. Every purchase you make is recorded against your membership number on the store's computer system, so it is very helpful if you tell us that you are a member when you come to the counter so we can ensure that your purchases are correctly logged.

Members earn points for every purchase made at Books In Print - this includes books on special, cards, calendars, diaries and all other products. Special orders and books ordered from overseas also attract bonus points. Any purchase of a Books In Print Gift Voucher will earn points, but points are not earned when Gift Voucher or Bonus Vouchers are redeemed. Australian Book Vouchers issued by the Australian Booksellers Association do not qualify for Book Club points.

Members' purchases are processed once every month and a Bonus Voucher is mailed out to members for every 150 points earned. Any excess points are carried forward - they do not expire.

If you shop locally on a regular basis and would like to be a part of our members club, please ask a staff member to sign you up. It is important that you then remember to let us know that you are a member every time you shop at Books In Print, no matter how small the purchase. Also, please remember that members must produce their Bonus Voucher in order to redeem it.

See you in store soon :)

Simon

2008-07-20T14:31:00.011+10:00

Granta Issue. 106 - New Fiction Special - by Granta (Various)
All Names Have Been Changed - by Claire Kilroy
Document Z - by Andrew Croome
American Rust - by Philipp Meyer
On The Road - by Jack Kerouac
Vertigo - byAmanda Lohrey
The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet - by Reif Larsen
The Infinities by John Banville (due October 2009)
The Lost Life by Steven Carroll
Granta Issue. 105 - Lost & Found - by Granta (Various)
Granta Issue. 104 - Fathers - by Granta (Various)
The Emigrants by W.G. Sebald
Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald
The Rings of Saturn by W. G. Sebald
Watt by Samuel Beckett
The Paris Review Interviews vol. 3 by Philip Gourevitch (ed)
An Accidental Man by Iris Murdoch
God's Gift to Women by Don Paterson
Kingdom of Fear by Hunter S. Thompson
The Boat by Nam Le
Nobel Lectures 1985 - 2006 by Melbourne University Press
Consider the Lobster (& Other Essays) by David Foster Wallace
The Air-Conditioned Nightmare by Henry Miller
Thais by Anatole France
Three Dollars by Elliot Perlman
The Reasons I Won't Be Coming by Elliot Perlman
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
A Devil in Paradise by Henry Miller
The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Elizabeth

2008-07-20T10:59:00.008+10:00

The Women by T C Boyle
The Elegance Of The Hedgehog by Murial Barbery
Ice by Louis Nowra
Year Of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Salvation Creek by Susan Duncan
Past And Other Lives by Maggie Joel
Darius Bell And The Glitter Pool by Odo Hirsch
The Girl On The Landing by Paul Torday
Piano Teacher by Janice Y K Lee
Jackdaw Summer by David Almond
Adoration Of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
Winter Song by Jean-Claude Mourlevat
Finnikin Of The Rock by Melina Marchetta
Lying Carpet by David Lucas
Highest Tide by Jim Lynch

The Lost Life

2008-01-07T21:44:00.001+11:00

...

Thus Catherine, through Daniel’s prank, is thrust into a quandary. She is guilty by association but cannot bring herself to own up and explain what has happened to Miss Hale. At the same time she is drawn ever closer to Miss Hale who treats the young woman more and more as her only confidant, especially after Eliot’s departure.

The novel is a superbly written one. Peppered with references to Eliot’s poetry, especially in the opening chapters, it is also most assuredly Carroll’s. He writes about his subject matter in a delicate yet confident tone. Weaving threads together, both narrative and thematic, he constructs, or re-constructs, rather, the world that was England in the early to mid 1930’s, all the while never losing sight of the very personal journey into adulthood that his protagonist, Catherine, is on.

The novel is one of symmetry, for the most part; a balancing act. There are essentially four major characters: Catherine, Daniel, Emily Hale and T.S. Eliot. The women compliment each other well in terms of how fully Carroll develops their characters. Conversely the men are left deliberately vague with only a fraction of the insight and development invested in their counterparts. Thus, Carroll balances Catherine with Miss Hale, Catherine with Jonathan, Miss Hale with Eliot and, in that curiously vague and indirect way, Eliot with Jonathan. Vivienne, Eliot’s estranged wife, hovers with spectral influence in the background throughout. Her presence is balanced by Catherine’s mother, whose function is to act as a figurehead against whom Catherine is compelled to rebel in the assertion of her adulthood.

Catherine’s youthful qualities and private thoughts, desires and fears are set beautifully against the stoical, resigned and at times defeated nature of Miss Hale who sees in Catherine the woman she was when she first met her ‘Tom’ (Eliot) all those years ago in Boston. She sees a young Eliot in Daniel (soon to leave for Paris) and fears for Catherine’s future should she pine for him for too long after he leaves.

Carroll's careful insight into the minds of his characters is offset by his instinct for a good story. He knows just when to delve into the interiority of Catherine and when to pull back and give way to the more historical aspects of the narrative. More balancing! The 'real-life' characters of Miss Hale and Eliot blend easily with the fictional cast of the book.

No giving away the ending here. Suffice to say the book is a must-read, regardless of whether or not you are familiar with Carroll’s work. Each word, each sentence has been carefully considered and yet the novel flows with that summer afternoon prose; effortless, languid, itchy, putting the reader both at ease and on edge. Great stuff.