Book review: The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty

The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've now read all of Moriarty's books and this is one of my favourites.
I really enjoyed the setting which was much more 'Australiana' than her other books (a small fictional Island off Sydney called Scribbly Gum) and the characters were all loveable and realistic. The mystery was relatively easy to solve, but really wasn't the main purpose of the novel for me. I thought it was much more about family, including unconventional ones, and secrets kept over generations.

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Book review: The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty

The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am such a fan of Moriarty since I first read What Alice Forgot many years ago and I have been slowly making my way through all her books.
Perhaps if I had read this one first I would have given it a higher rating, because it is a very good book. Just not her best.
I loved the premise of Ellen, a clinical hypnotherapist, meeting Patrick and then discovering that a relationship with Patrick and his son also comes along with his stalker of 3 years (ex girlfriend Saskia). The rotation of points of view between Ellen and Saskia was very well done and gave us an unexpected sympathy towards a "crazy stalker", but I never really warmed to Patrick and was never really convinced of Ellen's feelings towards him.
The audio narration is very well done and recommended.

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Book review: Faithful by Alice Hoffman

Faithful by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"What is behind you is gone, what is in front of you awaits"
I loved this line from the book because it perfectly sums up the crux of this novel.
Shelby is involved in a terrible car accident as a teenager and shuts herself away from the world. We follow her over the next several years as she copes (or doesn't) with her guilt and anger and slowly reconnects with the world.
This is only my second Hoffman novel (the first being The Dovekeepers) and the novels couldn't be more different in topic, but also I found the writing of this book much more accessible and contemporary. I was surprised to find myself wanting to be friends with Shelby and really caring about her and not wanting to say goodbye at the end of the novel. And for anyone to be able to write characters like that is a real skill.
I recommend this to anyone that loves an easy to read contemporary fiction about life, love and family.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Review: The Art of Keeping Secrets by Rachael Johns

The Art of Keeping Secrets by Rachael Johns
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book follows the lives of three friends as they share some huge secrets that have made an impact on their lives.
I really enjoyed the characterisations and I thought they were all likeable and believable. It was also a story with a few surprises, tears and laughs.
On the flip side, I found the prose and the dialogue a little superfluous and a proper edit would have taken this from a good book to a great one that could sit along side other fabulous contemporary Australian authors such as Liane Moriarty.
For example, a character drives to a church and we are told "when they arrived...(she) slipped the car keys into her clutch bag and walked over to join Zoe, Seb...." The keys going into her bag and her walking over to these characters adds nothing to the story. I probably wouldn't notice this once or twice, but it was continual through the book that we are given step-by-step and it just isn't needed. Also, some of the dialogue "your daughters will be happy to have you closer to come again too, especially Hannah who will also be here". or "Would you like me to run you a bath and pour you a glass of wine" That just isn't how someone would actually speak in a casual setting. This may seem like I'm being picky, but it did bug me through the book as I think there is so much potential here.
Having said all of that, I did enjoy it and would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Review: Sheltering Rain by Jojo Moyes

Sheltering Rain by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jojo Moyes is one of the best writers I have come across when it comes to character driven fiction. I had delayed reading her earlier work for fear that it may not be as good as all of her other books that I've read, but there was really no need. This lady has talent and clearly has continued to hone it over time, but these earlier works are just as good.
This is a story about family, secrets, assumptions and love. Although I didn't really connect with the mother, Kate, I still found her character believable and at the end of the book I was really sad to say goodbye to everyone.

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Book Review: Black Rock White City by A.S. Patric

Black Rock White City by A.S. Patric
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jovan and his wife Suzana fled Bosnia and sought refuge in Australia. Both previously literature professors at University, he is now a cleaner at a hospital and she is a cleaner for a private home.
As this story progresses we slowly receive more and more information as to their past and what they have fled. Overlaying this is the mystery surrounding Jovan's workplace where someone has been leaving graffiti throughout the hospital with strange words and small poems, and the graffiti slowly escalates to murder.
Language is a key theme in this book. The things we say, and don't say. The way that Jovan can think and feel poetically, but his grasp of the English language means that he is unable to convey these thoughts. The graffiti using words as weapons. Suzana's direct and sometimes hurtful and brutal honesty.
This is not an easy read and the use of short sentences that are not descriptive can make the reading sometimes jarring as the reader attempts to catch up with what just happened. However, there is a kind of strange beauty in the writing style and is worth the effort of reading.

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Book review: Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Moriarty is one of the best writers of character driven novels I have come across. Each of her books has taken me on a journey through the lives of some wonderful and interesting characters, usually with a few laughs and tears along the way.
It was hard to stop reading this book. It is most like Big Little Lies in that there is a mystery to this book which keeps you turning the pages. It is not until well after half way through the book that we discover what happened at "the barbecue" and then, of course, I wanted to keep reading to know how it would all end!

Great read.

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Book review: The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin

The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was chosen for my book club, and I'll be honest and say I wasn't really looking forward to it based on the synopsis. It sounded a bit depressing and I don't do well with stories of children being harmed or in distress.
So, to my surprise, I actually ended up reading it quite quickly and rather enjoying it.
I liked that the book included excerpts from real cases of apparent "past lives", presumably the works that inspired the author. But this is not a spiritual novel, actually the discussion around reincarnation is clinical and 'factual'. It is more about the potential for things in this world we can't understand, and of course there was quite a mystery running through the book which kept the pace up and the pages turning.
I didn't really understand the need for some of the sub-plots, and even at the end I wondered about why it was necessary, but as a debut author I thought this was a very well written and intriguing bit of fiction.

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Book Review: Dear Thing by Julie Cohen

Dear Thing by Julie Cohen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm sure from the synopsis you can already see this is going to be a difficult book. Ben and Claire have been trying for six years to have a baby and every attempt and intervention has failed. Although we aren't there for this emotional roller-coaster, we get given a great insight into the aftermath on their emotional well-being and relationship. It is, naturally, heart breaking.
Romily is Ben's best friend since College and one drunken evening declares she will be their surrogate, using her egg and Ben's sperm.

I found this book so hard to put down because I was so intrigued and curious as to how Cohen would be able to manage this seemingly impossible situation. I loved the characters and felt for all of them, and just like The Day Of Second Chances I was swept into their lives.

The ending wasn't quite satisying, and I still had a lot of questions about what happens next, but I also don't know how this kind of story could be ended in another way.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Review: If I Should Lose You by Natasha Lester

Why I read this:  I wanted to read Natasha Lester's back catalogue

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, 

In a Nutshell: Organ donation, Ethics in medicine, families and relationships

Would suit fans of: Sally Hepworth

If I Should Lose You by Natasha Lester
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been sitting on this review not really knowing what to write.
The book explores the very difficult topic of organ donation from the viewpoint of a coordinating Nurse in the hospital (who talks to the families and tries to provide them with information to make a decision about donation), who also happens to be a mother with a terminally ill child in need of a liver donation. Understandably, the Nurse's family is under stress and her marriage is breaking apart.

The book is well written with respect given for this very difficult subject matter. It was at times full of hope, but also despair and disappointment. I think what I like about Lester's style is that she doesn't tell the reader what to think or feel. We are provided with information about a situation and left to our own pondering. It makes for a novel that has you thinking well after you have finished reading.

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Book Review: Mr Wigg by Inga Simpson

Why I read this: I read a review in a newspaper a while ago and I liked the sound of it.

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

In a Nutshell: Australian, character driven, best enjoyed with the heater on and a cup of tea

Would suit fans of: M.L Steadman, 

Mr Wigg by Inga Simpson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is perfection. The best example of Australian writing I can think of.

Mr Wigg is set in the early 1970s in rural Australia. Mr Wigg has lived on the land his whole life with an orchard full of fruit trees and an amazing rose garden. These days, windowed and with failing health, he does his best to tend to his property, and we watch him through short chapters and the seasons tending to his beloved fruit trees and baking with his grandchildren.

This is a story of a "simpler" time perhaps, but not an easier one. There is a Vietnam war happening and controversy over the South African cricket team only having white players. This provides a backdrop for what is a story about family and love. Love for each other, including when it turns into something ugly and full of regret, and for a man's love of his farm.

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Book Review: What Is Left Over, After by Natasha Lester

Why I read this: I wanted to read Natasha Lester's back catalogue

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

In a Nutshell: Themes of loss

Would suit fans of: Sally Hepworth

What Is Left Over, After by Natasha Lester
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the kind of book you finish with a tingling sensation, a tear and a deep breath. Phew, got to the end. And I don't mean that in a bad way, it is just that the subject matter of this is HARD, but an important story to tell about an often taboo topic.
As the book opens Gaelle is very difficult to like, but as the story unravels and we discover more of her past, (her immediate past and her childhood), we join Gaelle on a journey of self discovery and forgiveness.
I received a copy of A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald from Netgalley for review and decided to start with Lester's previous books first. Mainly because a friend recommended her books to me, and I do love finding new and interesting Australian books to read. I particularly love going back to read an author's debut novel, and I can see why she won an Award for this novel and received a publishing contract. I can't wait to start If I Should Lose You next to see how she has developed her style.

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Book Review: When We Were Alive by C.J. Fisher

Why I read this: I requested and received this from Netgalley. I like contemporary fiction and the synopsis appealed to me. It was published on March 1, 2016 so I was a little behind in reading and reviewing. 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

In a Nutshell: Families, relationships, not an uplifting book

Would suit fans of: Julian Barnes

Rating: 3 stars

Find more about this book on Goodreads here

Review:

Final thoughts? Colour me confused.

To begin, this book is letters from Myles in 2011 to his mother he has never met. It is not a spoiler to tell you that he was adopted and his adoptive parents were honest with him very quickly that he was adopted. Then we jump back to 1936 and follow the story of Bobby and Rose, with Myles' letters making an appearance as we flip back and forth between the two timelines.

Unexpectedly at about 40% we are introduced to 1972 and William and Dawn.

As we get close to the end of the book the connection between these characters starts to become apparent, but I found myself trying to remember who-was-who and when ; and with an ebook it is not as easy just to flip back and remind yourself. In hindsight, I wish I had been prepared for all the characters and timelines and kept notes on them. Because by the end I found myself stumped as to what had happened and shaking my head. I will have to find a review with spoilers in it to answer some of my questions I think!!

Still, I thought the writing was well done and the author has a large vocabulary so the kindle dictionary function came in handy ;). I would probably try more of Fisher's work in the future, but perhaps next time I will read a few more reviews before I start to ensure that I have a better idea of what I am in for.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Why I read this: NBRC Book of the Month. I remember when it was nominated in the Goodreads Choice Awards and was always on the fence as to if I would read it.

Genre: Contemporary Young Adult 

In a Nutshell: Story about two best friends, Glbt themes

Would suit fans of: Jennifer Niven and Celeste Ng

Rating: 3.5 stars

Find more about this book on Goodreads here

Review:

This was an easy enough "coming of age" story about two very different friends ; Aristotle and Dante. I found the style of the book interesting - it is all from Aristotle's point of view and sometimes the chapters are quite long when he is feeling good, and others when he isn't are quite short. I also enjoyed the development of the characters. 
I didn't LOVE it, but it also wasn't a bad book. I guess it just doesn't stick out above many other YA books I've read on similar topics. It does have an amazing cover though :)

SPOILERS

So don't read this part if you haven't read the book.

I didn't really believe in the ending. It felt forced to me that the parents were the ones to enlighten Ari, and to be honest, I was a little surprised at their announcement, but also their conviction of what Ari's feelings are. I didn't really ever feel like Ari had explored his sexuality and then was just told. It was a bit abrupt and I didn't finish the book convinced that Ari and Dante would stay together.

Book Review: No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July

No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July

Why I read this: For a reading challenge I needed a book with a yellow cover. They are surprisingly difficult to find! Even more so when you need a yellow cover that also starts with N!

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Short Stories

In a Nutshell: Short stories, foul language and general 18+ content, author narrates audio

Would suit fans of: Possibly Jenny Lawson

Rating: 2 stars

Find more about this book on Goodreads here

Review:

I'm wavering between 2 and 3 stars because some of these stories were really funny, off-beat and original. Others were just crass and unnecessary.
One of the things I didn't like about the audio version is that Miranda narrates it herself (which I usually LOVE it when authors do that), but because they are short stories, and she keeps the same almost monotone voice for every MC it means the stories can just slide into each other and some of them seemed a bit too much same-same.