Decline and Fall, Evelyn Waugh’s first and many say funniest novel immediately caught the ear of the public with his account of an ingénu abroad in the decadent confusion of 1920s high society. Decline and Fall Synopsis Subtitled “A Novel of…
The Hunger Games Synopsis Every year, twelve boys and twelve girls are chosen to take part in the Hunger Games. Watched by the entire nation, this is action-packed reality TV at its most exciting – and most dangerous. Katniss Everdeen has…
Conor Grennan’s Little Princes is a story about a young man who sets out looking for fun and adventure and finds maturity and true purpose. Little Princes Synopsis One Man’s Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal In search…
The Peacock Emporium, an early Jojo Moyes novel, is filled with drama and characters as intriguing as the curios in lead Suzanna Peacock’s shop. Jojo Moyes is now is best known for her internationally bestselling novel Me Before You. The Peacock Emporium Synopsis…
Oscar & Lucinda won Australian author Peter Carey the 1988 Booker Prize and the 1989 Miles Franklin Award. It was shortlisted for The Best of the Booker. Oscar & Lucinda Synopsis A young Anglican minister who looks like a scarecrow, thinks like an angel, and…
Zugzwang Book Synopsis St Petersburg, 1914. Dr Otto Spethmann, a famous psychoanalyst, is implicated in a murder. But he is preoccupied with two disturbing new patients: Anna Petrovna, the troubled society beauty with whom he is inappropriately falling in love,…
The Tiger’s Wife Synopsis ‘Having sifted through everything I have heard about the tiger and his wife, I can tell you that this much is fact: in April of 1941, without declaration or warning, the German bombs started falling over…
Kate Morton’s The Forgotten Garden is a captivating and atmospheric story of secrets, family and memory that I highly recommend in audiobook. The Forgotten Garden Synopsis Thirty-eight-year-old Cassandra is lost, alone, and grieving. Her much-loved grandmother, Nell, has just died…
Robert Wilson’s The Ignorance of Blood is a gritty, high octance crime thriller with a labyrinthine plot.
Of Love and Shadows Book Review: Isabel Allende’s memorable novel switches from heart-stopping action to magical moments of reflection.
I devoured this novel, more than 400 pages, in a single day. I was mesmerised.
In The Tapestry of Love Rosy Thornton’s evocative descriptions transport readers to the stunning French countryside.
Rhubarb is one of the most original novels I have read in some time. As with many debut novels, it is evident this story had percolated in Craig Silvey’s mind for some time before putting pen to paper. It is very ambitious.
In Dreams of Speaking Gail Jones casts a spell of introspection, unbridled honesty and intelligence.
I found myself mesmerised not only by the story of Alice and Mr Sakamoto, but by Gail Jones’ mastery of language. It is not simply that the prose is a treasure trove for word lovers, it is the gloriously descriptive and refreshing, thought-provoking observations that I was continually impressed by. Jones sets a scene and a mood in a way that kept me wanting more.
In Room, Emma Donoghue has captured the uncompromising honesty and optimistic curiosity that exists only in the mind of a child.
On a broader level, this is a story about having clarity of purpose and the things people can endure when they have that. To that end, this book has the power to shape thinking.
Connie Willis’s short novel Bellwether is a wonderfully intelligent romantic comedy.
Researchers Dr Sandra Foster and Dr Bennett O’Reilly, with specialties in fad/trend analysis and chaos theory respectively find themselves thrown together in the chaotic and fad driven HiTek Corporation. They are your classic fish out of water. Add to this melting pot an infuriating admin assistant (sorry, interdepartmental communications liaison), a 60+ page simplified grant funding application form and a flock of sheep and you have ample fodder for comedic moments.
Irene Nemirovsky’s novel All Our Worldly Goods reminds us that even in the darkest of times, where this is a will there is a way.
There is a very appealing undertone of revolutionary zeal in Nemirovsky’s All Our Worldly Goods.
We follow the characters on their life journey in a tug-of-war between hope and obligation, through shocking loss and moments of joy. This novel explores love in its many forms, and ultimately the inspiration and steely determination that emotion can provide.
