Review: The Word Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos from Bookworms Worldwide by Eva Talmadge & Justin Taylor

The Word Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos from Bookworms Worldwide is a visual book containing photographs of literary tattoos from all around the world.

There were plenty of quotes, literary scenes and bookish motifs, and while I liked many of them, none enough to consider getting one for myself.

The Word Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos from Bookworms Worldwide is a great read (or flick through book) for bookworms and those who enjoy the body art of tattoos.

Obviously not for everyone.

My rating = ***1/2

Carpe Librum!

Review: Cloudstreet by Tim Winton

I don't know where to begin this review. I finished reading Cloudstreet a few weeks ago and have been trying to find the words to communicate just how much I loved this Australian novel by Tim Winton.

Oddly enough, if it weren't for the TV series, I wouldn't have read Cloudstreet at all. A few years ago there was a radio segment where an announcer read sections of Cloudstreet to listeners to the sounds of seagulls etc. It was amusing but put me off ever picking up this novel for myself.

I was then moved to tears by watching the TV series Cloudstreet which motivated me to read the novel and I'm extremely glad I did.

The writing was uniquely Australian and the characters deftly drawn. My favourite character was Fish, and I was astonished at Winton's ability to create such a complex and loveable character; it was sheer brilliance!!  

Cloudstreet is now one of my favourite books and is competing for the place of favourite Australian novel. For anyone who is contemplating reading this novel, I beg you to do so. The writing is accessible and the pages just fly along so don't be intimidated by the size. Tim Winton's Cloudstreet will stay with me forever and I'm excited to read more books from this incredible writer in the future.

Outstanding!!

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

Review: Don't Blink by James Patterson & Howard Roughan

Nick Daniels is a journalist sitting down to an important interview with a reclusive sportsman when a hit man enters the Lombardo's Steak House and murders an infamous mob lawyer right in front of him.  And so the action begins in Don't Blink from James Patterson and Howard Roughan.

Don't Blink is what you'd expect in a stand alone novel from Patterson: a fast paced crime story with a few plot layers and the bad guy revealed in the end.

What I didn't expect was a change in narration from first person and back again with the odd reference to the reader.  This was a little strange.

All in all, an entertaining and quick read, and another good one for Patterson fans who are looking for a stand alone read.

My rating = ***

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Review: The Daylight Gate by Jeanette Winterson

Blurb
Can a man be maimed by witchcraft? Can a severed head speak?

Based on the most notorious of English witch-trials, this is a tale of magic, superstition, conscience and ruthless murder.

It is set in a time when politics and religion were closely intertwined; when, following the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, every Catholic conspirator fled to a wild and untamed place far from the reach of London law.

This is Lancashire.  This is Pendle.  This is witch country.

Review
After reading the above blurb, I couldn't wait to read The Daylight Gate by Jeanette Winterson.  Sadly, this beautifully designed compact hardcover novel of only 194 pages didn't live up to my expectations.

My biggest problem was continuity; I just couldn't figure out what was happening and where the plot was going.  The writing was evocative and many scenes were beautifully written, but it just wasn't enough for me.  I really wanted to enjoy the tale, but just couldn't connect to the plot.  

Perhaps it was the fault of this reader, but I won't be recommending The Daylight Gate.

My rating = **

Carpe Librum!

Winner Announced: Hannah's Night Giveaway

The Hannah's Night Giveaway has now closed, so thank you to all who entered the giveaway by leaving comments on the post, sharing on Facebook and on Twitter.

I enjoyed reading about your favourite children's books, and there were a lot of great books mentioned.

Without further ado, I'm pleased to announce, the winner is...

Sarah Scicluna

Congratulations Sarah!!! Please email me with your postal address within the next two weeks, and I'll send your book to you right away.  

Thanks to Gecko Press for this copy and happy reading!

Carpe Librum!

Review & Giveaway: Hannah's Night by Komako Sakai

* From Gecko Press for review *

Hannah's Night by Komako Sakai is the first children's book I've reviewed on Carpe Librum, however, when I read the following blurb, I just couldn't say no.

Blurb
When Hannah wakes suddenly in the night, she discovers a whole new world of adventure. With nobody awake to tell her off, she can do just as she pleases.

Review
Hannah's Night is a short read, as Hannah wakes up during the night and explores the house.  Meanwhile, everyone else - including her sister - is asleep.

The illustrations are unique and the book feels luxurious to the touch.  Komako does an amazing job of capturing the essence of night time and Hannah is a cute and relatable character.  This would be a fabulous story to read with a young child at bedtime, and would make a wonderful Christmas gift.

My rating = ****

Giveaway
I'm offering my review copy (as new, read once with care) in a giveaway, so for your chance to WIN, just leave a comment here and tell me your favourite children's book.  For an additional entry, share this post on Facebook or Tweet about this giveaway using handle @Carpe_Librum1 and don't forget to leave details in your comment below.

This giveaway is available to residents of Australia & New Zealand only.

Entries close midnight Saturday 19th October and the winner will be drawn on Sunday 20th October 2013.  The winner will have 2 weeks to provide a postal address.

Good luck, and I look forward to reading about your favourite children's books.

Carpe Librum!

Review: Variant by Robison Wells

Variant by Robison Wells is a YA thriller from HarperTeen and a quick read. Benson Fisher has been hopping from foster home to foster home, so is very excited to receive a scholarship to Maxfield Academy.

As soon as he arrives at the campus though, Benson notices that something isn't quite 'right.' He soon learns there are no teachers or adults at the Academy, and the students belong to gangs that are each in charge of various contracts at the school.

The grounds are surrounded by a large wall patrolled by students on quad bikes and the curriculum is strange and irregular.

I was shocked to learn of the secret at the heart of the school and definitely didn't see it coming. Benson is keen to escape although serious breaches of the rules result in detention, and students never return from detention.

Variant is a fabulous mystery for young readers and adults alike and I've already recommended it to other readers. Those who liked the movie Toy Soldiers (featuring Sean Astin) will love Variant.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Review: King of the Cross by Mark Dapin

I purchased King of the Cross by Mark Dapin for my Dad for Christmas last year, having previously read and adored Dapin's non-fiction book Fridge Magnets Are Bastards and giving it 5 stars.

Mark Dapin is an Australian author and King of the Cross is a fictionalised account of major Sydney crime figure Jacob Mendoza.  The premise is Mendoza talking to a journalist about his extraordinary life as the Godfather of Kings Cross.  The content is gritty and confronting, and I was glad to read that Mendoza is a fictionalised character.

I thought this novel would be filled with the kind of humour from Fridge Magnets Are Bastards, but while King of the Cross was certainly funny in parts, it was also hard-hitting.

My favourite quote from the book appears on Page 120:

"Also, the deluded moll who had complained of my 'unnatural' behaviour towards her realised that she had forgotten to move to Perth, an omission she remedied within days of the charges being laid."

Dapin has an incredible imagination and Mendoza definitely felt 100% real while I was reading his story.  The language was convincing and it was fascinating to see Dapin pull back the curtain on the bright lights and partying atmosphere of Kings Cross, Sydney.

King of the Cross is for the reader who enjoys cutting edge humour and isn't shocked by foul language or tales of the sex industry.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Review: Dark Horse by Honey Brown

Long term followers of my book blog will remember me raving about Red Queen by H.M. Brown in November 2010. 

Well, since then, Honey Brown has gone on to publish a number of bestselling novels - including The Good Daughter and After The Darkness - and is now one of Australia's prominent and successful authors.

I also had the privilege of participating in a Google Hangout with Honey Brown in June this year and just couldn't wait to read her latest novel Dark Horse.

Set in the Australian bush, this is the story of Sarah, a divorcee who appears to set out on horseback for some 'alone time' in the Mortimer Ranges on Christmas morning.

Bad weather soon springs up and flash flooding takes out the bridge and most of the riding tracks.  Sarah takes her horse to high ground, setting up camp at Hangman's Hut.  All is relatively calm until a handsome and well-built man walks out of the bush and turns the story on it's head.

Where did he come from?  Why doesn't he have any supplies and why is he behaving strangely?  All these questions will be answered, but not in the way you expect.  Dark Horse is a thriller of the highest order, and the twist totally blew my head off! I definitely did not see it coming.  

Author Honey Brown is able to create a realistic scenario where two characters are essentially trapped in the Australian bush while her descriptions of the bush are both eerie and impressive at the same time.  

Readers who love horses will enjoy the role Sarah's horse Tansy plays, although by the end of the novel I must admit I was a little tired of the horse and the name Tansy.  That's my only complaint though, and thoroughly recommend Dark Horse to readers who enjoy a good thriller, a twist they don't see coming and of course novels by Aussie authors!

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Review: Sweet Damage by Rebecca James

After devouring the debut novel Beautiful Malice from Australian author Rebecca James a few years ago (and giving it 4 stars), I was very excited to read her latest novel, Sweet Damage published early this year.

Set in Syndey, Australia, the novel opens with Tim living with his ex-girlfriend and her current boyfriend. In an effort to improve his living situation he replies to an ad for a cheap room in a huge house in an expensive part of town.

Anna is the owner of the house and appears to have no social skills, however, the fact that she is a little 'weird' seems to be the only catch. As Tim slowly gets to know her though, strange things begin to happen in the house.

Sweet Damage is an entertaining read, and once again is great for YA readers. There's a real sense of Sydney on the page, my favourite quote being: 

"...the water [was] tinted an unbelievable shade of Brett Whiteley blue..." Page 111.

I can easily imagine Sweet Damage being made into an Australian thriller movie, although I'd have to look away from the spider scene.

You can read the first 14 pages of Sweet Damage for free, by clicking here.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

* Provided by The Reading Room for review *

Elizabeth Gilbert is the author of the No. 1 bestseller Eat, Pray Love, and her newest book The Signature Of All Things is being released next month, in October 2013.

I was lucky enough to receive an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) from The Reading Room along with a lovely letter from the author.

The Signature Of All Things is a big novel and tackles many themes and ideas, contains complex and likeable characters and the covers the progression of botany and science in the time of Charles Darwin. I don't really know that much about botany, and couldn't say I was ever excited by the topic, but when seen through the eyes of Alma Whittaker - the genius main character of the novel - I was enthralled.

Alma is born in 1800, and we learn about her Father's rise to success before learning more about the real star of the novel, his daughter Alma. She is a born genius and with encouragement from her parents chooses a life of science; very rare for a woman in this period.

Much of the novel is spent in America, however the author also takes us to Tahiti and Amsterdam in addition to other locations in this worldly novel. The pursuit of knowledge is a common theme in this fictional novel and the library at the family mansion sounds magical. The reader is also privy to Alma's sexual desires and love life which was fascinating; some of the scenes were surprisingly racy despite the lack of regular sex in her life.

I looked forward to reading The Signature Of All Things every night, and was surprised by the twists, turns and revelations along the way. I would thoroughly recommended this historical fiction novel for the 'thinking' reader and those who enjoy a sweeping adventure story with many life themes along the way.

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

Tracey from Carpe Librum blog is interviewed by Pages Abound

Today I'm very excited to see my interview with Briana from Pages Abound published online.

It was fun being the one interviewed for a change, and Briana asked some fabulous questions:

Q. What fictional character would you most like as a sibling?

Q. What book’s movie would you most like a role in? 

If you'd like to read my answers, you can check out the interview in full, by clicking here.

Carpe Librum!

Review: O, Juliet by Robin Maxwell

I've been a fan of Robin Maxwell's writing for some time now; having read the following novels already:

• Virgin - Prelude to the Throne
• The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn
• The Queen's Bastard: A Novel
• The Wild Irish
• To the Tower Born

As the title suggests, O, Juliet is the re-telling of the famous tale of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in a novel format with some small changes to the original plot.

Juliet and Romeo both adore the work of Dante, and this forms a great part of their falling in love. They enjoy quoting poems to each other and they clearly share an adoration of the written word.  In fact, Juliet is represented as quite the poetess; a quality Romeo admires.

The famous feud between the two families was expertly told and unfolded in a logical and relatable way, although different to the original.

O, Juliet is heavy on the romance and the character's longing for each other - which isn't usually my thing - but is generally what you expect from such a classic tale. This is the only reason I didn't enjoy O, Juliet as much as her other novels, and is the problem of the reader, not the author.

I definitely recommend O, Juliet for fans of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, or those who would like to get to know the family members surrounding the famous couple in a more intimate manner.

My rating = ***

Guest Writer Lisa Barstow On Controversial Novel Tampa by Alissa Nutting

Readers and book-lovers will no doubt have heard about the controversial new book Tampa, by Alissa Nutting.  I won't be reading it based on the plot, however it gives me great pleasure to introduce guest writer Lisa Barstow who will share her perspective on this provocative book with Carpe Librum readers.

Tampa by author Alissa Nutting
Many books generate controversy, or feature sexual content, but Alissa Nutting's novel Tampa has managed to eclipse even the infamous Fifty Shades of Grey, both in terms of the amount of explicit material and the level of media coverage that is has generated.

What's It All About?
The reason Tampa has been so controversial is that it focuses on the relationship between a 26-year-old teacher and her 14-year-old pupil. Over the course of the novel, the main character, Celeste Price, targets a boy in her English class, Jack, and begins a relationship with him that is described in excruciatingly explicit detail. It is clear from the outset that Celeste's intentions are far from educational, when she begins her new job at a school in Tampa, Florida. To the community, she appears to be an attractive, happily married woman, just the sort of person who can be trusted to teach their children, but in reality, Celeste is a manipulative, obsessive predator who became a teacher just in order to gain access to teenage boys. Every action she takes in the book is driven by her desires, or by the need to present a respectable face to the community. Towards the end of the book, Celeste's relationship with Jack is exposed, leading to much shock and confusion in the community, but most of the book focuses on the relationship itself, and the majority of this relationship is about sex. Nutting writes explicitly about Celeste's sexual fantasies, which she seems to have constantly, when she is not actually having sex with Jack, or with the adult partners she finds so repulsive.

The Inspiration
Nutting was inspired by the real life case of a teacher in Florida, a woman with whom she had been at school, and who was later convicted of sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy. The disparity between the media coverage of that case and the responses to similar situations in which the perpetrator was a male teacher was truly shocking, and questioning why there is this division in the perceptions of male and female sexuality is surely a worthwhile venture. 

Literary Aspirations
The subject matter of this novel has invited many comparisons to Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita, but though Tampa appears at first glance to be a reversal of the gender roles in Lolita, the two books actually have very little in common beyond this. Nabokov's protagonist is far more eloquent, and his mind goes beyond an obsession with sex. His eloquence is a warning to the reader of the danger of falling for the words of a smooth talker. The flat, uninspiring language of Nutting's Celeste might be seen as a similar warning, this time of the banality of crime, but it leaves little for the reader beyond the sexual imagery. Celeste is clearly a sociopath who is incapable of caring about the consequences of her actions, but this means that none of the characters we are introduced to from her perspective can be fully formed. Jack, in particular, remains a bland and superficial character, but Nutting does not spend much time on exploring any of her character's psychologies. It is the response of the community to the revelation of her true nature that is important. It is just a pity that the author didn't skip to this part of the book rather than forcing her readers to endure all of Celeste's longings and seductions.

Controversy
Given the plot-line at the centre of this novel, it is hardly surprising that Tampa has generated a lot of controversy, with some bookshops refusing to stock it. It is the quantity of explicit sexual content that has been particularly controversial, and it is also what makes this book a poor substitute for Lolita. The quality of the writing is nowhere near Nabokov's work. Tampa verges on the pornographic rather than the literary. It does not contribute anything to the understanding of what good writing is and what it can do to help us deal with important issues. The focus on detailed descriptions of Celeste's sex life and fantasies prevents sufficient development of the characters or exploration of the double standard that applies to male and female sexuality and abuse. The problem with this book is not that it deals with a controversial topic, but rather that it relies on this controversy too much. The graphic level of detail also makes it appear that the intention is not to critique media coverage of these types of cases, but rather to use the way the media responds to them to fuel its own publicity and boost sales. This is a book that is trying to shock us, not to make us think.

Review

The media reviews of this book prepared me to expect a certain level of explicit content, but I found that the focus on the main character's fantasies and desires was still more pervasive than I thought it would be. It appears that Celeste cares about nothing else. I found it somewhat unbelievable that such an obsessive personality would have been able to graduate college let alone hold down a job. Celeste is a horrific character, but having an unlikeable protagonist is no reason not to like a book. The problem, for me, was not that Celeste was a nasty person, but rather than I could not believe in her as person at all.

The central idea in the book, that female predators are often treated differently than male ones, seems interesting enough to produce a challenging and important book, but Tampa is not that book. Unfortunately, the author has spent too much time trying to titillate readers and court controversy, and not enough on exploring the issues. A better challenge to Lolita might be Emily Maguire's Taming the Beast, which is told from the perspective of the female student who has been seduced by her male teacher, and does not shy away from the long lasting consequences of this abuse.

Rating = * (and only because I think this is an issue that is worth exploring)

Thank you so much for your insights Lisa, and for being a guest writer on Carpe Librum.  If you enjoyed this article, have read the book or have an opinion on the controversy, please leave a comment below.

Review: The Age of Desire, A Novel of Edith Wharton by Jennie Fields

About The Age of Desire, by Jennie Fields

For fans of The Paris Wife, a sparkling glimpse into the life of Edith Wharton and the scandalous love affair that threatened her closest friendship.

They say that behind every great man is a great woman. Behind Edith Wharton, there was Anna Bahlmann, her governess turned literary secretary and confidante. At the age of forty-five, despite her growing fame, Edith remains unfulfilled in a lonely, sexless marriage. Against all the rules of Gilded Age society, she falls in love with Morton Fullerton, a dashing young journalist. But their scandalous affair threatens everything in Edith's life, especially her abiding ties to Anna.

At a moment of regained popularity for Wharton, Jennie Fields brilliantly interweaves Wharton's real letters and diary entries with her fascinating, untold love story. Told through the points of view of both Edith and Anna, The Age of Desire transports readers to the golden days of Wharton's turn-of-the century world and like the recent bestseller The Chaperone‹ effortlessly re-creates the life of an unforgettable woman.

My Review for Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours
I picked up The Age of Desire having never read a single line by Edith Wharton, and I'm happy to say it didn't hamper my enjoyment of the novel whatsoever. Primarily The Age of Desire is Edith's life story, in combination with sections narrated by her secretary and ex-governess Anna.

I thoroughly enjoyed the author's depiction of salons in France, journeys by motor and talk of seasons and crossings (to America). Edith's salons and social engagements were full of wit and intellect, and her friendship with Henry James was warming and generous.

I found myself constantly shaking my head in pity though when I read about Edith's relationship with her husband and it truly broke my heart. I was also shocked that Edith was such a successful writer having no knowledge or experience of an orgasm until she was in her mid 40s. Her yearning for love and desire for Morton was understandable to me, as was her husband's reaction and her attempted maintenance of it.

The end came as a shock to me, and I couldn't help but wonder if author Jennie Fields had been writing this as a fictional novel, whether she would have selected a different ending. The Age of Desire was a fabulous read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has also inspired me to check out some of Edith Wharton's work in the future.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Carpe Librum now reviews for Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

I'm pleased to announce that Carpe Librum has become an official book blogger for Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.

This means that from time to time I'll be participating in virtual book tours hosted by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, which will involve posting reviews, interviews, guest posts and giveaways for different books.

This will bring more internet traffic to my site, access to bestselling authors and more giveaways and interesting posts. I'm hoping readers will benefit from these book tours and enjoy the associated posts in the future.

My first book tour is The Age of Desire by Jennie Fields, and my review will be published on 12th August.

Check it out and stay tuned!

Review: Cemetery Girl by David Bell

Cemetery Girl opens with Caitlin's father Tom explaining that his daugher disappeared four years ago at the tender age of twelve.  He goes on to recount a day when she was just six, and lied directly to his face, without so much as a twitch or expression of guilt.  

Tom wonders about the circumstances of Caitlin's disappearance six years later and wonders if she could have run away.  Tom's wife Abby believes her daughter is dead and makes arrangements to hold a memorial in her memory.  Their daughter's disappearance has devastated their marriage, with Abby seeking solace in her church.

It is at this time, that Caitlin is found dirty and dishevelled, walking beside a deserted road and taken swiftly to hospital.

The majority of Cemetery Girl is around Caitlin's return and Tom trying to find out where she's been for the past 4 years.  The reaction of her parents couldn't be more different and as a reader it made for interesting reading.

What made this book even more fascinating for me was the recent case in America of Ariel Castro's abduction of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight.  In finding out about Caitlin, I was also thinking of these three women in real life and searching for answers.

Unfortunately I found that while the pace and suspense was great throughout the novel, the ending was somewhat of a let down for me.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Review of Watermark: A Novel of the Middle Ages by Vanitha Sankaran

Watermark: A Novel of the Middle Ages by Vanitha Sankaran is set in 1320 in a small town in France. The main character is Auda, an albino girl thought to be a devil child from the moment she was born.

Auda is mute but can read and write having been raised by a papermaker. It's rare for women to read let alone write during this period, and Auda's striking features put her very existence in danger when the Inquisition comes to town.

If you love paper at all, you'll revel in this book as the plot follows the early creation of paper using rags. The subsequent use of paper by the wealthy and the avoidance by the Church was fascinating to me and I couldn't get enough.

Interweaved between these historical facts is Auda's story as a mute albino woman who doesn't want to marry and her efforts to survive and prosper in France during the 1300s.

The novel also includes a short history of paper-making at the end, including a recipe for making paper.

Watermark is an exciting read, laced with fear, danger and a love for paper, stories and verse.  Perfect!

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Feature in the Pittsburgh Examiner: 10 Questions with Historical Fiction Blogger Tracey Allen

I'm so excited today, because a few days ago I was interviewed for the Pittsburgh Examiner!!!  An article called 10 Questions with Historical Fiction Blogger: Tracey Allen was published today and I'm over the moon!

I enjoyed answering questions from Kayla Posney about historical fiction, including: my favourite historical fiction novels, the castle I'd most like to live in, and who I'd invite to dinner from history (that was a hard one).

(UPDATE: Unfortunately this interview is no longer available online).

Carpe Librum!

Screen shot of my interview with the Pittsburgh Examiner today

I'm in the Top 1% of Reviewers on GoodReads!

I'm thrilled to announce that I'm in the top 1% of reviewers on GoodReads!

This is a significant achievement considering there are currently more than 20 million members of GoodReads! If you're a member of this brilliant site for book-lovers, then come and check out my profile.

If you're not a member and you love books and reading then join now; it's the biggest and most popular website for book-lovers in the world.

Carpe Librum!