Review: The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

Autographed copy

Background
I've been waiting to read The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton for such a long time.  I wrote about it in May 2012 when her cover design was being released, and even had the chance to meet Kate Morton in person on 14 November 2012 where she signed my proof copy of The Secret Keeper given to me courtesy of Allen & Unwin (pictured left).

Until then, I've been savouring this delicious tome, trying to prolong the moment when I immersed myself in its pages.  Alas in January 2013 I could wait no longer.


The Review
I tumbled into the tale of The Secret Keeper easily, as I met the young Laurel just starting out her life, and the mature Laurel decades later, preparing to lose her mother to a terminal illness and suddenly wanting to know more about her life and the violent act she witnessed as a young girl. 

This is my favourite excerpt from the novel; Laurel is at the Bodleian Library and is asking Ben to look at one of the alumni collections:

"It's up a spiral staircase, you know, accessed through a door hidden in the panelling in the Hall. Like something out of Hogwarts." 

Laurel had read Harry Potter, of course, and was no less immune to the charms of old buildings than anyone else; but opening hours were limited . . . [ it ] left her rather panicked at the thought of spending another minute discussing either architecture or fiction with Ben.  She smiled with a dazed lack of comprehension (Hogwarts?), he met it with one of sympathetic realisation (muggle), and they both moved on.

All in all, Kate Morton remains one of my favourite Australian authors, and The Secret Keeper has it all: a great love story during WWII London, mystery, murder and in summary an enchanting historical fiction novel.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Survival of the Soul by Lisa Williams

After reading Life Among the Dead by Lisa Williams almost 3 years ago now, and enjoying it, I was keen to read her follow up book The Survival of the Soul.

Lisa Williams is a medium/clairvoyant, and I've been to see her at an event in Melbourne and was touched by the events that took place there. 

Williams writes about what happens after we die, and whether it's true or not, I guess we'll only find out when it's our turn.  Strangely, the information contained in The Survival of The Soul is similar to the views held by renowned psychic and spiritual medium Sylvia Browne in her books The Other Side and Back and Life on the Other Side.

Both women claim their information is provided to them by their spirit guides, so if you are a believer, then it should be no surprise that their information is the same.

Atheists, and those with their own religious beliefs are advised to give this book a miss, but I really enjoyed it.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Review: Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

I'm convinced that Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan was written just for me. I was absolutely enthralled by page 10, smiling as I was reading and confident that this was going to be a five star review by the end, and I was right.

So what's got me all excited? Well, Mr Penumbra owns a 24 hour bookstore that never closes, with regular new books for sale at the front of the store. Also for sale - and the real purpose for the store - are second hand, fabric and leather bound books at the back of the store on high shelves accessed by several ladders and are only for sale to customers with a special member number.

Clay starts working at Penumbra's as a clerk during the late shift and all he needs to do is serve the customers and record all of the details about the members purchasing books from the high shelves into a large register. He is told not to look inside any of these books, and the members are all eccentric in their own way.

During the course of the novel, Clay unveils a secret bookish quest involving the bound and unbound, meets a super smart girl who works for Google and learns that the member books don't exist according to the world wide web.

Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore is a book for book-lovers, those who enjoy unravelling mysteries and modern day quests involving intellects rather than knights with swords. Our hero has a computer as his weapon and a girlfriend working at Google as his 2IC. Some quirky and interesting characters add depth and enjoyment and I just didn't want this novel to end.

I heartily recommend Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore to all readers and stand by it as one of my favourite reads for 2012.

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum! Or as they say in the book: Festina Lente

Review: The Plague by Albert Camus

Background
I've wanted to read The Plague by Albert Camus for a long time. It's a classic and I've been fascinated by the plague and what it did to people and their communities for as long as I can remember. Heroes and acts of mercy in plague time by doctors, nuns and volunteers who treated and took care of the sick and dying. Loved ones faced with despair, risking their own inevitable death to nurse their loved ones on their death bed.

On the flip side, the greed and fear driving the masses and hysteria that often led to unimaginable acts and decisions. The potions and tinctures that didn't work but sold for small fortunes and theories that abounded regarding the cause of the plague are all fascinating to me.

Review
On to the book now. The Plague by Albert Camus was published in 1947 and the setting is the town of Oran, it's people slowly infected by plague. The happenings are recounted by a narrator who occasionally refers to other citizens in the town for their own personal accounts. At the end of the book, the narrator reveals their identity as one of the main characters we had been following.

A strong theme throughout the book is that of being separated and isolated from the ones we love. This is evident in the separation of the sick from the healthy in camps and the town of Oran that is closed to all from entering and leaving.

I'm sorry to say I found The Plague dull and dreary. Each time I picked it up and started reading, I began to feel sleepy which means a poor star rating for me, despite the classic status and cult popularity of this book. I understand that many academics claim this book is an allegory and although I could see and understand the impact on human behaviour, the tale was told in such a rambling way it was impossible for me to be intellectually stimulated or excited in any way to delve deeper or explore this further.

My rating = *

Carpe Librum!

Review: In The Tall Grass by Stephen King & Joe Hill

In The Tall Grass is a novella written by Stephen King and his son - an author in his own right - Joe Hill.

A brother and sister driving in their car through Kansas with their windows down, pull over after hearing a child's plea for help coming from a grassy field by the side of the road.

They enter the field in search of the child and find the grass is taller than they are. The grass is disorientating, and they quickly become separated from each other and lost. Learning there are others in the grass with them and something bigger is at play here, fear and panic set in.

There are supernatural and horror themes within this e-book and in my opinion the author collaboration between father and son has worked effortlessly here. I do hope to see more titles by the two of them together in the future; I think it's a winning combination!

At the end of the novella were two sneak previews of the individual author's new works which was a major bonus. Doctor Sleep is Stephen King's sequel to the successful novel The Shining and Joe Hill's NOS4R2 which is due to be published 30 April 2013.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

2013 Reading Challenges

It's a new year and I'm signing up for the following Reading Challenges in 2013:

• Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2013
• Aussie Author Challenge 2013
• Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2013

Here they are in more detail.

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The Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2013 is hosted by Historical Tapestry blog again this year, and they have the following participation levels:

- 20th century reader - 2 books

- Victorian reader - 5 books
- Renaissance Reader - 10 books
- Medieval - 15 books
- Ancient History -25+ books


I've decided to sign up for Renaissance Reader and read 10 historical fiction books at this stage.  This is the amount I read last year, and I'm not sure I could have read another 5.

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The Aussie Author Challenge 2013 is being hosted by Booklover Book Reviews and they have two participation levels to choose from: 

Tourist

- Read and review 3 books by at least 2 different Australian Authors.

- Any genre, fiction or non-fiction.

Fair Dinkum

- Read and review 12 books by Australian Authors

- Ensure at least 4 of the authors are male, at least 4 of the authors are female and at least 4 of the authors are new to you.  

- Ensure at least 2 of the books are non-fiction and at least 4 fiction genres are represented amongst your 12 titles.

The Tourist level is too easy, and the Fair Dinkum level appears quite difficult but I'm going to give it a go.

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Last but not least, I'm also participating in the Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2013, being hosted by My Reader's Block blog.  The aim of the challenge is to only read books from your to-be-read pile purchased prior to 1 Jan 2013.  Here are the levels:

Pike's Peak: Read 12 books from your TBR pile

Mount Blanc: Read 24 books from your TBR pile

Mt. Vancouver: Read 36 books from your TBR pile

Mt. Ararat: Read 48 books from your TBR piles

Mt. Kilimanjaro: Read 60 books from your TBR pile

El Toro: Read 75 books from your TBR pile

Mt. Everest: Read 100 books from your TBR pile

Mount Olympus (Mars): Read 150+ books from your TBR pile

I'm going to sign up for Pike's Peak, as I physically don't have that many books on my bookshelf.

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If you'd like to join me in any of these 3 challenges, please do!  You can click on the relevant blog name links which will take you to the appropriate challenge page. You don't need a blog to participate, and I promise you'll find it very rewarding. 

Feel free to suggest any books you think I should read for the challenges, and you can track my progress during the year on my Challenges page here.

Happy Reading!

Author Interview with Patrick Lindsay, author of Back From The Dead

Patrick Lindsay

Patrick Lindsay is a prolific Australian author, having published 18 books on the back of an extremely successful career as a journalist, TV reporter and presenter.  In December I reviewed his book Back From The Dead - Peter Hughes' Story of Survival and Hope After Bali, giving it 5 stars.

Patrick joined me recently to answer some interview questions.

Patrick, what inspired you to write about the Bali bombings of 2002 and survivor Peter Hughes in particular?
I was working on a book called The Spirit of The Digger when, like all Australians, I was stunned by the reports of the Bali bombing. I watched transfixed as the chilling images unfolded on the TV. As I watched, I was struck by the spirit of the survivors and their rescuers. I realised I was watching the same spirit I was researching. Gen Peter Cosgrove had told me that you didn't have to wear the slouch hat to have the spirit of the Digger. It occurred to me that we all have that spirit within us and that it came out in times of crisis - terrorism, bush-fires, floods, etc. I decided I should explore it further by writing about the story behind the main face of the Bali attack, Peter Hughes. Of course, I didn't know whether he would survive: it was touch and go then and he actually died a number of times and was brought back to life. I contacted him when I heard he was recuperating. He agreed to let me tell his story. We're good mates now.

What was the hardest part of writing or researching Back From The Dead? How did the book change you?
It was a very emotional journey. Peter was still in the early stages of his recovery when I started interviewing him. He endured great pain and he suffered many doubts but his spirit always shone through. His son Leigh was an extraordinary support and became his rock. It was difficult to reconcile the callous violence and fanaticism of the bombers with the gentle humanity of the Balinese and the idyllic beauty of their country. I was intrigued by the intersecting time lines of the lives of the perpetrators and the victims and I decided to use that as a device to unfold the central storyline. The hardest part was pushing on with the work when I knew how painful it often was for Peter. I learned much as a person from observing Peter, his fellow survivors and their remarkable healing angels, especially Dr's Fiona Wood and John Greenwood.

Publishing 18 books is an incredible achievement in any author's career.  Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
I think persistence is a writer's greatest asset. I was a journalist and a TV reporter and presenter for more than 25 years before I started writing books full time. I have always been telling stories of some kind or another. Books require a special determination - to secure an overview of the scope of the work involved and to doggedly fight through the research and writing to completion. But if you know what you want to say then you'll find a way to do it. Treat your writing with respect, find a haven where you can work without distraction and then just start. Also read voraciously and write as often as you can.

What can you tell us about your research and writing process?  Does your background in journalism assist you in your research?
Yes, I think being a journalist, especially starting as a newspaper journalist before computers and the Internet, taught me the value of relentless research and gave me a healthy scepticism. Unlike a lot of journos today, we had to sniff out our own stories, not wait for press releases. I learned not to accept things at face value and to cross check facts and statements. I love the benefits brought by the digital age but the downside can be the lure of Google and the unquestioning acceptance of facts, just because they are on the screen. Whenever possible I dig back to primary sources, rather than relying on someone else's interpretation of them.

Patrick Lindsay's newest release

How long do you spend on each book and how do you decide what you will write about next?
On average I would spend about three months intensively researching and around the same time writing a book. This can vary widely. I spent almost two years on my last book, True Blue, 150 Years of NSW Police Force. It was a far bigger project than I first imagined. It's often difficult to accurately assess the size of projects as the research can take you down unexpected paths. That book was commissioned by the NSW Police; the first I've done that way. All the other books have come from an idea I've developed or from a suggestion from the publisher. 

A large portion of your books are related to the Australian Defence Force and military history; can you tell us more about your interest in these areas?
It started with my interest in Kokoda, or more accurately my love for the men who fought there. I wrote, produced and directed a documentary for the Australian Army on the Kokoda Campaign back in 1991 and many of the Diggers I interviewed for it became treasured friends. My first book was The Spirit of Kokoda and the other books, like The Spirit of The Digger, Cosgrove, Fromelles, The Coastwatchers, etc seemed like natural progressions. It's not that I have a love of war or military history so much: rather I have a fascination with what war does to people and how they respond to it. It prompts the most remarkable responses from ordinary men and women. But I also write on very different subjects and I'm passionate about my It's Never Too Late series of inspirational books.

After such a successful career in journalism and television, are you ever pulled in too many directions or turn down interesting projects in favour of writing?
Yes, I've spent a dozen years now writing books and in that time I've declined quite a number of interesting opportunities in TV and other areas of the media. I created  the format for the reality TV series, In Their Footsteps, which Nine broadcast last year. It was a ratings success and I'm working on some similar programs. I'm aiming to expand my work in that field next year. 

Do you have a favourite bookshop you'd like to tell us about?
My favourite is Helen Baxter's lovely little bookshop in McMahon's Point in Sydney [Blues Point Bookshop].  Helen is a prodigious reader and a great source of literary advice.

What's next?  Do you have anything in the pipeline for 2013?
I'm working on another inspirational book and a number of television projects. 2013 is shaping as a very busy year.

Anything else you'd like to add?
Like most authors (and publishers) I'm trying to come to terms with the often bewildering changes to the publishing world. I'm trying to understand the e-book options.  I'm very optimistic about the future. I think it may open opportunities for authors to take greater control of their own work and destinies.
Thank you Tracey for your blog and for all your work to spread the word on the pleasures of reading and writing.  I'm delighted you enjoyed Back From The Dead.

Excellent.  Patrick thanks for taking time out during the very busy festive season to chat with Carpe Librum.  Congratulations on your success to date, and I'm sure we're going to see much more from you.

Review: UR by Stephen King

UR is a novella by Stephen King and was released strictly as an e-book in 2009.  It has never been published as a paperback, although it was released as an audiobook a year after publication.

As you might be able to tell by the front cover, UR is about e-readers, or a pink Kindle in particular. With the stinging words of his ex-girlfriend in his ears: "why can't you just read off the computer like the rest of us?" Wesley decides to leave the comfort zone of paper and books and enter the world of e-readers.

He orders a Kindle through Amazon and is surprised when he receives a pink one through the mail, when Kindles are usually white. However when he discovers additional works by notable authors that can't possibly exist - other than in an alternate universe - he is shocked.  He also finds that he can access newspapers from the future and the past at a cost.  Wesley peeks into the past but also learns there will be an accident in a few days and sets out to try and stop it.

UR is an interesting concept, and I loved the idea of discovering additional works from countless well-known authors, written in multiple universes where they had lived longer or been more prolific.  It also makes me smile in appreciation of King's mastery to write a novella about an e-reader and never have it published in paperback.  What a legend!

However the second half of the novella was a little reminiscent of the TV show Early Edition. All in all, an entertaining and easy read.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

2012 Reading Challenge Wrap-Up

In 2012 I participated in, and completed two reading challenges.

The first was the Historical Fiction Challenge Reading Challenge 2012 hosted over at Historical Tapestry blog.  I signed up to read 10 books to achieve Struggling the Addiction level and was able to achieve this by 29 November.

-The second reading challenge was the Aussie Author Challenge 2012 hosted by Booklover Book Reviews blog.  For this challenge I signed up to read 12 books by at least 6 different Australian authors to achieve Dinky Di status. 

In addition to these two challenges, I also set myself a GoodReads goal to read 60 books during 2012.  Despite a big finish at the end of the year,  I unfortunately fell short by just one book, achieving only 59 books for 2012.  Some quick stats though, according to GoodReads, I read a total of 17,533 pages during 2012.

In 2013, I am going to set the goal of 60 books again, and hopefully achieve it this time.  What reading goals and challenges are you setting for yourself this year?

Carpe Librum!

Review: Crimeson by Justin Gardner

Crimeson is the true story of Justin Gardner's life. Growing up in the gritty suburb of Sunshine in Melbourne, his father had a penchant for gambling and violence and home life was never stable.  Consequently, Justin was shoplifting and committing crime from a very young age.  By age 14 he was no longer going to school or living at home; instead he was doing and selling drugs and later associating with men depicted in the notorious Australian Underbelly TV series.

By the age of 22, Gardner was a broken man, suicidal, depressed and spending hours every night plotting to kill a man for revenge.  It was at the moment of his deepest, darkest despair that he called out to Jesus, and his life was changed from that moment on.  Gardner was able to find a reason to live again, turn his life around and is now giving back to the community in his work as a senior pastor in a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria.

Crimeson delivers Gardner's childhood history in an honest no-nonsense first person narrative.  However part of me wondered whether Gardner's tone was bragging a little when it seemed to be lacking a little remorse or shame in certain sections.  Perhaps this is because as a teenager, Gardner was lacking it himself, although I am also wondering whether the author has intentionally adopted this tone to make the novel attractive to YA readers - perhaps beginning to face some trouble of their own - in order to deliver the Christian message contained within.  The choice of front cover does tend to support this theory.

However what was missing in Crimeson was how the Underbelly crime figures - referenced a few times in the book - and others within the crime network, reacted to Gardner's sudden withdrawal from the scene.  Did they make threats?  How did Gardner sever his ties with these dangerous people?

Gardner is now leading a fulfilling life giving to others, bringing people to Jesus and seeing 'the lost found and the found crowned' page 172.  He tells us much about his dark past and his current work for the Church and his love of God's word, however I would have enjoyed reading much more about his transition, and the challenges he faced within.

Many readers will find Crimeson inspiring, however I just wanted more.  

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Maid's Tale - Life Below Stairs As It Really Was by Rose Plummer with Tom Quinn

Rose Plummer was born in 1910, had a very poor upbringing and entered service as a maid at the age of fifteen. The Maid's Tale - Life Below Stairs As It Really Was is her own story of this time as told to Tom Quinn.

Rose isn't shy about including everything, the full extent of the poverty experienced in childhood, sharing a bed with her siblings, an outdoor toilet with her neighbours and petty theft to get by.

In adulthood she doesn't hold back from telling us about her flirting with soldiers in the park (which made me giggle) and the butler spit polishing the silver which the 'family' then used to eat their dinner with.

These are personal highlights, however the majority of the book enlightens the reader about domestic service during this period; how the hierarchy of servants was structured, the delegation of tasks, what food each level of servant generally ate and the perks for each.

Rose shares her personal story of entering service, her first house, then moving on to a bigger house and how it differed in terms of work. She also provides commentary on the impact of the second World War on domestic service and the changing opinions in society with regard to women in service and indeed her own feelings on this.

What is achingly clear is that the work of a maid was backbreaking and tough, and the expectations of the families of the time or Mistress of the House do seem to us to be harsh and cruel now.

I've always had a fascination for the 'life below stairs', but since the highly successful TV series Downton Abbey, there seems to be an abundance of books on the topic of servants, their duties and life experiences, enabling me to explore this further. If you're a fan of the series like me, then The Maid's Tale - Life Below Stairs As It Really Was is a great book to satisfy your own desire for more information on this part of English history.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Merry Christmas 2012

I'd like to wish all booklovers, bibliophiles, bookish nerds and casual readers a very Merry Christmas this year.  Thanks for your continued readership during 2012 and I hope you'll  share this site with others who enjoy books and reading in 2013.

Have a wonderful and special Christmas day with your family and loved ones, and of course I hope there is a book or two under the tree for you.

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

One way or another, the majority of the population will by now have come across American author Cormac McCarthy's hugely successful post-apocalyptic novel The Road, whether you have read it or not.  

In 2007, The Road won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and in 2009 The Road hit the big screen as a major film featuring actor Viggo Mortensen.

When a book gets too trendy it turns me off a little, but it's clear that The Road has now become an American classic and received much acclaim from all over the world. I knew I'd have to face it sometime, and now I have.

What is clear from early on, is that the two main characters aren't assigned names; they are instead referred to in the narrative as: they, the boy, Papa, he, we, us etc. Also absent from the book are any quotation marks to denote dialogue.

These two writing devices alone create a lean writing style in keeping with the post-apocalyptic setting the father and son find themselves in, the cause of which is never fully explained.  The situation is grim, starving in a land of ash, but the boy's pure heart add simple beauty to the page and balance the devastating story of survival.

I can understand why so many readers were touched by The Road, and furthermore why it has been embraced by environmentalists as a moving example of what could happen if we continue to treat the planet with complete disregard.  The thought is horrific.

For me though, it was a good read, but it didn't change my life, or influence me to go and buy copies for all of my friends and family.  I'm looking forward to watching the movie now though and am interested to hear your thoughts. Have you read the book or seen the movie? What did you think? Did The Road deserve the Pulitzer?

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Review: Life Below Stairs - True Lives of Edwardian Servants by Alison Maloney

Life Below Stairs - True Lives of Edwardian Servants by Alison Maloney is a fabulous little book rich in detail about the life of servants in the Edwardian period, 1901 - 1910.

The book is broken down into the following chapters to cover the different segments of a servant's work in their master and mistress' house:

1. Social Background
2. Household Structure
3. Pay and Conditions
4. A Day in the Life of a Country House
5. Toil and Technique
6. Special Occasions
7. Code of Conduct
8. Hiring and Firing
9. The High Life

Here's a brief selection of interesting tidbits I learned from Life Below Stairs:

• Footmen increased in value with every inch in height as the liveried uniform was considered to look smart on the taller man.  An extra premium was paid for two who were similar in stature and appearance.  Page 44
• In order to go into service, a maid had to have her own uniform of a print dress, a black dress and several white aprons. Coming from poor backgrounds, as well as workhouses and orphanages saving up for these garments was no mean feat and most would have to work in part-time jobs for two years to make the money. Page 61
• Beauty products such as cold cream could be bought or mixed at home and were made from a variety of ingredients including lanolin, almond oil, cocoa butter, coconut oil, white wax, witch hazel and spermaceti - a wax obtained from the head of a sperm whale. Page 107
• Constitutional expert Alastair Bruce explains: 'The dining room chairs may have a back on them but the back is for the footman to push in and out and not for them to rest their backs on at any time.' Page 118

At less than 200 pages, Life Below Stairs is a light, enjoyable and educational read and I thoroughly recommend it to fans of the TV series Downton Abbey, and anyone with an interest in what life was really like for servants in England.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Review: Caught In The Crossfire by Matina Jewell

Caught In The Crossfire by Australian author Matina Jewell is an incredibly personal and courageous memoir.  Growing up near Byron Bay, Matina spent her weekends swimming, surfing, riding horses and playing team sports including volleyball, going on to play her first national titles when she was just thirteen.  Matina even travelled to China to play volleyball for Australia and decided she wanted a career where she could travel and continue to learn about other cultures around the world.

Initially wanting to pursue a career in physiotherapy, Matina joined the Australian Defence Force Academy after High School, and began her training as an Officer in the Army.  After graduating she spent time in the Solomons and the Middle East, and in 2004 was selected for a prestigious role with the United Nations.  Prior to taking up her UN posting she took the opportunity to learn Arabic, a decision that later saved her life.

In July 2006, Matina was close to finishing her posting at Patrol Base Khiam in Lebanon, when war broke out.  Matina was seriously injured whilst leading a convoy of armoured vehicles to safety.  Shortly afterwards, her unarmed UN team mates - who had become like brothers to her - were killed when PB Khiam was hit by an aerial bomb, despite their requests to evacuate.

Matina’s evacuation to Australia was a nightmare, and she later learned the full extent of her physical injuries, including fractured and crushed vertebrae.  Matina suffered from survivor guilt and battled severe depression, being achingly honest in her memoirs.  However Caught In The Crossfire is an inspirational story, as Matina eventually finds the inner strength to turn her life around and find a way to honour and commemorate her fallen comrades.  It’s also a love story as the love and support of her boyfriend at the time Clent, proves pivotal; he literally travels halfway around the world for her.

I also loved the QR codes, enabling me to watch the footage interspersed throughout the book, very high tech for the time it was published.

Matina has had an incredible physical and emotional journey to get to this point and hers is a story that must be read to be believed.  (Imagine being dropped from an ambulance with an already broken back for instance!) You can find out more about this remarkable woman by visiting her website matinajewell.com

I think all Australians should read this informative, shocking and engaging memoir that is Caught In The Crossfire by Matina Jewell.  It's also inspiring for those struggling to recover from debilitating physical and emotional pain; Matina shows us all that it is indeed possible to turn your life around and start living with purpose again.

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

Review: Back From The Dead: Peter Hughes' Story of Survival and Hope After Bali by Patrick Lindsay

October this year - 2012 - marked the 10 year anniversary of the Bali bombings. A total of 202 people were killed, 88 of which were Australian.  

With this 10 year milestone in mind, I wanted to read some material related to the event and turned to Patrick Lindsay's biography of Peter Hughes, in Back From The Dead - Peter Hughes' Story of Survival and Hope After Bali.

Peter Hughes was interviewed (you can watch the interview on YouTube) in hospital immediately after the bombing and despite his obvious burns and poor physical condition he diverted attention away from himself with his: 'I'm alright, there's plenty of people worse off than me' attitude. It was this attitude that made an impression on the memory of many Australians and ensured Peter was to become irrevocably linked to the Bali bombings.

In fact Peter was so badly burned and his face was so swollen that he was mistaken for a Maori rugby player and his own son watching the interview footage didn't recognise him.

Patrick Lindsay introduces us to Peter, his son Leigh, a few of Pete's friends and takes us back to Bali before the bombings to step us through the planning of the devastating terrorist act. Leigh kept a diary during his Dad's hospitalisation and excerpts are incorporated throughout the book which make for very real and confronting reading. Lindsay has also interviewed Pete's mates and fellow survivors of the bombings and included their survival stories as well.

Back From The Dead is inspirational and deeply moving. Reading it makes you feel proud to be Australian as you read about medical staff pulling together and volunteering during the crisis, the incredible journalism and of course Pete's fight for life, dying and coming back to life three times.

There was one particular segment that really stuck with me though, when Pete is talking about being bathed twice a day by the nurses, and how they had to be cruel to be kind on page 219:

"...But I knew that they had to do it and a lot of time they were crying because they were doing it, you know, you could see it in their faces.  They weren't happy doing it but they had to block it out. The nurses were just incredible people."

Amazing and inspirational for anyone suffering from chronic pain or a setback. Surprisingly Peter Hughes doesn't harbour bitterness, anger or a desire for revenge over the Bali bombings and makes a brilliant role model for many Australians. Thoroughly recommended.

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

Click here to read the interview Patrick did with Carpe Librum.

Review: 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff is a book for booklovers, bibliophiles and those nostalgic for the days of letter writing. It is a collection of letters initiated by Helene Hanff living in New York to a second hand bookshop in London called Messrs Marks and Co.

Commencing in October 1949, Helene mentions that she is a poor writer and that she cannot find the books she wants in New York, and that the ones she can find are "grimy, marked-up school boy copies." She sends her wish list and a budget, and so begins a 20 year correspondence.

Writing back and forth with Frank Doel and requesting volumes, Helene's wit comes across loud and clear and is immeasurably enjoyable for any booklover. Sending parcels during times of rationing and shortages in London, Helene become very popular with the staff at the store, and an amazing relationship builds up over the years.

When Frank passes away after a 20 year correspondence, Helene was inspired to write a book, including some of their letters; with the family's approval of course. She fulfils a long held dream to travel to London to promote the book and keeps a diary during her stay. Her diary was published as The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street - her nickname during her stay - and this edition of 84 Charing Cross Road includes The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street at the back.  

I loved reading the letters for their historical and literary worth and their wit and humour was very uplifting. Here's an example from a letter Helene sends to Frank dated February 9th 1952: 

"SLOTH:
  i could ROT over here before you'd send me anything to read. i oughta run straight down to brentano's which i would if anything i wanted was in print. You may add Walton's Lives to the list of books you aren't sending me. It's against my principles to buy a book I haven't read, it's like buying a dress you haven't tried on, but you can't even get Walton's Lives in a library over here. You can look at it. They have it down at the 42nd street branch. But not to take home! the lady said to me, shocked. eat it here. just sit right down in room 315 and read the whole book without a cup of coffee, a cigarette or air."  Page 45

I heartily recommend 84 Charing Cross Road to those who love books, second hand bookshops and letter writing. This book was made into a film in 1987 starring Judi Dench and Anthony Hopkins and I'm looking forward to watching that next. Has anyone seen it?

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Winner Announced: Secret Keeper Giveaway

Kate has won this autographed copy of The Secret Keeper
by Australian author Kate Morton

The Carpe Librum Secret Keeper Giveaway closed on Friday 30th November and received many entries.

There were two ways to enter, so thanks to those who entered on the blog and shared their favourite book by author Kate Morton and those who submitted their entries via email and shared the secrets they've been keeping.  They made for great reading!

All names were written down on a piece of paper and folded in half, so that the names remained 'secret'.  The folded secrets were then thrown up and the one to land closest to Kate Morton's latest release The Secret Keeper was deemed the winner of this giveaway.

It gives me great pleasure to announce that the winner of the Carpe Librum Secret Keeper Giveaway, and the winner of a proof copy, signed by Kate Morton is...... Kate!  I know it sounds funny, but a follower of the blog by the name of Kate left a comment and her secret name landed right on top of the book, so: 

Congratulations Kate! 

Please email me your postal address, and it will give me great joy to post the autographed book out to you.  Again, thanks to all those who entered, thanks to Allen & Unwin for the proof copy and happy reading.

Carpe Librum!

P.S. It is now 1 February 2013, and Kate is yet to claim her prize and I can't track her down to inform her of her win.  Kate, I do hope you are reading this, please make contact by midnight Friday 8th February 2013, or I'll have to draw another winner.

Review: Heresy by S.J. Parris

This is the cover design
on the book I read

We first meet our protagonist Giordano Bruno on the privy, reading a forbidden text in a monastery in Naples in the 1500s.

Unfortunately he is discovered, and Bruno's unabated desire for forbidden knowledge and the alleged sin of pride makes him a target for the Inquisition and he is forced to flee Naples. 

On the run for years, he agrees to go to Oxford in 1583 to work as a spy for Sir Francis Walsingham to root out traitors to Queen Elizabeth I.  Those practising Catholicism must do so in secret, and it is feared that there are plots to assassinate the Queen in order to return England to the Catholic faith.

However there is soon a bloody murder in Oxford and others tragically follow. Bruno begins to investigate, not knowing whether the murders are related to a treasonous plot or the work of a bloodthirsty member of the University.

I love this cover
design though, which
do you prefer?

Not trusted due to his status as an outsider, Bruno runs into his fair share of difficulties and this is further complicated by his own private and secret mission to use the opportunity in Oxford to track down an extremely rare manuscript.

Heresy is an excellent historical fiction novel, and the reader is able to gain a wonderful sense of being in 1500s Oxford. In fact, I was in London at the time of reading the novel, and twice visited Oxford while reading this book. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed reading these pages, having just visited these locations and being able to picture the places and scenes precisely as they were described. It really added to my reading pleasure.

Heresy is the first in the Giordano Bruno series of books by S.J. Parris, of which - at the time of this review - there are three:

1. Heresy by S.J. Parris
2. Prophecy by S.J. Parris
3. Sacrilege by S.J. Parris

I have the next book in the series on my shelf already, Prophecy, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!