Sappho's Leap by Erica Jong

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Genre - history


This is a book to be read on a hot sunny day in the shade of an olive grove, or failing that, a sacred ti-tree grove, while eating pomegranates and sipping wine, near the sea, (where you may even see Aphrodite rising from the foamy waves).
Jong has researched the few available facts that have been recorded about Sappho the poetess, and woven an adventurous historical tale, combining Greek mythology, poetry , fact and fable in an imaginative easy read.

Sappho flourished in Lesbos circa 600BCE and was a contemporary of Aesop, Heraclitus and Nebuchadnezzer .

Sappho was a fiesty, intelligent and passionate woman. Jong has used the remaining fragments of her poems and songs to take us on an absorbing journey through Sappho's loves, fame, political intrigues and tragedies, while incorporating the rich and complex culture of archaic Greece.

---- Reviewed by Clare, Mooroolbark library

Unexpected Elements of Love by Kate Legge

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Genre - Family

I picked this book up after seeing it listed as one of the great books set in Victoria on The Summer Read list from the State Library this year. It is a novel about love and family and provides an insight into the lives of two women, Beth and Janet, and their extended families. Janet is a working wife and mother, torn between the demands of her work as a weather presenter and her anxious, unpredictable son, Harry. After 50 years of marriage, Beth is coping with warning signs of dementia in her husband, a famous sculptor facing the end of his career. This novel concentrates on the details of domestic life and relationships within the broader setting of the Australian climate.

---- Reviewed by Sue, Knox Library

The Devil You Know by Mike Carey

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Genre - Mystery


Felix Castor, known as "Fix" to his friends, is an exorcist whose main weapon is a tin whistle allied with a cutting, witty tongue. He lives in a modern-day London which is becoming inundated with the spirits of the dead and various other denizens of the underworld. After an unsuccessful attempt to exorcise a spirit from a close friend he has sworn away from his chosen career but a need to pay the bills makes him take on a seemingly simple ghost-busting job. However all is not as simple as it seems. What follows is a hilariously chilling noir thriller as Felix fights off various demons, succubi and gangsters who try to stop him discovering the secret of the scarlet shrouded ghost haunting the Bonnington Archive.

---- Reviewed by Paul, Administration

Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child

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Genre - Thriller


This is the 11th Jack Reacher adventure from this bestselling author and this series is not for the faint hearted. Lee Child novels are action packed blood and violence! Jack Reacher is an ex army special investigations officer with no permanent address, he's a drifter and a loner who doesn't go looking for trouble but always ends up knee deep in it. This time he gets a cryptic message to get in touch with one of his past colleagues and learns that someone is killing off members of his old military unit. Reacher springs into action, gathers together his old team and methodically tracks down the villains to seek vengeance for his buddies.
Another escapist thriller with an addictive no nonsense style which keeps you up all night reading!

---- reviewed by Sue, Knox library

The 47th Samurai : a Bob Lee Swagger novel by Stephen Hunter

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Genre - Thriller

The 47th Samurai is the fourth and bloodiest in the series of Hunter's books following the adventures of Bob Lee Swagger the Vietnam veteran and sniper.

In the book Bob Lee Swagger and Philip Yano, two modern day warriors and Samurai, are bound together by a single moment at Iwo Jima, 1945, when their fathers met in the bloody and chaotic battle for the island. Only Earl Swagger survives. More than sixty years later Yano comes to America to search for his father's sword which was taken as a trophy by Earl Swagger. What then follows is a maelstrom of violence and blood letting as Bob Lee finds himself at the centre of a series of horrific crimes.

I must admit that some of the scenes were gratuitously violent and graphic but were there to show how visceral and terrifying sword fighting with a katana must be. The book also read in places like a potential film script, Hunter has been a film reviewer for many years and one of the Swagger books has been recently made into a movie. I would recommend the book for those who are interested in the psyche of ancient and modern day soldiers and who have a strong stomach for violence.

---- Reviewed by Paul, Administration

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy

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Genre - Thriller


Llewelyn Moss, hunting antelope near the Rio Grande, instead finds several men shot dead, a load of heroin, and more than $2 million in cash. Taking the money , he knows, will change everything. But only after two more men are murdered does a victim’s burning car lead the local Sheriff to the carnage out in the desert. What follows is a tremendous story of the collision of love and duty set against a backdrop of spectacular violence and mayhem.

The book has been turned in to a film by the wonderful Coen Brothers and will soon be released in Australia. I have already placed it on my "Must Be Seen" list! In the meantime read the book and be mesmerised by McCarthy's superb prose.
Enjoy!

---- Reviewed by Paul, Administration

The Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris

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Genre - General fiction


This sequel to Chocolat is another beautiful story by Joanne Harris. It continues to follow the lives of Vianne and Anoux and new baby Rosette and adds an unsuitable fiancée, Thierry and the dangerously helpful, Zosie. When Roux finally turns up again the magic and food escalate to form an irresistible combination in this charming tale.

---- Reviewed by Sue, Knox Library

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

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Genre - Mystery


Another riveting read about a controversial modern day drama. Picoult gets inside the minds of the key players after a high school shooting in a small town in New Hampshire. This could happen at one of our schools and the 17 year old shooter could be one of our children. Another realistic plot and sympathetic characters from this accomplished author.

---- Reviewed by Sue, Knox Library

Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich

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Genre - Comedy


Reading the latest in the Stephanie Plum series is like being with old friends - comfortable , entertaining and with some laugh out loud moments.

All of our favourite characters are back - gun toting Grandma Masur, the always sexy Ranger, not so sexy but sassy Lula, and the very patient Morelli along with the heroine Stephanie. Trying to make a living as a bounty hunter is not easy, especially when you have to dodge bullets, exploding animals and swap cars to remain anonymous.

Not quite as entertaining as the previous Plum books, but I'll still be lining up for number 14.

---- Reviewed by Judy, Knox Library

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

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Genre - Biography


Ayaan Hirsi Ali writes a fascinating account of her experience as a child growing up in Islamic Somalia. As the middle child of her family, she was often told that she was stupid and would amount to nothing. She shares her hardships with Islamic culture, the wars, and the control of the masses. She describes the female circumcision she was subjected to, against the wishes of her parents, by her grandmother. Her life changed when she became a refugee in The Netherlands. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and applaud her for her courage to publish her life story.

---- Reviewed by Julie, Ferntree Gully Library

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

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Genre - Historical


It is wonderful to see how many people are interested in reading this beautiful story. It can only help the world to better understand the plight of the poor people of Afghanistan who have suffered decades of death and destruction. This is the story of two strong women and their will to survive unimaginable hardships. It is a sad story but I was drawn into the lives of Laila and Mariam and learnt a lot about the modern history of Afghanistan.

---- Reviewed by Sue, Knox Library

Broken by Ilsa Evans

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Genre - Family


After years of abuse from her husband, Mattie decides that she has had enough and decides to move out to a nearby unit. However, her husband, Jake, is not willing to see her leave the family home and causes many more problems. Mattie discovers the joyless search for a job and Centrelink benefits for her two children. This book looks at the serious problem of domestic violence and how it effects both the wife and children.

---- Reviewed by Julie, Ferntree Gully Library