People of the book by Geraldine Brooks

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Hanna Heath is a book conservator working in Sydney. She receives an urgent phone call asking her to go to war torn Sarajevo to work on a rare and beautiful haggadah, a medieval Jewish prayer book. Hanna’s journey to Sarajevo and her discoveries about the manuscript alternate with chapters about the history of the book. When Hanna finds a butterfly’s wing trapped in the pages, or wine and blood stains, we’re taken back to 1890’s Vienna or 17th century Venice, to discover what happened. Hanna also has to deal with her less than satisfactory personal life, her fraught relationship with her mother, and the tentative relationship she develops with Ozren, the young librarian who is the manuscript’s latest saviour.

---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters

Friday nights by Joanna Trollope

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Eleanor, a retired administrator, sees two young single mothers aimlessly walking up and down her London street. Her determination to alleviate their loneliness, and her own, leads to a group of women meeting at Eleanor’s house on Friday nights. The friendships that develop between Eleanor, Lindsay and her sister Jules, Paula, Blaise and her business partner Karen, become an important part of their lives. The dynamic of the group changes when Paula wants to introduce her new boyfriend, Jackson, into the group. Jackson is polite, unthreatening, confident yet detached. He affects every one of the women and changes the way they relate to each other. This is a novel about friendship, and the way in which it has become, for some people, the new family. The domestic details and the conversations are beautifully observed.

---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

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Genre - Family


This book is set in 1970's Afghanistan. It follows a child’s journey to adulthood. The book revolves around a kite fighting tournament which twelve year old Amir is desperate to win. He believes that winning the tournament will bring the love and approval from his father which he is continually seeking. However the tournament turns out to be the biggest event in Amir's life, he allows his friend to be brutalised so that he is able to win. This act haunts him his entire life, as he knows that he has ruined his friend’s life. The Russians invade Afghanistan and Amir and his father flee to the USA. The book is based on the idea of redemption in the modern day world, and what it means to be a good and moral person. A truly unput-downable book!

---- Reviewed by Tegan, Guest

True Talents by David Lubar

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Genre - Science Fiction




Hey everyone, this week the book of the week is True Talents written by David Lubar. This book is about a boy named Eddie and his friends. Eddie and his friends may seem normal but they all have supernatural powers. Eddie can move things with his mind, Martin ( Eddie’s best friend) can see into peoples souls, Flinch can see into the future, Cheater can read peoples minds, Lucky can find lost objects, and Torchie can start fires. Eddie knows he should be careful when he uses his powers, but when he uses his powers in a bank he accidentally steals a lot of money and gets kidnapped by a weird man who wants to run tests on him. Now its up to Eddie’s friends to join forces and save him.

---- Reviewed by Brandon, Guest

Time out of mind by Jane Lapotaire

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Genre - Non Fiction


Jane Lapotaire is a classical actor, well-known for her work with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She has also played characters as diverse as Marie Curie and Maria Callas. In 2000, she suffered a sub-arachnoid haemorrhage. She was in intensive care in a Paris hospital for three weeks and faced a long convalescence. Lapotaire struggled to get the help and support she needed from the medical establishment, eventually finding help from a few practitioners. The biggest challenge was the changes to her personality and ability to cope with stress which had a great impact on her relationships with family and friends. She wrote the book to help other sufferers of brain injury and their famillies. Her recovery was slow, and the struggle to get back to work was the greatest hurdle. Lapotaire doesn't spare herself, or the reader, from her worst moments, but ultimately, this is an inspiring book.

---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters

The Coffin Trail by Martin Edwards

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Genre - Mystery


This is the first in a series of fantastic murder mysteries set in the Lake District. Daniel Kind leaves his secure job as a historian at Oxford, and, on a whim, moves to a dilapidated cottage in the Lake District with new girlfriend, Miranda. Some years earlier, a young woman was murdered and her body left on the Sacrifice Stone, a local landmark. Barrie Gilpin, a loner, who used to live in the cottage Daniel has bought, was found dead at the bottom of nearby cliffs. Case conveniently closed. Daniel's father was the policeman who originally investigated the case, and he wasn't sure of Barrie's guilt. Neither is Daniel, who knew Barrie as a child. The case comes up as part of a cold case review led by DCI Hannah Scarlett, and Daniel becomes involved in the investigation. This is an atmospheric story which sets up an intriguing relationship between Daniel and Hannah to be explored in future books. Recommended for lovers of English police procedurals.

---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters

Flying the coop by Ilsa Evans

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Genre - Comic Fiction


Chris Beggs, 38 year old divorced mother of two has just become the proud owner of a free range chook farm in Healesville. Feeling a little reckless after making this spur of the moment decision Chris is determined to make this venture work and with the help of some new found friends and a chicken suit, it looks like it will! Chris leaves behind her city home and job and welcomes early morning egg collections, possum poo and a dangerous alpaca! Humorous light fiction from this popular local author.

---- Reviewed by Sue, Knox Library

Waterlemon: husband in coma and other setbacks

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Genre - Biography


Sydney journalist, Ruth Ritchie was enjoying a perfect spring day at home with her newborn baby boy when she got a telephone call that would change her life. Her husband Jhonnie had been in a road accident and was being airlifted to hospital with life threatening head injuries.

Waterlemon is the true story of the long, hard road to recovery for Jhonnie and chronicles the huge amount of love and support required for Ruth and the family to cope with this trauma and try to return to normality. Ruth writes with honesty and humour about surviving this experience with lots of courage, cooking and communication.

--- Reviewed by Sue, Knox Library

Muck by Craig Sherborne

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Genre - Autobiography


In Craig Sherborne's first book, Hoi Polloi, you learnt of his journey from New Zealand to Sydney, Australia. In Muck you venture more into his life as he grows up. His parents buy a large dairy farm and decide to become "Lords of the Manor" with other people doing all the work. There are many funny stories and incidents in this book but throughout you remain aware of how dysfunctional his family truly are.

---- Reviewed by Julie, Ferntree Gully Library