The best thing about this book is that it is succinct, engaging and easy to read, not dry or heavy at all.
non-fiction
We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families by Philip Gourevitch: Dot Points
This is a must read for anyone interested in history, international politics or human rights, and I would venture to recommend it, even to those with no interest in these subjects.
30 Day Book Challenge Day 7:
A Guilty Pleasure Book This is an extremely difficult question for me, because I really don’t have a guilty pleasure book. Having a guilty pleasure book implies that you are ashamed or embarrassed in some way about the book you… Read More ›
Blogging for Fame and Fortune by Jason R. Rich
Just about everybody has a blog these days. They are so prolific that it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd. Yet this is exactly what you must do if you wish to make money from your blog…. Read More ›
The art of letter writing
As some of you may know, I am planning a holiday in 2016. in the meantime, I am researching what I can about Japanese customs and etiquette, learning the language and picking up any little titbits I can along the… Read More ›
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft
Opening Sentence:Sir, It is not necessary, with courtly insincerity, to apologise to you for thus intruding on your precious time, nor to profess that I think it an honour to discuss an important subject with a man whose literary abilities… Read More ›
Children Having Children: Global Perspectives on Teenage Pregnancy (Ideas in Conflict Series) by Gary E. McCuen
Opening Sentence:As a society we worship at the altar of sex. Synopsis:From the Contents Page Global Perspectives on Adolescent Pregnancy: U.S. teen pregnancy rates are falling; the rates are rising; adolescent fertility worldwide concerns; adolescent fertility in Nigeria; teenage pregnancy… Read More ›
Mother Love, Deadly Love: The Susan Smith Murders by Andrea Peyser
Opening Sentence:Alex, the little guy, always went first. Synopsis:MATERNAL INSTINCTS Susan Smith, a lovely young mother, separated from the father of her two handsome boys, is found wandering, delirious, on a South Carolina road, claiming that her car has been… Read More ›
Ebola by William T. Close M.D.
Opening Sentence:Fly due east toward the coast of Africa, six degrees below the equator, altitude one thousand feet above the sea. Synopsis:It strikes without warning – a horrifying, lethal disease with no name. And no cure. At a Catholic mission… Read More ›
Shadow Warrior by David Everett
Opening Sentence:The dog was a German shepherd, about two years old, big and woolly but still goofy like a pup. Synopsis:David Everett – renegade soldier, outlaw, fugitive and, at one time, Australia’s most wanted man – always liked a bit… Read More ›
House of Horrors by Nigel Cawthorne
Opening Sentence:In 1984, two weeks after the end of the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, a young woman in a small town in Austria was drugged, dragged into a cellar and repeatedly raped by her own father. Synopsis:In the quiet… Read More ›
One Red Paperclip: How a Small Piece of Stationery Turned into a Great Big Adventure by Kyle Macdonald
Opening Sentence:Dom and I round the corner. Synopsis:Kyle McDonald was meant to be looking for a job. He was at that point in his life where he wanted his own house. But how could he get a house if he… Read More ›
Betrayed by Lyndsey Harris with Andrew Crofts
Opening Sentence:My daughter Sarah would say this is a story of ‘big scary feelings’ and she would be right, as she so often is. Synopsis:For the first few years of her life, Sarah Harris was a normal, happy, popular little… Read More ›
Fish Who Answer the Telephone and Other Bizarre Books by Russell Ash and Brian Lake
Synopsis:A uniquely funny and utterly original collection of the world’s weirdest and wackiest books. Learn the arts of Do-it-Yourself Coffins, Correctly English in 100 Days and Pranks with the Mouth Discover What’s Wrong With My Snake, Miss Smallwood’s Goodies and… Read More ›
Letter to D: A Love Story by Andre Gorz, translated by Julie Rose
Synopsis:‘I have to piece together the story of our love to appreciate its full meaning. It’s what has allowed us to become who we are, living through each other and for each other…’ Letter to D is the ultimate love… Read More ›
Fire Trap by Sean Flynn
Synopsis:Two-Sixty-Six Franklin Street was an address dreaded by the fire-fighters of Worcester, Massachusetts. Six storeys and windowless, the abandoned warehouse was built like a giant chimney: no windows meant no vents to bleed out heat, no exit for anyone trapped… Read More ›
Plague: A Story of Science, Rivalry, and the Scourge That Won’t Go Away by Edward Marriott
Synopsis:Plague. The very word carries an unholy resonance. No other disease can claim its apocalyptic power: it can lie dormant for centuries, only to resurface with nation-killing force. Here, with the high drama of an adventure tale, Edward Marriott unravels… Read More ›
The Good, the Bad and the Inevitable by Barbara Holborrow
Synopsis:In this moving and compelling collection of stories, bestselling author Barbara Holborrow tells of the good, the bad and the inevitable outcomes for so many of the kids she saw in her capacity as a children’s magistrate. There are stories… Read More ›
Blythe Spirit by Sandy Blythe
Synopsis:At the age of nineteen Sandy Blythe’s future seemed assured – he had a promising career as an Australian Rules footballer ahead of him, and was studying for a university degree. But his life was suddenly and irrevocably changed when… Read More ›
Bronte’s Story by Bronte Cullis and Steve Bibb
This is a must read for all young girls and anyone with a daughter, sister or niece.
Warning: This book is very raw and emotional and families who have been through this ordeal may find it difficult to read.
I Know why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
A good read for those studying ‘Black History’ as well as those that really enjoy autobiographies.
Sickened by Julie Gregory
The writing style in this memoir is average but the story more than makes up for it.
Father and Child Reunion by Warren Farrell
This book was definitely worth reading.
Schindler’s List by Thomas Keneally
this is one of the few cases where I believe the movie is just as rewarding as the book.
100 Strangest Unexplained Mysteries by Matt Lamy
A good beginners guide.
Them by Jon Ronson
From the dangerous to the harmless to the just plain wacky, Jon Ronson gives a humorous insight into those the world call ‘extremist’.
Round Ireland With a Fridge by Tony Hawks
Reading this book lifted my spirits and left me with a distinct desire to visit Ireland. Definitely worth reading!
Disaster Strikes by Eve Pownall
A great way for children to learn about Australia’s history
Rafferty's Rules is Closing Down 