Too Loud Lily by Sofie Laguna

Rating: Delightful
Age Range: 3 - 5 years
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press (March 1, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0439579139
ISBN-13: 978-0439579131

Too Loud Lily is a story about Lily the Hippo who is just too loud and constantly gets into trouble for it, until one day a new teacher at school gets Lily into the school play and Lily can be herself.

We got given this book for Christmas and I thought on our first read through that this book was written for my Little Miss who likes to be loud and adventurous. My son also enjoys the book and we have no read this many times in our house.

Too Loud Lily really is a delightful read with a good message about staying true to yourself and finding your niche. Lily struggles in every day life being constantly told she is too loud. When she decides to join the school play she is able to be loud and she brings the house down with her performance, finally finding a place she can be herself.

The illustrations showed Lily's sadness at the start of the book when she gets in trouble for reading to loud, laughing too loud, watching TV too loud, and waking the baby. Then when her new flamboyant teacher arrives you see Lily's transformation as the teacher asks her to be louder. This is music to Lily's ears as she gets to finally unleash her suppressed loudness.

The reader see the progression of Lily from a young girl being forced into a box against her nature to a young girl who realises her abilities are not a negative but a positive in the right settings.

A final note that Kerry Argent has done a wonderful job illustrating this book.

This is a lovely little book perfect for helping children to learn to accept themselves for who they are.

Other stuff:
This book has been nominated for awards such as:

• Children’s Book Council of Australia Award for Book of the Year for Early Readers Honour Book 2003 
•  Oppenheim Best Book Award USA for 2005 
• Shortlisted for the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards 2003 
• Shortlisted for the Children’s Choice Picture Book of the Year 2003

Here is a video of the book Too Loud Lily being read so you can get an idea of the book https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeXpSqsITMs

Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix

Rating: Cute and Fun
Age: 12 and up
Print Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Allen & Unwin (October 1, 2015)
Publication Date: September 23, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00ZVYEBVY

I have not previously read a Garth Nix book, even though I am aware of his books. So I went into this book with no set expectations about how Nix wrote.

This book was cute, fun and light hearted. I enjoyed being immersed in the alternate history which had a dash of romance. Everything about this is fluffy and predictable but it is fun. If you don't read this book expecting hard core fantasy and character development you should have fun.

The story is set in the Regency period so you have lots of the social stigmas for a woman as well as carriages and ball gowns. I like the Truthful dressed as a man to investigate her families missing jewel even if it was predictable. Most of the book's humor came from the scenes where she had to pretend to be a man. I really enjoyed her Great-Aunt the most, and would love to read a book about her life prior to this book. I actually thought she sort of stole the book from its main characters to be honest.

If I think about the story had a feel of lady detective then hard core Regency Gaslight genre. I found Truthful had more in common With Miss Phryne Fisher (Phyrne Fisher series) then Alexia Tarbotti (Parasol Protectorate series). While it is set in the Regency period with magic involved, I would (now I am thinking about it) definitely put this in more of the lady detective genre.

Also I didn't get the point to Truthful's three male cousins. They seems a bit of a waste of space in terms of story telling. They didn't add a single thing to the story other then to show that Truthful's family are kinda useless. I also wished we had learned more about the fairy and her motivations she almost seemed written in as a fairy purely to add an extra magical element. Her character could have served its role as a normal human. As a fairy she certainly didn't do anything well fairy like.

The romance is very tame and sweet, and very appropriate for the age group (Middle school) it is aimed at. For an adult reader it felt a little forced however at the same time I didn't sit there rolling my eyes at it.

The action when it happens is fast paced and well written. The final scene on the ship was particularly good. I have seen reviews that said Nix's
  

It was a fun cute read.The book didn't really wow me or leave a lasting impression but it was fun and I would read another book in the series I think (at least one more). It is a perfect starting book for young teens who are interested in this genre. I can see young girls in particular liking this story.

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

Rating: It was OK
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 1907 KB
Print Length: 496 pages
Publisher: Random House Australia (20 March 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Australia Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B007C6VASQ

Summary:
"The amazing power and truth of the Rapunzel fairy tale comes alive for the first time in this breathtaking tale of desire, black magic and the redemptive power of love French novelist Charlotte-Rose de la Force has been banished from the court of Versailles by the Sun King, Louis XIV, after a series of scandalous love affairs. At the convent, she is comforted by an old nun, Sœur Seraphina, who tells her the tale of a young girl who, a hundred years earlier, is sold by her parents for a handful of bitter greens... After Margherita's father steals parsley from the walled garden of the courtesan Selena Leonelli, he is threatened with having both hands cut off, unless he and his wife relinquish their precious little girl. Selena is the famous red-haired muse of the artist Tiziano, first painted by him in 1512 and still inspiring him at the time of his death. She is at the center of Renaissance life in Venice, a world of beauty and danger, seduction and betrayal, love and superstition. Locked away in a tower, Margherita sings in the hope that someone will hear her. One day, a young man does. Award-winning author Kate Forsyth braids together the stories of Margherita, Selena, and Charlotte-Rose, the woman who penned Rapunzel as we now know it, to create what is a sumptuous historical novel, an enchanting fairy tale retelling, and a loving tribute to the imagination of one remarkable woman."

I am sad to say this is probably my least favourite book by Forsyth that I have read, and I have that feeling like I read a different book to everyone else as all my blogger friends who I trust, said they loved this book, meanwhile I just couldn't get into it.

I think my main issue was the different points of views which for me is an annoyance. I found the change of view hard to over come to really enjoy the story. I know the book is told from three different points of view but while reading it, I felt like I was reading three different books. But Forsyth did eventually tie the two different points of views together, so it did make sense as to why these stories were being told this way. By the end of the book I wasn't as frustrated with the different points of view as I was at the start.

My other main issue was that I found Charolette-Rose's story fascinating and got irritated that I had to change point of view mid story to continue someone else's. I feel like I know the characters of Le Straga and Marghaerite much better then Charolette-Rose' character. As I mentioned before Charolette-Rose was an interesting historical figure who lived in the court of 16 Century France, that witnessed many turbulent times, and wrote fairy tales. I mean she dressed as a dancing best to rescue her lover, does this not sound like a character you want to get to know? Yet I don't feel like I know her very well at all by the end of the book compared to Le Straga and Margherite.

The saving grace of this book is Forsyth's writing, which is always is so whimsical and descriptive. She can easily capture your imagination and send you to the era she is writing in. Her books are also very well researched which makes for a more authentic feel to the story. The story was interesting (both stories) and I liked how Forsyth ended the book.

I really wanted to like this story more but I couldn't the different points of views just annoyed me to much to really get into the story which was lovely and interesting (all three of them). I wish I could have enjoyed the book more but I just couldn't.

Pig The Pug by Aaron Blabey

Rating 5 out of 5
ISBN: 9781743624777
ISBN-10: 1743624778
Audience: Children For Ages: 3 - 5 years old
Format: Hardcover

"Pig was a Pug and I'm sorry to say, he was greedy and selfish in most every way." Pig is the greediest Pug in the world. He is ill-tempered, rude and unreasonable. When Pig the Pug is asked to share his toys, something unexpected happens. Hopefully Pig has learned a lesson!"

This might just be my favourite picture book of the year! Such a fun and interesting story. I would be shocked if you read this book and didn't find yourself laughing along with your child.

We are introduced to Pig, a very selfish Pug dog who will not share his toys. Goes out of his way to be a meanie and then learns his lesson when he tumbles out of the window (while standing on and lording over his pile of toys).

This story has a great moral to it that kids pick up on instantly. My son straight away said "that's not very nice" when Pig refused to share his toys and ran away with them. The later laughed as Pig tumbled from the window. His expert opinion is that the book was "brilliant" but I suspect it had more to do with the dog falling comically out the window rather than learning about sharing.

I also adore the art work and think it brings out the humour in the story. Even though he is a selfish pug he really is adorable.

The book is a delight to read to kids as a parent I really do pick books on what I want to read out loud. You do not want to read to your child if you are bored by the book (which is why the Spot books sit unread on the shelf *snooze* Spot is rather dull). But when you have a book like this with fun rhyming text and amazing artwork you can have fun yourself reading out loud doing the character voices.

Do yourself a favour and get your hands on this book. I have already purchased it as a present for friends. This book has already cemented itself as one of the favourite reads in our household, and might just knock Nick Bland off his pedestal in our house. We have only had our copy of the book for a week and Bland's reign as top book has been several months. Only time will tell who will win the battle between Cranky Bear and Pig the Pug. So just get yourself a copy, you truly wont regret it.

Drachengott: Wind by KJ Taylor

Rating: 3 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 1088 KB Print
Length: 140 pages
Publisher: AUS Impulse (1 May 2015)
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers (AU)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781460705339
ISBN 10: 1460705335
ASIN: B00RKU7QP0

Summary

Rutger has always been a bit different. Wanting more than his current provincial life holds, he practices swordfighting, ensuring he's ready for ... he's not quite sure what. Until he meets Swanhild, an enigmatic young woman who knows exactly what she's training for - war. The two meet every day in the forest to practice magic and Rutger feels like he finally belongs somewhere. But Swanhild is hiding something. Will Rugter find out her secret before it's too late? Or will the battle they've been waiting for render secrets irrelevant?

 A good start to a promising fantasy series.

Proper fantasy is not really my thing especially epic. How ever I have been reading more books in that area lately, especially books about dragons. Not sure what is happening there, maybe it is a phase I am going through?

This story was not a complex story Rugter and Swanhild set out to over throw one of the most powerful baddies in the area. The reader follows the pairs adventures as they work towards this goal. The time line for this does seem to skip along pretty quick but it doesn't feel to rushed. However despite the simple story and motivations the world building was not lacking

There are dragons but they are the bad guys and pretty simple creatures. But there is an interesting part to the dragon story in this world with a head dragon who controls them all. Reminded me of a beehive. I would be interested to see how the dragon's story evolves through the book and we learn more about their story.

Drachengott does have a book one feel about it. The story is just starting and I supect there are going to be at least four books. The pacing of the book fits a story based in a series. It is slow paced for roughly half of the book but it does build up to a fight scene.

I liked Swanhild the most as I felt we got to learn more about her and her motivations the most.  She is the main character the reader will follow through the series. As we learned about her then her character and motivations were pretty clear. Rutger felt a little too simple in his motivations and personality. However I suspect next time we meet him, he will be a far more complex character.

While I wasn't the  blown away by the book, as previously mentioned it was the start of a longer series that was obviously the first stepping stone in a bigger series. The overall series I think has potential to be a good fantasy series over all. I could see this being a series that has the potential to be very addictive. However with the book currently being listed at $2.99 there is no real reason to not give this book a try.

Blood Queen (Lharmell Series book 3) by Rhiannon Hart

Rating 4 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
Publisher: Curtis Brown Unlimited (21 March 2015) Sold by: Amazon Australia Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00VEFCWEC
Series: Yes

Release date 21 April 2015 through Amazon Kindle initially and paperback later.

Summary
After losing Rodden at the last Turning, Zeraphina is alone. Or she would be, if her mother and Prince Folsum would leave her in peace. The prince, blind in one eye after an attack by Zeraphina’s brant, has taken up residence in her home and is insisting she marry him. When an accident happens, Zeraphina flees – straight into the arms of a waiting harming. Now a captive, she discovers she’s being taken to Lharmell. But not to be executed. To be crowned queen. The identity of the one who has given the orders is shrouded in mystery, and Zeraphina can’t help but be suspicious. After everything she’s done the Lharmellins should want her dead. Just who is awaiting her in Lharmell?

Fall out from the events in books one (Blood Song) and two (Blood Storm) start to impact the characters in this book which culminates into an action packed show down. This was a book I thoroughly enjoyed. It kept me entertained the whole way through. There is so much that I want to write and discuss about this book, however I wont so this review will not spoil the book for those who will read it. So this review will be quite broad and general.

Zeraphina is broken in this book. She is a pretty self obsessed, miserable, addict. Consumed with grief for the loss of Rodden. But with the help of Raufo she begins to put her life back together even though she is being led to her doom.

There is a whole lot of action going on but there is a slowish start first (you know only one person died and nothing got destroyed), but from the middle of the book things start to really get moving. From there on it is action packed and fast moving the rest of the way. The slow start does make sense and it isn't frustrating.

I found a new respect for Zeraphinas mother and sister who were more then met the eye. In the previous two books her mother seemed shallow, cold, and self serving and her sister shallow and to concerned about what others thought. In this book we get to see more depth to their characters.

This was a satisfying ending to the trilogy and didn't feel rushed, forced or skipped over.  If you are a fan of the series you should like this book and be happy with the ending (though I'm really not happy the trilogy has ended).

The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth

Rating 4 out of 5 stars
Format: Kindle Edition
Print Length: 515 pages
Publisher: Random House Australia (13 March 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Australia Services, Inc.
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0749015578
ISBN-13: 978-0749015572
ASIN: B00ANG3WZQ

Summary:

One of the great untold love stories - how the Grimm brothers discovered their famous fairy tales - filled with drama and passion, and taking place during the Napoleonic Wars.Growing up next door to the Grimm brothers in Hesse-Cassel, a small German kingdom, Dortchen Wild told Wilhelm some of the most powerful and compelling stories in the famous fairy tale collection. Dortchen first met the Grimm brothers in 1805, when she was twelve. One of six sisters, Dortchen lived in the medieval quarter of Cassel, a town famous for its grand royal palace, its colossal statue of Herkules, and a fairytale castle of turrets and spires built as a love nest for the Prince-Elector's mistress. Dortchen was the same age as Lotte Grimm and the two became best friends.In 1806, Hesse-Cassel was invaded by the French. Napoleon created a new Kingdom of Westphalia, under the rule of his dissolute young brother Jérôme. The Grimm brothers began collecting fairy tales that year, wanting to save the old stories told in spinning-circles and by the fire from the domination of French culture. Dortchen's father was cruel and autocratic, and he beat and abused her. He frowned on the friendship between his daughters and the poverty-stricken Grimm Brothers. Dortchen had to meet Wilhelm in secret to tell him her stories. All the other sisters married and moved away, but Dortchen had to stay home and care for her sick parents. Even after the death of her father, Dortchen and Wilhelm could not marry - the Grimm brothers were so poor they were surviving on a single meal a day. After the overthrow of Napoleon and the eventual success of the fairy tale collection, Dortchen and Wilhelm were at last able to marry. They lived happily ever after with Wilhelm's elder brother Jakob for the rest of their lives.

What a powerful book. Even now after some time reading this book I do not know how to review this book. It was an incredibly dark, and sometimes horrifying book but at the same time fascinating read into a woman who had so much influence over one of the most famous children writers ever. At the end it is a story about good triumphing over evil.

This was not a happy story or a story that glosses over the realities of living in that time. The author does make some assumptions however they are well researched and explained assumptions.

I thought I should say a warning  about this book that it does describe some child abuse. This could be very difficult for some readers.

I still cant put all my thoughts into a concise review. On the one hand the writing and narrative is beautiful. Forsyth is able to build and describe beautiful worlds that are rich and believable. You could almost believe you had been there. The reader got to learn so much about living in this tiny hamlet of Germany during the reign of Bonaparte. We also learn the story behind the brothers Grimm.

On the other hand Forsyth does not gloss over anything or make Dortchen some but kicking heroine. It was hard to understand why Dortchen did not leave (especially when her sister did) but we forget that in those times leaving your home while unmarried would have been incredibly difficult. I can logically understand why the character did what she did but at the same time I wanted her to escape and get her happy ending.

Even though this was quite a dark and slow book (it does span most of her life) I still enjoyed it. It was a powerful story and an interesting story. I did want to see what happened and how her life turned out.

Recommendation: 
Would recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

The Australian Twelve Days of Christmas by Heath McKenzie

Rating 3.5 out of 5
Reading Age: 0 up
Publisher: BLACK DOG BOOKS
Release Date: September 1, 2008
ISBN:9781742031118

This is the song Twelve Days of Christmas that we know and love except with an Australian twist. However what starts of as a simple count down of gifts given turns into a wild hullabaloo with emus kicking, crocodiles weeping, and Tassie Devils fighting. There really isn't much more to say about this book other then the illustrations are cute, quirky and brightly coloured.

My kids really enjoy this book, particularly the end where all the animals are on the one page running riot.

This book really is a no brainer, it is fun and easy to read aloud or sing if you wish. A good book to read around this time of year for something a bit different.

I wish I had a dinosaur by Ian Anggabrata and Mingga Anggawan

Rating 4 out of 5

Cute is the best way to describe this book which is about a little girl wishing she had a dinosaur and everything she could and couldn't do while owning said dinosaur.

She could ride the dinosaur to school and get their faster then the bus, she wouldn't have to use the stairs when she could slide down the dinosaur, and yucky food you want disappeared from your plate? Slip to your dinosaur of course. But you can't take a dinosaur to the beach which is one down side.

The art work is vibrant and fun with a big red dinosaur as the central figure in each page. Each page illustrates the words on the page perfectly and convey the emotion being expressed, the joy of swimming to the sadness of being unable to go to the beach.

The story is simple and easy to follow. It will appeal to children as it expresses desires kids would have, like getting to school quickly, swimming, doing chores, etc

My dinosaur loving son enjoyed this book as we read it in the library during a visit. This is a great read for any child but especially a Dino loving child.

About the authors: both authors are a mother and son team originally from Indonesia. They moved to Australia in 1999. The story originally grew from when Ian son did not want to eat his steak and wished he had a dinosaur to eat it for him.

The Disappearance of Ember Crow (The Tribe book 2) by AmbelinKywamullina

Rating 5 out of 5
Age Range: 12 and up
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Candlewick (April 8, 2014)
Series: Yes, book 2
Language: English
ISBN-10: 140635340X
ISBN-13: 978-1406353402

"However this ends, you're probably going to find out some things about me, and they're not nice things. But, Ash, even after you know, do you think you could remember the good? And whatever you end up discovering - try to think of me kindly. If you can." Ember Crow is missing. To find her friend, Ashala Wolf must control her increasingly erratic and dangerous Sleepwalking ability and leave the Firstwood. But Ashala doesn't realise that Ember is harbouring terrible secrets and is trying to shield the Tribe and all Illegals from a devastating new threat - her own past"

It's not often I say this but I think I enjoyed this more then book 1 (The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf). This book continues from where book 1 left off, only Ashala's number 2 is missing. Now as this continues the story and a lot of story development is revealed I am struggling to review this book without revealing some big spoilers. But I am confident I did it without wrecking the book.

How much did I like this book? well I managed to read this book pretty much in 24 hours, which these days, between kids and work and other stuff, is a good time for me. I mean we don't need dishes to eat from right? I even stayed up way past my bed time, and I am an early to bed kinda girl.

But this story sucked me in and just as my body was giving up on me and I thought "one last paragraph then I will go to sleep" and bam a big reveal and yup I kept on reading. How do you put it down after a reveal like that? I had-to-know-what-happened-next. 

The story development here was neatly balanced with action and adventure. It was fast paced but managed to reveal a lot of information without feeling like you had been studying for you science exam. I found Ember simply fascinating and I hope we learn more about her in the future.

This book again tackles the issues of equality, diversity, and acceptance and it shows how awful humanity can be when they fear something they don't understand. But also how good humanity can be when they embrace and accept an idea or culture.

I don't think I can recommend this series enough. If you like dystopia then I strongly urge you to read this series.

The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina

Rating 4 out of 5

Age Range: 12 and up 

Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Candlewick (April 8, 2014)
Series: Yes, book 1
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0763669881
ISBN-13: 978-0763669881
Awards: Aurealis Award Nominee for Science Fiction & Young Adult Novel (2012)

“There will come a day when a thousand Illegals descend on your detention centers. Boomers will breach the walls. Skychangers will send lightning to strike you all down from above, and Rumblers will open the earth to swallow you up from below. . . . And when that day comes, Justin Connor, think of me.”

Ashala Wolf has been captured by Chief Administrator Neville Rose, a man who is intent on destroying Ashala’s Tribe — the runaway Illegals hiding in the Firstwood. Injured, vulnerable, with her Sleepwalker ability blocked, Ashala is forced to succumb to the machine that will pull secrets from her mind. And right beside her is Justin Connor, her betrayer, watching her every move. Will the Tribe survive the interrogation of Ashala Wolf?"

I had this book on my radar ever since I read the review by "The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader". back in 2012 I was intrigued by the concept. Yet for some reason it sat on my TBR pile for some time. I have no idea why. But recently I thought "why not".

All I can say is I am glad I read it, and cranky at myself for it taking so long to get to it.

The Author did a wonderful job of merging sci-fi and religion/mythology. I liked the references to the Indigenous Australian's dreamtime mythology (at least I hope that's what it was and not just me assuming stuff that isnt there).

It was fast paced and exciting, filled with action and adventure. I liked the way the author revealed the information even though I must confess to being a bit tired by the 4th memory flash back.

Neville Rose is a pretty nasty piece of work. He makes a fantastic villain. All the characters are really interesting and I wish we got to learn about them more.

It is hard to review this book without revealing to much. The story was intricate and fascinating. So I will just say I did really enjoy the story and didn't want to stop reading. I am kind of glad I did wait as book 2 is out this year so I don't have a long wait to see what happens next.

On an interesting note the author's story is just as interesting as the main character she has created. Kwaymullina is an Indigenous Australian from the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. When not writing or reading she teaches law, illustrates picture books, and hangs out with her dogs.

I would recommend this read to anyone who likes the dystopia genre.

Out in the bush by Yvonne Morrison

Rating 4 out of 5
Title: Out in the Bush
Author: Yvonne Morrison
Publisher: Koala Book Company

ISBN: 0864618093

EAN: 9780864618092

Age Range: 2-4 years

"Out in the bush" is a cute remake of the song "Over in the meadow" (if you don't know the tune google Wiggles Over in the Meadow). 

This book is educational on a lot of levels. Firstly it discusses Australian native animals with each page using a different critter. 

There is counting woven into the story and every page displays a number prominently, and then reinforcing it with the animals totalling that number on the page. My son loved counting the animals after i had read the text. 

Lastly the text rhymes and is a little silly so kids can really enjoy it (and if you know the song then you can sing it, even badly). As I knew the Wiggles version of this song (which is an old rhyming song) I couldn't help but read it as a song with the voice of Sam (former yellow wiggle) in my head.

I adore the art work which is bright and colourful and would not be out of place hanging on a wall.

For some reason I have not heard of Yvonne Morrison prior to my son bringing this book home from his school library. I have seen her books on the bookshelves in book stores though so was surprised to learn I knew the names of quite a few of her books. But I have to say this New Zealand/Aussie author has won a place in our personal book library as we just loved this book. I am going to get my hands on her "Out in the ocean" book next as master 4 will go bananas over it.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone as it is a fun engaging read.

Blood Song (Lharmell Series Book 1) by Rhiannon Hart

Rating 4 out of 5 stars
Title: Blood Song
Author: Rhiannon Hart
File Size: 440 KB
Print Length: 165 pages
Publisher: Random House Australia (August 31, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B005HLJY8G
ISBN:1742750966
ISBN (13): 9781742750965

Synopsis
When her sister becomes betrothed to a prince in a northern nation, Zeraphina’s only consolations are that her loyal animal companions are by her side – and that her burning hunger to travel north is finally being sated. Already her black hair and pale eyes mark her out as different, but now Zeraphina must be even more careful to keep her secret safe. Craving blood is not considered normal behaviour for anyone, let alone a princess. So when the king’s advisor, Rodden, seems to know more about her condition than she does, Zeraphina is determined to find out more. Zeraphina must be willing to sacrifice everything if she’s to uncover the truth – but what if the truth is beyond her worst nightmares?

My initial thoughts
This is a fun book, light and easy to read and I have found a new fantasy series to enjoy. If you like your fantasy more "old school" then this may not be the book for you.

First Paragraph

"I was thinking of blood again so I went to practice archery. That's what I always did when I thought I was going to kill something. I hit the bulls eye every time and nothing had died yet, so at least I had that going for me."

Digging deeper
It is what I would call a modern fantasy novel in that the language is modern, and you don't spend half the book confused as to what the author is talking about as you try to work out the made up languages. This for me is great, I am not a fan of the full on fantasy's like Lord of The Rings. I don't think I have read more then one chapter of that book before I gave up after every attempt.

I loved the main character Zeraphina she was a strong clever girl but a little impulsive. She isn't perfect as she does try to please and fit in with her sister and mother. Zeraphina and Rodden are cute and awkward together, there is attraction but suspicion as Zeraphina and Rodden try to work out what the other is there for (I will leave it at that as I don't want to reveal any spoilers).

Zeraphina's sharp tongue is what drives most of the humour. The humour through the book is dry, smart and made me chuckle out loud a few time. It didn't feel forced or there for the sake of it. As it was part of Zeraphina's nature it just fitted in easily with the book.

The world building and story telling is a careful blend of information to describe the world (with out info dumping) and setting up story arcs for the next books (I want to know more about Leap NOW just telling me it's not a normal cat does not help me, and where do I get one of them ride-on flying birdy things?). The pace is fast but the story doesn't suffer and does not bog down when the information is given.

The only down side to this book is it is book one of a series, and so there are peeks into characters lives and bigger issues with in the world and the then you get left hanging. I am sure these will be resolved in the coming books but this didn't bother me while reading this book when it usually does. I did notice it but didn't care. I know these threads are important and eventually we will learn more about it.

Final Analysis
Read this book at your peril or you might turn into a fan girl/boy like the rest of us. Also make sure you have book 2 lined up and ready to go because the ending of this book will make you go "what happened to the rest of it? Why did it stop? I am not ready for it to stop. I want to know now what happens next.....waaaaa". Or something to that effect.

Book two is on my kindle ready for my holiday. Yee-ha!

Extras
Check out the following reviews by clicking on the hyperlinks.

The Eclectic Readers reviews of Blood Song and the second book Blood Storm .

Also A Ticket To Anywhere first brought this book to my attention with her review of Blood Song.

The Happiest Refugee: A Memoir by Anh Do

Rating: 5 out of 5
Paperback: 232 pages
Publisher: Allen & Unwin; 1st edition (2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1742372384
ISBN-13: 978-1742372389
ASIN: B005X3W8TA

Anh Do is a beloved Australian comeedian who happens to be a refugee and a "boat person". This memoir is Anh's and his families story; from life in Vietnam, their journey in a leaky boat as refugee's, and their life in Australia as migrant family.

Anh is an amazing story teller. He can discuss very tough and sensitive topics and still find the humouros or positive side to the story. The whole book is filled with warmth and the love he clearly feels for his family and adopted homeland.

There are a lot of sad stories like his families trip on the boat from Vietnam, racism, or his father alcoholism. He doesn't shy away from the sad topics either. But he doesn't dwell on them and he tells turns the stories into positive things (like a pirate taking pity on them and throwing them a gallon of water). While most people would focus on the negatives Anh Do focuses on the positives that came from the sadness.

One thing I took away from this book is just what an amazing person Anh Doh is. That despite some incredible hardships he (and his family) can still be positive and retain their sense of humour. Their family has done well for themselves but only after incredible hardship, and hard work.

This is a must read if you want an insight into what life can be like as a migrant and particularly what the refugees have to go through.

Even if you are not interested in life as a migrant or a refugee this really is an excellent book and I have to say this is easily one of my best reads for 2012 and HIGHLY recommend it!

Extras
2 Youtube videos for you to view. The first one is an interview about his book and the second is a skit he did on an Aussie tv show.

Here is an interview of Ahn discussing his book (there are some spoilers he discusses some of the stories he tells in the book, but also expands on some of them)

Another video of an appearance he made on the Aussie show "Thank God You're Here" no spoilers here just comedy.

 

Hell's Fury by P.D Martin

Rating: 4 out of 5
File Size: 608 KB
Print Length: 256 pages
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B0083UX3B2 (ebook only)

Hell's Fury is the first book in the newest series released by P.D Martin. It is about Ally Logan (an alias that she is referred to as through most of the book) who is a CIA agent abandoned by her Government to an Afghanistan prison. She is rescued by a mysterious organisation who offers her a new life, a new identity and a new job. Her new job? to assassinate targets given to her by the mysterious Committee.

I have really loved reading P.D Martin's Sophie Anderson series so was keen to read this one when I learned of it. One thing I have liked previously about P.D Martins writing is how she can write strong, down to earth female lead characters who are most importantly believable.

Ally Logan (aka Jane Calloway, Ms Paige, or RB as we have yet to learn for certain her real name other then it begins with R) is a really well rounded character, and by well rounded I mean she is messed up enough due to her experiences to make her believable. Her back ground is that she was a CIA field agent who worked under cover and had been imprisoned in Afghanistan enduring weeks of torture. So if she didn't have issues I would not have bought into her character, but thankfully (from a readers perspective) she did. Her character really struggled with so many emotions, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Plus on top of that was rediscovering who she was and where her moral compass pointed.

The struggle Ally has internally makes her ideal to present the really tough and meaty issues that the author Martin raises in this book. Issues such as vigilantism, assassination, people trafficking, drug abuse, prostitution, exploitation of minors, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, morality, corruption and more. There is no sugar coating the issues raised and certainly no answers given and this is reflected through the main character as she struggles to reconcile what she could do, would do, wouldn't do, her past life and her current life.

But having said all that this book does not get bogged down in detail, idealism/morality, or leaves the reader feeling lectured. It is a fast, action packed read, that is hard to put down. The characters are well written and the story is complex with out being information heavy. If you like spy, thriller type stories this should hit all the right buttons for you.

I look eagerly towards the next book in the series.

Extras
If you would like to read an excerpt here is chapter one of Hell's Fury at Smashwords.com.

A Rose For The ANZAC Boys by Jackie French

Rating: 4 out of 5
Reading level: Ages 8 and up
Edition: Kindle
Publisher: HarperCollins (April 1, 2010)
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
Language: English
ASIN: B003FLPW1I
ISBN-10: 0732285402
ISBN-13: 978-0732285401

Please Note – The following review is "told" from the main characters point of view. The book is not based on anyone’s life. The main characters are all fictional. 

Dear Anne

I have some exciting news to tell you, my life story has been turned into a book by the Australian author Jackie French. Well not my whole life story just our time spent on the battle fields in France during World War I. It was very flattering to be told my life was being turned into a book, she even used some of my old letters.

I just finished reading my copy of the book and I have to say Ms French did a very good job of capturing my life out there manning the canteen at the train station, then driving the battlefield ambulance, and finally working in the field hospital. In fact she does a brilliant job of capturing all the women who worked on the front line, risking their lives daily to make sure our brave boys were cared for. It was funny reading the story as I never realised how many of us there were there all trying to do our bit and working in terrible conditions all for nothing no pay, no recognition, nothing. Just makes me wonder how many more amazing women were at the frontline and what they did.

It was bittersweet reading about all our old dear friends and family members, those who survived and those who didn’t make it from the battlefield. French was able to convey the sadness and loss, not just my own personal loss, but the overall sadness of war. It was very difficult to read about my brother and his time at Galopilli.

As the book is aimed at younger readers there is no unnecessary violence or blood and gore. It is probably best though to read it with your children or give them plenty of opportunity to discuss the themes with them. Even though it isnt graphic in terms of blood and guts, some scenes were still very vivid and deal with death. Perhaps I am being a little sensitive about it all? But I will be making sure my grand children read this that is for sure, and maybe it will help them understand what we went through.

I was quite amazed at the research Ms French put into the book and in particular the role women played during the Great War. Even though she had my story (she had my diary, found it in the Australian Archives no less. I had wondered where that diary had gone) she had clearly done her homework on women on the front in general. As I said before she really did capture what our lives were like. From life as an ambulance driver, to manning the canteen, and working in the field hospital. Looking back I don't remember being that tired all the time but reading the story we clearly must of been. How did we function?

There are no historical figures mentioned or has a character based on them  (other than the prime ministers and so forth, no one involved directly with the book) or specific events mentioned. If you knew your WWI history you could guess what the "pushes" that the author mentions were. The author told me this is because the book is about the women who worked on the front not the men, who would have thought someone would want to tell our story?

Well I am afraid that is it for me right now dear friend hope you are doing well.

Your ever loving friend
Midge

Extras

Extract http://browseinside.harpercollins.com.au/index.aspx?isbn13=9780732285401

All Set For The Big Wet by Mandy Foot

Rating: 5 out of 5
Suggested Reading Age: 5/UP
ISBN: 9780734411969
Category: Picture Storybooks
Format: Hardback
Publication Date: 2011-10-25
Publisher: Lothian Books
Illustrator: Foot, Mandy
Pages: 24
Dimensions (mm): 283x216x8mm

All Set For The Big Wet is a delightful story about a group of animals that are hurrying to a boat to get ready for the wet (season).

The book is set to the song " the ants go marching" which makes it fun and easy to read.  As a result of the tune it makes it easy to get into a rhythm when reading and if you punctuate the story with the actions (for instance when the book says "with a loud yahoo!" well you do a loud yahoo) it just makes the story very interesting to a toddler or young child. As a result, this one of my favourites to read aloud and my son's favourite to listen to me reading.

While reading the book your child is learning counting to ten, as each page deals with a specific number. They also learn about Australian animals.

The illustration was done by the author and vibrant and colourful. The cartoonish appearance is appealing to kids with the animals having big eyes and big smiles. Each page has a little animal hidden which can be just as much fun to find for a toddler as reading the book.

If you have a young toddler (and even an older child) I would recommend this book whole heartedly.

Extras
Go to the All Set For The Big Wet for activities such as colouring in templates and sheet music.

Mirror by Jeannie Baker

Rating: 4 out of 5 (for kids over 5)
Rating: 1 out of 5 (for us)
Reading level: Ages 5 and up
Hardcover: 48 pages
Publisher: Candlewick; Bilingual edition (November 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0763648485
ISBN-13: 978-0763648480


Mirror is the wordless picture storybook of two boys in two different cultures from across the globe. The pictures tell the story of a day in their lives and how they "mirror" each other even though they are from different cultures.

There are two boys and two families in this book. One family lives in a city in Australia and one lives in Morocco in North Africa. The lives of the two boys and their families look very different from each other and they are different. But some things connect them ... just as some things are the same for all families no matter where they live.

 Both stories are told similtaneously in the one book. So when you open the book it opens in the middle with one picture book story on one side and the other story on the other side. So you essentially have two books laying side by side. The goal is to turn the pages of each book together so you can see how similar and different each little boys life is.

The illustrations are collages and is exquisite in its detail. The illustrations really do make this book. There is so much information contained in each image. I don't think you could full appreciate everything each image contributes on one reading. It would be something you can go back to over and over and discover something new.

Here is a sample of the mages so you get the idea  of the art work:

The book is thought provoking for little ones and would allow you to have discussions about different cultures. I can see why it has won so many literary awards in Australia. What would be really cool is if the author planned on doing this as a series with different cultures from around the world. But that might be pretty ambitious. I can see this book being used in schools to help promote multiculturalism.

Because there were no words unfortunately my two year old just wasnt interested. Especially as there were no fish, animals, or really bright colours or funny noises to read out. You could probably show it to children younger then 5 as a starting point but don't expect them to really get much out of it. This is definitely a book for older children.

Overall a beautiful book that helps raise awareness on tolerance and understanding of different cultures. I gave this a 4 out of 5 for older kids for the discussion value. If you want a good story then this is perhaps not the book for you  but if you want something that will provoke thoughtful conversations then this is it.

If You're Happy and You Know It (Aussie Edition) by P Crumble

Rating: 5 out of 5
Format: Paper back
Publisher: Schoolastic Australia
Language: English
ISBN: 174169891X
Age Range: 2-5

This review is nice and easy as the book really reviews it's self. You remember the childhood song "if you're happy and you know it"? Yes? well that is basically this book except it has an Australian twist.

This book uses Australian animals and different actions which makes it fun and interesting for kids (and adults) to read. My little guy loves doing the noises and recognises from the pictures what he is supposed to do, he often is making the noises as soon as I turn the page. When reading the story you cant help but sing the tune.


My sons favourite part is :

"If you're a Tassie Devil and you know it, let out a growl.
If you're a Tassie Devil and you know it, let out a growl.
If you're a Tassie Devil and you know it then your really should just show it,
If you're a Tassie Devil and you know it then let out a growl!"

The illustrations are bright and colourful. Big cartoon happy animals doing the actions in the book.


There is also a CD that comes with the book which can make a fun change for keeping the book fresh for the kids.


This book is just so much fun and your toddler will LOVE it. I would be very surprised if your toddler (and your self) did not like this book. It certainly is a favourite in our house.

Some Dads by Nick Bland

Rating 4 out of 5
Reading level: Ages 2-6
Hardcover: 24 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press (01/08/2011)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 9781741697933

Some dads worry. Some dads hurry. Some get lost and some are sporty. Others like strolling and some are even naughty! 

All dads are different, and this simple narrative by Nick Bland celebrates this fact. The book has one simple message, no matter what your dad loves you.

As with Bland's previous books, this story is told with a simple rhyming rhythm. There is an easy flow to the words and it makes for a fantastic read out loud book that everyone will enjoy. Bland has a wonderful way of presenting an important message in a fun and beautiful manner.

The illustrations are beautiful and humorous, showing an animal father completing one of the actions described. I loved the frog dad with a sweat band playing a computer game. Each picture has exquisite detail and really makes this book.

This will be a win for your child and a favourite for dads (and anyone else) to read.

From Narrative Causality Happy Fathers Day.