Spectrum FM Radio - Australia
Ann Creber's Book Reviews
ANN CREBER
Presenter of The Good Life program
Mondays 3pm - 5pm
on 3MDR 97.1 FM
provence@bluedandenongs.com.au Links :
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Holiday Reading - Overnights - ABC
By Helen Richardson
On Summer Overnights Ann Creber gave her suggestions for holiday reading. ... What books should be on your holiday reading list? Book lover Ann Creber spoke to Overnights Summer presenter Nicole Chvastek and gave her suggestions : ... LINK
MY BOOK FAVOURITES FOR 2011…… Ann Creber
Last year there was one outstanding book for me… it was Fiona MacGregor’s Indelible Ink and I still vividly remember characters and situations. This year I have enjoyed a number of books and it is particularly pleasing to see the number of young Australian women writers whose work I have enjoyed.
The two books I found most memorable this year have been by young Melbourne women, Meg Mundell’s BLACK GLASS and Melanie Joosten’s THE BERLIN SYNDROME.
I feel all the books listed would offer good holiday reading, and I suggest you visit your local bookshop (if you can find one!) or library.
I don’t really like “romance” and find it particularly irritating when it is intertwined with crime! I don’t “do” fantasy, vampires or sci-fi, so apologies to any listeners who feel neglected because of this!
Ann Creber - 26 December 2011
NOVELS:
BLACK GLASS by MEG MUNDELL\
THE BERLIN SYNDROME by MELANIE JOOSTENS
FLOCK by LYN HUGHES
PAST THE SHALLOWS by FAVEL PARRETT
CALEB’S CROSSING by GERALDINE BROOKS
DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW BY JOANNA TROLLOPE
BEREFT by CHRIS WOMERSLEY
SPIRIT OF PROGRESS by STEVEN CARROLL
THE PRECIPICE by VIRGINIA DUIGAN
There have been other enjoyable light reads but these are the books I most enjoyed.
……………………
NON-FICTION:
I have enjoyed numerous boos in this category, but here again these are the ones I best remember.
TRAINS UNLIMITED by TIM FISCHER
HUBERT WHO? By MALCOLM ANDREWS
BIRDSCAPING AUSTRALIAN GARDEN by GEORGE ADAMS
HIROSHIMA/NAGASAKI by PAUL HAM
THE PARIS WIFE by PAULA Mc;LAINE
THE FIRST FLEET by PROF. ALAN FROST
WILD CATS by SIMON TOWNSEND
A PRIVATE LIFE by MICHAEL KIRBY
NO REGRETS (Biography of Edith Piaf) by CARYOLYN BURKE
INSATIABLE – MY LIFE IN THE KITCHEN by TONY BILSON
A TRAGEDY IN TWO ACTS by FIONA HARARI
(MARCUS EINFELD & TERESA BRENNAN
PARIS by JANELLE McCULLOCH
LOVESICK by ISOBEL BLACKTHORN
THE SECRET LIFE OF PRONOUNS by JAMES PENNEBAKER
MAWSON by PETER FITZSIMONS
………….
ART , CRAFT, POETRY:
THE BOOK OF POTS by ANDREW DE WAAL
CONTEMPORARY INDIGENOUS ART GUIDE by SUSAN McCULLOCH
THE TASTE OF RIVER WATER by CATE KENNEDY
THE ABBOTSFORD MYSTERIES by PATRICIA SYKES
………….
CRIME NOVELS: Rather than select individual titles (I have read so many!) I will suggest authors whose work never disappoints!
MICHAEL ROWBOTHAM
TESS GERRITTSON
R.J.(Roger) ELLORY
LOUISE PENNEY
FRED VARGAS
BEYOND FEAR by JAYE FORD (I mention this because it is her first book)
THE GENESIS FLAW by Louise Larkin “ “
COOKBOOKS: SOOOO many it is hard to choose! However, these are books I have particularly enjoyed.
HUNGRY by GUY MIRABELLA
VIETNAMESE STREET FOOD by TRACEY LISTER & ANDREAS POHL
BALI: MY ISLAND HOME by JANET DE NEEFE
GINGERBOY by TEAGE EZARD & CHRIS DONELLAN
DELICIOUS by VALLI LITTLE
SEASONS AT HOME by HOLLY KERR FORSYTH
………….
HUMOUR:
SUPERCHEF by BEN POJIE
BOGANOMICS By E.C. McSWEEN
……………
I am sure there will be others I remember later, but this list should provide a start for your holiday reading!! For more information any of those books listed,you can email me on innisfree@bluedandenongs.com.au
Best regards,
Ann Creber (The Good Life on 3MDR)
HOLIDAY READING 2010/2011
December 29. 2010
Among the novels I have read this year, a number were - coincidentally - by
Australian women authors. A number of these I list were books I had read
earlier in the year but they are still among my favourites. I'll just give
you titles and authors here but can elaborate on the story line if we have
time and you would like me do so.
NOVELS:
*IN THE MOOD by Laura Bloom
*MEN OF BAD CHARACTER by Kathleen Stewart
*INDELIBLE INK by Isobel MacGregor
*MILK FEVER by Lisa Reece-Lane
*TRUST by Kate Veitch
LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER by Jo Jo Moyes
*THE GOOD DAUGHTER by Honey Brown
*BEREFT by Chris Womersley
*THE GENESIS FLAW by L.A. (Louisa) Larkins ( INTERVIEW NEXT WEEK!)
*LUNCH IN PARIS by Elizabeth Bard (A love story plus recipes!)
FATAL TANGO by Wolfram Fleischhauer (CURRENTLY READING THIS)
(Favourites? Practically all of these, but particularly liked In The Mood
and Indelible Ink, while Milk Fever offered a lovely quirky read)
Young adults:
*BEYOND EVIE by Rebecca Burton
*WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON by John Green and DAVID LEVITHAN
*Jackie French novels
*THE WORLD'S GREATEST UNDER-ACHIEVER by Lin Oliver & Henry Winkler (The
Fonz)
*NOAH'S LAW Randa Abdel-Fattah
MURDER/THRILLERS:
Anything by Fred Vargas
*Anything by R.J.(Roger) Ellory
Almost anything by female European mystery writers with unpronouncable names
INNOCENT by Scott Trurow (A follow up to his brilliant Presumed Innocent)
*KISS OF DEATH by P.D. MARTIN
*LET THE DEAD LIE BY Malla Nunn
Anything by Michael Rowbotham
NON-FICTION:
*CLOSETS ARE FOR CLOTHES by Rachel Cook (A gay history of Australia)
*SO GREEK by Nikki Savva (With a later edition following the Julia Gillard
ascension to "the throne")
*A POTTER'S PILGRIMAGE by Milton Moon
*TRUE FORM by Peter Fudge (Magnificent book of grand gardens)
*CIRCLE OF SILENCE by Shirley Shackleton
*ON THE ROAD by Janelle McCulloch
*FROM HERE TO THERE by Jon Faine
*AUSTRALIA DANCES by Alan Brissenden (1945 - 1965)
*SALT WATER IN THE INK by Lucy Sussex
*A YEAR IN MY GARDEN & KITCHEN by Holly Kerr Forsyth
*HELL's ONLY HALF FULL by Kerry Clarke
*CLEO by Helen Brown
* I have had the pleasure of interviewing all authors thus indicated.
MY FAVOURITE COOKBOOKS
18 DECEMBER 2010
This is the first of what I hope will be some suggestions for books to give as Christmas gifts or to ask for yourself!
There are so many cookbooks on the market now that it is often hard to
choose, although with many of them specialising in a certain cuisine this
does make it a little easier.
SARABAN by Greg Malouf and Lucy Malouf (Rushbrooke). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
My own favourite for the year is SARABAN, not just because of its wonderful
recipes, but because of the beautiful photographs, the design and Lucy
Malouf's wonderfully intimate and evocative travel descriptions.
The creation of this book involved two trips to Iran for Lucy and Greg and
they found the countryside beautiful and the people wonderfully friendly
and hospitable.
.................
DELICIOUS - MORE PLEASE by Valli Little. Editor of the ABC's Delicious
magazine, Valli usually offers us a cookbook each year and I look forward to
this publication. Valli's recipes are not too complicated, but always with
an interesting twist and I love the photography by Brett Stevens. This is a
really nice book for browsing through as well as for its recipes.
................
SO FRENCH (A Lifetime in the Provincial Kitchen) By Dany Chouet & Trish
Hobbs
This is Dany's first cookbook but Australian foodies will know her name from
the highly regarded NSW restaurants she owned in the 70s, 80s and 90s.
These included Upstairs, Au Chabrol, Glenella and Cleopatra. As well as
offering a range of excellent recipes, this is an autobiography as well.
Dany comes across as a rather "grumpy old woman" who does not suffer fools
gladly, but she writes very entertainingly, offers some great recipes and I
thoroughly enjoyed this book.
..............
TASTE LE TOUR by GABRIEL GATE
The word "charming" best describes this pretty book, carefully themed to
attract the feminine eye! Candy-striped pale pink cover, illustrations so
evocative of France and Gabriel Gate...how could that combination fail to
appeal to women!
Based on his annual coverage of the world-famous bike race, Gabriel offers
recipes culled from along the route the race follows and the end result is a
delicious little book.
...........
SUNDAY'S KITCHEN by LESLEY HARDING & KENDRAH MORGAN
Again, this is a story of a time, a place and people as well as a recipe
book.
We share the glamour and angst of the heady days of Sunday and John Reed's
life at the legendary Heidi and its artistic
floating population, and it reads like a "Who's Who" of the Australian art
scene. The recipes are all fairly simple and include many of the favourites
Sunday Reed traditionally served to resident artists and guest.
A lovely book for browsing and an important record of Melbourne's artistic
history.
.............
THE RED SPICE ROAD COOKBOOK by JOHN MacLEAY
This book has not had very much publicity, but I really like it. John is
owner/chef of a Melbourne restaurant serving South-East Asian food and the
book carries the same name. As one would expect, the recipes use a variety
of spices, all readily accessible in Asian grocers. It is a very
attractively presented book and one I commend to those interested
in enhancing their knowledge of the use of exotic herbs and spices in their
cooking.
...................
AT HOME WITH BEN by BEN O'DONOGHUE
This is a practical, "hands on book" introducing those recipes Ben cooks for
family and friends at home. It covers a whole range of dishes for different
occasions and although interesting and flavoursome, the recipes are not too
challenging.
Good book for a young male aspiring cook or a family cook looking for a
little more variety.
...........
CUISINE DU TEMPS by JACQUES REYMOND
A collection of the recipes which have made Jacques and his restaurant a
legend in Melbourne. There are some fairly challenging recipes for
inexperienced cooks but also basic ones that all cooks would find easy to
prepare. The design of the book is very bold - not sure I like it, but the
charming cover photo of a mischievously smiling Jacques compensates for
this!
..............
SALLY WYSE, highly regarded Tasmanian cook and another, has written several
books this year and I recommend all and any of them! FROM MY KITCHEN is
one, another is OUT OF THE BOTTLE and I recommend both.
.........
DONNA HAY, well known for her magazine and for her distinctive food styling,
has also created a couple of cookbook and her recipes are always well tested
and reliable, without being too demanding to prepare.
Obviously there have been other books I have enjoyed but I hope you will
find a suitable choice from one of those listed above!
Happy shopping and cooking!
Ann
BOOK LIST - 18 AUGUST 2010
From Ann Creber :
Hello All,
I was beginning to think I would never get around to listing for you those
books I have most enjoyed! And I do expect to be working on this for a bit
before it is completed.
I have been surprised by the number of Australian women writers whose books
are on my list - maybe because I get so many catalogues from Australian
publishers! It has been my pleasure to share with you interviews with most
of the authors I include.
These are not listed in order of preference, but no doubt it is the ones I
have most enjoyed that have come to mind first! (Although some towards the
end are ones I have only just read!)
I will - at some stage! - compile separate lists for children's books, young
adults, non-fiction, and crime.
IN THE MOOD by LAURA BLOOM. A lovely story (brought me to tears) about a
naïve young couple who marry just before WW2 and it recounts the changes
this brings to their lives. We share the sadness of the young bride as she
yearns for her husband, and the consequences of her actions when she
becomes convinced he has been killed. The story follows their lives when he
returns and we learn of the war experiences which have changed him so
dramatically. There is the recurring theme of the popular music of that era,
hence the title. Loved it!
INDELIBLE INK by ISOBEL McGREGOR. This is one of the most memorable books I
have read and quite challenging. The main character is an aging woman whose
husband has left her, and she is emotionally and financially destitute. The
mansion she lives in on the North Shore is deteriorating, as is the formerly
magnificent garden which was her greatest pride. Drunk and depressed, she
decides to have a tattoo and from then becomes almost obsessed with
acquiring more and more. This brings her in contact with people she has
never met before and which alienates her from the social circle in which she
had moved. We also share the complex relationships and reactions from her
family members. Quite painful at times, it is a wonderful read and I really
recommend it. I enjoyed the launch of this book and had the pleasure of
meeting Isobel, a young woman with spiked hair, studs and discreet tattoos!
A lovely book.
MILK FEVER by LISA REECE-LANE. NOT your usual "tree change" novel, this
tells the story of a young couple who, with their children, move to a
country town to begin a new life. Filled with doubts and uncertainty, Lisa
becomes involved with a fey and beautiful young dairy farmer. Her erratic "New Age" husband behaves strangely and leaves her feeling bewildered and
this is further complicated by the arrival of her very practical and
somewhat critical mother-in-law. Told in alternate chapters through the
eyes of the young dairy farmer and that of an observer, it is a tender and
unusual love
story. Please read it! Lisa launched her book at Yarra Junction Library
and will also be visiting another Eastern Regional Library Branch.. I'll
keep you posted!
MEN OF BAD CHARACTER by KATHLEEN STEWART. Yes, they are bad but
irresistible to Rose, our main character. Shocked after discovering her
husband of 20 years has been guilty of a particularly nasty crime, Rose is
gradually seduced by the mercurial charms of another 'man of bad character'.
We follow the erratic path of this love affair to its inevitable conclusion,
but it is comforting to feel that at end of the book Rose has learned from
her experiences, has greater self-reliance and self-respect and we hope that
her future will be a happier one!
TRUST by KATE VEITCH. This is another book I really enjoyed. It is the
story of a family, their complicated emotional lives and their
relationships with one another - the suburban setting is a familiar one to
Melburnians. A family tragedy is played out against the shadowy background
of last year's bushfires, so there are many elements with which we can
identify. Including the relationships between siblings and with their
parents.
Another book I recommend.
BEREFT by CHRIS WOMERSLEY . I interview Chris when his first book, Low
Road, was published to great acclaim and it has since won him several
literary awards. Despite the darkness of his books, he has a great sense
of humour and we have kept in touch through email. I am looking forward to
speaking with him in a couple of weeks.
Chris writes beautifully and imaginatively, and we strongly identity with
his characters.. although sometimes puzzled by their actions. This book
tells of a young man returning from WW1, after being badly wounded and
pronounced dead. He returns furtively to the small town where his name is
despised and he knows he faces the risk of being killed for a crime he did
not commit.
He meets a orphan child living alone in the bush and a strange but close
alliance is formed, while she urges him to seek revenge. The tension builds
as he is driven to make decisions he is not sure are the right ones.
It is a gripping and emotional story and this is a book that really is hard
to put down!
THE GOOD DAUGHTER by HONEY BROWN. Writing then as H.M. Brown, Honey wrote
an extraordinary book called Red Queen last year. It was one I rated among
my top recommendations and this year she had published another ripper. Set
in a small country town, the main character has to live with the reputation
of being the daughter of a woman who was "easy", and who has died before the
book starts. She lives rough on the wrong side of the tracks with her
truckie stepfather, who work often takes him away, leaving her alone.
The story starts gently enough with the awakening of a fairly innocent
sexual relationship with the son of the town's wealthiest family, but it
soon descends into a dark and complex whirlpool of emotions. We know there
are secrets - some we share, some we guess and others are just hinted at.
The plot erupts into violence and Honey writes very vividly and
threateningly as we absorb Rebecca's tension and fear of potential rape.
We really do feel we are inside her skin.
We are left wondering about aspects of this story and its characters, and
there is the feeling that history could very well repeat itself. Do read
this book! I don't see it strictly as a crime novel, but Honey has been
nominated for the annual Davitt Award from Sisters in Crime, and she
already has my vote!
I think you will find most of these books in your Library - if not, ask your
librarian and I am sure they will be happy to bring in a copy.
Ann Creber
The Good Life on 3MDR
<provence@bluedandenongs.com.au>
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http://blogs.abc.net.au/localradio/2010/01/overnights-reading-the-latest-biographies.html
Overnights Reading : The Latest Biographies.
20/01/2010
Our book reviewer Ann Creber joined Lisa Hensley with her pick of recent biographies.
Here's her list .
THE WOMAN ON THE MOUNTAIN by Sharyn Munro. Although this book was published last year, it is still well worth reading. Sharyn is a remarkable woman who lives alone on a vast bush property in NSW which backs onto a National Park. It is a wildlife haven and she lives a simple life involving the daily grind of caring for animals, chopping wood for the fire, carrying out necessary repairs to tanks, pumps, fences etc. and yet still finding time to wage war again industries she sees as destroying our ecology. Through our initial interview, we have become friends and she stays with me now when she comes to Melbourne. She has just written a book of short stories and will be here in June.
EXPOSURE by Joel Magarey. This is an extraordinary book written by a man who has suffered all his life from an obsessive-compulsive disorder. This drives him to abandon his girl friend of seven years and to set out on an odyssey that takes him around the world to dangerous places, involves him in disastrous erotic adventures, and causes him to risk his life in wildly improbable situations. Despite the potentially tragic scenarios in which he finds himself, it is a very funny book in parts and a thoroughly enjoyable read.
ALZHEIMERS - A LOVE STORY by Vivienne Ullman. Beautifully and movingly written by a Melbourne woman, this is the love story of her charming, sophisticated mother and her father. A well-known and successful business man, her father literally adored her mother, almost to the exclusion of his family at times. It was a tragedy for the whole family when their mother was stricken with Alzheimers, but it seemed only to deepen her father's devotion to his wife. He dedicated his entire life to her and when she was admitted to full time care, he spent every day by her side. It is an extraordinary story of true love and Vivienne tells it beautifully.
MY MOTHER, MY WRITING AND ME by Iola Matthews. Coincidentally, this also covers the topic of a mother suffering from Alzheimers - perhaps it is because we are suddenly all so conscious of its prevalence in the community.
Iola, wife of the former Federal ALP Minister Race Mathews, shares details of her early life as a young woman in Paris and of the dramatic changes when she married Race. He was a widower alone with three children, so Iola was suddenly precipitated into parenthood and then quickly had two children of her own. With her husband based in Canberra, life was busy and difficult for a very young woman. A journalist in her early life, she yearned to write again and it was just when it seemed she could realise this ambition, her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimers, with all the worries and responsibilities that carries. Iola shares with us her grief, frustration and guilt as she struggled to "do her duty" but at the same time, try to find some space for herself. Iola has been involved in helping set up a 'retreat' for budding authors in an old mansion in St. Kilda and this is woven through what is a lovely story.
ON THE ROAD by Janelle McCulloch. One of my favourite writers, Janelle is a Melbourne based journalist and interior design authority. I loved her fist book Je Suis Parisienne and this second book, although rather more serious, is also excellent. Janelle set out to seek "happiness" in - of all places - the USA! Not only did she choose America, but she went with her retired parents, inveterate travellers themselves. Janelle is sometimes painfully honest about her personal life and she shares past experiences as well as those "on the road". She writes very openly, with great humour and with a philosophical approach to life and love. Very strongly recommended!
GEMS OF A GENERATION by Sue Trethowan-Jones. This little book probably sneaked under the radar for a lot of readers, but it is a great read. It tells the stories of a group of high profile Melbourne women "baby boomers". These women meet every Friday and together they produce beautiful beaded creations. To rattle off just a few names, the group includes designer Sally Brown, Annette Allison, Rosemary Margan, Robin Bowles, Adele Palmer and of course Sue herself. These are women we sometimes envy, the women who seem to have EVERYTHING, but most of them have been through hard times and in some instances, are still dealing with personal problems.
Quite inspirational and with plenty of amusing personal anecdotes.
CHARLIE - AT LAST! by Janise Beaumont. Janise has been a society columnist working in Paris, New York and London and she shares a string of anecdotes about famous people whose names are household words. She writes honestly and amusingly about her free-wheeling, free-loving days both in Australia and overseas. One of her brief liaisons resulted in the birth of a son, Charlie. She did not tell the father, a nomadic character who moved constantly, although she kept track of him over the years. Charlie became the focal point of her life and she tells us about their lives together until Charlie reached young manhood. There are unexpected twists and turns throughout the story; it is hugely entertaining and a great holiday read!
THE REAL POSSIBILITY OF JOY by Josie Emery. This is one of the bravest books I read this year. Josie was born John, a little boy who always felt he should have been a girl. He grew up in a harsh outback environment, with a harsh father. He worked on demanding physical jobs as a young man, had love affairs, married and had children - all the time longing for the femininity he felt had been denied him. Tolerant partners turned a blind eye to his "cross dressing" and he established a respected position in the art world.
However, eventually the desire to be a woman became too strong and he resorted to hormonal treatment to achieve this goal. Still not satisfied with this compromise, he undertook radical surgery in Thailand to finally become the woman he had always felt he was meant to be. This alienated his mother, his siblings, his former wife and his children - but John had finally become Josie! We have spoken again recently and her only real regret is that she did not take the steps to achieve womanhood many years earlier.
THE DANGEROUS BOOKS OF HEROES by Conn Iggulden and David Iggulden. Now this is a quirky one, which is really neither a biography nor a memoir, but a series of rattling good yarns about famous historical names... Florence Nightingale, pirate Captain Morgan, Napoleon - just a few of the "heroes" whose tales are told! A terrific read for all ages groups!
STARS OVER SHIRALEE by Sheryl McCorry
This is the true story of an Australian woman who presided over two million acre properties in remote Australia. As a girl, she married a very much older man and had two children before separating from him. Despite this, he remained her best friend and mentor until his death many years later. Sheryl is a voluptuous, glamorous blonde, obviously attractive to men, and it is hard to believe that she subsequently became the victim of an abusive marriage to a smooth talking man. Despite several attempts to leave him, and despite the pleas of her family to do so, she remained with him for years and, even after several departures, returned each time. This is a very interesting book on a number of levels and would provide good holiday reading.
DRIVE - An AUTObiography by Richard Broinowski. This is a MUST for lovers of classic cars, as Richard uses the tales of cars he has loved and driven to link his experiences around the world in the role of an Australian diplomat. Lovely gossipy account of life in the embassy world, with a great deal of humour thrown in.
http://blogs.abc.net.au/localradio/2010/01/overnights-reading-the-latest-biographies.html
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My Mother, My Writing and Me by Iola Matthews
My Mother, My Writing and Me by Iola Matthews. I really enjoyed this book and, as I remarked to Iola when we spoke, I felt after reading it that she is a woman I would like to have as a friend! Iola grew up in a happy household, with a father who set very high standards - which she never felt she quite met! - and with a charming, popular and outgoing mother, who sang and told stories to her three children. As a young adult she went to Paris to work and study and fell in love - with a married man. The affair lasted for a number of years until, as often happens, it ended in tears...well, ALMOST ended. We have to wait for her next book to find out about this, because Iola's life took a totally different course when she met politician Race Matthews, a widower with 3 children still grieving the death of their mother. Two babies of their own followed in quick succession, and with Race in Canberra as a minister in the Whitlam Government, life was very difficult for a comparatively new bride. We share the growing pains of the family, her unexpected role of grandmother when her 16 years old daughter became pregnant! Her life took on a whole next dimension with this baby, Caleb, and this eased the pain of her beloved mother ageing and changing from the happy woman she had grown up with into a sad, sick and discontented old woman, who eventually died at the age of 99.
Throughout this period Iola was trying to write but suffering great difficulty until she went to a residential creative workshop with an American woman tutor. This experience liberated her and she started
writing in earnest. We follow her through this process and share her excitement when she manages to find a "room of her own" in which to write in a National House Trust house in St. Kilda. With Iola's drive
and vision, this is now a retreat for aspiring writers and this gives her enormous satisfaction.
This is a very honest, self-critical book written by a warm and intelligent woman whose family life is all important to her.
Dark Country by Bronwyn Parry
This book is the second in what Bronwyn describes as "loose trilogy" about a country town, Dungirra, supposedly set in Nth NSW. (there are more crimes there than in Midsomer Murders!) Bronwyn is a very popular writer, especially with women (!), who combines crime with romance. Not surprisingly as she is working on a PhD based on romantic novels! She writes very well and her stories and characters are strong, but I must admit I do like my crime with a hard edge.. and not diluted by romance! The two main characters in this book are an attractive female police office, Kris, and a hard character with a gentler side (of course!). Robert Mitchum might have played the part in a movie! After having left the town under a cloud -suspicion of murder, in fact - Gil returns to face his demons and to try and prevent what he believes to be imminent threats to those people in town with whom he still has strong bonds.
The romantic theme develops as he and Kris are drawn together by physical attraction and a necessity to find the "baddies" and to prevent further killings. The Mafia rears its head, old hostilities are ignited and we readers are drawn into the danger and excitement. (If only it hadn't been interrupted by romantic interludes!)
DRIVEN! By Richard Broinswki (An AUTObiography)
I asked for this book because my interest was piqued by the description of cars he has owned and loved over the years. Now I love cars too and was surprised by the number of similar models we had owned. However, interesting though the anecdotes of the cars were, this book offer a great deal more.. and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We share Richard's experiences as he is posted to various embassies around the world and has to become accustomed to the mores of different cultures. There is a great deal of humour in the book and he is very honest in his assessment (and sometimes criticism ) of well known people, including former ABC Radio Australia manager David Hill! Richard recounts his frustration during his period as Manager of Radio Australia, when David Hill was his boss. Richard's wife was also a member of the Diplomatic Corps and this involved long separations as they were posted to different countries. Despite this, they are still happily together and Richard now lectures at Sydney University on Media and Communications Studies. This is a not only a really enjoyable read, but also offers a perceptive and humorous "behind the scenes" view of so many political and dramatic situations of the past decades. Recommended for both car enthusiasts and those interested in politics and history... and a bit of gossip!
Back to my books! Hope to be able to offer some more recommendations down the track! Because of the number of author interviews I do on my community radio program, I often receive a dozen books a week! Of course, these are not all of my own choosing, so I need to be selective to make full use of the limited time I have at my disposal. Fortunately, I'm a quick reader and take advantage of every spare minute I can to dip into my current book.(i.e. On public transport, peeling the potatoes, stringing beans for dinner, stirring chutney as it cooks, waiting to meet someone at a railway station!)
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John Weeks
Spectrum FM Radio - Australia
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