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Patrick DeWitt's latest novel is a trifle dark, a trifle funny, a trifle profane and a trifle pretentious. Which should tell you everything, and nothing at all, about this book. A gothic coming of age tale, Undermajordomo Minor tells the story of Lucy, a misfit in his home and his town, who travels some distance away to take up a somewhat underwhelming position at a run down castle and finds himself surrounded by some dysfunctional people and some rather peculiar situations. And somehow, in between the clever prose and dark comedy, the author manages to tell a coming-of-age story of a young man away from home for the first time and his love for a young woman named Klara. And that's really it. Readers will need to be in a certain mood to appreciate this one--I think anyone who catches on to the humour will love it, whilst others will probably be left starting at this one and wondering what the fuck it is that they have just read. Anyway, I discovered this one a ...

Yep. I've worn that face a few times, lol.

In The Other Side of the Season Australian author Jenn J McLeod takes us to Watercolour Cove, a small seaside town where the choices, and tragedies, of one generation will impact on the lives of the next. In 1978 David, Matthew, Albie and Tilly are living on neighbouring banana plantations on the top of a town that is known as Dinghy Bay. David and Matthew are brothers, while Albie and Tilly are the adopted children of the couple who own the plantation next door. Life is simple and fun, until adult problems start to get in the way. Aspiring artist David wants to go to university,  with him, Matthew is jealous of David and Albie is perhaps not-so-secretly besotted with his adopted sister. As for Tilly, her heart lies with David, and she knows that one day she is going to leave the small town that she hates, and pursue her love of art. Anyway, a series of events, each one worse than the last, has some pretty serious consequences and will shape the lives of David, Matthew, Albie...

Welcome to another great Writers on Wednesday post. This week, I am chatting with Adelaide based author Dean Mayes, whose third novel, the recipient will be released on May 1. Dean is currently the writer in residence at the South Australian Writers Centre. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this interview and I hope that you do too ... Tell us a bit about yourself … So I'm an author and Intensive Care Nurse living in Adelaide, Australia with my wife Emily, my children Xavier and Lucy and my spaniel Sam. I have a pretty full life with work with my writing commitments while juggling family, school runs and junior sports commitments but, somehow, I manage to make it all work. Oh - I'm also a massive Star Wars fan. I guess you could say that it was Star Wars that is chiefly responsible for my love of story telling. Tell us about your most recently published book? The Recipient is my upcoming novel (out May 1st) which will be my third published novel for Central Av...

Author Caroline Kepnes follows on her deliciously terrifying stalker tale YOU with Hidden Bodies  a black comedy that follows psychopath Joe Goldberg from New York to a terrifically shallow version of Los Angeles. In LA Joe meets his newest obsession, Love, but not before he leaves a string of dead bodies behind him. The novel opens with a shift in narrative (first person instead of the iconic second person narrative that we saw in YOU ,) and has Joe romancing (or so he thinks) the crazy and somewhat unhinged Amy. That all comes unstuck when Amy wrongs Joe, and he follows her to LA with the intent of teaching her a lesson, but then he, quite literally, finds Love, instead. As quirky as Bek and Amy, Love comes from a wealthy family and lives a somewhat privileged existence, along with her bitter twin brother, Forty. In many respects, Love feels like the selfish and deep thinking Joe's opposite, but she could also be his perfect match. Most of the story reads like a amusi...

On select Sundays I will be reviewing some of the old Apple Paperback titles from my childhood. These titles were published, or republished by Scholastic during the 1980s & 1990s and were written and set in the United States. In Australia, these books were typically only available from libraries or could be ordered through catalogues that were distributed through primary schools. Most of these titles are now long out of print or have been updated and republished for later generations ... School Daze was a four book series set in the newly built and established Plumfield Middle School. It centred around four very different kids from the sixth grade (two boys and two girls) and their quirky new principal Mr T. Charles Brimlow. I still have my original copy--the one that my parents bought me for my eleventh birthday. I'm pretty sure that at one stage I had the full set, but I have no idea what happened to the other three books. In fact, I can't even really remember the...

The Grownup is a short, deliciously chilling and twisty tale of a sex-worker turned amateur clairvoyant who gets a bit more than she bargained for when a concerned stepmother comes to her asking for help. The unnamed protagonist is about thirty years old and makes a living by pretending that she can read auras. She thinks that her latest client, who is concerned about her wayward stepson, will be easy money and happily sets about performing cleansing rituals at the old mansion where the family lives. However, twist upon twist at the end of this short tale leaves our protagonist (and most importantly, the reader,) wondering who, or what, is the real villain and who is the real victim. Flynn's writing style remains as macabre as ever.  My only real complaint about this one is the price, which felt a little excessive for a short story that was read in the space of twenty minutes.  Recommended.

You did, didn't you?

After a twenty year writing hiatus, Australian actress Isla Fisher is releasing another book--and it is to be the first in a three book series. As I revealed on this blog a few years ago, I had quite the crush on Isla Fisher while I was in my teens and I eagerly read both of the teen romance books that she co-wrote with her mum Elspeth Reid. This time around, Isla has penned a humorous children's book Marge in Charge  which is about a very naughty and very, very quirky babysitter. According to this article in he Bookseller the author thinks that books are an important part of childhood and she hopes to introduce Marge to as many bedtimes as possible. I have no news on an Australian release date, but understand that in the UK the books will be published by Picadilly, the same publisher who recently acquired the rights to Frogkisser by Australian author Garth Nix. 

Not another teen book review is a semi-regular feature on this blog that comments on mass market fiction from the 1980s & 1990s that featured teenage characters and teenage themes ... and were lapped up by eleven year olds. This time around I am talking about Dolly Fiction, a series from the early 1990s. One example of a daggy Dolly Fiction cover In the late 1980s/early 1990s Dolly Magazine  loaned its name to a series of teen romance novels published by Greenhouse (now Pan Macmillan), one that rivalled the popular Sweet Dreams romance series that had come out of the United States, but with a uniquely Australian bent. The series focused on teens, social dramas and of course, puppy love. The series was popular enough to last until December 1993 and over one hundred titles were published under the imprint. I read a few of these as a pre-teen, mostly I borrowed them from the local library or purchased them from secondhand book stores--at first they were always a bi...

The Fat Girl is a short, contemporary story that examines themes of self-acceptance versus the need to be accepted by those around us. The protagonist, Louise, is chubby and is accepted by few (her father is a notable exception,) until with the help of her friend Carrie, she loses weight. After the birth of her first child, she gains weight again, much to the disapproval of her husband who seems to understand little about her.  Utterly depressing, this story highlights the conflicting nature between what is good for the self versus what will allow a person to be accepted by others. Louise is happy with her weight, and is unhappy while she is thin, though she gains acceptance and approval at this time. The story ends with her deciding that she will do what makes her happy, and stay true to who she is, even if it means losing her husband and the approval of others. I cannot say that I enjoyed this one, so much as I was intrigued by it.

Hmm. It looks like Cookie Monster's latest relationship could be in trouble ...  Saw this one recently and got a laugh out of it, thought that you all might too.

Maestra will always, I suspect, be remembered by readers as a shockingly bold move--a book that is one part an erotic novel and another part a thriller set in the art world of Europe. Writing--and publishing--this book was a huge risk for all concerned, especially as the novel was to launch a brand new imprint for Bonnier a UK based publishing house. And like all risks, some of them just do not work out. There is little to be enjoyed in this tale narrated by Judith, a thirty-something sociopath who works as a lowly assistant in an art gallery during the day, and as a hostess at a kinky bar in the evenings. A scandal in the art world barely keeps this novel together, the sex is more shocking than sensual, and by the time I reached the cliffhanger ending, I found myself not caring when or if a sequel may be available.  Not really recommended.

Imagine being in a place where you must choose whether you live or die. You are seventeen years old, you're facing some pretty big life choices already and your parents and brother have died in the same accident that has left you seriously injured. You watch, just outside your body as the drama unfolds. Do you choose to stay and be with the family and friends who have rallied around, knowing that things will never be the same? Or do you choose to die? That is the premise of If I Stay , a young adult novel that has barely fallen off the best seller lists since it was first published in 2009 and later became a feature film.  The appeal of the book is obvious-- If I Stay is about choices, and the choice between life and death is a metaphor for other choices that we must make as we go through life, and the heroine seems very adult for a teenager. We also see through flashbacks the choices that Mia's parents made, and the choices that she faces in her relationship with Adam...

With upgrades recently completed on Moseley Square at Glenelg, we said a sad (and in my opinion, unnecessary) farewell to the old anchor that has sat proudly on the edge of the grass for many years. In it's place though, a little closer to the beach, is a brand new memorial that pays tribute to those who have sadly lost their lives on this beach. It's no secret that Glenelg Beach is not the safest of swimming beaches with its many rips, and a tide that can come in bloody fast. Let's hope this memorial serves as a reminder to everyone to be careful.

Amusing gross out tale about ten year old zombie Zac who goes in search of his late dog who was hit by a car. Not for the squeemish, prudish, easily offended or just plain old nitpickers who need to get a life. Kids, especially boys, will love the clever turns of phrase, cartoons and gross out humour.  Recommended.

I post this ... next Friday.

On Friday afternoon, I opened Twitter and Facebook and was shocked to see posts on both from a popular and top selling Australian author who had just received a very unpleasant, and unwelcome, shock. This author had discovered that on Amazon a poorly written and put together book was for sale by someone who had the same name as her, was passing itself off as being the same genre and, to add insult to injury, was linking to the popular Australian authors books on both Amazon and Goodreads. My first thought? Ouch. I can completely understand why this author was upset. As authors, our names are our brand. They are what make us identifiable to the reading public. If someone has read one of our books and loved it, then there is a good chance that they might be willing to pick up another one, especially if it is aimed at the same audience.  The only thing is, none of us can copyright a name. In the United States, anyone serious about wanting to work as an actor at anything be...

Welcome to another great Writers on Wednesday post. This week, I am chatting with C.L. Hunter, author of Your Soul Was Made For Mine ... Tell us a bit about yourself … Hello I'm C. L. Hunter. I love to write love story's with a twist and a turn. I live in Florida with my husband and autistic son named Dakotah and my Irish water spaniel Brody. I have two grown daughters and two granddaughters. Tell us about your most recently published book?  My first novel is called "Your Soul Was Made for Mine." Tell us about the first time you were published? My first book was published Sept of 2015 As writer, what has been your proudest achievement so far? So far, it has been publishing Your Soul Was Made for Mine. What books or writing projects are you currently working on, if anything? I am currently working on the second book in the series called, "My Soul Belongs to you." Which do you prefer? eBooks or Paper Books? Why...

Meet Tommi. She's a blue haired Arts graduate from Dundee--who is about to receive a life changing surprise when she travels to New Zealand to learn more about her father. Tommi is a werewolf and her family may be not be her allies ... or very nice.  And she may just turn out to be the most powerful werewolf in the world. This one was an action packed tale filled with young characters and the odd bit of self-depreciating humour that was pleasing at times and a bit annoying at others. It will probably be appreciated more by readers in their late teens and twenties, particularly those who not seen it all done before (and with more bite,) in Martin Millar's Lonely Werewolf Girl. That said, there is plenty to like in this story of family and ... changes. Recommended.

I spied this bright and colourful Stobie Pole near the Christie Downs Railway Station a few weeks ago. It is part of a larger project that has been undertaken by Christies Beach High School to give a unique touch to an otherwise drab piece of infrastructure. 

Moving On consists of two flash fiction pieces that deal with grieving, loss and the eventual realisation that one must move on. In the first piece, a couple are suffering after a miscarriage and have conflicting views on what to do next, while in the second, an old woman is selling a much-loved vehicle that has been an important part of her life with her husband. Well written, though you may wish to have some tissues handy. Recommended.