Kathryn's Inbox

Out of the Ice was a novel that gave me chills--literally--not just for its haunting, eerie plot but for the sense of location. Laura Alvarado is an environmental scientist in her late thirties who is sent to examine an abandoned former whaling station in a remote island of Antarctica. Something feels off about the place almost immediately--the rudeness of some of her colleagues and the fact that the station does not feel quite as abandoned, or as untouched as it should. The local wildlife seem hostile, and Laura is not so sure that a penguin she has uncovered died from natural causes. When a diving trip reveals far more than what Laura--or anyone else--could ever imagine though, it soon becomes clear that something terrible is happening on the island and it needs to be stopped. This book was a quick and gripping read for me. I very much enjoyed the setting. Some of the plot twists felt a little too quick and convenient at times, but this was more than made up for by the sense

This owl might be quite easy to miss, but for the fact that it has become something of a local icon around the south end of the Adelaide CBD. The owl lives at the Kings Head Hotel (on the corner of King William Street and Sturt Street,) and often pops up at various locations around the outside of the pub during opening hours. I, for one, think that it makes quite a fun decoration.

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 ... Delightfully reminiscent of Groundhog Day (there is even a reference in the beginning to a groundhog called Bill,) Help! I'm Trapped in the First Day of School is an entertaining yarn about Jake Sherman, an eighth grader at Burt Itchupt Middle School (otherwise known as Burp It Up, charming,) who is forced to relive his first day of school. Over and over again. Jake is a good kid who is being led astray by his friend Alex Silver, a bully who wants to rule the school. The plan is thi

I found this clip from The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show on YouTube and I just had to share. The thing I am never quite sure about with Sally is whether she is a child genius who simply has difficulty communicating how she sees the world, or if she really is just that stupid. I suspect that Schulz himself could not make up his mind either ...

Night of the Kraken is the first instalment of a brand new Doctor Who YA series, Choose the Future. Basically, it works just like a choose your own adventure book, where the reader gets to choose what they think the Doctor should do. In this adventure, The Twelfth Doctor finds himself in late eighteenth century Cornwall battling the Kraa'Kn, (think: big scary creatures from the deep,) who have just invaded the area. On hand to help is the mysterious Ravenwood (who may not be all that nice,) and the lovely Bess who is a local barmaid.  While there is nothing new about this kind of interactive storytelling, I was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked within the Doctor Who universe. The sections of story are done quite well and some sections may easily be used in one adventure and then within a totally different context in another. Although there were a few different endings, I seemed to find myself back at the same one nearly every time, despite taking radically differe

NOWHERESVILLE, AUSTRALIA--Kim Kong, a self-proclaimed gender neutral, homosexual and trans-racial human rights activist suffered a blow this week when the Nowheresville Masgistrates Court ordered that a speeding fine issued to Kong was not a human rights issue. "Anyone who knowingly breaks the law will not be exempt from punishment, just because they feel offended by the speed limit,' Magistrate Bob Allsop told Kong. "You are also reminded that you have been charged with driving while under the influence of a prohibited substance." Kong's lawyer had previously told the court that the speeding fine discriminated against Kong, as his client was capable of determining at what speed a vehicle could be driven, without having to have limitations imposed on him by the government, and it should not matter what he chose to smoke before getting behind the wheel of his car. "What is the government going to do next?" Kong asked reporters outside court. "

A meme that all book lovers can relate to ...

Cambodia Noir is an action filled ride through a time and place where poverty, corruption and hard living are rife. The year is 2003 and Will Keller is a photographer living in Phnom Penh who is happily spiralling toward self-destruction. His life takes an unexpected turn when a mysterious woman contacts him and asks for his help finding her sister. But no one, and nothing in this book are quite what they seem, Will's search for June Saito comes with many strange and surprising twists. This tale of corruption and hard living grabbed hold of me, pulled me in and refused to let me go. Neither Will nor June are particularly likeable characters though the mystery, action and a very real sense of place keep the story rolling. The story is also dark, full of gore and utterly depressing, which is far from my usual cup of tea, but I appreciated it within the context of the novel. June is a mystery within a mystery and to tell you that she is anything other than missing would do fu

Every now and again, a book comes along and captures my imagination--and my heart--and refuses to let it go. My Life With Charlie Brown is one of those books. The concept is simple enough, it's a short book that consists of a number of autobiographical essays written by Charles M. Schulz, the creator of the infamous Peanuts comic, and a selection of Peanuts comics, all of which are entirely suited to the topics at hand. However, the writing style--intelligent and straightforward--and the authors explanation of the creative process are what makes this book a real winner. Anyone who reads this blog should already be well versed in the Peanuts universe, so I doubt that there is a great need to describe it here. However, I was amazed at the variety of facts about the comics--and their creator--that I learned from reading this book. In particular, Schulz hated the name Peanuts ! (Initially, the comic strip was to be called Lil' Folks , but this was too similar to another co

In Bank Street, they take street art very seriously ... and literally, painting parts of the road. This small colourful section is often full of foot traffic, particularly office workers and students, during peak hour and revellers on Friday and Saturday nights. After midnight at weekends, it would be near impossible to drive a car along here ...

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 ... Animal Inn differed from a number of the series aimed at girls that was released by Scholastic during the 1980s & 1990s as the main focus of the stories was on animal care, rather than school or friendships. The series was about Valentine "Val" Taylor who lived in a rural town somewhere in either the United States or Canada (it's not clear to me which, though some of the place names, such as Essex, hint that the books were indeed set in Canada,) and who, after school, wor

In February 2015 I released a book titled Poison Ivy. One of the key players in this book is Henry, an aspiring speculative fiction author who becomes upset when his girlfriend's younger sister posts a one-star review of his debut novel on a (fictional) book review site. Ivy's reasons for posting the review are complex, and not all of them noble, but one thing she never expects is for Henry to force his way inside her flat at night and demand that she take the review down. Henry's reaction is, and always was, intended to be immature and over-the-top. As was Ivy's revenge, most of which was encouraged by her toxic best friend Daphne. Unfortunately, since I penned the first draft of Poison Ivy in early 2014 I have learned of a few instances where Henry's reaction seems somewhat tame compared to reality. In October 2014 author Kathleen Hale used deceptive means to obtain the address of one of her harshest online critics and actually showed up at her house, thou

This week for Friday Funnies I am sharing a simple, but funny, Garfield comic one that came from the early (and arguably, funnier,) years of the strip. For the first six years of Garfield, the format was relatively simple--Garfield was basically a badly behaved cat who had a few endearing humanlike qualities and Jon was his twenty-nine year old owner who was struggling to keep up. Tropes were relatively simple--Garfield loved food, his teddy bear and coffee, and hated dogs (especially Odie) and trips to the vet. 

A Window Opens is a realistic story of a woman struggling to find that precious work/life balance. Alice is a woman in her thirties, living a happy, successful life. She has a happy marriage, three great kids, a nice house in the suburbs and a lovely part time job as a books editor at a women's magazine. Then life throws an unexpected curve ball, one that changes the family situation. Suddenly, Alice needs to find a full time job, while her lawyer husband, Nicholas, sets up his own law firm. Luckily for Alice she soon finds employment with a hip, start-up company, whose goal is to be the future of bookselling. Suddenly, Alice finds herself not only adjusting to the modern corporate world, but the fact that she has to juggle work with her family life--supporting her husband, looking after her three children, and also supporting her father who has a serious illness.  Being a little younger than Alice, and in a different life stage (I'm something of a late bloomer, an

Welcome to another brilliant Writers on Wednesday post. This week I am chatting with Brisbane based author James Bushill about Coopers Pale Ale and, more importantly, his debut novel, Adam ... Tell me a bit about yourself … I’m originally from Windsor, England, famous for being home to the Queen and her castle. Sadly I have no royal connections beyond that. After I moved to Australia to study, I ended up falling in love with a girl and a country, and emigrating for good. I now live in Brisbane, Queensland, where I work as a deckhand on the CityCats, the local ferry service. Tell us about your most recently published book? “ Adam” is my first novel. It’s a sci-fi thriller inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The story takes place on an abandoned mining asteroid. It follows the unforeseen and occasionally disastrous consequences of the creation of the world’s first biological supercomputer. As writer, what has been your proudest achievement so far? W

Seventeen-year-old Jonah lives in a small Californian town and has faced a number of problems in the past few months. His father passed away and his mother is suffering from a bout of depression. He and his two older siblings have to take charge of the three younger kids, and help out at the family restaurant and the whole thing is slowly wearing him down. Enter Vivi, a happy and unique individual who is in town for the summer. Vivi sees the good in everyone and her behaviour can be quite reckless. Seemingly, Vivi is the perfect match for the reserved Jonah. But lurking in the background is a secret, one that Vivi would rather Jonah did not find out ... When We Collided is not just a teen love story. It's also a realistic account of grieving, mental illness and living life to the fullest despite the many hurdles that life throws in the way. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one and loved the way that the author was able to show a character who was living with a mental illn

I spotted these cool, vintage armchairs and coffee table at Noarlunga Interchange some months back. They stayed there for about a week or so, and from what I understand were part of a project about the local arts scene being run by the City of Onkaparinga. 

Exciting news for RADelaide folks, best selling YA author (and talented musician) Tommy Wallach is swinging by for a visit this week, as part of his Thanks For the Trouble Australian Tour. Wallach will be appearing at Dymocks Rundle Mall* on Tuesday May 10 at 6pm. Wallach is the author of We All Looked Up and Thanks For the Trouble. You can RSPV by phoning 08 8223 5380 or get you ticket here. *That's the big Dymocks store in Rundle Mall with the #celebrityesculator.  And the massive range of YA books. And where I buy lots of stuff. PS Melbourne and Sydney readers, be sure to check the promotional poster, as there are some great events happening in your part of the country, including one event at the lovely Readings bookstore at St Kilda. 

Welcome to stop number three on the Other Side of the Season blog tour. I have enjoyed the previous two stops and I hope that you have as well. (If you haven't visited the other blogs, all links are at the bottom of this post.) Today, Jenn J. McLeod author of The Other Side of the Season, stops by to talk about the artistic influence in her latest novel. I loved this post and I think that you will too ~ Kathryn. Reflections Perceptions and Change by Jenn J McLeod The question I’m asked the most is: Where do I get my story ideas? Pinpointing a moment, when that one kernel plants itself and grows in my mind, is not always easy. I can tell you The Other Side of the Season was the result of several seeds that for while all sprouted in different directions, a bit like an uncontrollable vine. One tendril wrapped itself tight around me, though, and wouldn’t let go, so I titled a new manuscript Seasons in Watercolour and, if that’s not a big enough hint as to the theme, I name

One part a how-to book and one part memoir, Break Through by Marina Go is an inspiring read offering tips on how to succeed in the workplace, as well as accounting the many triumphs and curve balls that the author has received throughout her long career within the cut-throat magazine industry. When I was offered the chance to review this book, I immediately seized it. Not only did I feel that the subject matter would be entirely relevant to me, but I immediately recognised the name of the author from many, many years ago--Marina Go was the editor of Dolly  when I first started reading the magazine, and at the time, my twelve year old self thought that she and her colleagues must have been very glamourous. (By the time Susie Pitts took over as editor I was almost thirteen and a little more jaded, but that's fodder for a different post.) Some of the memoir pages are devoted to Marina's time at Dolly  (she was the editor of the magazine at age 23) and provide some of the

This is a mural that I snapped in a laneway on Leigh Street. As most Adelaide people know, Leigh Street (a pedestrian only city street, filled with bars and, during peak hour, office workers taking a short cut to the nearby Adelaide Railway station,) always has a lot tucked inside a relatively small space, and many, many strange and beautiful things can the found there if one takes the time to stop and have a look around. Although less than a hop, skip and a jump away from the delightfully colourful (and dare I say, far more iconic,) Hindley Street, Leigh Street is always has a bit of an upmarket, hipster vibe. (Even if the northern side does look straight at a run down hotel that is covered in ceramic tiles.)