The Reading Room

Charles Dickens: Happy Birthday

2012-02-01T10:05:00.005+11:00

February 7th marks the bicentenary of the birth of renowned English novelist Charles Dickens (1812-1870).

Born in Portsmouth, the son of a naval clerk, who spent some time in prison for debit, Dickens left school at 15 and initially became a newspaper reporter. In fact, many of the people and events described in his novels were based on personal experience.

His best known books are A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, The Pickwick Papers and A Tale of Two Cities. These works have produced some of the greastest characters in English literature and have endured through time, not only via print but film and stage.

Dickens had a keen eye for social observation and detail, empathy for all aspects of the human condition, and laced his novels with satire and wit, all factors which have ensured his popularity to this day.

What's your favourite Dickens novel or character?

Favourite book to movie adaptation. What are yours?

2012-01-29T18:24:00.013+11:00

I've been thinking about this after recovering from my horrified shock when I found out the Janet Evanovich books were being filmed starring Katherine Heigl as Stephanie Plum. I just cringed inside, being an avid fan who had for years cast in my head the actors I felt perfect for the roles. Heigl was not in the list. However I will give her the benefit of the doubt and see the movie anyway, fingers crossed.

Bringing something successfully from the page to screen is a hard task. Especially if fans of the books are militantly picky like me! However here is a list of movies that I feel made the transition successfully, even if not altogether faithfully.

Top book to screen adaptations

1. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) BBC's 1995 version-Amazing production. The only gripe I have is I would have liked to see Elizabeth and Darcy's conversations at the end of the novel brought to life. A charming scene omitted.

2. Lord of the Rings (J.R.R Tolkien) New Line Cinema's 2001 version (yes too much fighting and too much Arwen. BUT I include it for Jackson's brilliant vision. The trilogy does an excellent job with some artistic omission. Plus Sean Bean. I rest my case)

3. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee) 1962 Gregory Peck- A brilliant adaptation of a brilliant book.

4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (J.K Rowling) Warner Bros 2001- I thought it was a charming adaptation. The later films lost much of that initial charm but the first movie was a truthful and thorough job.

5. Fight Club (Chuck Palahniuk) 20th century Fox, 1999. A faithful adaptation which the author praised himself. The movie did not shy away from the difficult and uncomfortable themes explored in the book and it became a cult movie.

For a Midsumma Read ....

2012-01-29T17:33:00.004+11:00

Midsumma, Melbourne's annual celebration of sexual diversity runs until February 5th.

For a Midumma read, why not check out some of the following authors:

Robert Dessaix, Neal Drinnan, Fannie Flagg, Andrea Goldsmith, Brian Kennedy, Alan Hollinghurst, David Leavitt, Armistead Maupin, Dorothy Porter, Manuel Puig, Mary Renault, Christos Tsiolkas, Sarah Waters, Edmund White, or Jeanette Winterson?

For an Australia Day read ...

2012-01-24T13:15:00.005+11:00

Why not try a Jessica Anderson, Carmel Bird, Martin Boyd, Peter Carey, Bryce Courtenay, Robert Dessaix, Marcus Clarke, Robert Drewe, Nick Earls, Miles Franklin, Helen Garner, Peter Goldsworthy, Kate Grenville, Marion Halligan, Barbara Hanrahan, J. Turner Hospital, George Johnston, Elizabeth Jolley, Thomas Keneally, Olga Masters, Colleen McCullough, David Malouf, Frank Moorhouse, Di Morrissey, Ruth Park, Hal Porter, Matthew Reilly , Henry Handel Richardson, Christina Stead, Patrick White or Tim Winton?

Happy Chinese New Year: Year of the Dragon

2012-01-23T13:06:00.003+11:00

Moonee Valley Library Service will celebrate the "Year of the Dragon" at Flemington Library, 313 Racecourse Road, Flemington, phone 8325-1975 on Tuesday 24 January at 5 pm.

Come along and see the lion dance and fire crackers. Borrow new Chinese and Vietnamese books and get your lucky 2012 pocket.

Free event, but bookings are essential!

Vale Reginald Hill 1936-2012

2012-01-22T15:27:00.004+11:00

British crime writer, Reginald Hill, who is probably best known for his Daziel and Pascoe novels, has died from a brain tumour at the age of 75.

Hill, who grew up in Durham, Northern England, studied at Oxford University and was a teacher and lecturer for many years. Author of over fifty books, he won the Crime Writers' Association Cartier Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement in 1995.

The Daziel and Pascoe novels -- which began with "The Clubbable Woman" in 1970, formed the basis of the popular BBC series of the same name. At his death he left one novel due for publication in 2013.

For these and other titles by Hill, why not visit your local library?

Book Review: State of Wonder By Ann Patchett

2012-01-19T18:16:00.002+11:00

Dr Swenson, works for Vogel, a large USA drug company, and is based in the Amazon rainforest researching a new drug that will end the fertility problems of western women. She has discovered a tribe where the women age in appearance but remain fertile all their lives. If this gene could be harnessed Vogel will reap huge profits but they have one major problem:

Dr Swenson is eccentric and difficult to pin down. She disappears into the jungle for months on end, rarely reads her mail, and feels she doesn’t have to account for her research to anyone including her employer. Vogel needs a progress report on her research and sends an affable young doctor, Anders Eckman, to Brazil to check on her progress. Swenson sees him as an irritant and distraction from her important work.

As his wife and family anxiously wait for months for his return home, a brief letter from Swenson advises that Anders died of a fever.

Vogel wants to send another employee, Dr Marina Singh to Brazil, to continue Ander’s mission and discover the circumstances of his death. Marina worked closely with her colleague, Anders, and also feels sorry for his grieving widow so she reluctantly agrees to go. Marina was also taught by the intimidating Dr Swenson years ago at university and hopes that will give her some leverage.

There are many questions to answer – Is Dr Swenson really developing a wonder drug for Vogel? How much more money will this endless research cost Vogel? Was Ander’s death suspicious? The story twists and turns and gradually becomes more sinister as Marina battles the heat, mosquitoes, fever and isolation, trying to solve the puzzle of Ander’s death and Dr Swenson’s hold over her and others.

Brilliantly written, this story grips the reader from the opening chapter to the surprising end.

Recommended by Janet

Book Review: The Quiet American By Graham Greene

2012-01-13T13:04:00.008+11:00

The setting is Vietnam in the early 1950’s, just before the United States formally declared war on the Communists. The “”quiet American is Alden Pyle, an earnest young idealist with no practical experience assigned to the American Embassy. Fowler, a cynical journalist who has been based in Vietnam for many years, watches Pyle’s antics with some bemusement and humour, until Pyle confesses that he has fallen in love with Fowler’s young live-in mistress, Phuong.

Fowler’s wife won’t grant a divorce so he can’t offer Phuong security. When Fowler is informed that he is being transferred to a desk job back in England he looks ahead to a bleak life alone and unloved in a country now alien to him. He becomes increasingly suspicious of Phuong and Pyle, knowing that she should logically chose Pyle.

As the war between the French colonial power and Vietminh freedom fighters escalates, Fowler’s network of contacts indicates that Pyle is putting his theory of a “good third force” into action. As Pyle becomes more deeply involved in the war, supplying explosives to a local warlord, General Thė, Fowler feels he should take action, with devastating consequences.

I read this classic when I was fifteen and enjoyed it. Re-reading it in my mature (okay, old) years, with more knowledge of the history of Vietnam, I got a lot more out of it. It’s rather depressing to see that nothing changes: western nations are still interfering in the politics of troubled countries in support of ideology and causing devastation.

This is a book of beautiful prose with not a word wasted.

Highly recommended by Janet

Book review: Bright and distant shores - By Dominic Smith

2012-01-09T14:05:00.003+11:00

Bright and distant shores by Dominic Smith.

Millionnaire insurance magnate, Hale Gray, builds the tallest skyscraper in Chicago in the 1890’s and plans to draw in the crowds with an exhibition and museum. He engages Owen Graves, a young demolitions expert, to collect artifacts from the South Seas.

Owen hopes to make enough money on the expedition to buy a house so he can marry his fiancé, Adelaide. No stranger to hardship, Owen has just one reservation: Hale also wants him to bring back some “savages” to exhibit.

Owen sets sail on the Lady Cullion with veteran Captain Terrapin, a man of contradictions, rough and promiscuous but also an accomplished pianist and lover of finery.

Hale’s son, Jethro, accompanies the expedition, a Harvard-educated dandy, determined to earn his father’s respect. He starts his own collection of natural artifacts, bottled or stuffed on board. The crew instantly despise Jethro and he seems to irritate everyone.
They sail through the Pacific Islands, trading with the locals.

Meanwhile, in the Solomon Islands, a Scottish missionary minister dies, leaving his houseboy, Argus, in need of a job. Argus has been well educated by the missionary and is a Christian convert. He finds the sister he hasn’t seen for years and together they sail through the islands looking for employment.

When Argus meets with Owen’s expedition it seems to solve both their problems – Owen has a “savage” to exhibit and Argus gets to see the western civilisation that he has heard so much about.

This is old fashioned adventure with a slant of political correctness that doesn’t always work, and I found some parts a bit confusing, but I enjoyed the story and would recommend it.

Recommended by Janet

Dud reads, life is too short .....

2012-01-06T14:39:00.004+11:00

I recently started reading a book that had an appealing blurb about the loyalty of a soldier to his dog, however, as soon as I opened the book I knew it wasn’t for me. The first paragraph reads:

“The wind sulked around Hampton Lane cemetery like a child lamenting the loss of a favourite toy. It stirred the crisp autumn leaves lining the many cobbled paths, but did little more than tow them along slowly, like condemned souls being dragged to the afterlife.”

Apart from the unnecessary commas, the pretentiousness of the writing made me wince. I read it to my son, and he snorted with laughter, saying it reminded him of school when he and his friend competed to cram as many adjectives into their essays as possible just to annoy the teacher and then, crazily, got top marks!

People often come into the library and ask me to recommend a book, saying they struggled to finish their last one because it was too difficult/boring/poorly written. As adults we can read what and when we like; we are free from prescribed school texts and teachers and parents nagging us to “finish what you start”.

If you are an avid reader like me, you will know from the first few pages if the book is well written and interesting. For the not-so-confident reader, if the book hasn’t absorbed you after two chapters, give it away. Life is too short to waste time reading a book you are not enjoying when there are so many brilliant stories waiting to be read.

What have been your dud reads?

Janet

Book Club Favourite

2011-12-30T11:01:00.005+11:00

Moonee Valley Library Service Book Clubs have voted for their favourite read for 2011.

This year the groups voted Red tent by Anita Diamant as their best read. This has been a popular book club read for several years and tells the little-known Biblical story of Dinah, daughter of the patriarch Jacob and his wife, Leah.

The least liked book for the year was Dreams from my father by Barak Obama. Despite the fact that some people did not enjoy this book, many groups reported that Obama's story of how he found meaning to his life, an inspirational read.

Moonee Valley Book Clubs are looking forward to reading some interesting new books in 2012 the, National Year of Reading. If you would like more information about Book Clubs please contact the library.

Book Review - The Good Parents by Joan London

2011-12-18T13:39:00.000+11:00

Maya is excited to leave her quiet country home for Melbourne but her shyness stands in the way of making new friends. She finds herself isolated and rather homesick and drifts into an unhealthy sexual relationship with her boss.
Little knowing of their daughter’s predicament, Toni and Jacob arrange to visit Maya before going on a holiday to Tasmania. When they arrive they are faced with every parent’s worst nightmare: Maya has disappeared without a trace. As the days drift by they become more and more worried; Maya occasionally telephones her brother at home but won’t say where she is or who she is with. As Toni and Jacob anxiously await for Maya’s to contact them, they review their own lives and why they ended up together.
The Good Parents is a “coming of age” tale for Maya, her brother and her parents. The characters are believable and it’s easy to see how chance meetings can change the course of a life. I found this book enjoyable, clever and well constructed.

Reviewed by Janet

Book Review - Pepsi Bears and Other Short Stories by Anson Cameron

2011-12-15T13:49:00.001+11:00

In the title story (Pepsi Bears), an enterprising advertising executive reasons that everyone loves polar bears and is interested in them because of global warming, so why not use all that white fur for advertisements? Unfortunately, bears emblazoned with ads no longer blend into the landscape and seals can see them kilometres away. As the bears get hungrier they migrate south in search of food and have to adapt to the proximity of humans and find different prey!
This collection is difficult to categorise. At first it seems to be humourous but there is a darker side to the stories, making us examine our relationship to animals and how we exploit them. Anson Cameron is a clever satirist, using animals as an analogy of our society’s quirks.
Recommended by Janet

Book Review - Mezza Italiana by Zoe Boccabella

2011-12-15T13:32:00.002+11:00

Zoe Boccabella’s grandfather Anni arrived in Australia in 1939 from Abruzzo and grandmother Francesca arrived in 1934 from Calabria, both escaping the poverty prevalent in Italy at that time. They met and married in Queensland and, like many migrants, worked hard, raised a family and did well.

Mezza Italiana translates as half Italian. Zoe was raised in Brisbane, with an Italian father and Australian mother, and after experiencing bullying at school decided it was too embarrassing being a “wog”. She dyed her hair blonde and became as “Aussie” as a meat pie – much to her nonna’s distress!

It was only when her boyfriend, Roger, met and loved her big noisy Italian family that Zoe started to feel comfortable with her identity. Roger enthusiastically embraced all things Italian - the language, the lifestyle and the food, and became almost more Italian than her! Zoe rediscovered her roots and began to enjoy her heritage.

Zoe and Roger travelled extensively in Italy, staying in the house still owned by her grandparents in the beautiful mountainous region of Abruzzo.

Zoe lovingly recounts her feeling of “coming home” when first entering the house in Fossa but, despite her love of the quaint town and the breathtaking scenery, she clearly sees the foibles of the people and their ancient customs with a foreigner’s eye. She seamlessly connects the past of her family to the present and gives us glimpses of what life would have been like in Italy in the early 20th Century. In their travels Zoe and Roger enjoy many charming scenes and enjoy the usual tourist haunts; but they also see the sleazier side of Italy - the ugly industrial areas, the poverty and fear caused by the Mafia and the opulence of corruption. She also notes that the Italy her grandparents remember has changed – modern Italians no longer have Passata Day when all the family bottle tomato sauce – they just go to the supermarket and buy it ready made.

Zoe writes from the heart and many of her recollections and stories moved me deeply. This is a charming account of her personal journey and family history.

Recommended by Janet

Holiday Reading

2011-12-09T14:32:00.004+11:00

With only a few weeks until Christmas, you might want to stock up on your reading.
Here are a few suggestions.

For Your Friend Who Likes to Imagine - 'The Night Circus'	For a Teenager - 'Every Me, Every You'	For Your Sibling - 'Cocktail Hour under the Tree of Forgetfulness'	For the Romantic Vampire Fan - 'A Discovery of Witches'
For the Cook - 'Cooking For Claudine'	For the Networker - 'Moonwalking with Einstein'	For the History Buff - 'In the Garden of Beasts'

Anne McCaffrey - 1 April 1926 – 21 November 2011

2011-12-06T19:45:00.004+11:00

Anne McCaffrey, author of the Dragonriders of Pern series has passed away at the age of 85. Over the course of her 46 year career she won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award. Her book The White Dragon (available on inter-library loan) became one of the first science fiction novels ever to land on the New York Times Best Seller List.

Shadow of the Titanic

2011-12-02T14:37:00.008+11:00

In the early hours of 15 April 1912 the Titanic sank with the loss of some 1500 men women and children. Almost 100 years after this tragic event we are still fascinated by the stories of survival, tragedy and loss that surrounded that night.

A night to remember by Walter Lord, first published in the 1950's and written after the author interviewed many survivors, remains one of the best accounts. Lord collected information and memorabilia about the Titanic and maintained correspondence with many survivors long after his book was published. He also collected a huge amount of memorabilia about the Titanic including buttons, spoons, menus and tickets.

Using many of Lord's original documents and drawing on numerous other resources, Andrew Wilson's Shadow of the Titanic details the lives of survivors in the years following the tragedy. How they coped and dealt with life, for better or worse, after such a momentous event is a fascinating read.

A spectacle of dust by Pete Postlethwaite

2011-11-22T10:09:00.004+11:00

Pete Postlethwaite, with his craggy face ravaged by smoking, booze and drugs, is well known to Australian audiences from dozens of films and television series, including voice-overs in childrens animation. He was also a classical stage actor, a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He was an intense method actor, who really lived the characters he played, much to the alarm of those around him!
This autobiography details his humble beginnings in Warrington, near Liverpool, with his loving parents, two sisters and brother. He caught the acting bug early at primary school but never thought he could make a career of it. An excellent student, Peter decided to train at a seminary to be a priest. When he found the life too restricting he relocated to a grammar school and graduated with excellent results. After school he went to Teacher Training College to study P.E. and drama but found he was spending more time on the latter. He taught for a couple of years then decided to train as an actor and the rest, as they say, is history.
Pete had a pronounced conscience and he and his wife were social and environmental activists.
The book drips with famous names but Peter was always humble and aware of his roots and the plight of the working class. This is an honest account of a passionate man, who was a workaholic and never compromised on his ideals.
Pete died of cancer earlier this year.
Reviewed by Janet

2011 Inky Award Winners announced

2011-11-12T08:44:00.014+11:00

Voted for by teenagers, the Gold Inky (for Australian YA fiction) went to

Silvermay by James Moloney.

The Silver Inky (for International YA fiction) was awarded to Cassandra Clare's

Clockwork Angel.

Read more about it at the Inside a Dog site.

Crafty ideas

2011-11-10T15:19:00.011+11:00

Christmas is just around the corner, but there is still time to make some great gifts for those you care about. If you are stuck for ideas, the library has some great craft books that are sure to inspire some creative presents.
You can browse the 745’s and 746’s in person at any of our branches, or online on our virtual shelf browser.

Our Story

2011-11-04T15:14:00.012+11:00

This summer, discover six wonderful books with a Victorian flavour, and help us choose the winning book! Our Story presents a shortlist of six books, including fiction and non-fiction. Get reading over the summer break, and vote online for your favourite by 6 January. The winning book will represent Victoria in the national Our Story program in 2012. For details, visit slv.vic.gov.au/our-story.

Bearbrass by Robyn Annear
Radical Melbourne by Jeff Sparrow and Jill Sparrow
Sold by Brendan Gullifer
The comfort of water by Maya Ward
Unpolished gem by Alice Pung
Well done, those men by Barry Heard

Our Story is part of the National Year of Reading 2012, and the Victorian program is coordinated by the State Library of Victoria in collaboration with the Public Libraries Victoria Network.

What else to read?

2011-10-24T11:45:00.057+11:00

Exhausted all your favorite authors? Don't know what to read next? Try our reading lists for suggestions.

A sense of humour

Aussie crime

Australiana

British Crime
Chick Lit
Cult Fiction
Family Sagas
Female Crime Writers
Indian and Pakistani Writers
Paranormal Romance
Romance Suspense
Scandinavian Crime & Mystery
Steampunk Fiction

Julian Barnes wins Booker Prize

2011-10-19T10:51:00.003+11:00

Julian Barnes has won the prestigious Booker Prize for 2011.
The Sense of an Ending is a memory-haunted novel about a 60-something man forced to confront buried truths about his past after the unexpected arrival of a letter.

Celebrating the Queen's arrival

2011-10-15T07:53:00.000+11:00

Queen Elizabeth II : portraits by Cecil Beaton

To celebrate the arrival of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip why not take a look this elegant title filled with photographs by Cecil Beaton granting a glimpse behind the scenes of Royal life in the public eye.

If that dosen't take your fancy why not take a look at the past with a title about the previous Kings and Queens of Great Britain.

Sustainable October upcoming events

2011-10-12T16:22:00.004+11:00

Reduce Energy Use and Save Money.

With energy bills on the rise we are all on the lookout for money saving tips. Learn how to reduce energy consumption in the home and save money while helping out the planet. This session includes information on how to read, analyse and understand your energy bills to help you save. Presented by the Moreland Energy Foundation.

Ascot Vale Library
Tuesday, 18 October, 2pm
Free, but bookings necessary.
Call 8325 1990

Meet Your Garden Life and Control Garden Pests Naturally.

Learn how to get rid of unwanted garden pests without using harsh sprays. No matter what size your garden is, you’ll find it is home to a large number of creatures. In this session discover the wondrous soil microbes, and both problem and beneficial insects that live in your garden. We will show you how to attract the good insects and other natural predators in order to control those unwanted ones.

Flemington Library
Monday, 24 October, 6pm - 8pm
Free, but bookings necessary.
Call 8325 1975

On Shakespeare by John Bell

2011-10-10T08:40:00.003+11:00

John Bell, founder of the Bell Shakespeare theatre company, has written a fascinating account of Shakespeare – his works, times and legacy. Taking questions that he is regularly asked and answering them with a mixture of humour, insight and a fresh look at the ways we can interpret the entire body of Shakespeare’s works in relation to our life experiences as well as their historical context.

Covering the body of his work for the past fifty years as a creative behind Shakespeare on the stage both as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company in the United Kingdom as well as his continuing work with his own company here is Australia. Including interviews, photographs and quotes this title will engage any reader seeking to deepen their understanding of Shakespeare, acting or with an interest in Australian theatre.

Avondale Heights Library and Learning Centre - 1st Birthday

2011-10-05T11:48:00.006+11:00

On Saturday 8th of October join us at Avondale Heights Library and Learning Centre between 10am and 1 pm to help celebrate our 1st birthday. There will be activities for the whole family including a jumping castle, animal farm, face painting for the kids, and a sausage sizzle supported by East Keilor Rotary. An Open Day Expo will feature training and education providers.

Well-know children's author Andy Griffiths will make a special guest appearance at 11 am and he will be signing copies of his new book The 13-Storey Treehouse which will be available for sale.

Free, but bookings are necessary - call on 8325 1940

Sleepwalking in daylight by Elizabeth Flock

2011-09-30T09:59:00.011+10:00

Sleepwalking in daylight is a realistic drama about a family who is struggling to communicate and stay connected to each other. The story is told through the eyes of the mother Samantha, and her teenage daughter Cameron, who are both unhappy with their situation in life.

Cameron, who was adopted by Samantha and her husband when she was two years old, has conflicting feelings and feels that she doesn’t belong in this family or anywhere. She secretly starts to look for her birth mother.

Samantha’s marriage is passionless, her relationship with Cameron is falling apart and she is bored with being a ‘stay-at-home’ Mum. Her despair leads her to be so caught up in herself that she fails to realise the extent of her daughter’s self-destructive ways.

This novel is emotionally strong and will keep you wanting to know what happens next.

Reviewed by Terri-Lyn

School Holiday Magic!

2011-09-26T12:08:00.011+10:00

Come and join us these school holidays with one of the funniest kid’s entertainers on the planet, Terry McSweeney. The Fun Magic Guy is guaranteed to get everyone rocking with laughter and amazement!

Visit our website for further information and session times at your local Moonee Valley Library.

What are your library staff reading?

2011-09-20T16:39:00.038+10:00

If you're stuck on what to read or just simply need a few suggestions on what to read next, take a look at what the Moonee Valley Library staff are currently reading.

Puzzled: secrets and clues from a life lost in words by DA (alias David Astle)

2011-09-14T09:48:00.010+10:00

People can be divided into those who love crosswords and others who just can’t see the point. If talk of anagrams, puns and homophones makes your eyes glaze over with boredom, stop reading now.

If, like me, you are hooked on tormenting yourself with cryptic crosswords and religiously watch the show Letters and Numbers on SBS TV (6.00pm weeknights), then read on. David Astle is the word-whiz on the show and has also made a living from compiling crosswords and journalism.

Puzzled is both an autobiography and a guide to solving cryptic crosswords. David was obviously pretty nerdy (rhymes with wordy) from a very young age, devouring puzzle books and driving his family crazy with riddles and jokes, then graduating to Scrabble and crosswords. He read dictionaries for fun!

This book is a series of anecdotes and can be dipped into at random. David is full of fascinating snippets of information about words. This is a fun read and I picked up a few useful pointers along the way for solving cryptic clues.

Recommended by Janet

Man Booker Prize 2011 Shortlist

2011-09-09T09:37:00.029+10:00

The following are the 6 shortlisted books in the run for the 2011 Man Booker Prize for fiction! The winner will be announced on 18 October 2011.

For further information on the 2011 Man Booker Prize you can visit the website at themanbookerprize.com

Most Loved Books

2011-09-05T15:11:00.004+10:00

We love books of all shapes in sizes... but love some more than others. The "best book ever" is always going to be debatable, so instead of compiling a list of best-sellers or staff favourites, we've compiled a list of items with the highest number of loans. Numbers can't lie, and so it seems these are the books most loved by our patrons:

Fiction
Cotillion - Georgette Heyer (239 loans)
The Fever Tree & other stories - Ruth Rendell (237 loans)
The Fall of an Eagle - Jon Cleary (209 loans)
Non-Fiction
The Australian Home - Ian Evans (222 loans)
Diana Cooper's Scrapbook - Artemis Cooper (216 loans)
Spitfire into Battle - Duncan Smith (204 loans)

Remember that this list is for individual books. Collectively we have loaned the Harry Potter series well over 1000 times.

Zines

2011-08-26T11:56:00.005+10:00

The zines workshop held at Sam Merrifield last Tuesday was great fun!
Below are some sample pieces made by those who attended the workshop.
Vote for your favourite on our facebook page.
The artist's image with the most likes will receive a movie voucher!

Thanks to Adam Ford for running the workshop.

Jonathan Franzen at Melbourne Writers Festival

2011-08-25T12:38:00.006+10:00

The 2011 Melbourne Writers Festival begins today including the opening keynote address with Jonathan Franzen. Following worldwide bestseller The Corrections his latest novel Freedom was acclaimed as a modern masterpiece. Franzen will address autobiographical fiction and the personal struggles involved in writing this kind of fiction.
For further information on this event or the festival you can visit the Melbourne Writers Festival website at mwf.com.au

Children's Book Council 2011 Book of the Year Award Winners

2011-08-22T16:29:00.008+10:00

The Children's Book Council of Australia has announced the winners:

Picture Book of the Year

(Intended for an audience ranging from birth to 18 years. Some books may be for mature readers)

Mirror by Jeannie Baker

Hamlet by Nicki Greenberg

Book of the Year : Early Childhood

(Intended for children in the pre-reading to early reading stages)

Maudie and Bear by Jan Ormerod illus: Freya Blackwood

Book of the Year : Younger Readers

(These books are intended for independent younger readers)

The Red Wind by Isobelle Carmody

Book of the Year : Older Readers

(These books are for mature readers)

The Midnight Zoo by Sonya Hartnett

Eve Pownall Award for Information Books

The Return of the Word Spy by Ursula Dubosarsky

For more information on the book awards or to see the short list you can visit the Children's Book Council of Australia

Never let me go by Kazuo Ishiguro

2011-08-18T15:40:00.005+10:00

Kathy, Ruth and Tommy live at Hailsham School in the beautiful English countryside. Well cared for by their guardians, the friends are given a fine education with the accent on art and creativity. They have no need or desire to leave Hailsham as they have heard sinister rumours of what happens to those who go outside the walls.

Occasionally “Madame” visits the school to review their artwork and the children eagerly anticipate her visit. They all hope to have their work selected as they feel sure she must have a wonderful gallery somewhere to exhibit their art.

Their lives progress pleasantly enough and they are constantly assured that they are “special”. There are unanswered questions however: Why does Madame shudder if the children come too close? Why do they have no contact with the outside world? Why do guardians mysteriously disappear? What does it mean to be a “carer” or a “donor”?

When the children graduate from school they go to live in the cottages. They are encouraged to form sexual relationships but understand they cannot bear children or commit to the future. This is a brief idyllic respite before they take their allotted places in the world. The Hailsham students gradually realise how lucky they were compared to other cloned children.

This deceptively gentle book explores a horrific subject, that of cloning and enforced organ donation. The story is heart wrenching as we know that there can only be one outcome for Kathy and her friends.

Beautifully read by Emilia Fox (voted Female Reader of the Year at the Spoken Word Awards), this is a book to make us think deeply of what it is that makes us human and to what lengths we are willing to go to in exploiting other creatures for our own use.

Never let me go was recently made into a film starring Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley.

Recommended by Janet

The Age Book of the Year 2011

2011-08-15T15:33:00.006+10:00

The shortlists for this year's awards have been announced. The categories include fiction, non-fiction, poetry and the overall winner of Book of the Year. Each category will win a prize of $10,000 with an additional $10,000 being awarded to the overall Book of the Year.
The awards will be presented at the opening of the Melbourne Writers Festival at 7:30pm on August 25th at the Melbourne Town Hall.

Non-Fiction
Sydney by Delia Falconer
A Three-Corned Life by Jim Davidson
When it Rains by Maggie MacKellar
When Horse Became Saw by Anthony Macris
The Many Worlds of R. H. Mathews by Martin Thomas

Fiction
Like Being a Wife by Catherine Harris
The Mary Smokes Boys by Patrick Holland
Indelible Ink by Fiona McGregor
Bright and Distant Shores by Dominic Smith
Bereft by Chris Womersley

Poetry
Sly Mongoose by Ken Bolton
Supermodernprayerbook by Susan Bradley Smith
This Floating World by Libby Hart
Porch Music by Cameron Lowe
Starlight: 150 poems by John Tranter

Victorian Premier's Literary Awards : Librarian's perspective

2011-08-10T10:44:00.010+10:00

Librarians across the state have reviewed the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards short listed titles. Read reviews of all 21 titles and then vote for the title you'd most like to see win the overall prize. The title receiving the most votes will win the People's Choice award.
Click here to see the shortlist and read more information about the awards.

Melbourne Writers Festival 2011

2011-08-05T17:10:00.008+10:00

The festival program has just been released. The highlights include:

Opening Keynote Address with Jonathan Franzen
Drawn From Life - cartoons for the masses!
Big Ideas with Mona Elthahawy, Richard Flanagan and Malalai Joya
The Best in Fiction - from Lynda La Plante to Cesar Aira, and Ann Patchett to Kate Grenville
Victorian premiere of Shaun Tan's The Arrival - in concert at the Melbourne Recital Centre
Our Digital Future - the second New News Conference and the first Bookcamp 'Unconference'
Friday Night Live with host Julia Zemiro and house band The Bamboos

Festival programs are available at the library or you can visit the website at www.mwf.com.au for more information

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet

2011-08-02T15:50:00.012+10:00

In this novel by David Mitchell, Jacob falls in love with gentle Anna whilst knowing that her father thinks he’s not worthy of her. Jacob is persuaded to leave Holland and seek his fortune for five years with the Dutch East Indies Company’s trading post in Japan.

In 1799 Japan had already been closed to foreigners for hundreds of years. Only the Dutch were allowed to operate out of Dejima in Nagasaki. In return for this favour they agreed not to bring any Christian books or icons onto Japanese soil, they were forbidden to learn the Japanese language and couldn’t set foot outside the walls of Dejima.

Both the Dutch and Japanese are making heaps of money by illegal personal trading, extortion, bribery and defrauding the company. Jacob, studious and honest, finds two kindred spirits in this corrupt world, Dr Marinus and Interpreter Ogawa. For those not in favour, Dejima becomes a squalid prison, isolated from the world, populated by a handful of Dutch, slaves, prostitutes, half-caste urchins and manipulative Japanese officials.
Jacob finds himself attracted to one of the doctor’s students, Orito, and tries to woo her to be his concubine. Little does he know that the powerful Prince Enomoto has other plans for Orito. The Prince kidnaps Orito and sends her to live in his Shrine in a remote mountainous region. Orito is horrified by what she finds there. The Prince’s twisted religious beliefs have led to prostitution, cannibalism, infanticide and murder. When Jacob learns of her plight he is determined to rescue her.

This is both an exciting adventure story and an introspective examination of how many people never achieve their hopes and dreams and have to make the best of what life doles out. Beautifully written with great insight into the best and worst of human nature, I couldn’t put this book down.
Recommended by Janet

Bad Classics

2011-07-21T12:08:00.013+10:00

Interesting post the other day from the Huffingto n Post about overrated 'classics'.
They came up with these 5:

1. Waiting for Godot - Samuel Beckett

2. Moby Dick - Herman Melville

3. Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

4. The Outsider - Albert Camus

5. Ulysses - James Joyce

I have to admit I couldn't get past the 3rd page of Ulysses and every time I grab Ernest Hemingway's 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' off the bookshelf I can't seem to get through more than 20 pages - hence this book is sitting unfinished 5+ years after it was started!

Have you read a classic and thought it'd make a better doorstop? What classics have you given up on and not been able to finish?

Great reads for our younger readers!

2011-07-11T14:19:00.014+10:00

School holidays are always a busy time at the library and it's been great to chat to some of our younger readers about the books they're reading. We decided to ask a couple of our work experience students to write about the books they've been loving lately:

From Keiran:
Neon genesis evangeli on series by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
Evangelion is set in an upgraded and high tech Tokyo in 2015 and is based around the invasions of intelligent enemy aliens known as angels and the artificial human life or cyborg used to combat them known as the evangelion and the chosen teenagers used to pilot them. The main characters which the story focuses around are mainly Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami, and Asuka Langley Soryu who are the main pilots of the evangelion. The series of books focuses on them and their close friends on coping with everyday life as well as stoping the threat of the angles form reinvading earth and wiping out all human life. My recommendation- This book is great for lovers of the anime series or just manga and comic books all together. This book is probably only suitable for mid aged teenagers and adults but even if you are reading Manga for the first time I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

More Horowitz Horror by Anthony Horowitz
More Horowitz horror written by Anthony Horowitz who is famous for his series of the Alex Ryder novels as well as multiple screen plays on English television and other novels, is a collection of short stories that are very well thought up and have a wide range of thought and originality. A good example of one of the short stories is one called the phone goes dead which are based around a teenage boy who receives an old looking phone from his father as a present in a way, also used by the boy’s parents to keep track of where he is. After a few days of owning the phone though he receives a call from an old man who is supposed to be dead, he tells the young teenager that he has a small task for him to take out and to consider doing it sooner than later. After he takes out the task he begins to receive more and more calls from the dead and they all want him to complete small tasks. The idea of the phone goes dead is that this small phone and this regular teenager are what can connect the world of the dead to the land of the living which in reality would be very much impossible, but Horowitz takes a simple every day device and a stereotypical teenage boy and transforms it in to a great story beyond belief.

My recommendation- I would recommended this small collection of horror stories created by the brilliant mind of Anthony Horowitz to anyone who is a fan of his work or just enjoys a good collection of well thought horror stories.

From Matthew:

Mortal Engines by Phillip Reeve
Mortal Engines, by Phillip Reeves is a book that’s set in the far future where the Earth is a wasteland an all the cities roam on wheels and are divided into tiers, which represent the social classes, so the rich live at the top and the poor at the bottom and at the very bottom the prisoners work and devour each other to survive and get bigger, like a food chain. London is one of the cities and is the story’s main setting. Tom Natsworthy, the protagonist, works in the museum and when he finds out that London is about to capture another town he feels a rush of excitement and runs outside to witness the capture. However, when he is watching, he gets into a fight with one of the other workers and his punishment is to work at the very bottom of London. When he is there, he meets Thaddeus Valentine, his idol who is a well respected historian at the museum and his daughter, Katherine. When the people who are captured from the town are brought in, one of them, a scar faced girl, attempts to kill Valentine with a knife. Tom stops her and the she tries to escape. A big chase follows and when they finally reach a hole that leads to the surface, the girl tells Tom to ask Valentine who Hester Shaw is, and then jumps down. When Tom does ask Valentine, he pushes Tom down the hole, and suddenly he is trapped with Hester, and an adventure follows that takes them across Europe and Asia where they unwrap mysteries of their pasts and uncover a plot that could put the world at risk. You will love this award winning action packed book with adventure with an excellent and highly original plot and the rest of its four sequels. READ IT NOW!!!

Doctor Who: Decide Your Destiny: Lost Luggage by Colin Brake
Are you a young fan of the long running science fiction series Doctor Who? Then you’d probably want to read Doctor Who: Decide Your Destiny: Lost Luggage by Colin Brake, a book where YOU can choose how the story goes and decide what happens for yourself. The TARDIS takes
him to what appears to be a spaceport. The Doctor leaves it for a few moments but when he comes back to it appears to have vanished, leaving him stranded at the spaceport. It’s then up to the reader to decide what happens next and how the Doctor manages to find it. The book is obviously aimed at a young audience and has a lot of interesting storylines. Any young Doctor Who fan would like it.

The Miles Franklin Prize

2011-06-29T10:35:00.005+10:00

Kim Scott has won this year's Miles Franklin Literary Award for his novel "That Deadman Dance". This is the second time he has won the award as in 2000, Scott became the first Aboriginal author to win the prize (jointly with Thea Astley) for his book "Benang".

That Deadman Dance is a historical novel, set around the time of white settlement in Australia. In their formal comments the judges described the book as historical and magical as it drifts between the settler world and the Aboriginal world.

"That Deadman Dance is alive in the spaces between these two worlds as they collide and collaborate," they said.

"We see and feel the hardship, tragedies and aspirations of the settlement, and at the same time we are transported into the mystical and spiritual life worlds of Wabalanginy and his people."

"Never say you know the last word about any human heart"

2011-06-28T09:59:00.010+10:00

Any Human Heart: the Intimate Journals of Logan Mountstuart, by William Boyd tells the story of the twentieth century through the fictional journals of its main character, Logan Mountstuart. Fact and fiction, real and imaginary characters are all mixed up in this long but lively novel, so you read about his meetings with Picasso, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Ernest Hemingway and Virginia Woolf ( in a memorable but hardly flattering scene). We follow Logan’s progress and changing fortunes from a young man of letters moving in a world of wealth and privilege, to his old age in a bedsit in London, eating dog food out of cans to eke out a small pension. The book, like all of William Boyd’s novels is very witty and funny, with vivid characterisation and one of the most enjoyable sections is when, in his seventies, Logan joins an anarchist gang with links to the Bader-Meinhof group.

Stephen Fry's Fiction

2011-06-22T10:11:00.004+10:00

The Stars' Tennis Balls: by Stephen Fry

Ned is a public school boy, seventeen, handsome, popular, clever, good at sports, about to go to Oxford University, and embarking on his first love affair with pretty Portia who adores him. Ned seems to have a charmed life ahead of him.

Being so nice, however, can make others jealous and one petty spiteful prank by his “friends”, allied with a seemingly easy errand for his school sailing instructor, changes Ned’s life forever. His well-ordered life becomes a nightmare of physical and mental pain.

Wrongful imprisonment is horrific as nothing is so unjust than the loss of time. Ned copes by deferring to his torturers, while secretly educating himself and keeping fit. His mind remains in a turmoil until he can work out why he has been victimised so cruelly. His long awaited revenge is efficient and deadly and we wonder if his sanity is still intact.

Fry has loosely based this book on The Count of Monte Cristo and has whimsically named his characters as anagrams or references of the cast in Alexander Dumas’s classic adventure; for example, Monte Cristo becomes Simon Cotter.

The story is both terrifying and satirical, with analyses of the English class system, the nature of love and friendship and the lengths to which people will go for self-interest and ambition. This psychological thriller is a page-turner.

Recommended by Janet

Prime Minister's Literary Awards

2011-06-20T13:47:00.008+10:00

The 2011 Prime Minister's Literary Awards shortlist has been announced.
Click on each title to view the catalogue.
Place a reservation on titles you want because these are likely to be very popular.

Non-fiction

How To Make Gravy, Paul Kelly
Sydney, Delia Falconer
The Hard Light of Day, Rod Moss
The Party, Richard McGregor
Claude Levi-Strauss: The Poet in the Laboratory,
Patrick Wilcken

Fiction

Glissando, David Musgrave
Notorious, Roberta Lowing
That Deadman Dance, Kim Scott
Traitor, Stephen Daisley
When Colts Ran, Roger McDonald

Young adult fiction

About a Girl, Joanne Horniman
Good Oil, Laura Buzo
Graffiti Moon, Cath Crowley
The Piper's Son, Melina Marchetta
The Three Loves of Persimmon, Cassandra Golds

Children's fiction

April Underhill, Tooth Fairy, Bob Graham
Flyaway, Lucy Christopher
Now, Morris Gleitzman
Shake a Leg, Boori Monty Pryor and Jan Ormerod
Why I Love Australia, Bronwyn Bancroft

Lilian Jackson Braun, 1913-2011

2011-06-14T13:27:00.012+10:00

Lilian Jackson Braun , the American writer, well-known for her light-hearted series of "The Cat Who..." mystery novels has just died at the age of 97.
The "Cat Who...." books feature an amateur sleuth, James Qwilleran, and his two Siamese cats, KoKo and Yum Yum, in the fictitious small town of Pickax located in Moose County "400 miles north of everywhere."
Her obituary in the Los Angeles Times quoted her husband as saying: "Braun's books were so popular because her characters weren't mean and the cats didn't do anything that a cat wouldn't do. No cats danced and no cats sang."

90 classic books for people in a hurry

2011-06-12T14:17:00.004+10:00

This book is perfect for busy people who haven't the time to read all of the classic novels everyone seems to talk about.
The likes of Moby Dick, American Psycho and Catch-22 are summarized in cheeky 4-panel comics, stripped to their core but with just enough clarity for you to feign your way through a conversation about them.

The book has been adapted into an app for iPhones.

For more comprehensive and serious summaries you can check out other titles like The Rough Guide to Classic Novels.

Click on the image for the catalogue record.
Reviewed by Cory.

Book Club Reviews

2011-06-09T10:22:00.011+10:00

We are half way through the year and our Book Clubs have been busy reading and reviewing a number of books. This year our book club selection has included a long time favourite, To kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee, along with some interesting recent releases such as Indelible ink by Fiona McGregor and Major Pettigrew’s last stand by Helen Simonson.

Here are two recent Book Club reviews:-

We need to talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver

Very mixed feelings about this book, understandable when you consider it deals with a topic that most people would prefer never to think about. We had a good discussion, with many conflicting viewpoints. The majority agreed it was a well written but disturbing book, that left many unanswered questions about evil, nature versus nurture and how much mothers should be blamed for how their children turn out.
Review by Wattlebirds.

This is how by M J Hyland

The book is well written and engaged the reader. However most of us found it a disturbing read and experienced mixed emotions towards the main character, Patrick.
Hyland certainly takes you on a personal journey.
Review by Booklovers.

Moonee Valley Library Service currently has vacancies in one of our evening book clubs. If you are interested in joining or would like more information please contact the Book Club Coordinator on 8325 1950.

Reading Lolita...

2011-06-06T10:00:00.015+10:00

Reading Lolita in Tehran : a memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi Azar

Nafisi is an Iranian university lecturer in literature and found it increasingly difficult after the revolution to continue teaching as she wished. She was forced to wear the veil and the content of her classes was closely monitored for subversiveness. For a while she considered abandoning her teaching career but was persuaded by her mentor, “the magician”, to persevere and work within the parameters set out by the state.Her students never felt free in class to say what they really thought about the books they were studying as they were afraid of being reported for un-Islamic decadence. Eventually Azar gathered together a group of her brightest students for a book club held in her own home, where they could throw off their veils and chadors, be themselves and discuss literature freely.

Azar’s writing style is somewhat disjointed and I never really bonded with her book club students. Her analyses of books sometimes read like a VCE study guide and didn’t seem that original. It was interesting to see how her students, some of whom were very repressed by the regime or male relatives, related to the books. I did find her account of university life under the Ayatollahs fascinating. Revolutionaries of any political or religious persuasion are by definition fanatics and history shows that the first few years of a new regime are often harsh and intolerant; but on the plus side, Iranians are now enjoying free education and health care and the large educated population under thirty years old is sure to bring about liberalisation. Teachers like Azar who have stayed in Iran are to be applauded for their dedication to the people. I had to read this for my Book Club and found it disappointing on some levels and interesting on others. Most well-read people will be familiar with the classics by Vladimir Nabokov, Henry James, Jane Austen, F Scott Fitzgerald, but those who aren’t will find the text confusing. This is a book for avid book-lovers, a bit heavy-going and might not appeal to everyone, but I thought it was interesting. Reviewed by Janet

A Prime Minister's Life

2011-06-01T13:02:00.008+10:00

Malcolm Fraser: the Political Memoirs by Margaret Simons

This story of Fraser’s political life and convictions, co-authored by Margaret Simons has won the Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction in the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards for 2011.

The judges’ comments say: “Malcolm Fraser: The Political Memoirs is a highly - even unexpectedly - engaging work that demonstrates how literary craft can transcend the usual limitations of political auto/biography. It documents the life of former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser from childhood, through his time as an often controversial figure in Australian politics, to his senior years, including his work as founding Chairman of CARE Australia. The book challenges traditional forms of auto/biography by deploying a double-voiced narration that shuttles between Fraser and Simons, between past events and present reflections, between interviews and archival sources. The result is a rich interplay of perspectives that brilliantly negotiates the personal and the public, the historic and the experiential, the details of a singular life and the collective life of the Australian nation.”

A pint of beer and a nice juicy murder mystery please...

2011-06-01T11:39:00.012+10:00

Is this a glimpse of the future? This British report looks at the possible changes looming for libraries.

"Libraries axed under coalition spending cuts could be resurrected in pubs, shops and GPs' surgeries if radical proposals being studied by ministers are put into action.

Councils have already invited Starbucks to open coffee bars between the book shelves to generate funds, while people in rural areas are being told that they can keep up their reading by borrowing e-books. With local authorities ordered to save millions of pounds this year, libraries were quickly singled out for closure. The report envisions sharing sites with the police, NHS and legal advisers, lending books through pubs and generating funds by selling branded coffee...
Even supporters of the modernisation programme admit it risks angering traditionalists, who see the essence of a library as a quiet space being undermined in the drive to save money."

This has already happened in Hudswell, a village in the Yorkshire dales in the north of England, where villagers have set up a library in their local pub.

2011-05-30T15:35:00.008+10:00

One of the most influential books ever written?

The publication of The Book of Books: the radical impact of the King James bible 1611-2011 by Melvyn Bragg, coincides with the 400th anniversary, this month, of the King James Bible.

Considered by many to be the most influential book written in English, for some, even more so than the works of Shakespeare, the King James version of the Bible has endured for four centuries.

Its publication was an act of rebellion, arising from the English Reformation and the break with Roman Catholicism -- an act initiated largely by the marital problems of King Henry VIII. The King James version of the Bible was not the first Bible written in English but it has been the translation that has stood the test of time.

Other books which describe its impact are In the beginning: the story of the King James Bible and how it changed a nation, a language and a culture by Alister McGarth and The People's Bible: the remarkable history of the King James version by Derek Wilson.

Many common sayings, such as "As old as the hills", "A drop in the bucket" and "At his wits' end" all have a biblical origin and are testament to the legacy of the King James version of the Bible.

2011-05-27T15:25:00.003+10:00

The happiest refugee, a memoir: The extraordinary true story of a boy’s journey from starvation at sea to becoming one of Australia’s best-loved comedians – by Anh Do

I’ve always been a fan of Anh Do’s cheekily cheerful comedy act so was immediately attracted to his autobiography, with Ahn’s smiling face on the cover.

Behind the smile is a life of struggle. Anh’s family came to Australia as refugees from Vietnam when he was just two year old. Their leaky boat was twice attacked by pirates and they nearly died from starvation and thirst. After being rescued by a passing ship and a short stay in a Malaysian refugee camp, in 1980 they landed in Australia with nothing.

Anh’s resourceful parents worked seven days a week and not a day passed without them reminding their boys how lucky they were to be in Australia. When the pressures became too much and tore the family apart, Anh’s mum slaved over a sewing machine to send her boys to a good school. Anh was proud and tried to hide his poverty. He excelled academically and at sport and eventually ended up studying law at university. On the side he’d obviously inherited his father’s entrepreneurial spirit and was always thinking of new ways to make money.

Anh and his family have indomitable spirits, whatever crisis happens they turn it around to a positive learning experience. A natural storyteller, Anh fell into comedy by chance but I feel he would have made a success of any career.

Boat people were welcomed in Australia thirty years ago and perhaps inspirational stories like this will encourage us to be more compassionate: Refugees leave their country, their home, possessions, friends, family and language, looking for safety and a better life for their children and Australia can afford to offer that.

This book has everything – adventure, drama, pathos, romance – and it’s also very funny.

Recommended by Janet

2011-05-20T14:25:00.009+10:00

For an Award Winning Read why not try ...

One of the NSW Premier's Literary Award winners for 2011

Alex Miller, Lovesong (Christina Stead Prize for Fiction and People's Choice Award))

Malcolm Fraser & Margaret Simons, Malcolm Fraser: the Political Memoirs (Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction and Book of the Year)

Cath Crowley, Graffiti Moon (Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature)

Sophie Masson, My Australian Story: the Hunt for Ned Kelly (Patrica Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature)

or,

a Man Booker International Prize Finalist:

David Malouf, Marilynne Robinson, Philip Roth, Anne Tyler, Philip Pullman, John le Carre ?

2011-05-16T14:35:00.004+10:00

An exacting heart: The story of Hephzibah Menuhin by Jacqueline Kent

Hephzibah, brother of the famous violinist Yehudi Menuhin, was only 17 when she gave up a brilliant career as a pianist to travel halfway around the world and marry Australian farmer and heir to a pharmaceutical fortune, Lindsay Nicholas.

She threw herself wholeheartedly into her new role, working tirelessly to help others and raising a young family.

Hephzibah tried hard to fit in with the conservative country people but disquiet gradually crept in and gnawed away at her. When her eldest son was only thirteen she left her Australian family to live with a lover and find new purpose.

Hephzibah resumed her concert career, playing frequently with her adored big brother, Yehudi, but she always made time for humanitarian causes.

Some might judge Hephzibah harshly for selfishly pandering to her own desires; but I found her to be an energetic and effervescent character with too much love to give and an expectation of getting the maximum out of life. Maybe great artists are allowed to be more selfish than us lesser mortals or they wouldn’t be able to reach such heights?

This is a fascinating biography. The author, Jacqueline Kent, will be speaking about her book at the Woodend Winter Arts Festival, June 10-13.

Reviewed by Janet

2011-05-14T19:32:00.009+10:00

Grim historical novel wins 30th Vogel Award

The Vogel, an Australian literary award given to the author of an unpublished manuscript under age 35, has been awarded to Rohan Wilson for The Roving Party. Tim Winton -- who won it in 1981 -- presented this years award.

The Roving Party is about John Batman, whose name most people associate with the founding of Melbourne. This novel depicts his Tasmanian past, a grim read. Wilson sees Batman as playing a brutal and significant role in the treatment of indigenous Tasmanians in the nineteenth century, a treatment that resulted in genocide.

Recent past winners:

2010 Russell Kirkpatrick, Beyond the walls of time

2009 Kristel Thornell, Night Street and Lisa Lang, Utopian man

2008 Andrew Croome, Document Z

2007 Stefan Laszczuk, I drean of Magda

2006 Belinda Castles, The river Baptists

2005 Andrew O'Connor, Tuvalu

2004 Julienne van Loon, Road story

2003 Nicholas Angel, Drown them in the sea and Ruth Balint, Troubled waters

2002 Danielle Wood, The alphabet of light and dark

2001 Sarah Hay, Skins and Catherine Padmore, Sibyl's cave

Notable earlier winners include:

Andrew McGahan's Praise (1991), Mandy Sayer's Mood Indigo (1989), Kate Grenville's Lilian's story (1984) and Brian Castro's Birds of passage (1982)

2011-05-09T12:02:00.003+10:00

Bitter chocolate: Investigating the dark side of the world’s most seductive sweet by Carol Off

Most people love chocolate and while we may feel guilty eating it because of our waistlines, we seldom think of who might have suffered in the making of it.

Carol Off is a journalist who has reported from many of the world’s trouble spots. The West African country of Cote d’Ivoire is currently in the news for its bloody civil war. Less publicised is its use of child slaves on cocoa plantations. Carol has visited many remote farms, talked to farmers and workers, and paints a disturbing picture.

There are many reasons why child slave labour is used by the farmers: the policies of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank; government-endorsed racism in their own country; consumers not being willing to pay a fair price for their product; corruption and organised crime.

One hope is Fair Trade. It pays a fair price to the farmer. This makes the end product more expensive but the profits go back to the farmer.

This book details the history of chocolate from the ancient South American Olmec and Maya peoples, European conquest, cocoa plantations and the importation of slaves, up to modern times when the World Bank insists on monoculture making farmers vulnerable to global market fluctuations.

This fascinating book, packed with the stories of those involved with the growing and manufacture of chocolate, doesn’t have a happy ending: Chocolate companies, like Cadbury and Fry, were founded by Quakers with high ethical and moral standards. Now part of the Schweppes empire, they have fallen prey to greed. They say they are trying to source ethical cocoa but the slavery continues. Politicians who want to legislate to end slavery are paralysed by powerful lobbyists.

Next time I buy chocolate, I will read the label and try to buy Fair Trade.

Reviewed by Janet

2011-05-04T20:10:00.007+10:00

Food in Fiction: who has a favourite?

Originally published some twenty years ago, Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel was an instant hit and became an international bestseller. Subsequently it was made into a film of the same name. Essentially a romance, a large reason for the appeal of both book and film was because food featured in the text: each section of the novel begins with a traditional Mexican recipe.

Are there other books where food features predominately that you would recommend to others? Oliver Twist, Babette's Feast ... please let us know.

Food on the Page: writers panel at Sam Merrifield Library, Saturday 14th May at 2 pm

One of the panelists will be Charmaine O'Brien who has written widely on food including World Food Guide: New Orleans ,Flavours of Delhi : A Food Lovers Guide, Recipes from an Urban Village: A cookbook from Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti and Flavours of Melbourne: a culinary biography. Charmaine has written for The Age, is a regular blogger, and has also contributed to the Melbourne Cheap Eats Guide. Charmaine’s real loves are Indian cooking and the history of cooking and food in her hometown Melbourne.

Charmaine's five favourite books:

"As I am a food writer I thought I would choose my five favourite food related books.

1. Food in History: Reay Tannahill

This book changed my life. I had known since I was a teenager that I was going to be a writer but I didn’t know what it was I was going to write about. I had been interested in cookery from a young age and cooked professionally as an adult but it wasn’t until I read Food in History in my early thirties that I experienced a ‘light bulb’ moment and put food and writing together in my brain —the rest is history!

2. The Famous Five Series: Enid Blyton

Whenever I read these stories as a child I always lingered longingly over the descriptions of tinned pineapple, condensed milk, boiled eggs with paper twists of salt, lashings of ginger beer and other such items that the five ate. Maybe it was the sense of freedom associated with this food as it was always eaten whilst the five were mid-adventure. Or perhaps it was an early sign of my future interest in food and words/words about food.

3. The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs Beeton by Kathryn Hughes

Hughes has done some fabulous detective work to put together the story of a best selling Victorian cookbook and its author set against a background of Victorian London - with a bit of intrigue thrown in. The Victorian era fascinates me and this is book is as compelling a read as any of Wilkie Collin’s best novels.

4. Relish by Ruth Cowen

Here we are in Victorian London again this time in the kitchens of the Reform Club with one of the world’s first ‘celebrity chefs’, Alexis Soyer. Despite his hard-sought fame and constant money making schemes Soyer was also a humanitarian and he took what he knew best – cooking– to Ireland during the famine and to the battlefields of the Crimea to help others - and he did made a difference.

5. The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook: Alice B. Toklas

Alice B. Toklas was life-long companion to the writer Gertrude Stein. She was also a talented and intrepid cook and gardener. It is not so much the recipes in this book that appeal to me (I don’t recall ever cooking from it) but the stories that twine them together to create a beguiling record of Gertrude and Alice’s life in Paris and rural France. In between entertaining Picasso and Matisse the pair drove ambulances for the Red Cross during World War I; resisted Germans and charmed and fed American military men. The book is often noted for the chapter titled ‘Murder in the Kitchen’ and the recipe for a cake that includes hashish as an ingredient."

Travel Guides

2011-04-28T13:43:00.001+10:00

If you are planning to take advantage of the strong Aussie dollar and head off overseas, take some time to check out some of the great travel guides we have before you go. The library holds up to date editions of most popular guide books and I have been doing a bit of research for myself so here are my thoughts.

Lonely Planet is great for information and history about various countries and locations. The suggested itineraries are useful and the insights and tips are good. I prefer the editions that contain the fold out maps.

Eyewitness is the most visual of all the guides and has great easy to read maps. I love the way the guide is set out and the pictures give you a great idea of the sights you can expect. The guides also give you some suggestions for walks and sightseeing, a great tool to have when you are trying to plan how long to stay at a particular location.

Rough Guides and Frommers are similar in look and feel to Lonely Planet Guides but I found the maps hard to read.

Fodors have nice glossy paper, with lots of colour. I found the text on maps too light and hard to read but the text in the rest of book is large and easy to follow.

T ime Out also has lots of colour and nice glossy pages. I like the way it is divided into chapters.

If you are planning a trip, explore some of these for yourself and see what you think.

JM

The Repurposed Library

2011-04-28T11:27:00.006+10:00

The Repurposed Library
By Lisa Occhipinti

I spent the long weekend culling the books on my book shelves at home, so when I came across this new book I just had to have a further look.

The Repurposed Library:33 Craft projects that give old books new life by Lisa Occhipinti is a quirky little book with instructions on how to make a variety of things out of old books such as a cover for your e-reader, a lampshade, shelves and even a chandelier. If you can bring yourself to destroy an old book to make something new, check out this clever craft book.

JM

Weddings

2011-04-19T11:57:00.009+10:00

April seems to be the month for weddings, especially with the Royal Wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton just around the corner. So with this in mind it seems the perfect moment to have a look at some of the books on weddings that we hold in the library. If you are involved in planning a wedding, you may find some helpful tips or ideas.

The natural wedding book by Louise Moon

The DIY wedding planner: how to create your perfect day without a celebrity budget by Lisa Sodeau

Beautiful wedding flowers: 350 corsages, bouquets and centrepieces by Diane Wagner

The library also holds copies of the popular wedding magazine, Modern Wedding.

Vale Diana Wynne Jones

2011-04-15T10:45:00.006+10:00

Diana Wynne Jones, 16 August 1934- 26 March 2011

Diana Wynne Jones was the author of many popular fantasy novels for children and young adults.

Jones won many awards for her writing, including three Carnegie commendations, the Guardian award and a lifetime achievement World Fantasy award. In 2006 she was made an Honorary DLitt by the University of Bristol.

Only fools and horses

2011-04-15T09:44:00.004+10:00

A few years ago I discovered this wonderful comedy series in our DVD collection when I was looking for something new to watch. I soon became a fan and have since watched every episode including some mini episodes that I discovered online.

Only fools and horses screened in the UK from 1981 – 1991 followed on by a number of intermittent specials from 1991-2003. The Christmas special “Time on our hands” aired in 1996 and drew a massive audience, making it one of the most watched sitcom episodes ever screened in the UK.

The series features David Jason as Derek “Del Boy” Trotter a market salesmen with questionable ethics and Nicholas Lyndhurst as Rodney Trotter his naive younger brother. Much of the show deals with Del Boy's often shonky attempts to get rich quick usually accompanied by his catch cry of “This time next year we’ll be millionaires”.

For me the greatest strength of the show was its ability to be extremely funny and yet at times quite sad. The writers were never afraid to address serious issues such as death and loss. When the actor, Lennard Pearce, who portrayed the brothers grandfather dies, it is acknowledged with the death of his character in the show, marked by a funny but at times emotional funeral and wake. In another memorable episode a tragic event for the family is a key element of the story, yet the writers still manage to inject humour into the story line without detracting from the emotional trauma at the heart of the episode.

The series is probably best watched in order so that you can follow the character development and as with any long running series, some episodes are better than others. Well worth checking out If you are looking for something new to try and I highly recommend it.

Reviewed by JM

Vale H.R.F. Keating

2011-04-13T14:06:00.004+10:00

HRF Keating 31 October 1926- 27 March 2011

The crime writer, Henry Reymond Fitzwalter Keating, more commonly known as HRF Keating, has died at the age of 84. Over half a century he wrote around 50 novels. His best known hero was the unassuming Indian policeman Inspector Ganesh Ghote. Ghote’s great strength was a combination of integrity, perseverance and an overwhelmingly benevolent interest in people.

Keating established a reputation as an expert on the Crime genre and reviewed crime fiction for the Times from 1967-1983. He wrote and lectured on Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes; edited the critical surveys Crime Writers (1978) and Whodunit? (1982); and wrote the guide Writing Crime Fiction (1986).

The Bellringers

2011-04-12T11:32:00.005+10:00

Henry Porter, a political journalist and editor of Vanity Fair UK, is also the author of some excellent thrillers. He won the “Steel Dagger” award for best thriller with Brandenberg, a story set against the backdrop of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

As a journalist he is very concerned about both the subtle and the more obvious erosions of liberty in Britain over the last few years since the July 2005 attacks, and these concerns are reflected in his latest work, “The Bell Ringers”, set in the near future. Britain now has more than 4 million CCTV cameras, (more than all the rest of Europe combined) and while there is an argument for monitoring areas for safety reasons, there are also issues about the right to privacy in a democracy, and limits to the power of governments.

The Bellringers is about David Eyam, a former civil servant and advisor to the Prime Minister who is killed in Colombia and at first it looks as if he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But Eyam had been trying to expose a project called “Deep Truth” which was a detailed and sophisticated “data mining” programme which allowed the authorities to know just about everything about everyone. Has he been assassinated by the British Government? Who is involved, and why? Will his supporters manage to subvert the government conspiracy? It’s a gripping read.

Reviewed by Alison

We have met the enemy

2011-04-07T13:46:00.004+10:00

We have met the Enemy: Self-control in an Age of Excess by Daniel Akst

I recently heard Daniel Akst talking about this book at the Writers at the Convent Festival and, being an expert procrastinator myself, thought it might prove a useful read. A witty and spirited speaker, Akst writes in the same style, with many quirky anecdotes to illustrate his theories.
Freedom is dangerous! In rich western countries, a large section of the population dies from self-indulgent deadly behaviours. Why do we choose to live lifestyles that we know will kill us?
Akst investigates all our self-damaging practises - overeating, overdrinking, overspending, procrastination, anger, poor sexual choices, smoking, drug taking and more. There are fewer constraints on us in modern life than in the past with sexual freedom, more affluence and spare time to indulge ourselves, and authority figures hold less sway over our behaviour. The internet has also given us scope for time-wasting when we should be working and pornography is just a mouse-click away. He wonders if we are too quick to label these problems “diseases”; perhaps they are simply a matter of self-control?
Akst gives us all the facts and figures on the consequences of our desires. He also gives us a thorough social and historical background and examples from legendary tales about self-control.
There are many tools to help us with self-control: wearing a wedding ring broadcasts that you are not sexually available; not having sweets or cigarettes in the house removes you from temptation. He feels that pre-commitment is the key to self-control. He tells of a shopaholic who places her credit card in a tub of water in the freezer so she literally has a cooling off period before she can use it! Another woman dons her ugliest “grannie” underwear before a date to stop herself having sex. There are also State organised pre-commitments like Social Security and superannuation so we have money in our old age. There are even websites where you can pledge your commitment (a friend will vouch for your success) and forfeit money to a cause you hate if you fail.
Akst notes that the paradox about self-control is that “it seems to take some to get some”. For example physical exercise has been shown to improve self-control but it’s sometimes hard to force ourselves to get off the couch. It also helps to get into good habits: The habit of rising early, eating a healthy breakfast then walking to work can only be good.
Akst has a pithy wit and sharp insight into our weaknesses and I really enjoyed this book. And if you want to know whether my procrastination is cured? Well, I checked my email, looked at some interesting websites, did the crossword and made a cup of coffee whilst writing this ....
Recommended by Janet
.

Doctor Who?

2011-04-06T15:25:00.002+10:00

I recently mentioned to a friend that a must for me on any visit to the UK would have to be a trip to Cardiff to see the Doctor. She looked at me blankly, but fans of the BBC series Doctor Who will need no further explanation. Cardiff is currently the location used for much of the filming of this iconic long running series and its spin off, Torchwood.

Doctor Who originally ran on television from 1963- 1989. In 2005 it was revamped and relaunched for a new generation with Christopher Eccleston in the lead role followed by David Tennant and now Matt Smith. (The Doctor has the ability to regenerate, a useful tool when actors move on.) The series is a wonderful mish mash of Sci Fi, history and fantasy. For many the sometimes incredibly corny and cheap special effects are a highlight.

The library holds many Dr Who DVD’s, including episodes from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s as well as the recent series. We also hold several fiction and non-fiction books about or based on this classic series. If you have never experienced the fun of Doctor Who check out some of these titles and find out for yourself why so many people enjoy this great series.

Doctor Who: the episode guide by Mark Campbell

The coming of the Terraphiles by Michael Moorcock

Doctor Who: The Dalek invasion of earth starring William Hartnell as the Doctor 1963-66

Doctor Who: The Invasion starring Patrick Troughton as the Doctor 1966-69

Doctor Who: The claws of Axos starring Jon Pertwee as the Doctor 1970-74

Doctor Who: The Ark in space starring Tom Baker as the Doctor 1974-81

Doctor Who: Earthshock starring Peter Davison as the Doctor 1982-84

Doctor Who: Attack of the Cybermen starring Colin Baker as the Doctor 1984-86

Doctor Who: The curse of Fenric starring Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor 1987-89

Doctor Who: Series 1 starring Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor 2005

Doctor Who: Series 2 starring David Tennant as the Doctor 2006-2009

JM

Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2011 Winner Shaun Tan

2011-04-04T10:28:00.013+10:00

Australian author, illustrator and Oscar winner Shaun Tan is the recipient of the 2011 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. This award is in honor of Swedish children’s author Astrid Lindgren, whose well know books include the Pippi Longstocking series. The award is given to authors, illustrators and narrators that promote children’s and youth literature throughout the world. Shaun was selected from 170 nominees from 60 countries.

During the announcement Shaun was described as ''a masterly visual storyteller, pointing the way ahead to new possibilities for picture books. His pictorial worlds constitute a separate universe where nothing is self-evident and anything is possible … He combines brilliant, magical narrative skill with deep humanism.''

Read Shaun Tan's own account of receiving the award Shaun Tan

Learn more about The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

Visit our catalogue to request Astrid Lindgren and Shaun Tan books

My top 25 Animated Disney Films of all time

2011-03-28T09:41:00.004+11:00

There is something magical about Walt Disney animations. They are films which resonate with the innocence of childhood, offering an aura of enchantment that grabs you as a child and revisits you every time you hear a line from one of the songs, or catch a glimpse of the brightly-coloured characters and settings. If I hear "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid I am immediately transported back to my little six-year old self watching amazing adventures about a fiery red-haired mermaid and her sea-faring friends. These films have become an intricate part of childhood for millions of people all over the world.

The following is a list I have compiled of my top 25 Disney animated films of all time. And yes, I am a librarian in my late twenties who just cannot help myself when it comes to re-watching my favourite kids films. But I think I am not alone in this rather rewarding pasttime.

1. The Little Mermaid
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. The Lion King
4. Aladdin
5. Toy Story
6. Dumbo
7. Pinocchio
8. Pocahontas
9. Lady and the Tramp
10. Fantasia
11. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
12. Sleeping Beauty
13. Cinderella
14. 101 Dalmations
15. Alice in Wonderland
16. The Sword in the Stone
17. Peter Pan
18. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
19. Wall-e
20. Toy Story 3
21. The Fox and the Hound
22. Bambi
23. The Jungle Book
24. Toy Story 2
25. The Hunchback of Notre Dame

For those who are interested the Dreams Come True Exhibition is still running at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image until April 26. This is a a rare opportunity to see original concept art, story sketches, drawings, maquettes and final frame cells from some of Walt Disney's most celebrated animated films.

Dewey, the library cat

2011-03-25T12:41:00.004+11:00

After much discussion about the previous post, the staff at Niddrie have decided they want a library pet. Either a little dog or a cat to run around keeping everyone company and to assist with childrens' storytimes. This exact scenario happened in Spencer, Iowa at the Spencer Public Library. An abandoned kitten was found in one of the overnight book chutes, freezing and starving. The kind library staff adopted him and named him Dewey. This was in 1988 and Dewey lived as a resident of the library until his death in 2006.

Dewey's nine lives: the legacy of the small town library cat who inspired millions, the novel written about his life and the librarian who cared for him, has become a worldwide bestseller and there is talk of a film adaptation starring Meryl Streep.

A DOG in the Library?

2011-03-24T16:45:00.010+11:00

Children reading storybooks to dogs—what could be cuter? Library Dogs is an initiative that began in the US but has been trialed in one public library in New South Wales as the BARK program. The Australian program is slightly different to the US in that the children get to be one-on-one with the dog.

Toby, a specially trained golden retriever has been visiting Lake Macquarie's Windale library in NSW to 'listen' to kids read, and the results have been fantastic - with the parents and teachers of those lucky enough to do the program raving about improved reading levels and confidence.

Although Toby obviously can't read, his mere presence helps kids relax and focus on what they are reading, without feeling the usual inhibitions they might when asked to stand up in class.

Building Reading Confidence for Kids (BaRK) is specifically aimed at primary school children who might not otherwise have had the skills or the confidence to read. At the beginning of each term's program, each child is introduced to Toby and allowed to 'bond' before being shown around the library and asked to think about what they are interested in that Toby might like. It doesn't have to be fiction - there are a range of options, it can be magazines, fiction or nonfiction.

Similar programs exist in the Us but the Lake Macquarie model is different in that the children get to be one-on-one with the dog. In America, the dog is just present at a group storytime. This model gives the kids as much time as possible one-on-one with Toby.

Lake Macquarie City Library community programs manager Jo Smith says that Toby comes with a volunteer handler, whose role is just 'to be there'. Although, they may occaisionally step in to help with a pronunciation or a meaning. 'Usually the volunteer is just in the background and the kids forget they are there. In fact, sometimes they get so enthralled in what they are reading they don't even notice if Toby goes to sleep!' she told JUNIOR.

Smith says the feedback has been really positive, with teachers and parents reporting that kids had improved in their reading and their self-esteem. 'We even had one school report that a little boy who wouldn't normally put his hand up volunteered to do a presentation in front of the whole school', she exclaims.

'And this is even more useful', she points out 'given the increasing emphasis on public speaking and making presentations as part of the school curriculum. It would also be great for kids in the inner city who might not have the space to be able to have their own dog', Smith adds.

The only drawback is that the nature of the program makes it very limited in the number of children that can go through it. The library has Toby for an hour so they can only take four children per term. 'It is intensive in regards to the numbers you can put through, but I would like to think that it has an impact on their lives,' she explains. 'The outcomes for the participants are certainly quite powerful'.
(Susie Kennewell, Junior Bookseller & Publisher, 2009).

The following list is a selection of our new picture books ALL ABOUT DOGS:

Grub in love
Hamilton's handstand
Smooch your pooch
Dog did it!
Hello, puppy!
One pup's up
Little dog
Please take me for a walk
I didn't do it
Chick 'n' Pug

Sniff
Dog loves books

Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay

2011-03-21T10:44:00.004+11:00

Under Heaven is set in China in the 8th Century, a novel that is part historical, part fantasy.

The life of the noble Shen family is changed forever when the father dies, leaving three sons, a daughter and two wives. Obliged to undertake a prolonged period of mourning to honour his father, the second son, Tai, elects to spend it living in a remote battle ground, where 40,000 soldiers died. He spends his days burying their bones. At night he has to listen to the eerie wailing and moaning of their ghosts. When a particular ghost goes quiet, he knows that he has laid its bones to rest that day.

Tai’s pious task earns him the respect of his own Kitan people and their traditional Taguran enemies. When a Taguran princess rewards him for honouring the dead with the valuable gift of 250 Sardian horses, Tai realises that there are many who would murder him for this treasure.

When an old school friend turns up with an important message for him Tai is overjoyed, however, the friend is murdered by a rogue Kanlin warrior before he can deliver his news.

Tai has to leave the solitude of the mountains and return to the capital of Kitai. Tai is protected by a Kanlin warrior, Wei Song, whose combat skills, loyalty and courage amaze him.

A lot has happened in his two year absence: the elderly Emperor has a new courtesan and shows little interest in politics; one of his generals, Roshan, is challenging his power; a corrupt First Minister has purchased the woman Tai loves; and the profligate Prince starts to show his true colours.

Tai’s older ambitious brother, Liu, is now adviser to the First Minister and skilled in court intrigue. Tai is devastated to learn that Liu arranged for their sister to be promoted to the royal family and married off to a barbarian prince.

In this world women are seen as bargaining chips to increase the power of men and they have no say in their own destinies. Their only reason for existence is to please and serve men. Tai’s lover, Spring Rain, has to work as a musician and courtesan in a high-class brothel; his sister is used to elevate the Shen family; the Emperor’s beloved courtesan is given to him at the age of seventeen. Yet these intelligent women manage to cunningly wield power whilst appearing compliant and submissive.

As the political situation becomes more precarious the country succumbs to war. Tai juggles his loyalty to the Emperor with his concern for those he loves.

This is a great adventure story and an insight into the lives of ordinary people in ancient China.

Recommended by Janet

Unbroken: a World War 2 story of survival and resilience, by Laura Hildebrand

2011-03-17T13:27:00.003+11:00

Unbroken ticks all the boxes for an exciting read, and almost unbelievably, it’s true.

It tells the story of Louis Zamperini, an American with a troubled background who became an Olympic athlete and ran in the Berlin Olympics. When the war started he joined the Air Force and became a bombardier in the B 24’s, and was one of three men whose plane ditched in the Pacific Ocean after a bombing raid on a Japanese base. They spent 47 days on a raft, continually circled by sharks and surviving on tiny amounts of food and the occasional seabird. One man died and the two survivors became POW’s in Japan, where the conditions were so appalling they began looking back at their time on the raft as almost comfortable. The deliberate cruelty and sadism of the POW system in Japan is very hard to read about, and I never knew there had been a “kill all Allied POW’s” order made at the end of the war in preparation for the invasion of Japan.

Louis Zamperini is still alive at 93 after this long and remarkable life; apparently Hollywood is considering making this book into a film and it would certainly make for a non-stop action film.

Reviewed by Alison

Defiance: The true story of the Bielski partisans by Nechama Tec

2011-03-16T10:52:00.003+11:00

The Nazis invaded the Soviet Union in 1941 and immediately implemented their plan to exterminate all Jews. Jews were moved into ghettos where they were more easily controlled and systematically murdered.

Three brothers, Tuvia, Asael and Zus Bielski, managed to escape and fled to the vast jungle-like forests of Belorussia. They formed a partisan army and decided to save as many Jews as possible, regardless of “usefulness”. The weakest were welcomed by the Bielskis, women, children, old people, non-fighters, and by the end of the war 1200 Jews owed their survival to these partisans. This was, of course, a drop in the ocean as three million Polish Jews perished in the war, about 90 percent of the population.

Many Jews were so terrified, brutalized and starved that they felt “safer” together in ghettos, essentially going meekly to their deaths. The Bielskis are a reminder that there were some Jews who resisted the Nazis and fought heroically for survival. Not only did they have to fight Germans, they had to contend with anti-Semitic Russian partisans, traitorous Christian “friends”, hunger, disease and the rigours of living in the forest during the Russian winter.

The author is also a holocaust survivor and meticulously researched her subject, interviewing many of the partisans and cross-referencing their stories for accuracy. The book is full of anecdotes – the dangers, military planning, romances, tragedies, infighting and personality clashes – told by the partisans themselves. Included are detailed notes, biographies of the main characters, the Bielski organizational structure, a glossary and index.

However many books about the holocaust I read, I am always newly shocked by the cruelties man inflicts upon his fellow man. The author also mentions the great suffering of the Polish and Belorussian peasants, when German reprisals resulted in entire villages being razed; also the indignities suffered by women. Many civilians and Russian prisoners were forced into slave labour and millions died from starvation or ill-treatment.

Defiance was also made into a movie, starring Daniel Craig and Liv Schreiber.
To request a much sought-after copy of Defiance, see our catalogue.

Reviewed by Janet

One man, 65 women, and a lot of roses

2011-03-15T11:12:00.003+11:00

Alister Clark was one of Australia's foremost rosarians - 65 of his roses were named after some of our most inspiring women.

Many Australian gardens would include the rose known as 'Lorraine Lee' - not long after its release in 1924, it apparently became one of the most popular roses in the country due to its resistance to disease and its hardiness. But how many people then, or now, know anything of the woman it was named after, or indeed its creator Alister Clark?

Tilley and Andrew Govanstone love a good rose, and now they've done an incredible amount of research to find the stories behind the 65 commercially available roses which rosarian Alister Clark created and named after women between 1915 and 1952. Andrew first became interested in Alister's roses while working with the National Parks Service at the Woodlands homestead - just near Melbourne airport - while taking on the job of restoring the garden back to its 1920s glory. Many of Alister Clark's roses were used in the restoration because of their hardiness, and also because his property was originally a neighbour to Woodlands.

After realising that Alister had created an enormous number of roses, and that 65 of them were named after women, Andrew and Tilley decided to further investigate whom these women were and why Alister was using their names. They turned up some intriguing stories relating to women who'd mostly contributed to society in some way - either through setting up important institutions or carrying out great work - thus naming a rose after them provided some acknowledgment of their achievements. Lorraine Lee, for example, set up the women's land army in England where she lived most of her life, and sadly could never grow the rose that carried her name because it was too cold!

Alister's story is also an interesting one - not many people in Australia were experimenting with roses at the time he started to create his various breeds, but he set himself the task of creating roses for Australian conditions and which would flower all year round. The process of creating his various rose varieties was a painstaking one which would've involved thousands of seedlings and lots of trial and error. Andrew and Tilley estimate he would've made thousands of roses over the years, but only 125 were ever released commercially.

He also named roses after racehorses (he was the first chairman of the Moonee Valley racing club), and used many descriptive (and perhaps uniquely Australian) names such as 'Bushfire'.
Alister was also something of a philanthropist with all the profits from his roses being donated to various societies. Knowing the stories of the women behind the roses has changed the way Tilley and Andrew think about the plants - as they note, when they go into the garden now it's almost like sharing it with friends.
(Jeremy Lee, ABC South West Victoria, 2010)

Andy and Tilley now live in Portland with their two daughters but you
can meet Andy this Thursday, 17 March at the Niddrie Library, between 6:30 - 7:30pm. He can tell some great stories and will present a fabulous slide show. Andy can also provide you with much valuable advice on the care of roses. Andy and Tilley's book, The Women behind the Roses, is available to borrow from our libraries.

Free, but bookings necessary. Call 8325 1925.

Eels

2011-03-15T09:39:00.003+11:00

Eels: An exploration, from New Zealand to the Sargasso, of the World’s most mysterious fish by James Prosek

I’ve always been fascinated and slightly repelled by the eels that inhabit the lakes in Melbourne’s Royal Botanical Gardens. Snake-like, they writhe just under the surface and just a scrap of food thrown into the water will send them into a seething, thrashing feeding frenzy.

This book reveals some of their secrets. All American and European eels are born in the Sargasso Sea (off the Florida coast) and travel hundreds of miles to populate rivers. Once they find a suitable freshwater home they can live for over a hundred years and grow a couple of metres long. They will cross land to raid vegetable plots or populate landlocked ponds. They can climb vertical walls by plaiting their bodies into a ladder. When ready to spawn they will return to where they were born in the ocean.

The author watched children swimming with huge eels, petting and feeding them. He talked to communities in New Zealand, the Pacific islands, Japan and the U.S.A. There are plenty of scientific facts but also mysterious folk tales. Various peoples consider the eel to be a totem or spirit.

Due to hydro-dams, pollution and industrial over-fishing their numbers have fallen dramatically. These slimy, graceful fish are a fascinating study.

Recommended by Janet

Cheap Eats 2011

2011-03-12T15:52:00.000+11:00

The new Cheap Eats 2011 Guide has kept us library staff drooling at the lunch table over which new cafes and restaurants to try out. With over 500 reviews of the best budget eateries across Melbourne, we're spoiled for choice!
Reserve a copy today because this gem is in high demand.

Be Inspired By Retro Graphics

2011-03-10T15:33:00.006+11:00

Over the past few years, retro graphics have slowly made their way back into popularity. Gone are the notions that orange and green tiles in your kitchen are daggy, or that a pixel font is sooo 90s. Retro colour palates and the illustrating techniques from decades ago are now common among today's fashion designers and graphic artists, who would no doubt benefit from these source books:

New Retro: classic graphics, today's designs
Graphic Style: From Victorian to Digital

Peg Maltby: Beloved Australian Author & Illustrator

2011-03-08T10:24:00.009+11:00

Recently I was asked to source a childrens' book titled Peg's Fairy Book by Peg Maltby for a grandmother who wanted to show it to her grandaughter. As I was trawling through webpages trying to find out more information about the author, I realised something about her work was extremely familiar.

When I was a little girl, I remember spending weekends at my Nan and Grandad's little house in Rossmoyne. The Perth summers were long and uncomfortably hot, but I remember always looking forward to going to stay with my grandparents despite the lack of air-conditioning. I loved spending warm afternoons in the backgarden playing bowls, being fed mountains of bread pancakes drizzled with maple syrup, lemon and brown sugar, drinking delicious cold cocoa with ice or walking to the local deli for our daily icecream fix. One of my favourite memories is of my Nan and I spending entire afternoons in her little sun room, alternating between endless scrabble games, eating vanilla custard and plums or reading one of the thousands of old books that she kept in a beautiful wooden storage chest which doubled as a comfortable afternoon napping place. Out of all of my Nan's books, my favourite was one called Nutchen. It was this beautiful tattered book whose pages had been turned so many times there were little rips throughout and the illustrations were faded from its age - I think Nan had bought it as a gift for my Dad when he was 5 so it must have been purchased around 1955. I spent hours re-reading it and was endlessly fascinated by the complex illustrations featuring fairies, elves, gnomes, and quaint forest animals.

It was only as I was searching for Peg's Fairy Book that I realised the illustrations were eerily familiar. Peg Maltby died the year after I was born, yet her illustrations are intricately embedded within my favourite childhood memories. Her work is extremely rare to find nowadays - Peg's Fairy Book, although a classic Australian children's book, has not been re-printed since 1976, and is only held at a small number of university libraries. The grandmother came in yesterday to collect the book, I hope her little grandaughter derives as much enjoyment from it as I did.

The Life of Peg
Even on the Internet it was difficult to find information about Peg Maltby, she does not even have an entry on Wikipedia! I was able to find this brief biography and as it turns out, Mrs Maltby and her husband lived in Victoria all their lives.

Peg Maltby was born Agnes Newberry Orchard on January 17,1899. Her family always called her Peg, and the name stayed with her throughout her life. She married George Bradley Maltby on Sept.17, 1917. They had four children. Peg and George migrated to Australia in 1924 and lived in Victoria all their lives. George died in 1967 and Peg in 1984. In their earlier days, living in Coburg during the Great Depression, Peg supplemented the family income by painting commercial items like chocolate box lidsand birthday cards. She became a member of the Victorian Artists' Society and had some successful exhibitions of her fairy paintings. Her biggest success came in 1946 when Murfett published her extremely successful 'Peg's Fairy Book.' This sold over 100,000 copies, which was a real achievement, given that the books sold almost exclusively in Australia, restricting the market. The original plates and art work for the fairy book vanished, and Angus and Robertson decided that they would like to print another edition, so, at the age of 75, Peg re-did all the artwork, and using the original stories a 'Peg's Fairy Book' markII came into being. In between the two fairy books, Peg produced over 40 children's books. Some of the titles were 'Nutchen', 'Meet Mr Cobbledick', 'Nursery Rhymes", and two series, the 'Pip and Pepita' books about a mouse family, and the 'Ben and Bella' books about a fairy/pixie couple. In 1947 the family moved to Olinda in the Dandenong Ranges where the cooler climate enabled her to indulge her passion for flowers in an extensive garden featuring rhododenrons and azaleas. She and George also set up a studio where the public could come and see her work. She painted many originals for sale, branching out into the flower paintings and aboriginal figures and faces. She also made some diorama of fairy scenes, and many children spent hours looking at the detailed work.

Submitted by Stacey

Apocalyptic Futures, First Love, Vampires and Why I Heart Young Adult Fiction

2011-03-04T11:50:00.006+11:00

Librarians love to categorise things, put things straight in their place and stick a label on it. It’s easy to put the children’s books here and the adult books there, directing people to which section their books are shelved. But what happens if you want to read outside your label?

Hidden away in the corner called Teen, you may find a category that is neither children’s or adult. It is not for those with a Peter Pan complex. It is for those who enjoy reading on the edge. YA fiction delves into a world that is fraught with change and the unknown. Its characters are on the cusp of something new, its authors not afraid to push boundaries and create fresh exciting stories.

Just look at the phenomenon of Twilight, a book initially targeted at teenagers. Once its popularity grew, not even the label teen could keep the adults, both men and women, away from it. The vampire genre is here to stay, combining the best of the gothic world and Shakespearean forbidden love.

My partner is an avid reader but he will take no suggestions with a YA label. He is not a teenager and why would he want to read about them?! I have been known to sneak them onto his bedside table and he is unwillingly a devout fan of Suzanne Collins and Michael Grant. Both authors have created very believable apocalyptic futures, fast paced and full of action. They centre around teenage characters but you definitely don’t have to be a teenager to enjoy it.

Labelling is simply there to make the librarians’ job easier. Don’t allow it to stop you enjoying the rich diversity that YA fiction offers.

My Top YA Picks

Hunger Games Trilogy / Suzanne Collins – Futuristic world where teenagers must fight to the death.

Gone Series / Michael Grant – Lord of the Flies meets Xmen

Chaos Walking Trilogy / Patrick Ness – Violent struggle to create a new world power.

Rich and Mad / William Nicholson – First love, first sex.

Vampire Academy / Richelle Mead – School for vampires. Think Harry Potter but much, much better.

Shiver, Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy / Maggie Stiefvater – Werewolves, the new vampire genre.

FREE SUSHI YOUTH EVENT

If you are aged 13-18 and want to browse, touch and smell the latest young adult titles, RSVP for the youth book buy at Sam Merrifield Library. Complimentary sushi and drinks provided. Ph: 8325 1950.

Submitted by Shiree