Colleen Hoover blends music and poetry, humour and heartache, in her beguiling and romantic ‘Slammed’ series. It’s the story of Layken and Will, mature beyond their years due to the challenges they’ve separately faced, but optimistic when they meet that life is finally giving them a break and a much-needed fresh start. Anxious not to […]
I and Love and You – Colleen Hoover’s ‘Slammed’ Series Read More »
“Books make great gifts because they have whole worlds inside them, and it’s much cheaper to buy somebody a book than it is to buy them the whole world.”– Neil Gaiman In my role as a book-seller, I frequently meet parents and grandparents wishing to impart their own love of reading to the children in
Give a Child a Book – and Give Them the World! Read More »
Halloween was one of the two cultural events I missed most after living in the US (the other being Thanksgiving). It’s not that I enjoy horror or the macabre; in fact, I’ve never seen a horror movie and have a remarkably low threshold for blood and gore. You might wonder then—if you’re not American—how Halloween
Pull on a Halloween Costume and Slip into Another Skin… Read More »
Friday night was the Castlemaine book launch party for Ellie Marney’s first young adult novel, Every Breath (Allen and Unwin). The official launch was at Readings in Carlton the week before, but this was an opportunity for Ellie to celebrate with family and friends in the close-knit community and to acknowledge the support they’d given
“There is no hook turn at Brunswick Road…”! Read More »
Those who know me well, are resigned to my evangelical conversion to the e-reader. The convenience, accessibility of books and light-weight nature of the e-reader had me at “e”. But that being the case, I still appreciate the beauty of the physical book, which my cherished library can attest to. Perhaps what I miss most
Can You Judge a Book by Its Cover? Read More »
With the soccer season now well underway, my mind turned to the number of riveting sports-themed series now available. If you enjoy watching or playing sport—but particularly if you love getting out and participating in competition at any level—stories with sport as the backdrop can be especially appealing. The challenges, conflicts and characters developed from
Game, Series, Match Read More »
I’ve just finished reading Requiem, the final book in the young adult series, Delirium, by Lauren Oliver. The main character, Lena, lives in a world where love is considered a disease—the deliria—the source of all unhappiness and negative emotions, including anger, pain, jealously and hate. Scientists have found a cure for love, and the controlling
Review – ‘Requiem’ by Lauren Oliver (Delirium series) Read More »
In high school, my friend Nancy raised livestock to sell at the local fair to earn money for her college fund. Among other animals, Nance had a series of pigs she became very fond of for their intelligence and character. The memory of one particular black pig has stayed with me for his improbable and
Dystopian fiction is a compelling genre which has grown considerably in popularity with young adult series writers and readers. Prime examples include The Hunger Games, Chaos Walking, Divergent and Delirium. The strong and imaginative writing in this genre is not the only reason for the success of these novels: the themes of the dystopian world
Dystopian Fiction – A Perfect Fit for Young Adults Read More »
“My son’s read the book, so he’s fine to see the movie….” This is a surprisingly common belief, and children often diligently finish a book or series as “proof” that they’re ready to see the movie, regardless of its rating. Don’t be misguided by this line of thinking; the experience of watching a film can
Larger Than Imagination – Film Versions of Children’s Books Read More »
