The Choke by Sofie Laguna

 Once again Laguna gives us her version of a heroine, this time it comes in the form of ten-year-old Justine....

...Justine lives in the Australian outback with her grandfather, a Korean vet who drinks vast amounts of beer. 

We discover she has two half-brothers, an absent dad and if that's not enough Justine is without a mum, dyslexic and feeling very isolated.

This is what Laguna does best, just like those Russian Nesting Dolls...

...she manages to give us a story within a story. 

We learn through Justines overheard conversations what happened to her mum, to her 'Pops' wife, and crucially about her dads long history of violence.

This is an emotional and unsettling novel, which at times is very dark...it is that rarest of books that breaks your heart whilst giving you hope all at the same time.

Library Enthusiast thinking out loud...

Our Yarning, is a Save the Children's Library For All collection designed to offer First Nations children a range of stories that reflect their background with authentic storytelling.

The aim is to have these stories written by Aboriginal people in local Aboriginal languages as well as English...these stories will relate to hunting, fishing, family connections, ceremonies and community life.

Our Yarning's aim is to help make the literacy journey for Aboriginal children a success.

 

 

 

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

 I don't usually read 'haunted house type stories', don't get me wrong I enjoy scary stuff, just not something I would consider my go to genre...

...so yes The Sun Down Motel has some serious supernatural type vibes going on. In fact why anyone would 

a-choose to stay there and 

b- work there is beyond me.

Anyways they do and this means we have ourselves a mystery/supernatural tale told in two parts...

Viv in 1982 and Carly in 2017.

Why these twenty-year old women chose to work the night shift at The Sun Down Motel...

...is in itself a bit of a mystery....but they do and they both soon realise that things are not what they seem.

What I liked about St.James writing was the element of fear she knitted into her story, that sense of how easily someone could just disappear, to vanish, to be here one minute...dead the next. 

Would anyone miss you if you became the victim of a killer?

Library Enthusiasts winter warmer....

There is a Danish concept called Hygge, which is all about creating a warm and cosy atmosphere (the absolute opposite of what you get when you check into The Sun Down Motel) in which to read your latest book, or snuggling up to watch a movie or listen to some music...

...if you want to get some tips on how to create hygge in your own home your local library will have some excellent hygge themed items for you to borrow. So light some gorgeous scented candles and listen to a Hygge eAudiobook or maybe add those marshmallows to that hot chocolate and check out some hygge themed podcasts.

They might just give you the inspiration you need to help transform your place into a cosy space!

Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding

 Sonya is a single mum living in Dublin, she is a complex, passionate, vivacious woman who is determined that her four year old son Tommy, has the most memorable childhood....ever.

But Sonya has a disease, an addiction that is affecting her ability to to take care of Tommy, which often means Tommy is actually caring for his Mum.

Harding writes with compassion and honesty about Sonya's deep, all encompassing love for her son, we are very aware that this little boy is her world. 

 Harding is also excellent at showing us the chaotic, undisciplined world that is Sonya's due to her addiction to alcohol. We sense her shame, her anger at herself, we feel her struggle...and through it all we are never ever in any doubt as to how much love she has for her son....

...infinite.

Bright Burning Things is a raw tale about the realities of alcoholism, it is written in such a way that at times I felt so immersed in the world of Sonya and Tommy that I almost became disconnected from my own world.

Powerful with beautiful moments of pure and brutal brilliance...5 Brightly Burning Stars.

 Library Enthusiast...

Addictions come in many forms and one Australian suburb wants to introduce the Libraries after Dark program. 

This program (trialled initially in Melbourne) is designed to provide at-risk groups with a range of social or recreational options during the evening...by utilising existing infrastructures such as libraries, the aim is to provide an alternative venue for people who may feel isolated and may be otherwise choosing spaces that promote gambling and alcohol consumption.

Libraries are changing and that can only be a good thing.

If I Can't Have You by Charlotte Levin

This debut novel from Charlotte Levin takes us down the rabbit hole of infatuation, betrayal and revenge...

...this story is told by Constance, and written in the form of a letter to someone who meant a great deal to her....Samuel.

Samuel is the new doctor at the private clinic where Constance works, and she seems to have a bit of a crush on him...could it be anymore cliché?

Needless to say the new doctor on the block, Samuel isn't into anything meaningful when it comes to relationships, he's more of a free spirit, live for the moment type of guy....but he hadn't banked on Constance's decision to show him the error of his ways!

Library Enthusiast book obsessions...

If we are talking about Obsessions...and basically that's what Levin's writing about in If I Can't Have You...the library books Australian readers were obsessed by and couldn't get enough of during the pandemic make an interesting collection....

Jane Harper's The Survivors 

Michelle Obama's memoir Becoming

Australian crime writer Dervla McTiernan's The Good Turn

British thriller writer Lee Child's Blue Moon

 

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

 Once again a friend back in the UK recommended this book to me...this is why I love having an online connection with passionate readers cross the globe...we are able to share the books we love!

The concept of The Midnight Library is an interesting one and Haig executes it well. 

How different would our life be if we made another choice?

Could just one decision change the lives of the people around us?

Is there any such thing as a perfect life?

The story centres around Nora Seed...she has hit rock bottom...after losing her cat and her job she decides to take her own life.

However she finds herself in the Midnight Library...a point between life and death.

Nora learns that she has an opportunity to live as if she had done things differently...

In one life Nora is an internationally famous rock star, in another she works as a scientist in sub-zero temperatures, she is an Olympic athlete, she's rich...she's poor...in-fact the possibilities are infinite!

Throughout it all, Haig seamlessly interjects magic into the most ordinary of details.

There is a lot to think about in this story, and yes it is full of hurt and despair, but there is also love and transformation. 

Haig shares with us just how debilitating and all consuming depression can be.

He also reminds us to live life to the fullest, to appreciate every moment...

...even the really hard ones.

Library Enthusiast shout out...

Libraries change lives...

...libraries build literate, productive and engaged communities!

Our public libraries support mental health by reducing social isolation and connecting communities through its programs and services.

Libraries are achieving a lot and they can do so much more.

Our public libraries are often on the front line on a range of social and community services that address disadvantage.

We need to make sure our libraries are supported to meet the rising community demand for their vital services.

Infinite Splendours by Sofie Laguna

 There is no doubt what so ever that Sofie Laguna is a beautiful writer, her ability to express such a dark, sad tale with such compassion is quite breathtaking...

...this is a story of art and beauty, of growing up in an idyllic and peaceful place. It is a story of mountains and streams, of colour and sunsets...it is the story of the ultimate betrayal.

The year is 1953 and Lawrence (10) and Paul (8) live with their widowed mum in a property called Beverley Park. There is a deep bond between the brothers, a bittersweetness about their often difficult life...until in walks Uncle Reggie.

Uncle Reggie is almost too good to be true, the 'man of the house' Lawrence and his brother often dreamed of, but there's something not quite right about Uncle Reggie...

Written with compassion, tenderness, and Laguna’s distinctive aptitude to live in the interior space of a fragile youth, Infinite Splendours is full of outward brilliance, making an excursion to the dark even more readable. 

Library Enthusiast heads up...

Technology is not just for us nerds, libraries all across the country are offering 'Art and Maker' classes online. What an excellent way to discover a new talent and from the comfort of your own home...especially if like most of us you are still a little wary of putting yourself in an environment you have no control over...COVID-19 has changed normal for us all. 

                   So yes back to these online workshops, you can discover how to make an origami lampshade or learn drawing techniques, and they are free...gosh how much I love that word...these step by step videos are presented by experienced artists and even have Auslan interpreting and close captions...now that's technology at its best! 

Heart of the Grass Tree by Molly Murn

 I spent my whole weekend reading this...

...I reluctantly stopped to cook, eat, sleep and interact occasionally with my family!

And believe me it has been an awfully long time since I found a book I couldn't put down...lets just say I now have a huge to do list before Monday comes round again!

So why did I find this book so unputdownable?

Well firstly Murn can write, and what she writes are words that cut deep into your soul.

Her ability to weave us a beautiful story of... 

...family 

history... 

...belonging 

and connections with the land 

will resonate with us long after we close her book...

Heart of the Grass Tree is a study on grief and loss, we journey with Murn's characters as they attempt to deal with the death of Nell...a daughter, mother and grandmother.

The connection each character had with Nell was special but complex, and as secrets about their family are unravelled we begin to understand Nell's unique link to the island she called home....

Kangaroo Island

History and family are what we come to understand and appreciate as we join Nell and her family on this journey of discovery...if you like me knew nothing of the history of Kangaroo Island, the Ngarrindjeri people and the influence of the sealers, then you like me, may find this a moving and emotional read.

Library Enthusiast suggestion...

If you have an interest, no matter how geeky it may seem to you, your local library can probably hook you up with materials, community and support for that interest...seriously there's probably a collection about your interest available on the shelves or online...libraries have very geeky hearts!