tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49847019281621298142024-02-20T01:21:54.266+08:00Cherry Banana SplitReviews of Australian books and book.
kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
merry, merry king of books is he.
Laugh. kookaburra. Laugh
Oh how good those books must be.CherryDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474983695377435093noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-79545277425995630712012-09-29T21:29:00.000+08:002012-09-29T21:29:00.929+08:00Just a Girl <b>Title</b>: Just a Girl<br />
<b>Author</b>: Jane Caro<br />
<b>First Published</b>: may 2011 by university of Queensland press<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMVjHIMyf0goJ55IQp6r2ThHraXvqBwZVt440AFgdMypajBwLVV66IUNTTOkd5R7aNXcgR2Fszvsyn2rMqnxG9ysZQTRCRzmEXbkQU1D1Ig5UIPecgDJKmjmnifK-n-EUzjGFaUA9tc3b5/s1600/just+a+girl+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMVjHIMyf0goJ55IQp6r2ThHraXvqBwZVt440AFgdMypajBwLVV66IUNTTOkd5R7aNXcgR2Fszvsyn2rMqnxG9ysZQTRCRzmEXbkQU1D1Ig5UIPecgDJKmjmnifK-n-EUzjGFaUA9tc3b5/s400/just+a+girl+.jpg" width="256" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I do not remember when I discovered how my mother died, it seems to be something I always knew, a horror I absorbed through my skin.<br /><br />Determined, passionate and headstrong, Elizabeth I shaped the destiny of a kingdom.<br /><br />Her mother; Anne Boleyn, was executed by her father Henry VIII. From that moment on, Elizabeth competed with her two half-siblings for love and for Britain’s throne. In the gilded corridors of the royal palace, enemies she couldn’t see – as well as those bound to her by blood – plotted to destroy her.<br /><br />Using her courage to survive and her wits to confound those who despised her, this young woman became one of the greatest monarchs the world has ever seen.<br /><br />Even though she was just a girl, she had already lived a lifetime</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">(blurb from goodreads) </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Quick Review</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">plot is brilliant and Elizabeth is a intriguing characters, but the suspense and tension needed was't there. The writing was good, but the past tense narration made it seem a bit anti-climatic. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Ramble Review</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">i love a good historical novel, and the english monarchy around the Elizabethan Era was full of scandal and drama, making it perfect for a novel. it started well, with Elizabeth looking back over hr life the night before her coronation. From the very beginning Elizabeth was an interesting character, very insightful. unfortunately choosing to write the novel in this reflective, past tense style wasn't the best choice. there were many great dramas in Elizabeth's life, but the wisdom of her narration made it seem like nothing was really happening. I kept waiting for 'something to happen' even when people were dying or fighting. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">One thing I did love was the atmosphere. This is hard to describe, but it was perfect. The writing was very tight. the feeling created, and the settings were not only believable but fascinating. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Over all it's a shame the exception of plot let the book down, because it had such potential. definitely worth reading it you like historical fiction or have an interest in the British royalty. </span></span>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-91534962767585533722012-07-30T19:38:00.000+08:002012-07-30T19:38:03.461+08:00The End of Potterthon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I recently posted about how much i was loving celebrating the 15th anniversary of Harry Potter with like-minded people through Potterthon at <a href="http://saz101.blogspot.com.au/">Saz101</a>. Well as tomorrow is the 31st of July, and Harry would be turning 32, Potterthon is ending.<br />
Today they posted the most touching post to date. many people wrote in sharing <a href="http://saz101.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/what-harry-potter-means-to-me-round-up.html#more">their stories about their love of the series</a>. Some of them are so touching, and all worth reading. I loved every single one.<br />
So, anyone who is a potter fan should really check it out, to celebrate our Harry's birthday. <br />
<br />
Thank you Sarah and Lauren for this month, it's definitely been s great way to celebrate the anniversaryAnnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-6085430781906773772012-07-21T17:09:00.002+08:002012-07-21T17:09:31.562+08:00Potterthon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZesE81b1eri5_C_rYkZk-jdJqsnlAw6L3MKCJrs1hNsC2B4r2bPw2lkAXnWxZ8ewH2BLpcZkYAvoHz8qNpW4APR7gagIHJnIrVP9mjuyTHefZpS3LzZjH9UvT1Uxi_aqVsycKMh82XZbN/s1600/potterthon-masthead.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZesE81b1eri5_C_rYkZk-jdJqsnlAw6L3MKCJrs1hNsC2B4r2bPw2lkAXnWxZ8ewH2BLpcZkYAvoHz8qNpW4APR7gagIHJnIrVP9mjuyTHefZpS3LzZjH9UvT1Uxi_aqVsycKMh82XZbN/s400/potterthon-masthead.png" width="400" /></a></div>
By now, you all know how much i love Harry Potter. From the basis of this blog you could correctly assume i love Aussie book bloggers, so you can imagine how delighted i was to discover <a href="http://saz101.blogspot.com.au/"><i><b>Potterthon</b></i> </a>being run by two young Australian bloggers in honour of the 15th anniversary of the release of <i>Philosopher's Stone. </i><br />
<br />
Let me just tell you some of the awesome things they're doing:<br />
<ul>
<li>firstly, a Read Along of Book 1</li>
<li>competitions </li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
giving away a preorder of Casual Vacancy, 2 snitch necklaces or boxset of classic books from the hogwarts library </blockquote>
<ul>
<li>polls on favourite characters</li>
<li>and of course heaps of potter themed posts. my favourite so far being about<a href="http://www.saz101.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/seven-harry-potter-moments-that-fked-me.html"> the saddest and most harrowing parts of the series</a></li>
</ul>
<br />
All this from Sarah from <a href="http://saz101.blogspot.com.au/">Saz 101 </a>and Lauren from<span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="http://ll-lit.blogspot.com.au/"><span style="font-size: small;">Lauren's Loquacious Literature</span></a>
</span><br />Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-60313085127344168832012-07-17T23:49:00.001+08:002012-07-17T23:51:15.665+08:00Orchard Road<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-22pGRomUY5DCxDiYRH9-Iq5ladJkPI4Pj74sVSm8BqlIvvYDaA4VX6GDWhIC5Yy1raPEhyphenhyphenRt7qx_srzsixejLBK80-c0P9OuDqvPwNpKQOI7kK7bjBF5tGs60FmMESm7i46UJu52jxE/s1600/on+orchard+road+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-22pGRomUY5DCxDiYRH9-Iq5ladJkPI4Pj74sVSm8BqlIvvYDaA4VX6GDWhIC5Yy1raPEhyphenhyphenRt7qx_srzsixejLBK80-c0P9OuDqvPwNpKQOI7kK7bjBF5tGs60FmMESm7i46UJu52jxE/s400/on+orchard+road+cover.jpg" width="260" /></a><b>Title:</b> On Orchard Road<br />
<b>Author:</b> Elsbeth Edgar<br />
<b>Published:</b> 2011 by Walker Books<br />
<br />
Her baby sister has just been born, but Jane and her father are moving out of Sydney to a new town while her mother wait in the city with baby Sylvia in the hospital.<br />
Jane's mother has consoled her 'that sometimes good things happening in the most unpromising situations', but she is convinced she will be miserable. Occasionally though, friendship can bloom in the most unexpected of places.<br />
<br />
<b>Quick Review</b><br />
Oh i just loved it! i picked it up thinking it would be a nice, easy holiday read, which is was, but enjoyed it so much more than i expected. The characters are sweet and well-rounded, especially Jane. The description is just spot on. The storyline is simple, but the book is gorgeous. This is perfect for people in the gap between kids and young adult books, or '12-yr-old' books as i call them, or for anyone who loves a sweet story about plants, friendship and books. <br />
<br />
<b>Quotes</b><br />
"It was the first time Jane had held Sylvia. Really held her on her own. She felt so light Jane thought a wisp of wind could have blown her away" <br />
<br />
"First, she was told to sit in the only free seat, which happened to be next to a sullen boy (at least he was sullen as soon as he realised Jane was going to sit next to him) who gad been sprawled out comfortably across two desks" - Jane's first class at her new school <br />
<br />
<b>Ramble Review</b><br />
First off, the characters. Usually in books were the protagonist if forced to move against their will they're whiny, think Have You Seen Ally Queen, but Jane is quite lovely. She whine's occasionally, snaps at her dad sometimes, but doesn't complain the Whole Time. Also, her parents were characters, even her friend Michael's mother was a character. Jane was genuinely concerned for how her parents were feeling! This is not only more realistic, but brilliant for the 12 year old readers as they're about to start the horror phase of being fourteen. All Jane's friends were unique and cute, i especially loved Miss Harrison and her magical garden...<br />
<br />
This book is very simple, i sat down one afternoon and read for a couple of hours and found myself 2/3s of the way though before i knew it.This is indicative of how much of a joy and how easy it is to read. Even though I've labeled it perfect for 12-year-olds it would be great for anyone above 9 or 10. The language is crisp, the descriptions spot on. I really hope this becomes one of those books like Harriet the Spy, or the Magic Faraway Tree, or Charmed life by Diana Wynne Jones which have lasted years. <br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<br />Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-48632297075422855502012-07-03T21:56:00.000+08:002012-07-03T22:11:26.649+08:00Good Oil<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Title: Good Oil </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Author Laura Buzo </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><b>First Published: August 2010 by
Allen & Unwin</b></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having loved Laura Buzo's new book <a href="http://cherrybananasplit.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/holier-than-thou.html"><i><span style="color: #0000ee;">Holier Than Thou</span></i></a><i> </i>I decided to read
her other book <i>Good Oil. </i>I've always seen <i>Good Oil</i> in libraries
and bookshop and the cover and title caught my eye, but i never liked the sound
of the plot, i thought Amelia would be a silly, whiny, bimbo who has no
thoughts except about some jerky guy. Well, i am pleased to say this is not the
case.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amelia is an angsty, clever 15 year old who's just got
a part time job at her local Woolworths, which her charming 22-year-old
co-worker calls the land of dreams. From her first shift with Chris she's sunk,
can't get him out of her head. And how could she? he's clever, cute, he listens
to her like she's an adult, they discuss everything from school, to parents, to
feminism.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris is almost 22, single, still living at home and
about to finish a degree in sociology with no job prospects other than the beloved
Land of Dreams. His friends are buying houses, starting careers and getting
engaged. He is searching for the perfect woman, and the perfect candidate has
abandoned him and moved back to Perth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><b>Quick Review </b></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A lovely, realistic story more about friendship,
family, and growing up than love. Don't worry, this is not the stereotypical
story of a girl falling for an older boy and whinging about how she can't have
him for 200 pages. it's a sweet, slightly quirky book which was actually very
intelligent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, and you'll just love Amelia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><b>Favourite Quotes </b></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;">“She even takes the goings-on of
fictitious characters personally.” </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;"><b>Rambling Review </b></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;">My favourite thing about this book was
Amelia. I just LOVED her, she was so frank and clever. In fact, she reminded me
of myself a little, i think we'd get on well. She's constantly reading,
thinking and turning things over in her mind. I never quite new what was going
to come out of her mouth next. She was just such a gutsy character. I found it
really true to life how she could be so clever and confident, and yet so
self-doubting at the same time, sure in some areas, completely lost in
others. </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;">I can also see why she liked Chris so
much, he was positively charming, and Buzo captured him perfectly from both
points of view. I know EXACTLY what was meant about his smile each time it was
described. </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;">The story being told from both Amelia
and Chris' point of view was a surprise, but it worked really well, it added
the extra depth which really makes his novel shine. I liked how similar the
characters seemed from both point of views, they saw their co-workers in a
similar way. This also applies the the protagonists, I'd have hated if Chris or
Amelia weren't as awesome from the other's point of view. once i realised it
was multi-POV i had one major concern, and that was that Buzo would make Chris
hate Amelia, it would be a completely one-sided relationship, all in Amelia's
head. I was relieved to find he really liked her. it would have ruined the
story if he found her a pain. Because it became a story about friendship,
between the two of them, and other characters like Amelia and her mother,
Amelia and Penny, and Chris and his sister. </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;">i also enjoyed all the literary
allusions, especially when i had read the texts they were talking about, which
wasn't too often. instead of seeming like the author or characters were showing
off, they really added to the book. In fact, it's a great advertisement for
teenagers to read classics, much better than adults going 'it's better than that
junk you read'. BUT, would someone please explain to me why Amelia ans Chris
said Gatsby killed himself? did i miss something when i was reading that
chapter of <i>Good Oil</i>? </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;">The ending was realistic, and while not
opened ended in the way<i> Holier Than Thou </i>is, still was left rather open.
I was expecting a more dramatic ending, the book seemed to be building, but the
ending did work well, and it has grown on me. I'm now glad Buzo ended it the
way she did. </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;">All, in All a gorgeous book, rich with
detail and typical Australian and teenagey things. i Loved reading it. </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313;">in Nomes from Ink chrush's review she
said </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #003f83; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I think some of the best
contemporary novels are the ones that don't strive to be LOUD and edgy and OMG
all the time but that have the confidence to quietly bleed emotion and genuine
characters on to the page." </span></blockquote>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #131313; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">this is the Perfect summary. Like other
Australian YA, Markus Zusak, Melina Marchetta, Randa Abdel-Fattah, Bill Condon
etc, the book seems to bleed truth and emotion, but in this case in a quiet,
gentle way.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15pt; font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-22664006716439253762012-05-18T20:28:00.000+08:002012-05-18T20:28:49.496+08:00Holier Than Thou<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9At_9z9O9lU_F_OTq9EZAYG0uj2ojNyr_jbju6EUTBiySDmLeXnrruSTqSGKpxJN5E4KgnwVg4XWYwCQMpRVsBJWCmhp2_SPA5iBeuvWACmW9ccpuUWayJq5e-oTjNkTo7-oN6_-3Dy17/s1600/holier-than-thou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9At_9z9O9lU_F_OTq9EZAYG0uj2ojNyr_jbju6EUTBiySDmLeXnrruSTqSGKpxJN5E4KgnwVg4XWYwCQMpRVsBJWCmhp2_SPA5iBeuvWACmW9ccpuUWayJq5e-oTjNkTo7-oN6_-3Dy17/s400/holier-than-thou.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> Holier Than Thou<br />
<b>Author:</b> Laura Buzo<br />
<b>Published:</b> Allen & Unwin may 2012<br />
<br />
Holly is a young social worker who's life should be falling into place. she's just moved in with her gift-from-God boyfriend Tim, a great group of friends from high school, and a job where she gets to help change the world. the Layer of steel around her heart is beginning to tarnish. she's being drawn back to the dream boy who could have been and memories of her father, just as she's grasping for the future.<br />
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<b>Quick Review </b>
A brilliantly written novel, loaded with sadness, pain, and beautiful moments.
it has those little touches and the humour which really make a book unforgettable. it's also very true to life.
not a sweet book, some parts a quite gritty, definitely for an older YA audience. also not great for those who don't like open endings. Good for Fans of the Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta, Deadline by Chris Crutcher and My Candlelight Novel by Joanne Horniman.<br />
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<b>Quotes</b>
"A nurse and social worker took fifteen minutes out of their shitty thankless jobs in the roughest corner of town, sat on a couple of milk crates drinking coffee, flopped their real selves out on the cement and both liked what they saw"<br />
<br />
"I knew that in my darker moments he wanted to reach out and soothe me somehow. He Wanted to protect me, to bathe my wounds. He's such a nurse that way. And my darker moments, my darker preoccupations we're okay with him.<br />
<br />
" 'what are your legs?' he asked 'steel springs' i said"<br />
<br />
<b>Ramble Review</b><br />
this book absorbed me from the very beginning. the writing had a certain gentle quality that worked well with the rough topics and characters. it really is quite a disillusioned book, i was realistic. there was no unbelievable happy ending, nor no massive change character in Holly. The ending was left quite open, it almost seemed to have just trailed away without giving you the last piece, but it grew on me, the more I've though about it the more i like it.<br />
<br />
the characters were great. they didn't seem overdone which was nice. I grew to really love Holly, in all her cynical glory. Nick was so sweet, but in a good way. it wasn't too sweet. in the same way, Tim wasn't portrayed as the typical, too perfect boyfriend. the way the characters were flawed, how you could see their mistakes and how they were changing, how you could see the relationships changing before their eyes was almost painful. it was so well done.<br />
<br />
Holier Than Thou is so true to life, there are moments when you wish they would give the characters a fantasy ending. But the bitter edge makes the beauty of parts all the more stunning, very much like real life. My only real complaint is that i wish i knew what happened next! grrrr :) <br />
<br />Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-979728440497481852012-04-22T21:10:00.000+08:002012-04-24T21:44:31.172+08:00One Long Thread<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mbF2YGcdlV5DdHu5U0pX646ps4rhe_BYYFbXxD377OkOOBx_gCfc3mL25jprc5C-KhIHO892kaaUAqfK8lY4ibDVZbcF19xyASNzYv7GyaR0prpKYRh54GAtGkXTH9kmTQspIWhv5-_Q/s1600/one-long-thread.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 194px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mbF2YGcdlV5DdHu5U0pX646ps4rhe_BYYFbXxD377OkOOBx_gCfc3mL25jprc5C-KhIHO892kaaUAqfK8lY4ibDVZbcF19xyASNzYv7GyaR0prpKYRh54GAtGkXTH9kmTQspIWhv5-_Q/s400/one-long-thread.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734187381736344322" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Title: One Long Thread<br />Author: Belinda Jeffrey <br />First Published: 2012 by University of Queensland Press <br /></span><br />Ruby's life was torn in two when she was 13, her mum and twin sister moved to Darwin to be part of The Aberdeen, a new church with very strict rules, while she and her father stay in Melbourne. Now, at 17 life seems to be going well for Ruby she's about to finish high school, she likes her friends and she has a great job is the local fabric shop. Then tragedy strikes and is at risk of losing what seems like her whole family. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Quick Review</span><br />A solid novel about first love, family and vocation. One Long Thread is well written and has well developed, unique characters. the description and setting was vivid, leaving us with an interesting and textured novel. If you like Sue Lawson, and even most fans of Melina Marchetta should enjoy this novel. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Quotes</span><br />"No one is responsible for our happiness or lack there of. No one except us." <br /><br />“I began to understand what bound Pearl to their simple mystery because i felt the same connection. in front of us, all around us, was the energy of life and growth. beauty was only a month away and it depended, in part, in what i could do.” <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ramble Review </span><br />The thing that made this novel was the characters. I really liked Ruby, or Button as her family call her (you have to read the book to find out why. hehehehe). there was nothing stand out spectacular about her she was just solid, sensible and well, likable. Her twin sister Sally, who we really only meet through Ruby's memories, also came across as a lively character, though we don't get to see her much. Her mother was painted as a terrible character, but slowly. as the novel was written in first person you could hear words of love, compassion and shared memory as well as the bitter, hurt and digusted ones. It's her actions towards the end of the novel that really show, unfortunately, her true colours. the best character was Pearl, Ruby's grandmother. She was so lively, she shone with originality. while at times it seemed a few characters had cliche characteristics, Pearl never bought into the stereotype of 'crazy grandma'. I Dare you not to love her. While this novel is about the relationships between Ruby and her female family members, sister, mother and grandma, the male characters in this novel are so lovable. Ruby's father, Brett Moon, is the ultimate pacifist going to have no opinion to save himself conflict. He shows himself to be an Amazing father and funny character in himself-and i loved that he got his happy ending too! The other male of note is Mr Grandy the middle-aged man who runs the fabric shop. He is just so sweet, and his relationship with Ruby is almost grandfather like. they have the best jokes and he gives her the advice she could take from no one else. <br /><br />The plot was pretty typical, not bad, but no surprises. the use of cult like religious groups was well done, but always results in drama, but it does work well. i did feel that i didn't quite connect with the 'dramatic events' in the middle as much as i wanted too. it didn't quite feel real enough, especially compared to the fantastic beginning and end. The other major fault was that the author abused the use of first person. In parts, mainly the middle scenes in Darwin once again, a little more 'show not tell' would have really added to the book. the words 'i felt' were a little too common. <br /><br />The other thing i LOVED was the use of fashion and the silk worms, which fitted together nicely. Not only did silk worms and fashion fit with each other, but with the story. it was really what took the novel from average story to lovely. There were some really special scenes and simile and metaphors using these to themes which tied the novel together. it added to the texture, if you'll pardon my fashion pun. <br /><br />Over all a really book, it was definitely a book which somehow left me smiling. <br />Also, don't you just love the cover?Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-82807603584259835182012-02-22T16:55:00.004+08:002012-02-22T16:59:22.619+08:00Wonderstruckhave you watched Hugo and fallen in love?<br />wondering about Brian Selznick's other books? <br />well <a href="http://perthyafansunite.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/review-wonderstruck-by-brian-selznick.html">here is my review of Wonderstruck</a>, his new release. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUc8yRAm9hrHEo2rvnB7WPi5WkOoMgjzc_IFLlLH6PvQeqrFvUjgCtgyZ2MT8LrMJ5mI5SNGxmtHth5efF-5dHxzTiMuQNfWknYs8c9kwjIPBIhrpQk1IOKMXE0qwS-GowVTeUUChLWvk/s1600/wonderstruck.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 265px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUc8yRAm9hrHEo2rvnB7WPi5WkOoMgjzc_IFLlLH6PvQeqrFvUjgCtgyZ2MT8LrMJ5mI5SNGxmtHth5efF-5dHxzTiMuQNfWknYs8c9kwjIPBIhrpQk1IOKMXE0qwS-GowVTeUUChLWvk/s400/wonderstruck.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711881634519217698" /></a><br />while you're there, follow us on facebook, subscribe to our blog, and if you live in perth sign our petition!Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-62359003348060372842012-02-14T20:41:00.005+08:002012-02-14T21:37:27.862+08:00Pin-up Post: best literary boyshappy valentine's day my beautiful readers. <br />I'm sorry for my absence, teachers do not lie when they say 20% increase in work load for year 11. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvdyOJ0GlNCdUuO-sAszViJbj9pjSE9nBcJs1kMOfqlGNkTtpy2shVgk6O-zVPoFpBAtTZgW8f4o9CueNMhRFJ3cZSlS_6BaqjE1yMcdtGDgBJXkTGG8G6JTeadCmqiC-UTdX5Low9-Qj/s1600/heart+books.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvdyOJ0GlNCdUuO-sAszViJbj9pjSE9nBcJs1kMOfqlGNkTtpy2shVgk6O-zVPoFpBAtTZgW8f4o9CueNMhRFJ3cZSlS_6BaqjE1yMcdtGDgBJXkTGG8G6JTeadCmqiC-UTdX5Low9-Qj/s400/heart+books.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708983037668970050" /></a>this is a list of my favourite literary boys :)<br />* is for the Aussie lads <br /><br />1. Will Trombal from The Piper's Son* <br /> i love his awkwardness, his integrity and his intelligence. i love me a smart boy. <br /> the thing i love most is his relationship with Francesca, i wish i could steal him. <br />favourite quote:<span style="font-style:italic;">“And if I get a little chemically imbalanced in the head, like we all know I tend to get sometimes, and I don't want my parents or brother knowing, Will's like, 'We'll deal with it.' He's never said, 'I'll fix it up.' He just says, 'You're not up to going back to uni to finish your Honours this year? Big deal. There's next year. We'll deal with it.'" She nods. "That's what he does well.” </span><br /><br />2. Adam Wilde from Where She Went<br /> oh i love his passion, how strongly he feels it all. i just want to hold him. the music thing i really like as well. i also love how <br /> he gave up his career for her. go Gayle Forman! <br />favourite quotes: <span style="font-style:italic;">“I get it now. I have to make good on my promise. To let her go. To really let her go. To let us both go.” <br />“I needed to hate someone and you’re the one I love the most, so it fell on you.”</span><br /><br />3. Alex Delaney from After January*<br /> sensitive and awkward, and so keen to get things right. he also writes stuff, which is an added bonus. i like how he's quiet,<br /> and how he's constantly thinking. <br /><br />4. Cameron Wolfe from the Wolfe Brothers series* <br /> he is so bad, so many faults, but he fights so hard, and there are few things i value more than that. he always says ' if i get a<br /> girl i'll treat her right' and he did. he thinks, and he yearns for so much more. i just want to give him a hug. <br />favourite quotes: <span style="font-style:italic;">I stopped walking when I knew all the good feeling had vanished from me. Maybe it had slipped out of me and was given to the derelict. Maybe it disappeared somewhere in my stomach and I did’t even notice. All there was now was this anxiety I couldn’t explain. What a sight. What a feeling. This was terrible: a skinny kid, standing, alone. That was the bottom line. Alone, and I didn’t feel equipped to handle it. Yes, quite suddenly, I didn’t feel like I could handle my feeling of aloneness.<br />Was this how it was always going to be? Would I always with kind of self-doubt, and doubt for the civilization around me? Would I always feel so small it hurt and that even the greatest outcry roaring from my throat was, in reality, just a whimper? <br /></span><br /><br />5. Will from I lost my Mobile at the Mall*<br /> he's quiet, and sweet, and calm and doesn't fuss. he's just a beautiful guy who loves surfing. <br />favourite quote: <span style="font-style:italic;">"that's what i like most about you Ellie, you're strong and independent"</span><br /><br />6. harry potter from harry potter<br /> can i just keep him? pleease.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-8013869527179274502012-01-09T22:26:00.003+08:002012-01-09T22:53:09.408+08:00Piper's Son<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVWdYtrdnn77ekqR-iBi-ETzlhSpEKIcYOO0_cOdJA6p1pH_FW3krETrn9N6KUYGDsU2VT_rBa4FAiqin_41v0Px8XY6qXlXisLXLTgHvxZUxu-jIboyETaYxC9_rLyax1Tfpn8ikD5QXz/s1600/The+Pipers+Son.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 264px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVWdYtrdnn77ekqR-iBi-ETzlhSpEKIcYOO0_cOdJA6p1pH_FW3krETrn9N6KUYGDsU2VT_rBa4FAiqin_41v0Px8XY6qXlXisLXLTgHvxZUxu-jIboyETaYxC9_rLyax1Tfpn8ikD5QXz/s400/The+Pipers+Son.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695643926723226274" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Title:</span> The Piper's Son <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Author:</span> Melina Marchetta<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">First Published: </span>2010 by Penguin<br /><br />Tom wants out. he wants oblivion and he's seeking it every way he can to escape the death of his uncle, his family falling apart in every direction possible, the best friends he had and lost, one night stands and heart break over Physco Tara Finke. then he finds himself back where he started, at his pregnant aunt Georgie's, with the st Sebastian's girls. he starts remember everything from two years ago, before Joe was blown to smithereens. this time Tom needs saving, so he can put his family back together.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Quotes </span><br />“Maybe she'd always been there. Maybe strangers enter your heart first and then you spent the rest of your life searching for them. ” <br /><br />“He knows bad days. Bad days take him completely by surprise. They make him not trust the good days because it's likely something is lurking twenty-four hours away.” <br /><br />“And if I get a little chemically imbalanced in the head, like we all know I tend to get sometimes, and I don't want my parents or brother knowing, Will's like, 'We'll deal with it.' He's never said, 'I'll fix it up.' He just says, 'You're not up to going back to uni to finish your Honours this year? Big deal. There's next year. We'll deal with it.'" She nods. "That's what he does well.” <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Review</span><br />it feels pointless to review it, no matter what i said i could never capture how much i LOVED The Piper's Son. it is now my favourite book. it was heart breaking and HILARIOUS within pages. it seemed like a real story and now i want to know more about Jimmy, more about Anabel and mostly more about the baby. <span style="font-weight:bold;">please can their be a 3rd book?</span> when i read Saving Francesca for the first i fell in love with everyone, it seemed so real, so perfect in it's broken way. i wanted more and that is exactly what's delivered in the book. <br /><br />the way Melina Marchetta understands depression is one of the reasons i love these books so much. it's so hard to capture, to explain, and yet it's done so honestly, nothing left, not a cliche in sight. this is a godsend, especially Francesca who fights it with all she has and talks of it so honestly. <br /><br />i love all the characters, so flawed, so honest, so messed up. the relationships were portrayed perfectly. i love them all, for all their faults. <br /><br />i almost cried, i laughed and i sang with this book, because it captured life, the hardness of it and showed the beauty of it and made you want to fight for it. <span style="font-weight:bold;">I am in love with this book. </span>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-82253579120533901212011-12-21T16:58:00.002+08:002011-12-21T17:06:49.613+08:00Pan's Whisper Giveawayto round off Pan's Whisper day on Cherry Banana Split i'm very happy to tell you their one copy of Pan's Whisper up for grabs on <a href="http://perthyafansunite.blogspot.com/2011/12/win-pans-whisper-giveaway.html">Perth YA Fans Unite.</a><br /><br />while you're there sign our petition and follow us. we've got lots of great stuff coming up :D interviews, great reviews and more giveaways. <br /><br />ENJOY!Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-21223968215424281962011-12-21T14:47:00.005+08:002011-12-21T15:01:43.414+08:00Sue Lawson Interviewhaving read the review of Sue Lawson's latest novel Pan's Whisper you people are lucky enough to get an interview with her! any of you who've read my other Sue Lawson Reviews will know just how excited i was to have this oppurtunity. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Hi Sue, welcome to Cherry Banana Split. Make yourself at home. I really loved Pan’s Whisper, as well as all your other books. <br />Thank you so much for answering me questions: D </span><br /><br />Thanks Anna. I’m so glad you enjoyed Pan’s story, and it is lovely to drop in on Cherry Banana Split.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2oXGW4CVSlWP6yXg43gHOfrZ2n82fTpYoeeVlBVzJpYyKo3mKoqBxNgRe9B83vt5aaN7A2WHhzGZL32XyFYQxvVShgy1GlbIMKJm1EflMV-bzfZNnzG38LWa-N_jsFMn2LLTyvpg27iml/s1600/Talking+-+for+a+change.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 368px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2oXGW4CVSlWP6yXg43gHOfrZ2n82fTpYoeeVlBVzJpYyKo3mKoqBxNgRe9B83vt5aaN7A2WHhzGZL32XyFYQxvVShgy1GlbIMKJm1EflMV-bzfZNnzG38LWa-N_jsFMn2LLTyvpg27iml/s400/Talking+-+for+a+change.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688471741913922034" /></a><span style="font-weight:bold;">The thing I love most about your books is the characters. They’re so realistic. How do you develop or get to know your characters? </span><br /><br />Thank you. I’m thrilled you enjoy the characters. They become like real people for me, which I guess makes me rather strange. I spend most of my planning-time working on characters, creating collages and profiles, so I understand not only who these characters are, but what their motivations are.<br />I don’t use most of the stuff I gather about my characters, but nothing is wasted. Every detail makes the character more rounded and real for me.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">You seem to love dramatic endings; they work really well for you. You build tension to have things ‘explode’ at the right moment, and then reveal everything. <br />Is there a reason you like this technique or does it just work well for you?</span><br />Yeah, I guess I am a bit of a drama queen when it comes to endings. I’m glad they are working for you. I must admit, I like to have an idea – a very rough idea – of how the story will end before I start writing. That way it helps me trickle out information to the end, so the ‘explosions’ aren’t deliberate, but just how my books pan out.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">It is hard not to use the ‘dramatic event’ as a cop out to solve the problems or as an excuse for character development? </span><br />I guess by knowing where I am headed, I avoid the cop out situation. The development occurs along the way, rather than in that dramatic moment. I think my characters, like Pan, cope with the event because they have grown and changed through the course of the book.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Memories are really important in Pan’s Whisper. Could you have told Pan’s story without using Pan and Morgan’s memories as a story telling device? </span><br />I don’t think so. Morgan is as important as Pan, and gives us a much better understanding of Kylie’s character and her issues and so why Pan is as angry and mixed up as she is. Having access to Morgan’s memories as well as Pan’s helps the reader build a more rounded understanding of Pan and of the truth. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">I love Hunter and Pan’s friendship, can you tell me a bit more about that? </span><br />I’m so glad you enjoyed Hunter and Pan – I love Hunter ( not in an old lady pervy way!) He was initially a bit character, but I realised his experience was integral to Pan facing her truth. His friendship, despite Pan’s efforts to chase him away, sparks the biggest leap of faith for her. <br />I’ve noticed in life people who have been through trauma and tragedy, even if the events are markedly different, often gravitate and have an intrinsic mutual understanding of each other’s situation. They ‘get’ each other’s situation without having to explain, which is why I decided Hunter could recognize pain and loss in Pan.<br /> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Do you use music when you write? </span><br />It varies. When I am editing I tend to prefer silence, but when I am writing, I usually have a CD playing, but never one I know really well. (Otherwise I’d become distracted and sing – no Powderfinger, Whitlams, The Police, Queen, or Midnight Oil when I write!) While writing Pan, I listened to ABC Digital radio station, Dig Music, relaxation CDs, the soundtrack from the movie Mongol (LOVE that soundtrack – very intense and emotional!), Pete Murray, and South African street music. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">If you could befriend one of your characters who would it be and why? What would you like to do or talk about? </span><br />I guess I already have befriended them all. While I am writing and editing, I’m ‘talking’ to them the whole time, about how they would react in certain situations, what cards/clothes/stuff they would buy in shops etc. <br />I sound crazy I know, but the more I do this, the better I know them and the ‘easier’ it is to write about them and understand their situations. I actually miss my characters when I finish writing! <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What’s your favourite Australian kids or YA book? </span><br />That is a REALLY tough one. Can I pick more than one? Please??<br />In no particular order…<br /> Jackie French’s A Rose for the Anzacs, Julia Lawrinson’s Bye Beautiful, David Metzenthen’s Black Water ( And Jarvis 24 and Tiff and The Trout – in fact anything by David.) Cath Crowley’s Graffiti Moon and Karen Tayleur’s Six.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">OOOH! most of those are my favourites too. </span><br /><br />Thank you so much for having me Anna and for the sensational questions. What a great way to finish off a rewarding and fun blog tour!<br /><br />thank you Sue for an amazing interview :DAnnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-12836387382051053742011-12-21T13:41:00.003+08:002011-12-21T15:01:13.192+08:00Pan's Whisper<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_D5xm-RF27q_8VrIly3qOTMwXTDokilXcCXWCFt2cEapHaTfj0JFqXp4HsRiUmJSh6rENZItASBYWU1PX8rjz06COum6qzaStKkXVFYfGUZU5IVZ_l8W8e-U6mZdmr4Nk-YCDegCewpo/s1600/Pans-Whisper.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 265px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_D5xm-RF27q_8VrIly3qOTMwXTDokilXcCXWCFt2cEapHaTfj0JFqXp4HsRiUmJSh6rENZItASBYWU1PX8rjz06COum6qzaStKkXVFYfGUZU5IVZ_l8W8e-U6mZdmr4Nk-YCDegCewpo/s400/Pans-Whisper.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688472885623923010" /></a><br /><br />Welcome to Pan's Whisper day. let's kick it off with a review.<br /><br />Title: Pan's Whisper<br />Author: Sue Lawson<br />First Published: 2011 by Black Dog Books <br /><br />Pan Harper is angry. she's been placed in foster care, and is mad at her mum and older sister. she is sure she knows her life story better than anyone. but does she? memory is a tricky thing. then she meets her foster family, teachers, and most importantly Hunter. is he worth breaking her most important rule, <span style="font-weight:bold;">Never Trust Anyone</span>? <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Quick Review</span><br />Pan's Whisper is a story of family and friends. Pan may be angry, but you can't help but like her. the more of her story you learn, the more you respect her, even as she makes mistakes over and over again. Sue Lawson once again has created an emotional rollercoster of a story which is amazingly true to life. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Quotes </span><br />know where i am? right in the heart of legoland, living with plastics and going to a school filled with spastics. why? because of You. Pan- page 37<br /><br />"come on Panda, we have to get to Grady's before the hairy-nosed, boogie-bummed bunyip catches us." Kylie stomped up the hall..."get back here now"- page 95/96<br /><br /> i grab the 1st harry potter book and settle into read. Sure I've read it 1000 times but there's something comforting about the familiarity of the characters- page 236<br /><br />babble<br />Pan's Whisper is told in three forms. most of the story is in 1st person from Pan's point pf view, but the story is also told in letters to Morgan and in memories from Morgan. they link together in little groups to tell the story. you slowly build a picture of what actually happened, as pan does. it's really clever. it builds suspense also me and you get to know Morgan. <br /><br />they characters are fabulous. you don't really meet Morgan, or Grandy or Kylie but you know them really well, which i think is quite an achievement. in building them up you really get in Pan's head. the new people she meets, like hunter, Ari and her foster family were good characters, but i would have liked to get to know them even more, but you got their background story, which really added to the story. <br /><br />over all i really enjoyed Pan's Whisper, and would definitely recommend it to anyone. <br /><br />luckily for all you Perth readers a copy is going to be up for grabs on Perth YA Fans Unite very soon. so follow us to be eligible to enter.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-30852569691302699472011-12-11T20:46:00.004+08:002011-12-11T21:04:00.623+08:00Pan's Whisper Blog Tour<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1x-p7gaKvZAPJRRDt9Ao6UPn19CCf0st3JrcX5KHtJD7fXg0VR3VTcHje0Non4YBR_gaq64Qn0isFHoXfFcTVXjNWbFzW36Lftc4uGN2V7rgC2TQ_GFgwThO18Y3JKufOSD9DaOv0UTqY/s1600/Pan%2527s+Whisper+tour+banner+vertical.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 114px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1x-p7gaKvZAPJRRDt9Ao6UPn19CCf0st3JrcX5KHtJD7fXg0VR3VTcHje0Non4YBR_gaq64Qn0isFHoXfFcTVXjNWbFzW36Lftc4uGN2V7rgC2TQ_GFgwThO18Y3JKufOSD9DaOv0UTqY/s400/Pan%2527s+Whisper+tour+banner+vertical.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684854851897439634" /></a>Cherry Banana Split is excited to announce that we've been invited to take part in the blog tour launching theSue lawson's new book Pan's Whisper. the tour kicks off tomorrow at <a href="http://letshavewords.blogspot.com/">Let's Have Words</a> and will finish here on the 21st. <br />i'll have exclusive content including, an interview, a giveaways, reviews and perhaps a guest post from sue lawson herself, here and over at <a href="http://perthyafansunite.blogspot.com/">Perth YA Fans Unite</a>, so follow both of us to keep up :) <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrcsj_vzGtHf9o4lTdrXEHICYYRMDAw-_miIrPiGQDobkaqhYsyp7KokLfPi-VOtPXzW64ineWm8Y_A9u8T4NIrX3iCRVg1TMh2XQdJ6ullagl8lKlWneRu6asoyyUHt1aI_E4b-NVVx4/s1600/Pan%2527s+Whisper+Blog+tour+banner+horizontal.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrcsj_vzGtHf9o4lTdrXEHICYYRMDAw-_miIrPiGQDobkaqhYsyp7KokLfPi-VOtPXzW64ineWm8Y_A9u8T4NIrX3iCRVg1TMh2XQdJ6ullagl8lKlWneRu6asoyyUHt1aI_E4b-NVVx4/s400/Pan%2527s+Whisper+Blog+tour+banner+horizontal.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684855382127188290" /></a>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-59995344834771974962011-12-06T17:07:00.002+08:002011-12-06T17:33:01.319+08:00Brave LoveTitle: Brave Love- a story of being different<br />Author: Romi Foster from<a href="http://thedreamytree.blogspot.com/"> the Dreamy Tree</a> and <a href="http://wherethewritercomestowrite.blogspot.com/">where the writer comes to write </a><br /><br />Brave Love is a mini-zine story written by Romi. each book is hand written and illustrated by Romi herself. this is a sweet story about being yourself. i think everyone could relate to how she felt, that lost feeling Romi talks about. it such an honest little story. I'd love to see it extended, more about the girl and more about the friend she made at the end. i loved how the writing's in different colours and each page is decorated with little pictures. the only thing I'd recommend is not writing in yellow. I'd like to see some Bigger, Bolder images, as well as the little ones. <br /><br />a sweet story of loving yourself and waiting for friends to find you :) <br /><br />sorry not to include a picture. for more info on these zines contact romi!Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-11788892025392442442011-10-30T20:49:00.002+08:002011-10-30T20:56:19.099+08:00Young Adult Fiction is too Dark for teengers. True or False<blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">Young Adult Fiction is too Dark for teengers. True or False</span></blockquote><br /><br />this is the question for my history enquiry. we're researching topics which interest us. i'm using Meghan Cox Gurdon's 'article' Darkness to Visable as the jumping board for my research/report. <br /><br />so if anyone wrote responses or knows of any respones could you send me links or titles via comments. <br />i'd also appriciate any other information on the topic, books, articles, websites. ANYTHING. <br />i'm researching book banning and anything relating. <br /><br />thank you so much.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-20429971234755929652011-10-30T20:00:00.004+08:002011-10-30T20:34:46.159+08:00Have you seen Ally Queen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM269XVBV6LbRtijPGM8jOk2PfPSpqctgioHrDTs8rQ5kAkrCxYQTcFKUiXCM8Vgjil4jpeLdGAMGkNPvy6r75G_K3noH_DbRqevfKp5vodOhgX2zfNSu69P2pmuzOgop5n9xmi_vGNRtt/s1600/have+you+seen+ally+queen.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 190px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM269XVBV6LbRtijPGM8jOk2PfPSpqctgioHrDTs8rQ5kAkrCxYQTcFKUiXCM8Vgjil4jpeLdGAMGkNPvy6r75G_K3noH_DbRqevfKp5vodOhgX2zfNSu69P2pmuzOgop5n9xmi_vGNRtt/s400/have+you+seen+ally+queen.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669262680820485794" /></a><br />yes, I'm a lazy blogger. sorry :) i did in fact read this a week or so ago :/ so if it's a little vague i apologise. <br /><br />Title: Have you seen Ally Queen<br />Author: Deb Fitzpatrick<br />First Published: 2011 by Fremantle Press<br /><br /><br />Ally Queen is 15 and not happy. forced to move from her home, friends and well-stocked deli down south go the tiny beach town of Melros near Mandurah. and now they've moved things seem to go from bad to worse. all the kids are bogans and surfies. the only good thing she can find is the beach. <br /><br /><br />i really enjoyed Have you seen Ally Queen for the most part. <br />to start with Ally annoyed me a bit, she complained quite a bit and she was Dramatic, but to be fair, teenagers are. i grew to like her though, her voice is genuine and the writing is spot on except for a few words, like poxy. Capitalism and her identity are big themes. as she learns to like herself, you find yourself fond of her too. if you find her annoying to start with it IS worth persisting. 100% worth it. <br /><br />i quite like that her parents are characters too, more prominently than in most YA. i like that they were flawed!! while they showed Ally's faults the parents weren't perfect, which was nice. so often as a teenager i see something the teenager's doing wrong, often something I've done, and the parents being perfect. the author trying to teach the teen (often nicely) that they're over-reacting or upsetting their parents when they shout. never though have i read a book where the parent and child were both responsible for the fight. <br /><br />the description in the book was good, especially of Ally's feelings, but i feel Deb Fitzpatrick missed a great opportunity to describe the beautiful beaches and scrubby mountains that are down-south of Perth. i really loved how i could picture it all because these are places i know, or at least roughly. it's so nice have a book set in Western Australia. i love it if other people got a little more of the view. <br /><br />i found the discussions of the happiness a bit full on, though very interesting. i really took a lot of it to heart. characters with such strong convictions made for an strong story. i loved the deceptions of Ally and Rel's relationship, it was much more realistic than normal in YA. they were friends, and the Love stuff was a little awkward, unsure, but beautiful. the descriptions of some of the things Ally did like mountain climbing and fishing made me jealous. it was familiar of holidays and school camps, and made me want to do things like that more often. <br /><br />the best thing i can say though, is that it captured Australia's love of the beach in the best way I've read.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-78860504489551277162011-10-16T13:15:00.003+08:002011-10-16T14:02:31.670+08:00Mice<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASTPDOFST5-Pw-Yon_TRY9rBTKMQHEB5oWtF_IwfKLPTdr07aRc1VkeuqwEo2N2llG3DrVG_7Va0dog8xiK9xMVmL9eKldT16v_ngCIfglvtxazC47_-HSVYNOsU9PgUi7_DPbQmnvLds/s1600/Mice+gordon+reece.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 236px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASTPDOFST5-Pw-Yon_TRY9rBTKMQHEB5oWtF_IwfKLPTdr07aRc1VkeuqwEo2N2llG3DrVG_7Va0dog8xiK9xMVmL9eKldT16v_ngCIfglvtxazC47_-HSVYNOsU9PgUi7_DPbQmnvLds/s400/Mice+gordon+reece.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663964674932647266" /></a><br />title: Mice<br />Author: Gordon Reece<br />Published: Allen and Unwin 2010 <br /><br />Shelley and her mother are mice by nature. they have been bullied their whole lives and in a desperate attempt to escape they move to an isolated cottage in the country. they think they will be safe there, but trouble has a way of finding you. Even Mice have a breaking point. <br />a mind twisting, electrifying thriller. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Quick Review</span><br />i was expecting a typical adventure, thriller story. this wasn't. the boundary between good and evil characters was broken, i had never realised how much i relied on that basic idea. it has the gore, horror, violence and action typical of a thriller, but the interesting part of this story is the psychological side. the journey in Shelley mind is the interesting, in many parts Confronting aspect of Mice. the story shows the effect of violence and it is disgusting, but so fascinating. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Babble</span><br />i really thought mice was a good read, but not in an enjoyable way. there was one point where i wanted to stop reading, it was really bothering me, but i had to finish. i found it really confronting, the ideas of violence and personal character were new, even if i don't agree with all of Shelley's views. in the moments where good and evil almost swap places i was shocked, horrified almost. like watching Of Mice and Men almost or The Kite Runner. <br /><br />Shelley was quite an annoying character, very weak. i still felt sorry for her. while she was always reliant, she had been a victim of great violence. the transformation towards the end was satisfying. the ending was average in general, it was all to sudden and neatly tied up for me. i feel if had been part of the story i would never had recovered that fast. i did think that the change in the character of Shelley and her mother was good to see in a literary and personal sense. <br /><br />the book was written to build suspense and Reece certainly managed that. the interesting thing about the writing was how in some parts it seem to be told from the present, in past tense, but some bits were like Shelley was remembering it, recounting it later in life. it flowed seamlessly, but had an interesting affect. <br /><br />a decent book, worth reading, especially on a psychological level.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-85352374659514371702011-10-05T18:45:00.004+08:002011-10-05T19:37:49.295+08:00Perth YA fans Unite!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-8pCiRGdsNpx0SRddJLhSKlypuFBScQjoJbbspNubcqkfCDijqQ7wkmbJB1gaV9femp0hi9GkdCAhD0JI8RhNW38cMTWVZp_1_N4HmzaBIUAfYTJhIMVHgi_R38_1UOhGtAyDKoXmDFG/s1600/YA+fans+unite+badge.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 356px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-8pCiRGdsNpx0SRddJLhSKlypuFBScQjoJbbspNubcqkfCDijqQ7wkmbJB1gaV9femp0hi9GkdCAhD0JI8RhNW38cMTWVZp_1_N4HmzaBIUAfYTJhIMVHgi_R38_1UOhGtAyDKoXmDFG/s400/YA+fans+unite+badge.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659970558610317234" /></a><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">do you live in Perth? <br />are you sick or never meeting your favourite authors?<br />sick of authors who always skip Perth? <br />THERE IS AN EASY ANSWER! </span></blockquote><br /><br />a group of us Perth bloggers have decided to band together to bring YA authors to Perth. <br />to do this we are contacting publishers and authors showing our interest, BUT we have to prove that coming all the way to Perth is worth the time and the money. THIS is where we need your help! we need to show you to show that YOU want them to come.<br />there are 3 ways to do this:<br />1. sign our petition<br />- just <a href="http://perthyafansunite.blogspot.com/p/sign-petition.html">click here</a> to sign. by signing you are just showing your support you won't get told anymore information about blogging and author events. <br />2. <a href="http://perthyafansunite.blogspot.com/">subscribe to our blog- Perth YA Fans Unite! </a><br />by subscribing you will be kept up to date about what we are doing in terms of meeting up and our plans of action. as well as author events. <br />3.<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Perth-YA-Fans-Unite/235331703179633"> like us on facebook. </a><br />if you have facebook please like us! hopefully this page Will work as a way to spread the word about events and to show publishers the size of our YA fan base. <br /><br />we are just starting off and desperately need to spread the word about our group and get as many people liking our page and signing the petition as possible. <br />not only are we aiming to bring authors to Perth, but it's nice to connect our YA book blogging community. <br /><br />see our blog for more information about us. email ya.perth@gmail.com or cherry-banana-split@hotmail.com if you would like to come along to our meetings or have any ideas.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-6921964116382398762011-10-02T16:50:00.003+08:002011-10-03T21:54:01.063+08:00Graffiti Moon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOIl8m_uC-Qi8E92EHvg6TQ8asBB59LvK84s8WnamE2HwBsflXb_NS9lL-IIMsyOoQpLHIufbi1M6j7TMSLwF6bHAqSyJ2VT7-HsSAwaj-EqjLpsw3RUaWyZZ-5KOpq7kbvJiQ38TVpN0/s1600/graffiti+moon.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 393px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOIl8m_uC-Qi8E92EHvg6TQ8asBB59LvK84s8WnamE2HwBsflXb_NS9lL-IIMsyOoQpLHIufbi1M6j7TMSLwF6bHAqSyJ2VT7-HsSAwaj-EqjLpsw3RUaWyZZ-5KOpq7kbvJiQ38TVpN0/s400/graffiti+moon.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658828968098497890" /></a><br />Title: Graffiti Moon<br />Author: Cath Crowley <br /><br />Lucy is in love with Shadow, a mysterious graffiti artist.<br /><br />Ed thought he was in love with Lucy, until she broke his nose.<br /><br />Dylan loves Daisy, but throwing eggs at her probably wasn't the best way to show it.<br /><br />Jazz and Leo are slowly encircling each other.<br /><br />An intense and exhilarating 24 hours in the lives of four teenagers on the verge: of adulthood, of HSC, of finding out just who they are, and who they want to be.<br /> <span style="font-style:italic;">From the Pan Macmillan Australia Website</span><br /><br /><br />loved it, one of my favourite reads of the year. <br />i loved the characters, the original plot line, the dynamic writing. it dips into memories building to this night, while driving the adventure forward smoothly. <br />the use of detail was so good, i could almost feel the heat. <br />my favourite thing though were the poems. Amazing. <br />it's funny as well :) <br />i read this months ago while i was having tests/assessments etc and didn't get t review it, but i feel I've said all i need to. <br /> so sweet, so true. not quite like anything I've read before. <br /><br />Quotes<br />"Your idea of romance requires a corset and a time machine. Loosen up for once." - Jazz<br /><br />"... but I guess love's kind of like a marshmallow in a microwave, on high. After it explodes it's still a marshmallow. But, you know, it's a complicated marshmallow." -Lucy-<br /><br />"he can't remember when he lost them<br />But he lost the daytime things" -Leo-Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-61373327525333687942011-09-29T17:00:00.004+08:002011-10-03T21:53:00.844+08:00The Friendship Matchmaker<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFER19nGO_HTYJkAgq7NEuwfZGzNiPjK9uW4EosT3rFfAR7qB_A-3rL_JDyg66K-IG_-sILi7Lu9z1uYcG8tbmG5maDpFCGna8f8lolILETv3ooFKRcHuhHF_8fv78Ge5b2iot_fov6wly/s1600/friendship-matchmaker.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 175px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFER19nGO_HTYJkAgq7NEuwfZGzNiPjK9uW4EosT3rFfAR7qB_A-3rL_JDyg66K-IG_-sILi7Lu9z1uYcG8tbmG5maDpFCGna8f8lolILETv3ooFKRcHuhHF_8fv78Ge5b2iot_fov6wly/s400/friendship-matchmaker.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657718153301083474" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Title: The Friendship Matchmaker<br />Author: Randa Abdel-Fattah <br />First Published: Scholastic 2011</span><br /><br />Lara Zany in Potts Court Primary's 'Official Friendship Matchmaker'. she is writer of the Friendship Rules-which she is certain work, all friendships are approved by her and people come to her to sort out all their fights. she can take the Loneliest Loser and find them a best friend. Then Emily Wong turns up on the first day of 2nd term and disagrees to conform, why should she have to eat cheese sandwiches instead of meatballs for lunch? why shouldn't she paint her nails in different colours? Lara's rules are about to be put to the test. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Quick Review</span><br />a brilliant book for girls of about the age of nine. a nice reminder of how special friendship is, how it works and the importance of being yourself. it's simply written, with a big font, only about 170 pages with lists of rules from Lara's Friendship Manual. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Quote</span><br />She was obviously in the mood for looking like a zebra: black & white striped t-shirt, black skirt with a thick white hem, black headband and white hair tie, and one black and one white earring. Plus black runners and white socks. "is it international Save the Zebra Day?" i asked. <br />she smoothed and her skirt. "Thanks" she said enthusiastically "i do look great"<br />What Cheek! <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Babble</span><br />i enjoyed the friendship matchmaker, though it's clearly meant for a younger audience. though it's clearly bad the way Lara encourages people to completely change who they are to make friends you understand why she does it. it's clear there's a story behind it. this is a laboured point from the beginning, i found it to be a bit too obvious, which would be fine for nine year olds. the back story of Lara comes out at the end, but it was a bit rushed. <br /><br />Emily's a great character i loved hearing about her ideas and clothes. she has a shirt, but i won't ruin the surprise :) she's also kind, and smart and determined to be true to herself and unique. <br />Lara's lovely to because behind her rules is actually a desire for everyone to have a best friend, she just isn't sure how to go about it. <br />it also has a cute cover ans swirls and stars throughout the book. <br />best of all i think there's going to be a sequelAnnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-79822371484838746052011-08-19T20:01:00.004+08:002011-08-19T20:58:49.617+08:00Nightpeople-The Darklands trilogy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYhT1AIzBWzNflR_Ymkt2QzWhA1mZ5opwrf81QggLUG1qAlfuUKwIneGi-IEHn3EGch5X_ic4OptEM0Htc_vJO6HKEwira_1Wv9sr_uZIhr9launBnoFaKGuENbfQNsE-dfff2oP8MHYI/s1600/nightpeople.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYhT1AIzBWzNflR_Ymkt2QzWhA1mZ5opwrf81QggLUG1qAlfuUKwIneGi-IEHn3EGch5X_ic4OptEM0Htc_vJO6HKEwira_1Wv9sr_uZIhr9launBnoFaKGuENbfQNsE-dfff2oP8MHYI/s400/nightpeople.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642550743213119474" /></a>
<br />title: Nightpeople
<br />Author: Anthony Eaton
<br />Published: 2005 Queensland Press
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<br />Saria is the last of her kind, the final child of the Darklands, a quarantined expanse of outback desert, contaminated hundreds of years earlier by the remote and mysterious Nightpeople. In a dying world, she is the last ray of hope.
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<br />Spirited away at her birth before the Nightpeople could remove her from the genetic pool, Saria, now in her early teens, is summoned to appear before the Council of Dreamers. There she discovers the story of her past, and the nightmare truth of her people's future, and as history draws the Darklanders towards an inevitable fate, Saria determines to take the only course available to her, whatever the cost.
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<br />Nightpeople, the first book of the Darklands trilogy, explores a society turned in on itself and a future which readers will find both alien and disturbingly familiar.
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<br />I love the sound of this book, fantasy and Aussie books and two of my favourite things so i thought that i was set to love this book. i met Anthony Eaton last term and the way he described it the idea sound fantastic as you'd think from the blurb pinched from his website. i was very excited when i got it for holiday reading from the library.
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<br />the book begins really well, you really want to know what's going to happen to this baby saved from the 'nightpeople', and the 2nd chapter was good as well. Eaton has you wanting to know what's going to happen and what makes Saria special, but the story seemed to fizzle out after the first 2 chapters, for me at least. i kept reading but it seemed like nothing was really happening. i tried on many occasions to finish is, but i just didn't get through it. it went back to the library unfinished. I'd like to try it again some time, because i love the idea of an Australian set fantasy and the premise was brilliant, but the writing let t down. not enough happened, or enough was given away to keep me hanging on. it seemed to drag.
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<br />this said, i plan to try some of his other novels, because he was just lovely and hilarious. Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-49992658781597768092011-07-26T22:21:00.001+08:002011-07-26T22:23:26.487+08:005 Parts Dead<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBGHvT0bdJ3laYYcPvPivscpo4L21u4P__1SuAC1gucQTwf8YbtYC8CemFVXETLOYlebbi_Crq-K93NbIE8F6mzdH2XKo72OuwVzO4XP8wkK0TpbEs6AhwLfkLlSDy704iiAxYon6J8tG/s1600/5+parts+dead.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 258px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBGHvT0bdJ3laYYcPvPivscpo4L21u4P__1SuAC1gucQTwf8YbtYC8CemFVXETLOYlebbi_Crq-K93NbIE8F6mzdH2XKo72OuwVzO4XP8wkK0TpbEs6AhwLfkLlSDy704iiAxYon6J8tG/s400/5+parts+dead.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633666393819681378" /></a><br />Title: 5 Parts Dead<br />Author: Tim Pegler <br />First Published: 2010 by Penguin <br /><br />Dan is 15 and had just dodged death for the 5Th time. his friends weren't so lucky. just weeks after the accident, he goes on holiday to an island on South Australia, staying in the lighthouse keeper's old cottage with his parents, twin sister, and sister's friend. angry and grieving he discovers the old lighthouse log book and a mystery that's gone unsolved for over a century. add in ghosts, romance and the 'twin thing' and you get a powerful story about friendship, death and family. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Quick Review</span><br />I LOVED it. the two time lines flow together seamlessly, making for easy reading, except for a few of the boring captain's reports about weather in the log book. this story will get inside your mind so easily it's almost scary and leave you full of questions, wondering about horrible things. the description of the car crash was literally breath-taking, i stopped reading and clutched my throat, read and you'll understand why. the description of how people reacted was perfect, though horrible and the characters were realistic and lovable. you'll fell so sorry for Dan, yet you understood what rested on his shoulders. the ghost story was a great parallel, and the romance sweet, yet sturdy. A MUST READ ESPECIALLY FOR TEENAGERS. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Babble</span><br />i feel that my quick review sums it up pretty well. <br />i want to talk more about the brutal honesty of this book, at least that's the best way i can think to put it. <br /> death in books is pretty much always sad, yet it's so much more than that in 5 Parts Dead. you almost feel Dan's pain and confusion. the feeling that he is, in the smallest way possible, responsible. you know he's going to fight that for the rest of his life. the talk about death, responsibility, and just how people react was so powerful I'm still thinking about it. <br />it's a sign on an amazing book when you're still thinking about it 6 hours later. <br /><br />i also just want to say how much I love Pip, she's so strong. she reads Markus Zusak, you guys know how much i love him. her relationship with Dan is so tender, they just need each other. she's individual, but for once that didn't mean really weird. <br /><br />i also love how the book showed the effect on Dan's family as well. <br /><br />all in all an amazing book, very powerful and informative. it was sad, yet the ending left me hopeful. i really want to know what happened to Dan once he went back to school, which shows just how much i love him. <br /><br />please read this book-give it to all the teenagers you know. <br />you'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll leave with something.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-20790166305800286522011-07-17T14:23:00.004+08:002011-07-17T14:31:06.336+08:00Anna and the French Kiss Giveaway<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_AWRdRgQnKii3QUkgZ9FP1_vuqlQ26onS1JeiJQMJbbwZkjXxsfuFQahjImpplEKIb5VWPvYwunCQc32ZTOyYnnORdeuwciikjW0vvTVS_5nP-0SvNzRQOsT_rh8rYKFfO7_SR307XtUz/s1600/Anna+and+the+French+Kiss.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 208px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_AWRdRgQnKii3QUkgZ9FP1_vuqlQ26onS1JeiJQMJbbwZkjXxsfuFQahjImpplEKIb5VWPvYwunCQc32ZTOyYnnORdeuwciikjW0vvTVS_5nP-0SvNzRQOsT_rh8rYKFfO7_SR307XtUz/s400/Anna+and+the+French+Kiss.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630204739741630770" /></a><br />The lovely Isme from <a href="http://thebookslooth.blogspot.com/">the Book Slooth</a> is having another great competition. <br /><br /><blockquote>up for grabs is a copy of Anna & the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins</blockquote><br /><br />this competition is open internationally. to enter go to her blog <a href="http://thebookslooth.blogspot.com/2011/07/anna-and-french-kiss-giveaway-sharing.html#comments">here</a> and fill out this form. <br /><br />good luck!Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4984701928162129814.post-69461937998569688612011-07-16T10:52:00.006+08:002011-07-16T17:15:18.709+08:00Straight Line to my Heart<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN49loshHnrjIGKa-WpFSAEbt3pyJpWUVMb1nOr5aa_OiTf4ElDoAhEKIXMPjO-BxevkyqXaqJfnYcFNOeAz-VsDHn1CBAQkfd_lXyD18i8AQSxk6H6GhNt7-umnaQ1MK1o4xT8sgFqHB6/s1600/straight+line+to+my+heart+.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 191px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN49loshHnrjIGKa-WpFSAEbt3pyJpWUVMb1nOr5aa_OiTf4ElDoAhEKIXMPjO-BxevkyqXaqJfnYcFNOeAz-VsDHn1CBAQkfd_lXyD18i8AQSxk6H6GhNt7-umnaQ1MK1o4xT8sgFqHB6/s400/straight+line+to+my+heart+.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629876219074079378" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">title</span>: straight line to my heart<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">author</span>: Bill Condon <br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Published</span>: to be published August 2011</span><br /><br />Tiff and Kayla have finished school, they know things are about to change. the summer is coming to an end, and decisions are being made about the future and in one week everything is going to change. Tiff has a cadetship at the local news paper, but her boss is a crazy old man who insists everyone calls him 'the shark'. her grandad Reggie seems to be fading away, her uncle/brother Bull's girlfriend is around, her and Kayla can't stay in this small town forever, what will happen once they leave, and most importantly there's a boy who seems to be interested in Tiff. in one week Tiff's world crashes down and she builds it up again stronger than before. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Quick Review </span>Straight Line to my Heart is a great novel. Bill Condon really hits what it's like to be a teenager on the head. without any melo-drama or soppy romance he's created a light-hearted novel all about the massive changes that occur once school finishes forever and first love. add in the great humour, and interesting characters and you've got a clear winner. i was up all night giggling while i finished it. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">favourite quotes</span><br />"<span style="font-style:italic;">she could help me in my never-ending campaign. some people want to save the river or save the whales, or even save the whole planet-i just want to keep the toilet seat down" </span> the whole book is full of funny lines like this. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Babbling Review</span><br />Bill Condon has an incredible style which doesn't fit a genre, it just seems like a real story. the characters are flawed, every character has a different personality. the blokes, Reggie and Bull, are typical Aussie blokes. the love footy, beer, action films and burping, yet they're sweet and kind. <br /><br />the setting of Gungee creek is also full of character, and well characters! it's a typical town. the thing that got me was the description of footy on the weekends, it just seemed so familiar. everyone cheering, even though they play terribly. it turned out to be rugby as opposed to AFL, which is footy in Perth, but the atmosphere was the same. for us who live in Australia it'll be so familiar that you'll be laughing going 'that;s so true' and to others it'll be just as enjoyable. <br /><br />i loved Kayla and Tiff's friendship. best friends since they were very young. there was very little talk, just silliness and closeness. they weren't always lovely to each other, but it was so honest. <br /><br />the romance element in this novel is quite small, but important. he's an idiot, tiff admits he an idiot, but they like each other anyway. it's all awkward, yet sweet moments. it ends just leaving you wondering where it would go. <br /><br />the humour is also genius. it's a simple, lovely funny novel. a perfect light read dealing some important teenage issues.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612848083830893753noreply@blogger.com3