Review: Spirits of the Ghan

Title: Spirits of the Ghan

Author: Judy Nunn

Publisher: 2 November 2015 by Random House Australia

Pages: 359 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: fiction, contemporary, Australian

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

Master storyteller Judy Nunn has now sold over 1 million books worldwide. In her spellbinding new bestseller she takes us on a breathtaking journey deep into the red heart of Australia. 
It is 2001 and as the world charges into the new Millennium, a century-old dream is about to be realised in the Red Centre of Australia: the completion of the mighty Ghan railway, a long-lived vision to create the 'backbone of the continent', a line that will finally link Adelaide with the Top End. 

But construction of the final leg between Alice Springs and Darwin will not be without its complications, for much of the desert it will cross is Aboriginal land. 

Hired as a negotiator, Jessica Manning must walk a delicate line to reassure the Elders their sacred sites will be protected. Will her innate understanding of the spiritual landscape, rooted in her own Arunta heritage, win their trust? It's not easy to keep the peace when Matthew Witherton and his survey team are quite literally blasting a rail corridor through the timeless land of the Never-Never.

When the paths of Jessica and Matthew finally cross, their respective cultures collide to reveal a mystery that demands attention. As they struggle against time to solve the puzzle, an ancient wrong is awakened and calls hauntingly across the vastness of the outback.

My Thoughts 

I am always eager to sample some of my fellow countrymen's tales, and Judy Nunn has long been on my list. Nunn has a huge following here in Australia and now, after sampling my first read of hers, I can understand why.  She has a most engaging style and, always a sucker for personal history narrative genres, I found this one really well done. Nunn seamlessly combined well researched history, Aboriginal culture, the great expanse of the Aussie Outback, all weaved together in engrossing personal stories. 

Chapters alternate throughout, especially in the first third of the book as separate scenarios are established. There are generational groups, Indigenous groups, colonial pastoralists, Afghan cameleers,  jazz musicians- just to name a few! The author’s research  especially concerning the Northern Territory was well done. However, the overall focus in on Jess, the young Aboriginal researcher, and Matt, the Adelaide surveyor. A great couple to follow.

My few issues concerned keeping track of the separate tales and hoping that by around 30% of the book they would all come together soon - and eventually they did. So you need to have your wits about you when reading and establishing characters, time periods and places. It is thorough, complex and thought provoking. My second concern came towards the end. Whilst on the one hand I appreciated Nunn's research and attempts to capture Aboriginal authenticity, at times, I found it a little too far fetched to my mind. 

Overall, however, I very much enjoyed the historical references, the characters and the Aussie Outback. If I found some portions a bit too fanciful for my taste, I just had to remind myself that it is a work of fiction. 

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Prejudice and Pride

Title: Prejudice and Pride

Author: Lynn Messina

Publisher: 15 December 2015 by Potatoworks Press

Pages: 238 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: womens fiction, romance, chick  lit, retellings

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis: 

You know Darcy: rich, proud, standoffish, disapproving, one of the greatest romantic heroes of all time. But you don't know this Darcy because THIS Darcy is a woman. 

In PREJUDICE & PRIDE, Lynn Messina’s modern retelling with a gender-bendy twist, everything is vaguely familiar and yet wholly new. Bingley is here, in the form of Charlotte "Bingley" Bingston, an heiress staying at the Netherfield hotel on Central Park, as is Longbourn, transformed from an ancestral home into a perennially cash-strapped art museum on the edge of the city. Naturally, it employs an audacious fundraiser with an amused glint in his eye called Bennet. 

All the favorite characters are present and cleverly updated: Providing the cringe-worthy bon mots is Mr. Meryton, the nerve-wracked executive director of the Longbourn who’s always on the lookout for heiresses to join his museum’s very important committees. (Universally acknowledged truth: Any woman in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a social committee to chair.) Collin Parsons is still in obsequious, if ironic, awe of his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. The wicked Georgia Wickham toils as a graphic designer at Redcoat Design by day and schemes against Darcy by night. 

With her trademark wit and style, Lynn Messina takes the genres she does best—chick lit, mashups, and Regency romance—and weaves them into one delightfully entertaining tale that doubles as a fun guessing game.

My Thoughts

"Seriously, Darcy, you have to dance. You can't stand here by yourself all night glaring at everyone. You look ridiculous."

If you love 'Pride and Prejudice', and are not too much of a traditionalist, you will LOVE this book! I delighted in it and highly recommend it. This is a P&P adaptation set in today's world with all the pop culture #tags and references! Fun! I was a little bamboozled in the first thirty pages or so as there were many names and locations thrown at the reader. But persevere! It's modern with its "Instagramming selfies" and all!

What is most unique about this particular adaptation, is that nearly all the main characters from the original are flipped, that being, Darcy is a girl! (Elizabeth) Bennet is the boy! How original! This would have to be one of the most unique takes on a tale that has been told over and reinvented in so many forms; but this surely is an original and must be given credit for that. As much as an incentive as that may be, I just loved the whole mix together of flipped characters, humour, romance and thought it a great fun read that I tore through despite obviously knowing the outcome. Just goes to prove, it's all about the journey. 

"If that's really your definition of a well-rounded man, then I'm no longer surprised you know only six. I'm shocked you know any at all."

Messina cleverly parallels people, plot and circumstances and draws them into the modern world - you will recognise everything if you are a P&P lover. In fact, you will eagerly anticipate to see how certain famous confrontations are handled. This truly is a classic reinvented that I believe will appeal to both old and new readers alike. This is just a fun read! You get to see some favourite characters in a most fascinating way. Of course some of the characters and a few threads, lean on the somewhat exaggerated side, but I could overlook that, thinking how difficult it must have been to find a modern parallel for each and every situation. 

"And this", Darcy says...."is what you think of me! Thank you for explaining it so fully. Clearly, I'm an awful person."

If you love P&P and are open to a fresh and unique interpretation then this is the book for you. I loved it. 

"And your fault is a tendency to hate everybody."

"And yours," she replies..."is to deliberately misunderstand them."

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: An Empty Coast

Title: An Empty Coast

Author: Tony Park

Publisher: 1 November 2015 by Pan Macmillan Australia

Pages: 480 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: fiction, mystery, thriller, Africa

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis 

Sonja Kurtz - former soldier, supposedly retired mercenary - is in Vietnam carrying out a personal revenge mission when her daughter sends a call for help.
Emma is on a dig at the edge of Namibia's Etosha National Park studying archaeology and she's discovered a body that dates back to the country's liberation war of the 1980s.
The remains, identified as Hudson Brand, are a key piece of a puzzle that will reveal the location of a modern-day buried treasure. A find people will kill for.
Sonja returns to the country of her birth to find Emma, but she's missing.
Former CIA agent Hudson Brand is very much alive and is also drawn back to Namibia to finally solve a decades-old mystery whose clues are entombed in an empty corner of the desert.

My Thoughts

Tony Park's novels are always page turners, set against an inspiring African backdrop. This one is no different. He uses his tried and true formula found in his novels - a fast moving thriller with deadly outcomes in exotic, yet often, dangerous African locations. This can be read as a standalone, however a couple of characters reappear after roles in previous books. 

'An Empty Coast' is set in Namibia and focusses on poaching and illegal international trade in rhino horn. I have read previous Park novels, but was particularly drawn to this one as I have lived in Namibia. So many memories came flooding back. He resounding details the beautiful, yet stark, landscapes of Etosha and Skeleton Coast National Parks. There is always an interesting plot, but I have to admit to being drawn to the lovingly described scenery and wildlife. 

"Etosha was starkly beautiful....a complete contrast to the lush bush and web of waterways that made up the Okavango".

These are fast paced reads - lots of action, leading to the ultimate major showdown between goodies and baddies, with a little sexual tension thrown in, making these not only readable, but engaging. Don't cast this aside as lacking substance. Tony Park novels contain much noteworthy commentary on a range of topics: the Asian/Russian involvement in illegal smuggling; Namibian history, the war of independence involving Namibia, Angola and South Africa; and, throwbacks to the original German occupation:

 "what we're doing here is confronting the past, not leaving it buried, where some people want it to stay".

It does take a little time for everything to fall into place - however, at about two thirds through, things really start to amp up and get interesting. I do enjoy his books and this was no exception.

"The small screen of the television didn't do justice to the majestic landscapes of Namibia, but all the same it moved something inside her to see the endless skies".

If you are intrigued about Africa and enjoy a well told thriller, then this is the book for you. Perfect mix. 

"Namibia has emerged as a beautiful, peaceful country and I'm proud to be here and proud to play a small part".

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Other Half Of My Heart

Title: The Other Half Of My Heart

Author: Stephanie Butland

Publisher: 22 October 2015 by Random House UK, Transworld Publishers

Pages: 368 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: womens fiction, contemporary, drama

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

“It smelled bittersweetly of sourdough, and there was the trace of hot, fresh bread in the air. She took a deep breath and unlocked the door”

Fifteen years ago Bettina May’s life’s veered off course in one disastrous night. Still reeling from the shock of losing everything she thought was hers, Bettina opens a bakery in a village and throws herself into the comfort of bread-making.

She spends her days kneading dough and measuring ingredients. She meets someone. She begins to heal.

Until someone who knows what happens that night walks into Bettina's bakery. In the pause of a heartbeat, fifteen years disappear and Bettina remembers a time she thought was lost for ever . . .

Can she ever go back?

My Thoughts

"My full name is Bettina May Randolph. When I was a teenager, I called myself Tina. Tina Randolph. I worked at the Flood stable in Missingham. And - something happened, and I've never really got over it."

I was pleasantly surprised with this read, it kept me interested right to the end and was certainly not your usual predictable ending, as there were some surprising twists along the way. The book cover and the title itself lead you to believe this is just another chick-lit type romance, but far from it. It's an emotional, bittersweet tale that delves into all types of relationships and the loves and loses that often come hand in hand with them.

"She's starting to want more ... she feels exposed ... which is the opposite of what she'e been for the last fifteen year. But - the quietest of voices suggests ... maybe it's time".

Bettina's life was forever altered after a terrible accident and she didn't think she could ever move on from it. There are so many varied relationships conveyed throughout this story that a person is bound to make a connection on some level. It's not just the romantic - old and new flames - but also family loyalties, that are tackled in this tale.

"The other half of her mind, that's buzzing like a wasp in an upturned wine glass, she's wondering whether she is just as trapped in the past as her mother is....how much of what she does, she does because of what happened all that time ago".

The book is well written considering that it alternates between Bettina's past when she was known as Tina, to her contemporary life, until the two finally merge. It is realistic and engaging, as Butland cleverly portrays a very poignant story about how life can change in an instant with lasting consequences; and if those involved never fully process it, those pent up emotions can have long term repercussions. 

This is a book to get lost in as it's beautifully written and will take you on an emotional journey. 

"This is wordlessness without waiting, or punishment, or heavy unsaid words".

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.