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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Black Prism - Brent Weeks




Gavin Guile is the Prism, the most powerful man in the world. He is high priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that preserves a tenuous peace. But Prisms never last, and Guile knows exactly how long he has left to live: Five years to achieve five impossible goals.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Get Reading 2011 - 50 books you can't put down!

It is that time again! This year Get Reading has a fantastic selection of books you will not be able to put down. With titles such as Tony Park's 'African Dawn', Kate Grenville's 'Sarah Thornhill', Susan Duncan's 'The Briny Cafe', Karly Lane's 'North Star' and many many more - you can't go wrong. 


The free adult book this year is a collection of short stories that will entice you. The children's free book is by none other than Emily Rodda! ' The Land of Dragons' You will receive one of these books when you purchase a book from the selection of 50 Get Reading Titles.

If you want to see what events are happening in your area or just check out what books are included this year then go to the Get Reading website here. Also we have instore the free booklets that have all 50 titles on the counter. Remember, this is the perfect time to Get Reading!

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Book Review - The Help - Kathryn Stockett

The HelpThe Help by Kathryn Stockett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I started this book last night and just finished it now at 12.30pm. I actually fell asleep reading the book, something I haven't done in a very long time. It was brilliant. The chapters in each womans voice had depth, feeling and character. You form likings for disfferent characters and you feel like you can sort of see what it is like for both sides of the story.

The racial tensions of a 1960's America is well portayaed and very realistic. It shows the struggle of Afican Americans all over the country, but highlights Mississippi, a southern state in America. Avery good book and one I highly recommened for people to read.

I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did.

View all my reviews

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Father's Day Gift Ideas

Here are a few fantastic Father's Day ideas for you to give to your dads!

An honest, revealing and sometimes laugh-out-loud memoir of one of Oz music's noisiest quiet achievers - Mark Evans, the original bass player from AC/DC. A must for any AC/DC fan. A few days after his 19th birthday, rock and roll lover and bass player Mark Evans wandered into his local to check out the band - and his life would never be the same again. Two days later he was playing his first show as bass player with AC/DC; within a week he was on Countdown, rocking out next to wildman Bon Scott, who was dressed as a pigtailed, cigarette-smoking schoolgirl - and waving a mallet - and Angus who was - of course - decked out as a schoolboy. And all for the princely wage of $60 a week! Then came nearly being burnt alive on the video shoot for 'Jailbreak', and working with legends Vanda and Young on the massive album TNT, on which Mark's take-no-prisoners basslines anchored such immortal hits as 'TNT' and 'It's a Long Way To the Top'. Within a year, the band had relocated to London and were on the road to rock 'n' roll stardom, living the life of rock gods and making the most of all that had to offer. Until the tragic death of his good friend Bon Scott changed everything.
Malcolm Blight is as famous for his mercurial nature as he is for his footy and his coaching. He's been a fixture on the Aussie Rules scene since he began playing for the Woodville FC in the SANFL in the late 1960s. In the 1970s he joined North Melbourne FC and made his mark as a consistently brilliant player, who twice played in a premiership side. He was the first player to win both the Magarey and Brownlow medals, the only player to top both the SANFL and VFL goalkicking lists, and the only player to captain both Victorian and South Australian representative sides. He was also an equally brilliant but also controversial coach, with stints at North Melbourne and Woodville as a player coach, and at Geelong, Adelaide and St Kilda as a senior coach. His career has been marked by success and drama in equal portion, but both friends and enemies revere him as a legend
 Twenty-two-year-old Jeanine Fournier had looks to die for, a handsome police-officer husband, and a carefree life in Key West. When she learnt that she was pregnant with their first child, her life was complete. Jeanine’s happiness was then shattered when she unearthed a terrible secret that caused her to run for her life and change her identity. Now, years later, an even greater horror leads her to risk everything she’s earned – a secure life in New York City, a prosperous career as a lawyer, even the daughter she loves – to return to Florida and confront the murderous evil she fled.
Three families – the Bryants, the Quilter-Phippses and the Ngwenyas – share a history as complex and bloody as Zimbabwe itself.
Dedicated conservationists Paul and Philippa Bryant are struggling to save their farm and small herd of endangered black rhinos from seizure by corrupt government minister Emmerson Ngwenya. Twin brothers, ex-soldier Braedan and environmentalist Tate Quilter-Phipps join the fight.
But when the brothers fall in love with the same woman, Natalie Bryant, their rivalry threatens to put the lives of all involved at risk. And with Emmerson vowing to stop at nothing until he gets what he wants, a bloody showdown seems inevitable. In the broken country that is Zimbabwe, only the strongest can survive.
Matthew Lloyd is destined to be remembered as one of the AFL's greatest full-forwards. This is his long awaited autobiography. Matthew Lloyd at his peak was a goal kicking machine in an era where the power forward was fading from the game. A five-time all Australian, he topped the AFL goal kicking three times in his 270 game career and kicked the ton twice, his first in the Essendon Premiership season of 2000. Born into a football family, it was clear early in his career that he had the ability to surpass his father John's 29 games with Carlton. For a while it looked he would head to Carton as well, but Essendon conjured up a complex deal to secure the talented 16-year-old in the 1994 pre-season draft. Brothers Simon and Brad each played football too and are now involved with the Fremantle Football Club, and sister Kylie works on The Footy Show at Channel 9. His mother Bev, even met his father at the football. Sport, and in particular football, was and remains in the blood.
The ancient order of the Knights Templar possessed untold wealth and absolute power, until the Inquisition destroyed them and their riches were lost forever.
But some people don't believe in 'forever'.
Ex-agent Cotton Malone used to work for Stephanie Nelle in the US Justice Department. Now Nelle wants his help to crack a series of puzzles that have confounded experts for centuries - and could lead to the legendary lost treasure of the Knights Templar.
But someone else is on the trail - someone prepared to commit the ultimate crime to win the ultimate prize. Malone and Nelle find themselves in a heart-stopping race through the villages, castles and cloisters of Europe in pursuit of a secret that, in the wrong hands, could bring the world to its knees.
Martil is a haunted man -- a war hero, now derided as the ′Butcher of Bellic′. Leaving his beloved homeland he is set upon by bandits and tricked into taking a small child, Karia, to her uncle. But they only find one ex-bandit in the town, along with the Dragon Sword, a magical relic belonging to the rulers of Norstalos.
Norstalos′s first-ever queen is trying to keep her crown. Her cousin, Duke Gello, wants it and is prepared to do anything to get it.
Martil can find no way out of caring for a child, fighting for a queen and discovering that even a magical sword is no guarantee of victory ...

Book Review - Prince of Thorns - Mark Lawrence

Prince of Thorns (The Broken Empire, #1)Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence  DUE OCTOBER 2011

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I did not like the main character Jorg, through out the whole book. I thought he was vile, merciless, disturbing and basically an anti hero. He burned down towns, violated the villagers, killed indiscrimaly and had no guilt for it. His 'Brothers' were just as bad if not worse than him apart from two Makin and Nubian.

Reading the journey of this Prince of Thorns was a strange experiance, but I kept reading. Chapter by chapter, Jorg's story unfolds and you have no choice but to go along with it. The author pulled me in and it was hard to let go. As you read, somehow - even if you don't like the main character, you want to see him succeed. It is a very odd world, I think it is set in our future, thousand of years later. They talk about Shakespeare, Aristole, Socrates and Jesu (Jesus)

By the end of the book, I was wanting the book not so much not to end, but was wishing the second one was out so I could see what happened next. If you have a chance to pick up this book, do so, but be prepared for a disturbing experiance of reading about an anti hero for much of the book.

View all my reviews

Friday, August 26, 2011

Mary Victoria - Chronicle of the Tree


This is a brilliant series - full of wild imagination, lyrical words and fantastic adventure! A journey that is recommended for all!
Book 1

The World Tree rises up out of the seething clouds like a green mountain. All creation nestles in its green branches. There is no world besides this one ... or so the people believe.
Tymon grows up at Argos seminary in the lush heart of the Central Canopy, where science is a heretical pursuit and travel beyond the Tree is banned. But he yearns to break free of these rules and discover new horizons. When he meets a despised Nurian slave in the city baths, his dreams of freedom take on a completely different meaning.
Banished to a drought-ridden colony, Tymon falls in with a group of Nurian rebels and finds himself facing difficult choices. Fighting for freedom and power is not so enticing when it may mean betraying his own people and severing all ties to the world he knows ...
           Book 2  
Tymon leaves his new home and his beloved Samiha to complete his Grafting studies with the famous Oracle of Nur. But Tymon and fellow traveller Jedda find that locating the Oracle in a corrupt and lawless city run by pirates and slave-drivers is no easy matter.
Samiha′s fate has been predicted by Grafters down the ages. When she is captured in Cherk Harbour and charged with grand heresy, there seems to be no way out ... but Tymon does not believe in fate and is desperate to save her lift.
As chaos hums through the Tree, survival revolves on the fate of just one ...
Book 3DUE OCTOBER 2011
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS


Sunday, August 21, 2011

Book Review - Lola's Secret - Monica McInerney ARC

Magic can happen in every family
 At the Valley View Motel in South Australia's picturesque Clare Valley, eighty-four-year-old Lola Quinlan is up to her usual mischief. She's sent her family away for Christmas and invited a number of mystery guests to come and stay. But who are all these people, and why aren't they spending the festive season with their own loved ones?
 As the big day draws closer and Lola's personal family dramas threaten to unravel her plans, she discovers that at a special time of year, magic can happen in every family – especially your own.
 From the bestselling author of At Home with the Templetons comes a funny, sad and moving novel about memories and moments and the very meaning of life.

This book is the sequal to Monica's Alphabet Sisters.
DUE 3rd Oct 2011
ISBN: 9781921518751
The story picks up approx five years after the events of Alphabet Sisters. Lola Quinn, great gran, grandmother and mother is the main character of this novel. Lola hasn't changed, her clothing is still wild as ever, her nature is straightforward and to the point. Lola is involved with tracking down and old friend, dealing with interferring busybodies (herself included), heartbreak, and family troubles.
The author has written a wonderful story with engaging characters and a fantastic storyline. We see more of Lola's history and we are also introduced to the way we as humans have to let go of grief and move on and the consquences of doing that. We also see how one person can affect the lives of so many and can influence them to greater things. I must admit I needed tissues at certain points through the novel and I love how Monica can make the characters so alive that they feel so real. 

If you get a chance to, read Alphabet Sisters first then go onto this one or you will miss out on a great deal of back story. Lola's Secret is highly recommened and I really enjoyed this book.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Our day with Tony Park!

Yesterday at 3:30 we had Tony Park in for a signing. The first thing we noticed was that he was very tall. The second was that he was super nice. Tony and his publicist Jace, came early while I was just finishing setting up the signing table. 

A few of Tony's fans came to see him and get their books signed and to get pictures :D


Tony and I had a good chat about Africa, his travels, animals, cultural differences and it was extremely fasinating. We could of done with a few more people showing up but we broke Tony's instore signing record (so he said, I doubt that though hahaha) He said that when you are in South Africa, you could be in Australia. They have Gum Tree plantations and the climate is similar. One of the main differences is the fact they have lions, rhinos, and other wild beasties we don't.
A very good talker and South Africa is such an interesting topic that is close to Tony's heart. One question I asked him was, "Do you draw inspritation from Africa?" and Tony said that he would never run out of inspiriation with Africa as a subject. Ideas abound from that land and he will never be at a loss for stories. 




We really enjoyed our time with Tony and Jace, whom I had a great talk to about different things. Both were lovely men and we hope to have Tony in the store again.
We have instore signed copies of Tony's books for anyone who couldn't make it to the signing. If you want to know more about Tony, then you can head over to his website or to the Pan Macmillan site here

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Author Signing August 18th 2011 - Tony Park

 
Tony Park, author of novels such as African Sky, Ivory, Safari, The Delta, 
Silent Predator and now African Dawn - is Australia's Wilbur Smith and Beverly Harper. Brilliantly written, his stories are based in the wilds of Africa and they make you feel as if you are there.

We are proud to have Tony Park in for a book signing to celebrate the release of his new novel 'African Dawn' which is due for release in August. If you love a great adventure novel then don't look any further! Tony will have the book for you. A great father's gift or any type of gift as you will be able to get it personally signed by Tony himself.  
The signing starts at 3.30pm Thursday 18th August (Tomorrow) We hope to see you there!! If you can't make it for any reason or live interstate but would like to have a signed book, then give us a call on (08)8277-8857 and we can arrange for payment and postage for you.
Tony was born in Australia and grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney. He has worked as a newspaper reporter in Australia and England, a government press secretary, a public relations consultant, and a freelance writer. He is also a major in the Australian Army Reserve and served six months in Afghanistan in 2002 as the public affairs officer for the Australian ground forces. 


Thursday, August 11, 2011

Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor - Part 1

Fun with Thornspell - Helen Lowe


Author Helen Lowe, is running a "Fun with Thornspell" feature every Thursday until 1 September, giving readers the opportunity to comment on a Thornspell character they would like to have a spin off short story written about —plus there's 3 x hard cover copies of the book for giveaway to school libraries. Today Helen introduces the 3 judges who will select the winning character/comment — as well as talking about the genesis of the belvedere in the Thornspell story and the importance of place in her writing. You can find out more here.
 
This is a great giveaway you should all go and defnitatly have a look!

Book Review - Jaded - Anya Bast

JadedJaded by Anya Bast

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The cover of this book is beautiful. I love Anya Bast's novels and this one didn't dissapoint. It is a lighter read than some of her others, but the story structure flows really well. The sex scenes were good and the whole tone of the book screamed colours in my head. Lilya is a good character and Byron and Alek are an interesting match. All in all, I enjoyed it.


View all my reviews

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society, #2)Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I had a lot of trouble with this book. I loved the first one and breezed through it. Now I'm not sure just how much of my trouble was with the fact I was sick or what, but it just felt that the author ran out of steam. The first book was fresh and action packed. This one was a lot of talking. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it and will read the 3rd when it comes out, I just felt that the author didn't really know where she was going with this book. There was a lot of character development and you learnt about the histories of some major players, but I didn't enjoy reading this one as much as the first.

View all my reviews
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