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Tomorrow When the War Began By John Marsden

If you’re a person who likes action and adventure, this is the series for you (if you don’t mind some gruesome descriptions).

At the beginning of the story the main characters are out camping. But when they return, they find the town to be invaded by enemy forces. Their parents and everyone in the town are thrown in a prisoner of war camp. They risk their lives sabotaging the enemy and evading capture.

The reason John Marsden is such a good writer is because his writing is suspenseful, action packed and full of adventure. So if you like action read this series.

Written by a young BPL patron

Book Review for: Duchess of Death: The Unauthorized Biography of Agatha Christie by Richard Hack

Phoenix Books, 2009, 823.912 ChrH

 The popularity of Agatha Christie more than a century after her birth tells us of the quality of her work.  But can anyone capture the same intrigue we would expect from one of her novels when writing about her life?  We are told that this unauthorized biography draws from over 5000 unpublished letters, notes and documents: a rather enticing tidbit of information before we even begin to read!  Richard Hack then begins his biography with his account of the most mysterious chapter of Agatha Christie’s life: her 11 day disappearance in 1926.  If only the whole of the book was as interesting!  But of course, as most lives don’t offer us a plot worthy of an Agatha Christie mystery, we must settle with reading the extraordinary – but not often exciting – story of her life.  Written like a novel, it is easy to read and the facts (which are abundantly given) usually flow quite well. The end of the book rather drags out in the same way that most lives tend to do, and yet it emphasizes the way that Agatha Christie never stopped working, and that she never gave in to her age! 

In the end, Richard Hack offers us an interpretation of Agatha Christie’s life that is easy to accept and a pleasure to read.  There is a hint of the mystery and intrigue that one would hope to find in an Agatha Christie tale, and many explanations (interpretations) of the events in her life.  He ends by discussing her home in Devonshire called “Greenway House” which was restored and opened to the public in February 2009. 

“To visit Greenway is to step back in time…There in the hall is the leather chest from Baghdad, worn from daily use, as is much of the house in general…It takes very little imagination to hear her reading still, for this house contains more than history.” (Pp.236-237). 

One wonders if his visit to Greenway House was what got him started on his biography in the first place, and one cannot help but entertain the idea – whether in fantasy or not – in order to truly complete the experience of Agatha Christie’s life history – of one day visiting the beautiful estate oneself!

Swimsuit by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Bestselling Author James Patterson has done it again.  Swimsuit is another spine-tingling thriller that keeps the reader wondering what will happen next. 

Kim, a swimsuit supermodel, disappears while on a photo shoot in Hawaii.  Her parents travel there to find out what has happened to their daughter and meet LA Times reporter Ben Hawkins.  He has been sent to Hawaii to write an article about the murder but finds himself conducting an investigation of his own.  While there, Ben is contacted by the kidnapper himself and given an opportunity that he can’t refuse…or die if he does.

James Patterson’s latest Serial Killer is both a genius and a psychopath who is a mastermind of unspeakable horrors.

“A Darkness Forged in Fire” by new Canadian author, Chris Evans, is a cross between traditional epic fantasy and military fiction, with enough elements of either one to appeal to readers of both.

PLOT SUMMARY: In an unforgiving world of brutal conflict—where musket and cannon, bow and arrow, magic and diplomacy are all weapons in the Calahrian Empire—there’s no denying that Konowa Swiftdragon, former commander of the Empire’s Iron Elves, could be looked upon as anything but ordinary. He’s murdered a Viceroy, been court-martialed, seen his beloved regiment disbanded, and finally been banished to the one place he despises the most—the forest. Now all he wants is to be left alone . . . but for Konowa, nothing is ever that simple.

A falling Red Star in the east heralds the return of magic long vanished from the earth, sparking a frantic race within the Empire to reach it first. Now Konowa is recalled to duty and asked to reform the Iron Elves—only the soldiers he gets aren’t quite what he was expecting. And worse, their key adversary to obtain the Star is none other than the dreaded Shadow Monarch—a legendary elf-witch whose machinations for absolute domination spread deeper than Konowa could ever imagine

“A Darkness Forged in Fire” is a clash of two different worlds. On one side you have elves, dwarves, orcs, wizards, dragons, powerful magic and other classic fantasy trappings that recall Terry Brooks and J.R.R. Tolkien. On the other side you have muskets, cannons, howitzers, military tactics, and so on, taken right out of a Bernard Cornwell Napoleonic epic. Besides the setting and military aspects, other strengths include the descriptive prose, the short chapters and quick pacing, imaginative flora/fauna and amusing wholesome laughs.

It may disappoint in a number of areas, most notably the plot, underdeveloped subplot, and a surprise twist at the end that is not very surprising.  Overall though,

“A Darkness Forged in Fire” is a solid first effort—a book that readers of fantasy can enjoy and that the author should be proud of—and the start to a series that should only get better…

http://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com/2008/07/darkness-forged-in-fire-by-chris-evans.html

Read my Heart : a Love Story in England’s age of Revolution by Jane Dunn.

Far from a paperback romance, this love story reads more like a historical novel, taking you on a ride through 17^th century England.  This is a tale of Sir William Temple and Dorothy Osborne’s persistent love affair – in a time when the ruling classes married strictly for money (and never for love!).  It offers the reader a revealing first person view into English society during a turbulent time in her history:  Using the few surviving letters written between these two lovers as the basis for her thesis, Dunn weaves fact and a certain amount of speculation into her heroic story.  The strength of her book lies in the details she includes in her descriptions of life at this time.  Whether discussing medicine and medical procedures, the fire of London, or the social habits of the politicians and other “great leaders” of the time, the author manages to entertain while she educates.  Her writing style is intelligent, yet easy to follow.

If you are looking for a steamy love-story, you will be disappointed, however if you are looking for an entertaining biography – and enjoy history, you should truly enjoy this book.

Staff member #1 said:

Canadian author Andrew Davidson’s debut novel The Gargoyle has been reviewed by many critics, all with varying opinions. After reading many harsh reviews, I still maintain that The Gargoyle is a great book. Davidson does a superb job creating a story that explores somewhat perverse human experiences in a truly innovative way. Although many readers detest the coarse tone of the prose, you have to remember that this is the tone of the narrator, not of the author. While this novel might not win the Pulitzer Prize, it is still an interesting read, and one very much worth taking time for.

Staff Member #2 said:

Much has been said about this book, from “This much-hyped book is eye-bulgingly atrocious, packed with medieval history to disguise prose that’s worse than your average Dungeons & Dragons blog” to “ within the last forty pages lie the most beautiful description of love that I have ever read”.  

The truth probably lies somewhere in between.  If I hadn’t had to read this book for book club, I wouldn’t have got past the accurate but vivid descriptions of the treatment of burns victims.  At the beginning of the book the main character is very unlikeable: a self-centered, misogynistic, coke-addicted porno star.  To the author’s credit, by the end I found myself hoping that he would find some sort of peace and acceptance of his situation.   Seven years of research are evident in the authenticity of historical and medical details. The storylines flow well and are easy to read despite a seven century timeline.  The most interesting parts of the book are the legends which the narrator’s sculptress saviour relates to him during his recovery.  In my opinion, Davidson labours the Heaven/Hell debate unnecessarily, and some of his descriptive passages are just cheesy!  The book can be summed up well as follows:

“A wild page-turner and a boldly impudent work that flirts with the trappings of gothic romances, historical novels and fantasies while skirting their clichés and remaining defiantly unique.”
— Edmonton Sun