Author Archives: Jody

Best reads of 2021!

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As we get closer to Christmas and the end of another year we thought it would be a great time to share our Best Reads of 2021!

2021 might not have been a good year under normal circumstances but it certainly turned out to be a great year for good books and we love nothing better than sharing our love of great books with everyone.

We have listed some of the best books we read in 2021 in the hopes you might find something enjoyable to read over the Christmas and summer break.

We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season filled with lots of great reads; which by coincidence can be found at your local City of Parramatta Library!

Happy reading.

Some of the great books we read in 2021….

Asking a librarian to limit their favourite book of the year to just one title is impossible! So we have decided to include every title we loved year. Download the complete uncut list now! Jam packed full of our 5/5 picks. Guaranteed to keep you busy way past Christmas and summer.

Best Reads of 2021 – Staff Picks

Book Review Force of Nature by Jane Harper

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Our MJ Readers book club enjoyed reading ‘Force of Nature‘ by Jane Harper this month. Read their thoughts below.

About the Book

Lost, Cold, Desperate … Danger Runs Deep

Five women reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking along the muddy track. Only four come out the other side.

The hike through the rugged Giralang Ranges is meant to take the office colleagues out of their air-conditioned comfort zone and teach resilience and team building. At least that is what the corporate retreat website advertises.

Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk has a particularly keen interest in the whereabouts of the missing bushwalker. Alice Russell is the whistleblower in his latest case – and Alice knew secrets. About the company she worked for and the people she worked with.

Far from the hike encouraging teamwork, the women tell Falk a tale of suspicion, violence and disintegrating trust. And as he delves into the disappearance, it seems some dangers may run far deeper than anyone knew. (from the publisher)

Comments

As with Jane Harper’s other novels, we felt that the environment was a central ‘character’ in this story. It was a menacing force that emphasised the dysfunctional relationships, frailties, jealousies and paranoia that each character displayed in some degree. We were drawn in by the story and it kept us guessing to the end. The conclusion was cleverly tied up and there was healing and understanding of how regrets from the past impacted each character and their ongoing relationships. Another enjoyable read.

Read by MJ Readers

The Hush by Sara Foster

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Sara Foster‘s latest novel, ‘The Hush‘ is one I have been eagerly awaiting from the moment it was announced!

After the long months of anticipation I finally got to experience the joy of walking into the book store & picking up my copy of ‘The Hush’. I eagerly read the blurb to find out what Sara Foster had in store for me this time around and boy was I super surprised and excited! I could instantly tell I would be in for a late night of reading.

Set in England, in the not too distant future ‘The Hush’ was action packed from the very start. After months of otherwise healthy babies being stillborn, the British government has introduced new laws which allow them to monitor a persons every move. Wrist watches are used to track peoples locations, pregnant teenage girls are disappearing without a trace and women’s freedoms are quickly becoming non existent.

For those readers who are long time fans of Sara Foster’s books prepare to be blown away! ‘The Hush’ is completely different from any of Sara’s previous books, but is totally brilliant and a story that is very relevant to our times. Who wouldn’t enjoy reading about strong, intelligent women who support each other and join together to stand up for their basic human rights. This is the women’s thriller we didn’t know we needed. I want more!

‘The Hush’ gets a rating of 5/5 from me. My only advice is read it slowly if you can because once you finish it you will wish you hadn’t.

Anyway enough gushing from me now. I am off to purchase some copies of Sara’s previous books to keep me satisfied while I wait the one or two years before I get to read a new one! I know it sounds crazy but re-reading books by authors you enjoy is so relaxing and enjoyable. I only wish I wouldn’t keep giving my copies away because I am so eager to share.

Happy reading,

Jody

P.S.

If you are wondering why I buy my books when I work in a library it is so our library members don’t have to wait longer for our new releases.

Book Review The Foundling by Stacey halls

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This month Dundas Library’s MJ Readers Book Club listened to their first eAudiobook, The Foundling by Stacey Halls.

The Foundling explores families, secrets, class, equality, power and the meaning of motherhood.

Two women from different worlds. And a secret that will change everything . . .

London, 1754. Six years after leaving her illegitimate daughter Clara at London’s Foundling Hospital, Bess Bright returns to reclaim the child she has never known. Dreading the worst – that Clara has died in care – the last thing she expects to hear is that her daughter has already been reclaimed – by her. Her life is turned upside down as she tries to find out who has taken her little girl – and why.

Less than a mile from Bess’ lodgings in the city, in a quiet, gloomy townhouse on the edge of London, a young widow has not left the house in a decade. When her close friend – an ambitious young doctor at the Foundling Hospital – persuades her to hire a nursemaid for her daughter, she is hesitant to welcome someone new into her home and her life. But her past is threatening to catch up with her and tear her carefully constructed world apart.

Comments

This was our first audiobook and we all enjoyed listening to it. The descriptive writing and characterisations were engaging with power, privilege, isolation, poverty, love and trauma as the key themes. As an example of historical fiction, we each responded differently to how the basic, factual framework was treated. Some felt that the ending in particular was improbable given the time and social mores, others enjoyed the ‘happy ending’, feeling that the characters had developed empathy and understanding. The story touched each of us and led to meaningful discussion.

Read by the MJ Readers Book Club

Book Review Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

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Below is another book review from our amazing, MJ Readers book club.

The MJ Readers are a dedicated group of readers who managed to stay connected and enjoy their books & discussions all the way through COVID lockdown. Well done MJ Readers, thank you for inspiring as all!

Now, down to the important business of learning what the MJ Readers thought about their most recent read ‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine‘ by Gail Honeyman.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Comments

Our group thoroughly enjoyed this book. It explored such an array of emotions. At the heart was loneliness and grief but there was also tolerance, understanding, empathy, kindness, love and acceptance. The mystery of Eleanor’s plight was gently unravelled and she grew and developed as her connections to others and their positive examples of family, love and commitment influenced her. The discovery and understanding of her past were devastating but we were left with a sense of hope for her and appreciation of how much loneliness creates a shell that can be so hard to break. It was also food for thought on how loneliness impacts people during these restricted times.