The coming author talk we’ll see Bruce Venables. He’s going to talk about his new release Scattered Monkeys. Continue reading
Category Archives: Australian Authors
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
War. It is 1939, Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. By her brother’s graveside, Liesel Meminger’s life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is “The Gravedigger’s Handbook”, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her foster father, learns to read. Soon, she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor’s wife’s library, wherever there are books to be found. But these are dangerous times. When Liesel’s foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel’s world is both opened up, and closed down. “The Book Thief” is a story about the power of words and the ability of books to feed the soul. In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author, Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.
Group Comments
Written by Death, one reader liked his character- compassionate, witty and not utterly bleak.
Very impressive – so well written that I couldn’t put it down – very rich in texture. Continue reading
The Lost Child by Suzanne McCourt
Sylvie is five. It’s the 1950’s and she lives in Burley Point, a fishing village south of the Coorong on Australia’s wild southern coast. She worships her older brother Dunc. She tries to make sense of her brooding mother, and her moody father who abandons the family to visit The Trollop, Layle Lewis, who lives across the lagoon. It’s hard to keep secrets in a small town, but when Dunc goes missing, Sylvie is terrified that she is the cause.
This is Suzanne McCourt’s first novel and what a great book it was. I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. This is the book I am going to tell everyone they MUST read. 5 out of 5 stars. Jody
Winter Writers’ Forum
Ever wondering how a write comes up with his/her first idea to write what eventually might become a bestseller book? Or how do they decide a genre that they want to write about? How much talent one has to have then one can write a book and get it published? Continue reading
2014 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards
Michelle De Kretser’s book – Questions of Travel was awarded three prizes:
Book of the Year ($10,000)
Christina Stead Prize for Fiction ($40,000)
Community Relations Commission Award for a Multicultural NSW Award $20,000) – joint winner
People’s Choice: The Railwayman’s Wife, Ashley Hay (Allen & Unwin)
