Category Archives: Mystery & Crime

Big Bang Books!

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Titles that have been hugely popular in the last ten to twenty years.

As August fast approaches, I have to admit to being completely behind in my blog posts. Will you accept that the current COVID situation has thrown things in the library world into chaos?

City of Parramatta Libraries is temporary closed and my colleagues and I are busy coming up with ideas to keep you all engaged online; all from the comfort or maybe chaos of our own homes.

As always I am finding it hard to concentrate on one book long enough to finish it and have almost given up hope that I will actually read a title related to our monthly reading themes. I am blaming the fact that I spend way too much time researching great titles to recommend that I overload on them and can’t even think about possibly reading one.

My colleague Michelle and I both failed in our attempts to actually finish ‘Wolf Hall’ by Hilary Mantel for the umpteen time, and lets not even mention July’s ‘memorable memoirs’. I am hoping to have better luck with August’s theme of ‘big bang’ books.

In saying all of that, we have managed to put our heads together and come up with our picks for books that have made a big splash over the last ten years.

Happy reading

Jody

P.S.

If you would like to stay up-to-date with all the books we are reading, why not become our friend on Goodreads.

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Staff Picks What We Read in May

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Wow! May certainly was a great month for reading.

In fact, our lunch room has been abuzz with all the book talk. Each one of us eager to share with the other what amazing book we have been reading. The upside of all our book discussions is we then get to share with you our fellow readers just what books have caught our attention this month.

It is our hopes you will then share with your book buddies, enabling every one of your book loving friends to have an endless supply of good books to get lost in over the coming colder months.

So, what have we been reading over the last month? We have listed them below for you to browse and find your next great read!

Recommended Reading

Sistersong by Lucy Holland (Fiction) – I absolutely adored this book! The perfect mix of British folklore and fantasy. Beautifully written, and at times heartbreaking, Lucy Holland manages to weave a brilliant story web that keeps you ensnared until the very last word has been read! (Jody)

The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni (Book 1) – Young adult fantasy at its best! (Jody)

Life’s Too Short (Friend Zone, 3) by Abby Jimenez – Amazing! Definitely my favourite book in the series. (Kate)

The Disappearance of Stephanie Mailer by Joel Dicker

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

The Solstice Countdown by Lisa Shearin – The 7th book in the urban fantasy SPI Files series featuring seer Makenna Fraser and her goblin dark mage partner Rake Danescu protecting the world from evil – great continuation of the series.

Heartsick, three stories about love and loss, and what happens in between by Jessie Stephens

The Fix, how to overcome the invisible barriers that are holding women back at work by Michelle P. King

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

Thrilling April Reads

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Wow! What a month of books. I really enjoyed reading, ‘Peace‘ by Garry Disher, ‘You Don’t Know Me‘ by Sara Foster and ‘The Ruin‘ by Dervla McTiernan. All very different, but great thriller/crime reads.

If you were looking for a light easy read, then my recommendation would be ‘Peace‘ by Garry Disher. Constable Paul ‘Hirsch’ Hirschhausen, was such a likeable character and while this was the second book in a series of books about Paul Hirschhausen, ‘Peace’ can definitely be read as a standalone. The dry Australian outback and the problems that plague that environment and its people, is something I never tire reading about. ‘Peace’ is the second book in the Paul Hirschhausen series of books. ‘Bitter Wash Road‘ (book one), ‘Consolation‘ (book three).

Anyone, who is a regular reader of Parra Reads will know that Sara Foster is one of my all-time favourite writers. All her books seem to have the perfect mix of great settings, likeable characters, and enough mystery to keep you guessing. If you haven’t read any of Sara Foster’s books, ‘You Don’t Know Me’ is a good one to start with.

‘The Ruin‘ by Dervla McTiernan is an awesome thriller set in Ireland. I don’t know if it was the setting, the characters or the mystery that caught my attention the most. Maybe it was the masterful way in which Dervla McTiernan mixed them together to create a brilliant crime read. I think I might classify this as my first real crime thriller read. The depth the author has devoted to the setting and character building really sets it apart from other books in the same genre. I can’t wait to read the next two books in the series.

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Podcast Thriller & Crime Fiction

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Thrillers and crime fiction are genres of writing that fascinate the reader through the depiction of danger, of darkness, of suspense and anxiety that surrounds the criminal or crime-related events described in the story.

Join Nisa and Bryony as they discuss some books that fall neatly and not-so-neatly within the overlapping boundaries of these genres.

  • Andrea Bartz, Ballantine Books, 2020
  • Jessica More, Penguin, 2020
  • Step Cha, Faber & Faber, 2019
  • Jane Healey, Mantle, 2020

LISTEN NOW!

All About Books Autumn 2021

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Welcome to the somewhat belated Autumn edition of our reading suggestions guide. Just like our previous editions this one is packed full of an amazing array of titles being published for adults and teens this Season. There is sure to be something for everyone regardless of their reading tastes with fiction, non fiction, young adult, debut authors and our ever popular staff picks to choose from.

Printed copies will soon be at your local branch of the City of Parramatta Libraries or for those who can’t wait simply download your copy now and reserve titles that grab your attention by clicking on the book cover. Don’t forget to check out the news of our upcoming online author talks including a very special 1960s inspired ‘watch at the library’ event.
As always Happy Reading!