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Welcome to our special edition of ‘All About eBook’ for Winter 2020. This season’s reading suggestion guide is a little different than our past ‘All About Books’ guides. The focus for this special edition is our amazing range of titles in our online library. There are eBooks, eAudios, eMagazines and much much more. Many of the titles featured in the guide also have print versions available so don’t forget to ‘click and collect’ your favourites. The ever popular staff picks section and most popular eLoans are also inside this issue. Stay safe and happy reading!
This July, I am going to be exploring some of the thriller titles I have been steadily adding to my TBR pile over the last few months.
I don’t tend to read thriller books all the time, rather I have spurts when I read a few, then don’t pick up another one for six months. Coincidently it always seems like it is around the middle of the year, maybe it is the colder weather!
By no means do I consider myself an expert in recommending thriller titles, so while I have listed some titles I am looking forward to reading. I also enlisted the help of some of our Library’s resident ‘thriller’ aficionados! who have kindly contributed some of their all-time-favourite titles.
I am sure there will be something for everyone to read, from first timers to hard-core fans!
Not that we need an excuse to talk about books, because frankly it is one of our favourite pastimes.
Because this week is ‘Refugee Week’, we thought we would share with you some stories we have enjoyed reading, in the hope you will find a one that inspires you and at the same time raise awareness to the many issues affecting refugees today.
If you find a book you love among our suggestions; make sure you share it with your reading buddies!
The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do – In this long standing popular memoir Anh Do shares his story. Anh Do, a comedian, artist (see ABC TV ‘Anh’s brush with fame) and a writer has made great contribution to Australia.
Yassmin’s story by Yassimin Abdel-Magied – Sudanese-Australian media presenter and writer, who had an early career as a mechanical engineer. She was named Young Queenslander of the year in 2010 and Queensland Australian of the Year in 2015 for her engagement in community work.
Journey of a Thousands storms by Kooshyar Karimi – The title page states that “One man’s remarkable story of fleeing persecution in Iran, fighting to keep his young family alive as refugees in Turkey, and becoming a successful doctor in suburban Australia”.
Rescue: refugees and the political crisis of our time by David Miliband – With compassion and clarity, David Miliband shows us why we should care and how we can make a difference. He takes us from war zones in the Middle East to the heart of Europe to explain the crisis and show what can be done, not just by governments with the power to change policy but by citizens with the urge to change lives. A book of a much bigger picture beyond each individual but looks into the humanity and innovation ways to deal with refugee crisis.
http://libcat.parracity.nsw.gov.au/client/en_AU/default/search/results?qu=No+friend+but+the+mountain+behrouz&te=No Friend but the Mountain: writing from Manus Prison by Behrouz Boochani – In 2013, Kurdish journalist Behrouz Boochani was illegally and indefinitely detained on Manus Island. This book is the result. Written on a smuggled mobile phone and translated from Farsi, it is a voice of witness, an act of survival. A lyric first-hand account. A cry of resistance. A vivid portrait through six years of incarceration and exile that – against all the odds – became an award-winning national bestseller.
Over the last month, myself and my colleague Sarah have been super busy reading!
What have we been reading? Well, as many books on the ‘Miles Franklin’ longlist that we could manage! Not to mention our leisure reading and book club titles. Luckily we both love books and reading; although Sarah is by far the superior reader. I am constantly in awe of her seemingly endless list of books she has finished.
Now back to the ‘Miles Franklin’ longlist. While we didn’t get through the whole longlist, we did manage to read six out of ten titles, which I think is not a bad effort.
We read:
The White Girl by Tony Birch, UQP, 2019. eBook – eAudiobook – This made me cry! In a good way. I was totally invested in Odette and Sissy’s story. If I am honest I would have read another two hundred pages. Jody
Room For A Stranger by Melanie Cheng, Text Publishing, 2019. eBook – eAudiobook – Meg is an elderly lady living alone in her childhood home. After a break-in she finds a student to share her house. This is Andy, an international student from Hong Kong. Although they are from different backgrounds they develop a friendship as they do have some things in common. Sarah
Islands by Peggy Frew, Allend & Unwin, 2019. eBook – eAudiobook – The many different layers/perspectives in this book did confuse me a times; enough so that I did find myself re-reading parts. However, overall I did enjoy the book and after finishing it, felt that on some level the way it was written perfectly matched the disjointed lives of the characters. Jody
Exploded View by Carrie Tiffany, Text Publishing, 2020. eBook – This book had the power to mess with my head! The narrator of this book is a teenage girl living with her mother, brother and a dangerous man. She uses her mechanical skill to fight back. I found this book quite disturbing. Sarah
The Yield by Tara June Winch, Hamish Hamilton, 2019. eBook – eAudiobook – Simply a perfect book! I enjoy reading books about Australian History, particularly Indigenous stories. ‘The Yield’ is complex and emotional book, with characters that will stay with you long after you finish reading their story. – Jody
The Weekend by Charlotte Wood, Allen & Unwin, 2019. eBook – eAudiobook – Four women in their 70s have been lifelong friends. After the death of one of the group the others spend a weekend at her beach house to clean it out. But there is conflict between the three ladies without the friend that held the group together. This novel looks at growing older and dealing with past regrets. – Sarah
We are crossing our fingers that our three favourite books, ‘The White Girl’ by Tony Birch, ‘The Yield’ by Tara June Winch and ‘Room for a Stranger’ by Melanie Cheng make it onto the 2020 ‘Miles Franklin Shortlist’.
Do you have a favourite? What will be your pick for the 2020 Winner?
If you, like me are preparing for a long weekend of reading, you might be interested to check out the list of awesome books I will be picking from this June long weekend. You will find some new releases and old favourites.
I might not even finish reading one book, I have an embroidery project to work on too, but I will definitely enjoy browsing through them all! I might even add more to the list, once I start browsing our eBook collection.
I recently discovered, I have become just a little bit addicted to scrolling through all the pretty eBook covers. I discovered two new authors this way, Annie Lyons and Sarah Bennett.
