Parramatta Library was very proud to host best selling author Paige Toon at Parramatta Town Hall on Tuesday 30th April. Paige was in Sydney to promote her new book If You Could Go Anywhere and have a chat with one of our wonderful librarians all whilst enjoying a sumptuous high tea. A lot of fun was had by all and many books sold – we were very grateful to Penguin Random House for giving us the opportunity to host an author talk with Paige who was a dynamic and engaging speaker. Her many fans brought or bought books for her to sign and commented how much they enjoyed the event and meeting one of their favourite authors. Paige was happy to answer our favourite question – Why do you love libraries?
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y89eFIKMfU&w=560&h=315]
Podcast Sydney Writers’ Festival
Parra Pods – Episode 12 Sydney Writer’s Festival
Join Katherine & Nisa as they discuss some amazing books and writers featured at this years Sydney Writers’ Festival.
All of the titles are the works of vibrant and diverse young voices. These works explore issues such as “black lives matter”, the experience of an elite athlete and addiction, the transgender experience set within re-imagined historical fiction, and the unique perspective of a member of a famous and tragic political family.
Happy Listening
Some of the books discussed Podcast include:
Godspeed: A Memoir by Casey Legler
Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei- Brenyah
Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg
The Runaways by Fatima Bhutto
Reference Collection
There are ready answers in the libraries and we call them reference, such as encyclopedia and dictionaries etc. What’s in the libraries are printed books that you can see. However, there are more easy access and even interactive resources available electronically. Krupali, one of our librarians, is going to tell you more about this collection.
Book Review: Nine Perfect Strangers
Summary
The retreat at health and wellness resort Tranquillum House promises total transformation. Nine stressed city dwellers are keen to drop their literal and mental baggage, and absorb the meditative ambience while enjoying their hot stone massages.
Watching over them is the resort’s director, a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired bodies and minds.
These nine perfect strangers have no idea what is about to hit them.
With her wit, compassion and uncanny understanding of human behaviour, Liane Moriarty explores the depth of connection that can be formed when people are thrown together in… unconventional circumstances.
Comments
While some of our readers liked this book, the majority felt this one fell a little flat unfortunately.
We were looking forward to this read, considering we loved ‘Big Little Lies’ and ‘The Husband’s Secret’ amongst her others, but were left a little disappointed.
We found it a very slow start and a bit repetitive with some characters hard to engage.
For those of us who did enjoy this book, they likened it to a good holiday, on-the-beach read.
Read By
Cultcha Club 6/10
Book Review: Working Class Boy
Book Summary
The time I have spent writing this book has caused me a lot of pain. Sometimes because of what I have remembered about my childhood and sometimes because of what I couldn’t remember. It is funny how your mind blocks things out when those things can hurt you. There are a lot of things I wish I didn’t remember…
A household name, an Australian rock icon, the elder statesman of Ozrock – there isn’t an accolade or cliche that doesn’t apply to Jimmy Barnes. But long before Cold Chisel and Barnesy, long before the tall tales of success and excess, there was the true story of James Dixon Swan – a working class boy whose family made the journey from Scotland to Australia in search of a better life.
Working Class Boy is a powerful reflection on a traumatic and violent childhood, which fuelled the excess and recklessness that would define, but almost destroy, the rock’n’roll legend. This is the story of how James Swan became Jimmy Barnes. It is a memoir burning with the frustration and frenetic energy of teenage sex, drugs, violence and ambition for more than what you have.
Raw, gritty, compassionate, surprising and darkly funny – Jimmy Barnes’s childhood memoir is at once the story of migrant dreams fulfilled and dashed. Arriving in Australia in the Summer of 1962, things went from bad to worse for the Swan family – Dot, Jim and their six kids. The scramble to manage in the tough northern suburbs of Adelaide in the 60s would take its toll on the Swans as dwindling money, too much alcohol, and fraying tempers gave way to violence and despair. This is the story a family’s collapse, but also a young boy’s dream to escape the misery of the suburbs with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to join a rock’n’roll band and get out of town for good.
Comments
This Book gives the reader a warts and all insight into the lives of the poor and underprivileged in our country and the resilience of those like Jimmy Barnes who overcome their circumstances. This could be a depressing read but Jimmy’s sense of humour shines through.
After several attempts to document his early life as a ten pound Pom who arrived in Elizabeth in South Australia as a pre-schooler, until he left home at seventeen, he finally managed to tell his amazing story.
This is more than an autobiography; for Jimmy it was a therapeutic journey through very hard times. He has included several pages of contact details for help and support organisations to encourage those who may need help.
Shocking but realistic true portrait of growing up in Glasgow, amazing survival & black humour!
Read By
Dundas Readers – 6/10