Here is the Beehive is a story of love and loss, of grief and heartache, and of deception and obsession. It is also told in verse which, to me, m2.5★s
Here is the Beehive is a story of love and loss, of grief and heartache, and of deception and obsession. It is also told in verse which, to me, made it rather disjointed and hard to follow.
Ana was shocked to receive a phone call from her lover’s wife, asking her to organize the will as her husband was dead. Connor and Ana had been having an affair for three years and although they last spoke only a few days prior, it was in anger. Now what would Ana do? She couldn’t come to terms with what Rebecca was telling her, but as no one knew about the affair (of course) Ana couldn’t talk to a soul.
Here is the Beehive is my first by author Sarah Crossan and while I can say her writing is evocative and unique, the characters weren’t. I found Ana to be selfish, self centred and just plain horrible. The story was a quick read – thankfully – but unless you’re a fan of the author, I can’t recommend this one. I must add that the cover is beautiful :)
With thanks to Bloomsbury for my uncorrected proof ARC to read in exchange for an honest review....more
Deeply and poignantly written, this mental health memoir in free-verse poetry, of the author’s life as a psychiatric nurse takes the reader from 4.5★s
Deeply and poignantly written, this mental health memoir in free-verse poetry, of the author’s life as a psychiatric nurse takes the reader from Frank’s days when he watched his parents head to work in the Mayday Hills Mental Asylum, through the tragic, heartrending years of life and death, and everything in between.
Humorous at times – “ask the pharmacist” he instructed “for a pair of fallopian tubes” – the author’s ability to have the reader “see” the circumstances; capture the essence in only a few words, is exceptional. Highly recommended.
With thanks to the author for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Magic! Aussie author Frank Prem’s Small Town Kid is written in verse, but it’s poetry as I’ve never read before (and I’ve never been a poetry person!)Magic! Aussie author Frank Prem’s Small Town Kid is written in verse, but it’s poetry as I’ve never read before (and I’ve never been a poetry person!) It brought back memories for me – the cracker night; the bonfires all around town; blowing up the teacher’s letterbox with a penny banger. I’m sure I got up to all the mischief Frank and his friends did!
Easter and the fete, with the ducks which went too fast and avoided the pellets to win a prize; the clowns which invited the balls into their mouths, again for a prize. And fairy floss and its sugary delight. The author tells it from his young age right through to adult and fatherhood; the fun, the mischief and the tragedies.
Frank Prem writes in a fascinating and intriguing style, capturing memories with ease. Small Town Kid is one I highly recommend.
With thanks to the author for my digital copy to read in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Outstanding! Aussie author Frank Prem’s Devil in the Wind is made up of the voices of survivors of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria, wherOutstanding! Aussie author Frank Prem’s Devil in the Wind is made up of the voices of survivors of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria, where 173 people perished, and complete townships were wiped off the map. Heartbreaking – as we know it was – the beautifully constructed verse took me back to those dreadful days where the firestorms were so fierce it seemed there was nothing anyone could do but watch and wait and hope...
I’m not normally a reader of poetry, but Devil in the Wind captured the essence of 7th February 2009 and the days and weeks afterwards, with eloquence and ease. Beautifully written, the author has given a human voice to those who matter. Highly recommended.
With thanks to the author for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Queensland based author David J Delaney has in this volume created a mix of poems and short stories to inspire and delight all readers.
From No LongerQueensland based author David J Delaney has in this volume created a mix of poems and short stories to inspire and delight all readers.
From No Longer Will They… on page 37 which tells of the school shooting tragedies and the lack of gun control in the US; the laugh out loud humour in Sea of Gold on page 43; The Cocky and Morrie on page 55 with the sweet triumph of revenge and justice served; the absolute delight of Mac and Jack on page 82 when youngsters “do the right thing” and are well rewarded in kind; through to Tony the Wog’s Mango Tree on page 94, a wonderful story of mischief, fear of being found out and what happens when the truth emerges.
There are many more sweet and powerful moments in this collection by internationally published Aussie author David J Delaney to enjoy, and enjoy them I did. David’s work is thought provoking, full of beauty and his love of nature shines through. He has drawn on his youth for inspiration, with the mischief and humour of his early years a highlight. I have no hesitation in recommending Another Chapter highly.
With thanks to the author for my copy to read and review. ...more
The author was born in Paddington, NSW, and raised both there and in Cootamundra. At the time of writing Gypsy Pie (2001) he was 62 years of age, a wrThe author was born in Paddington, NSW, and raised both there and in Cootamundra. At the time of writing Gypsy Pie (2001) he was 62 years of age, a writer and a poet. His father was Jewish and his mother a Romani gypsy. There are estimated to be around 20,000 people of gypsy origin living in Australia, and millions worldwide, with many well-known people, such as Elvis Presley, Henry Lawson, Barbara Cartland, Yul Brynner, Picasso, Charlie Chaplin and Ava Gardner to name a few, with Romani blood in their veins.
The first part of the book tells of Romano (Pie as he was known)’s first experience of “Jalling the Drom”. (Jalling is ‘going’, Drom is road, or way). Romano’s Dad organised with an elderly gypsy lady, Mrs Candelabra, or Bibi as he called her, for Romano to travel with her on a two month trip from Sydney to Wollongong through the bush, experiencing the way of life of the gypsy. He was thirteen years old, but a big, strong boy, though nervous and worried about leaving his parents, and perhaps never seeing them again. But as the journey continued, he fell in love with the way of life, the friendliness of everyone they met, and Bibi’s cooking! Their wagon was pulled by Vlaka, the faithful horse who had been with Bibi for years. Romano collected bottles, scrap metal, anything that could be sold or exchanged to keep them going.
This was a really enjoyable book, an interesting story of the Romani gypsies, and Romano’s life growing up. The poetry throughout the book is exquisite, but it blends with the narrative to form one story. There is a lot more in this book, but I won’t spoil it for anyone who’d like to pick it up. For anyone interested in gypsies, as well as Australian history, this quick, easy but delightful book is one to read. ...more
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