Eva Reddy's 50th birthday isn't going well: She got fired, got a Facebook message saying her husband was cheating, and then got told her parents decidEva Reddy's 50th birthday isn't going well: She got fired, got a Facebook message saying her husband was cheating, and then got told her parents decided to depart their tour of India and the only clue to their whereabouts was her mother's new Tiktok account. Desperate to escape the situation at home Eva flies to India determined to find her parents and bring them home. In the chaos of Delhi, and with very few clues, Eva is about to find out who she really wants to be!
This is an Australian menopausal 'Eat, Pray, Love' with humour and heart. Eva is a voice for every woman who might feel that they have put their own needs and wants aside for their husbands and children for so long they no longer remember who they dreamed of becoming. With lots of references to 80s and 90s pop culture this is a book for millennial and gen-X readers who will get a trip down memory lane as well as a fun story. But for readers of a younger age (or from other countries) there is a glossary of Eva's pop-culture references at the back of the book, along with a question guide for book club discussions.
With echoes of Sleeping Beauty being locked away from the world for 100 years, a distinctly Australian setting, and a modern take on happily-ever-aft With echoes of Sleeping Beauty being locked away from the world for 100 years, a distinctly Australian setting, and a modern take on happily-ever-after Thoroughly Disenchanted is a cosy Australian take on fairy-tale romance. In 1921, Gen, Oliver, Fionn and Henry went for a weekend stay at Riverswood manor. For them it was a celebration and a goodbye to mark the end of their university days and the start of their adult lives. Henry is eagerly looking forward to marriage with his sweetheart. Fionn is a conflicted gay man who is being asked to conform to family pressures. Henry has all but given up on his unrequited feelings for Gen and is nervously determined to make a start on his career in India. Gen is determined to escape the confines of social expectations and make a new start in Europe where she would be allowed to be more than just a dutiful daughter or faithful wife. A séance and an unexpected tryst later have an unexpected magical result: A century later Gen and Oliver are still living in Riverswood - trapped and eternally youthful and very thoroughly sick of each other! The arrival of Ella at their door one stormy night might be the key to freedom, but only if they can wade through the past first. This is absolute in the cosy fantasy end of the spectrum and if you enjoyed "Legends & Lattes" by Baldree or "The Spell Shop" by Durst or "The Teller of Small Fortunes" by Leong this book should be on your radar. There were a few moments when the plot meandered a little which caused me frustration but this is the first book by Alexandra Almond and overall I enjoyed premise and execution. Placing the story in rural Australia gave if a unique style that is hard to find in fantasy (where even Australian authors often choose traditional European or American settings - I don't know if this is driven by traditional fantasy imagery or marketing?). I want to see where Almond will take us next. This book could be self contained or we might get further adventures of Gen, Ella, Oliver and Fionn, either way I am here for the magic....more
Arbuthnot (Arbie) Swift is a self admitted layabout. Recently graduated from Oxford and desperate not to have to get a real job has led him to write tArbuthnot (Arbie) Swift is a self admitted layabout. Recently graduated from Oxford and desperate not to have to get a real job has led him to write the book ‘A Gentleman’s Guide to Ghost Hunting’ - part travel guide, part ghost hunt - has brought unexpected success but also brings trouble to his door when an elderly neighbour wants him to investigate a haunting! There’s murder in the air and Arbie’s old school nemesis Val isn’t going to let him have all the fun of playing detective. With a 1920’s Agatha Christie style and lots of red herrings this the type of cosy crime I love: Murder and mystery without gore and with just a touch of spookiness.
This is a locked room mystery with suspects galore, each with a motive. The trick is working out who-dun-it before Arbie and Val get there (I admit I did not). The 1920s setting gives Christie vibes and the charming Cotswolds locale makes this a bit Midsummer Murders - come for the mystery, stay for the scenery....more
A fun fantasy romance set in a magical 1850's London. If you loved Mary Poppins, don't mind a bit of anachronistic language, enjoy a cinnamon roll, neA fun fantasy romance set in a magical 1850's London. If you loved Mary Poppins, don't mind a bit of anachronistic language, enjoy a cinnamon roll, neuro-spicy hero, and want a happily ever after with the promise of more stories set in a magical world then this one is for you. It doesn't pretend to be historically accurate but takes the reader on a delightfully silly, romantic and imaginative story. Mrs Emmeline Chase is a widow hoping to secure a governess position that will pay well enough for her to pay down her father's debts (incurred by her brother and husband) and get him out of debtor's prison. To do so she needs to be the perfect graduate from the Parasol Academy for Exceptional Nannies and Governesses. She has memorised the Handbook and gives it her all, but she is a tad accident prone and on her way to an important job interview accidentally tel-ley-ports to the roof of the Duke of St Lawrence's London house! As it happens the Duke is in need of a Nanny for his young, recently orphaned cousins. With an important clock design competition dead-line fast approaching, mysterious happenings in the Duke's household, and rumours questioning his fitness for his role the Duke needs Emmeline to help him with more than just the children!
I hope the author continues the series and builds more of this magical, historical world. I like that the darker side of the Victorian isn't ignored with the real risks of debt, disgrace and survival common people faced being somewhat addressed (unlike what you see in romances like Bridgerton where the only real problem most of the characters face is social rebuke). Of course this is mostly a fluffy romantic fantasy and for the most part will leave you wanting to watch Mary Poppins! It also reminded me of a gentler version of Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series but without the steampunk elements....more
This picture storybook manages to be funny, infuriating and educational all at once! AND I LOVE IT!! Cartoonist Eleri Harris tells the story of the firThis picture storybook manages to be funny, infuriating and educational all at once! AND I LOVE IT!! Cartoonist Eleri Harris tells the story of the first female parliamentarian's fight for a spot to pee in the boy's club that was the Federal Parliament of Australia. In 1943 Enid Lyons MP and Senator Dorothy Tangney became Australia's first women to be elected to Federal Parliament. Treated with disdain by the men, these two ladies from different sides of politics found they had many common experiences, not the least of which was the absolute absence of women's toilets! Other women who worked in the building as secretaries, telephonists, or cleaners, had been putting up with the lack of loos for many years often having to go home at lunch, walk to other buildings, or sneak into the visitor's toilets on the ground floor in order to relieve themselves. But Lyons and Tangney refused to be treated as anything but equals and instead developed a code that would be employed by the women of parliament house for the next 30 YEARS! Putting their shoes outside the loo to indicate they were currently in use by a woman.
This story is entertainingly told and Harris' illustrations and humour turn history, women's rights and Australian politics into a topic any reader will want to know more about! It can be easy to forget how recently women were second-class citizens and how far we have come in the last 80 years. Recommended for everyone from Primary school age upwards. I certainly learnt a few things from this story!...more
If you can get past the author's deep seated misogyny I am sure this is a beautifully written story. I can not. It is a pity that most of the other maIf you can get past the author's deep seated misogyny I am sure this is a beautifully written story. I can not. It is a pity that most of the other male characters were not also murdered. It might well be a reflection of the times the story is set in - It was written in the 80's so don't try to say it was a reflection of the author's time - but I am reliably informed that every book written by Marquez has undertones (some overt, some more subtle) of misogyny / paedophilia / women as objects of possession and control. I cannot put aside those themes no matter how "beautiful" the writing....more
While I didn't love the main character she did grow on me. But damn girl, you an alcoholic! The plot was pacey and I liked that Tanz didn't immediatelWhile I didn't love the main character she did grow on me. But damn girl, you an alcoholic! The plot was pacey and I liked that Tanz didn't immediately jump from sceptic to embracing her gift. The supporting characters were individual enough to stand out. I especially liked that the love interest wasn't a "forever" plotline but a fun for now / sex is fun / we each have lives and goals that won't work together but now is great situationship. I am getting book 2 ASAP...more