Our latest reviews

Alzheimer's: A Love Story: Vivienne Ulman

Reviewed by Jo Case, Editor of Readings Monthly

In this beautifully written,bittersweet memoir, VivienneUlman tells the story of thegradual loss of her mother toAlzheimer’s. It’s the kind ofstory that will no doubt betold increasingly frequently; atale of the so-called sandwichgeneration – people who have just completedthe most arduous…

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The 10 Rules of Rock and Roll: Robert Forster

Reviewed by Dimitri Gonis, freelance reviewer

The 10 Rules of Rock and Rollis a retrospective journey intopopular music: a musicalendoscopy which coversalmost the whole gamut ofthe art and its genres. Fromthe juvenescent to thegeriatric; from the coy to thecamp; from Delta Goodrem and KaseyChambers, to…

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The Seeing Stick: Jane Yolen and Daniela Tereazini

Reviewed by Leanne Hall, Readings Carlton

This is one of the most beautiful picture books I have ever seen. The Seeing Stick is a re-telling of an old Chinese story by Jane Yolen, who is sometimes described as the ‘American Hans Christian Anderson.’

The Emperor offers…

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Vivi Finds Bean: Vanessa Holle

Reviewed by Leanne Hall, Readings Carlton

When Vivi from Hamburg decides to visit her godmother Bean in Sydney, she chooses the most unusual methods of transport. The intrepid Vivi travels over land and water by camel, whale, turtle and goat. When she finally arrives in Sydney…

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Specky Magee and the Battle of the Young Guns: Felice Arena and Garry Lyon

Reviewed by Felix Wilkins, Grade 4, Kingsville Primary School.

The latest book in the best series I have ever read has gotta be good. And it is.

Specky has to deal with playing under-15s footy for Victoria. But with big obstacles like failing a maths test, not being able…

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Get Her Off the Pitch: Lynne Truss

Reviewed by Vicky Booth, CAE Book Groups

Lynne Truss, best known here as the author of punctuation bible Eats, Shoots and Leaves, has had a distinguished career in the UK as a literary editor and journalist. Her new book is about a surprising detour her career…

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Labour Day: Joyce Maynard

Reviewed by Annie Condon, freelance reviewer

Labour Day is a warm-hearted novel by the writer best known for At Home in the World, the memoir of her life and affair with reclusive author J.D. Salinger.

Labour Day is set in 1987 and narrated by 13-year-old…

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Generation A: Douglas Coupland

Reviewed by Laurie Steed, freelance reviewer

Five bees sting five people: Harj in Sri Lanka, Zack in North America, Diana in Canada, Samantha in New Zealand and Julien in Paris. In their worlds, bee stings are no longer commonplace; bees are nearly extinct and are treated…

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The Confessions of Edward Day: Valerie Martin

Reviewed by Samarra Hyde, Team Leader of CAE Book Groups

Valerie Martin is the Orange Prize-winning author of Property, and the author of three collections of short fiction and nine novels. The Confessions of Edward Day is written as the fictional memoir of actor Edward Day. Set in 1970s New…

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Legend of a Suicide: David Vann

Reviewed by Jason Austin, Readings Carlton

Legend of a Suicide, which seems to be loosely based on the author’s own father’s death, wasn’t going to be a joyous read – but David Vann has crafted this tragic event into a beautifully melancholic collection of five…

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