By The Book

Reviews by book lovers for other book lovers.

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"Good as it is to inherit a library, it is better to collect one".

Augustine Birrell

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"The Mind is like a Parachute. It doesn't work unless it's open".

Anonymous

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"Never judge a book by it's Movie".

J.W. Egan

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Author - Stella Rimington

If you enjoy a good modern day Espionage Thriller then there is none better than Stella Rimington - her books are "keepers".  Rimington has a fast paced authentic style, intricate, action packed, suspenseful and psychological.

Stella Rimington was the former Director-General of MI5, British Intelligence Security Service and only started penning books upon her retirement. She joined MI5 in 1965 and during her career worked in all the main fields of the Service's responsiblities - counter subversion, counter-espionage & counter terrorism.  She was appointed Director-General of MI5 in 1992, the first woman to hold the post and the first Director-General to be publicly named on appointment.

Her lead character is Liz Carlyle, an MI5 agent who has a taste for vintage clothes, is formidable, extremely intuitive, married to her job and aspires to be the best.  I enjoy  Stella Rimington's novels as they have a captivating plot written by a veteran of the spy game which helps illustrate how the intelligence community and terror organizations operate in today's world.  Some of her fiction titles are At Risk, Secret Asset, Illegal Action, Dead Line & Present Danger.

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"Quirky" Books by Marina Lewycka

"A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian", "Two Caravans" and "We are All made of Glue" are the quirky titles of Marina Lewycka three novels.  Marina specializes in finding humour in the most unusual concepts and intertwining them into fascinating storylines.

She is a British novelist of Ukrainian origin and was born in a refugee camp in Keil, Germany after World War II. "Tractors" is a hilarious tale of a gold digging Ukrainian divorcee who snares an elderly widower and explodes into the famly like a "fluffy pink grenade", but it is also a heart rendering account of the bloodstained history of Ukraine. "Two Caravans" is a slapstick story about a little group of strawberry pickers, factory farming & immigrant exploitation.  "We are all Made of Glue" is my personal favourite - a storyline revolving around an unlikely friendship between two neighbours, Georgie & Mrs. Shapiro, an eccentric old Jewish immigrant.  What befalls these two characters is touching and comical, and includes snippets of the history of Israel & Palestine after WWII, miners strike in the 1980's and a lot about glue !

I really enjoy Marina Lewycka's writing style; you are laughing and learning at the same time. I relish the unusual characters, find them endearing and her novels a great form of escapism.

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"The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society" - Mary Ann Shaffer

Every now and again you come across a book that is so enjoyable it leaves an impression that you want to tell everyone you know to read it !  For me, "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" is one such book.

It begins in London after World War II when Juliet, a British Writer, receives a letter from Dawsey Adams, a resident of Guernsey.  It is a charming tale which is beautifully told via a blended collection of letters between Juliet and an eclectic group of people who reside in Guernsey, Channel Islands.  This group is thrown together when they form a unique Book Club in the spur-of-the-moment as an alibi to protect its members from being arrested by the Nazi's during the German Occupation of Guernsey.  Captivated by their stories, Juliet sets sails for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Author, Mary Ann Shaffer worked as an editior, librarian and in bookshops. Her lifelong dream was to write her own book and publish it, and this book was her first novel. Unfortunately she became ill and asked her niece Annie Barrows (Author) to help her finish the book. I believe she passed away a few months before her novel was published, but has left a beautiful legacy, a story with the timeless appeal of a classic.

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"BOOK JOTTER"

* Allows you to keep track of all the books you have read.

* Keep a Bucket (wish) list of books you would like to read.

* Positive quotes bottom of each page

* Recycled paper.  Designed, printed & bound in Australia.

* Book Shack publication.

* Available for purchase Book Shack, Sandgate or online shop - $12.00 for one, two for $20.00

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"The Island" by Victoria Hislop

Upon recommendations from a customer, I recently read "The Island" by Victoria Hislop - what a fabulous book !  Perusing the storyline on the back of the book, without this recommendation I may not have chosen it to read, and that would've been my loss.  The story begins in London with Alexis, a young woman who longs to find out about her heritage, and her mother Sofia's past which she has never spoken about.  Finally, with her mothers blessing and a letter to Fotini, an old family friend, Alexis travels to Plaka, a small Greek seaside village in Crete.  Plaka is a stone's throw from the tiny deserted Island of Spinalonga, where the nation's leper colony were once located.  She meets Fotini, who will enlighten her on the lives of many generations of the Petrakis family and hidden secrets.  Alexis hears the tale of her beautiful great-grandmother Eleni and her daughters, and a life wrought with passion, dreams, tragedy, War and of leprosy's touch on an unforgettable family.  Unlocking her past reflects how generations of her family have coped with adversity and either embraced or shunned the family history and in which directions their lives ventured due to their decisions. This is one of my all time favourite books.

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So true...

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"The Tea house on Mulberry Street" by Sharon Owens

If you enjoy reading fiction where the storyline is centred on a coffee shop or central meeting point involving food, love, friendship, relationships and life in general, then it is time to try a Sharon Owens title.  I was on the lookout for a new author along this theme and have just finished reading "The Tea house on Mulberry Street" and enjoyed the light Irish fiction.  Penny and Daniel own the slightly shabby Muldoon's Tea House in Belfast where they have poured their heart and soul into their business and their customers, but not shop decor or their marriage.  For many of the customers this quaint teahouse is their sanctuary and there is a chapter or so dedicated to each one.  There are quite a few characters and a mixture of storylines involving a struggling artist, quirky twins, lost teenage love, wealthy bookstore owner, a scorned wife finding refuge in food, plus more.  I cared about these characters and was quite happy to snuggle up on the lounge and discover if Daniel & Penny can reignite their marriage and how the other characters faired. My next Sharon Owens title is "The Tavern on Maple Street" centred around an Irish pub...Irish fiction that is worth a read..

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"The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Wow....I have just finished reading "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and thoroughly enjoyed his writing style.  The story is set in Barcelona in the 1940's revolving around the life of central character Daniel and the power of a book. At the age of ten, Daniel is taken to the "Cemetery of Forgotten Books" by his bookstore father to select and protect one book from the dusty shelves of a vast array of obscure & forgotten titles.  Daniel selects "The Shadow of the Wind" by Julian Carax and this novel transforms him, so much so he is determined to find out more about the life & death of the author, Julian Carax.  As Daniel grows up, several people are interested in his find and he is surprised to learn that all volumes of this Authors books have been disappearing through the hands of a mysterious stranger who is determined to burn and obliterate any remaining titles. What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth as it threatens to destroy everything and everyone he loves. This is a magical tale that interweaves through time, love, murder and mystery with an unusual array of characters and wonderful storyline..

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Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

If you liked… Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic or I’ve Got Your Number

I have never read a Sophie Kinsella book I did not like, but this one takes the cake. Her most recent novel, Twenties Girl is a warm, funny story filled with heart. It is ‘chick-lit’ with a twist, as the primary relationship in this book is between the recently broken-hearted Lara Lington and the ghost of her great-aunt Sadie.

An apparition in 1920’s flapper fashion, Sadie enters Lara’s life at her own small, impersonal funeral. As it is discovered that Lara can see her, Sadie enlists her help to find her lost necklace, a requirement of moving on to the next life. As the two search for the necklace, they use begin to use their unique relationship to fulfill some last wishes, and straighten out Lara’s personal life and fledgling entrepreneurship. Together, ghost and girl traverse the dating world, engage in business espionage and unravel family secrets with all the flair of the roaring twenties.

Admittedly, in the beginning, Sadie’s shrieking and Lara’s self-denial can be trying, but persevere and by the end you won’t want to let go of them. The plot is original, a demonstration of Kinsella’s ability to weave an original story removed from her traditional romantic comedies. Twenties Girl cashes in on the 1920’s revival in a wonderful way.

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A Book Store With a Difference... Making a Difference

A second-hand book shop nestled in Sunny Sandgate, QLD.

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Don't mind if I do!

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“No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting.” ~ Mary Wortley Montagu (Photo by selftail0redmess)