Tell Me Something True

Michael Robotham has written many excellent crime novels but this is his first novel set in Australia. The first draft of the book was written many years ago then put aside. However with the popularity of Australian crime fiction the author revised the book which has now been published. The result is a study of life in a small town in New South Wales when a former resident is released from gaol and returns home.

Arlo Hackett has spent twelve years in gaol after being found guilty by association when his brother, Luke, was charged with murder. Arlo returns home to a town full of hatred but initially he has nowhere else to go. His mother is in a nursing home so he decides to prepare the family home for sale in order to pay the fees required for keeping his mother in the home. 

Eventually Arlo realises that he needs to investigate what really happened when his friend Saxon was murdered. Chapters in the book reveal the story as Arlo carries out his search while other chapters provide an account of life in the town twelve years earlier. Eventually Arlo and his few friends realise that the true story about Saxon's death are very different from what what was revealed by the police at the time.

Tell Me Something True by Michael Robotham is a gripping crime novel which I read in two days. The title refers to a fun game that Saxon liked to play by asking "Tell me something true."

ABC Radio National Top 100 Australian books (part four)

Members of the public were asked to vote for ten of their favourite Australian books. A compilation was made of the 100 most popular books - novels, non-fiction and children's books. The results were published on the weekend17-18 October. 

Today the list of the next fifty books (101-150) that did not make the list  was released. Many favourites appear on the supplementary lists.

Books Read:

Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent

 The Sound of One Hand Clapping by Richard Flanagan

A Room Made of Leaves by Kate Grenville 

* PB The Eleventh Hour by Graeme Base 

Books read:

Bruny by Heather Rose

* PB Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen 

 The Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak

On the Beach by Neville Shute 

Wake in Fright by Kenneth Cook

* JF The Complete Adventures of Blinky Bill

The Fortunes of Richard Mahony by Henry Handle Richardson

All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton [on my top 10]

* JF Mary Poppins by P L Travers 

 Books read:

The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan

* YA Hating Alison Ashley by Robin Klein

* PB Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox & Julie Vivas

Dusk by Robbie Arnott 

 Books read:

The Drovers Wife by Henry Lawson

* PB Grug by Ted Prior

 

Books marked with * are children's books. (Also YA - Young Adult; JF - Junior Fiction; PB - Picture Book CB - Cookery Books)

Titles of books with posts in this blog have hyperlinks to the post.

Many of the titles in the list  are for books that I read long before I began this blog.

ABC Radio National Top 100 Australian Books (part one)

Members of the public were asked to vote for ten of their favourite Australian books. A compilation was made of the 100 most popular books - novels, non-fiction and children's books. The results were published on the weekend17-18 October. 100 - 61 are listed in this post.

Books read: 

*JF Round the Twist by Paul Jennings

*JF The 13-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffith and Terry Denton

CB Recipe Tin Eats:Dinner by Nagi  Maehashi

*JF Where the Forest Meets the Sea by Jeannie Baker

Books read:

Puberty Blues by Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey

Juice by Tim Winton

The Lost Man by Jane Harper

The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham

*PB Wombat Stew by Marcia K Vaughan and  Pamela Lofts

We of the Never-Never by Mrs Aeneas Gunn 

For the Term of his Natural Life b Marcus Clarke

Power Without Glory by Frank Hardy

The Broken Shore by Peter Temple

The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams 

 The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes

 Scrublands by Chris Hammer

 The Tree of Man by Patrick White

*PB Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley

A Town Like Alice by Neville Shute

Unreliable Memoirs by Clive James

Voss by Patrick White

Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran

 Damned Whores and God's Police by Anne Summers

Question 7 by Richard Flanagan 

*PB Are We There Yet? by Alison Lester

 

Books marked with * are children's books. (Also YA - Young Adult; JF - Junior Fiction; PB - Picture Book CB - Cookery Books)

Titles of books with posts in this blog have hyperlinks to the post.

Many of the titles in the list  are for books that I read long before I began this blog.

ABC Radio National Top 100 Australian Books (part two)

Members of the public were asked to vote for ten of their favourite Australian books. A compilation was made of the 100 most popular books - novels, non-fiction and children's books. The results were published on the weekend17-18 October. 60 - 21 are listed in this post.

Books read:

The Man From Snowy River by Banjo Patterson

The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku 

CB The Cook's Companion by Stephanie Alexander

*JF The Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay 

Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood 

Books read:

Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin

The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer

*PB Where is the Green Sheep by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek 

Playing Beatie Bow  by Ruth Park

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

All That I Am by Anna Funder

True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey 

*JF The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot & Cuddlepie by May Gibbs

Dirt Music by Tim Winton 

Books read:

Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey

I Can Jump Puddles by Alan Marshall

Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Breath by Tim Winton

*PB Animalia by Graeme Base

Monkey Grip by Helen Garner

Books read:

My Brother Jack by George Johnston

The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do

Mad Mable by Sally Hepworth

The Harp in the South by Ruth Park

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

*YA Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner

The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay 

CB The Australian Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book by Maryanne Blacker and Pamela Clark

 My Place by Sally Morgan

 

Books marked with * are children's books. (Also YA - Young Adult; JF - Junior Fiction; PB - Picture Book; CB - Cookery Book)

Titles of books with posts in this blog have hyperlinks to the post.

Many of the titles in the list  are for books that I read long before I began this blog.

ABC Radio National Top 100 Australian Books (part three)

Members of the public were asked to vote for ten of their favourite Australian books. A compilation was made of the 100 most popular books - novels, non-fiction and children's books. The results were published on the weekend17-18 October. 20 - 1 are listed in this post. Also included is the list of books (in no particular order)  that I submitted in the vote.

Books read:

*PB Magic Beach by Alison Lester

My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin

*JF Storm Boy by Colin Thiele 

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy 

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas 

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta

*PB  Possum Magic by Mem Fox and Julie Vivas

Top 10 Australian books as voted by listeners to ABC Radio: 

No 1

No 2

No 3

No 4

No 5

No 6

No 7

No 8

No 9

No 10 

 Books read:

(10) The Dry by Jane Harper

(9) The Secret River by Kate Grenville

(8) Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan 

(7) Dictionary of Last Words by Pip Williams

(6) *YA Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden

 (5) A Fortunate Life by AB Facey 

(4) Burial Rites by Hannah Kent 

(3) Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton 

(2) The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak 

(1) Cloudstreet by Tim Winton

The ten books that I voted for - not in any order

Where my selections appeared on the top 100:

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak was second.

Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams was seventh

The Secret River by Kate Grenville was  ninth

The Dry by Jane Harper was tenth

*JF  Storm Boy by Colin Thiele was seventeenth

 Dirt Music by Tim Winton was forty-first

 

One book was on the list of the top 101-150 books:

All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton

 

The books that did not make the top 150 were:

* YA Midnight by Randolph Stow

Mystery of the Hansom Cab by Fergus Hume

* YA Sabriel by Garth Nix 

 

The list shows that there are lots more books for me to read. 

Books marked with * are children's books. (Also YA - Young Adult; JF - Junior Fiction; PB - Picture Book CB - Cookery Books)

Titles of books with posts in this blog have hyperlinks to the post.

Many of the titles in the list  are for books that I read long before I began this blog.

Every Wild Soul

Maria Island, off the west coast of Tasmania, is a national park where Tasmanian devils have been rehoused to help conserve the species for the future. Eighteen year old Min lives on the island with her father who is head ranger on the island. Min's relationship with her father is strained though she finds support from other inhabitants of the island including Werner and Carl. As the island is a national park the preservation of the various species on the island is important, however sometimes events occur that cause a challenge to the work of the rangers.

Every Wild Soul by Katherine Johnson explores projects involving rewilding in various parts of the world including Tasmania. The novel examines the experiences of Min on the island but also of an Australian journalist, Lucie, who is writing a series of articles on projects designed to encourage animals living in a natural environment. Lucie visits Maria Island to find out about the project with the Tasmanian devils but also discovers other projects being undertaken to protect the natural environment of the island. The novel also deals with the challenges that Min faces in asserting herself and learning how she wants to live her life in the future. Lucie also discovers that she possibly needs to re-evaluate her life.

Every Wild Soul is the winner of the inaugural The Australian Fiction Prize presented by the Australian Society of Authors and Harper Collins. The award replaces the former Vogel Award and the Banjo Prize.

Maria Island - Maria Island National Park 

Conserving the Tasmanian Devil on Maria Island - Australian Wildlife Journeys

Every Wild Soul - ANZ Lit Lovers

The Fourth Princess

The Fourth Princess by Janie Chang is a novel set in Shanghai, China, in 1911. Lisan Liu, an orphan, has spent most of her young life living in the home of Master Liu who has ensured that she has a good education. However he is reluctant to allow her to go to work to earn her own living.  She applies for a job anyway working as a secretary for Caroline Stanton, an American who has recently arrived in the city and needs a staff member who speaks English as well as Chinese. Lisan accepts the job and moves into the mansion, Lennox Manor, where the Stantons reside.

Reading this gothic novel provides a background of the unrest about to occur in Shanghai at this time. Lennox Manor also has its secrets and there is every appearance of the house being haunted. Caroline Stanton knows that she needs to make an impression within the expat community so therefore organises an evening of entertainment to meet the local establishment. However all does not go to plan as one of the guests hints that he knows something of Caroline's past while another guest corners Lisan convinced that she knows who she really is.

Lisan discovers the diary of Rosalie, a former resident of the house, who has mysteriously disappeared. It is believed that Rosalie's ghost haunts the house. Lisan is convinced that she has seen an apparition in a red dress who is asking for help. This makes it difficult for Lisan to sleep at night and also helps revive nightmares relating to Lisan's past.  Lisan's fears increase but she she is reluctant to leave without resolving the issue of the ghost. Then Caroline's husband died.

Throughout the novel there is a sense of fear and impending danger as well as mysteries of the past yet to be resolved. There is also the fear of political unrest in the country. All is not what it seems. Who can be trusted?

The Fourth Princess was one of the books on the shortlist for Monash University Alumni Book Club for January 2027.

My Brilliant Career

Sybilla Melville lives with her family on their farm. Life is quite comfortable until her father decides to relocate the family to another property which ends in the family living in poverty. Sybilla is 16 and not happy with her lifestyle. Her mother wants her to get a job to earn money to support the family. When her grandmother and aunt invite Sybilla to stay on their property, Sybilla quickly accepts and enjoys living in a more comfortable lifestyle. She also meets a local landowner, Harold, who shows an interest in her. 

My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin is the story of a young girl's life as recounted by Sybilla. Sybilla is conscious that she is not a beauty when compared with other young women and seems incapable of accepting that outward beauty is not the prime accessory to a successful life. She is well aware that she is expected to marry and be a good wife supporting her husband but Sybilla is convinced that there is more to life than that.

Then Sybilla's life changes again during the 1890s depression and she is forced to work as a governess on a farm owned by a friend of her father. She knows that there is more to life than this and struggles to survive supporting her family. Living back home Sybilla continues to struggle fitting in with family life. The title of the book comes from from a statement made by Sybilla when she has yet another an argument with her mother. This was life – my life – my career, my brilliant career!

My Brilliant Career was published in 1901 and is a story about life faced by many women at that time. It was withdrawn from publication by the author in 1910 but republished after her death. The edition that I read is a Text Classic published in 2012 with many reprints, the latest in 2025.

Miles Franklin left money in her will for an annual award for Australian authors - The Miles Franklin Award. 

My Brilliant Career was one of the books on the shortlist for Monash University Alumni Book Club for January 2027.

Further reading: 

My Brilliant Career - National Museum of Australia

My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin - Bookshelf Fantasies 

My Brilliant Career - Bayside Council Libraries  

Hope Rises

Walter Nash, now disguised as Dillon Hope is working as a security guard to Victoria Steers. This part of the story begins in Hong Kong where preparations are made to rescue Steers' mother who is imprisoned in Myanmar. Although Nash is successful all does not go to plan but he still eventually manages to get the rescued woman back to Hong Kong. 

Hope (Nash) is not working for Steers because he wants to but because Nash wants to find a way to make Steers suffer for arranging the murder of Nash's daughter. Steers considers Walter Nash as an enemy and wants him killed. She does not realise the true identity of her trusted security guard, Dillon Hope.

Once again in Hope Rises, the sequel to Nash Falls,  David Baldacci has written a tense fast paced crime novel with continual action as the wars between drug lords increases. Who can be trusted? Is anything as it seems? Relationships between the main characters fluctuate throughout the book. With so many dangerous people vying for power, secrets must be kept if people are to survive.

Dear Enemy

Dear Enemy by Jean Webster was first published in 1915 and is the sequel to Daddy-Long-Legs which was published in 1912. Both books are written as correspondence. Sally MacBride went to college with Judy Abbott and much of their friendship is described in the first book. In Dear Enemy Sally, who has spent the past few years as a socialite, reluctantly agrees to take charge of the John Grier Home for Children, the children's home where Judy spent her life before college. 

In Sally's correspondence to Judy we learn of the the challenges and joys Sally encounters when trying to improve the conditions of the home for the one hundred plus children living there. Letters are also written to a politician friend and to the local doctor who works with her at the children's home and who she comes to refer to as 'Dear Enemy' in her correspondence.

As well as providing a usually amusing account of the life of the women writing the letters in Dear Enemy and Daddy-Long-Legs the author provides an insight into life and expectations for young women in the first part of the twentieth century. Penguin Books published both the books in one volume in 2004. It contains an introduction to the books by Elaine Showalter. Jean Webster drew the illustrations used throughout both novels.

Massif

Garth Nix is a well known Australian author of fantasy novels both for adults and young adult readers. His latest novel, Massif, takes the reader into space where communities have established bases on Massifs - pieces of mountainous land that have been propelled into space where they are controlled by an avatar. The avatar provided visitors with craft called Basics which could be used for space expeditions. Much of the equipment that came from outside the world of Massifs would not work in a Massif environment. Those who arrived from earth had therefore to rely on Massif technology when in a region controlled by Massifs. The number of Massifs grew and were often used as bases for battles in space.

One spacecraft operating from the DrummerBoy Massif was Sassafras which was operated by Parnell, Kaz, Ricka, Shille, Aditi and Murad. On one mission Sassafras and other craft from the squadron were attacked. Kaz had left the main ship in a rider, a smaller craft, in order to assist in the battle. Then she disappeared. The Sassafras managed to return to base but was confirmed to be out of action. The crew wanted to rescue Kaz but first they needed a new craft for the mission. To complicate matters the DrummerBoy Massif was being evacuated. Parnell and his team were on their own with their actions monitored by the whim of the avatar, DrummerBoy.

The novel, Massif by Garth Nix, involves the reader with the challenges faced by Parnell and his team as they attempt to rescue their team member and also learn to understand more about the avatar which is attempting to control their lives. 

Massif - Readings

Massif - New Zealand Book Lovers