Reading in five different directions

I’m not entirely sure how it’s happened, but I’ve got five different books on the go at the moment and my mind is boggling a little bit. For that reason, I’m going to put some time aside this evening and try and put a fair dent in my reading pile.

As such, rather than a review this evening, I thought I’d give you a quick run down on the books I’m flicking between…

First up is Last Chance Cafe, by Liz Byrski. This is my ‘main book’ at the moment, and it was recommended to me by Linda at Kidna Books. I’m nearing the end of this book, and I’m finding it hard to put down (another reason to have a reading night tonight). It’s very nearly soap-opera-like, but much more skilfully put together than a simple melodrama. The characters are fallible but inherently likeable and I’m most definitely feeling the marked ups and downs of this close-knit group of family and friends. It brings to mind those times in life when one thing after another manages to go a bit pear-shaped. Stay tuned for a full review next week.

Next is The Slap, by Christos Tsiolkas and I’ve got to have this read by mid November. My book club and I agreed to jump on the bandwagon and read this book while the tele-series is on the ABC. I’m pretty sure a synopsis is unnecessary, but you can find out more about this book here if you’ve not heard about it. I am fairly sure I’m not exactly going to enjoy this story but I’m looking forward to experiencing first hand the obvious talent of Tsiolkas. Also, I’ll be pleased to be able to say when asked, that I’ve read it. I’m going to hold off on watching the series until I’ve read the book, so I’d better get a move on I suppose…

I’ve got a couple of books loaded up on the Kindle at the moment, the first of which is Die Yummy Mummy Die, by Allison Rushby. This compilation of columns, largely about the ‘joys’ of motherhood were originally published in the Courier-Mail, and have been an interesting little discovery, humorous and insightful. I’m half-way through, it has been great to read while waiting to pick-up kids, at doctors appointments and other idol moments. If you enjoy mummy-bloggers, this book will be right up your ally. I’ll review in November, and you’ll have a chance to win a copy next month.

The second book ready and waiting on my ipad is Defender of the Faith, by Chris Allen. A old-school action novel, this’ll be something a bit different for me (once again). I’m quite excited about starting on this one, I’m hoping that I’ll enjoy it as much as I did The Siren’s Sting, which has quite nicely put me in the mood for intrigue and espionage. It’ll be great to read something from an exciting new Australian author. If you’re curious, you can actually get a copy of the first twelve chapters of the novel for FREE! Check it out here.

Last, but not least, in my physical (and frighteningly tall) reading pile is Foal’s Bread, by Gillian Mears. This has been recommended to me by Allen and Unwin, and it promises to be quite moving. I don’t know a lot about the novel at this stage, but it sounds beautifully Australian and a nice piece of literature, with Gillian Mears’ work having been likened to that of Garner and Grenville. I’ve given myself until the end of November to get to this book, so keep an eye out later next month if you like the sound of Mears’ long awaited novel.

So there is it, now you all know what I’ll be doing with the next month and a half of train trips, waiting rooms and kid-free evenings. No shortage of words to enjoy and I hope you’ll all stay tuned for my take on these many and varied titles.

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