Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend

I very much enjoyed Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Green (note - in some markets published under name Matthew Dicks) where Max's imaginary friend Budo tells about his life.  Max is a "special" little boy who has autism and finds it difficult to relate to his family and his peers but he tells Budo everything.  They are practically inseparable.  Budo especially enjoys going to school with Max and seeing his favourite teacher.  One day Budo notices Max acting unusually and then discovers he has been kidnapped.  Budo then sets out to find a way to rescue Max.  A delightfully charming story. 4/5

The Next Best Thing

I enjoyed The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner which is about a young woman, Ruth, who goes with her grandmother to California so Ruth can pursue her dream to write a successful television comedy show.  Ruth was brought up by her grandmother after her parents died in a car accident which left Ruth seriously injured.  Her grandmother helped her through surgeries and rehabilitation but Ruth is self-conscious about an "ugly" scar on her face.  Ruth's dream becomes a reality but not as she'd planned.  She discovers obstacles from many quarters as everyone has a say. She is also looking for love and fears rejection.  It is a pleasant story, a little slow at first but worth reading. 31/2/5

Promise

I read Promise by Tony Cavanaugh who has written a number of Australian screenplays.  This is his first novel which is about a former Melbourne homicide detective Darian Richards who "escapes" to Noosa for a quiet life.  However, it is not long before he is caught up in the hunt for a particularly gruesome serial killer who stalks his mainly girl victims before snatching them and subjecting them to horrific acts.  Darian is determined to track down the murderer and ensure he will never kill again.  He has some help from a female detective working at the local police station and also from a computer geek able to hack into systems to expedite the investigation.  The story is told in the first person by both Richards and the murderer.  The first time the reader "meets" the murderer is a surprise and then as we get to know more about his psyche and his motivation, it becomes very creepy.  A well-written but awfully disturbing story.  Haunting. 3/5

It's Fine By Me

I've read It's Fine By Me by Per Petterson, recently translated from the Norwegian version which was originally published in 1992.  It's the story of Audun beginning when he starts school in a new area after moving there with his mother.  It becomes apparent he has had a troubled childhood and the reader learns more about this when the author takes us back to an earlier period before moving back to the present.  The story is set in the early 1970s and Audun mainly keeps to himself apart from a friendship with a youth who is a socialist. 31/2/5

Mateship with Birds

I enjoyed Mateship with Birds by Carrie Tiffany which is set in rural Australia in the early 1950s.  Harry is a dairy farmer who lives next door to single mother Betty and her two children Michael and Hazel.  Over the years they all get to know each other well.  Harry also watches the birds on his property and teaches Michael about them.  As Michael matures, Harry takes on the role of teaching him about women (only for adult readers).  It is a gentle quirky story about sex and love as we learn more about Betty and Harry and how they watch each other. 4/5 

The Rosie Project

I very much enjoyed The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, an Australian author writing his first novel.  The story is about Professor Don Tillman, a geneticist working at a university, who decides at age 39 to find a wife and develops a questionnaire which will filter out the women with undesirable attributes.  Don has some personality issues - he plans his day down to the minute and therefore has a routine from which he rarely deviates.  He meets Rosie who wants to learn the identity of her biological father and Don is caught up in this project.  Rosie does not fit his criteria for the perfect wife, however, he and Rosie develop a sort of relationship which is subject to misunderstandings on both sides.  This is a great romantic comedy and a very enjoyable read. 41/2/5

Death by Design

I enjoyed Death by Design by Barbara Nadel which is about a Turkish police officer, Ikmen, who travels to London to follow an investigation after an incident in Istanbul involving fake handbags and the slaves forced to make them.  It is a grim scenario which is sadly a reality in today's world where desperate people are tricked in to "employment" in England.  Ikmen and the Scotland Yard detectives find a link between the incident in Istanbul and a possible terrorist  plot to take place in inner London.  Further investigation reveals a host of unsavoury characters as Ikmen goes undercover on his dangerous mission to enter England as an illegal migrant and become embedded amongst the people with connections to the plot.  Ikmen expresses utter contempt for the radical Moslems who practise a distorted form of  Islam.  The Mayor of London is trying to crack down on the illegal trade in counterfeit goods, aware of the miserable conditions in which they are manufactured.  However, the main evil character, Ahmet Ulker, is determined to go to any lengths to ensure his business continues. Suspenseful. 4/5

June 2013 meeting

This month I hosted our Wine & Giggles Book Club meeting.  All the members except one came along on a chilly evening.  I had spent the morning baking apple muffins and GF chocolate brownies (now my favourite thing).  My husband helped me get everything ready and his help is invaluable.  We all enjoyed catching up, drinking, and discussing the books we've read in the last month.  I've got one of the new books to read, The Rosie Project, and I'm looking forward to diving in to it.  Too many good books, not enough time!

Dead Man's Chest

I enjoyed Dead Man's Chest by Kerry Greenwood which is a Phryne Fisher mystery.  Miss Fisher is such a wonderful quirky character who appeals to all except snobs and criminals.  She and her household are holidaying in Queenscliff and expect to find the holiday house with Mr and Mrs Johnson there to attend to her needs.  However, they are missing and the house has been ransacked.  Miss Fisher sets out to solve the mystery of their disappearance and set up the house for the comfort of herself and her entourage.  She meets some eccentric neighbours and eventually discovers the crime behind the Johnsons' disappearance.  The Miss Fisher books are a delight. 4/5