The Bloginator's Reviews

As I go through reading the books on the '50 Great Reads List', I will be posting my 1 sentence reviews of each book in this entry!

1. Mr Badger and the Big Surprise by Leigh Hobbs – I enjoyed this book (even if it’s targeted towards kids)!
2. The Hard Light of Day by Rod Moss. Another great book – Moss discusses life in the Northern Territory, as well as his day-to-day interactions with the local Indigenous population.
3. Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks - Unfortunately, I closed the book after reading the first few pages. I just couldn’t get into the whole narrative. However, I would recommend Brook’s Nine Parts of Desire, which discusses diversity within the Islamic world in relation to the status of women and women’s rights.

46 and counting

Another title from the 50 Great Reads list, Billie B Brown: The Secret Message. This is a new series of easy to read chapter books by Sally Rippin. Nice easy to read print and a good introduction to young readers of the concept of the 'chapter' rather than say a picture book format. In this series Billie has had a range of adventures and this one sees her at the seaside with her Mum and Dad, 'Billie's mum reads a book under a beach umbrella. Her dad reads the newspaper. Sometimes they even fall asleep. Can you imagine? They are absolutely no fun at all!'. Billie sets off to build the biggest sandcastle and she sees two other girls have already built a great sandcastle and she feels little jealous and when Mum suggests she join the girls, she also feels a little shy. Eventually joins the other girls and the story develops from there, you'll have to read it to find out about the secret message.
This a delightful series to be shared with a new reader, or to encourage them to start reading on their own.
I think need to move away from the titles in the junior section of 50 Great Reads, and my next review may see me wandering into adult territory.

47 and still counting

I had hoped this would 46 and still counting, but I have to admit to giving up on one of the novels and dipping back into the children's list. I had started 'Left Hand of God' by Paul Hoffman, but I couldn't finish it. I think I have lost touch with the fantasy genre and the dissection scene left me a bit unsettled. This also highlights one of my bad sides, I am the type of reader who will give up on a book if I think I am wasting my time. I have a stack of books I want to read and the pile grows bigger each week, so if I don't like it, I abandon it and move on. How does everyone else approach this, do you feel you have to finish a book come what may?
My review this week is 'The Flying Orchestra' by Clare McFadden and it starts like this
"Some days are so windy that even angels lose their balance from the top of City Hall. It's always a day like this when the Flying Orchestra blows into town."
The Flying Orchestra then plays music at important times in someones life, like 'a symphony at the airport for a traveller coming home' or 'when a baby is born'. To me the flying orchestra were those unexpected moments of music you may hear during your day. Snatches on the radio as you pass through a room, while waiting in a shop (Spotlight plays some great music on a Saturday) or music that has occurred at a special moment in your life, think about what you picked for your wedding or did you name a child after a favourite song? The illustrations are simple and work well with the text. This is a book to be savoured and shared, and hopefully it will remind you of those special moments of music in your life.
'And wherever they are, the Flying Orchestra play their best and most beautiful music for no reason in particular, but just because someone is listening.'