The last time I did one of these posts about my pile of books to read was back in May and I am slightly ashamed to say I still haven't read a couple of the books I mentioned back then (The Pickpocket and the Gargoyle and the junior retelling of the Odyssey). I guess I was a little distracted and other books made it to the top of my pile plus I did try to blog all of the Children's Book Council (CBCA) Notable Picture Books and New Illustrator titles from 2023. I had to wait until August to talk about them because that is a rule when you are a judge!
I am excited to announce I have a reading gig again. From 2018 until early this year I was lucky to read Advance Reader copies of books for a local bookshop in a suburb near me but sadly this shop has now closed. A couple of days ago I met the owner, Julia, of Three Sparrows - a new independent bookshop in Mosman here in Sydney. I mentioned that I love to read and I have this blog etc and yippee the owner gave me a couple of ARCs - both books will be published in February 2023.
Andromache between worlds by Gabriel Bergmoser published by Angus and Robertson
Bookseller blurb: All fourteen-year-old Andromache Peters wants is a normal life. But normal is pretty near impossible when your parents were famous adventurers who saved the world and nobody will let you forget it. On top of this, Andromache's father has been missing and presumed dead since she was only two, and her mother has retreated into grief ever since. So it's no surprise that the last thing Andromache needs is to be reminded of where she came from. But when a mysterious stranger reveals that Andromache's father is not only still alive but trapped in a parallel world, Andromache is thrown into a daring journey across other universes to find and save the father she never knew. A journey so strange and dangerous that it will forever transform Andromache's life to anything but normal.
I suspect this is a YA title because the main character is aged 14 but I will let you know after I read it beginning tonight (update read my post here). I do like the cover. In December Gabriel wrote this blog post about his new book. Gabriel Bergmoser is a Melbourne based author and playwright. He was born in 1991 so he is under 35 and like to apply for our IBBY Australia Ena Noel Award.
Here are some of his earlier books:
Paper Dragons: Flight for the hidden realm by Siobhan McDermott published by Hodder (Hachette)
This is a debut novel and very timely because 2024 is the Year of the Dragon!
Publisher blurb: 12-year-old Zhi Ging has always been an outcast. Until she receives an invitation to Hok Woh, an underwater school that offers her the chance to become immortal, and to finally belong. There, she meets age-shifting immortals, battles in hair-raising boat races and competes in thrilling trials. But there are rumours of a growing dark force . . . and students who fail the trials are disappearing. Can Zhi Ging uncover the truth before it's too late?
The publisher likens this book to Nevermoor; Dragon Mountain; and Amari and the Night Brothers. It is the first book in a planned series. Siobhan McDermott lives in the UK.
Books I purchased recently:
Foxlight by Katya Balen (purchased from Three Sparrows)
I really enjoyed Katya Balen's previous award winning book October October.
I was also keen to read this book after listening to an interview with the author on the Your Kids Next Read podcast.
Publisher blurb: Fen and Rey were found curled up small and tight in the fiery fur of the foxes at the very edge of the wildlands. Fen is loud and fierce and free. She feels a connection to foxes and a calling from the wild that she's desperate to return to. Rey is quiet and shy and an expert on nature. She reads about the birds, feeds the lands and nurtures the world around her. They are twin sisters. Different and the same. Separate and connected. They will always have each other, even if they don't have a mother and don't know their beginning. But they do want answers. Answers to who their mother is and where she might be. What their story is and how it began. So when a fox appears late one night at the house, Fen and Rey see it as a sign - it's here to lead them to their truth, find their real family and fill the missing piece they have felt since they were born. But the wildlands are exactly that: wild. They are wicked and cruel and brutal and this journey will be harder and more life changing than either Fen or Rey ever imagined ...
Ties that Bind, Ties that Break by Lensey Namioka (purchased for half price from a large chain bookstore)
I have just lifted my head from reading another book set in China - Two Sparrowhawk's in a Lonely Sky by Rebecca Lim so I would like to re-enter this world (even though this book is set 40 years earlier). One of our large city bookstores now has a small shelf of bargains. This book has languished on their shelves since June 2017. Here is the Kirkus review.
Publisher blurb: Third Sister in the Tao family, Ailin has watched her two older sisters go through the painful process of having their feet bound. In China in 1911, all the women of good families follow this ancient tradition. But Ailin loves to run away from her governess and play games with her male cousins. Knowing she will never run again once her feet are bound, Ailin rebels and refuses to follow this torturous tradition. As a result, however, the family of her intended husband breaks their marriage agreement. And as she enters adolescence, Ailin finds that her family is no longer willing to support her. Chinese society leaves few options for a single woman of good family, but with a bold conviction and an indomitable spirit, Ailin is determined to forge her own destiny. Her story is a tribute to all those women whose courage created new options for the generations who came after them.
Star Fish by Lisa Fipps (purchased from a city bookstore)
This is a verse novel and it has been on my shopping list since 2021. When I spied the paperback I knew it was time to buy this book which has had so much praise. Here is the Kirkus star review.
Publisher blurb: Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she's been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules—like "no making waves," "avoid eating in public," and "don't move so fast that your body jiggles." And she's found her safe space—her swimming pool—where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It's also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie's weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life--by unapologetically being her own fabulous self.
The Gifts of Reading - essays on the joys of reading, giving and receiving books.
Contributors: William Boyd, Candice Carty-Williams, Imtiaz Dharker, Roddy Doyle, Pico Iyer, Robert Macfarlane, Andy Miller, Jackie Morris, Jan Morris, Sisonke Msimang, Dina Nayeri, Chigozie Obioma, Michael Ondaatje, David Pilling, Max Porter, Philip Pullman, Alice Pung, Jancis Robinson, S.F.Said, Madeleine Thien, Salley Vickers, John Wood and Markus Zusak.
I have this on loan from a friend. We attended the Sydney launch - this book is a fund raiser for Room to Read.
Books I just finished reading - blog posts coming soon.
Luna by Holly Webb
When Secrets set sail by Sita Brahmachari
Things not seen by Andrew Clements
Keeping Henry by Nina Bawden
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