Z - the story of Zelda Fitzgerald

This is my first posting in a while and it seems fitting that with the release of The Great gatsby, that I am restarting the blog with this book.

Loved it. Loved the style of writing. Loved the insights - however true or not - into the characters. Loved the fact that I knew so little about Zelda  Loved the links to Hemmingway and the Gertrude Stein crew. Loved the way it ended.

I had read 'The Paris wife' also recently a+Zelda F coming out this year...

Extremely loud and incredibly close - Jonathan Safran Foer

9 year old Oskar's father 'disappeared' on Sept 11. A chance find of a key leads Oskar to believe that his father left a clue to his whereabouts - a clue that he must solve. So he begins his journey to look for the lock that the key fits - even if it means looking for every possible lock in New York City.

Oskar's journey brings him into contact with an array of interesting characters on the way to discovering some truths about himself, his family and his father.

Wonderfully written, interspersed with graphic images and cartoon pages - highly recommended.

The dead I know - Scot Gardner

Aaron is 17, lives in a caravan park with his 'Mam' who is deteriorating with Alzheimers, and sleep walks. An interesting young man!

When he is offered a part time job in a funeral parlour, life becomes even more interesting! He learns to 'dress' bodies, drive a hearse, be a pall bearer and even a 'collector' of the dead.

But Aaron's troubled dreams lead him into serious trouble. What is the meaning behind the violent visions that he has? Will he discover the truth ? And can he keep 'Mam' safe?

A very interesting read - for more senior readers.

Kaitangata Twitch - Margaret Mahy

Very topical after the recent events in Christchurch!

Meredith's family live on a lifestyle block across the bay from Kaitangata - an island which 'punches' itself into the sky. The beauty of the landscape is about to be over run by developers who see a profit in picturesque beauty of the area.

Meredith seems to feel a deep and spiritual connection to the island - she hears voices and dreams of events that have been and that are yet to come. A series of small quakes (or twitches) seem to begin on the island - perhaps signalling the islands disapproval of its' planned future. can Meredith intervene?

An engaging story - desribed as a supernatural thriller - but also a tale of cultural misunderstandings over the value and sacredness of the land.

Suitable for good junior readers.

Lost riders - Elizabeth Laird

A work of fiction based on the collected stories of young (as young as 3) Pakistani boys who are 'saved' from lives of poverty and deprivation. Instead of a life of education and prosperity in their new homes, they were forced in harsh, dangerous and often violent conditions, to train as camel riders who took part in the notoriously wealthy races in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Over 4000 of these young boys were thought to have been 'given' into slavery. Only 1000 were returned home after the practice was 'banned' in recent years.

The story is very readable and I'm sure 'tamed down' for a young audience. Mature junior readers.

Now - Morris Gleitzman

The third in a the series - this follows on from Once and Then, Now picks up the story of Felix 50 years after the end of WW2. He escaped the horrors of post war Germany and has resettled in Australia, where he became a successful surgeon.

The story is set in a small rural, bush community during very hot summer. The Zelda of Now is Felix's grandaughter, who struggles to find her identity and place in the new school and town she has moved to. Modern disasters prove to be as harrowing as those of the past and we are reminded of the speed in which someone's life can change.

The style is as captivating as Once and Then, but Now can be read as a stand alone, but I would recommend making the effort to read them first. The issues of identity, remorse and regret as well as the need for closure are key to the novel. A moving story for young teens.

Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (The hunger games 3)

Wow! What could we expect from the third in this great series. Action and reflection. Tension and tenderness. Provocative and thoughtful.

A great conclusion. An ending that was expected and not.

What are we as humankind capable of?

Thank you Suzanne for a great read.

The messenger - Marcus Zusak

I am always a little suspicious when publishers republish (usually with a new cover) an author's books that pre-date a best-seller. So I wasn't expecting a lot when I picked this from the author The Book Thief.

From the start the narrator, Ed Kennedy, a down-and-out underage taxi driver, was a captivating voice - at times I just wanted to shake him. Ed is reluctant hero who foils an incredibly 'stupid' bank robbery. From here he is targeted by an 'unknown' watcher who presents him with a series of challenges in the form of playing cards. Each ace holds a particular meaning.

An vast array of characters cross his path - from his best friend Audrey (who sleeps with everyone except for him and who he is hopelessly in love with) to the lonely old woman who thinks he is her dead husband come back to read her Wuthering Heights. Every social issue imaginable confronts the reader making the novel more of a social commentary than a straight narrative.

The ending is unusual and leaves the reader questioning the very nature of fiction writing.

Well worth a read.

Between the assassinations - Aravind Adiga

Adiga's second novel ( though written before the highly successful White Tiger ) blurs the boundaries between fiction, travel log and history text. The history of the fictional town of Kittur and the travel log of the city's sites are interspersed with detailed descriptions of the lives of the privileged and not so privileged inhabitants of Kittur.
Set in the years between the assassinations of Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, there appears to be little joy in the lives of the characters.

A fascinating depiction of the city and it's people.

The hungry ghosts - Anne Berry

This unusual novel is set in Hong Kong during the 'hey day' of British rule and the handover to the Chinese in 1997. The 'hungry ghosts' of the title are the spirits of those who have died but do not want to move on into the next world. In this case, Alice's life is complicated by the 'hungry ghost' of a young girl murdered during the occupation of HK by Japan in WW2. The complications of this inhabitation form the basis of the novel. Other ghosts join her the course of her life, creating further issues.

The underlying themes of love and the lack of create a group of characters at times have few, if any redeeming features.

Interesting.

Guantanomo Boy - by Anna Perera

Khalid (15) is born and bred in England. Unfortunately for him his Pakistani born parents take him home to visit ill relatives and pay his respects to his ancestors. Set in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 Khalid is rounded up the security forces and detained for 2 years firstly in Pakistan and then in the notorious Guantanomo Bay.

A work of fiction - but a frighteningly real look at what can happen when civil liberties are abandoned in the search for security.

Whale Pot Bay - by Des Hunt

Des Hunt's latest book combines a whole lot of really topical issues - blended families, celebrity stalking, saving the whales and P addiction!!!

Needless to say it makes for great reading - action, suspense, and real drama.

If you read The tooth or The moa cave I'm sure you'll love this.

Set in a small bay in the Coromandel the main character Jake, struggles with the fact that is father is keen to find happiness with a new wife. Especially seeing as she brings an annoying younger 'sister' with her. 

Whale strandings are common at Whale Pot Bay and during the story archaeological historical discoveries are made.

A great book for junior readers.