Book Review: Honeybee by Craig Silvey 

When I'm fortunate enough to experience the pure magic of reading a novel like Honeybee, it's a bit of a struggle to write a review.
Not because I don't want to, but for fear of not being able to do it justice.  I mean, what can you say when days after you've finished reading a story, your mind is still within those pages, reliving the brilliance of what you've read?

This book is really something else. Exquisitely written with not a single word wasted. I devoured it and I will treasure it.

The story begins late one night when 14 year-old Sam Watson approaches an overpass. 
An old man named Vic is on the other side of the bridge, smoking a cigarette. He is there to end his life.
Unbeknownst to Vic, Sam is also contemplating the same fate.

The two spot each other, and a conversation begins.
Whether its curiosity or a cry for help that gets them talking remains to be seen.
Before long, a connection is formed, and an unlikely friendship develops. 
On that night, an unspoken commitment is made by each other to save the other.
As the story progresses, we find out what bought Sam and Vic to the bridge that evening.

These two people are so different from each other, yet their suffering and hurt is equivalent. 
This is what unites them and forms the basis of their support for one another.
I don't want to give much more away as Honeybee is one story you need to experience for yourself.

I am so grateful to Craig Silvey for writing this stunning novel. What an extraordinarily talented writer.
I know that I will revisit Honeybee many times. It is now one of my favourite novels.
I adored the characters. 
Sam, Vic, Edie, Aggie and Fella Bitzgerald/Peter. Each of them really grabbed me.
These characters are real, flawed, and empathetic. They are giving of both time and of themselves. 
In particular, Sam and Vic made their way into my heart. I adored their friendship, and I loved how each strived to give what the other was seeking. The determination to save the other was admirable.
I laughed at some parts, I cried multiple times, and I paused and shook my head with wonderment at many lines. How such a beautiful story can be created from one mind is a wonder.

Read Honeybee. If you don't like to read, listen to it or have someone read it to you. Or at least buy it and give it to someone you know who reads. This book needs to be read. 
It is a story of hope, a story of love, and a story of understanding and accepting. 
Thank you again Craig Silvey for this fabulous novel.

Honeybee is available through Allen & Unwin from 29th September, RRP $32.99
For further information on this title, head here. 

Book Review: The Survivors by Jane Harper

I've read a few of Jane's other novels and enjoyed them all, but I think that The Survivors is my new favourite of hers. I read it in less than a couple of days as I was so drawn into it.

Kieran and his girlfriend Mia, along with their baby girl Audrey, reside in Sydney, but they return to the Tasmanian town of Evelyn Bay to help Kieran's parents with an upcoming house move after his father is diagnosed with dementia. 
Both Kieran and Mia grew up in Evelyn Bay, but twelve years ago, a massive storm swept through the town, and  Kieran's brother Finn, along with his best friend Toby, both drowned.
Kieran has carried the guilt of that day with him all these years as he feels responsible that they were out on the water that day. 
Another local teenager, Gabby, who was Mia's best friend at the time, disappeared on the same day and was never seen again.  
Not long after the couple return to help with the move, a young woman named Bronte is found washed up on shore in suspicious circumstances. 
As her death is investigated, it brings back a lot of memories from the past, and some long-kept secrets finally come to light.
I thought this was an excellent book, highly addictive, and really had me turning the pages. I was suspecting most of the characters at various stages in the book, but actually turned out to be way off! 
I love the way Jane describes the coastal town, she has a way of making you feel as though you are there in the setting. 
I would've loved for the story to have an epilogue, just to tie in everything and answer those few questions I still had in my mind. 
I'd highly recommend this novel. 

The Survivors is available through PanMacmillan Australia from 22nd September.

Book Review: Stranger In The Lake by Kimberly Belle

I hadn't read any novels from Kimberly Belle before, but I liked the sound of this one and had the opportunity to read it recently.

Charlotte McCreedy Keller is 26 years-old and has always lived in the small town of Lake Crosby in North Carolina.
She had a rough childhood - often hungry, dirty, and neglected by her drug addicted mother. She had to raise her younger brother Chet pretty much on her own, and they have a close relationship as a result.

Charlotte is married to 37 year-old Paul Keller, a wealthy businessman who lost his first wife Katherine four years ago as a result of drowning.
The townspeople don't approve of their marriage, and it is evident wherever they go. They think Paul had something to do with Katherine's death, but Paul has always claimed his innocence.
Charlotte doesn't buy into the rumours, and she is happy when she finds out that she is pregnant with their first child.

But one morning when Charlotte heads out for a walk, she makes the shocking discovery of a woman's body in a lake, at the exact location where Katherine was found four years before.
When Charlotte realises that the woman was in fact someone she saw talking to Paul just the day before, she doesn't know what to think.
And when Paul lies to the police and then suddenly packs a bag and leaves, Charlotte is left with a lot of unanswered questions. 
Whilst she wants to believe that Paul had nothing to do with either of the women's deaths, she just doesn't know if she can trust him...

I thought that this book was an interesting read. It had a good story line, and some impressive characters too.
I would've enjoyed it more if it had more elements of suspense and mystery, as well as a deeper insight into some of the characters. 
It is still a book I'd recommend, and I wouldn't mind reading more books by the same author.

Stranger In The Lake is available from Harper Collins Australia, RRP $29.99 from 2nd September.

Book Review: Lonely In Longreach by Eva Scott 

If you've seen the movie Sleepless In Seattle and enjoyed it, then I would recommend you check out Lonely In Longreach as this book is like the modernised, rural version of that romantic comedy.

Solar farmer Sam Costello is raising his 15 year-old son Levi on his own on an outback Queensland property, after the love of his life Michelle passed away 7 years earlier. 
He hasn't had time for love, or made time for it for that matter.

Levi is best friends with Maddie, and they both have plans to move to Sydney to attend university once they finish high school. 
But Levi feels guilty about leaving his dad alone, and as Maddie has her own motive for wanting to move to the city, she comes up with a plan that will ensure her future happiness.
Knowing that Levi will only make the move with her if his dad is happy and not alone, Maddie sets up a dating profile for Sam on a rural dating website, unbeknownst to him!

Sarah Lewis is a journalist residing in Sydney, with a nice enough boyfriend named Greg, but she can't help feeling as though she is just settling for things...
So when she begins working on a feature about finding love in rural communities, she comes across the profile that Maddie has created for Sam - 'Lonely In Longreach', and something about him grabs her attention. 

When she reaches out to him, she is unaware that the replies she receives are from Maddie and Levi.
As she discovers more about the farmer, she realises that her relationship with Greg has to end, as her feelings for Sam deepen.
When an opportunity arises for Sarah to visit Longreach, she jumps at the chance.
But will Maddie and Levi's matchmaking effort be a success, or will it be an epic fail? 

Lonely In Longreach is an enjoyable story, and I like how the reader is able to get a real sense of rural life.
It goes without saying that the story features romance, but it is not in an overdone or cliched manner.
The family ties and friendships are what really made this book for me.
Whilst it was fairly easy to predict how the story would end, I was invested enough to keep me turning the pages.
Lonely In Longreach is the ideal story for fans of rural romance.

Lonely In Longreach is available now through Harper Collins Australia, RRP $29.99 

Book Review: Ruby Tuesday by Hayley Lawrence

I recently received a copy of YA novel Ruby Tuesday and I was happy for the change in genre, as I hadn't read a young adult novel in a while.

The story centres around 17 year-old Ruby Tuesday; a girl whose hopes and dreams have been put on hold since her mother had an accident that left her in a wheelchair.
Ruby is an only child and has never known her father, so her relationship with her mother is very close.
With her dear grandmother recently passing, and falling out with her former best friend Alex, Ruby is having a difficult time.


She finds peace and healing in her music - song writing and singing. 
Her mother was a famous pianist before her accident, so music is in Ruby's blood, and it allows her to be creative.
It also offers a form of escapism from the trying times she is going through.

One night, Ruby attends a party hosted by one of her school mates, and it is there that she sees her crush, Joey Milano.
But the night does not go as planned, and Ruby is left traumatised by the events that take place, feeling as though she can't trust anybody again.

Thankfully, Alex reaches out and provides the support, care, and love that Ruby needs to get through it.
Ruby is reintroduced to Alex's cousin Erik, who has been living abroad since their younger years when they would all hang out together, and is now back.
But Ruby struggles to trust again, and when she is faced with an opportunity of a lifetime, she feels as though she won't be able to accept it as some things can never be put back together once broken...or can they?

Ruby Tuesday is a novel that explores a range of themes including music, friendships and relationships, grief, sexual consent, and healing.
Many of these experiences that Ruby goes through would be relatable to many teenage girls.
I enjoyed this novel, and even though I am not the targeted audience for it, I was still drawn to it.
I thought that the author's note at the end added a lovely touch. It was lovely to read about what inspired Hayley Lawrence to write Ruby Tuesday. 

The book is available from today through Penguin Random House Australia, RRP $19.99

Book Review: Olive by Emma Gannon

I hope you are doing well in your part of the world.
Currently, we are in stage 4 of lock down here in Melbourne due to COVID-19, and it is a trying time for many.
My reading style has certainly changed this year - many books that I would usually go for don't seem right at the moment, and I am tending to read stories that don't require too much of me other than to just enjoy. I'm pleased to say that Olive fit the bill. 

This debut novel is told from the perspective of Olive Stone, a woman in her 30's with a great writing job for a feminist-focused magazine.
She has a long-term boyfriend named Jacob, and a close group of friends she's known for years - Bea, Cecily, and Isla.

Olive is an independent woman who lives alone, and she knows what she wants, but that's not to say that life is easy for her. 
Olive doesn't want to have children of her own, and this leads to her break up with Jacob, as he wants to have a family.
Although she has always had a really tight bond with her friends, Olive  is reluctant to tell them about her split from Jacob, as the women all have issues in their personal lives, including problems relating to marriage and motherhood.

The story goes back and forth in time from the present day to Olive's younger years in college, and as it unfolds, we gain a deeper sense of who each of the four women are and what each woman wants in life. 

I really liked Olive's character, and although there were some aspects of her personality that seemed to not quite match her childless by choice decision, she is a real and believable character.
I also adored her elderly neighbour Dorothy, and her quirky work colleague Colin. 

It was interesting to read about a woman like Olive who has to deal with the pressures and questions often faced in society regarding women who choose to be child free. 
As a mother, it made me gain a deeper understanding, and Emma Gannon has done a great job of exploring the complexities surrounding both motherhood and choosing not to have children.
She also captures the heart and soul of female friendships, with all of the ups and downs analysed in depth.

I would definitely recommend Olive. 
It is available now through Harper Collins Australia, RRP $29.99. 
For further information on this title head here 

Book Review: We Begin At The End by Chris Whitaker 

I have been making my way through my TBR pile this month, and when We Begin At The End got to the top, I didn't know just quite what I was in store for. I had read a brief description of what it was about, and it seemed pretty interesting, so I was excited to get reading.
Well! This book blew me away. It's so different from anything I have ever read. I fell right into the story and didn't want to leave.
I've struggled with putting a review up for this book as I'm not sure if I'll do it justice. 
To me, it felt like it was more than just reading a story. It was a moving experience, and a real joy to read such brilliant story-telling.

I could go on about how much I enjoyed it but for now, onto the review.

The story begins with a man named Vincent King. 
Vincent has been locked up in prison for the past 30 years for the killing of 7 year-old Sissy Radley, who was the younger sister of his girlfriend at the time, Star. 
Vincent was just 15 years old when he committed the crime.
Now, he has been released from prison and heading back to live in the small town of Cape Haven in California where he was born and raised. 
His best friend is police chief 'Walk' Walker, who has always supported Vincent. 

The townsfolk haven't forgotten Vincent or the case, including Star, who is now a single mum to 13 year-old Duchess and 6 year-old Robin.
Star struggles to be a good parent (or any sort of parent really) to her children as she is consumed by the demons of her past and spends her days drinking away the pain.
As a result, Duchess takes on the role of carer to both Star and also to her younger brother. She has had to grow up way before her time and her lack of regular childhood has hardened her.
She uses her ferocity as a protective mechanism, adapting the title of 'outlaw' to her persona. 
When Duchess tries to protect her mother from property developer Dickie Darke, she unknowingly sets of a chain of events that result in tragic circumstances and see her and Robin being sent to live with their estranged grandfather in Montana.

There is so much more to this story but I'm not going to detail what else happens as I don't want to spoil the experience for others. 
Quite simply, Chris Whitaker has written an exquisite novel. The characters have immense depth which allows the reader to become very attached emotionally (and I was so attached!) 
Duchess Day Radley is brilliant and she was my favourite character, but Walk also stole my heart.
 I read We Begin At The End  in a few of days, and it only took me that long as I was torn between wanting to know where the story would go and not wanting the story to end.
When I did finish it, I was so taken by it that I couldn't even pick up another novel. 
I then re-read it, and was glad that I did as I loved it even more the second time round!
I am looking forward to reading Chris's other novels as he has well and truly won me over with this one.

We Begin At The End is available through Allen & Unwin RRP $29.99