The Lady of Bolton Hill - Elizabeth Camden

Female journalists are rare in 1879, but American-born Clara Endicott has finally made a name for herself with her provocative articles championing London's poor. When the backlash from her work forces a return home to Baltimore, Clara finds herself face-to-face with a childhood sweetheart who is no longer the impoverished factory worker she once knew. 

In her absence, Daniel Tremain has become a powerful industry giant and Clara finds him as enigmatic as ever. However, Daniel's success is fueled by resentment from past wounds and Clara's deeply-held beliefs about God's grace force Daniel to confront his own motives. When Clara's very life is endangered by one of Daniel's adversaries, they must face a reckoning neither of them ever could have foreseen.

I have mixed feelings about this book after reading it. Overall I did enjoy the storyline, it was easy to ready, had twists and drama in the right places, and had characters that were vivid, even if they were a little unrealistic at times. 

There are two things that bring let this book down for me. The first is that it wasn't until halfway through that I realised it was a Christian book. Now to be fair it wasn't as 'preachy' as it could have potentially been, although there were times towards the end when the same bible quote was repeated over and over again, and that got a little repetitive. 

But the main reason the book lost points from me is that the main antagonist in this book changed from being a hardened opium dealer criminal, to a born-again christian in a matter of days and after only a few short conversations with the main heroine he completely changed his life. I have not been in the situation where I have been convinced to change my opinion on religion, but I really doubt it would happen so quickly. To make this story more realistic I would have hinted at Bane's wishes to change his lifestyle rather than him saying how much he enjoyed it and wanted to climb up the criminal ladder.

Overall the story wasn't too bad, but not one I would rave about and highly recommend. There are far better writers out there that I would rather read more from. 

The Happiest Refugee, A Memoir - Anh Do

“There are only two times. Now and too late.” - Anh Do

Anh Do nearly didn't make it to Australia. His entire family came close to losing their lives on the sea as they escaped from war-torn Vietnam in an overcrowded boat. But nothing - not murderous pirates, nor the imminent threat of death by hunger, disease or dehydration as they drifted for days - could quench their desire to make a better life in the country they had dreamed about.

Life in Australia was hard, an endless succession of back-breaking work, crowded rooms, ruthless landlords and make-do everything. But there was a loving extended family, and always friends and play and something to laugh about for Anh, his brother Khoa and their sister Tram. Things got harder when their father left home when Anh was thirteen -- they felt his loss very deeply and their mother struggled to support the family on her own. His mother's sacrifice was an inspiration to Anh and he worked hard during his teenage years to help her make ends meet, also managing to graduate high school and then university.

Another inspiration was the comedian Anh met when he was about to sign on for a 60-hour a week corporate job. Anh asked how many hours he worked. 'Four,' the answer came back, and that was it. He was going to be a comedian! The Happiest Refugee tells the incredible, uplifting and inspiring life story of one of our favourite personalities. Tragedy, humour, heartache and unswerving determination -- a big life with big dreams. Anh's story will move and amuse all who read it.

This book was fantastic! I was expecting a really comedic book full of his usual funny outlooks, and don't get me wrong, the book was definitely full of his quirky humour, but it was also very touching and full of stories of his childhood. Reading his story made me realise how lucky I am and actually made me feel selfish that I don't do as much for society as he does.

Anh's childhood was full of so many adventures that most of us couldn't dream of, and I loved reading his journey. A great read that I highly recommend!

Musical Chairs - Jen Knox

“An intelligent person can rationalize anything, a wise person doesn't try.” - Jen Knox

Musical Chairs explores one family's history of mental health diagnoses and searches to define the cusp between a '90s working-class childhood and the trouble of adapting to a comfortable life in the suburbs. In order to understand her restlessness, Jennifer reflects on years of strip-dancing, alcoholism, and estrangement. Inspired by the least likely source, the family she left behind, Jennifer struggles towards reconciliation. This story is about identity, class, family ties, and the elusive nature of mental illness. 

This was one of those raw stories you read that makes you examine your own life and think how lucky you really are. 

This book COULD have been full of self-pity, but instead it was full of optimism. It COULD have been full of excuses and weakness, but instead it showed strength and determination. It COULD have been hard to read, but instead I found it a refreshing glimpse in to the life of someone who struggles with mental illness, but fights back. 

This is a great book for those who has never really had any contact with someone who has a mental illness, but is interested in seeing how their thought pattern works. A great read!

Summer and the City - Candice Bushnell

“The heart wants what the heart wants," she says, somewhat cryptically. I purse my lips in disapproval. "You'd think the heart would know better.” - Carrie Bradshaw 


Summer is a magical time in New York City and Carrie is in love with all of it—the crazy characters in her neighbourhood, the vintage-clothing boutiques, the wild parties, and the glamorous man who has swept her off her feet. Best of all, she's finally in a real writing class, taking her first steps toward fulfilling her dream. 

This sequel to The Carrie Diaries brings surprising revelations as Carrie learns to navigate her way around the Big Apple, going from being a country "sparrow"—as Samantha Jones dubs her—to the person she always wanted to be. But as it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile her past with her future, Carrie realizes that making it in New York is much more complicated than she ever imagined. 

With her signature wit and sparkling humor, Candace Bushnell reveals the irresistible story of how Carrie met Samantha and Miranda, and what turned a small-town girl into one of New York City's most unforgettable icons, Carrie Bradshaw.

All I can say, is that if you loved the Sex and the City TV show, you will love this book. It was full of Candice Bushnell's quirky yet insightful observations on love and modern life just like the series and even though you know ultimately how it is going to end, it still takes you on an hilariously exciting journey through New York to see how Carrie meets her best friends.

Highly recommended for Carrie Bradshaw fans.

Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell

If you want a picture of the future, imaging a boot stamping on a human face - forever.

Written in 1948, 1984 was George Orwell's chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, Orwell's narrative is timelier than ever. 1984 presents a startling and haunting vision of the world, so powerful that it is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the power of this novel, its hold on the imaginations of multiple generations of readers, or the resiliency of its admonitions a legacy that seems only to grow with the passage of time.

This book is a little more intense than the style of books I usually go for, but after seeing it listed on the "Books you must read before you die" and seeing so many strong reviews for it, I thought it was one I should definitely make time to read.

I had to read A Brave New World in high school and even today I still thoroughly enjoy that book. To me, Nineteen Eighty Four is the next level of extreme when compared to A Brave New World, and although I really enjoyed George Orwells writing style and the overall theme of the book, I think that a lot of the intellectual political notes went over my head.

To fully understand and appreciate this book you need to be able to give it 100% concentration for the whole time you are reading it, and at time I struggled with doing that as I found myself skim-reading over the extreme political jargon (i.e. when Winston was reading The Book).

I did enjoy the book, and while it is one of the most thought-provoking books I have read, I wouldn't read it again, nor recommend it to someone unless they specifically enjoyed this genre of book. 

Fourteen Days Later - Sibel Hodge

Fourteen Days Later is a romantic comedy with a unique infusion of British and Turkish Cypriot culture, written in a similar style to Marian Keyes - it is My Big Fat Greek Wedding meets Bridget Jones. 

When accident-prone Helen Grey finds a thong stuffed into the pocket of her boyfriend's best work trousers, it's time for her to move on. His excuse that he needed to dust the photocopier and just thought that it was a rag sounds like a lame excuse. 

Helen's life is propelled in an unexpected direction after her best friend, Ayshe, sets her a fourteen-day, life-changing challenge. Helen receives a task everyday which she must complete without question. The tasks are designed to build her confidence and boost her self-esteem but all they seem to do is push her closer to Ayshe's brother, Kalem. 

How will Kalem and Helen get together when she's too foolish to realize that she loves him? How can he fall for her when he is too busy falling prey to her mishaps and too in love with his own perfect girlfriend? How will Kalem's Turkish Cypriot family react when they find out? 

Is it really possible to change your life in fourteen days?

This was a great chick lit book and I loved reading it - my only complaint was that it go on for long enough!

The characters were hilarious, the plot flowed along really well, and it made me laugh-out-loud in several sections! It ended kind of abruptly, although I think there is a sequel so it may just continue on from where it left.

The Dress - Sophie Nicholls

Meet Ella and her mother Fabbia Moreno who arrive in York, one cold January day, to set up their vintage dress shop. 

The flamboyant Fabbia wants to sell beautiful dresses to nice people and move on from her difficult past. Ella just wants to fit in. But not everyone is on their side. 

Will Fabbia overcome the prejudices she encounters? What's the dark secret she's hiding? And do the silk linings and concealed seams of her dresses contain real spells or is this all just 'everyday magic'? 

Among the leopard-print shoes, tea-gowns and costume jewellery in Fabbia's shop are many different stories - and the story of one particular dress. 

I bough this book for 99c on the kindle store and it was the perfect book to read while on holidays.

If i had been reading it in my normal everyday life I would have like to see it go a bit more in depth in to their stories, but for a holiday it was easy to read.

I really enjoyed the stories from the "Old Country" and thought they were woven in well throughout the story and used to help the writer make her point.

The only slight criticism I would provide would be that it didn't read like it was set in 2010, at least my school life wasn't like that, although perhaps schools in England are different to Australia.

Overall it was a nice, easy, book that I would happily recommend for a light-hearted, quick read.