09 March 2011

Review: Who Killed Dave by Linda Cockburn

Author: Linda Cockburn

Publisher: Together Press

Publishing Date: 2009

ISBN: 9780646501321



From the back cover:

Dave died in mysterious and grotesque circumstances and the murder has caught the imagination of a nation. There’s a television poll running and 46% of voters believe Robyn is guilty. Maybe she did, maybe she didn’t, she wasn’t in any state to remember.

But hey, if you’re pointing fingers then Kaos Court is full of people crazy enough to commit the crime.

This part time masseuse, part time tarot card reader is going to need all her skills to find out who killed Dave, because it’s the only thing standing between her and Detective Mark Hood, a man she could never marry, not when your first name is Robyn. Right?

A whacky whodunit comedy that cartwheels from one chaotic moment to the next.

And who killed Dave? ... You’ll never guess!



Do you enjoy a good murder mystery? Feel as though you have the blood of Sherlock Holmes running through your veins? If so, then grab your magnifying glass and join the residents of Kaos Court to find out 'Who Killed Dave?'.

Kaos Court is a whacky Australian suburban street which houses an array of even whackier residents who range in whackiness from a blind telephone sex operator to Harry the Hermit and Bundy the Pitt Bull. In Who Killed Dave?, Linda Cockburn, takes the reader on a journey through the bizarrely connected lives of these residents.

Who Killed Dave? is narrated by Robin, a psychic masseuse and one of the more balanced residents of Kaos Court. However, trouble seems to follow Robin around and she continually has to navigate her way through a series of bizarre and dangerous situations in her quest to find out who killed Dave - one of the Court's more unpopular residents. Everyone in Kaos Court becomes a suspect in Dave's bizarre murder, including Robin, and to be honest, any one of them are crazy enough to have committed the crime.

Witty and full of surprises, Who Killed Dave? is a tale that is bound to please those with a sense of humour, any fan of crime fiction with a touch of the bizarre or anyone who just wants to have a good laugh at the expense of others. Who Killed Dave? is recommended reading for anyone looking for a light-hearted and raunchy murder mystery.

So, who did kill Dave? You can grab a copy here if you want to find out!

Rating: B


About the Author:

Taken from Together Press

Linda Cockburn is the author of Living the Good Life - Simple Strategies for sustainable Living, also titled Living the Good Life - How One Family Changed their world from their own backyard, published in 2006 by Hardie Grant and 2007 by Snowbooks.

The book details Linda's family's attempt to live six months from a suburban block producing their own food, power, water, transport and creating zero waste. They've been featured on Channel 7's Today, Tonight, Time Magazine, Notebook, That's Life and many others. Linda is a regular contributor to ABC Organic Gardening Magazine.

Linda has almost clocked up enough hours in Australia to be considered true blue, but her pronunciation of 'fish n' chips' still gives away her kiwi origins.

Linda, partner Trevor and son Caleb have moved to Tasmania where they are building a strawbale home without use of concrete, PVC and chemical paints. They've surrounded themselves in goats, sheep, chooks (chickens) and bees and spend most of their time saving on gym fees working out in the garden.

28 February 2011

Celluloid Serial Killers by Paul B. Kidd


Author: Paul B. Kidd
Publisher: The Five Mile Press
Publishing Date: 2007
Genre: Non-Fiction, Serial Killers
ISBN: 9781741784275




Australian true crime author, Paul B. Kidd, presents an excellent reference guide on serial killer movies and the fiends who inspired those movies. Kidd has produced a comprehensive and compelling guide to the history of the serial killer movie genre and introduces the real-life serial killers who inspired these movies.

This book is made up of 45 separate chapters, with each chapter covering a different movie. Each section comprises a review of the movie, a movie poster, a biography and picture (if available) of the actual killer. The book offers a very comprehensive coverage of the most influential serial killer movies and a detailed introduction to some of the most depraved serial killers in history, including Fritz Lang's M (1931), Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) and Zodiac (2007). Kidd also includes some movies which are not based on an actual historical serial killer such as Sea of Love (1989), The Bone Collector (1999) and Blood Work (2002).

Celluloid Serial Killers is presented in an easy to read format and, while the content matter is not for the faint-hearted, it is ideal for both true crime fans and movie buffs alike. After reading this book you may find yourself running out to get a copy of the movies that Paul B. Kidd recommends. A highly recommended read.


Rating: A


About the Author:

Paul B. Kidd is an Australian true crime author and recognised authority on Australian serial killers and criminals. Kidd is also radio talkback host, research producer and photojournalist. He is the author of approximately sixteen books on various subjects including true crime and fishing. Paul B. Kidd currently resides in Sydney, Australia.



You can purchase this book from the following link:

Celluloid Serial Killers: The History of Serial Killers in the Movies

30 December 2009

WWW...Wednesdays



WWW Wednesdays is a new meme hosted by mizb17 over at Should Be Reading. It asks three (3) questions:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

My answers for this week are:


Currently reading:

"The Gathering" by Anne Enright









Just finished:

"Birdsong" by Sebastian Faulks










Reading next:

"The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood












29 December 2009

Teaser Tuesdays



Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read

  • Open to a random page

  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
    BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!



  • This week's teaser comes from page 178 of Sophie's Choice by William Styron.

    "I was literally on the verge of crying out, but she beat me to it, making a gulping noise as she clapped her hands over her mouth and fled to the bathroom. I stood there in pounding embarrassment for long moments listening to the muffled sounds behind the bathroom door, aware now for the first time of the Scarlatti piano sonata that had been playing softly on the phonograph."





    10 December 2009

    Booking Through Thursday - Mark the Spot

    This weeks Booking Through Thursday was suggested by Tammy and asks:


    What items have you ever used as a bookmark? What is the most unusual item you’ve ever used or seen used?


    I have two lovely bookmarks that my son and daughter made me when they were young which I use most of the time, however, over the years I have used many different items as bookmarks, such as shopping receipts, price tags off clothing, envelopes and drinking straws.

    I buy a lot of secondhand books and it is not unusual to find items which have been left inside books such as tickets and photos. When I find photograph it makes me wonder who these people are and what their lives have been like. It makes me a little sad that I can't return the photographs to their owners. My best find ever was $10, which I can only assume was being used as a bookmark and that find definitely covered the price of the book!


    27 November 2009

    The Friday 56 - Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks



    A weekly meme hosted by Storytime with Tonya and Friends


    Rules:
    * Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
    * Turn to page 56.
    * Find the fifth sentence.
    * Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
    *Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
    * Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

    This week's Friday 56 comes from Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks:

    'I,' said Berard weightily, 'don't consider them to be friends. I have not invited them to our house and I shall not be calling on them.'





    26 November 2009

    Twenty Ten Reading Challenge


    The Twenty Ten Reading Challenge, hosted over at Bart's Bookshelf asks you to read twenty books, over 10 categories, in 2020! The rules are:

    • Read 2 books from each category, making a requirement of 20 books total.
    • The categories are intended to be loose guidelines only, if you decide it fits, then it fits. (Apart from those marked **)
    • Categories marked with ** have tighter rules, and these must be followed.
    • Each book can only qualify for one category.
    • Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
    • Books read from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2010 are eligible.

    The categories are:

    Young Adult
    Any book classified as young adult or featuring a teenage protagonist counts for this category.





    T.B.R. **

    Intended to help reduce the old T.B.R. pile. Books for this category must be already residents of your bookshelves as of 1/11/09.





    Shiny & New
    Bought a book NEW during 2010 from a bookstore, online, or a supermarket? Then it counts for this category. Second-hand books do not count for this one, but, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts or won in a giveaway also count!





    Bad Blogger’s
    ***
    Books in this category, should be ones you’ve picked up purely on the recommendation of another blogger count for this category (any reviews you post should also link to the post that convinced you give the book ago).
    *** Bad Bloggers: Is hosted by Chris of Stuff as Dreams are Made on.





    Charity

    Support your local charity shops with this category, by picking up books from one of their shops. Again, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts also count, as long as they were bought from a charity shop.





    New in 2010
    This category is for those books newly published in 2010 (whether it be the first time it is has been released, or you had to wait for it to be published in your country, it counts for this one!)





    Older Than You

    Read two books that were published before you were born, whether that be the day before or 100 years prior!





    Win! Win!
    Have a couple of books you need to read for another challenge? Then this is the category to use, as long that is, you don’t break the rules of the other challenge by doing so! ;)





    Who Are You Again?

    This one isn’t just for authors you’ve never read before, this is for those authors you have never even heard of before!





    Up to You!
    The requirements for this category are up to you! Want to challenge yourself to read some graphic novels? A genre outside your comfort zone? Something completely wild and wacky? Then this is the category to you. The only requirement is that you state it in your sign-up post.

    I never read Science Fiction, so I am going to step out of my comfort zone and read the following:
    1. A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick
    2. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

    18 November 2009

    WWW...Wednesdays



    WWW Wednesdays is a new meme hosted by mizb17 over at Should Be Reading. It asks three (3) questions:
    What are you currently reading?
    What did you recently finish reading?
    What do you think you’ll read next?

    My answers for this week are:


    Currently Reading:

    "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak








    Just Finished:

    "Utopia" by Sir Thomas More which I read for the Really Old Classics Challenge.








    Reading Next:

    "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer.









    17 November 2009

    Teaser Tuesdays



    Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read

  • Open to a random page

  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
    BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


  • This weeks teaser comes from page 93 of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

    "She gulped the air until she was ready, and they began reading from the eleventh chapter of The Gravedigger's Handbook. Just past three o'clock, they finished it, and only the final chapter, 'Respecting the Graveyard', remained."

    30 October 2009

    The Friday 56 - If On a Winter's Night a Traveller



    A weekly meme hosted by Storytime with Tonya and Friends


    Rules:
    * Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
    * Turn to page 56.
    * Find the fifth sentence.
    * Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
    *Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
    * Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.


    This week's Friday 56 comes from a book by Italo Calvino called
    If On A Winter's Night A Traveller.

    'I felt a kind of vertigo, as if I were merely plunging from one world to another, and in each I arrived shortly after the end of the world had taken place'.






    24 October 2009

    Sunday Salon

    The Sunday Salon.com

    If you would like to take part in Sunday Salon, just click the Salon badge above!


    Well, its Sunday here in Australia and this is my first Sunday Salon post. My blog is fairly new, so I have been spending a great deal of time reading other people's blogs and getting a feel for the 'book blogging experience'. I must say there are some fantastic blogs out there and I hope one day mine will also meet the high standard of some I have come across.

    Unfortunately, I have been spending a little too much time on the internet and not enough time reading. However, over the past couple of weeks, I have managed to finish reading Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, which I really enjoyed and would recommend for anyone who hasn't already read it. I have made a start on The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende and I am looking forward beginning The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy.

    Early this week, I came across a copy of an Australian book which I am looking forward to reading called The Trout Opera by Matthew Condon. I love Australian content and Australian authors, so I am eager to get around to reading this one. I would love to hear thoughts about this book from anyone who has read it. The following will tell you a little about the book:

    'Wilfred Lampe is almost one hundred years old. After falling over in his paddock in rural Dalgety, he is airlifted out by the Sydney Olympic Committee who have earmarked him to play Australia's century-old Everyman at their opening ceremony. Helpless in his hospital bed, Wilfred discovers he has a great-niece, the wild and troubled Aurora. She has come to take him home, where he belongs. As Wilfred and Aurora criss-cross Australia in a clapped-out old Humber Vogue, Wilfred comes face to face with the new Australia, and Aurora, enmeshed in the complex social problems of a modern world, is taught how to repair her life. Flamboyant, operatic, inescapably funny, "The Trout Opera" portrays a mad world of history, war, romance, murder, bushfires, drugs and the fragility and resilience of nature. Through the story of a man who has experienced the tumultuous reverberations of the world while never moving from his birthplace on the Snowy, it asks, what is this relentless thing called life?'

    I am hoping to post reviews of all these books when, and if, I finish them. That is about all from me for today, however, I am looking forward to reading everyone's posts. Have a great Sunday everyone!

    23 October 2009

    The Friday 56 - The Trout Opera



    A weekly meme hosted by Storytime with Tonya and Friends


    Rules:
    * Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
    * Turn to page 56.
    * Find the fifth sentence.
    * Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
    *Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
    * Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.


    This week's Friday 56 comes from an Australian book I picked up called
    The Trout Opera by Matthew Condon.

    'In the advance of the day's traffic, the long serpents of vehicles meandered towards their destinations, saying , I'm here, and my day has started'.


    22 October 2009

    Online Social Networking for Book Lovers

    Do your bookshelves look like this? Do you enjoy reading and love to share that joy with those around you? Are you looking for a fun way to interact with others who share your love of reading? If you answered yes to these questions, then online social networking sites dedicated especially to books and reading may be what you are looking for.

    Online social networking sites are becoming increasingly popular. These sites function like an online community and bring together computer users who share the same interests. The increasing popularity of social networking is good news for book lovers because online social networking sites allow avid readers to discuss the books they love to read.

    If you love books and have a passion for reading, then you will be aware that most bookaholics love to share the great new book they have found, tell their friends about a fantastic new author they have discovered or let the world know about a bestselling new release. The digital revolution has opened up many new avenues for book enthusiasts to connect, share and review anything to do with books and reading. You might like to try some of the following sites and join the ones which suit your need:

    All these sites do basically the same thing, however, features vary from site to site. BookCrossing is a little different in that it has a unique way of sharing books. The BookCrossing website asks readers to leave a book 'on a park bench, a coffee shop, at a hotel on vacation. Share it with a friend or tuck it onto a bookshelf at the gym -- anywhere it might find a new reader! What happens next is up to fate, and we never know where our books might travel. Track the book's journey around the world as it is passed on from person to person'. BookCrossing is an exciting and fun way to share books because you just don't know where your book will end up or where you may find your next fantastic read.

    Basically, these sites allow the user to:
    • catalogue their books
    • create personal profiles
    • get book recommendations
    • build book lists
    • rate, discuss and review books
    • interact with other people who share the same interests.
    Online social networking is a fun way to widen your social circle, share great books and find new books to read and it can open up a whole new world of opportunities for the book lover. So, why not get started today! Or, if you already use some of these sites, let us know which is your favourite and why!

    Here is where you can find more information on Social Networking for Book Lovers!

    18 October 2009

    Sunday Stealing - ABC Meme





    Sunday Stealing: The ABC's of Meme, You can take part at Sunday Stealing!

    A- Advocate for: Ending world poverty

    B- Best Feature: You would have to ask someone who knows me.

    C- Could do without: Judgmental people

    D- Dreams and desires: For my children to have happy, healthy lives.

    E- Essential items: Internet, book, chocolate.

    F- Favorite past time: Internet, reading, spending time with family.

    G- Good at: Cooking, caring for sick and injured animals.

    H- Have never tried: Hot air ballooning.

    I- If I had a million dollars: I would help those who have nothing and abused animals.

    J- Junkie for: Chocolate

    K- Kindred spirit: My dogs

    L- Little known fact: A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why!

    M- Memorable moment: The birth of my children.

    N- Never again will I: Be 40

    O- Occasional indulgence: Soap operas

    P- Profession: Bookseller

    Q- Quote: "If your dog doesn't like someone you probably shouldn't either" Unknown.

    R- Reason to smile: I am alive!

    S- Sorry about: Not reporting my neighbor to the police when his dog jumped the fence and nearly killed 2 of my dogs. Now he denies it happened!

    T- Things you are worrying about right now: What sort of world we are leaving for our children.

    U- Uninterested in: Gossips

    V- Very scared of: Becoming homeless

    W- Worst habits: Procrastination

    Y- Yummiest dessert: Chocolate cake.

    X- X marks my ideal vacation spot: A deserted Island (with an internet connection, of course!)

    Z- Zodiac sign: Sagittarius

    16 October 2009

    The Friday 56 -The God of Small Things


    A weekly meme hosted by Storytime with Tonya and Friends

    Rules:
    * Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
    * Turn to page 56.
    * Find the fifth sentence.
    * Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
    *Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
    * Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.




    This week, mine is taken from The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy:

    'If a person couldn't even run a pickle factory profitably, how was that person going to run a whole country?'


    13 October 2009

    Teaser Tuesdays


    Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read

  • Open to a random page

  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
    BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!



  • My Teaser this week comes from page 180 of The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende.

    During the months that they were separated, Blanca and Pedro Tercero exchanged burning letters, which he signed in a woman's name and which she hid as soon as they arrived. Nana managed to intercept one or two, but she did not know how to read, and even if she had she would not have been able to break their secret code - fortunately for her, because her heart would not have withstood the shock.

    12 October 2009

    Book Review - Like Water For Chocolate


    Title: Like Water For Chocolate
    Author: Laura Esquivel
    Published (this edition): 1993
    Publisher: Black Swan
    Genre: Magical Realism
    ISBN: 0552995878




    Laura Esquivel’s bestselling novel, Like Water for Chocolate, is a tale of forbidden love, passion, tragedy and food. The narrative is told in twelve chapters and each chapter begins with a traditional Mexican recipe. The storyline weaves around the preparation and consumption of the food produced from these recipes, as the tragedies and secrets of an all-female rural Mexican family unfold.


    Like Water for Chocolate is set on a ranch on the border between Mexico and Texas during the Mexican Revolution and tells the story of Tita De La Garza, the youngest daughter of the domineering and controlling matriarch of the family, Mama Elena. Tita, because of Mexican tradition, is forbidden to marry and is sentenced to a life of servitude to Mama Elena and must care for this vengeful and hard-hearted woman until the day she dies.


    However, things become complicated when Tita falls deeply in love with a young man named Pedro. Mama Elena refuses to let Tita and Pedro marry and, desperate to remain close to Tita, Pedro marries her sister, Rosaura. From this point on, Tita is forced to live a lonely and loveless life and it is clear that her cooking becomes an outlet for her emotions. Tita transfers her feelings to the dishes she lovingly prepares and Laura Esquivel describes these dishes so vividly you can almost taste them.


    Time, distance and Mama Elena keep Tita and Pedro apart for many years. However, a series of tragic events result in the deaths of both Mama Elena and Rosaura and, finally, Tita is reunited with her true love Pedro. However, this reunion culminates in an ending that can only be described as passionate and bittersweet.


    Like Water for Chocolate is a passionate and tragic story which combines romance and fantasy. Those who have longed for something they could not have will relate well to this story. It is a story of forbidden love and a cookbook all rolled into one. This book is an entertaining, compelling and highly recommended read.


    My Rating: A



    Australian Purchasers
    click picture
    Like Water for Chocolate


    International Purchasers




    08 October 2009

    Friday Fill-Ins #145




    You can take part at Friday Fill-Ins


    1. Sweet dreams to all.

    2. A relaxing bubble bath & good book waiting especially for me.

    3. Silliness is a required ingredient for sanity.

    4. Have fun this Halloween.

    5. Outstanding or not life goes on.

    6. Choclolate cake is what I want right now!

    7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to an early night, tomorrow my plans include work and Sunday, I want to relax and do nothing much at all!

    07 October 2009

    "Waiting On" Wednesday


    "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine.

    I have recently read Bram Stoker's Dracula, So my Can't wait to read book is:

    Dracula: The Un-Dead
    By Dacre Stoker & Ian Holt

    Publication Date: October 13, 2009




    From Publisher's Weekly:


    In this sequel to Bram Stoker's Dracula, his great-grandnephew offers one of the rowdiest revisionist treatments of the most influential vampire novel ever written. In 1912, as Stoker labors to adapt Dracula for the stage, its “characters” are dying gruesomely all over London. It turns out they are as real as Stoker himself, who learned their secret story on the sly and took creative liberties when turning it into his popular penny dreadful. Dracula's true story involves the passing of his blood line through Mina Harker to her son; a malignant Dr. Van Helsing, who Scotland Yard suspects had a hand in the murders attributed to Jack the Ripper; and the exploits of a 16th-century vampire countess, Dracula's former lover, who cuts a bloody swath through London seeking the survivors of Dracula's last stand in Transylvania. Energetically paced and packed with outrageously entertaining action, this supernatural thriller is a well-needed shot of fresh blood for the Dracula mythos.





    06 October 2009

    Teaser Tuesday



    Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read

  • Open to a random page

  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
    BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


  • My teaser comes from page 156 of Water for Chocolate by Laura Exquivel:


    'She couldn't begin a discussion between them right now that would spoil the good impulse she felt to forgive Rosaura for how she had harmed her. Instead of voicing her thoughts, Tita promised her sister that she would prepare a special diet to help her lose weight.'





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