The Birth of Venus - Sarah Dunant

Set in 15th century Renaissance Florence, it's evocative, colourful, thrilling and rich. This is my first time with Sarah Dunant, in fact I was looking for her latest book In the Company of the Courtesan but found this first. The story of Alessandra Cecchi, a young, precociously intelligent girl from one of the wealthy families in Florence - her talents, loves and fascination with the arts and a particular painter. I was beguiled from the first page with the mystery and exoticism in the writing and settings. Feeling melancholy & in bed with the flu, I was transported to another world.

Set Yourself Free - Shirley Smith

This book came to me as a gift from a stranger, someone who met Kurt at a course and gave this book to me. Thanks Robert! How serendipitous! I'm not unfamiliar with Codependency, having read John Bradshaw & Melody Beattie etc, but that was a long time ago. Codependency originates from the denial of the true self in order to survive within a dysfunctional system - as adults co-dependents are either attracted to addictive types or have an addictive personality. It's good to revisit with fresh eyes.

We need to talk about Kevin - Lionel Shriver

I expected much, with all the glowing reviews. I don't know where I got the idea from but I had thought it was based on a true story, but I realised once I started that it was fiction. I struggled at first with the verbose writing style - I found myself starting on a half dozen other books (diversion?) during the early part. The pace quickens to a horrific climax, but I thought that Kevin was too out and out evil to be believable - hard to imagine a 4 yr old child with such malice and cunning, who's so consistently evil as he grows up, and on the other hand, hard to imagine a more stupid father who so blindly sees only the best in his malignant son. Still, I did enjoy this book overall for its dense emotionality and complexity.

Almost French - Sarah Turnbull

Resisted reading this for awhile, for some vague reason like maybe it was just another bandwagon book. But when I finally read it, I found it quite engaging partly because of its Australian perspective. Funny to read of the writer's gradual transition from wearing baggy trackpants to becoming more stylish by osmosis as the environment began to have its effect. It provides insight into some common stereotypes of the French, and destroys some myths, clarifies others. Because she's with a French partner, it gives her more of an inside view, while her Australian origin provides an outsider's view. Still, threading through the narrative are the dilemnas of someone who's between 2 cultures. Finally at the end, she says she can now resonate with "Once you leave your homeland, nothing is ever the same" - said to her by a Greek man who felt Australian in Greece and Greek in Australia. So true.

Skin Revolution - Leslie Kenton

Haven't read Leslie Kenton for decades, though I own a few of her previous books. I read this one in bits & pieces over the last couple of months. A few nuggets of good info, especially about the Living Matrix skin spray, mineral-based makeup, and a couple of other things. Found the writing patchy, and whilst there is some leading edge info about skin care, it's still geared towards the mainstream and big brands. Nothing that stands out as particularly innovative.

The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

I just realised that I left out a whole lot of audiobooks I've "read". Rather than go back & list all of them - eeek, a daunting thought - I'll just list a few noteables now & then. I "read" this 3.5 years ago - the feelings it evoked still stay with me. Henry is prone to spontaneous time travel, a genetic problem. He first meets Clare on a time travel trip when she's 6 and he's 35. Starting in his mid thirties, he travels chaotically back & forth in time, but Clare travels forward steadily in time. So in "real time" when she accidentally meets him for the first time, he's only 28 and she's in her early 20s. At 28, he hasn't started time travelling yet, but she has known & loved him since she was 6! He doesn't recognise her! Confusing? It's a gorgeous book, so inventive, heart-wrenching, and bittersweet.

The Manny - Holly Peterson

Noted this new release when it was promoted in bookshops, then bought it on special. I was pleasantly surprised. Not your average chick lit; set in punchy, edgy, tough-talking New York in which Jamie lives and works, married to one of the rich set and living in "The Grid" bordered by 70th & 79th Streets and Park Ave & 5th Avenue. She hires a Manny (a nanny of the male persuasion)- a life changing decision with many repercussions. Great characters - my favourite is Ingrid. And of course Peter the manny is wonderfully depicted. A great, satisfying read!

Fragile Things - Neil Gaiman

I'm a Neil Gaiman virgin, so my first time has been captivating! I love the weirdness, the unexpectedness, the exotic-ness. I normally dislike short stories, preferring full length novels for the proper development of depth, character, etc. But this collection, apart from a couple of maybes, is full of mysterious and disturbing and compelling people, situations, and concepts. Couldn't put it down! And after finishing it, I went back to the intro where he gives the background of each story - more interesting after having read the stories.

Midnight in Manhattan - Francesca Delbanco

Different to Bergdorf Blondes and Debutante Divorcee, it's realistic rather than escapist, and I was looking for more of the latter, but I enjoyed it anyway. About Rosalie an aspiring actress whose day job as advice columnist for a teenage girlie magazine provides her with some identity angst. And her affair with the very attractive and wealthy father of her friend, and her eventual finding of true love.

The Debutante Divorcee - Plum Sykes

Wonderful and totally enjoyable escapism for me, like the author's Bergdorf Blondes - mixing with flakey socialites, the glitterati and elite of NY society in a glut of divorce showers, power christenings, memorable memorials, divorce honeymoons and carelessly decadent holidays, while the newly married protagonist starts wondering if she's due for her own divorce honeymoon soon when her gorgeous husband behaves suspiciously, and her society friends rally around her. Witty and never vacuous, the tone is wicked and tongue-in-cheek.

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

Pity the cover art here is different from the Australian version which I think is more dramatic. Interesting prose, reminded me of a children's book style, with colourful and startling metaphors. Slow buildup - engaging, sad. Set in the wartime in Germany, about Liesel, a young girl who's fostered by a German couple, the deep relationships she forms with her foster dad Hans, her friend Rudy, a Jewish refugee they harbour, the mayor's wife, and Books. Narrated by Death him(her?)self, kept busy in this war, who holds a soft spot for Liesel.

Goodnight Nobody - Jennifer Weiner

An absorbing chick-lit mystery with humour and wit. I thoroughly enjoyed peeking into the lives of stylish wealthy suburban NY housewives while the heroine attempts to solve a murder amongst them, assuaging her own sense of isolation and boredom.

The Princessa - Harriet Rubin

Best summed up in the Amazon review: "Harriet Rubin urges women to triumph by turning their enemies into allies and their fear into power; by enlarging their sphere rather than defending it; and by learning to best instead of win." It's different from your usual self improvement tome, a bit mysterious with its Machiavellian-NOT style, oblique and long-winded, but with good sentiments and principles.

Dragonkeeper - Carole Wilkinson

Coincidentally, this was lent me by Joanne just as I was finishing The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, so this became my second children's book in a row, and I read it virtually in one sitting, because it's a charming heartwarming story about a young slave girl who becomes the companion of the last remaining dragon in China. In the company of Danzi the dragon, she realises her own true power and changes from a frightened shy slave girl into a strong and resourceful girl, as they journey across China to the Ocean, pitting their wits against dangers and enemies.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

Finally got around to reading this much talked about young fiction. It's a very engaging book and the author manages to get inside the head of a teenaged autistic boy very convincingly, as the latter investigates the death of his neighbour's dog and starts to find out more and more things which had been kept from him. This teenage savant loves his mathematics and one gets to read a lot of fascinating info about everything from mathematical puzzles to the constellations. The protagonist's narration is bare-faced and honest,describing everything as he sees them, including the adults' swearing and misbehaviours.

Eat Pray Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

A book I read with anticipation, having read reviews and heard the author interviewed on a podcast. I liked her voice, and that goes a long way towards my perception of someone! The sensuous Italian delights of food, mellowness and good company, while the author learns Italian and recovers from the emotional backlash of her divorce & heartbreak of a broken relationship, was a journey I willingly travelled with her. She writes with a wry humour, and though sometimes her grieving is almost maudlin, overall the book is quite enjoyable. After the first 4 months, we move on to India and her emotional and spiritual journey in an ashram where she meets a few interesting characters. The identity of the ashram and guru are deliberately not divulged, but there's no attempt to disguise the details so it's obvious to me which guru & ashram it is. The last 4 months is in Bali, captivating in a different way, where we meet a new cast of characters - the medicine man who was her reason for being there, the locals, the expatriate community, the herbalist woman friend whom she helps to obtain a much needed home. And a lovely ending, but best left to readers to find out for themselves!

The Brief History of the Dead - Kevin Brockmeier

I finally got around to reading this book which Nancy Pearl reviewed so glowingly for its unusual premise, ie that we all exist as long as someone remembers us in the world -- so the multitudes who die go into this parallel world where they live amongst others who are still remembered by someone, and they work and play pretty much like what they do in the "real" world, and only when the last remaining person who remembers them, however vaguely, has died will they then disappear into the great hereafter. The chapters alternate between this parallel world and the "real" world where a viral epidemic has wiped out pretty much most of the population, except for a few people on an expedition in the Arctic or Antarctic (can't remember which). I found it rather melancholy to read about a world whose people have been wiped out, and the seemingly pointless lives of those in the parallel world. It was quite an engaging read in the first half or so, when the suspense of wondering what happened to the others on the expedition and what would happen to Laura kept the pages turning, then I found myself skimming past the long winded mental perambulations of the parallel world characters.

The Hills of Tuscany - Ferenc Mate

Another Italy book as "research" for our dream of living there. The author evokes a familiar environment of good food, wonderful people, great culture. Settling in a farmhouse near Montepulciano, he wrote that he didn't want to do the same old gorgeous food type book, but it's hard to not talk about food in a setting like this where the seasons and lives are so intertwined with good food and good company, so we get drawn into the mushroom hunting season, the home-made wines and prosciutto and green aromatic olive oils and truffles. I found the writing styles of Under the Tuscan Sun and Extra Virgin more engaging, but still I enjoyed this story and there were a few laughs too. What a pity for our dream that it seems one should either be financially independent and/or a writer to support one's life there.

Journey of Souls - Michael Newton

Borrowed this book from Moni, read it all, then discovered that I have my own copy waiting on the bookshelves to be read. That's what happens when I buy too many books and can't catch up with reading them all! It's the type of book I read by the dozen long long ago, and though I feel I've read enough of them, this one was riveting enough to be read in one or two sittings. If true, it provides a fascinating look into what we get up to between lives, and how we've planned for our life lessons, however hard & unfair it appears once the veil of forgetfulness shields our between-life memories.

Digging to America - Anne Tyler

One of my favourite authors, and this book is one of my favourites of hers. The other favourite is Amateur Marriage. Digging to America is especially poignant, with many deftly written scenes - subtle nuances, unspoken hurts, human foibles. It's about the relationship between an American family and an Iranian American family, each of whom adopted a Korean child, and the different ways they bring the children up. Maryam, the mother of the man on the Yazdan (Iranian) side, is an interesting study. I could really relate to her reservations about her suitor, whom she described as taking up too much space - bringing electronic clutter, sound, too much talk, to her space. All the characters are sensitively portrayed, and one can't help but feel empathy for all of them. Acutely observed were the ways the Iranian Americans enjoy swapping anecdotes & marvelling about how "Americans" behave. Sounds like what some of us do here, swapping anecdotes about "Australian" behaviour. We are all more alike than we are different.

Ripe for the Picking - Annie Hawes

Loved the first one - Extra Virgin - so much that I bought the sequel. It's like revisiting old friends, the same idiosyncratic characters are back, and more tales of gorgeous food, yummy olive oil and home made wine and various mishaps and adventures. Plus a first date involving slapping cow dung onto an outdoor pizza oven. I enjoyed her meeting the 2 truant Maremma sheepdogs, just like our own Leo & Wilson.

Not Buying It - Judith Levine

Subtitled - My year without shopping. What a brave project! I could relate to the writer's sentiments exactly but am in awe of her will power. I couldn't have lasted a week on the project. (How sad the realization that I'm so enslaved to my need for consumption.) Humorous and insightful, with interesting and scary facts about the effects of overconsumption on our planet, and written in a spirited style. It made me think twice and examine my spending habits more closely.

The Extra Large Medium - Helen Slavin

I really savoured the quirky, funny, sad, happy book. A love story, mystery and ghost story of sorts, in a very wry, quirky style. Scary (to a wannabe writer like me) how polished the writing is for a first book. No way to match up! Even though I managed to read it only sporadically in the last busy week, it was one of those special books which always felt like I hadn't left at all. 100% satisfying.

Extra Virgin - Annie Hawes

A great read. Witty, engrossing account of Annie & sister's unplanned purchase of a rundown farmhouse in Liguria on the Italian Riviera, and their (mis)adventures and interactions with the locals. Very funny, affectionately sly observations of human nature and the idiosyncrasies and highlights of Italian village life, olives and the love of good food. And interesting information about local olive farming and wine making and food. I just loved it!

The Mercy of Thin Air - Ronlyn Domingue

It's a stunningly accomplished first novel, so deft and evocative in its imagery, feelings and story. Narrated from Razi's point a view, a young, feisty, fearless and emancipated woman who lived and died in the 1920s at a tragically young age in the throes of an intensely tender love affair. She's stayed "between", a realm after life but before the beyond, and is now an observer in a young couple's relationship 70 years later; she relates to us what happened in her life when she lost her one true love at such a young age, and also slyly intervenes in Amy & Scot's relationship to prevent a tragic end to their relationship. This was one book I didn't speed read as usual, but went a bit more slowly to savour its many subtle nuances and turns of phrase.

Our Lady of The Forest - David Guterson

About a modern day Marian sighting and how it affects a logging town which has lost its main source of income now that logging has stopped, and the town's various characters. Gritty in style with long involved dialogues and descriptions, but overall quite interesting. Meant to read this a couple of years ago, but just got around to it.

Night Watch - Sarah Waters

As a fan of Sarah Waters, I found this one harder to get into. Maybe being forced by circumstances to read in very small bites over a couple of weeks made it seem choppy. The war backdrop was very detailed and encompassing, but I couldn't get into the story.

The Madonnas of Leningrad - Debra Dean

An intensely poignant and beautiful story moving between present day America with Alzheimer's encroaching upon Marina, and in wartime Russia when Marina was a museum guide, freshly engaged to Dmitri who has gone off to fight. It's set in the beautifully imposing and rich Leningrad Hermitage Museum, and Marina is working with others in a gruelling schedule to pack up the thousands of treasures in the face of the impending German invasion. The paintings in every room are richly described, revisited and brought to life in Marina's memories, stored in her memory palace. The frequent air raids and deprivations of war cause many of the workers to reside in the museum, living on meagre rations. One of my favourite scenes is during one of her lookout shifts on the roof - she walks past Rembrandt's works and recalls "Danae" where Zeus visits the nude Danae in a shower of gold. Marina is delirious from lack of food and sleep - Zeus appears shining and beautiful on the rooftop and seduces her. Another is in the public steam baths, when she convinces Olga that she's pregnant and the other women come to feel her belly, marvelling at the miracle. I read this book in one sitting.

The Colour - Rose Tremain

Not the usual storyline that would attract me - the harsh environment and greed of the gold rush in 19th century New Zealand. I read it because of the author's reputation and wasn't disappointed. In spite of the dreary setting, the writing was so convincing, imaginative and natural that I was drawn in from the first page. Joseph & Harriet Blackstone are new settlers in Christchurch, and when Joseph is gripped by gold fever, he leaves Harriet and his mother to find "the colour" on the West Coast. I tended to sympathize with Harriet, a strong woman who goes to look for her husband when his mother dies and their cob house collapses in extreme weather. The desperation and hopelessness of Joseph's plight is alleviated when Harriet arrives and accidentally finds gold upstream. There's a touching relationship between Harriet and the dignified Chinese man Pao Yi in the aftermath of the river flooding and uprooting all the gold mining. A moving and beautifully written story.

Prochownik's Dream - Alex Miller

This is about an artist at a point of some creative crisis who becomes inspired again when his mentor and his wife return to town and he again becomes involved with them. He gets to know his mentor's wife and she becomes his muse. Took me awhile to get into its low key style.

Choosing Zoe - Laura Budd

A library loan. Light hearted story about a 20-something girl going through relationship angst, with commentary in the interesting voice of her unborn baby who's chosen Zoe to be her future mum. The story bounces along quite charmingly, reading a little like what I imagine teenage fiction to be like, although it isn't. I found her stubborn idiocy in continuing to be attracted to the "wrong" type irritating, but she redeems herself.

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - Marina Lewycka

I forgot to list this one too after reading it some weeks/months ago, but that's not a reflection of what I thought. It was enjoyable and funny, about two sisters who plot to save their aging widowed father from marrying a scheming blonde busty woman who's using him as her passport to immigrate into England. In the process of pursuing a common goal the sisters experience a reconciliation after longstanding hostility. There are poignant moments too when Nadezhda finds out the events in her childhood and her parents' history.

Saving Fish from Drowning - Amy Tan

Read this a couple of months ago, but forgot to record it until now. Maybe it reflects what I thought of it. I find this deviation from her previous style of writing too clever and a chore to read, though the story is interesting enough. Based on a true story, Bibi Chen, San Francisco socialite and art vendor to the stars, plans to lead a trip for 12 to China & Myanmar, but dies in very strange circumstances before the tour begins. The group decides to go after all, with an indecisive and epileptic leader. Bibi is the disembodied narrator. The group gets kidnapped by a deluded tribe. It was hard to get into this book.

Lorelei's Secret - Carolyn Parkhurst

This book seems to be alternatively called The Dogs of Babel. Some reviews said it was schmaltzy, but I thought it was wonderful. It starts off innocently with the protagonist, a linguistic professor, coming home to find that his wife is dead, having fallen from the apple tree in his backyard, and their dog Lorelei as the only witness. In his grieving he attempts to teach his dog to communicate what happened in those last moments. There are clues left behind to make him suspect something more to the story. The book jumps back & forth in time to tell us of their first meeting and subsequent relationship. Lexy his wife was a charmingly whimsical and creative maker of masks, but subject to angry outbursts and mysterious angst. The story gets darker with what I thought was an unnecessary foray into some weird dog mutilation cult. Apart from that, it's beautifully written, evocative, sad, mysterious.

The Piano Man - Marcia Preston

The mother of a teenage boy who died in an accident searches for the man who was the recipient of her son's heart, refusing to let this man waste his life when he'd received such a precious gift from her son. It's pitched perfectly without a false note in the way she finds a way to connect to this stranger. Yet somehow the book loses its thread two-thirds of the way through, as she meanders through her estranged relationship with her father and ex-husband. Still, a nice read with poignant moments.

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - Maggie O'Farrell

The latest book by one of my favourite authors. Moving between colonial India, 1930s Edinburgh, and the present, a sad story about a woman put away by her family and discovered sixty years later by her great niece who had no prior knowledge of her existence. A sad tale of two sisters, rivalries, betrayal and, in a strange way, redemption. A beautifully written book.

Spellbound - Jane Green

A light easy chick lit with likeable characters, but a bit too light for my taste. I did enjoy reading about Alison and her philandering husband, her friendships and her eventual realisations about what she values and loves - a happy read. Nice... but no need for more!

The Alibi - Sandra Brown

A very satisfying mystery thriller. I read the review ages ago, and only recently got to read the book. At first it seemed like an ordinary mystery, but drew me in with its emotionally strong relationships, rich characters and a soulful love story. A really good read - I'll be looking forward to other books by the author.

Tipping the Velvet - Sarah Waters

The third book I've read by this author, but the first she wrote. It's the most racy one, with lots of sexy romps, unlike the others, however like the others it involves love, betrayal and a good story set in 19th century England. Very atmospheric, with strongly drawn characters, lingering like real people in my mind. Now I know what "tipping the velvet" means!

In My Skin - Kate Holden

Such a courageous, explicitly honest, moving and well-written memoir about this young woman's journey to hell and back. A normal middle class Australian background, an exceptionally loving family, a Uni degree, a shy & bookish personality, and yet she became a heroin addict and prostitute. At times I felt depressed to read about this painful journey, but the writing was always captivating and lifted the book beyond just another bare-all. I found her family's unconditional love amazing. A book that lingered in my mind well after I finished it...

Lonely Planet Guide to Experimental Travel - Rachael Antony

I expected to dip into this book and read snippets at random, but it was so fascinating that I read it from cover to cover. Not the sort of travel I'd indulge in, as you could as easily end up nowhere and see little, or be serendipitously lucky. But I admire the adventurous souls who contributed to the book. In spite of my bourgeouis taste in travel, some of the experiments could be interesting - eg one where you and partner travel separately to the same city, and try to find each other by intuition. Could be disappointing too if you don't find each other. As I said, I'm bourgeouis in my travel tastes.

The Deadly Space Between - Patricia Duncker

A ghost story with an Oedipal slant. Erotic and a bit weird, but not very compelling for me, as it was a bit too cerebral and wordy in style. Quite atmospheric.

The Mermaid Chair - Sue Monk Kidd

Evocative; the emotional journey of a restless woman in a happy marriage who falls in love with a monk. It was a bit too neat that not only is her husband good looking, successful and loving, but the monk is an attractive ex-lawyer who has not taken his final vows yet. But the exploration of her relationships and her childhood is complex and absorbing.

A Fortune Teller Told Me - Tiziano Terzani

A very enjoyable and interesting book. Made me want to meet the author, who's a journalist of Italian extraction but who's lived so much in Asia that it's in his bones. He has a nice mix of journalistic and personal style, arrogant yet humble, in telling his story of how he travelled over sea and land for one year because a fortune teller 20 years before had warned that he would come to harm if he flew in a plane this year. He still managed to be at the right place at historic moments in Asia, and his experiences and observations make interesting reading, especially for me, an Asian living in Australia (the inverse of his situation).

Lambs of God - Marele Day

Rather quirky about 3 nuns living in isolation in an abandoned convent when a priest searching for prime real estate comes upon them. They draw upon unusual and resourceful means in protecting their lifestyle. Quite funny at times but not a prime read for me. Father Ignatius redeems himself in my eyes with his equanimity and eventual compromise, though he's initially wily and selfishly ambitious.

The Pursuit of Love - Nancy Mitford

Another book picked up while visiting S'pore. Figured that this is such a classic I have to read it. I've read the first one so far and wasn't disappointed with its ironic humour and wit, and interesting cast of characters in an aristocratic English family . Haven't read the second book in this volume - Love in a Cold Climate - yet.

Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom

Read this last year as a filler on a short flight from Singapore to KL. An enjoyable read, though I can't remember its life lessons now - I'm sure rereading it will make me realise I never forgot it. Same for the author's other book - Five People You Meet in Heaven. For a little book it was quite captivating and insightful without being pat.

Teacher Man - Frank McCourt

The third book - just as wry and funny as Angela's Ashes and 'Tis but more patchy, didn't flow as effortlessly - maybe a reflection of the author's needing to meet a deadline? Still interesting and enjoyable in the usual Frank McCourt style. I read this a while ago now but have only just remembered to put it here.

The Food of Love - Anthony Capella

Gorgeous, funny, sensual tale of the pleasures of food and unrequited love Cyrano Bergerac style, set in modern Italy. I could taste, smell and feel the amazing food while laughing at the Italian aphorisms peppered about. Wonderful - a book to read again. Looking forward to reading the author's new book The Wedding Officer.

Loving Him - Kate O'Riordan

What a beautifully written book! Heartwrenching, thrilling, evocative, visceral, wistful. I loved it. Only after finishing it did I realise I have another of the author's books 'The Angel in the House', a book I notably enjoyed. But this one is a stunner! Having just finished the last page, I'm wrapped up in the pain, the yearning sadness as if it was mine. Strange coincidence - there's a Tomasso mentioned in its Rome setting. The book I read just before this was The Food of Love, it's set in Rome, and one of the main characters is Tomasso! Oh just recalled that I have another of Kate O'Riordan's books "The Boy in the Moon" which I haven't read. Looking forward to the treat! And to The Memory Stones too...

Lighthousekeeping - Jeanette Winterson

Having quit partway into another lighthouse-centred story The Alphabet of Light and Dark, beautifully written but uncaptivating, I was wary of another lighthouse book with beautiful prose. It's not the style of book I seek out, but surprisingly I was mesmerised by its fable-like atmosphere about an orphan girl and an old blind lighthousekeeper who spins endless fascinating tales. It stays on in one's mind like a seashell echo.

Labyrinth - Kate Mosse

I bought this book at Whitcoulls whilst in New Zealand on holiday. Interesting for its historical detail and a good holiday read. I'm a bit tired of the Grail with all the non-fiction and fiction I've read on the subject. I enjoyed this book in spite of it. The atmospheric detail is good, but there was something missing in the connection between present day Alice and long-ago Alais. Reincarnation is implied but somehow the link left me unconvinced. A good holiday read nevertheless.