Review: Best Australian Ghost Stories by Graham Seal

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *

As I understand it, to have a yarn in Australia is to have a conversation or a chat, to tell a yarn is to tell a story and to spin a yarn is to tell a tall tale or something that is unlikely to be true. In Best Australian Ghost Stories - Spine-chilling Tales of Hauntings, Apparitions and the Unexplained, Graham Seal continually refers to the accounts he's presenting as yarns, stories and hoaxes and in doing so diminishes the value of the stories and the likelihood of them being true and honest accounts in the view of the author.

Graham Seal is a prolific author of 14 books (including: Great Australian Places, Great Australian Mysteries, Australia's Funniest Yarns, Great Bush Stories, Great Convict Stories) and it seems to me this collection of ghost stories were likely unearthed during the comprehensive research undertaken for his other works and brought together here, despite the author not seeming to believe in ghosts.

In the Introduction, Graham Seal makes it pretty clear that he's a sceptic and doesn't believe in many of the hauntings and unexplained events he's about to inform the reader about:

"Outside works of fiction, Australian hauntings, vanishings and unexplained events happen - if they did - in a landscape marked by its rivers, waterholes and surrounding seas, its islands and its abandoned places." Page xvi

Broken down into unique categories - Bush Haunts, House Ghosts, Unsettling Places, Ghost Roads and more - there were often too many stories presented in quick succession; this pub has a ghost in it, this inn has a woman in white. The sheer number of cases cited along with the scant information available about each of them made it difficult to be spooked or reach the spine-chilling reading experience hinted at on the cover.

And then there were bizarre moments like this one. When discussing the plan by scientists to resurrect the Tasmanian Tiger using DNA technology, the author wonders how long it'll be before the same technology is applied to dead humans. Ummmm what? Humans aren't extinct so clearly he missed the point altogether. Either that, or this was an attempt at humour that sailed right over my head.

I was pleased to see the case of Minnie Brown and the unexplained poltergeist activity that took place in 1921 taken seriously but then disappointed the very next chapter when the author describes the events in a remote town in the Northern Territory in 1998 as Humpty Doo high jinks as he wonders whether it was all a hoax.

The author frequently uses negative language like shades and ghouls and phrases such as supernatural spice throughout the book which begins to build a mocking and condescending tone. The reader who picks up a book about ghost stories is more likely to have an open mind or a firm belief in the unexplained so the failure of the author to take the topic seriously struck a sour note.

I also found myself wondering why Seal chose to include stories where the ghostly activity was proven to be caused by hardcore hoaxers or prankers. What value do stories like these add to a book entitled Best Australian Ghost Stories? I didn't choose to read a book about Best Australian Hoaxes and in my opinion these accounts detracted from the theme and had no place being included.

Why the mocking tone? In the Ghost Roads chapter I could almost hear him rolling his eyes:

"While these events are disturbing enough, drivers also report their headlights illuminating ghostly figures along the road and - always dependable - the Yowie has been seen." Page 194

Ironically, this same chapter also contained one of the best stories which was entitled The Ghost of the Old Bridge and took place in Western Australia in the 1870s. What made it the most enjoyable of the collection was the long and detailed first person account from settler Thomas Scott included in the book. For the first time this allowed the reader to stick with one account and travel back 150 years to hear directly from a witness relaying a sighting seen by at least five others.

Several first hand accounts from direct sources were included and if more of these had been incorporated in favour of the hoax narrative, this book would have been a terrific read.

As it is, when I think of this book in the future, I think I'll remember it for the inspired inclusion of the poem 'The Ghost at the Second Bridge' by Henry Lawson. It's been a long time since I've read any Henry Lawson and reading the story of two men encountering the Black Lady in the middle of the night was immensely enjoyable.

As the End Notes attest, it's evident that a tonne of research has gone into the writing of this book, and that's to be acknowledged and admired. In addition, I was pleased to see Australian Ghost Stories by James Phelps mentioned in the author's Afterword as I read and enjoyed this last year.

Readers wanting to know if their local legend is included are likely to find it briefly mentioned in Best Australian Ghost Stories by Graham Seal, but if you're looking for a serious, deep and penetrating look into hauntings and apparitions in Australia that'll make the hairs on your arms stand on end, this isn't it.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Mushroom Tapes by Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein

The Mushroom Tapes - Conversations on a Triple Murder Trial by Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein is about the trial of Erin Patterson, accused of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. Charged with serving her family members a lethal lunch of beef Wellington in Leongatha in July 2023, the trial took place in Morwell in April - July 2025 where she was eventually found guilty.

I followed the news coverage of Erin Patterson’s trial quite closely and listened to every episode of the Mushroom Case Daily podcast on the ABC. For these reasons and more, I was deeply interested in the collaboration between these three Australian writers having read books by all of them.* Familiar with Helen Garner's penetrating coverage of murder trials I was also fascinated to know the types of conversations these women had on a topic I never seem to tire of.

The Mushroom Tapes is a slim offering at only 240 pages so immediately you know you're not going to get a comprehensive coverage of the trial. What surprised me on the very first page though was that the authors weren't in attendance at the beginning of the trial. They'd been asked if they were going to cover the trial and they each said no. All three authors equally hadn't wanted to write about the case and hadn't not wanted to write about it. 

However after they heard the evidence from Simon Patterson's Aunt Heather Wilkinson that the guests ate from grey plates and the host ate from an orange one, they changed their minds and were galvanised into action. Helen Garner said that she didn't want to follow another big trial by herself and was glad to be asked to work with Chloe; accomplished herself with two trials and two books to her name. On day five they decided to cover the trial together and piled into the car to Morwell.

In the early stages, the women weren't sure whether they were collaborating to write a book or produce a podcast so they recorded their conversations with a view to deciding later and it shows.

Sharing the duties of sitting in the courtroom and listening to the live testimony in Melbourne via media audio-link, the reader is given snippets of conversations taking place in the car to and from court or over the phone. Often reading like a script, the effect made me feel as though I was in the car with them but without hearing their full experience.

These conversations ranged from how they felt standing outside Erin Patterson's house to the Defence Lawyer's potential advice to the defendant regarding a guilty plea; noting that if her lawyers know Patterson is guilty they can't make arguments inconsistent with that as they have a duty to the court.

"Most charges end up resolving in a guilty plea. But the personality that commits a crime like this is the same personality that believes they can get away with it." Sarah, Page 77

Every intellectual discussion the authors had about the case was of interest, including the conversation about whether the defendant might have a personality disorder and whether she was envious of the love shown to her children by their father and grandparents.

Shockingly, Helen has learned from attending family murder trials that just because you love someone doesn't mean you don't ever want to kill them; a statement which caused me to stop and ponder. It seemed to me the authors believed Patterson was guilty as they considered the difference between remorse and regret:

"Helen: Raimond Gaita says that remorse is a pained, bewildered realisation of what it means to have wronged someone. Sarah: Regret is self-interested. Remorse is a deeper thing." Page 134

Analysing Patterson's conduct in the witness box, they note that she's been unable to maintain a job, study or relationship for any sustained period of time despite having every resource, intellectual and financial at her disposal. They comment on her ability to unsettle them and notice that there's 'some force sheeting off her.' While they do discuss her persona and her false self, I was surprised they never talked about the family estrangements with her sister and her parents, and if they did, I'd love for it to have been included in the book.

I wasn't surprised to read that Patterson disagreed with every single witness but fascinated to hear that she talked back to the Prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC when being questioned on the witness stand with semantic critiques like these:

"Sorry, I was confused by the double negatives," and "You're going to have to rephrase that, so I know what you're talking about." Pages 200-201

I can't even imagine delivering that amount of snark or attitude in a Police interview room, let alone if I was in the witness box on trial for murder.

The authors often reflect on the huge scale of the media following this trial, their feelings on their own involvement and the incredible global interest in this case:

"Two hundred and fifty-two journalists and outlets are on the court media's daily email list, including representatives from fifteen international media outlets. There are seven podcasters, seven documentary crews, one television drama series and nine authors, including us." Page 140

Growing up in Gippsland, it's hard to fathom the sheer level of interest this case has generated and the authors often try to determine what it is about the murders and murderer that has captured this level of attention.

When acknowledging the closing arguments for the Defence by Colin Mandy SC, I was reminded of his address to the jury:

"If you think that it's possible that Erin deliberately poisoned the meal, you must find her not guilty... If you think that maybe Erin deliberately poisoned the meal you must find her not guilty. If you think that she probably deliberately poisoned the meal, you must find her not guilty." Page 209

Recalling this coverage brings a chill down my spine as I feared the jury would find Patterson not guilty after hearing it. When discussing her guilt or innocence, Helen acknowledges this as one of the most brilliant performances she's ever seen in her life while Sarah agrees Patterson is a liar but that liars can still be not guilty of murder.

Discussing what they would do in the event of a hung jury, Helen was clear that she wouldn't want to do anything with the tapes and would walk away from the project. Sarah mentioned she would be incapable of not attending a potential retrial while Helen would feel glad to escape one and doesn't want to write something that's going to attract the defendant's animus or attention.

Late in the book during the jury deliberations, they acknowledge that the podcast they'd started making has fallen over and that sometimes it feels as though the book they're still loosely imagining might do the same. This indicates to me that there was no clear plan at the outset and that one failed to emerge during the trial. And what's with the book cover? I was fortunate to purchase a copy signed by each of the authors but I thought it was the advanced reader's copy when I first saw it in the publisher's catalogue.

But most disappointing of all was the fact that there was no discussion or reflection on the verdict or the sentencing at all! The reader is privy to the verdict and the sentencing by Justice Beale, but then that's it. Without their thoughts on the verdict and the all important sentencing, The Mushroom Tapes feels unfinished. And perhaps it is.

True crime enthusiasts looking for a thorough or comprehensive summary of the trial will need to look elsewhere, perhaps to one of the seven podcasters, seven documentary crews or nine authors also covering the case. I had enough interest in this collaboration and Helen Garner's perspectives to keep reading but I was ultimately disappointed and wanted so much more from The Mushroom Tapes. I'd even be keen to listen to the raw footage!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

*Books I've read by the authors:

Helen Garner
Everywhere I Look
Joe Cinque's Consolation

Chloe Hooper
The Arsonist - A Mind On Fire

Sarah Krasnostein
The Trauma Cleaner

Kill Your Boss Winner Announced

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway to win a copy of Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath. I received 115 entries in total and everyone correctly identified that Kill Your Boss is set in a Public Library.

One entrant gave me their postal address instead of their email address so I'm unable to advise them of the outcome of the giveaway, sorry about that Suz!

The giveaway closed on Christmas Eve and the lucky winner was drawn today, congratulations:

Malvina!!

Congratulations Malvina! You've won a copy of Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath valued at $34.99 thanks to Allen & Unwin. I'll be sending your prize out to you directly along with a few bookmarks and you'll receive an email from me shortly so that you can provide your postal address. Congratulations and I hope you don't get any ideas to kill your boss after reading this clever Australian whodunnit.

Carpe Librum!

Non Fiction Reader Challenge 2025 Completed

The older I get, the more non fiction I enjoy reading and this year I successfully completed the Nonfiction Nibbler level of the Non Fiction Reader Challenge 2025. The challenge is hosted by fellow Aussie book blogger Shelleyrae at Book'd Out and I needed to read and review 6 books from any 6 of the 12 categories listed below.

Some of the non fiction I read during the year didn't qualify for the challenge and I couldn't find any books from the Garden and Islands categories I wanted to read. I still have 3 more reviews I'm hoping to complete before the end of the year but at this moment in time, I read 28 books from 10 categories and reviewed 24 of them so I'm very pleased with that.

Here's what I read:

1. History
- All Buttons Great and Small: A Compelling History of the Button, from the Stone Age to today by Lucy Godoroja
- The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff
- The Stuff of History: A Curated Compendium of Curious Objects and Forgotten People by Steven Moore

2. Memoir/Biography
- Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent
- All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton

3. True Crime
- The Peepshow - The Murders at 10 Rillington Place by Kate Summerscale
- The Mushroom Tapes by Helen Garner, Sarah Krasnostein and Chloe Hooper

4. Science
- Unnatural Causes by Dr Richard Shepherd
- Hidden Potential - The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant
- Wonderdog by Jules Howard
- Sensational by Ashley Ward

5. Health
- The Unclaimed by Pamela Prickett & Stefan Timmermans
- History Stinks! Wee, Snot and Slime Through Time by Suzie Edge
- Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
- Sleep Hacks - Discover the Life-Changing Tranquility of Deep Sleep by Keith Barry

6. Food
- RecipeTin Eats Tonight by Nagi Maehashi
- Bored of Lunch Healthy Slow Cooker Even Easier by Nathan Anthony
- Poppy Cooks: The Potato Book - 101 Recipes from the Potato Queen by Poppy O'Toole
- The All-In-One Cookbook by Taste

7. Travel
- Beyond Suburbia by Warren Kirk

8. Garden

9. Myth, Legend and Folklore
- Gothic by Fred Botting
- Best Australian Ghost Stories by Graham Seal

10. Islands

11. How-To
- Difficult People by Rebecca Ray
- Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You by Ali Abdaal
- 488 Rules for Life by Kitty Flanagan

12. Published in 2025
- What to Expect When You're Dead: An Ancient Tour of Death and the Afterlife by Robert Garland
- Talk Your Way Out of Trouble: Life Lessons from the Law by Jahan Kalantar

My favourite non fiction books this year were from the memoir category and they were All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert and Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton. I'm currently reading The Darkroom by A.J. Hewitt for the true crime prompt but it's unlikely I'll finish it before the end of the year. What non fiction books did you enjoy this year?

I'm looking forward to signing up for this challenge again in 2026, and if you'd like to join me you can check out the details - including the new categories - at Book'd Out.

Review: The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor

The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor is based on the real events that took place between 1917 - 1921 when young girls Frances and Elsie from Cottingley in England took photos of themselves with faeries. The cousins aged 9 and 16 respectively, stirred up quite a storm at the time and even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle believed the photographs were genuine. The photographs were the subject of news and magazine articles and Arthur Conan Doyle was so convinced of their authenticity that he published a book in 1922 called The Coming of the Fairies.

In The Cottingley Secret, Hazel Gaynor imagines what might have happened from Frances' point of view and I found her take on the event to be a convincing one. The story is told in dual timelines and in the present day, 35 year old Olivia has travelled back to Ireland to farewell her late grandfather. With fond memories of their time together, he has bequeathed his beloved second hand bookshop Something Old to Olivia. Going through his belongings, she finds a document with hundreds of typed pages entitled Notes on a Fairy Tale by Frances Griffiths.

Written by Frances later in life, it begins when she is just nine and a half years old in Cottingley in Yorkshire in 1917. Frances loves to be outdoors and spends hours at the local creek where she sees real faeries. In Frances' manuscript, she mentions her father going to war and the heartache of not knowing when he is coming home or when WWI will end. When it eventually does end, the grief that follows leads to the rise of spiritualism right across the country. This was a unique period in time where people were looking for more and wanted to believe in faeries, making this an opportune time to pull off the perfect hoax... or was it?

Apart from dropping her collection of sympathy cards received after the passing of her grandfather into the kitchen bin - who DOES that? - Olivia is a likeable character. Her nana has dementia and is in a nursing home and the connection between Frances' manuscript and Olivia's nana and grandfather is a slow reveal.

Olivia's love of books is highly relatable and I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of the bookshop and it's eventual glow up; I just love a property makeover and this one had a touch of fantasy about it. Admittedly there is a light romance element but for someone who doesn't like romance novels, I was relieved the romance didn't dominate or interfere too much with the narrative.

The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor will appeal to readers of historical fiction interested in the case of the Cottingley Fairies and who enjoy mysteries, family secrets and intergenerational connections.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

WIN a copy of Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath

Intro

Kill Your Boss by Australian author Jack Heath is the third book in the Kill Your series and features Detective Sergeant Kiara Lui who investigates a death at the local public library. Kill Your Boss can be read as a standalone and I gave it 5 stars in my recent review. Luckily for you, I received an additional copy from Allen & Unwin and am running a giveaway with permission from the publisher. I'll be sending the prize out to the lucky winner after Christmas so enter below and good luck!

Blurb

What would it take to turn you into a killer?

Detective Sergeant Kiara Lui has just broken up a loud brawl between two blokes in front of the Warrigal Public Library. But just as she's about to leave the scene, a man inexplicably plummets from the sky and slams into the bike rack right in front of her, dead.

Neville Adams was the head of library services, hated by staff, borrowers, and in fact anybody who had ever met him. Kiara quickly seals the building, trapping everyone who might have pushed him off the roof. She expects to have someone in custody within minutes.

Instead, the investigation becomes the most challenging and dangerous of her career as it spirals outward, ensnaring half the town. It seems that Neville was connected to the disappearance of Emmylou Chisholm - a case that Kiara could never solve, and that has haunted her ever since.

If the killer isn't found fast, the first two victims won't be the last ...

Giveaway

This Carpe Librum giveaway has now closed!

Historical Fiction Challenge 2025 Completed

At the beginning of 2025 I signed up for the Medieval Reader level of the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2025 hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader. I was required to read 15 historical fiction novels and I managed to read a total of 17 to successfully complete the challenge.

Some of my favourite reads of the year were historical fiction and here's what I read:

1. The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2. Dunstan by Conn Iggulden ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3. The Good Wife of Bath by Karen Brooks ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4. Emily's House by Amy Belding Brown ⭐️⭐️⭐️
5. The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
6. The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
7. Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
8. The Mad Women's Ball by Victoria Mas ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
9. The Pretender by Jo Harkin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
10. The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods ⭐️⭐️⭐️
11. The Haunting of Mr and Mrs Stevenson by Belinda Lyons-Lee ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
12. A Magic Deep and Drowning by Hester Fox ⭐️⭐️
13. Buckeye by Patrick Ryan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
14. The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
15. By Her Hand by Marion Taffe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Additional books read for the challenge:
16. Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
17. The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor

Have you read any of the books from this list? I'm planning on reading Cape Fever by Nadia Davids soon and if I finish it before NYE it'll bring my total to 18 books for the challenge.

I'm signing up for the challenge again next year so if you want to join me, visit Marg at The Intrepid Reader for details. In the meantime, feel free to share any standout historical fiction you've been reading this year.

Carpe Librum!

Review: Sensational by Ashley Ward

It's widely accepted that we have 5 senses: vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch but according to Ashley Ward, we might have as many as 53 senses. Ashley Ward is a Biologist in Sydney specialising in the field of animal behaviour and in Sensational - A New Story of Our Senses he delves into disciplines as diverse as psychology, ecology, medicine, economics and engineering to expound on the senses.

Listening to the audiobook narrated by David Morley Hale, the author addresses each of the primary 5 senses in their own sections. He also points out many other senses we already know about but may not have considered, like the sense of time, the sense of direction and the sense of balance or proprioception.

One of the most interesting facts I learned was that plants register vibrations and also make sounds. You might remember the scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when Professor Sprout delivers a lesson on how to safely repot a mandrake, noting that the screams of the plant's roots can be fatal to those who hear them. Well, according to the author:

"It'd be a long stretch to say that plants scream, but when they're stressed or damaged, plants emit high ultra sonic sounds and they do this at a volume that's roughly the equivalent of our conversation, about 65 decibels." Chapter 6

Fascinating! But also isn't that just a tad creepy? Next time I'm trimming the dead ends from the leaves of my peace lily I'll be worried it's emitting sounds of distress. I wonder if they can also produce sounds of relief when watered, or perhaps when their dead ends are trimmed. Let's go with that.

I didn't know humans can distinguish over a trillion different smells and that women have a better sense of smell than men. Sensational by Ashley Ward is full of information like this and is recommended for readers with a serious interest in science, biology and anatomy.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *

Detective Sergeant Kiara Lui is back in Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath. We last saw Kiara in Kill Your Husbands, the second in the series that began with Kill Your Brother back in 2022. Kiara is working in the small town of Warrigal in New South Wales (not Warrigul, Victoria) when a body falls from the roof of the public library onto a bike rack directly in front of her.

Neville was Head of Library Services and was disliked by almost every person who was unlucky enough to know him or had the displeasure of working with him. Kiara has multiple suspects and we're given multiple character perspectives in this whodunnit including Neville, Kiara, Kiara's colleague Ben and several staff members at the library.

The Australian location is relatable and Jack Heath's sense of humour always makes me laugh:

'You ever heard that funny German word - the one that means "a face in need of a slap"?' 'Backpfeifengesicht,' Ben puts in. 'That's the one!' Steven says, delighted. 'I could never pronounce it. Think the Australian equivalent is "fuckwit". Page 187

However as Kiara investigates Neville's fall and the prime suspect turns up dead, there are glimpses of insight I always enjoy from this author:

"Coffee doesn't make you more alert, it just stops you from noticing how tired you are. It's like hiding the fuel gauge instead of filling up the tank." Page 77

I really enjoyed this analogy and found myself quoting it for a friend within a week of reading it. Even as I was doing so, I acknowledged the strangeness of quoting a crime author - of a killer cannibal series no less - during a conversation with a friend in need. Thanks Jack!

I believe Kill Your Boss can be read as a standalone although I enjoyed it more than Kill Your Husbands, tipping it over into 5 star territory. The library setting and the cast of characters made Kill Your Boss a highly enjoyable read and fans of Benjamin Stevenson will definitely enjoy this clever Australian whodunnit. 

I'll admit I'm dying to get back to the Timothy Blake series so fingers crossed Jack Heath returns soon to the best fictional cannibal ever created on the page.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory

* Copy courtesy of Harper Collins *

Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory tells the story of Jane Boleyn in a first person narrative and is easy to slide into. Married to George Boleyn - Anne Boleyn's brother - Jane holds the title of Lady Rochford and we pick up her story in the year 1534. At almost thirty years old, Jane is the first lady at King Henry VIII's court serving her sister-in-law Anne Boleyn; who is mother to Princess Elizabeth and 5 months pregnant.

Jane is in love with George and the entire Boleyn family and has been married to George for almost half her life. Jane reflects on her service to the old Queen, Katherine of Aragon but relishes her prestigious place at court.

King Henry's court is full of rising and falling fortunes and Jane is banished from court following her attempt to remove one of the King's mistresses on Anne's behalf. Later brought back to court by Thomas Cromwell, Jane is grateful to return and agrees to be one of Cromwell's many informants.

Scandal rocks the court when Anne Boleyn is accused of adultery and incest with her brother George and they're both executed for treason. Many accounts portray Jane as betraying her husband George by giving Cromwell evidence against the pair but in Boleyn Traitor, Gregory offers a different perspective.

The King marries Jane Seymour very soon after while our protagonist is grieving the loss of her husband and beloved sister-in-law, feeling lost without them:

"Jane Seymour sails downriver from Chelsea in Anne's barge, wearing Anne's clothes, and sleeps in Anne's bed, in Anne's sheets. The monograms on the sheets and towels and linen are picked out, and the A under the coronet is replaced with a newly embroidered J. In the evenings, we light the candles that Anne ordered; they have not even burned down. Everything is the same; only the queen is different, and the newly joyous mood of the court." Page 174

Much of the plot of this book felt familiar and not only because I've read so many books set in the Tudor court, but I happened to read The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory in January 2025. Published in 2006, it contains first person narratives from Jane Boleyn, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard up until Jane and Katherine's death. Given Boleyn Traitor also follows Jane Boleyn until her death in 1542, much of the content was familiar, and I soon realised reading The Boleyn Inheritance just 9 months before Boleyn Traitor was bad timing on my part.

What sets these two books apart though is that Gregory portrays Jane Boleyn and Katherine Howard in a completely different way and there is greater emphasis on King Henry VIII as an out of control tyrant.

When it's clear Jane fears the worst for Katherine Howard (Kitty in this novel) she reflects:

"I think that those in service to a tyrant are called to strange and dark work. I want to think that I am a master courtier, steering her through a crisis in her marriage, and this will all blow over. But right now, I don't feel like a master courtier at all; I feel like her gaoler, and I think that when you enter the service of a tyrant, you never know what work you will sink to." Page 431

As an historian and bestselling author, I believe the author is using her platform to comment here on tyrants in history as a warning to the modern reader about what happens when a narcissistic tyrant is continually flattered and placated and no longer bound by the constraints of law and government.

Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory is recommended to fans of Tudor history open to a refreshingly different take on Jane Boleyn, previously portrayed as a villain and divisive figure in history.

For those interested, Jane Boleyn also features in the following books I've reviewed:
The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
Anne Boleyn - A King's Obsession by Alison Weir
Jane Seymour - The Haunted Queen by Alison Weir
Anna of Kleve - Queen of Secrets by Alison Weir
Katheryn Howard - The Tainted Queen by Alison Weir

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware

* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *

The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware is the sequel to The Woman in Cabin 10, published in 2016. While some readers have patiently waited 9 years to find out what happened to Laura Blacklock after the events on the Aurora, I only had to wait a week. I read The Woman in Cabin 10 in the lead up to the release of The Woman in Suite 11 which I think was a huge advantage as all of the characters were fresh in my mind.

After the events in Norway, Laura published a book entitled Dark Waters and has been a stay at home Mum in the US raising two kids with husband Judah. After 6 years of occasional freelancing, Laura is ready to re-enter the workforce on a permanent basis and is interviewing for a job.

Although still introducing herself as Lo - ugh - I was pleased to see a more mature Laura in these pages. Now a Mum, Laura's excessive drinking is a thing of the past although she's still making questionable choices which drives the narrative forward.

Ruth Ware has an appealing way of including the everyday into a character's behaviour, and I particularly enjoyed this one:

"For the next half hour, I tried to distract myself. I scrolled my phone, did Wordle and the New York Times Spelling Bee..." Page 144

I do the Wordle with my friend every day and the New York Times Spelling Bee every night with my husband, so I loved seeing this reflected in the main character. But I always 'do the Wordle', but here Laura 'did Wordle'... have I been saying this incorrectly the whole time?

As I mentioned in my review of The Woman in Cabin 10, author Ruth Ware loves a locked room mystery and this time she literally gave us one. I found some of the sleuthing around the comings and goings of a particular hotel room a tiny bit tedious but it was all necessary to inform the plot and narrow down the suspect pool.

I loved learning the identity of the woman in the title - don't worry, no spoilers here - and the complex dynamic between Laura and the supporting character play out, which also formed the focus of the book. I recommend The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware to fans of crime and mystery novels, but you'll definitely need to read The Woman in Cabin 10 first.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware features a new-to-me type of protagonist. Laura Blacklock is a travel journalist invited to sail on the maiden voyage of boutique luxury liner Aurora. The cruise ship is headed to the Norwegian fjords to see the northern lights and Laura - who introduces herself as Lo - is on board to write an article about the journey.

After a few too many drinks over dinner with fellow guests on the first night, Lo sees a person being thrown overboard from the balcony next to hers, Cabin 10. The crew explain Cabin 10 is unoccupied due to a late guest cancellation and don't believe her account. The captain and owner of the ship conduct a full head count and confirm that every guest and crew member is accounted for. Nobody is missing.

An industry colleague - who happens to be Lo's ex boyfriend - suspects her anxiety medication might be to blame so Lo sets out to prove what she saw by putting her journalistic skills to work and investigating.

There was a little too much drinking on this work trip for my liking and I didn't like the nickname Lo, but they were minor niggles. There was a lot of time spent talking to crew members and trying to find the woman she saw in Cabin 10 the day she embarked and while I understand this was a necessary step in Lo's enquiries, it did grow a little tired. Thankfully the plot eventually moved on and the pace picked up again shortly after.

The isolation of the cruise ship at sea without phone signal or internet access created an Agatha Christie type scenario of sorts with a locked room mystery to solve. Only this time the characters were at sea although the isolated suspect pool was similar to that of One by One by Ruth Ware and I get the feeling the author loves to create these situational mysteries. The reader is left to decide if Lo is an unreliable witness or whether the woman in Cabin 10 did exist but was murdered and thrown overboard.

Published in 2016, I've seen comparisons to The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (published in 2015) however Lo was far less flawed than Rachel, making her a better protagonist capable of acting in her own best interests and furthering the plot in a more engaging way.

I recently watched the movie adaptation of The Woman in Cabin 10 starring Keira Knightley and Guy Pearce and definitely preferred the book. Understandably the movie cut out all the crew consultation but introduced new elements that just didn't happen in the book. One change gave characters a better motive, but that was the only improvement. I thought the ending of the novel was terrific and the 'last contact' between two main characters was an inspired choice by the author, completely absent from the movie. Overall, the book contained more danger and suspense making it far more entertaining and confirming the maxim that the book is always better.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware is recommended for readers who enjoy mystery and crime thrillers and the sequel - The Woman in Suite 11 - has just been published. Guess what I'll be reading and reviewing next?

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Wonderdog by Jules Howard

I was so inspired after listening to Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton that I wanted my very next audiobook to be one about animals. This, combined with the fact I've been catching up on the remarkable videos of Stella the dog communicating with her owner over on Instagram (@hunger4words) led to my decision to embark - pun intended - on Wonderdog by Jules Howard.

While the book was enjoyable on the whole, I really should have paid more attention to the subtitle, Wonderdog - How the Science of Dogs Changed the Science of Life. Styling himself as a zoological correspondent, author and public speaker on his website, Jules Howard was definitely focussed on the science of dogs in this offering, including what we thought we knew about dogs in recent history, how science has overlooked dogs and used them to conduct unmentionable testing in the past and what we know about them now. Leaders in their individual fields of science are mentioned and their studies referenced at a level that didn't really retain my interest.

Instead I enjoyed the few moments in between, like this footnote about eye contact and contagious yawning:

"Dogs can also catch a yawn off their owners, and in doing so, they join an esteemed group of animals who exhibit contagious yawns, just humans, chimpanzees and baboons manage the feat." Chapter 12

Jules Howard does a great job narrating his own work, however this is another case where I have misinterpreted the title Wonderdog and extrapolated a book all about the wonders dogs are capable of and how this has changed science over time. Instead, Wonderdog highlights the evolution of the science surrounding the canine species which was far less interesting to this reader.

Wonderdog by Jules Howard will appeal to readers with a deep interest in dogs and science, but I think I might have been better off listening to something else. How My Dog Saved My Life - Thirty Tales of Courage and Compassion by Cate Cochran sounds interesting.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: By Her Hand by Marion Taffe

Set in Mercia in 910AD, young Freda is inspired by stories, loves to forage in the woods and dreams of being able to write. Living with her sister and overbearing father, Freda's life is upended when her village is attacked by Danish raiders. Injured and lucky to survive, Freda is placed in the women's abbey Saint Ositha's by the newly appointed bishop. Bishop Ælle promises to teach Freda to write while capitalising on her miraculous survival in a bid to attract pilgrims to the abbey.

As she settles into her new life at the abbey, Freda struggles with her faith, continues to mourn her sister and is consumed by rage at the Vikings. Later in the book Freda's rage is stoked anew:

"I thought of Saint Paul urging us not to allow the sun to set on our anger. I smiled. This sun was not setting. This sun was rising on my anger, illuminating my rage in gold." Page 264-265

Freda is a feisty character and Marion Taffe expertly brings this period in English history alive, skillfully helping the reader make sense of the complicated politics of 10th century Wessex. A coming of age story, Freda must find her place in the abbey and eventually develops a connection with Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians. Freda is inspired by Æthelflæd's courage and steadfast leadership and their shared bond over grief.

"Death's twin sister is Grief. She waits at the door while Death takes the soul, then Grief enters the living. The first time you meet, she ties a chain around your heart and fastens it with hooks, and the hooks dig deeper with the effort of each beat. Grief is with you always. She is the long cold night. The eternal uhtcearu." Page 205*

*Uhtcearu (oot-key-are-oo) is an Anglo-Saxon word that translates to mean pre-dawn anxiety or nighttime sorrow.

I adored Taffe's writing in By Her Hand and I agree with the publisher that it will appeal to fans of Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks and The Anchoress by Robyn Cadwallader. I also think it'll appeal to readers who enjoyed The Good Wife of Bath by Karen Brooks, Rapture by Emily Maguire and Book of Colours by Robyn Cadwallader.

I was fortunate to purchase a signed edition of By Her Hand at Readings during a visit with a friend and the irony that it's signed by the hand of the author isn't lost on me. And can we take a moment to admire the stunning cover design? This has to be one of my favourite covers for 2025 and having recently enjoyed Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton, I took great pleasure seeing the hare on the cover and the meaning it has for the protagonist.

The importance of stories is a key thread in this historical fiction novel, and in a meta fashion, the author acknowledges the power of story in a conversation between Bishop Ælle and Freda:

"Have I not taught you that stories are spears in the right hands? Even a lie can be shaped, tamed, turned into an elegy to make a man yield. A poem can forge a kingdom. A riddle can crush a mind." Page 290

I always read the Acknowledgements section of a book but can't remember the last time I commented on one in a review but I have three observations worth noting from this one. I really enjoyed learning that the author tried to build Saint Ositha's in Minecraft with her children and I'd love to see it. Secondly, it was cool to hear the author made hearth cakes - frequently referenced in the book - with her children for research during lockdown. I'm imagining they would taste like damper but I'd love to try them. Thirdly, and I rarely see this, but Marion Taffe thanks the authors who provided generous and thoughtful endorsements for this book. It may seem obvious but often this is never publicly 'acknowledged' by authors in this way and her gratitude impressed me.

Australian author Marion Taffe has burst onto the scene with this debut and I thoroughly recommend By Her Hand to fans of historical fiction set during the early medieval period, even if this is your first time venturing that far back in history. You're definitely in safe hands but if you're not sure, you can read the first 39 pages in a free sample from the publisher.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: 488 Rules for Life by Kitty Flanagan

Kitty Flanagan is an Australian comedian and I've enjoyed watching her in the ABC comedy drama Fisk where she plays the lead role of a lawyer at a small suburban law firm.

In her book 488 Rules for Life - The Thankless Art of Being Correct, the author lists rules for life, that if followed, would make all of our lives easier. You'll nod in agreement as you read some of these relatable rules - don't answer your phone in the toilet - and you'll cringe in recognition as you recall those who regularly break these rules in your own circle.

I listened to this audiobook in the car over the course of 2 months, listening for 15 minutes at a time and it was a great short form of entertainment for a long road trip. Coming in at under 6 hours in duration, it's best enjoyed in shorter grabs so that the novelty doesn't wear off.

The genesis of the book was a segment on The Weekly, a TV show on the ABC and the author has grouped the rules into themes / chapters such as:

• Around the home
• At the office
• Food
• Relationships & Dating
• At the Movies

As I'm typing this, I'm hearing the author's distinct voice in my head along with her no-nonsense attitude and I could easily relate to - and agree with - most of her rules. Here's one chosen at random:

"Rule 76: 'Feed' is not a noun and should never be used as such, as in: "hey do you want to go for a feed?" No, no I don't." Chapter 4: Language

Published in 2019, I'm a little late to the party, but 488 Rules for Life - The Thankless Art of Being Correct by Kitty Flanagan is an amusing and lightly entertaining look at social etiquette and life's little irritations.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson

* Copy courtesy of Penguin Random House *

The Ernest Cunningham series of books is my favourite Australian mystery series and Ern is back for the fourth time in Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson. This time, Ern and Juliette are in a bank when it's held up by a gun wielding robber and they become hostages in a situation where there are ten suspects and ten heists.

Yep, you read that right! The suspects are listed in the blurb so it's not a spoiler to disclose them here as Ern considers the motives of: the bank robber, the manager, the security guard, the kid, the film producer, the priest, the receptionist, the patient, the carer and Ern himself. Each person is guilty of stealing something (including Ern and Juliette!) and Stevenson cleverly discloses the stolen items on page 4 immediately building atmosphere and suspense.

How's this for an opening line:

"Given I'm dying, and have just the one pen, let's motor through the pleasantries." Page 1

Ern is a reliable narrator and the reader knows up front his survival isn't guaranteed but he's determined to get to the truth no matter what. Ern is an amateur detective inspired by the Golden Age of detective novels and fair play mysteries where the clues are front and centre for the reader. He solves impossible crimes and was in the bank to apply for a business loan to start a detective agency.

"Solving murders is just a series of people lying to you in succession: the detective part is figuring out which lies are worth killing for. It's an endless pinball of deceit." Page 193

The thefts were creative and despite being the fourth installation in the series, the mystery felt far from formulaic. Stevenson's signature humour bursts from the page and the dialogue crackles along as Ern asks questions to identify the motives for each of the ten suspects while making questionable decisions himself along the way.

"Everyone steals, whether it's product or effort, money or time. There's more you can steal from a man than just his wallet. Air, for example." Page 310

The author is a comedian and earlier this year I attended the Melbourne Comedy Festival to see The Stevenson Experience, a comedy act he performs with his twin brother James. The show includes a little audience participation and during the performance James asked if anyone knew his brother was a published author. I clapped and cheered a little too enthusiastically and the brothers asked me a few questions. I answered that my name was Tracey and mentioned that I've reviewed Ben's books on my blog, to which Ben said: "You're not Carpe Librum are you?"

It was such a mind-blowing moment that the author knew who I was but he was quick to clarify that he doesn't read reviews of his own books but has read my reviews of other books by Australian authors. This was such a memorable experience and it's a shame he'll never see my glowing reviews for this bestselling and beloved series but I admire the self discipline required. Perhaps that's how he's able to keep producing such excellent work; he's never bogged down by negative reviews and his ego is kept in check by not reading the positive reviews either.

Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson is a terrific bank heist mystery and you don't even need to make a deposit to read a FREE extract. Each of the Ernest Cunningham books have been published a year apart and I can't wait to see where the author takes the series next; hopefully we'll find out in October 2026! 

Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone (Book 1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Everyone on This Train is a Suspect (Book 2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Everyone This Christmas as a Secret (Book 3) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James

Rebecca James is an Australian author and in 2011 and 2013 I enjoyed Beautiful Malice and Sweet Damage respectively. They were both YA novels set in Australia and in this offering she takes us across the seas to England.

Published in 2018, The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James is an historical fiction novel with dual timelines centred around the ominous property of Winterbourne Hall.

In 1947, Alice takes on the role of governess to twins living at Winterbourne Hall, a property situated on the cliffs of Cornwall overlooking the sea.

In present day New York, adopted art gallery curator Rachel knows nothing about her birth parents and is shocked when she learns she's the heir of Winterbourne Hall after the death of her Aunt Constance.

I love books where a building is its own character and we definitely have this in spades here. Winterbourne sits high on the clifftops and dominates the skyline of small town Polcreath, with a dark wood on the other side. One of the characters is filled with wonder when they see Winterbourne for the first time.

"It's hard to imagine a more dramatic facade. The place instantly brings to mind an imposing religious house - a Parisian cathedral, perhaps, decorated with gaping arches and delicate spires. Turrets thrust skyward, and to the east the blunt teeth of a battlement crown remind me of a game of chess. Plunging gargoyles are laced around its many necks, long and thin, jutting, as if leaping from the building's skin. Lancet windows, too many to count, adorn the exterior, and set on the western front is what appears to be a chapel." Page 15

I think it'd be awesome to see this gothic tale adapted for the big screen, even if it's just to see Winterbourne Hall. If you've been following my reviews for a while, you'll know I also love a book with twins and in this case the twins are manipulative and up to no good; perfect for a struggling governess with secrets of her own.

The romantic elements in both timelines were necessary and well-balanced, but it's fair to say they were the parts I connected with the least. Every time we were in a romance thread I found myself wishing we were back with the haunted mirror, the creepy oil painting and the duplicitous twins.

Elements of Alice's fascination with the late mistress of Winterbourne reminded me a lot of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and I wonder if Rebecca is one of the author's favourite books.

The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James is a dark gothic mystery about secrets, inheritance, haunting and a curse and is perfect to read at this time of year.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton

Chloe Dalton was a political advisor living in the English countryside when she came across a baby hare (leveret) on a country lane near her home. Leaving it for a few hours in the hope it would be found by its mother, Dalton later returned to the location to find the leveret still sitting there. Deciding to take it home, Dalton discovers very little information on how to look after a leveret and embarks on a crash course of trial and error.

Raising Hare - A Memoir documents Chloe Dalton's life changing experience finding and raising the leveret and I was totally there for it. I'm not really an animal person but I loved listening to the antics of the leveret as it slowly developed into an adult hare. From the outset the author strived not to stroke or cuddle the leveret, believing it should remain wild and one day be released into its natural habitat. The author's detailed observations and interactions with the leveret were endearing and greatly entertaining and I enjoyed following her experiences.

During this period, Dalton takes an interest in learning about the history of hares, and takes the reader along for the ride. I knew the hare was symbolic in certain cultures, but this was a timely reminder:

"The mythology and lore around hares was puzzling to me since it appeared to divide into extremes, with the hare a signifier of virtue, renewal and self sacrifice on the one hand, and a witch's familiar and harbinger of death, revenge or misfortune on the other. How, I wondered, could the same creature be both sacred and profane, chaste and promiscuous, lucky and unlucky, an emblem of self sacrifice but also a witch in animal form, the embodiment of madness and foolishness but also wisdom." Chapter 5 May Days: Witch-Hare

Hares are mythical creatures and in medieval times it was believed hares were shapeshifters. Hares have been seen as sacred animals connected to the supernatural world and were once linked to the underworld in Ancient Egypt.

I admired the lengths the author went to in order to accomodate the leveret but I'll admit I found myself wishing I had a leveret to keep me company in my study. 

Ultimately I'll remember this book for the nature writing and sheer wonder of raising a wild animal in a domestic setting. I listened to the audiobook perfectly narrated by Louise Brealey, who sounds - to me at least - like the character of Anna Bates in Downton Abbey, making this a sheer delight to listen to.

Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton was a real unexpected joy and I'll be recommending it to my sister!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Dinner At The Night Library by Hika Harada

* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *

A bestseller in Japan, Dinner at the Night Library by Hika Harada is translated by Philip Gabriel (translator of The Travelling Cat Chronicles) and is my first foray into the seemingly exploding genre of Japanese comfort novels. The genre contains character-driven, cozy, feel-good stories set in everyday locations like bookstores or cafes and focusses on themes of relationships and loneliness. Usually featuring an illustrated cover and written to be uplifting in its examination of human connection in everyday life, I believe this was a fair representation of the genre.

The Night Library of the title is located outside Tokyo and contains collections of books both owned and written by famous authors now deceased.

"An old library . . . a library devoted just to writers' collections . . . definitely a most odd, unconventional sort of place." Page 112

Our protagonist Otaha loves working with books and when she receives a message inviting her to apply for a job at the Night Library she can't believe her luck.

Open only at night, staff working at the library share her love of literature although nobody has ever met the owner. A series of workplace projects begin to take shape as collections are entrusted to the care of the library and books mysteriously appear on the shelves without being catalogued.

Before being employed by the Night Library, one of the characters worked in a used book store where books were judged on how new, clean and popular they were. I was shocked to read one of the practices employed in the used book trade:

"With old books, we'd just clean them up, using sandpaper to clean off what was called in the trade the upper part, the outside of the pages, which get faded and dirty, and then sell them." Page 183

What? Surely this isn't a 'thing' but I put the book down to do a quick search and swiftly stumbled onto a bunch of videos showing book lovers how to remove foxing and yellowed page edges with a fine grit piece of sandpaper. I'm still deciding how I feel about this, would you ever do it?

Back to the book, and the library employs a dedicated cook to prepare dishes from the books held in the collection and I was certainly hungry while reading this cozy mystery. Otaha gets to know her coworkers and we learn some of their backstories as she tries to work out who the mysterious owner is.

Dinner at the Night Library by Hika Harada is a gentle cozy mystery with plenty of Japanese culture and a tonne of Japanese books and authors mentioned. Not having read widely of Japanese fiction, I couldn't enjoy the references or bookish chat between the characters but I'm sure many other readers will.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Buckeye by Patrick Ryan

* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury *

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan is a family saga set in small town Bonhomie, Ohio about the lives of Cal Jenkins and his eventual wife Becky and Margaret Salt and her eventual husband Felix. Cal is born in 1920 with one leg shorter than the other making him ineligible to serve in World War II, while Felix serves in the Navy on a cargo ship. Becky realises her gift of mediumship during the war and Margaret is still troubled by her upbringing as a foundling in an orphanage.

A novel that examines these four lives and the families they create in detail wouldn't be my usual reading choice but there was something about the blurb and early praise from the likes of Tom Hanks ("I've been yearning for a novel that connects the American generations who dealt with our two Wars - one of Omaha Beach, the other of the la Drang Valley. Buckeye is that book, and it soars") that drew me in and I'm so glad it did.

The author made me care deeply about each of the characters as they went about their lives, bearing witness to their flaws and insecurities, following their struggles and yearning for their inner peace and happiness.

There were plenty of daily references to suburban life in this era and I especially loved the mention of a mailbox bookclub where four older men enjoyed reading and discussing westerns.

"They agreed ahead of time on what book they would read - often a reread - and when there was only the one copy available, they worked out a system wherein each of them would get three days with it, then tape a nickel inside the book's cover and leave it in their mailbox. Skip would then collect the nickel and carry the book on his bicycle over to the next house, where he would leave it in the mailbox and put the flag up." Page 286

Brilliant! My favourite character arc was that of Cal's alcoholic father who suffered from PTSD related to his service in WWI. A hoarder living on his own, he had a turbulent relationship with his son which came into focus after a near tragedy.

Ryan includes many touching and amusing moments to offset the struggles of our characters, like Becky asking her father-in-law his thoughts on the book Death on the Nile. He said he hadn't especially enjoyed it:

"But that Poy-Rot is in the right business." Page 336

The book spans a period of 60 years and Ryan takes us right through to events in the Vietnam War and in doing so shines a light on the complex effects war has on each generation of characters. Also under the author's microscope is the marriage between Cal and Becky and Margaret and Felix.

At the end of Buckeye, there didn't appear to be a logical conclusion reached with any of the four main characters, rather it felt as though 'this is where the reader will leave the characters.'

"What is it about time that confounds us? We spend it. We save it. We while it away. We waste it. We kill it. We complain about not having enough of it, or about having too much of it on our hands. We regret what we've done with it. We give it away. We want it back. We say 'time and again' when something is bothering us and 'it's time' when something is supposed to end. ...all we should ever want of time is more of it." Page 430

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan is a moving historical family saga set in the American midwest about ambition, love, longing, marriage, parenthood, service, sacrifice, loss, grief, forgiveness, guilt and survival.

Highly recommended!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Sleep Hacks by Keith Barry

The latest audiobook in my never ending exploration of the topic of sleep is Sleep Hacks - Discover the Life-Changing Tranquility of Deep Sleep by Keith Barry. Interestingly, the author provides 21 hacks in 3 sections, advising the reader to choose 1 hack from each section in order to achieve a rejuvenating night's sleep. If for some reason you don't see any improvement in your sleep patterns, switch out one of the hacks for something else.

It seems simple enough but Barry is firm early on that this system won't help readers who aren't determined to apply the learnings and stick to the program. If you don't have the discipline, Barry essentially encourages the reader to come back another time which I respected. He's essentially advocating the success of his program based on the dedication and discipline from those who choose to apply it as intended.

My sleep has improved greatly over the years and I decided to read for interest without strictly implementing his program.

In Chapter 3 Feed Your Brain: Eat Well to Sleep Well, the author provides an interesting list of foods that have been scientifically proven to potentially aid sleep. These include: cherries, walnuts, almonds, pecans, oats, bananas, kiwi fruit, spinach, live yoghurt, turkey, salmon or other oily fish, passionfruit, dragon fruit, pumpkin seeds, cheese, prunes, whole grains and watermelon. The author then asks the reader to choose two food items to eat each day from this list. For those struggling with sleep, it couldn't hurt to try some of these foods, but I doubt they'll cure your insomnia if you don't make any of the other changes suggested in his program.

I believe it was Jade Wu who solidified the phenomenon of sleep arousal in my mind when I read Hello Sleep and I've never forgotten it. Coincidentally, my favourite part of Sleep Hacks wasn't a new concept or breakthrough, but a simple list of the types of thoughts that keep people awake (sleep arousal) as they attempt to sleep. This is from Chapter 7 Mind Wipe.

Did I lock the back door?
What if my alarm doesn't go off tomorrow?
I'm not ready for the big meeting on Friday
Why did I arrange to meet someone after work when I'd rather go home to my kids?
I think that person took what I said the wrong way
I keep buying clothes I don't need and my credit card bill is terrifying
What will I cook for dinner tomorrow?
Will my mother remember she has the kids after school?
Can I skip the gym tomorrow?
How can I quit my job?
Why is the pain in my shoulder getting worse?
The house is a tip and I don't have the energy to sort it out
I am so annoyed my boss called for a meeting at 4.30PM
Can polystyrene go in the recycling bin? I'd better check
How am I going to be able to afford a holiday this year?
I forgot to text my sister back, she's going to be annoyed

I loved these examples of self talk that go on in the minds of people in general, not just when it's time to sleep. My internal chatter sounds a lot like this, and the native Irish accent by narrator Brendan Dempsey was absolutely perfect for this section.

Sleep Hacks by Keith Barry was an enjoyable read on the topic of sleep and I have faith his program will work for those dedicated enough to apply and stick with it.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★