Susan, Amanda, and Deb! Congratulations, I will email you guys shortly for your postal addresses. Thanks everybody for entering – keep an eye out as I have books I need to find new homes for, so I’m going to run more giveaways soon. In the meantime, are we all looking forward to New Zealand Book Month? courtesy of NZ Book Month on Facebook
In the 19th Century-set story, Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) suddenly flees Thornfield Hall, the vast and isolated estate where she works as a governess for Adèle Varens, a child under the custody of Thornfield’s brooding master, Edward Rochester (Michael Fassbender). The imposing residence – and Rochester’s own imposing nature – have sorely tested her resilience. With nowhere else to go, she is extended a helping hand by clergyman St. John Rivers (Jamie Bell) and his family. As she recuperates in the Rivers’ Moor House and looks back upon the tumultuous events that led to her escape, Jane wonders if the past is ever truly past… Available on Blu-ray and DVD from 25th January. That’s right, chickens! I have THREE (count them) THREE copies of the Jane Eyre brand spanking new release DVD to give away to you lucky readers, thanks to Universal Home Pictures. Just fill in the form below and hit submit, then prepare to [...read more...]
Originally published in the New Zealand Herald on Sunday, 15 January 2012. Reproduced here courtesy of the NZ Herald. Snuff By Terry Pratchett (Doubleday, $55) Long time readers of my blog know well my fondness for Sir Terry Pratchett, so it will come as no surprise that I loved Snuff. Pratchett returns us to the City Watch of Ankh Morpork, and more specifically to Commander Sam Vimes who is about to go on holiday. Vimes isn’t much good at holidays, however, so it’s just as well that crime seems to follow him, wherever he goes. Sam Vimes has become a complex, admirable and likeable character, and I’d venture to say one of the best in modern writing. Pratchett never disappoints. The Glass Harmonica – a sensualist’s tale By Dorothee E. Kocks (Rosa Mira, $11, ebook) Music, love, virtue, sex, desire – it all comes together in The Glass Harmonica, a [...read more...]
Ruby Blues by Jessica Rudd, Text Publishing, RRP $37, ISBN 9781921758560, Available now. Funny. Smart. Exhausting. Ruby Blues starts with a bang (ah-ha, pun) and keeps an incredible momentum. How did Jessica Rudd managed to write a story with this much pace and not go mad? Well, her Dad is an Aussie ex-PM (yes, that Rudd), I guess. My lovely Henchperson Rachel reviewed Campaign Ruby (the prior “Ruby” book) and found it oddly ambiguous (ridiculous plot, good book), so when I saw this title coming out I couldn’t resist trying this one myself. And, true to good Henchperson form, Rachel’s summing up of Campaign Ruby still applies here: ridiculous plot, good book. The plot is a total blast from go to whoa, literally hurtling from Canberra to Melbourne to New York, with several love interests, blackmail, political suicide, political resurrection, Twitter, childbirth and an intern character who is so “right now” it [...read more...]
My picks for the best books I’ve read this year (in order of “how I found the links on the site”): Snuff by Terry Pratchett and I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett: I’ll get these out of the way first. Read the reviews. ‘Nuff said. The Tiny Wife by Andrew Kaufman: So much whimsy in such a little, beautiful, wonderful book. The Fly Papers Book One: The Flytrap Snaps by Johanna Knox, Illustrated by Sabrina Malcolm: Great NZ writing for kids, with an original story and a sense of fun. Tupaia: The Remarkable Story of Captain Cook’s Polynesian Navigator by Joan Druett: Highly readable history combined with serious non-fiction and a load of research. La Rochelle’s Road by Tanya Moir: Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. NZ to its core with a fascinating story. The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan: Literature with blood and guts. Funny and immensely well-written. Help! How to Become Slightly [...read more...]
To all BookieMonster friends a very Merry Christmas! We hope your Christmas is filled with fine food, delicious drinks, good cheer and many, many kittehs. And finally, my personal favourite and especially just for my wonderful husband, the legendary Mr Monster…
Extra BookieMonster Blathery Goodness!