Book: Perfect Match

It was time for another Jodi Picoult and this one did not disappoint. Brilliant ending which I did not see coming! Perfect Match is the sad story about a young boy who was sexually abused. His mother, a District Attorney, shot the alleged killer in court. However, a bizarre DNA thing discovered that the Priest she killed wasn't actually the murderer. Anyway, it is quite complex but like all her books there is a major ethical dilemma, and the court case behind it. I just loved this one. Really recommend it!

Victorian Library Tech Group Xmas Dinner

Staying on the dinner theme, I headed down by myself a week later for the LT Dinner in Chapel St at the Temperence Hotel. I couldn't get Kim to come as she had to work so this time it was just me. Once again, lovely to chat to everyone as it was about 18 months since my last LT event appearance. Hopefully I will be back to some more events in 2010!

Health Libraries Inc Dinner

In late Novemeber I headed to Melbourne for the annual HLI Dinner, this time with Michelle. It is great to have another library person up here just to travel up and down that highway with. Plus I was a passenger this time which I love (nice car too!) Anyway, this year Stephen Due of Geelong was awarded the Life Membership and he has done so much for the Health Library Industry since I started that it was most deserving. Again it was also just great to catch up with everyone from the health library world (especially the lovely Laura) (you too Margaret but I saw you not too long ago). I will be back in the loop next year but it was just nice to touch base considering I hadn't seen the majority of them in over a year! Nice food too!!

Ballarat Library Industry dinner

In early November the library folk of Ballarat gathered once again for dinner. This time it was at the University of Ballarat Tafe restaurant called Prospects (I think). The food was amazing. What a brilliant 3 course meal for only $30. I never thought it would be so good but it was by far one of the best meals I have had in town (service a bit rusty though). Anyway, the food was not only good but so was the company. As I have been out of the loop for the majority of the year it was awesome just to catch up with everyone (mainly from my own work) just to see how everything and everyone was going!

Books: The Shopaholic Series (all 5 of them)!

Save Karyn reminded me of the Shopaholic books which I had yet to read. So I picked up the first one and couldn't put them down. I had number 2 also so read that, then texted my book nerd friends to see if they had number 3. I managed to get book 5 from Michelle (cheers babe) but was forced to go out and buy books 3 and 4 (Bookmooch would have been too slow). I raced through them loving them to bits!

The main character Becky Bloomwood is a financial journalist who is absolutely crap with her money and has massive amounts of debt (which no one knows about). All she does is shop - for clothes, shoes, handbags, makeup etc. Anyway, the first book sees her become a TV Financial journalist and she ends up with handsome PR mogul Luke Brandon. The second book sees her follow Luke to New York but the TV shows find out about all her debts and she loses her job but ends up as a personal shopper at Barneys. The third book sees her get married to Luke (twice - long story), the fourth sees her reunited with a sister she didn't know existed (but one who hates shops, consumerism etc.) and the fifth sees her pregnant and shopping for baby things. Apparently there is a sixth book underway.

I mean these are not the best written book ever, but they were awesome for escapism. Chick lit at its best. I love Becky even though at times I loathed her! Loved them. A great book bender!!

Book: Save Karyn

I really enjoyed reading this book and it actually sent me on a book bender (see next post). Anyway, true story, she had $25,000 in credit card debt and set up a website asking for donations. She details the bumpy road that got here there in the first place and how she got out of it. Just a great little read. Highly recommend it!

Book: Lucy Zeezou's Goal

Synopsis: Lucy's family is famous for two things in Italy: soccer and fashion. Her pushy mother wants her to model for the family's fashion label. Even worse, Lucy's father - captain of Milan's premier soccer team - agrees. But Lucy has been leading a double life, playing soccer on the side when she isn't modeling. When she and her mother move from Milan to Sydney to be closer to her grandparents, Lucy has the chance to come clean about who she really is and what she really wants to do with her life.

A teenage novel about a girl playing soccer. Loved it, although it was fairly simple and the team always won and outcomes were always in Lucy's favour. The author probably tried to pack to much in but it was a lovely easy read. Good for teenage girls.

Book: Cattleman's Daughter

Ah, my favourite Aussie author is back. I loved this book. Raced through it so quickly. Synopsis:

Born on the rugged Dargo High Plains and raised by her cattleman father, Emily Flanaghan has lost her way in life. Locked in an unhappy marriage in the suburbs, Emily misses the high country with a fierce ache. To make matters worse, her heritage is under threat. A government bill to evict the mountain cattlemen is about to be passed, and the Flanaghans could be banned from the mountains their family has looked after for generations.
When a terrible accident brings Emily to the brink of death, she realises she must return to the high country to seek a way forward in life; healing herself, her daughters and her land. Along the way, she finds herself falling in love with a man who works for the government - the traditional opposition of the cattlemen - new Parks ranger, Luke Bradshaw. But just as she sees that the land and Luke are the keys to regaining her life, Emily faces losing them both in the greatest challenge of all . . .
Set in the beautiful snowgum country of the Victorian Alps, The Cattleman's Daughter is a haunting and unforgettable tale of love, self-discovery and forgiveness.

LOVED IT!!! HURRY UP AND RELEASE THE NEXT ONE!

Book & Bookgroup: In my Skin

I really enjoyed this book for a few reasons. Firstly, it discussed a heroin addict and as I know one personally, it helped me understand them more. Secondly, the fact that she turned to prostitution was interesting as I had never really read a first hand account about it. It would be interesting to read an account from one who chose to sell themselves for other reasons, not just in order to get the money for the drugs. Thirdly, I enjoyed this because it was based in Melbourne, a place I grew up in. I always find that better as when they discuss areas you can really picture them. So all in all I enjoyed the book. HOWEVER, the ending was crap! This book was written not long after she got over her addiction but as we all know, the addiction will last a life time. I would love to see what she is up to now. It just all ended a little to nicely for me - worth the read though! We are yet to have bookgroup to discuss the book yet so not sure how the others will feel...

Book & Bookgroup: The Secret River

This is a wonderful book about a family transported from England to the new colony of New South Wales in the early 1800's. It is brilliantly written by Kate Grenville based on research into her own family history. Well worth reading to get an insight in early Australian history and the relationships between the new settlers and the indigenous population. Everyone at bookgroup loved it too. As my Australian history is a bit rusty it just really helped me think about what it would have been like, way back then. Though Grenville doesn't necessarily take sides, before even beginning the book the dedication reads "to the aboriginal people - past, present and future" which did make me feel that I had been preached to even though she gave both sides of the story. All in all though, it was just brilliant! A top read.

Book & Bookgroup: Notes from a Small Island

I have read other works of Bill Bryson and whilst I enjoyed this one, it wasn't one of his best. Bookgroup also had a split reaction. As someone else said: Bryson has a keen eye for the amusing and unusual details of British life and culture and he writes some very witty and memorable lines. I enjoyed much of this but at times it seemed he was stretching his idea a bit and the book became repetitive.

Book: Irish Girls are Back in Town

Generally speaking I don't do short stories, but the Irish and chick lit are awesome! There were some fantastic little stories in here but also some pretty crap ones. And, those crap ones tended to be by the better known authors! But, I still enjoyed it as I could pick this book up on and off without having to remember what I had already read.

Book: Change of Heart

June Nealon’s daughter needs a heart transplant, and the man on death row for killing the rest of her family wants to donate his. Can June accept his heart?

Had to go back for another Picoult! And again she didn't disappoint. I mean you now what you are going to get but I just love them. Nice easy, thought provoking reads.

Book & Bookgroup: People of the Book

People of the Book is based on a true story of a real book known as the Sarajevo Haggadah. This Hebrew prayer book was discovered in Sarajevo and probably was created in the 15th century. The author did amazingly scrupulous research, learning the tools of the trade of book restoration as well as the history of the Jews through the centuries. Through the first person narrative of an Australian book restorer, Hanna Heath, we get to learn about the city of Sarajevo and its recent violent history as well as the fascinating story of the book through the ages. These stories, of course, are fictional. Each one is complete in itself as the book passes from hand to hand through the centuries. I learned more than I ever thought was possible for me to know about the art of book restoring. And, there is also the story of Hanna Heath herself, as she comes to terms with her own personal history.

This was just such a wonderful book. It was a dedicated read though (ie. not 5 minutes here and there but chunks of time). I loved it as did my bookgroup. Just so fascinating and it reminds me that I know so little about world history and that sometimes I just feel so uneducated. Well worth the effort!

Book: Family Farm

I loved this book. Similar to Rachael Treasure and the newly published Fleur McDonald.

Summary: Isabelle Simpson longs to take over the family farm, but her ailing father is locked in a tragedy of the past and won't give her the chance she deserves. The stand-off between them threatens to tear the family apart.Izzy decides to break free and make a new start for herself – even though that means leaving the handsome Will Timmins and all her mixed emotions about him behind.But when hardship falls on the farm again, Izzy returns with an even greater determination to resolve the family feud. As she gathers with her friends in the close community under the shade of the gum-tree tavern, confessions are made, long-held secrets are revealed and hearts are set free.

Just a great current day country Aussie love story. Such an easy read (still not quite as good as Rachael Treasure though!)

Book: Me and Mr Darcy

Summary: After a string of disastrous dates, Emily Albright decides she's had it with modern-day love and would much rather curl up with Pride and Prejudice and spend her time with Mr. Darcy, the dashing, honorable, and passionate hero of Jane Austen's classic. So when her best friend suggests a wild week of margaritas and men in Mexico with the girls, Emily abruptly flees to England on a guided tour of Jane Austen country instead. Far from inspiring romance, the company aboard the bus consists of a gaggle of little old ladies and one single man, Spike Hargreaves, a foul-tempered journalist writing an article on why the fictional Mr. Darcy has earned the title of Man Most Women Would Love to Date.

This was only ok. The main character was kind of an ditz for a 29-year old. The story was cute, but I thought the Mr. Darcy fantasy appearances were a little far-fetched. I didn't feel the connection between Emily and Spike, but it was a cute affair. This would be a good beach read I suppose. I didn't think all the curse words were consistent with the type of character Emily was supposed to be, and the author slipped a couple of times with the accent making Emily sound more British than American like she was supposed to be...oh well. I might give the author another try.

Book & Bookgroup: Midwives

From Amazon:

Sibyl Danforth, a Vermont lay-midwife, attends a home birth that goes horribly wrong when the laboring mother apparently dies. Sibyl makes a hard decision and performs a C-section on the apparently dead woman to save her baby. The story is based upon the ramifications of this decision - because Sibyl's apprentice and the laboring woman's husband claim that the woman wasn't dead when Sibyl performs the C-section. Thus Sibyl ends up being charged by the state with involuntary manslaughter, under the claim that the C-section Sibyl performed to save the baby's life killed it's mother. Midwives is told from the point of view of Sibyl's daughter, Connie, who is fourteen at the time of the tragedy. As a grown woman and ob/gyn, Connie is still trying to come to terms with what happened to her family in the months after the 'bad birth'.

The ending is very unexpected and it's just an amazing book. Loved this book and so did all at book group. Well worth the read (only point is that if I was pregnant maybe not the best book to read!)

Book: Passion

Bagshawe back to her best. I loved this book. Such a great easy read. James Bond style but chic lit!

A failed marriage between Melissa Elmett and Will Hyde did a lot of damage. She was too young, he was hurt when she left him. Years later, Melissa becomes the target for a kidnap plot, a consequence of her father’s ground-breaking energy-saving invention, and Will is the only man who can protect her. Now they’re on the run, thrown together again by the pursuit of vengeance, will their passion for each other reignite...

Book: If You Could See Me Now

Only ok; a sweet little book, not too taxing with an unusual `make believe' theme. For me it had no sparkle and just not enough substance to really grab my attention. Don't get me wrong, there were certainly serious and touching moments, but these were, on the whole, underdeveloped with many questions left unanswered. Also, apart from Elizabeth, none of the others characters were fleshed out enough to make this more memorable. Could have done better but I will try this author again.

Book: My Best Friend's Girl

I really loved this book! It was so good! I was actually quite shocked by just how engrossing the story really was - not to mention how surprisingly sad it was for such a cheerful cover. Really, it was just so riveting. While reading it, I didn't know how I wanted it to end... nor was I able to really predict the ending, either. I just loved reading this and I am anxious to read her other books!

Summary: Best friends Kamryn and Adele thought nothing could come between them - until Adele did the unthinkable and slept with Kamryn's fiance, Nate. Worse still, she got pregnant and had his child. When Kamryn discovered the truth about their betrayal she vowed never to see any of them again. Two years later, Kamryn receives a letter from Adele asking her to visit her in hospital. Adele is dying and begs Kamryn to adopt her daughter, Tegan. With a great job and a hectic social life, the last thing Kamryn needs is a five-year-old to disrupt things. Especially not one who reminds her of Nate. But with no one else to take care of Tegan and Adele fading fast, does she have any other choice?

Book: Barra Creek

I had never read Di Morrissey as I kinda thought she was for old chooks! Boy I loved Barra Creek, definitely my sort of read.

The Mitchell family has run a prosperous sheep farm for generations and the youngest daughter, Sally, has just turned 20. She rides to the hounds and leads an indulged life. That is, until she shocks her parents by becoming involved with an older man. Scandalised, they try to pack her off to England, but Sally doesn't make it. After a wild spree in Sydney she's cashed in her ticket and, hell bent on adventure, takes a job as a governess on a remote cattle station - Barra Creek - in the Gulf country of Cape York. Untamed and crocodile infested, it's a land of deserts, jungles and wide rivers. Then the great stations were run by men who were loners and women who had to cope or leave. Decades later, in 2003, Sally learns a secret that will change many lives - including her own - and leave readers horrified on one hand, and smiling and crying on the other.

Ballarat Library Dinner

During Library and Information Week, the library folk of Ballarat gathered for dinner on the Thursday night at Gee Cees. It was great to head along and catch up with people as since being at home with Adam I have been out of the loop. At the last dinner I was pregnant so lots of people asked what I had etc. and I proudly displayed my little boy to the world. Leeanne Pitman, University Librarian from UB spoke but it was rather noisy and hard to hear, otherwise she made some interesting facts about overseas students etc. Just a lovely evening catching up with mainly BHS Library staff as I miss them all so much!

Book: Humble Pie

`Humble Pie' goes into some details about celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, his childhood and relationship with his Father; his short career in football; his relationship with his brother, who is a heroin addict; his early days as a commi in France and in Marco Pierre White's kitchen and how he has developed his current restaurants and nurtured the careers of other young chefs. This was a great book and it really captures his distinctive voice. Though I feel like I know him better and where he is coming from more on the TV, he is still a bit of a prick! Not a bad read though.

Book: Sadie

I came across this author because she is similar to Martina Cole - and she didn't disappoint (though not quite at the same standard). A nice easy read.

In the chill of a winter's morning, a sweet and likeable 13-year-old girl unexpectedly gives birth in the bathroom of her council flat. The baby, the product of a brutal rape by her stepfather, is whisked away to hospital and is eventually adopted by a rich suburban couple. As far as everyone is concerned, Sadie will never see the baby again. The girl, Sadie Burrows, survives her ordeal and goes on to become a successful businesswoman, famous in the media, even courted by politicians as an example of young enterprise. Then, out of the blue, there is a knock at the door. And Sadie's shameful secret comes back to haunt her...

Book: Hidden

Summary: Tayo arrives at Cathy's with only the clothes he stands up in. He has been brought to her by the police, but he is calm, polite, and very well spoken, and not at all like the children she normally fosters. The social worker gives Cathy the forms which should contain Tayo's history, but apart from his name and age, it is blank. Tayo has no past. Tayo is an 'invisible' child, kidnapped from his loving father in Nigeria and brought illegally to the UK by his drink and drugs dependent prostitute mother, where he is put to work in a sweat shop in Central London.
Through Cathy he develops into a wonderful young man and we have a fairy tale ending. Brilliant book, easy read - loved it!

Book: Damaged

This book is not for the feint hearted; it broke my heart, poor poor Jodie. This child has suffered at the hands of monsters. Cathy is a saint, she went above and beyond the realms of a foster carer. She is truly an angel sent to care for "damaged" children. This book is addictive for all the wrong reasons; the things this child has suffered is beyond comprehension. This is an incredibly good book but only read it if you feel strong enough too; It makes me appreciate me and I am grateful that I was brought up in a kind loving family. A very very good read but shocking and heart breaking and doesn't necessarily end with a wonderful outcome.

Book: Red Dust

Summary: After the death of her husband Adam, Gemma Sinclair defies community expectations - and Adam’s dying words - by deciding to hang on to Billbinya, the 10,000-hectare station he bequeathed to her. As if Gemma’s grief and the job of looking after Billbinya aren’t enough, a wave of innuendo soon sweeps the community that Adam’s plane crash was no accident. Police officers confirm the rumour when they visit Gemma and tell her Adam’s death was almost certainly related to his involvement in a cattle and sheep duffing ring. And not only that, Gemma is indirectly implicated because Billbinya was used as the holding station for the stolen stock. Intent on clearing her name, Gemma sets out to get to the bottom of what Adam was doing. In the process, she’s stunned at the depths of her husband’s wrongdoing and shocked at the identities of his criminal associates. Struggling to put the past behind her, Gemma wonders if she’ll ever be able to love again.

A wonderful easy read (only a day or so). Very similar to Rachael Treasure (though hers are a bit more depth). Just love the strong independent country lass! Can't wait for the next book!

Book & Bookgroup: Dirt Music

Someone else's view who is the same as mine:

Dirt Music is a wild ride - a story of love, death, the mess people make of their lives, and their redemption through love. It is essentially the love story of Georgie Jutland and Luther Fox: Georgie, on the verge of alcoholism and finding herself in an unsure relationship with a widower named Jim and his two boys; Lu, the survivor of a world of death (everyone he loved has died in ghastly, gory ways) terrified of the thought that he is cursed, that anyone he loves will meet a horrible fate. The other characters are just as dodgy but only Jim (who, in his desire for his own redemption, seeks to help Georgie discover herself, even at the cost of their relationship) is drawn with any of the detail with which Georgie and Lu are delineated. These rough characters exist in a rough landscape: Western Australia, somewhere north of Perth, in a fishing town where most of the locals (who are literally White Pointers) have become rich from harvesting lobster but still maintain their frontier ways, often solving disputes with shotguns. Georgie is a blow-in, unsure of how she ended up living in this wild west town; Lu is a local but he's an outcast in a town of outcasts. He plays the dobro but, after the grim fate of his music-playing family, he is afraid of the psychic pain returning to music might give him so he makes a living poaching fish and crustaceans from his fellow townsfolk - a dangerous game in this unforgiving place. Through this landscape, and the even harsher landscape of the Kimberley, the love story (it would be too banal to call it a romance) of these two is played out. The novel is a genuine page-turner and a quick read, partly because of the effortless prose and partly because we can't wait to see what happens next - in that sense it's full of suspense as well, almost like a thriller/mystery. The dialogue is both sharp and blunt at the same time and only occasionally strays into unbelievability. The novel's climax is in the extreme northern country, where Lu escapes after he is nearly killed by redneck White Pointers. Georgie and Jim follow and try to find this lone, dazed, half-mad figure hiding in the wilderness.

I just loved it. Winton's language is sublime, no wonder it won the Miles Franklin.

Book: Christmas Island, Indian Ocean

Summary: Back in 2001, Australian journalist Julietta Jameson, like many of us, watched the Tampa crisis with a mixture of confusion and compassion. Unlike us, upon hearing of the Christmas Islanders' fireworks send-off for Captain Rinnan, she decided to visit this Australian outpost to see firsthand the place - previously famous only for its red crabs - that now found itself in the world's spotlight. As well as natural tropical beauty, she found a multicultural community conscious of its diverse roots and history, replete with characters and local traditions. In a conversational style, she conveys her encounters with the locals from musicians to storekeepers to uncomfortable navy personnel. She examines the part each plays in her journey of discovery as she tries to reconcile the beauty of a night sky flashing with falling stars over the heads of detention centre inmates whose wishes may never be granted.

It was ok. I read it when the asylum seeker issue flared here again a few weeks ago so that was good as CI was always on the news! It was however more about her finding herself whilst I was more interested in the asylum seekers. Sounds like an amazing place to visit though!

Book: Ex Libris - Confessions of a Common Reader

Ex Libris is an outstanding book for those who enjoy reading and the pleasures that a library offers the reader. The authors love of books and reading comes alive in every page as only a reader will appreciate. I enjoyed sharing her insightful look at books and their impact on an individual. Easy to read, honest and delightful in that it shares her personal enjoyment with the reader. The book consists of a series of short essays on book and reading-related topics: happy arguments between new spouses about how to merge their collections; the peculiarities of how each of us treats books (to bend down a corner or not to bend), the joys of spelunking in used bookstores; and the like. Lovely!

Book: Plain Truth

After reading My Sister's Keeper I had to go back for more of Jodi Picoult. Plain Truth tells the story of an 18-year-old Amish girl, Katie Fisher, who secretly gives birth to a child out of wedlock. Mysteriously the baby disappears and a few hours later is found dead in the barn located on the Fisher farm. After an initial investigation, Katie is charged with murder and a Philadelphia attorney, Ellie Hathaway - who also is loosely related, is set to defend her case. Adding to the fascination of this particular murder trial is the fact that Katie Fisher is Amish, and the Amish convictions are very different from others in the English world. The fact that an Amishman, who by nature does not believe in confrontation and violence, would kill another is entirely unheard of. A great story, easy read but I think the ending was rather obvious. Picoult has sucked me in though - which one to read next?

Book: I, Safiya

Summary: This is the true, first-hand account of one woman's courageous struggle for justice, and the story that in 2001 made the eyes of the world turn to the small Nigerian village of Tungar Tudu. Safiya Hussaini was accused of adultery, arrested and taken from her farming village in northern Nigeria. Brought before a Sharia court, she was sentenced to death by stoning. Her crime was to become pregnant outside of marriage and to give birth to her little girl, Adama. The child's father at first accepted responsibility, but then changed his story, denied everything and was released without penalty. Betrayed, terrified and outcast, Safiya summoned the strength to fight for her life. Supported by her family, her lawyer and her faith in Allah, she was determined to stay alive to care for her little girl.

What an inspiring woman, but what a different world. How lucky I am to live the life I do. Great easy read.

Book: Taken in Contempt

What a sad book that looks at parents who have abducted their own children. Left-behind parents, abducting parents and some of the children themselves have contributed to the book; so have the bureaucrats who have to implement the tough decisions, and the retrievers - men who risk all for someone else’s children. It is just sad that relationships can fall apart that this has to happen in the first place. It was a really interesting book to see the different perspectives but it is wise to remember that we are only seeing one side of the story. Fascinating to hear the retrievers different stories, almost like big adventures but then reality hits that this is real - scary stuff!

Book: Antarctica on a plate

Summary: Imagine you are a young woman with a stellar career but an increasing dissatisfaction with life. Imagine that your idea of a "remote location" is the distance between a taxi rank and a shoe shop. How do you shrug off your growing ennui? Simple. You apply for the position of cook in the coldest place on earth: Antarctica. Antarctica lends itself to tales of adventure and heartbreak. The landscape is polarized, beautiful and deadly in equal measure. But Alexa doesn't scale mountains or trek to the Pole. Instead, armed with an old cookbook, she attempts to create three-course meals with no electricity or running water and struggles to defrost meat in sub-zero temperatures. Life in a thin nylon tent in the company of scientists, explorers, and eccentrics soon begins to take on extraordinary dimensions. As 120-kilometre-an-hour winds blow and tensions rise, friendships, and love, are forged in this frozen neighborhood.

Not bad, have read better but it did want me to pack up my life and go on an adventure. Just not too sure about the morals of the romance though...

Bookgroup & Book: My Sister's Keeper

I chose this book because Jodi Picoult is so popular and I hadn't got around to reading her yet. Bookgroup forces me to. I loved this book (though maybe not the ending, which came as a huge surprise). My Sister's Keeper centers on Anna, who, at the age of thirteen, decides to sue her parents for medical emancipation. Anna has not only served as a donor for her leukemia-stricken sister Kate, she was, in fact, the product of genetic engineering that guaranteed she would be a perfect match for Kate. This premise touches on many of the issues that affect modern day science, from designer babies to the ethics involved in cloning. The thing I enjoyed most was that it looks at the story from all viewpoints: the mum, dad, brother, lawyer, guardian etc. All that is except Kate whom we only hear from in the end. A nice easy read - can see why Picoult is so popular.

Verdict: Everybody loved it and agreed that it was a nice easy read, great topic and awesome for bookgroups to discuss as many issues arouse.

Book & Bookgroup: The Time Traveler's Wife

I picked this book for one reason - one of the main characters, Henry is a librarian! It is a love story centering on a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to unpredictably time travel, and his wife Clare, an artist who has to cope with his frequent absences and dangerous experiences. This book is thick, with a very complicated story. You will find yourself slightly confused at times, wondering where in life Henry's disorder has placed him. Keep reading. Although it may feel as if you are trying to fit together some strange puzzle of time and places, they do connect, creating a beautiful and absolutely exceptional novel. The prevailing concept that I took with me from reading this book is that love can stand the test of time. In fact, in the case of Henry and Clare, love is absolutely timeless.

Verdict: Everyone from bookgroup loved it! Sometimes it is easier when people don't as it can spark more conversation!

Clunes Booktown 2009

The first weekend in May each year sees Clunes come to life with Booktown. Clunes is only 15 minutes from my house so I just love it. Dan was in charge of Adam for the day so I headed over for lots of book bargains. You see Booktown is a weekend where more than 60 book traders come together to sell their wares. The majority are second hand, but there was also a remainder seller this year who had some great books. There was also the good old “Nothing over $5” stand. I only came home with about 35 books this year which is at least half of what I bought last year! Clunes is by far my favourite weekend of he year! They also have author talks which I went to. Here are my notes:

Frank Moorhouse

Country boy.
Began as a short story specialist.
HATES books/storied that begin with a description of the weather.
Funny Publisher’s lunch stories (like ordering steak tartare – raw steak – and having to eat it!)
Began as a cadet journalist – great introduction to his life of writing. As he was young when he started he had to have guts, ie. ringing magistrates, senior officials etc.
As a youngster he PHYSICALLY checked the pier stumps (didn’t think to ring the council engineer) and he stated that “You can’t write about what you didn’t see!!)
Drinks trolley at museum. Curator wouldn’t come down (had to make an application) so he jumped the rope, wheeled it, took pictures, researched it etc.

Matthew Condon

Freelance journalist, likes “work” as such for the people contact compared to solitary novel writing.
When his first child was born he realised that there is more to life. He stepped out of his selfish bubble. Not as self obsessed anymore about getting his name “out there” etc.
Harder now as a writer with expectations, whereas when first starting, it was more passion. Then he “pumped” books out quickly and has now reverted back to that initial passion.

Both

Frank and Matthew are good friends. They met at the launch of Matthew’s first book as Frank like to attend/support young writers. Frank was Matthew’s literary hero. Friendship blossomed.

Eva Sallis

Very funny!
Vogel (Young writer) and Steel Rudd (Short story) Award Winner.
When she was told she won the Vogel she told everyone, even though there was an embargo!
Also judges awards. Stories he likes (that the other judges don’t), she keeps their names and looks for them to appear in the future.
Literary friends essential. Trusts them to read manuscripts and that they are skilled to understand and sophisticated enough to help.
Has her brag shelf. All her novels, different editions/covers etc. but never looks at it – just adds to it.
Novel has to start with a BIG IDEA or she can’t write. Must be a burning issue in her mind.

Julienne van Loon

Winning the Vogel Award opened the Publisher’s doors.
Advocate of the Vogel as it opens the door for young (less than 35) writers and represents them.
Judges awards. Interesting to see what she thinks is a work of genius compared to what other judges think.
Not a planned writer – it just has to flow – to explore.
Her novels grow out of place, not necessarily a big idea. Look for background stories and things that just niggles in the background/mind.

Both

Both were academics doing PHD’s while writing that first novel. Won the Vogel then second novel hard to follow up on. (Interesting as Nigel Krauth, the MC also won the Vogel).Both feel that reviews in newspapers generally don’t get the point of novels. Also that there are so few books reviewed in papers, and those that are get limited to so few words. To get noticed now you need an interview or something bigger to get your name out there.

NLS4

I keep thinking that I need to write about NLS4. It was such a big part of my life for 3 years then, bam its over. I think it was fantastic and so did most people I spoke to. From a personal viewpoint I learnt so much. I got to work with such a fantastic team and hoped that they learnt as much off me as I did from them. I can’t wait for our big catch up as I miss them all so much! The following are blogs that others have written from their experiences at NLS4:

http://virtuallyalibrarian.com/2008/12/07/nls4-conference-wrap-up/

http://quilterjo.blogspot.com/2008/12/tasty-morsel.html

http://roxannemissingham.blogspot.com/2008/12/new-librarians-they-are-out-there-are.html

http://librariesinteract.info/2008/12/16/new-librarians-symposium-nls4-review/

http://librarianidol.blogspot.com/2008/12/yes-moments-of-last-week.html

http://www.alia.org.au/blog/?p=94

It's a boy!

At 4:42pm on Sunday March 15th, Daniel and I welcomed Adam William Siemensma into the world. A healthy baby boy weighing in at 7 pounds 2. He is now approaching two months old and we are loving every minute of it.

Book & Bookgroup: The Eyre Affair

The book follows literary detective Thursday Next, who is trailing the dangerous Acheron Hades. When Hades begins stealing characters out of books, it's up to Thursday to stop him. The 1985 alternate universe is entirely believable and intriguing - filled with dodos, bookworms, and other inventions. Thursday is a wonderful heroine - strong, yet vulnerable in her own ways. This book brings up many thought-provoking ideas, and keeps you reading till the very end. It's a terrific science-fiction-esque novel without being too 'far out'. Bookgroup doesn't meet for another few weeks so I am not sure what others thought but I loved it (it did help that I recently read Jane Eyre though so remembered many of the details)!

Vedict: 50/50, half of bookgroup loved it, the other half couldn't finish it!

Book: Mozart Maulers

The Mozart Maulers is a comic memoir based on Dorian's experiences as a student at the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney. At the time he was seeing a psychiatrist who encouraged him to externalize his anger and use an alternative to drug therapy: Rugby League. Unable to convince any team to take him on, he formed his own team with other music students at the Con called The Mozart Maulers. They took on Sydney Uni and surprised everyone - by winning! It was a nice little read, not too heavy and with a good outcome. Lots of chuckles and a good look into both the Arts and Sports.

Book: The Game

I kept going with the crime feel and read another Mandasue Heller. This was a good book about Mary who got kicked out of home as a teenager, became a drug addict, prostitute etc. and ended up in the dodgy Manchester underworld, abused by her husband, lying to Police etc. Just a nice easy read!

Book & Bookgroup: Eucalyptus

What can I say except interesting book. Only half of the people in bookgroup managed to get through it. I didn't mind it. What wrecked it for me was that I read it over about 6 weeks in between other books and only in chuncks. Once I got into it it was good but otherwise it definitely wasn't something you could dip in and out of. However, now I can say that I have read a Miles Franklin winner!

Summary: On a property in western New South Wales a man named Holland lives with his daughter Ellen. Over the years, as she grows into a beautiful young woman, he plants hundreds of different gum trees on his land. When Ellen is nineteen her father announces his decision: she will marry the man who can name all his species of eucalypt, down to the last tree.

Book: The Charmer

This is the first book I've read of this author and whilst I was impressed and it gripped me from the start, I was a bit disappointed at the ending - it makes you want a sequel to finish it off completely. Also, I felt the author doesn't do enough research into the detective/criminal side of things as there were bits that seemed a bit "unreal". I mean I did love it but it was a pretty basic storyline. Needed to be a little more gritty, druggie and gangstaish! She will definitely be an author I continue to read though but she isn't quite up to Martina Cole standards yet!

Book: Blueback

Young Abel and his mother, Dora, lead a peaceful, idyllic life by the sea in Western Australia. They live off the land and sea, taking no more than they need to survive, carefully husbanding the natural resources at their disposal. Abel's best friend is an enormous fish named Blueback. Time passes, Abel grows up, and he and his mother find it harder to protect Blueback and their "Robbers Bay" from unscrupulous fishermen and developers.

WOW - what a beautiful book. Though it is quite small and easy to get through the language is just beautifully mesmerizing. Just the description of nature and the sea really made me feel like I was there - no wonder it won the Wilderness Society Environment Award. Just a magical little book.

Book: The Pact - three young men make a promise and fulfill a dream

The Pact is about three young men who lived in the projects around drugs and peer pressure from old friends who did not want anything out of life. So George and Sam and Rameck made a pact to go to college and not to let peer pressure rule their lives. I mean it wasn't all smooth sailing. Two of them ended up in juvenile detention but they overcame this. They went to college, all became Doctors and in turn gave back to the neighborhood. Very inspirational read to see what came be achieved if you have dedication and determination and little bit of help, regardless of your background.

Book: Random Acts of Kindness

Product Description:
In his bestselling book Join Me, Danny Wallace instructs his legions of followers to perform a 'Random Act of Kindness' every Friday. As a result, his thousands of followers (dubbed the Karma Army), without warning, made people happier the length and breadth of the country. Now in Random Acts of Kindness Danny and the gang bring you a hilarious, well-meaning book to encourage you to perform Random Acts of your own. 'Now, at last, the secret to a happier world! You have the power to make it a nicer place! All over the planet, thousands of people just like you are performing Random Acts of Kindness for complete strangers- Buy an old lady a hat! Give a policeman a helium balloon! Pat a dog! Hand a stranger your umbrella! Applaud a lady who's clearly made an effort! This book contains 365 real Random Acts of Kindness real people have done for real strangers- so read it, learn it, and start making your world the nicer place, today!'

Ah - this was a cool little book. Now I have to read "Join Me" (which is in my bookcase) so that I can see where it all started from.

Book: Kaitlyn

Now this one was like Martina Cole and much better than Frankie. It's the story of a girl who goes from the slums of a south London council estate to being the richest drug baron in the UK. Again the story lines are far fetched but who cares! Everything Kaitlyn does in life is for her younger brother who was taken away from her mother when he was a baby(except her brother doesn't know she exists). Drugs, murder, child abuse, prison - it has it all! Just brilliant.

Book: Frankie

I had this book because I was told the story would be similar to Martina Cole. It wasn't similar at all though. However, I still really enjoyed the book and raced through it. It's based around a young girl, murder and fraud. How do they all come together? By weaving all the different stories together. It was more detective than gangland stuff but I still really enjoyed it even though the story lines were a bit far fetched! In fact I liked it so much I read another book by the same author straight away which I very rarely do!

HLI Conference

(Laura, me and Michelle but not at the HLI Conference but at NLS4)

The 6th HLI conference was once again held at the RACV City Club on Friday October 24th. It was great to go as I hadn't seen my girls (Laura and Michelle) since May. Normally I head down for library events and we catch up every few months but not in 2008! Anyway, I was the MC for the afternoon. I must admit public speaking does get easier. I wasn't nervous at all really. Compared to the first time I chaired a conference session I think I have improved (Well I hope I have anyway!) I enjoyed most of the sessions but I mainly just love to catch up with everyone once a year from across different health libraries. Naturally I always stay on for the dinner too - any chance to socialise. Here are my notes, the theme for the day was The Evolving Library:

Jason Clarke (from www.mindsatwork.com.au)

The idea that information wants to be free.

Less expensive, more expensive

Substitute, combine, magnify, re purpose, adopt, minify, simplify, modify, adapt, rearrange, reconfigure, reverse, eliminate.

He was a wonderful speaker, very motivational.

Jenny Ward (print serials)

Discussed different storage options all which are bloody expensive!

Jill Aron (records management)

Integrating a RM and LMS together.

Interesting that one may need RM skills which are similar but VERY different to library skills.

Marie Anne Slaney (future)

We are a sector - health librarians.

Other health and library professionals look to us.

Key to our professional practice is finding QUALITY information.

How we might work = add value, drive initiatives, share, lead, develop, extend, learn.

Skills you need = business, core IM, health IM, job specific, personal niche.

Richard Sayers (professional development)

ALIA NAC paper on professional development.

Libraries are about people, not books and bytes.

Without people there is no need for libraries.

He left ALIA PD Scheme as a stand that it doesn't encompass or ensure him to undertake PD for accreditation.

Ancora Imparo - "I am still learning".

Still learning in all stages of life.

Breadth and depth of LIS courses (he thinks there are too many library schools).

Thinks we must embrace compulsory PD because if something isn't compulsory it doesn't get done.

PD is compulsory in the UK and NZ.

PD needs to add real demonstrative value to an employer.

Problems = ALIA membership may drop off, hard to co-ordinate, hard for rural/regional members

need transition, cannot happen overnight.

Stephen Due (statistics)

Most article requested are within 5 years of publication.

Most books on loan were published in last 5 years.

Books loans are on the increase.

Print journal copies on the decrease.

New libraries increase library usage so build for people, not collections.

Lisa Kruesi (MLA Cunningham Fellowship)

Patient Informatics Consult Service (PICS) - specifically targeted at patients. The doctor fills in a "lit form" specific to their patients care needs and consumer information is found for the patient.

MyHealth@Vanderbuilt - where patients can log on and look up there own medical records.

Patient Information - Australia

myDR

Aust. Health Directory

National Health Call Centre Network

Cochrane Consumer Network Project

HealthInsite

Jane and Virginia (23 things, web 2.0)

iGoogle - your own Google homepage

NLS4 Meetings

I did manage to make two trips up and down that highway for NLS4 meetings.

September 20th and November 15th. (October was a teleconferece).

Just blogging about it here so that come tax time I remember to claim the kilometres!!

Ballarat Library Industry Dinner

In November (the 12th) we once again had a dinner in Ballarat for everyone and anyone who works in a library. This time it was at Rinaldo's on Sturt St. The food wasn't that good and the room was very squishy and hot. However it was wonderful to have some faces from the public library present. I sat with Helen who I know anyway as she does the housebound books and Jan who always serves me at the counter. It was nice to chat to them more informally and learn about them and their lives in libraries. Also just by chance I went to the Avoca Races for Bec's Hen's Day a few weeks earlier and saw Melissa who works at the public library (she was in the marquee next to us) so I got to catch up with her too as she was always my favourite public library worker. She went on maternity leave but is back working now, just not at Ballarat branch which is where I most often go.

Bookgroup

The other thing I was really bad at was bookgroup. I missed a few meetings due to illness but once I got sick in August I never read another bookgroup book for the entire year (and I had read everyone so far). I was so annoyed at myself but because I wasn't choosing the books as such I just couldn't be bothered. Plus at that stage the size of a novel could make me feel ill, or even just the sight of one! I have however vowed to be better in 2009. Luck has it I was the only one who put in a booklist for this years group so all the books we will be reading have been chosen by me! So I have February's book next to my bed and hope to get onto it soon. The plan is to stay one book ahead - wish me luck!

ALIA stuff

As previously mentioned I was rather sick in my initial stages of pregnancy (pass the bucket please) so I spent most of my time sleeping. This meant that I could no longer commit to many extra curricular ALIA activities so I had to resign from many committees. I said goodbye to:

ALIA Vic LT - I have learnt so much from this group as it was my first foray into ALIA. Just a great bunch of people who I will miss. I was pleased to be able to stop Technotes, the groups newsletter as I think I had run out of steam.

ALIA Vic - this group was so different to the LT group for lots of reasons. I will miss the experience of group members the most and admire many of them for what they have achieved.

ALIA NGAC - I felt bad about pulling out of NGAC as I had just been reappointed for another term (sorry guys). I did however learn so much more about ALIA the Association and how the Board works etc. Good to see "the other side's" view. I won't miss those reports though!

The only thing I kept was NLS4 as we had been working towards this for over 2 years. I will blog more about them later.

Uni

Ok, so back in February I told you all about how I was going back to Uni to do my MBA. The first semester of 2008 was great. I thought Accounting and Finance would be really hard and scary but I had the best lecturer I have ever had in my life. Brian West - just an amazing lecturer, truly outstanding (and that is saying something). I learnt so much and am so thankful. I put the work in and it really paid off. I am still so amazed at what I got out of one subject. Never in my previous undergrad or masters in LIS have I learnt so much. I was rewarded for my efforts too by getting a Distinction (a hard fought one I tell you!).

The other subject however was crap! Marketing is very interesting but basically it was read the textbook and understand the concepts and remember the jargon for the exam. The lecturer knew a lot but it just wasn't as good as Accounting. I also got a Distinction for Marketing though so was very pleased with myself!

I definitely know that the MBA was the right course for me to pursue. It is a little MIA right now though! You see I started Business Economics in semester 2 but was really sick due to my pregnancy that I hadn't done any reading and was falling chapters and chapters behind. So I deferred for a year and had a great 6 months off at home letting bubs grow (plus working on NLS4). I have enrolled for semester 2 later in the year but I will just wait and see how I go at home with bubs and see what I feel like doing. So you may hear more about "Organisations, Behaviour, Structure and Processes" later in the year. If not, I am sure I will one day complete this course but it just may take me 10 years!

Book: The Know

The first book of 2009.

I really do love Martina Cole. I know sometimes her writing isn't perfect and that stories and characters sometimes overlap between novels but I still love her work. There is nothing like a bit of East End London Gangster/Mafia crime to get me going! The Know was a little different from the other stuff of hers I have read because it actually all took place over 6 months or so. Often her books span decades so that was a nice change. Joanie Brewer and her children, Jon Jon(18), Jeanette(14) and Kira(11) live in a run-down London Council estate. The two eldest are accustomed to crime and little Kira is innocent perfection. Then Kira goes missing... This book deals with the worst life can offer - child abduction, paedophiles and murder. But it also shows how family life can be pushed apart and thrown back together. Just brilliant!