Book: Driftwood

Summary: To Taylor Whitworth, knowing that she'll never meet her dead biological father is devastating. All she knows is he was a stockman, so she yearns to be like her father...and to become a jillaroo. So she packs her bags and hits the road, destination unknown, until she happens upon the country township of Driftwood.

Life-burdened Jay Cooper is a cowboy through and through, his passion for the outback and bad boy image inherited from his forefathers. The whole town whispers about him but Jay doesn't care. Except his rough and tumble lifestyle is stopped dead in its tracks when he happens across Taylor on a deserted country road. And soon, their mutual love of horses begins a wonderful friendship that develops when Jay offers Taylor a job as a jillaroo on his cattle station...

What I thought: I enjoyed this book. No an awesome read but still enjoyable :)

Book: Silver Clouds

Summary: When marketing executive Tessa Mathison leaves London to attend her great-aunt's funeral in Australia, her life is in turmoil.

An indiscretion during a boozy night out has resulted in Tessa's name being mud in London's cliquey marketing scene, and soon after she arrives in her homeland she discovers she's been sacked.

Tessa's childhood home, Danjar Plains, is an isolated station which holds some bad memories for her. She plans to escape it as soon as the funeral is over, but then an unusual request in her Aunt Violet's will makes it impossible for her to leave.

When charismatic and charming Brendan McKensie introduces himself to Tessa, staying at Danjar Plains no longer seems such a hardship. As various secrets begin to unravel, Tessa realises letting go of her heart may hold the key to unlocking both her past and her future.

What I thought: A nice enjoyable read. Better than her last book but not as good as her first two...

Book: Moral Hazards

Summary: On Wall Street, reflects Cath, women are about as welcome as fleas in a sleeping bag. Funny, liberal and left-leaning, she is an unlikely candidate to be writing speeches on derivatives in a Manhattan tower, 'putting words in the mouths of plutocrats deeply suspicious of metaphors and words of more than two syllables'. She finds herself on Wall Street because she needs serious money. After ten good years, her beloved older husband Bailey is suffering from Alzheimer's. So begins Cath's journey into two nightmare worlds. By day she deals with the topsy-turvy logic and ingrown personalities at work in high finance; by night she has to watch the slow disintegration of the man she loves. In between, she must stop herself from falling apart. As the money markets hurtle towards financial meltdown, Cath faces personal disaster and a moral hazard that she cannot ignore.

What I thought: Not at all like I expected. It was ok...

Book: Outback Dreams

Summary: Faith Forrester is at a crossroads. Single, thirty and living on a farm in a small Western Australian town, she’s sick of being treated like a kitchen slave by her brother and father. Ten years ago, her mother died of breast cancer, and Faith has been treading water ever since. She wants to get her hands dirty on the family farm. She wants to prove to herself that she’s done something worthwhile with her life. And she wants to find a man...

For as long as he can remember, Daniel ‘Monty’ Montgomery has been Faith’s best friend. When he was ten, his parents sold the family property and moved to Perth, and ever since, Monty’s dreamed of having his own farm. So for the last ten years, he’s been back on the land, working odd jobs and saving every dollar to put toward his dream. Now he finally has the deposit. But there’s still something missing...

So when Faith embarks on a mission to raise money for a charity close to her heart, and Monty’s dream property comes on the market, things seem like they are falling into place for them both. Until a drunken night out ends with them sleeping together. Suddenly, the best friends are faced with a new load of challenges...

Monty and Faith are both ready to find a life partner and settle down, but have they both been looking in all the wrong places?

What I thought: Loved it, loved it, loved it! Great rural romance...

Bookclub Book - Truth

Summary: Inspector Stephen Villani, head of homicide in Melbourne, Australia, has a full agenda: a murdered woman in a penthouse apartment, three men butchered in a sadistic rampage, a tattoo-faced drug dealer corrupting his rebellious daughter, a crumbling marriage. As these events begin to unfold, Villani finds himself immersed in an unfamiliar world of political scandal and ethical ambiguity, where honesty is a resource in very short supply.

What I thought: Blah! Just didn't do it for me (or anyone else at bookgroup).

Book: The 4 hour work week

Summary: Timothy Ferriss is a serial entrepreneur. In addition to speaking six languages, Ferriss runs a multinational firm from wireless locations worldwide. His eclectic passions include being a world record holder in tango, a national champion in Chinese kickboxing and a guest lecturer at Princeton University.
In The 4-Hour Workweek, he explains that there is a new subculture of people in the world who have figured out that the 9-5 grindstone doesn’t really fire up their imaginations to any great degree. Instead, they organize their lives and follow a set of uncommon rules which typically allows them to work less than four hours a week but earn more in a month than most people do in a year.
These people are the "New Rich" (NR). They abandon the conventional deferred-life plan (work now and retire later) and instead develop their own signature lifestyles which utilize the currencies of the New Rich: time and mobility. The 4-Hour Workweek gives you four steps to follow which will take you from being deferred-life oriented to becoming part of the New Rich.

What I thought: There were some great points made in this book which I am trying to adopt but all in all I am not ready to make the drastic changes required in this book. I love my life and career so am happy to remain with the status quo.

Book: Sisters of Mercy

Summary: Snow Delaney was born a generation and a world away from her sister, Agnes. Until recently, neither even knew of the other's existence. They came together only for the reading of their father's will - when Snow discovered, to her horror, that she was not the sole beneficiary of his large estate.

Now Snow is in prison and Agnes is missing, disappeared in the eerie red dust that blanketed Sydney from dawn on September 23, 2009. With no other family left, Snow turns to crime journalist Jack Fawcett, protesting her innocence in a series of defiant letters from prison. Has she been unfairly judged? Or will Jack's own research reveal a story even more shocking than the one Snow wants to tell?


What I thought: I did enjoy this but her other three books were definitely better. Plus an unresolved ending! Grrr. Still a fantastic author though.

Stampin Up Stamp Club

The below are some Stamp Club last Friday night. Some Christmas Cards and a cute little Christmas Album. Not sure how to use the album yet...

Kaszazz Workshop

I made this gorgeous layout a few weeks back. I love the colours and learnt some new techniques. Now to find the perfect photos to finish it off!

Card Swap #2 2013 (3/3)

Card Swap #2 2013 (2/3)

Card Swap #2 2013 (1/3)

Once again we are back for another card swap. This is Batch 2 of the 4 planned for the year. Some awesome cards in this lot 

Stampin Up Stamp Club

The below are some cards we made at SU Stamp Club. I love the folder to hold the the "graffiti" cards. So simple to make. And the tea card is very sweet. 

 

Book: Beneath Outback Skies

Summary: Paige Quinn will let nothing and no one distract her from caring for her crippled father, Connor, and fighting for her remote, drought-stricken property, Banora Downs. Least of all a surprise farm-stay guest named Tait Cavanaugh, whose smooth words are as lethal as his movie-star smile.

Except Paige can't help noticing that, for a city-boy, Tait seems unexpectedly at home on the land. And he does ask a lot of questions…

It doesn't matter how much he helps out or how much laughter he brings into her life, she soon suspects he is harbouring a big secret – the real reason he has come to Banora Downs…

What I thought: Another great new Aussie rural romance writer. I was hooked. This is only available as an e-book though (I have read many e-books but this is the first one I actually forked out my own hard cash for - and I don't regret it!)

Book: I Came to Say Goodbye

Summary: It was four o'clock in the morning.

A young woman pushed through the hospital doors.

Staff would later say they thought the woman was a new mother, returning to her child - and in a way, she was.

She walked into the nursery, where a baby girl lay sleeping. The infant didn't wake when the woman placed her gently in the shopping bag she had brought with her. There is CCTV footage of what happened next, and most Australians would have seen it, either on the internet or the news.

The woman walked out to the car park, towards an old Corolla. For a moment, she held the child gently against her breast and, with her eyes closed, she smelled her.

She then clipped the infant into the car, got in and drove off.

That is where the footage ends.

It isn't where the story ends, however.

It's not even where the story starts.

What I thought: Brilliant! Absolutely gripping yet so sad too. Fabulous author - highly recommend.

Book: Burning Lies

Summary: Lies, all lies. It didn't matter how attractive he might be. She didn't really know this man . . . He was living a lie and she didn't know why.

Kaitlyn Scott is searching for the truth about her husband's death, even if that means revisiting the most painful day of her life. But what she uncovers is a criminal willing to stop at nothing to keep his secret.

Ryan O'Donnell, an enigmatic undercover cop, is investigating arson attacks when he is drawn into Kaitlyn's world. He tries to fight his attraction for her, hoping the case might put his own demons to rest, but it only threatens to push him over the edge.

With Kaitlyn and Ryan on a collision course, the arsonist seizes the chance to settle some old scores. As the Atherton Tableland burns, the three of them are caught in a fiery dance of danger and desire, and not everyone will come out alive.

What I thought: Great gripping read. I really like her books (though I still prefer the whole farm thing with rural books).

Book: The Outback Heart

Summary: Indianna Wilson is a country girl through and through. She'll do anything she can to save her beloved home town from disappearing off the map – even if she has to die trying. She brings Troy Force to her tiny outback town, with hopes that he can bring a breath of fresh air to the Saints football club and lift the wider farming community.

He's just the spark they need in Hyden but it's the fire that he ignites in Indi's heart that takes her by surprise. She knows he's feeling something too – why, then, does he insist on pushing her away? What is it from his dark past that's preventing them from sharing a future?

As the town rallies together and their fighting spirit returns, Indi and Troy discover that sometimes life offers up a second chance – you just have to be brave enough to take it.


What I thought: Loved it. Fiona Palmer is one of my absolute favourite rural authors. This centered on AFL (which I love) and also about organ donation. I think the personal element she bought into the book was great.

Book: Hope's Road

Summary: Sixty years ago, heartbroken and betrayed, old Joe McCauley turned his back on his family and their fifth-generation farm, Montmorency Downs. He now spends his days as a recluse, spying upon the land - and the granddaughter – that should by rights have been his.

For Tammy McCauley, Montmorency Downs is the last remaining tie to her family. But land can make or break you - and, with her husband's latest treachery, how long can she hold on to it?

Wild-dog trapper, Travis Hunter, is struggling as a single dad, unable to give his son, Billy, the thing he craves most. A complete family.

Then, out of the blue, a terrible event forces the three neighbours to confront each other - and the mistakes of their past …

What I thought: Loved it. A great setting for a book and great characters. Well written too!

Book: Ryders Ridge

Summary: Shaken after a tragic incident in the city hospital where she worked, Daniella figures that the small north-west Queensland cattle town of Ryders Ridge is just the place to hide. Caring and dedicated, she quickly wins the trust of her patients, and the attention of handsome station heir, Mark Walker. As their relationship grows, Daniella begins to think she could make a new life for herself in Ryders. But country towns have their own problems.

Under the big outback sky, Daniella discovers that the local rumour mill can threaten both friendships and careers, and that like the city, Ryders Ridge also has secrets. Mark, too, is a complication - as good as they are together, how can a doctor maintain a practice and live on a cattle station?

Just as Daniella considers running away for a second time, a terrible accident forces her to face the secret she left behind in Brisbane, and risk losing Mark forever.

What I thought: OMG! A great new rural author. I was hooked! Loved it (maybe because of the medical element...). Can't wait for the next one!

Book: Left Neglected

Summary: Sarah Nickerson is like any other career-driven supermom in Welmont, the affluent Boston suburb where she leads a hectic but charmed life with her husband Bob, faithful nanny, and three children—Lucy, Charlie, and nine-month-old Linus. Between recruiting the best and brightest minds as the vice president of human resources at Berkley Consulting; shuttling the kids to soccer, day care, and piano lessons; convincing her son’s teacher that he may not, in fact, have ADD; and making it home in time for dinner, it’s a wonder this over-scheduled, over-achieving Harvard graduate has time to breathe.

 A self-confessed balloon about to burst, Sarah miraculously manages every minute of her life like an air traffic controller. Until one fateful day, while driving to work and trying to make a phone call, she looks away from the road for one second too long. In the blink of an eye, all the rapidly moving parts of her jam-packed life come to a screeching halt. 

A traumatic brain injury completely erases the left side of her world, and for once, Sarah relinquishes control to those around her, including her formerly absent mother. Without the ability to even floss her own teeth, she struggles to find answers about her past and her uncertain future.

Now, as she wills herself to regain her independence and heal, Sarah must learn that her real destiny—her new, true life—may in fact lie far from the world of conference calls and spreadsheets. And that a happiness and peace greater than all the success in the world is close within reach, if only she slows down long enough to notice.

What I thought: I thought this was a really good book... but not as good as Still Alice.  

Book: Murder on the Ballarat Train

Summary: Phryne is giving her red Hispano-Suiza a break: this week she is travelling by train to Ballarat. But what should have been the trip of her dreams, soon turns into the stuff of nightmares. Phryne has to use her Beretta .32 to save her life and that of her traveling companion Dot. And someone has poisoned the other passengers with chloroform.

What I thought: I have been wanting to read a Phyrne Fisher novel for ages (as everyone else seems to be) so when I saw this at the library I grabbed it because it was the Ballarat one. I loved it! A lovely light playful read. Have now reserved book 1 in the series and must now watch the series from the ABC :)

Stamp Club Cards from Stampin Up

A few weeks ago I made these three lovely cards at Stamp Club. Love the butterfly one!

Kaszazz Scrapbooking Workshop

A few weeks ago I made this gorgeous layout at a Kaszazz workshop. Now to find phottos to fill it!

Book: Songs of the Humpback Whale

Summary: Jane had always lived in somebody's shadow. Escaping a childhood of abuse by marrying oceanographer Oliver Jones, she finds herself taking second place to his increasingly successful career. However, when her daughter Rebecca is similarly treated, Jane's dramatic stand takes them all by surprise.

Leaving Oliver and his whale tapes behind in San Diego, Jane and Rebecca set out to drive across America to Uncle Joley and the sanctuary of the Massachusetts apple orchard where he works. Joley directs Jane across the United States in a series of letters waiting for her in designated post offices. Each letter gives concise directions to the next post office; each letter provides Jane with a chance to reflect on her forgotten past.

Oliver, used to tracking male humpback whales across vast oceans, now has the task of tracking his wife across a continent. To do so he must learn to see the world-and even himself-through her eyes.

What I thought: I really struggled with this one. Too much jumping back and forth and I didn't really connect with anyone. Need to have a bit of a Picoult break I think and then go for one that I haven't read yet which has high reviews (like The Pact).  In fairness this was her first and I know she gets better!

Book: Educating Alice

Summary: A footloose city slicker who couldn't tell a bull from a cow was hardly the ideal candidate to answer an ad for a governess on a Mackay cattle station. But Alice Greenup was game for anything, until she was bowled over by a handsome young jackeroo with a devastating smile. It was the start of a whole new way of life as Alice gave up her city life to embrace the bush and all that came with it: horses, cattle, the obsession with rain - and the correct way to wear a hat.

After overcoming more than a few obstacles, the unlikely couple eventually married, moving to Rick's family farm near Kingaroy. Determined to make their own future, they gambled their dreams on a vast property called 'Jumma'. It was a huge risk but with a lot of love, blood, sweat and tears, they were on their way.

But one morning they almost lost it all. When Alice's horse bucked her out of the saddle in remote bushland, she was gravely injured. Rick was forced to leave her lying alone, drifting in and out of consciousness, to gallop home for help. What followed would test their love to the limit ...

What I thought: Loved it! A great story.

Book: Matilda is Missing

Summary: Garry Hartshorn and Softie Monaghan were never love's young dream. Not even on their wedding day.

Softie was sophisticated, a career woman, who owned a nice apartment overlooking St Kilda Beach. Garry had a few rough edges, plus one failed marriage and an assortment of jobs under his belt. But Softie's body clock was ticking, and Garry wanted children ...

So they got married, and produced the only thing they ever had in common. Matilda.

Now, two years later, their golden-haired child is at the centre of a bitter bitter divorce and custody battle. Both parents insist that her well-being is the only thing they care about. Yet, in truth, Matilda was always the one most likely to become lost.

What I thought: Brilliant!  Horrible subject matter but a riveting read. Highly recommend, couldn't put it down.

Book: Redstone Station

Summary: Alice Wilson is happy to be returning home to Redstone Station after two years at Ag College. On various placements at farms and stations during her college days she's been shocked by some of the attitudes to women. By contrast, her grandfather Sam has always treated her as an equal.

For his part, Sam is delighted to have his granddaughter back on board. In shaping Alice he and his wife tried to avoid the mistakes they made bringing up her mother, Lara, and Alice has more than lived up to their expectations, graduating from college with flying colours. Sam now sees Alice as the key to taking Redstone Station into a successful future.

Exceptionally hard-working, with an instinctive understanding of animals and a natural aptitude for farming, Alice is determined to justify her grandfather's faith in her. But will the arrival of stockman Jeremy, a good-looking larrikin with a bad boy reputation, throw her - and the path of Redstone Station - off track?


What I thought: Good book but the main character was far too reserved. Needed more of her inner strength or something. But still a good read. Loved the larrikin! Will give the author another try.

Book: Back to the Pilliga

Summary: It was always expected that Lachie Sinclair and his brothers would one day take over the family property, Kamilaroi. But when tragedy strikes, Lachlan blames his father and angrily renounces any future for him at Kamilaroi.

Moving to the city, Lachie joins the police force and quickly rises through the ranks. But after being injured in a gunfight he decides to go out on his own as a private investigator.

When a wealthy society woman asks Lachie to lead the search for her missing daughter, he reluctantly agrees. Early indications are that the woman's captors are hiding her in the Pilliga region, meaning Lachie must return to his roots in order to try and save her life ...


What I thought: I did enjoy this one but the author is very old (yes old) so at times the writing is a bit formal and stilted or something. Still a great read though!

Book: Home before sundown

Summary: Coming home can break your heart . . . or change your life.

For Bella Fairburn, a girl from the bush, her new life in Europe is a dream come true. But news of her beloved father's heart attack brings Bella rushing back to Australia along with her aunt Liz, an acclaimed musician who's been living in London for the past thirty years.

Coming home is fraught with emotional danger for both Bella and Liz. While Bella is confident she can deal with drought, bushfires and bogged cattle, she dreads facing her neighbour. Gabe Mitchell is the man she once hoped to marry, but he's also the man who broke her heart.

And for Liz, Mullinjim holds a painful secret that must never be revealed . . .

In the rugged beauty of the outback, new futures beckon, but Bella and Liz must first confront the heartaches of the past.

What I thought: I didn't realise this actually followed on from a previous book I read so that was a pleasant surprise. It was a great little rural romance. There are just too many books and not enough time! 

Book: Theodore Boone - The Accused

Summary: Theodore Boone is the thirteen year old who knows more about the law than most adult lawyers. He certainly never expected to be the victim of crime himself. But then his bike is vandalised, he's attacked while doing his homework and, worst of all, framed for a robbery.

When stolen computer equipment turns up in Theo's school locker, the police start leaning on him hard. And he is the only suspect. What if he is found guilty What about his dreams of becoming a lawyer

In a race against time, aided by his renegade uncle, Ike, Theo must find the real felon and reveal the true motivation behind the crimes of which he stands accused.

What I thought: Another nice quick simple read. Looking forward to book #4 in the series.

Book: The Sunburnt Country

Summary: Jonelle Baxter is a young woman in a man's world – a tough, hardworking motor mechanic from an idyllic country family. But lately things in her perfect life have been changing, and her workshop isn't the only local business that's struggling.

Daniel Tyler is new in town, posted from the city to manage the community bank. As he tries to rein in the spiralling debts of Bundara, he uncovers all sorts of personal dramas and challenges.

The last thing Jonny and Dan need is an unwanted attraction to each other. She has enough problems just keeping her livelihood going and he's fighting pressures that stretch all the way to Perth. It's going to take more than a good drop of rain to break the drought and bring change in love and in life.

What I thought: Another great rural romance. Fiona Palmer is one of my favourites and once again I was swept up in the story and ready to move to the real country (I just live in pretend country).

The Value Proposition - research, marketing, advocacy

Back in July I headed over to Adelaide the the Health Libraries Australia PD Day. It was great for a couple of reasons. Firstly I helped to organise the event with the HLA Executive. That meant I got to physically meet people who I had only ever spoken to via teleconference. we had a face to face meeting the day before so that was nice. Secondly, I got to spend a night in a big hotel by myself! Haven't been to any library events interstate in over 4 years! Thirdly, I got to learn lots, meet new people and speak to vendors. Here are my notes from the day:

Andrew McDougall - SGS Economics (disclaimer is that I am helping to coordinate the survey he talked about)

He started with lots of talk about the public libraries survey he did and how info was gathered etc. Then when onto the HLI/ALIA Life and Death one from last year. He then tried to explain about opportunity costs etc. and how these are derived (got a bit lost in there).

Then he spoke about the current survey. 300 health libraries in Australia of which 48 responded (which is 16%). Of those 48 only 27 could have cost benefit analysis applied (9%). He is still working out ratios but at the minute it looks like 2:1. For every $1 you spend you get $2 back etc. He thinks this may creep closer to $3. We are just looking at getting some more answers from last year’s survey and there was an issue with states (WA, SA and QLD) and using the same IP address so this is being explored to pull further numbers out. Another interesting fact was that 25-30% of potential users use health libraries (we definitely need to do something on marketing, I know we aren’t that good here.)

He also said about the limitations of the survey (hard to qualitatively find answers/expensive; long survey due to multiple stakeholders wanting input).

Finally he spoke about the case studies which will tie everything in together. The template is still being worked on as it had to expand to include more info. 

Ruth Sladek - Search skills of Librarians

This was really interesting as years ago I participated in the research so was great to hear the findings.  

Medline not sufficient eg. need to search grey literature

 Oceanic ancestry group (MESH) not intuitive or specific

90% of searches underpinning Cochrane contain errors

Large overestimation of librarians' search skills - only found 53.2% of relevant literature

BUT their gold standard would be different from what others' gold standards are.

Ask yourself:

How well do I search?

When does it matter?

How do I know how well I search?

How do I improve my searching?

Who should assess my competency?

If hard for health librarians what about end users?

Lowitja Filter launched for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. (Search filters on intranet?)

PubMed has Medline and non-Medline components. Filters through PubMed free. Medline not.

Cheryl Hamill - One tribe - many tribes? 

Collaborative report with Melanie Kammermann; Lindsay Harris and Kathleen Gray 

Take a BYTE out of medical misinformation (MLA Poster - LIW 2014?)

Keep calm and ask a Librarian (LIW 2014)

Librarian lego figure

Position descriptions in Health Sciences Libraries (MLA Book, Dockit #16)

What we do? Evaluate; acquire; organise; retrieve; teach; support; deliver; enable discovery

Many intangibles in libraries - not all about stats

Certified Health Informatician Australasia - we are aiming for self regulation 

Narelle Hampe & Suzanne Lewis - ePortfolios to enhance PD

Record; Store; Facilitate; Reflection

Training needs analysis and pre-implementation survey

Evaluate platform - used Pebble Pad as hosted externally; web based; if staff leave they can maintain subscription individually at $45 per year

Sarah Hayman, CareSearch

Getting information of the internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant (LIW 2014)

Flinders filters:

Heart failure

Lung cancer

Residential aged care

Dementia

Primary health care

Contraception (not yet released)

Bereavement (under development)

Other filters:

SIGN Scottish Intercollegiate Guidleines Network

InterTASC

PubMed Clinical Queries

McMaster University Health

"evidence-based" search =  known effectiveness

removes individual search builder

limitations - one database and quality of that database

no such thing as a perfect search

Megan Neumann - Single click results

Lib Guides - tabs: Books; Jnls; Databases; Lit searches

Lit searches are pre defined "dumb down searches" as a quick product for clinicians

Sue McKerracher - Advocacy

We say "special" libraries.

They say "industry" libraries

Turn survey into infographic

Quote dollar for dollar on everything

Protecting the users - not our jobs

Health library standards?

Patient care & journey - use these words

Accreditation

Weaving in qualitative narrative

individual patient stories (doctor searches child + battery; librarian searches child + foreign object)