Posts Tagged ‘literary road trip’
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Book Review: Manhattan Dreaming by Anita Heiss
1Title: Manhattan Dreaming
Author: Anita Heiss
Publisher: Bantam, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-74166-892-6
Genre: Chick Lit
Summary (from author website)
Lauren is a curator at the National Aboriginal Gallery in Canberra. She’s good at her job, passionate about the Arts, and takes work seriously. It’s easy for Lauren to focus on work, that is, when she’s not focussing on Adam.
Lauren is smitten with, or as her friends say, obsessed with Adam – the star forward for the Canberra Cockatoos. But Adam is a player, on and off the field. To everyone other than Lauren, it is clear that Adam doesn’t want to be in a relationship at all, even though he likes being with Lauren. In a few short months Adam is involved in one too many scandals that make the press. She is shattered and breaks it off though she can’t quite let go…
When she tries to convince her friends that she is waiting for Adam to have his epiphany and realise they are meant to be together, her friends decide to do an intervention on her. Under pressure from them, Lauren successfully applies for her dream job at the Smithsonian in New York. She leaves for the Big Apple, telling herself, that Adam will miss her so much he will see the light and eventually come begging.
Once landing in NYC, Lauren’s life goes into overdrive with the preparation of the exhibition, finding her way around the city and marvelling at the city that never sleeps.
There are a lot of men in New York who flirt with Lauren, in fact, there are men everywhere. In the street, on the subway, in cafes and galleries, even in her workplace. They really like her, and they love her accent. They fuss over her and just like being around her. Adam had never really been like that with her at all.But when Adam appears on her doorstep some months later, having apparently had the epiphany she was waiting for, Lauren is confused. He catches Lauren at a weak moment – the exhibition she has been working is almost complete and she has to make some big decisions: The Man or Manhattan?
Comments
I don’t generally read a lot of chick lit, possibly because I have so little in common with the upwardly mobile urban professionals that often feature as the central character. I realise that the escapism factor is a large part of the appeal of these stories, but I tend more towards historical fiction when I’m looking for a break from my everyday life.
Having said that, I did enjoy Manhattan Dreaming. The story is light-hearted and fun and the central character Lauren is an appealing combination of intelligent competence professionally and ditzy clinginess in her personal life. I liked the setting in Canberra and New York and enjoyed the references to the Indigenous art world in both countries.
I think it was the art references that particularly drew me in. While the plot itself was light enough that I could relax and simply enjoy, the mention of several Indigenous artists and their work as well as some discussions about the role and promotion of Indigenous art added a more thoughtful element to the story. I loved that even while I was filing away a comment on how “our material culture is often considered artefact rather than art and displayed in museums rather than galleries” for further thought, I could be smiling with amusement at Lauren’s ability to find both friends and delicious pastries wherever she went.
I think that it is fantastic to read Indigenous characters written by an author with an obvious passion for and connection with the Australian Indigenous community. I had the opportunity to chat with Anita Heiss and her intelligent discussion of the perception of Aboriginal culture in modern Australian society gave me plenty to consider while her positive outlook was very inspiring.
Since chatting with Anita, I have ordered a copy of her YA novel Who Am I? The Diary of Mary Talence, Sydney 1937, a story highlighting the impact of the Stolen Generation, and I am looking to get involved in the local activities to support the Indigenous Literacy Project, an initiative with which she is involved as an ambassador. Hopefully we will be able to organise a Great Book Swap event locally to support Indigenous Literacy Day in September.
This is review is part of my contribution to the Literary Road Trip hosted by GalleySmith. I am highlighting authors from New South Wales, Australia.
Related Links
- Review of Manhattan Dreaming at Suite101
- Anita Heiss website and blog
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21st July 2009 – Which? What? Who?
1Yes, I know. I know. I should have posted this yesterday. This week I choose to blame my children, who are on school holidays and quite unreasonably wanted me to spend some time with them. We went out for the afternoon and saw Night at the Museum 2 at the local family cinema at Boolaroo, where I smothered my writing guilt in hot buttered popcorn.
Now that I’ve made my excuses, on to all things bookish from the past week…
Book Discussions:
Maurice Sendak’s classic picture book Where the Wild Things Are will be released as a feature film in October 2009. The We Love You So blog has all the latest information and links related to the movie including these Wild Things vinyl figures.
A 300-page YA novel version of Where the Wild Things Are titled The Wild Things written by David Eggers will be released on 1st October. To be honest, I’m not quite sure how I feel about that. I’m not quite sure how it will work as a novel, but then again I am not known for embracing innovation and change, as my recent Vegemite debate with Meredith demonstrated. What do you think?
Amy at My Friend Amy has announced the second annual Book Bloggers Appreciation Week, which will run from 14 to 18 September 2009. If you have a book blog, make sure you register at the BBAW website. You can also follow @BBAW on Twitter and/or use a #BBAW hashtag in your tweets.
Amy has provided a comprehensive nomination form where you can vote for your favourite book blogs into a huge range of categories. This is a great way of acknowledging some of the awesome bloggers that are out there highlighting some amazing books and authors. Set aside some time to fill in the BBAW nomination form before nominations close on 15th August 2009.
Michelle at Galleysmith has launched a Literary Road Trip and is inviting bloggers to highlight and promote authors from a specific state. You can add a comment to put your name down for a particular state and then link to your Literary Road Trip posts at the Literary Road Trip home post. I’ve put my hand up to cover New South Wales, Australia. I’ve already written two reviews and will post a Literary Road Trip summary post soon.
Cindy at Cindy’s Love of Books is hosting a Books Bought Meme that I am going to start taking part in. I am hoping that forcing myself to admit just how many books I buy in public will help me to curb my book buying impulses. Stay tuned for my first Books Bought confession post…
Fave Book Blogs this week:
This week I’ve decided to list some of my favourite Australian book/writer blogs:
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Book Review – A Room at the Top by Heath Ducker and Samantha Trenoweth
1Title: A Room at the Top
Author: Heath Ducker with Samantha Trenoweth
Publisher: William Heinemann, 2009 (365 pages)
ISBN: 978-1-74166-674-8
Topic: Autobiography/Memoir
Summary:
Heath Ducker grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. He couldn’t even see the tracks from where he lived, in dilapidated government housing, with shattered windows and holes in the floor that let the weeds climb through. He lived with his emotionally fragile, single mother and nine siblings, conceived with half a dozen different fathers, none of whom ever moved in. Most days, there was nothing to eat but breakfast cereal.
Just when it seemed things couldn’t get any worse, soon after Heath’s twelfth birthday, he was sexually abused by the father of his only real friend.
However, Heath was determined, from the outset, that he would not let his circumstances beat him. As a teenager, he was so committed to passing his final exams that he lugged his books up a mulberry tree and onto the roof of his house to study in the only quiet spot he could find.
Now, at 25 years old and as a result of extraordinary courage and resilience, Heath Ducker is a lawyer with a passionate commitment to improving the lot of underprivileged kids. He lobbies politicians on their behalf, gives his weekends over to voluntary work at camps for teenagers in trouble and he leads treks for young people along the notorious Kokoda Track in the highlands of New Guinea.
When Heath appeared on ABC television’s AUSTRALIAN STORY in 2006, he provided inspiration for thousands of viewers. His life story has continued to inspire as one of the most frequently viewed episodes on the ABC TV website.
Now, in A Room at the Top, Heath Ducker, for the first time, tells his story in his own words.
Comments:
While A Room at the Top is written in a very easy, approachable style, I found it particularly difficult to read about Heath Ducker’s struggles as a child with no proper food or clean, warm clothing. The barriers he had to overcome seemed so great and I felt for the small, scared child he must have been.
For those willing to read through Heath’s more challenging experiences, his story offers a very positive message, as his life demonstrates the resilience of the human spirit and the significant impact simple acts of kindness and acceptance can have on individuals.
I find it incredible that someone who has experienced what Heath has could have such a positive and balanced outlook on life. His strong desire to make a difference in the life of others comes through very clearly in his book and is very inspiring.
I spoke with Heath after the launch of his book. He commented “As people, we need to know that we belong to something, that we are valued. The way to do that best is to live in a community that values each other.” It seems such a simple thought but his words have challenged me to really think about how I interact with the people around me each day.
Two particular organisations played significant roles in offering support and encouragement to Heath during the difficult years of his childhood. The Aunties & Uncles program offered Heath the opportunity to experience a structured and caring home environment and Youth Insearch offered a mentoring program that helped him to realise that he had value and could achieve his dreams. A percentage of sales from A Room at the Top will be donated to Youth Insearch.
Heath’s story is one that will stay with me for some time. I plan to give a copy of his book to a friend who works with local youth. I think his story is incredibly encouraging to anyone who strives to be a positive influence in the lives of those around them, particularly those who work with teens and children.
This is review is part of my contribution to the Literary Road Trip hosted by GalleySmith. I am highlighting authors from New South Wales, Australia.
Related Links:
Suite101.com review of A Room at the Top
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Book Review – Loathing Lola by William Kostakis
1Title: Loathing Lola
Author: William Kostakis
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia, 2008 (346 pages)
ISBN: 978-0-33042-416-5
Suitable Age: 13+
Summary:
Fifteen-year-old Courtney Marlow didn’t exactly think it through. She thought the offer to have her life broadcast on national television was the perfect solution to her family’s financial troubles.
She was wrong.
Mackenzie Dahl, the show’s producer, promised to show Australia a real teenager. Courtney was going to be a positive role model, someone on television without a boob job and an eating disorder. But as events in her life are deviously manipulated to create drama, Courtney begins to realise that ‘ordinary’ does not translate to ‘entertaining’.
Everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame via a little bit of Courtney – especially her conniving friend Katie, and her stepmother, Lola. But Courtney is not the pliant teenager everyone seems to think she is…
Comments:
I recently read about Loathing Lola by William Kostakis at Persnickety Snark and was intrigued by the concept of the novel. I was also keen to read some youth fiction by someone who was of the same generation as the characters in the book. The author’s own recommendation on my Reading Wish List that the book was “made of awesome” pushed me over the edge and I picked up a copy and moved it to the top of my teetering TBR pile.
After a shaky start with a funeral scene that didn’t quite work for me, I really enjoyed this novel. The characters were fun and the story moved along at a nice pace. There is a lot of humour in the dialogue with the characters making the kind of witty comebacks that I would have loved to have been confident enough to make back in high school.
While each character did have a slight edge or quirkiness that stopped them being predictable, for me the major characters did more or less conform with a stereotype for their role. I’m not sure if this is what Kostakis intended, but for me this worked well as a reflection of the very staged and edited “cast” of characters present in most reality TV programs.
To illustrate my point, here is a list of some of the main characters:
Courtney: friendly, well-meaning, wants to make a difference, divorced parents
Tim: Courtney’s best friend since kindergarten. Funny, thoughtful, smart, supportive
Katie: Tim’s twin sister. Gorgeous, fashion conscious, vamp
Jackson: Hot potential boyfriend, gorgeous and talented
Jordan: annoying younger brother
Mother: caring, overworked, too many worries
Father: insensitive, irresponsible
Step-mother Lola: ditzy, insensitive
Kostakis is apparently currently working on a second novel that will centre on Katie. Of all the characters, Katie is the one with the sharpest sense of humour and I enjoyed her one-liners. She is a character with a lot of spunk and, for me, seemed to share quite a lot of the spotlight in Loathing Lola as well. After all, it’s hard to ignore someone who is willing to strip to their underwear to help take unwanted attention from a friend.
Loathing Lola was very entertaining to read with a very natural feel to the dialogue particularly. I think that it would also work well as a starting point for high school classroom discussions about how much “reality” there really is in reality TV programs. This is a great debut novel for Sydney-based author Kostakis and I’m looking forward to seeing how his writing style develops with future books.
This is review is part of my contribution to the Literary Road Trip hosted by GalleySmith. I am highlighting authors from New South Wales, Australia.
Related Links:
Adele at Persnickety Snark interviews William Kostakis
William Kostakis website
