Angels & Demons DVD

In Ron Howard's thrilling follow-up to the Da Vinci Code, expert symbolist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) follows ancient clues on a heart-racing hunt through Rome to find the four Cardinals kidnapped by the deadly secret society, the Illuminati. With the Cardinals' lives on the line, and the Camerlengo (Ewan McGregor) desperate for help, Langdon embarks on a nonstop, action-packed race through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, and the most secretive vault on Earth(from the publisher)!
I enjoyed this book more than the Da Vinci Code, and so hoped the movie would also be better than the last one. I was left feeling disappointed. Especially when they left out the one action sequence/stunt near the end of the book that I was really looking forward to see in the movie!
Rating - I give this 3/5 Nothing Special
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Reviewed by Michelle @ admin

Lambs to the Slaughter by Debi Marshall

July 1969, police discover the mutilated body of 12 year-old Yvonne Tuohy off a lonely bush track at Victoria's Westernport Bay. Within hours, they have charged Derek Ernest Percy, a hightly intelligent 20 year-old royal Navy seaman, with the heinous crime. During the ensuring investigation, police link Percy's name to another eight unsolved child abductions and murders in different states (from the publisher).
Was Percy responsible for the abduction/murder of the three Beaumont children, the Wanda Beach murders, and the abduction/murder of Linda Stilwell? Is he Australia's most prolific child serial killer?
Author Debi Marshall takes us on her own personal journey into the mind of Derek Ernest Percy. Interviews with family, friends, work colleagues, victim's families, psychiatrists, and police officers help the reader gain some insight as to how Percy has become the man he is today and how he has confounded the top psychiatrists in the country.
An extremely informed, well written, not too graphic account of a most disturbing individual.

Rating - I give this 4/5 GREAT!!
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Reviewed by Jan @ admin

The Five Greatest Warriors by Matthew Reilly

IT BEGAN WITH SIX STONES. Jack West Jr and his loyal team are in desperate disarray: they've been separated, their mission is in tatters, and Jack was last seen plummeting down a fathomless abyss. IT FINISHES HERE. After surviving his deadly fall, Jack must now race against his many enemies to locate and set in place the remaining pieces of The Machine before the coming Armageddon. WHO ARE THE FIVE WARRIORS? As the world teeters on the brink of destruction, he will learn of the Five Warriors, the individuals who throughout history have been most intimately connected to his quest. OCEANS WILL RISE, CITIES WILL FALL. Scores will be settled, fathers will fight sons, brothers will battle brothers, and Jack and his friends will soon find out exactly what the end of the world looks like... (from the publisher).
Another action packed, seemingly impossible death-defying escapes, and baddies-wanting-to-kill-goodies, great fun book. The Jack West Jr books, while they still make for a must-keep-reading sort of book, somehow lack some of the magic that is to be found with Reilly's other popular hero, the Scarecrow.
Rating - I give this 4/5 Not bad!
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Reviewed by Michelle @ admin

No time to wave goodbye

I can't say I've been waiting with bated breath for a sequel to Jacquelyn Mitchard's debut novel, The deep end of the ocean, 13 years ago.

Having enjoyed that book, which focusses on a family in crisis following the abduction and eventual return of their three-year-old son, I was keen to read the follow-up when I happened across it.

I'm not sorry I did - but I'm sorry Mitchard felt a sequel was needed. It's not nearly as engrossing as its predecessor and is overcrowded with characters and with references to the original story.

Twenty-two years after Ben was abducted, the Cappadora family is still in crisis. Mother Beth is fragile, father Pat finds solace in work and Ben - called Sam by the man he regards as his father, the husband of his kidnapper - has an uneasy connection with his birth family. Vincent has always felt blamed - and blamed himself - for Ben's disappearance. Only daughter Kerry, a baby when her brother was taken, seems relatively unscathed by the past.

Now the troubled Vincent has emerged as a film-maker, capturing hearts with his acclaimed documentary No Time to Wave Goodbye. The film, focussing on five families whose children have been abducted and whose fates are unknown, attracts unwanted attention too, throwing the family into a repeat of that earlier horror.

Despite the action, despite the storyline, I found it difficult to care about the Cappadoras and their plight. Read it, by all means, but read The deep end of the ocean first.

Rating - I give this 3/5
Not bad!

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Reviewed by Jan@ Ballarat Branch

Signspotting by Lonely Planet

Absurd and amusing signs from around the globe!
Anyone who has spent time on the road knows that you often have to depend on signs... to navigate through a town, locate your hotel, even obey the law. A scary thought if you've ever come across any of the publicly posted absurdities that appear in this book. Signs about as easy to understand as a Swahili auctioneer (to a non-Swahili speaker) or as well-planned as the dance steps in a mosh pit.
With the help of signspotters around the globe, we've assembled a collection of some of the most unintentionally entertaining postings on the planet - we hope they confuse and amuse you (from the publisher)!
I'm sure we have all seen these types of signs over the years on shows like Hey Hey it's Saturday and Rove. Many meanings can really be lost in translation. Or some things just haven't been thought through properly - an open house fun day at a funeral home for example.
Rating - I give this 5/5 GREAT!!
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Reviewed by Michelle @ admin

The Mascot by Mark Kurzem

As a five-year-old during the Second World War, Alex Kurzem had watched from a tree as the entire Jewish population of his village, including his family, were murdered by a German-led execution squad. He scavenged in the forests of Russia for several months before falling into the hands of a Latvian police brigade that later became an SS company. After one soldier discovered this young boy was actually Jewish, Alex was made to promise never to reveal his true identity - to forget his old life, his family, and even his name. The young boy became the company's mascot and part of the Nazi propaganda machine responsible for killing his own people. After fifty years of holding onto this childhood secret, Alex had an overwhelming need to share the remarkable truth about his past (from the publisher).
An amazing story of survival considering his age when he was taken in by the Latvian army. He only had two words from his old life that he could remember - Panok and Koidanov - but he did not know what they meant. The way that these two words opened the door to his past before the war is unbelievable, considering the setbacks along the way - the 'warnings' from some of the Latvian community, and the belief by some experts that he was making the whole thing up.
Rating - I give this 4.5/5 GREAT!!
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Reviewed by Michelle @ admin

Scurvy by Stephen R. Bown

In the days of tall ships, scurvy killed more mariners than any other illness. James Lind, James Cook and Sir Gilbert Blane undertook to solve the riddle of Scurvy. Their achievements heralded a new age and cracked the greatest medical mystery of the Age of Sail (from the publisher).
Apparently, in the days of tall ships, scurvy killed more mariners than any other illness, wartime period, shipwrecks and man-over-boards combined. I'm not sure what compelled me to read a book of this topic but this is a very interesting book. Every time a ship set off on a long voyage, the number of men was doubled as it was expected that they would lose at least 50% of them to scurvy. There is one story of 3 ships setting off together, and only one made it back - 90% of the men had died from scurvy. Scary stuff. Interesting reading through all the 'cures' too (sea water was one), and how the politics of the time influenced such cures. The idea and proof of oranges and lemons as a preventative and cure faced a difficult time of being accepted.
Rating - I give this 4/5 Not bad!
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Reviewed by Michelle @ admin

Better Homes and Gardens (magazine)

That’s right it’s almost that time of year again. The time of year when we deck our halls, put partridges up pear trees and make sure all of our mice are good and quiet. Christmas. To help you get things ready we have released our December issue, which is packed full over 70 fabulous festive ideas for food, gifts and decorations for you to try (from the publisher).
This magazine covers a huge range of topics from recipes and garden ideas to pet tips. The magazine pictured is the December issue and naturally has Christmas information, but the last few years there has been a special Christmas edition as well. If they continue with that this year, no doubt it will be full of great tips, ideas and recipes.
Rating - I give this 4/5 GREAT!!
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Reviewed by Staff name @ library name

Tarts: sweet and savoury by Maxine Clark

Maxine Clark’s upbringing in Scotland has stood her in good stead when it comes to pastry making and she comes to the fore in her new book, Tarts, Sweet and Savoury. Tarts cross a wide spectrum from delicacies served at cocktail parties to casual lunch or supper dishes and as a comforting finale to a meal and Maxine runs the whole gamut here (from the publisher).
There are a lot of great recipes in this book that I am keen to attempt at some stage. Photographs accompany step by step descriptions as to how to make your own pastry for your tarts as well. May just buy this book...
Rating - I give this 4/5 Not bad!
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Reviewed by Michelle @ admin

Australia's open gardens: national garden guide

Since 1987 Australia's Open Garden Scheme has given garden lovers the opportunity to explore a variety of private gardens. Grand, tiny, community, organic, arid, lush ... there is something to interest everyone and you can learn so much for your own garden by seeing how other people do it. The 2009-2010 guide is available from the library now and you can use it to plan a year's worth of visits in your locality or travel further afield for a weekend away. Make the most of the spring weather by packing a picnic basket and heading off for a sticky-beak!

Rating - I give this 4/5 GREAT!!

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Reviewed by Julie @ Wendouree library

Being Human (DVD)

Meet Mitchell, George and Annie. Flatmates by day - undead by night. Being Human follows three housemates as they do their best to live their lives as normally as possible despite their strange and dark secrets. But with unwelcome intruders into their world, rumblings about an impending revolution from the vampire underworld and constant threats of exposure - on top of the usual issues faced by young people surrounding love, work and mates - the only thing they may be able to rely on in their heightened world is each other (from the publisher)...
I had heard that this was a great series. I sat down to watch it and those around me left after half an episode. I gave it a chance by watching the whole season (only 6 episodes) but, unfortunately it didn't get any better for me.
Rating - I give this 2/5 Nothing Special
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Reviewed by Michelle @ admin

The collector by John Fowles

In this chilling archetypal tale of good and evil, a beautiful, idealistic young woman studying art in London is kidnapped by a startlingly ordinary young man who wants only to keep her--like the butterflies he has collected before her. James Wilby is superb as the collector, by turns angry, indignant, whining, and threatening, and the terrified, but defiant, prisoner waging war against her captor while in secret journals struggling to come to terms with her past and present.

This is a seriously creepy book! It had me appalled, repulsed and disturbingly fascinated all at once. One that will stay with you for quite some time.

You might like to watch the video of the discussion about The Collector on ABC TV's First Tuesday Book Club hosted by Jennifer Byrne.

Rating - I give this 4/5
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Reviewed by Julie @ Wendouree library

The Relic by Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston

Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human...
But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.
Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who--or what--is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre (from the publisher)?
This book is the first of many written by the authors. Many of the characters, and in particular FBI Special Agent Pendergast, frequent their other books. There is something about these books that successfully draws you in, keeps you guessing until the final twist. There is an element of sci-fi - it is a monster, of sorts, that is killing people, and the story just seems to work!
Rating - I give this 4.5/5 GREAT!!
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Reviewed by Michelle @ admin

Dreams from my father by Barak Obama

I first became acquainted with this book after hearing him read from his book on radio national. His accents were brilliant and he really had me spellbound. The book jumps from Hawaii to Indonesia in his early years. Obama has had a colourful upbringing and he manages to create a sense of the characters that he grew up with. Over and over again Obama stresses the need for integration of people and races, undoubtedly due in large part to his colourful upbringing that introduced him to different cultures at an early age.
I am glad to see that the world is in such good hands and it's a pity other world leaders haven't had his upbringing to give them a more holistic approach. I found the part about how he gave up his well paying finance job and risked everything to become a community organiser the most exhilarating part of the book. His work in the south side of Chicago was amazing considering the conditions of the area.
The book ends with his return to his ancestral homeland of Kenya. This was a very personal journey for him and while it was easy to see how important this was for him, it didn't engender the same interest for me as his work in Chicago.
A very well written book.
Rating - I give this 4/5 GREAT!!
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Reviewed by Sven @ home

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

The book's story takes place over a period of 12 hours in Washington D.C., with a focus on Freemasonry. Langdon is summoned to Washington by his mentor, a Mason named Peter Solomon. When Solomon goes missing and a ghastly clue is left, Langdon is sent on a rapid chase through the concealed passages of the city. He joins forces with Solomon's daughter, Noetic scientist Dr. Katherine Solomon, while matching wits with a tattooed and brilliant villain who is in search of an ancient source of power (from the publisher).
I wondered whether this would live up to its predecessors. It either would or it wouldn't. And (for me anyway) it hasn't quite made it, even with the twist at the end. Brown apparently spent 5 years getting together research for this book, which is evident in the story, but it seems too much back information and explanation is interrupting what should be a fast paced story. Just didn't grab me the way some of his other books have.
Rating - I give this 3/5 Hmmm...
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Reviewed by Michelle @ admin

Baby wombats week by Jackie French

The star of the international bestseller Diary of a Wombat is back - with a new mouth to feed! Cuter, stroppier and even more determined than her mother ... meet Mothball′s baby. Like any growing family, this baby wombat and her mum are finding it hard to fit into their home. When setting out to dig a new, bigger hole with room for them both, Shaggy Gully′s newest resident gets some help from a friend, causes more mayhem than Mothball ever did, and sorts things out in hilarious style (from the publisher).
The gorgeous tale of Mothball continues in this new book as we are introduced to her baby, who likes to get into as much mischief as her mum. The great story and illustrations should bring a smile to all.
Rating - I give this 4.5/5 GREAT!!
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Reviewed by Michelle @ admin

Pretty little cozies

I don't possess a French press coffee pot, but I'm tempted to buy one and dress it up as in the cover photo of this delightful book.
One of the fabulous Pretty Little series, Pretty Little Cozies is full of great projects - 32 in fact - to keep a keen crafter busy.
There are pouches for phones and cameras, a wrap to keep a casserole piping hot, covers for a take-away coffee cup and the handle of a hot pan and all sorts of other quirky, pretty and practical projects. My favourite is the scissors case , with its front comprising nine colourful zips - not something I'll be making as zips scare me.
Colour photographs illustrate each project, the instructions are clear and pages in the back of the book contain enlargable templates for each design. Inspiring!
Rating - I give this 5/5
GREAT!!

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Reviewed by Jan @ Ballarat branch

True Blood (DVD)

The small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana boasts a wide array of colorful locals. Sookie Stackhouse is a sweet and innocent waitress who hides her powerful ability to read minds. Bill Compton is a 173 year-old vampire who's just moved back to town. Sookie's brother Jason is a ladies' man who can't seem to stay out of trouble. Tough-as-nails Tara is Sookie's loyal best friend and Sam is the owner of Merlotte's who tries to keep his feelings for Sookie to himself (from the publisher).
Can't seem to escape vampires at the moment. This series, based on Charlaine Harris' novels, takes the vampire theme on yet another path - the existence of vampires is not a secret. This is a quirky, if not weird, show that shouldn't be taken too seriously and one that you can easily get hooked on. As it is rated R, it may not be to everyone's taste.
Rating - I give this 3.5/5 Not bad!
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Reviewed by Michelle @ admin

Truth by Peter Temple

"At the close of a long day, Inspector Stephen Villani stands in the bathroom of a luxury apartment high above the city. In the glass bath, a young woman lies dead, a panic button within reach. Villani's life is his work. It is his identity, his calling, his touchstone. But now, over a few sweltering summer days, as fires burn across the state and his superiors and colleagues scheme and jostle, he finds all the certainties of his life are crumbling. Truth is a novel about a man, a family, a city. It is about violence, murder, love, corruption, honour and deceit. And it is about truth. "
The publisher's blurb sums up this book so well - not always the case. It's edgy, it's hard-hitting and it's a darned good read - worth the wait for all Temple fans who have been awaiting this sequel to The Broken Shore.
Rating - I give this 4/5

GREAT!!

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Reviewed by Jan @ Ballarat branch.

The Lions of Lucerne by Brad Thor

On the snow-covered slopes of Utah, the unthinkable has just become a nightmarish reality; thirty Secret Service agents have been viciously executed and the vacationing president of the United States kidnapped by one of the most lethal terrorist organizations in the Middle East -- the Fatah Revolutionary Council. But surviving agent and ex-Navy SEAL Scot Harvath doesn't believe the Fatah Revolutionary Council is responsible for the attack. Driven by his professional code of duty and honor, Harvath creates his own rules to get some answers. But his search for the truth raises the blood pressure of his superiors...and casts his own life in mortal jeopardy. The deadly machinations have been set in motion by a shadowy coalition, comprising some of the highest-ranking officials in government and business-men who operate above the law, men who realize the threat Harvath poses to their hidden agenda...men who will do anything to stop him (from the publisher).
A great action adventure that you can not take too seriously as some scenes stretch the boundaries of believability. I always enjoy reading a book when parts of the story are set in places that I have been to, and there are some such places in this one (if you ever happen to be in Lucerne, go and see the Lion Monument - it is one of the best pieces of stonework I have ever seen). This book is the first of a series for the main character - Scot Harvath. Might give them a go next.
Rating - I give this 3.5/5 Not bad!
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Reviewed by Michelle @ admin

Grace by Morris Gleitzman

"Eleven-year-old Grace Hillgrove knows only one world - the world of her family, and the strict religious community they belong to. But when her father is thrown out of the church for asking questions, Grace is torn. How can she stay in the church and keep her family together ?"
Morris Gleitzman is well-known for his hilarious books for young readers - but it's his intelligent, thoughtful and thought-provoking novels for teenagers that really hit the spot with me.
Having ripped through two of his latest - Once and Then, set in wartime Europe and totally gripping and heart wrenching - I was keen to tackle their successor, Grace. It didn't take long, because I couldn't put it down. The blurb above gives the gist of the story , which is told by Grace, whose religious faith does not alter, but who, like her father, questions its rules.
Gleitzman has written about a complex situation thoughtfully and respectfully - and with plenty of humour.
Rating - I give this 4/5
GREAT!!

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Reviewed by Jan @ Ballarat branch.

Free to a good home by Colin Thompson

Most people don’t like being different. They want exactly the same things as their neighbours, only bigger and more of them. Yet no matter how much they have, they always feel there is something missing. The Smiths are not like other people. They might not be any good at cooking, or housework, or homework, but in their jumbled house full of strange things that will probably come in useful one day, they are happy and content. Yet the Smiths, too, feel that there is something missing from their lives. And today the children went down to the shops and found it (from the publisher).
What they bring home isn't something you would expect to bring home from the shops. But they are determined to keep what they found and it isn't long before their parents come round to the idea as well. Great graphics and quite fun.
Rating - I give this 4/5 GREAT!!
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Reviewed by Michelle @ admin

The foolish tortoise by Eric Carle

A witty modern fable tells how a tortoise discovers the need for a shell after several scary encounters (from the publisher).
An oldie, but a goodie. It's a dangerous world out there and the tortoise comes to realise this after he decides that his shell is slowing him down and thinks he would be better off without it. He has a few narrow escapes before coming to the conclusion that there really is no place like home.
Rating - I give this 4/5 GREAT!!

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Reviewed by Michelle @ admin

Only in New York. How I Took Manhattan (with the kids) by Caroline Overington

Most journalists would crawl over broken glass to secure the glittering prize of being a foreign correspondent in New York. Caroline Overington is understandably over the moon about her plum posting, but there's a problem (or two). New York is a great playground for grown-ups, but is the crowded skyscraper capital of the world a good place to live when you're raising toddler twins. As her mother says, "Are you mad?"

Caroline took the challenge on and in 2004, headed off for a three year stint in New York with her two year old twins and her husband in tow. Unable to work legally, her husband made the switch to primary child-carer while Caroline became full-time money-earner for the family. This book is really more about her family's experiences adjusting to a culture they expected to find familiar but didn't, than about her journalistic adventures. (She is a Walkley Award winner). Still, it was very enjoyable and funny. If you can't live in exotic locations yourself, you might as well read about others doing it!

Rating - I give this 4/5 Not bad!

Borrow Only in Manhattan from the library
Reviewed by Julie @ Wendouree library

Dumbest Criminals by Wendy Lewis

This book is full of real life examples of hilarious escapades, antics gone wrong and stories that will make you shake your head in disbelief and laugh out loud. Criminals. How could they be so dumb (from the publisher)?
You just need to look at the cover of the book and you get the impression that the people in this book are not going to be the sharpest tools in the shed when it comes to committing a crime. The Average Joe could point out all the crime/police shows on TV that have aired over the years should give a good indication of how not to do something... But the amount of people that rob a store on the way home from work and forget to take off their name badges, or their hard hat that has their name on it - dumb is the only word you can use. A giggle is guaranteed from this book.
Rating - I give this 4/5 Not bad!
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Reviewed by Michelle @ admin

Wicked Prey by John Sandford

Having spent the past two years in hiding following a daring and successful heist, a big-time robber is back in Minneapolis, having spotted the opportunity for an even greater steal. It's two weeks before the big Republican party convention: thousands of people are spending up big and the money is flowing into a warehouse protected by only a few armed guards. The robber's plan is to distract the cops by alerting them to a possible assassination attempt. Lucas Davenport, meanwhile, has problems of his own - he's targeted by a psychopathic pimp, who blames Davenport for putting him in a wheelchair. Only it's not Davenport he's going after; it's his innocent daughter, Letty...

Hooked yet? Sandford gets better and better; I've read all the books in his Lucas Davenport series and each one has been a winner. There's lots of nasty stuff, manipulation on both sides and plenty of thrills. The writing is intelligent, the pace is cracking and the ending - well, find out for yourself. And I wouldn't be surprised if the resourceful Letty has her own series one day.

Rating - I give this 4/5
GREAT!!

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Reviewed by Jan @ Ballarat branch