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

All that happened at number 26 by Denise Scott

"I'll never forget the first time John and I saw number 26. We just knew it was going to be ours. It was so awful and ugly and repulsive in every way". And so Denise Scott moved into number 26 with her partner, John, his circus equipment, a king-sized futon (but not a base), a Ventolin inhaler (to cope with stress-induced asthma), no savings to speak of and their newborn baby.

Denise Scott will be familiar to many from appearances on The Big Gig and Spicks and Specks among other things. This was a laugh-out-loud read as Denise recalls the trials, tribulations and fun of family life at number 26. There is something for everyone to relate to, perhaps with the exception of a circus performer partner and regular standup and television appearances. Denise describes the challenges of balancing work, family and life in general with candour and generosity. I, too, grew up at (a) number 26 but my childhood was far more sedate than this! Recommended if you feel like a quick, easy read with a giggle or three along the way.

I give this 4/5 Not bad!
Get this from the library
Reviewed by Julie @ Wendouree library

True Pleasures by Lucinda Holdforth

Meet the dazzling women of Paris; from Colette to Nancy Mitford; Marie Antoinette to Coco Chanel; Napoleon's Josephine to Edith Wharton. Rule-breakers and style-setters, these women were utterly diverse, yet they shared one common passion - Paris, the world's headquarters of style and fashion. [From the publisher]

This book is part travelogue, part history, part self-reflection. It provides a view of Paris that is away from the usual tourist haunts. An enjoyable read for anyone who has visited Paris or would like to.

Rating - I give this 3/5 Not bad!

Get this from the library
Reviewed by Julie @ Wendouree Library

Tea in the Library by Annette Freeman

Fulfilling the dream of many a book-lover, Annette Freeman steps bravely outside her 30 year comfort zone as a CBD lawyer to follow her passion to open a splendid bookshop café in the busy heart of Sydney. Tea in the Library quickly became a sought after haven for literary debate and a cosy forum for writers. But - behind the scenes anxieties small and large were festering as were frustrations and endless challenges. Welcome to retail! [From the publisher]

This was an interesting read. Annette Freeman's dream was to create a bookshop that would be part-library (the sort you'd find 'at the Club' with squeaky leather armchairs), part up-market cafe, part Parisian salon. She made her dream a reality for 18 short months before the challenges of retail began to bite. The bookshop interior was beautiful, the wrapping paper direct from the Bodleian Library in the UK, the coffee superb ... but the books just weren't selling. The name of the shop gave customers the impression that books could be borrowed - and somehow this surprised Annette. A nice little memoir for a weekend read.

I give this 3/5 Not bad!

Borrow Tea in the Library from CHRLC
Reviewed by Julie @ Wendouree