When The Snowgums Dance
by Anne Rennie (Simon & Schuster $17.95)
“To be kissed beneath the snowgums is to receive love at its most pure and its most devlish, and only immeasurable sacrifice can bring peace to the lovers,” is the legend that haunts this pacy love story. Set mostly on the crystalline slopes here and overseas, the story is told through the eyes of Kylie Harris, who when you first meet her is an awkward, love-struck 17 year old with a lot of gumption. Spirited and moving.
I Kept On Dancing
by Olga Geddes (New Holland $24.95) With Anzac Day in mind, you might be in the mood for this unusual war story, which is told through the eyes of a young woman who survives Nazi Germany, the loss of her home, her job and the man she loves, with the help of art, in her case, a passion for dance and music. A fascinating account of a singular journey that leads the writer, ultimately to Australia, freedom and a measure of inner peace.
Skin Deep
by Cathy Cole (Pan Macmillan)
A flinty whodunnit, set in the inner-city where life without a good cappuccino is hardly worth living. The heroine is private investigator, the sharp and sassy Nicola Sharpe who has no time for fools but a real tender spot for her good old Dad who is refreshingly ordinary. Addictive for its local feel and suspenseful plot and just the right weight to carry on a bus or train.
Crow Lake
by Mary Lawson (Random House $29.95)
Slow-burning but quietly hypnotic story about families. Just like real life, nothing turns out the way you think it will. The “I” in the book is now a city slicker who grew up on an isolated farm in Northern Ontario. She’s travelled a long way, but her life is still complicated by her history and her inability to accept the good luck she had in escaping it. It’s emotional but never depressing, with trauma, tragedy and misunderstandings swirling about like undercurrents. You’ll love it.
Crime of Silence
by Patricia Carlon (Text Publishing $27.50)
An intriguing thriller with a knockout ending. When his child is kidnapped, his father, a Brisbane journalist, contacts a wealthy family to whom the same thing happened a year or two earlier. They paid the ransom, redeemed their child and stayed clear of the law. Can this happen again and will the family help? Loads of tension, plenty of mistakes and a murder will keep you gripped until the very last page.
Satellite Sisters
by Lian, Sheila, Monica, Julie and Liz Dolan (Penguin $22)
Good girly exchange of ideas between five feisty sisters who live on two continents, in four cities and have their own nationally syndicated radio show. More a dip into book than a straight read, but the ideas and stories about their real lives are as addictive as a good gossip over coffee with friends. Covers fashion, food, kids and the kitchen and all points in between. Good fun.
Travel
Did you know that ‘gula’ is sugar in Indonesia? That ‘lukumi’ or quinces are a common fruit in Greece? Or that alcohol is the ‘social lubricant’ that dissolves the strictures of rule-bound Japanese society? These are some of the tips from the lonely planet World Food series, companion books for travellers who are foodies or nervous nellies who worry about their stomach, especially in foreign climes. Latest in the series are guides to Greece, Japan and Indonesia, each containing information about the culture of the cuisine, staples and specialities, drinks, home cooking, pointers on local menus, shopping and markets, what’s best for the children, if you’re travelling with them – and heaps more. The World Food series, published by lonely planet @ $19.80
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