Book Reviews by UMRL Members and Staff

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More Reviews - Young Adult Fiction, General Fiction, Junior Fiction

Vietnam, the Australian War by Paul Ham

This latest release by the author of Kokoda is another engrossing history of Australians at war.  This book covers all areas of Australian involvement from the political decisions, the first troops sent in, the nachos and conscription, the protest movement, some of the better known battles and the traumas and problems of the returning soldiers.  Paul Ham set out to dispel some of the myths around our involvement in Vietnam and bring to all readers a sense of what it was like on the ground, the military decisions that were made and also the experience of the Vietnamese people themselves.  A brilliant read for anyone wanting a greater understanding of the Australian involvement in Vietnam.

 - Dianne

Shifting Perspectives by Lorraine Torrence

Subject: Patchwork & Quilting

The quilt on the cover of this book took my eye, so had to see what it was all about.

Lorraine explains that it is a “different way to use repeated blocks. You make a set of oversized blocks and then trim them so that smaller blocks are cut from the originals, but with each cut the blocks are trimmed in a different place. Sew them together to produce a unique shifted-image quilt that takes the repeated block quilt on a whole new adventure. Even better, you won’t waste the trimmed-off parts – use them for a border that balances and unifies the quilt.”

I haven’t tried these methods personally, but the quilts are inspiring particularly if you like bright colours and striking geometric patterns. If you want to tackle this method of quilting definitely have a look at this book as her tips will save you a lot of hassle and help to avoid mistakes. The instructions are at different levels and are detailed enough to guide you to design your own original quilt.

Inside the back cover is the Multi-View lens which will help you to visualize the effects.

- Sonia

Puzzle Quilts: Simple blocks complex fabrics by Paula Nadelstern

Subject: Patchwork & Quilting

If you want to make a really oustanding quilt, this is the book for you. The subtitle is corrrect, the blocks are very simple and easy to construct. The challenge is freeing your mind to 'fussy cut' the fabric. I took me three days to make one block, because I couldn't decide what part of the pattern and combination of colours was best. (I was sick with the flu at the time). After that I was on a roll and made three blocks in a day. The resulting quilt is one of my favourites and is responsible for getting me 'hooked' on quilting. No two quilts (or blocks) will be the same, so you end up with a very individual quilt. Yes, you do have to be extravangant with fabric, but it is worth it. I would highly recommend this book, I had to purchase a copy to keep.

- Sonia