Reading Connection for Adults

Jenny Shepherd is twelve years old and missing...Her teacher, Sarah Finch, knows better than most that the chances of finding her alive are diminishing with every day she is gone. As a little girl her older brother had gone out to play one day and never returned. The strain of never knowing what has happened to Charlie had ripped Sarah's family apart. Now in her early twenties, she is back living at home, trapped with a mother who drinks too much and keeps her brother's bedroom as a shrine to his memory. Then, horrifically, it is Sarah who finds Jenny's body, beaten and abandoned in the woods near her home. As she's drawn into the police investigation and the heart of a media storm, Sarah's presence arouses suspicion too. But it not just the police who are watching her...

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When Abigail inherits a cottage from her friend she sees it as her chance to start anew after the distressing end of her last relationship. Only problem is, the cottage is in the middle of a sheep ranch owned by Cade MacArthur, Eliza's tall, dark and infuriating nephew

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The Bricklayer is the pulse-pounding novel introducing Steve Vail, one of the most charismatic new heroes to come along in thriller fiction in many years. He's an ex–FBI agent who's been fired for insubordination but is lured back to the Bureau to work a case that has become more unsolvable—and more deadly—by the hour. Vail has resigned himself to his dismissal and is content with his life as a bricklayer. But the FBI, especially Deputy Assistant Director Kate Bannon, needs help with a shadowy group that has initiated a brilliant extortion plot. The group will keep killing their targets until the agency pays them off, the amount and number of bodies escalating each time the FBI fails. One thing is clear: someone who knows a little too much about the inner workings of the Bureau is very clever —and very angry—and will kill and kill again if it means he can disgrace the FBI.

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On a cold January morning, Susan, a professor of biology, leaves her husband alone for a few minutes and returns to find him gone. Suffering from dementia, no longer able to dress or feed or wash himself without help, Christopher has wandered alone into a frigid landscape with no sense of home or direction. Lost. Over the course of one weekend, as a massive search for Christopher takes place, Susan's life intersects with those of two strangers: Jeff, her liaison with the police, a social worker and search-and-rescue expert shaken by his young wife's betrayal, and Corey, a twelve-year-old boy, rendered mute by a family tragedy, who has become one of Jeff's cases. While the temperature drops and teams scour the countryside with greater and greater urgency, Susan and Jeff venture into the fraught territory of their pasts -- to impulsive choices and events that may have led to their present circumstances and to the painful question of whether they are to blame for their spouses' actions. Corey, too, is troubled by memories, and a secret that could affect them all. When the desperate search concludes, what it uncovers will transform Susan, Jeff,and Corey and irrevocably bind them together. From the unexpected convergence of these three lives emerges an arresting portrait of the shifting terrain of marriage and the uneasy burden of love and regret. With her stark, beautiful prose and extraordinary insight into the human conscience and heart, Alice Lichtenstein has crafted a fiercely eloquent and emotionally suspenseful novel about the lengths we will go to take care of someone and the unfathomable ways that even the simplest of choices can reverberate throughout a life.

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Sarah Gordon knows what she wants: the family homestead, Wangallon. When it comes to working the homestead she’s a natural but as a woman, it’s not her birthright. Even when her beloved brother, Cameron James, first born and heir, is killed in a tragic accident, nobody looks to Sarah to inherit. Instead her grandfather passes management to the one man she truly loves. Feeling betrayed she runs away to Sydney to try to put Wangallon, behind her, but it’s in her blood. She is constantly drawn back to Wangallon but when will she finally admit that it’s not just Wangallon she longs for but the station’s manager, Anthony. THE BARK CUTTERS is an Australian family saga that centres around the family property, Wangallon. Past and present interweave in a story that traces the Gordon family from the arrival of Scottish immigrant Hamish Gordon in Australia in the 1850’s to the life of his great granddaughter, Sarah, in the 1980’s. Full of action, romance, tragedy, family secrets and misunderstandings this novel has a bit of something for everyone but particularly the discerning commercial women’s fiction reader.

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Close to a motorway service station, the body of a young woman is discovered. She appears to have no family, no friends, no one to identify her. DI Anna Travis is brought onto the team of investigators by DCS James Langton, who already suspects that this recent case could be linked to two unsolved murders. As more evidence is discovered the team realise that they are contending with a triple murder investigation -- and no suspect. Anna's blood runs cold when she receives a letter from a murderer she helped to arrest. He makes contact from prison insisting that he can track down their killer, but will only talk to Anna herself. Does he really have an insight into another killer's mind, or is he merely intent on getting into hers?

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Responsible travel is the buzz word of today's travel industry, as reports continue to predict a grim future for our planet. Australia's Best Eco-friendly Holidays is the first book of its kind to focus on where and how to travel in Australia with minimal impact on the environment. Featuring stunning images and a fresh, modern design that celebrates the beauty of nature, the book is divided into state chapters that highlight eco-friendly activities and places to stay. The book also includes far-flung destinations such as Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island and Antarctica. Green travel tips and top ten experiences for every state and territory will help you get the most out of your holiday - without harming the earth. This book is printed on FSC-certified paper stocks using soy-based inks.

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The chocolate centre flows like dark lava onto the whiteness of the plate. The last ounce of stress drains from my body.... I have discovered the French version of Death by Chocolate.' Part love story, part wine-splattered cookbook, Lunch in Paris is a deliciously tart, forthright and funny story of falling in love with a Frenchman and moving to the world's most romantic city - not the Hollywood version, but the real Paris, a heady mix of blood sausage and irregular verbs. From gutting her first fish (with a little help from Jane Austen) and battling bad-tempered butchers to discovering heavenly chocolate shops, Elizabeth Bard finds that learning to cook and building a new life as a stranger in an even stranger land have a lot in common. Along the way she learns the true meaning of home - and the real reason French women don't get fat ... Peppered with recipes to die for, this mouth-watering love story is the perfect treat for any woman who has ever suspected that lunch in Paris could change her life

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For the past twenty-five years, no one has been better at revealing secrets than Oprah Winfrey. On what is arguably the most influential show in television history, she has gotten her guests--often the biggest celebrities in the world--to bare their love lives, explore their painful pasts, admit their transgressions, reveal their pleasures, and explore their demons. In turn, Oprah has repeatedly allowed her audience to share in her own life story, opening up about the sexual abuse in her past and discussing her romantic relationships, her weight problems, her spiritual beliefs, her charitable donations, and her strongly held views on the state of the world. After a quarter of a century of the Oprah-ization of America, can there be any more secrets left to reveal? Yes. Because Oprah has met her match. Kitty Kelley has, over the same period of time, fearlessly and relentlessly investigated and written about the world's most revered icons: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Reagan, England's Royal Family, and the Bush dynasty. In her #1 bestselling biographies, she has exposed truths and exploded myths to uncover the real human beings that exist behind their manufactured facades. Turning her reportorial sights on Oprah, Kelley has now given us an unvarnished look at the stories Oprah's told and the life she's led. Kelley has talked to Oprah's closest family members and business associates. She has obtained court records, birth certificates, financial and tax records, and even copies of Oprah's legendary (and punishing) confidentiality agreements. She has probed every aspect of Oprah Winfrey's life, and it is as if she's written the most extraordinary segment of The Oprah Winfrey Show ever filmed--one in which Oprah herself is finally and fully revealed. There is a case to be made, and it is certainly made in this book, that Oprah Winfrey is an important, and even great, figure of the twentieth and twenty-first cent

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These are the first two titles in a new, down-to-earth series that deals with many of the kitchen dilemmas and challenges faced by modern men, women and families of all shapes and sizes. The My Kitchen series is written in a savvy style, packed with recipes that are nutritious, easy, budget-friendly and use only commonly available supermarket ingredients. Each title in the series addresses those who are time poor, or budget conscious so that cooking remains a joy. It celebrates good food, and the simple but important act of taking time to eat well. This series also recognises the growing awareness of the quality and provenance of the food we eat, featuring fresh food wherever possible, with a license to cheat.

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When she started to clock up the years in earnest, everyone tried not to mention it. But now Virginia Ironside is actually sixty-five she can't see what all the fuss was about. It's great to be old. Growing ancient is not a loss but a gain. You're more confident, and if your memory's going, at least you forget the bad times, like all those ghastly men you slept with in the other sixties. And isn't now the time to take lots of drugs, and not just the ones prescribed by the doctor (which are, now you're old, completely free)? There's nothing more fun than comparing your various ailments with other oldies ('I take so many fish oils I'm thinking of joining an aquarium'), curtain-twitching, complaining or (Virginia's preference) just mooching about. From Grandchildren ('The reward for not killing your children'), and Being a Bore ('You're in your anecdotage, so nobody can complain') to Sex ('I don't know about you, but I've had enough sex to last me a lifetime'), Virginia Ironside tackles all the issues that face today's elegant and distinguished oldies with optimism and enthusiasm - and makes you want to cheer!

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Welcome to the Hellenic Heart. The taverna is the kitchen table of the village or the street —a place for family and friends to gather; a watering hole; a debating hall; a gambling den, and a café rolled into one. George Calombaris’ Hellenic Republic restaurant captures that mood and combines it with a menu that champions the full breadth and myriad influences on peasant cuisine across the islands, territories and regions we call Greece. From breakfast rich in yoghurt and Cypriot sausage, move onto plates of tzatziki and peppered figs. Taste the slow cooked pork, moussaka and wash down the saganaki with crisp white wine. Then sit down with George’s family and taste his Mum’s fabulous authentic recipes that have been handed down through the generations - from Cypriot pies, meat balls and hummus to the tender Afelia that is braised pork and coriander and the fabulous Kolokassi with pork and taro.

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I really enjoyed reading, Eats, shoots & leaves : the zero tolerance approach to punctuation by Lynne Truss (Profile, 2003). I didn’t know punctuation could be so amusing! Lynne has a delightfully humorous approach to the English rules of punctuation while at the same time pointing out many of the common errors people make. Encouraging people to laugh at themselves is a subtle, but effective way of promoting change. In particular she discusses the use of apostrophes, commas, semi colons, colons, dashes, and hyphens. I found the book instructive without being pedantic. Lynne tells interesting stories of how the wrong use of punctuation can give an entirely different meaning. She also uses quotes from famous people, historical stories, as well as sign writers to make her point. In addition Lynne points some of the discrepancies between American punctuation and English punctuation styles which I found particularly helpful as I often find myself writing for an American audience. I also found the title very clever. It is based on a joke about a panda which has a double meaning because of the placement of the comma. This fits so well with the tone of the book.

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I enjoy books that are written as letters and The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society (Allen & Unwin, 2008) is such a book. By leaving time gaps between the letters the reader’s imagination is left to fill in the details. I find this a very clever device and Mary Ann Shaffer employs it well. Compiling the story in short letters has the effect of moving the story along at a good pace and it doesn’t get bog down in the details. Nevertheless there are enough short descriptive pieces to give the reader a good feel for the location. The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society is a moving story of life and loss following the German occupation of Guernsey during World War II. Juliet Ashton is a London writer who begins corresponding with several residents from Guernsey and develops such good relationships with them that she arranges a visit in order to write a book. However events conspire that permanently change the direction of Juliet’s life. This is an enjoyable read, full of interesting characters and believable situations. It creates enough intrigue that you just want to keep turning pages til the very end.

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This easy paced novel at first seems like a simple little tale of life and its quirky characters in an Irish village. However, as we are gradually introduced to the main characters, 3 sisters from Afghanistan, more layers and intrigue are added. The sisters have fled their country after the over throw of the Shah and the rise of the Islamic fundamentalists. They are seeking a place that they can call home, where they can live in peace and hopefully use the older sisters culinary skills in their own restaurant The story of their flight is skilfully woven into the small villages own tales of gossips, bullies and well meaning citizens. Throughout the novel we are treated to some wonderful culinary descriptions and recipes from the Middle East. This novel reminded me a little of Rosalie Hams “ The Dressmaker”. A recommended read for a cold wintry weekend with a pot of soup simmering in the background!

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The story is set in Germany, just outside Munich during WW2. The narrator is DEATH and the story is wound around the experiences of a young girl who is fostered out to a family in a small town, and the narrator as he encounters the girl as he goes about his business of collecting thousands of souls- the result, of course, of the terrible persecution and war raging in Europe. The family eventually hide a young Jewish man and we experience the wonderful friendships that develop within the household, despite the fear of both discovery and the war outside. This is a complex novel with well developed characters, an interesting style and thought provoking ideas. Do not be put off by the rather awkward start to the book. As soon as you hit the first chapter the story commences in earnest

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For those of you who enjoy a good thriller, you can't go past Lee Child's books and his rough, tough ex- Army Special Investigator character, Jack Reacher. In this his latest thriller, Jack and his old team are being called together by one of their own. The problem is soon apparent- one of the group has met a dreadful end- thrown from a helicopter into the desert below. The story is well crafted, easy to follow without being obvious and full of the punchy, earthy comments and observations by Jack. It is one of those stories that will keep you reading way past your bed time!

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This historical novel is set in Georgian London and the period is vividly portrayed, as we have come to expect from Tracy Chevalier The story follows a chair maker and his family leaving their familiar, safe environment of a country village after the tragic death of a son and heading to the seething, developing, dirty mass that is London city. The son Jem is befriended by a city born girl used to the ways of the streets and together they become entangled in the life of William Blake- poet and supporter of the revolution in France. The characters are well developed and the everyday existence of the poor working classes comes alive to the reader. Another well crafted and researched novel by Tracy Chevalier

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