2 posts tagged “novels”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you tell I went to a very traditional, all girls school?  The one that stands out for me is the picture book, John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat.  We only got to study this because of a visiting American teacher we had who was obviously way ahead of his time.  The other thing that I find interesting about this list is how few Australian books we studied.  I am pretty sure that The Getting of Wisdom and Tirra Lirra by the River were the only ones in four years.    

 

Decided to use this blog mainly to keep a record of my reading as I often forget what I have and haven't read.  Started reading a lot of 'young adult' fiction a few years ago when I was doing my English teaching course and was overwhelmed at what a rich, untapped (by me) source of great books this part of the library was.  Have continued to read my way through this section of the library since then.  Find this genre particularly good when I am in the mood for something not too taxing but not insulting and simplistic either. 

 

Latest YA reads include:

 

which I didn't enjoy as much as other (more 'boyish') Gary Crew books such as:

 

and

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another Australian novel which I really did enjoy was 'Joel and Cat set the Record Straight' by Nick Hornby and Rebecca Sparrow.  The focus of this novel is a tandem story writing exercise which the two title characters are forced (very much against their will) to cooperate on.  Would be interested to find out more about how the two novel writers worked together on this project and how much the process resembles the tandem story exercise within the larger story.

Have also read a few UK YA novels recently including:

 

 

and

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paralysed was great.  It explored the relationships between a group of friends when one becomes severely injured in a sporting accident.

 

The Passion Flower Massacre was also interesting - about a troubled girl who takes a job fruitpicking in the English country side only to find herself mixed up in a cult.  Also uses a 'story within a story' device but this done a bit clunkily.  Read on the cover that this writer mostly does more science fiction/fantasy type books (this one partly futuristic as the bracketing story set 25 years into the future) so maybe this is something new for her.

The fruitpicking theme has lead nicely onto a very different (and non-YA) book, Two Caravans, by the author of A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian (which I have not read).  Finding Two Caravans a nice change of pace.  Only a short way in but enjoying the interactions between the characters who are mostly fruit pickers from Eastern Europe earning some quick money on a 'sweat shop' type farm in rural England.