Here are the Library team’s top recommendations
Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce
For this reviewer, Miss Benson’s Beetle is an early favourite and her book of the year to date.
This is a story about the smallest insect and the deepest friendship.
Margery Benson’s life ended the day her father walked out of his study and never came back. Forty years later, abandoning a dull job in a spectacular fashion, she advertises for an assistant. The successful candidate is to accompany Margery on an expedition to the other side of the world to search for a beetle that may or may not exist.
Enid Pretty is not who she had in mind. But together they will find themselves drawn into an adventure that exceeds all Margery’s expectations, eventually finding new life at the top of a red mountain.
This is a story that is less about what can be found than the belief it might be found; it is a page turning adventure story and it is also a tender exploration of a friendship between two unforgettable women that defies all boundaries.
Library Call Number: F JOYC
Lucky’s by Andrew Pippos
At its heart, Lucky’s is a story about a Greek family growing up in Australia and the secrets we keep to protect the ones we love.
Lucky, is a second-generation Chicago-born clarinet-playing Greek man who finds himself in wartime Australia in the 1950s. He escapes the US Army by impersonating the king of swing, Benny Goodman and decides to settle in Australia.
Lucky represents the entrepreneurial streak common among Greeks in the 1950s.
Lucky eventually comes into money through personal tragedy, and uses it to run a successful franchise of cafe diners.
It looks like his life is set to be the great immigrant success story but life has a way of throwing curve balls and Lucky is not immune to loss.
Will he lose it all or find the luck he needs?
Library Call Number: F PIPP
History of Rock by Rita Nabais
What are the greatest rock songs of all time? Who are the most famous musical legends? How can you become a rock star?
From the rip-roaring rock and roll rhythms of the 1950s to the psychedelic anthems of the 21st century, discover the music that has moved our feet, touched our souls and mended broken hearts. Explore musical icons, their incredible stories, their chart-topping hits and the artistic movements influenced by the creative explosion of rock.
Whether you’re bonkers for Bowie, obsessed with Otis, mad about Mumford & Sons, passionate about Patti or crazy about Kurt, this is the perfect book for big fans, little punks and anyone who wants to learn what it really takes to be a rock star.
Library Call number 781.660 NAB
The Diabolical Bones by Bella Ellis
It’s Christmas 1846 and Haworth is in the grip of a freezing winter.
Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte are losing interest in detecting until they hear of a shocking discovery – the bones of a child have been found interred within the walls of a local house, Top Withens Hall, home to the scandalous and brutish Bradshaw family.
When the sisters set off to find out more, they are confronted with an increasingly complex and sinister case, which leads them into the dark world of orphanages, and onto the trail of other lost, and likely murdered children.
After another local boy goes missing, Charlotte, Emily and Anne vow to find him before it’s too late.
But in order to do so, they must face their most despicable and wicked adversary yet – one that would not hesitate to cause them the gravest of harm. .
Library Call number HIST F ELLI
Ten-ager – by Madonna King
Ten-ager is an important book that shows that 10 is the new start of a girl’s teenage years.
It raises the issues our girls might not be talking about publicly, and guides their parents on how experts believe we should deal with it.
At ten, we know how girls are pigeonholing themselves into what they think they should be. Whether they see themselves as academic or not, whether they are interested in boys, puberty is a reality, friendship fights are underway, and the influence of social media is impacting.
With heightened pressure from what they see in the media, in movies and on TV, our girls are leaving childhood behind well before they hit their teens. Not surprisingly, emotions can be heightened and relationships can be fraught. So many parents struggle to understand the pressures our girls are under and how to deal with their emotional volatility. Journalist and social commentator Madonna King has an extraordinary ability to connect with experts, schools and the girls themselves to deliver the answers parents need and the communication our girls want.
Ten-Ager is the perfect guide to help parents understand how their daughter is feeling, what they need to know, what to say, and when to stay silent and listen.
Library Call number 305.324 KIN
