I almost don't like writing reviews of books. For two reasons...the old saying no two people ever read the same book is true and secondly, I would hate to read a bad review of my own work, I'm reluctant to write such about someone else's.
The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison is a well received novel. It is billed as a psychological thriller.
This book has also been compared to Gone Girl but I admired the writing much more in this one. I like unflinching examinations of relationships; I enjoy reading about disecting long term partnerships. I like descriptions of food and clothing. This book did all that for me. An easy read, I finished it in a couple of days. Although I thought the ending was rushed and did not reflect the strength of the opening chapters which could be its undoing, I'm going to say this book is definitely worth a look. I was very sorry to read that the author died of cancer in 2013 so there won't be any more books to follow up and see if her writing further developed.
Another book from a list of must-reads from the librarians.
The World Beneath by Cate Kennedy won the People's Choice Award for NSW. I almost gave up on this book. The opening chapters present characters that were rather stereotyped and a situation that was also a little trite. Divorced, aging, hippie style parents and one rebellious teenaged daughter. However, the story gained strength as it moved along and by the end I realized I'd enjoyed it very much. The trek into the Tasmanian rainforest and mountains turns into a survival story and was excellent. That section of the book could stand alone as a wonderful novella. The scenes of the overly optimistic mom at the Finding Your Inner Goddess Retreat were funny but also sad to me. By the end of the book I had warmed to all three characters. They were not so easy to dismiss as I had thought. Another quick read.
Speaking of reading, someone is reading my posts...and I know that because of one of my Christmas gifts from Sister...
This book has the the most exquisite photographs of animal/bird made structures. For a nature lover like myself, this book is a real treasure.
I am always astounded at what a bird can achieve with just a beak. And how hard they toil, endlessly.
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