Issue 102

Sim

All The Way Home by Bookey Peek

I ordered All The Way Home: Stories from an African Wildlife Sanctuary from Bookwise International a little while ago because I loved the sound of the book. I like animals and Africa, so I thought the non-fiction book would be a great read. Unfortunately, I didn’t find it to be as engaging as it claimed to be. The concept was good, but the story just didn’t seem to go anywhere. It strolled along and I got about halfway through it before deciding not to go any further.

So, I don’t recommend it.

Tim

The Good German by Joseph Kanon

Joseph Kanon’s The Good German is another one of those books that reached a mainstream audience after it was turned into a Hollywood movie. It is set against the backdrop of Berlin in 1945, as American journalist Jake Geismar returns to the city to cover Churchill, Stalin and Truman’s meeting to divvy up post-war Europe.

But Geismar has an ulterior motive to his trip, and is searching for the German mistress he left behind before the war began. When the body of a murdered American officer turns up with money-stuffed pockets, all the separate storylines begin to come together.

The Good German is part love story and part crime-thriller, but also deals with the implications of WWII. Kanon’s vivid and brutally blunt depiction of life in Berlin after the war is what really makes this book stand out. A fascinating read.

Bernie

Matthew Flinders' Cat by Bryce Courtenay

I was told by many people that this would be a book I would enjoy but I have to admit, it took me a while to get into and I almost gave up on it a few times, after a while though I really started to enjoy it.

The book tells the story of Billy, a homeless drunk man who is very well known around the streets and pubs of Sydney. In a past life, Billy was once a high-profile lawyer, but after a tragic family accident his guilt drives him to alcoholism and the streets.

Billy isn’t one who likes to get out of his daily routine but when a young boy named Ryan befriends him and starts to upset this routine the story sees Billy return to his past by using his knowledge of the law to help Ryan out of a difficult family situation of his own.

The pair form a relationship that causes Billy to question the possibility of returning back to the life and family he once loved.