This is just a short note to say hello to all our new readers and thanks to all our devoted fans that just keep coming back for more. We have some great books this month which all seem to have the same theme of people and adversities. Enjoy. Please note that “man’s best friend” (the computer—hah!!) decided to be a bit temperamental this month so we are a bit late in coming out. Reader reviews can be emailed to thereadingstack –at- people.net.au (replace –at– with @ when emailing)

Welcome Issue 8, May 2008

Crime

Mystery

Romance

Science

Fiction

Adult Other Adult Non-

Fiction

Picture

Young

Reader

Junior

Young

Adult

Children’s

Non-Fiction

What’s

Inside

History

Fantasy

Interview

Biographical

Australian

Author

Editor’s Choice

This is the story every primary

school student should know.

While Mahtab is not a real

person, her history is

woven from many first

hand accounts told to

author Libby Gleeson,

during her visits to schools

in western Sydney.

Twelve-year-old Mahtab

lives with her mother,

father, brother Farhad and

sister Soraya in Herat, in

Afghanistan. When friends

and neighbours begin to

disappear, Mahtab’s father

becomes uneasy. No-one

wants to leave their home

but after Mahtab’s father is beaten

and her grandfather ‘doesn’t

return’, the decision is made. As a

young university student, Mahtab’s

father met an Australian man who

told him wonderful stories of a

free and beautiful country.

Mahtab’s father decides to take his

family to where they can be safe -

Australia.

They escape in secret across the

mountains to Pakistan, through

nights filled with

fear and the

uneasy security

of bribes made

in the darkness.

In Pakistan,

Mahtab’s father

leaves to go on ahead to

Australia. He will

get a job and

make a home for

them all. The

family wait but

hear no news.

Pakistan

becomes less

safe and Mahtab’s mother makes the

decision to follow her husband.

After flying to Indonesia, they buy a

passage on an open boat to Darwin.

After a journey filled with fear,

sickness and hunger, they are

eventually escorted into Darwin.

The welcome they find is totally

unexpected. Instead of freedom,

they are sent to a detention centre.

Mahtab walks the wire fence

wondering where her father is

and worrying her family will be

returned to Afghanistan

Mahtab’s story deals with many

topical issues - political and

religious persecution, immigrants

and refugees, detention centres

and assimilation. What makes it a truly wonderful book is the

sensitive and insightful way it

makes these complex issues

accessible to younger readers.

Children from from 10 – 13

years, will identify with Mahtab

and begin to understand her

culture and her plight.

This book will no doubt provoke

animated discussion in the

classroom as readers are given

the opportunity to experience

something most of them will

only have seen on the news. This

book gives the issue a far more

human edge than any news

report ever could.

www.libbygleeson.com.au

by Libby Gleeson - Allen & Unwin. Paperback rrp $15.95 Mahtab’s Story

T H E R E A D I N G S T A C K

V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 8 P A G E 2

Oskar is a 12 year old boy living in

Stockholm in 1981. Nicknamed Piggy,

he is bullied continually by Jonny and

his gang. He has to squeal and grunt

like a pig to avoid harsh beatings. But

even that doesn’t always work. Oskar

wants revenge and fantasises about

stabbing his perpetrators. If only he

had the courage!

Oskar is alone.

His drunkard

father lives far

away. His

mother works

all day. The local

school children

are friendly but

none help him

when he is being

bullied. Then Eli

moves in next

door. She, like Oskar, doesn’t fit in. So

begins a unique romance story about a

boy and a vampire.

Let The Right One In is a scary, gripping

read. But to my surprise, I found myself

sympathising with the young vampire.

‘Are you really that old?’

‘Yes. No. I was born about two hundred and twenty years ago, but half the time I’ve

slept… And then when I wake up I’m …

little again. And weak. That’s when I need

help. That’s maybe why I’ve been able to

survive. Because I’m small. And people want

to help me…’ Eli and Oskar talking.

While this is Oscar and Eli’s story, the

supporting characters are skilfully and

purposefully sketched. From Oskar’s

bullies to Eli’s “father”, they help Oskar

to grow, become independent and be

strong; learn to assess situations; to

realise everyone has a role to play.

Eli helps Oskar open his eyes to his

true potential, making him feel more

needed than he has ever felt before.

Lindqvist has described in great

detail what happens to vampires and

their victims. Yes, there is more than

one vampire throughout the book. I have seen many vampire cult movies

but Let The Right One In has raised

the bar even higher. Lindqvist’s

words are more real than any

celluloid image! By the end of the

book, I found myself unconsciously

rubbing my neck. And even though I

don’t believe in the supernatural,

surely it can’t hurt to have some

matches nearby. Just in case!

by John Ajvide Lindqvist - The Text Publishing Company. Paperback rrp $24.95

Let the Right One In

Katrina Shonsky should not have been

driving home. She’d had too many drinks

and her designated driver left with

another man. That didn’t stop Katrina.

Unfortunately, her car ran out of petrol

on a quiet backstreet in the hills above

Los Angeles. She is thankful when an

older lady driving a brand new Bentley

stops and offers her a lift. As she slips into a comfortable drink induced sleep

in the front seat, she can’t wait to tell all

her friends.

Katrina never gets that chance.

The following day Detective Milo Sturgis

and his psychologist friend Alex

Delaware are called out to investigate

the theft of a new Bentley. Stolen but

left only a few blocks away from the

owner’s house in the exclusive area of

Brentwood. Undamaged … except for

the small bloodstain on the front seat.

A retired schoolteacher is viciously

stabbed to death whilst she is collecting

her newspaper from the front footpath

in broad daylight. Her neighbour

witnesses the murder and even tries to

approach the attacker who drives away in a brand new black

Mercedes Benz.

Milo and Alex delve into the

schoolteacher’s murder and uncover

another two cold cases from many years

before - one a husband and wife’s

disappearance in New York and the

other, a vicious killing of two

hairdressers in a tiny village that isn’t

even marked on the map. Are all these

incidents related?

Whenever Milo and Alex think they

are getting close to the killer, they find

he has changed his persona and moved on. They can’t even get a positive

identification. For all they know they

might even have met him!

This is a great read. The guessing game

continues throughout the book and

there were times where I went back

and re-read parts as the clues started

to fall into place. Compulsion is

certainly a “compulsive” read.

www.jonathankellerman.com

by Jonathan Kellerman - Penguin. Paperback rrp $32.95

Compulsion

V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 8 P A G E 3

T H E R E A D I N G S T A C K

by Melissa Hawach - Harper Collins Publishers. Paperback rrp $35.00

her two girls, Hannah and Cedar - but at a

huge cost – more than dollars can

measure. The children, Hannah in

particular, have asked many unsettling

questions since their ordeal … ‘Why didn’t

Daddy take care of my teeth?’ ‘Why did

Daddy lie to me and say you had left us?’

Melissa hopes that over time these things

will be forgotten and the girls will grow.

In the book, Melissa takes the opportunity

to thank those who helped her and to

redress the media hype. Two of the men

who aided Melissa’s recovery of her

children were portrayed by the media as

hired mercenaries. The description wasn’t

true. They were her knights in shining

armour and if it wasn’t for them Melissa

would probably still be waiting to get her

girls back. These men (one an Australian

and the other a New Zealander) took

great risks to help. They were jailed in

Lebanon for a number of months for

assisting Melissa into “kidnapping” her

daughters. These charges were finally

dismissed and they were free to return to

their native homes and their families.

The dragonfly

is a symbol of

hope. While

Melissa was

searching for

her girls, she

and family

members

made thousands of dragonfly pendants marked with the letters H & C (Hannah

and Cedar), one letter under each

dragonfly wing. They gave them away or

sold them to help raise funds for the rescue

attempt.

This is a wonderful story. I had to rewrite

this review several times as I found myself

becoming so personally attached it was

hard to write a book review. It is appalling

to think of the children who are never

returned and I struggled not to rant and

rave at the governments and nations who

refuse to help.

Melissa deserves our support and praise.

Her story deserves to be read.

Flight of the Dragonfly is the heart

wrenching story of a mother’s fight to

get her daughters back from their

father. It is a story for EVERY parent to

read – about how much psychological

and emotional damage two adults can

inflict on each another and how much a

parent will risk to be with their

children.

The story begins when Australian Joe

Hawach illegally takes his two children

from their home in Canada to war-torn

Lebanon. Why would a father take two

children he loves to somewhere they

could easily be killed? Is it to punish his

ex-wife Melissa? His family support his

actions and his mother even travels

with him when he abducts the children.

Flight of the Dragonfly is truthful,

heartfelt and frank. It will make you

laugh and cry and sometimes it will even

make you want to lash out at inert and

ineffective bureaucracies. The final

outcome of the story is well known to

most people. Melissa finally retrieves

Flight of the Dragonfly

teacher who was with Sophie that first

day to the ambulance driver, doctors

and nurses. Her

parents and family and

friends too. All have a

tale to tell and it is

amazing how many

people were touched

by Sophie’s experience

and generous nature.

The journey reveals

different perspectives

from different people.

Some thought Sophie

should not suffer and

go to sleep forever

while others thought

she was a strong

individual who could

get through anything!

The family struggled to

Most people will remember the name

and if not, the little girl who survived

after 85% of her body

was burnt in a horrific

child care centre motor

accident, only to be hit

by another car two

years later. Sophie

Delezio.

If we all know the story,

why read this book?

Because Sophie’s Journey

is much more than we

could ever imagine.

Freelance writer and

editor Sally Collings has

interviewed many of the

individuals who met

Sophie on her journey

to recovery. This is

their story as well. From the preschool

by Sally Collings - Harper Collins Publishers. Paperback rrp $24.99 decide whether to keep her on life

support. Committed Christians,

Sophie’s parents’ faith supported them

through their decision making and the

consequences.

Over 80 people contributed to this

journey and the telling is a wonderful

story. I found it hard to read more than

a few pages at a time as it was so heart wrenching. But every day I returned to

read a little more. It is a truly

inspirational story and I feel that I am a

stronger person, more able to cope …

but who really knows how anyone

copes when something as horrific as

this happens to someone close. Sophie’s

Journey is a record of how some people

coped and how others didn’t. And how

Sophie herself reached out to them all.

www.dayofdifference.org.au

Sophie’s Journey

T H E R E A D I N G S T A C K

V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 8 P A G E 4

Ever been to a hospital emergency

waiting room? Ever thought that you

were there first so you should be seen

to first? Ever wondered why you know

you are dying and no-one at the

hospital is racing to get you off to the

operating theatre? Bloodletting and

Miraculous Cures explains the other side

of these questions.

With clever tongue–in-cheek black

humour, Lam has created a very

realistic portrayal of today’s medical

profession in any first world hospital.

Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures

introduces a group of prospective

medical school students and their

accomplishments. It then follows the

lives of four students, through to their

forties.

As students, they debate the dilemma of

how to dissect a decorated arm – do

they cut as the textbook dictates or do

they “go around” a beautiful tattoo? As

they mature and become great doctors,

their dilemma’s increase in difficulty –

both anatomical and moral. Consider the

case of the comatose man dying en route

to Canada. A death certificate is required

to bring a dead body into the

country. Do they

pretend he is still

alive?

Dr Lam has

captured the

universal spirit of

the medical

profession and its

patients. I felt a

sense of almost guilty deja vu when I read

about how the doctors know the longer a

certain type of person waits in emergency

they can develop more “symptoms”

either for attention or watching others

and sitting thinking about themselves – I

have experienced that myself.

I loved this book – it is quirky and has an

unusual way of looking at patients and doctors and

how they both perceive life.

I would recommend it to

everyone - doctors and

patients alike. From now on,

I promise to be more

sensitive to the needs of the

doctor in emergency at 2 in

the morning.

www.vincentlam.ca

by Vincent Lam - Harper Collins Publishers. Paperback rrp $27.99

Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures

The first few chapters are all about wine

– and Wilberforce’s appreciation,

alcoholism and addiction. This worried

me. I am not interested in descriptions of

wines, their decanting, or their collection.

But I continued reading. Paul Torday is

also the author of Salmon Fishing in

Yemen, one of my all time favourite

books. I decided to wait and let the story

breathe, like one would do with a bottle of good Bordeaux (I was learning

something whether I wanted to or not!).

As the story unfolded, I was hooked.

Wilberforce is a familiar stereotype – the

young software engineer who made a

fortune in IT working long hours and

forgoing any social life. Then one day,

inexplicably, he deviates from his pattern.

He turns off the road on the way home,

follows a lane to a sign - ‘Francis Black:

Fine Bordeaux Wines’. A new life opens

for Wilberforce. Through Francis he

meets ‘fun’ friends whereas he only ever

had ‘work’ friends before. He learns to

love a good wine and he falls in love with

Catherine.

Wilberforce and

Catherine are

married but cracks

soon appear.

Catherine tells

Wilberforce he must choose her or the

wine. He chooses

Catherine but after

she is killed in a

tragic accident, he

finds he can choose

both.

His health begins to

deteriorate and he is

diagnosed with a rare

fatal condition, associated with his

drinking. The inability to tell truth from

reality is a symptom and Wilberforce’s

life begins to blur. Nothing is quite

what is seems. His ‘inheritance’ of

Francis Black’s estate and

its wine collection is a

fabrication. He bought the

property and its cellar for a

million pounds. Now even

the collection’s value is in

doubt.

But Wilberforce solves

each problem the same

way – he opens another

bottle of wine.

I was looking for a novel

similar to Salmon Fishing in

Yemen. I found something

completely different. But

The Irresistible Inheritance of

Wilberforce is almost as

good and on my comparative scale,

that’s high praise.

by Paul Torday - Hachette (Orion). Paperback rrp $32.99

The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce

V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 8 P A G E 5

T H E R E A D I N G S T A C K

trust me! is a book of short stories and

poems for teenagers written by over 45

Australian writers. Each writer was

specifically given the task

of writing a story in a

genre they loved and

admired.

I thought that the best

person to review this was my teenage son, a boy

who prefers to avoid

books or anything with

more than a few

sentences. He reads for

school but that’s

homework, not for

enjoyment. I begged him

to give this book a try –

“Just read one or two stories

and tell me what you think.”

I implored. “It’s a bit thick.”

was his reply. “Just a few

short stories.” I kept nagging,

“Oh. Ok.” He finally gave

in. It’s so hard to get a teenage boy to

read!

After a few days I snuck into his

bedroom to see if he had even opened

the book. Boy was I surprised – not

only had he

started to read it

but the

bookmark was

already three-

quarters of the

way through! And yes he was

reading every

story in

chronological

order.

So I approached

him to write a

short review on

what he thought

of the book so

far. That was

harder than

getting him to

read - trust me!

(the perfect pun!). But then I thought –

he has just paid the highest compliment

a teenager can bestow upon a book –

he has read the first few pages and

continued to read on! When asked if he

liked the stories, his reply was “yeah!

Some were really good and others OK!”

High praise indeed. As a mother, reading

between the lines, I can tell you it also

means there were no stories he didn’t

like.

The collection – is organised into Adventure, Crime, Contemporary,

Fantasy, Science Fiction, Romance,

Thriller, Horror, Twilight Zone,

Historical, Humour, Poetry and

Graphics. Every genre is covered and the

book is a good introduction to them all.

For my son to read poetry without being

forced says more than any words I could

write here.

I would recommend this as a present for

those “too hard to buy for” teenagers.

To quote from the introduction by best-

selling author Isobelle Carmody: ‘This fat

and juicy collection is like one of those

dessert plates where you get to try a little bit

of everything … it can be dipped into and

explored in any order…’

Edited by Paul Collins - Ford Street Publishing. Paperback rrp $22.95

trust me

I was immediately attracted to the storyline.

This is a uniquely skewed look at the world

of the Wizard of Oz. In Wicked, Gregory

Maguire tells the story of Elphaba, the

Wicked Witch of the West. It’s a story that

dares to challenge the original. A brave

approach - but if it succeeds then you have a

masterpiece. And Wicked does succeed.

With 3 million copies in print, I’m not the

first one to say so.

Life is not easy for Elphaba, born green,

struggling for her father’s affection and

developing a political conscience which

brings her into conflict with her friends and

teachers at the University of Shiz, the

Government of Oz and The Wizard himself.

There are disconcertingly familiar political

and social struggles – such as the Animals

that talk and want to be treated as equals,

the Munchkinlanders who strive to

lift themselves from their lowly

position on the social scale just

above the Quadlings. The

government keeps them all in their

place. The Wizard has his own

agenda.

This is a novel that questions good

and evil and how they come into being. Could the Wicked Witches

of the East and West be just

inaptly named? What if they were

good hearted and their real names

were Nessarose and Elphaba? Is Glinda

really the Good Witch? Could Elphaba

be the heroine and Dorothy the evil

assassin? After reading Wicked, it’s

possible to see new answers to these

questions.

Wicked is

not a light

read but I

recommend

it to those

who like

good

fantasy or satire, and

have a

quirky

sense of

humour. If you love the classic Wizard

of Oz you might love this – or hate it.

But either way, you will enjoy reading it.

www.gregorymaguire.com

by Gregory Maguire - Harper Collins. Paperback rrp $22.99

Wicked

T H E R E A D I N G S T A C K

V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 8 P A G E 6

computer science and genetics. She

also gave credit to a friend who

teaches cryptography (enciphering and

‘hiding’ information from plain view)

and computer security

at University. ‘I suck

information from people.

You don’t need to be an

expert. I have a

journalist’s instinct,’ Catherine told me.

Evil Genius begins the

story of Cadel Piggott,

genius and (suspected)

son of the evil

mastermind Prosper

English. Cadel is

anarchistic, destructive

and not nice at all. But

try as they

might (I

tried) the

reader can’t

dislike Cadel. He would

never agree, but, he is an

innocent child victim.

Catherine Jink’s skill in

creating this character is

even more evident when

in Genius Squad we find

Cadel trying to ‘be good’

and use his skills to help

bring down a corrupt

corporation. The cards

have been cleverly

switched and finally the

reader is ‘allowed’ to like

Cadel.

Catherine also spoke about her new

adult novel Dark Mountain (to be

released by Allen & Unwin in June

2008). Set on an estate near Sutton

Forest in the NSW Southern

Highlands and based on historical fact,

After talking to Catherine Jinks,

author of the sinister, technology

based Evil Genius and its sequel

Genius Squad, it’s soon obvious she’s

not a computer geek and there’s

certainly nothing evil about her. My

office phone died mid interview and

when I finally located my mobile 15

mins later she generously extended

the interview despite her busy schedule.

So where did the idea for Evil Genius

come from? Being open to ideas,

having a wonderful imagination, a

journalist’s skill for research – it all

came together with a little family

help. Her nephew’s hideous looking

Professor Gangrene doll (arch

enemy of Action Man) prompted

Catherine’s

husband to

ask: ‘Where

did he get his

degree from?’

Her brother

replied: ‘From

the University

of Evil’.

Catherine

began to

wonder

about the

Professor’s

branch of

study – was it

Pure Evil or

perhaps a

doctorate in

Applied Evil.

The idea for the Axis Institute was

forming.

Catherine spoke of her interest in

cutting edge technology such as

Allen & Unwin. Paperback rrp $18.95 each

Interview—Catherine Jinks

Evil Genius & Genius Squad

it was an enormous research project

which came together as a story that

includes Australia’s first notorious

serial killer and our first female

novelist, as well

as madness,

mystery and

bushrangers.

Watch future

issues of The Reading Stack for

a review.

A prolific and

versatile author,

Catherine’s work

includes picture

books, junior

fiction and adult

fiction. Her

novels span

across many

different genres

such as murder

mysteries, historical fiction, horror

and science fiction. I asked her if she

had a favourite type of writing -

perhaps children’s and young adult

fiction? After all she has won the

Children Book Council of Australia

Children's Book of the Year Award

three times. ‘It’s not up to me,’ she

explained, ‘The idea dictates the story.’

And perhaps this is why there is such

a wonderful range of stories, the

author is full of ideas.

And finally, I couldn’t help it, I asked

that question many authors of series

dread and all fans are desperate to

know, ‘Will there be another Cadel

Piggot story?’ I breathed a sigh of relief.

Genius Wars is on its way.

www.catherinejinks.com

V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 8 P A G E 7

T H E R E A D I N G S T A C K

by Richard Plunkett - black dog books. Paperback rrp $16.99 Stuck on History. The Story of Australia in

Stamps by Chris Miles. black dog books.

Paperback $16.99. Children’s Non-Fiction

Australian

Do you find reading

history is really

boring? I do! But Stuck

on History is a

completely different approach - Australian

history through

stamps. The format is

characterised by short

paragraphs with catchy

titles such as ‘Off with

the King’s head’ to

describe how in 1912

George V was replaced with a kangaroo

and map on our stamp. A reproduction

of the corresponding stamp is shown

against each historical snippet.

A time line along the

bottom of each page

provides additional

interesting facts from

Australia’s history. In June 1893 Gold is discovered near

where the town of Kalgoorlie

would come to be built.

Australian stamps tell our

history from an enormous

range of perspectives –

from the boats that came

over with the First Fleet to Prime

Ministers, from the wars our country

fought in to the special days we

celebrate. Something to interest

everyone, not just avid stamp collectors

like me.

Readers will discover that not only are

our stamps both beautiful and colourful

but they are rich with history. Stuck on History is a delightful book to read and a

great reference for children and adults

alike.

Now I am going to dust off my old

stamp albums and compare notes …

www.chrismiles.com.au

Stuck on History. The Story of Australia in Stamps

by James Patterson – Random House. Paperback rrp $27.95

If I could have just one word to

describe this book I would say –

“Action”. And then, I would beg for a

few more words –

“Adventure”, “Suspense”

and “Mystery” - with a

dash of “Science Fiction”.

The Final Warning is a real

page turner in the most

literal sense. I was turning pages as fast as I

could read them.

That’s when I flipped to

the cover to see who

wrote this book. James

Patterson! One of the

best known and best

selling adult authors in

the world! Maximum Ride

is his first series for

children and in the

tradition of Harry Potter, has already

been issued with ‘adult’ and ‘child’

friendly covers. This is a series with

appeal for a wide age range.

The Final Warning is fourth title in the

Maximum Ride series but it is a stand

alone read. It’s the

story of six kids –

Max, Fang, Izzy,

Nudge, Gazzy and

Angel. They’re very

different. Created by

the Uber Director as a science experiment,

they are part bird and

can all fly. Max is the

flock leader – 98%

human girl and 2%

avian.

The kids are always

on the run from

those who seek to

use the flock’s special

talents for illicit gain

and evil schemes. This time the Uber

Director has decided to auction them to

the highest bidder, as soon as they are

captured by his army of mutants. But

even he doesn’t realise their powers

are growing and expanding.

At the same time, the flock are

offered an important mission - to

travel to the South Pole to work

against global warming. It’s safe there

at the bottom of the world.

Max is not convinced – of their safety, of the threat of global

warming or the way Fang looks at

the prettiest scientist. And Max’s

intuition for the flock’s safety is

never wrong.

This is a fast paced high action book

with a gutsy girl heroine and a freaky

science twist. Lost of kids will love it.

And lots of adults will enjoy a James

Patterson easy read – shorter on

pages but not shorter on storytelling

style.

www.jamespatterson.com

Maximum Ride - The Final Warning

T H E R E A D I N G S T A C K

V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 8 P A G E 8

This is the ninth book in the

internationally successful Pearlie series by

media personality and author Wendy

Harmer. Pearlie and her Pink Shell is

beautifully presented – shiny pink and

glowing with all the colours of the

rainbow. A guaranteed fashion accessory

for any young girl whether she is a keen

reader or not. If she’s not inclined to

read, this book might be just the inspiration required.

Pearlie is a fairy who lives in a pink shell

on the park fountain. When the fountain

undergoes renovations, Pearlie must find

a temporary place to live. That’s not as

easy as it sounds and meanwhile, her

beloved pink shell has been painted grey.

Pearlie and her Pink Shell is

recommended reading for girls 7 – 9

years. An animated series is currently

in production with Channel 10.

www.wendyharmer.com

by Wendy Harmer. Illustrated by Gypsy Taylor - Random House. Paperback rrp $14.95

Pearlie and Her Pink Shell

Jasper the Elf decides to redecorate

to surprise his friend. Naughty fairy

Sapphire, Pearlie’s cousin, convinces

Jasper to give her a chance to do a

good deed for a change. But she

can’t be trusted and together with

two ratty felons, Scrag and Mr Flea,

she plots to make sure Pearlie loses

her home and her magic.

Pearlie returns home to find not

only her shell painted horrible

purple with green stripes but her

precious wand in the hands of the

rats. With the help of her friends

Jasper and Opal, Pearlie retrieves

her wand and repaints her shell. A

happy ending of course - this is a

fairy story after all.

Skulduggery Pleasant

Two days ago I met Skulduggery Pleasant

and I’ve been singing his praises ever since.

Tall, debonair, stylish and the top detective

of an elite agency, he’s got a sense of

humour to die for. I should also mention

he’s a skeleton, a fire wielding magician and

very dead.

Skulduggery Pleasant Playing with Fire is the

second book in the Skulduggery series which pits our hero against a vampire, a

necromancer and assorted other villains of

the black night. It’s wonderful comic horror.

It won’t frighten you but it will make you

shiver. This is the most quirky and unusual

book I have read for years and I’m not

surprised at all that Skulduggery Pleasant (the

first book), was the most successful

children’s debut of 2007.

The character names are wonderful – dark

and gothic with overtones of the legendary

heroes of Marvel comics. We meet the good

guys – China Sorrows, Professor Kenspeckle

Grouse, Tanith Low; and the bad guys –

Baron Vengeous, Lord Vile, Hieronymous

Deadfall. And of course there is always one

or two in the middle like The Torment

and Springheeled Jack.

Skulduggery’s sidekick is a 14 year old

girl, Valkyrie Cain, a descendant of the

Ancient Ones. Her uncle Gordon was a

best selling horror novelist (until he was

murdered) – and a friend of Skuldggery

Pleasant.

Baron Vengeous is trying to bring back

The Faceless Ones, powerful evil beings

who have been exiled to another

dimension. Together with their followers

they will rule the world and destroy

mankind. The loyal Baron has created

The Grotesquery, a creature who will

provide a portal for The Faceless Ones

to enter the real world. Baron Vengeous

needs two things to make his plan work

– a special suit of armour and the blood

of the Ancients. And if he can’t get the

latter, he’ll get the next best thing …

Valkyrie.

The Baron isn’t the only one after

Valkyrie’s blood. In a tussle she scars

Vengeous’ offsider, Dusk. Dusk is a

powerful vampire who only knows one

form of revenge. Luckily there is a wise-

cracking action hero skeleton around to

save the day. Sort of.

Recommended for ages 9 to 13, this is

also the perfect book for the older

teenager who is not necessarily a good

reader. The story line and genre will still

appeal and the cover is definitely cool.

And as for adults… I loved it.

www.skulduggerypleasant.co.uk

by Derek Landy - Harper Collins. Paperback rrp $19.99

Web Site: www.jodipicoult.com.au &

www.jodipicoult.com

Visit our webpage at www.thereadingstack.com

Jodi Picoult is the author of fifteen best selling novels and the recipient of

many awards including a lifetime achievement award for mainstream fiction

from the Romance Writers of America. Her latest novel, Change of Heart,

was released in 2008. And she has a website especially for Australian fans!

Visit www.jodipicoult.com.au to sign up for her dedicated Aussie newsletter

(picoult psst)

and keep an eye

out for local events. Jodi was

in Australia in

May so if you

missed her then

– stay tuned.

Visit her US

website to learn

even more

about the author and her books. You can post to her message board or

listen to podcasts including What Led to ‘Change of Heart’.

Click on the Jackets tab to see the international book covers for different

countries. Or check out the local angle and click on the About tab to read

Jodi‘s answers to questions asked by fans from Australia.

Legend Crime

Mystery

Romance

History

Science Fiction

Fantasy

Biographical

Adult Other

Adult’s Non-Fiction

Picture

Young Reader

Junior

Young Adult

Children’s Non-Fiction

Interview

Australian Author

Contact us You can contact us thereadingstack -at- people.net,au (replace –at– with @ when emailing.) We are al-

ways happy to receive feedback and welcome guest reviews from our readers.

Visit our website to:

Download back issues www.thereadingstack.com/backissues.htm

Find ALL our reviews for Aussie authors

www.thereadingstack.com/aussieauthors.htm