My 2018 Aussie Top Ten Reads

                  

I am jumping on the bandwagon and posting my best books of the year.  As choosing only ten books though is just way too difficult, I’ve decided to post my top ten books by Aussie authors first.

Suspect by Michael Robotham:  How did I only discover Robotham this year?  This is the first book in the Joseph O’Loughlin series and I adored it. Although this thriller/mystery has so much going on in it, it’s still an easy read, fast paced and a definite page turner. I couldn’t wait to get to the end to find out how Joe would get out of his dilemma. Just a warning, sitting up late at night to finish the book will happen. There was an unexpected twist in the end that left me breathless for a long moment.  5 out of 5

Lost by Michael Robotham:  It’s a gutsy move to relegate the character you’re planning to make the star of a series to a supporting role in only the second book, but I also thought it was a master stroke. In this thriller/mystery, we follow the story of DI Ruiz who’d pursued O’Loughlin in Suspect. The action moves along with breakneck speed and again Robotham made me gasp out loud a couple of times with shock at the many plot twists and unexpected scenes which occur.  5 out of 5

Life Or Death by Michael Robotham:  A stand alone Robotham thriller/mystery.  Set in the US, it starts with the book’s hero, Audie Palmer, escaping from gaol only one day before he is due to be released on parole. Robotham’s skill for writing action sequences is highlighted, especially during the first part of the book which is full of above average fight and flight scenes. The book is much more though. Robotham’s observations of family and society and the dark side of human nature are remarkable and he manages to present many literary elements.  5 out of 5

The Right Place by Carla Caruso:  Nella and Adrian’s story was probably one of the best contemporary romances I’ve read for a while. The book also comes under the genre of historical fiction by featuring Nella’s grandmother’s, Esta, story of migrating to Australia from Italy in the 50s.  There’s beautiful Italian recipes included (and not just a couple — as many as some high priced recipe books I have purchased in the past) which makes  The Right Place double the worth. 4 1/2 out of 5

The Art of Preserving Love by Ada Langton: This rich and unique tale is about preserving love; ensuring it doesn’t fade, no matter the circumstances.  Love in all its forms, not just romantic.  There is romance, of course, but it isn’t written in the traditional form. The romance more or less just weaves its way through what I’d probably class as a historical women’s fiction book.  4 1/2 out of 5

The Way Back by Kylie Ladd: I thought The Way Back would be a mystery cum physiological thriller, perhaps police procedural.Instead it is the dramatic story of a typical Australian family coping with an unbearably heartbreaking situation. I think my favourite thing about this book is that it felt so real. No character or plotline seemed over the top.  I shed a tear more than once.  4 1/2 out of 5

Beautiful Messy Love by Tess Woods:  A contemporary romance done right.  Woods uses modern references and topical political subjects to actually add to the plot and characterisation. Social media, terrorism, fear of Muslims, asylum seekers, Australia’s off-shore detention centres – they’re all integrated into the plot seamlessly. If you’re looking for a book that represents how Aussies really think, talk and act, this is the book for you. The dialogue and slang are spot on.  4 1/2 out of 5

The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale:  An addictive psychological thriller in the vein of Girl on the Train. Instead of the big shock twist, Drysdale just keeps the tension on one blood pumping level. She has a knack of making even the most mundane moments feel frightening. From a parrot squawking to a yellow ribbon, you just know, as you read, that these small things will be dangerous.  4 out of 5

The Secrets at Ocean’s Edge by Kali Napier:  Set in 1932, WW1 is still affecting many of this book’s characters either physically, mentally or financially. The secrets of the title are many and varied. Napier covers tough issues: sexual abuse/rape, child abuse, adultery, arson, extortion. The book can be quite harrowing at times but is an impressive debut and will believe it will become an important piece of Australian literature in the future. 4 out of 5

The Memories That Make Us by Vanessa Carnevale:  Our heroine, Gracie, suffers from complete amnesia after being involved in a car accident. She can’t remember her best friend, her mother, or her fiance, Blake, who she was supposed to marry in three weeks. Yes, the old faithful amnesia trope. But with this book and her heroine, Carnevale has really done an excellent job at looking at the fear of memory loss instead of simply using it as a cliched romantic plot device.  4 out of 5

The Memories That Make Us

Book Review:  The Memories That Make Us by Vanessa Carnevale

Our heroine, Gracie, suffers from complete amnesia after being involved in a car accident. She can’t remember her best friend, her mother, or her fiance, Blake, who she was supposed to marry in three weeks.

Yes, the old faithful amnesia trope. But with this book and her heroine, Carnevale has really done an excellent job at looking at the fear of memory loss instead of simply using it as a cliched romantic plot device.

As a reader, I was right there with Gracie when she struggled to tie her shoelaces, scramble an egg, and catch a bus. I cried along with her when she realised she couldn’t remember anything about her late mother. And understood when she couldn’t possibly get married to Blake, who had abruptly become a complete stranger.

Soon finding life impossible in Melbourne, Gracie returns to her childhood home, Summerhill. There, she meets her handsome neighbour, Flynn. This of course leads to complications. She can’t allow herself to fall for Flynn, not only because she’s still technically engaged to Blake, but because she might wake up one day and suddenly remember she is in love with Blake, breaking Flynn’s heart.

She is also loath to break Blake’s heart. After all, he’s quite chivalrous and understanding throughout, writing Gracie sweet letters, and pleading with her to give him a chance.

Although this love triangle was sorted out just as I guessed it would be very early on and there was no surprise moment for me, I still enjoyed it. (I lie, there was one small surprise. I won’t spoil. I will just say it had to do with Gracie’s friend’s, Scarlett, hubby.)

I loved how Carnevale covered Gracie’s struggles with her memory loss. Confession: I have this recurring nightmare where I am shifting to a new address but I can’t remember where my old one is. Therefore, when Gracie gets lost I was almost having a breakdown along with her.

I also liked the comparison of Gracie’s situation with that of Maggie’s, a character suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The scenes featuring Maggie and Maggie’s husband were particularly poignant.

In truth, I would have rathered more of the memory scenes and less of the flowers. In Summerhill Gracie’s passion for flowers is reignited and she decides to restart her mother’s flower farm business. I’m sorry, I’m not a gardener or flower fanatic and I did find the endless descriptions of them waned at times. I also didn’t see the point in Gracie’s flower ‘gift’ nor the character of Tilly at all. Skimming was involved and I think the book plodded a little around the 80% mark due to this.

If you love flowers and gardening, however, you will enjoy that aspect more than me.

I still give the book a firm 4 out of 5 and recommend it to anyone looking for a thoughtful contemporary romance without any offensive smut.