Company Name - we read the books we sell!
      When God was a Rabbit
by Sarah Winman.
What a captivating first novel! It is the story of Ellie, a girl growing up in 1970s Essex and Cornwall who has decided to call her pet rabbit God. On the brink of adolescence, she observes the world with both a childish sense of wonder and the unflinching, no-nonsense perspective of a young person. The second act, in which she is an adult, is less intriguing simply because it is necessarily more grown up – even though Ellie herself is resistant to behaving like one – and when events like 9/11 come into focus, even though they are handled in a refreshingly unpredictable way, the terrain begins to feel much more familiar. That said, the characters' personal stories; those of Ellie's brother, his friend Charlie, and her correspondence with her long-lost childhood playmate, Jenny Penny, are compelling throughout; rendered with an appealing frankness, precision and emotional acuity. If you like Kate Atkinson (Behind the Scenes at the Museum) you'll love this.
 

 

 
 
Debbie's Favourites
 
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
This is a teffific novel, the first volume in a trilogy (the second book is due in June 2011), set in Calcutta at the time of the first Opium Wars. Ghosh assembles a motley crew of fabulous characters , whose stories are interwoven through the passage of the slaving and opium trading schooner, The Ibis. This is a masterfully written novel, rich in historic fact and teeming with detail about nineteenth century India. Short-listed for The Booker Prize 2010, I can highly recommend it to lovers of historical fiction, adventure stories, nautical yarns or just lovers of great fiction. *Sneak Peek* I've just finished reading an advance copy of the next installment River of Smoke set in Canton and loved it just as much.
Dog Boy by Eva Hornung
This book is based on the true story of a feral boy who was discovered on the streets of Moscow in 1998 who had been living with a pack of dogs for 2 years. In her novel Hornung opens up a pandora's box of questions about humanity and pulls no punches in talking about life on the streets for dogs or for humans. Sometimes it is difficult to see the difference between the two. The character of Ramochka is touchingly complex: he is cunning, tender, angry, wild, loyal and strangely beautiful and we are left wondering whether he would be better off with his pack of dogs. I found the details of how a feral dog pack works absolutely fascinating. A wonderful novel that will stay with you long after the fact and a worthy recipient of The Prime Minister's Award for Fiction 2010.
The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna
 
This brilliant novel was nominated recently for the Orange Prize. It takes an oblique look at the Sierra Leonean civil war of the 1990's by, rather than focusing on the gruesome details of killing, raping and looting, instead examining how people survive the memory of war. The main characters are linked through Adrian Lockhart, a visiting English Psychologist to a hospital in Sierra Leone - Elias Cole, a dying retired University Professor tries to recount his history leaving out all the dark parts, Saffia and Julius who are central to his story, Kai, a young doctor who would escape to America if he could leave his responsibilities behind and the beautiful but mysterious Nenebeh. When the characters in this novel love, they do so fiercely and jealously, aware that however sweet the moment is, it can be taken away at any time. As Kai says "Not love. Something else, something with a power that endures. Not love, but a memory of love."
The Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
This book was the subject of a bidding war at last year's Frankfurt Book Fair and is pure escapism. At its heart it is a love story between Diana Bishop, an academic who comes from a long line of Salem Witches, but who is in denial about her powers and Matthew Clairmont, a long lived Vampire with looks to die for, a past and a temper. It is set in a recognizable world of Oxford, France and Salem but which is populated by humans, witches, vampires and daemons. When Diana accidently discovers and unlocks an ancient text, she unleashes a powerful force that has the witch and vampire worlds at each others throats waiting to claim the manuscript. This book was such fun- like Harry Potter crossed with Twilight for adults- perfect for the days when you just want to curl up and forget the real world.
 
Nicki's Favourites
 
Dog On It by Spencer Quinn
 
It's a detective story narrated by a dog. Chet is a thoroughly convincing and utterly loveable pooch who is partnered with a former cop turned PI, Bernie, whom Chet has nothing but pure admiration and loyalty for. I found the interpretation of a dog's thoughts hilarious and always have a lot of fun with them ( there are 3 books in the series now). If you want something a bit quirky with laugh out loud moments, you'll love this book.
The Hand that first held mine by Maggie O'Farrell
We always look forward to a Maggie O'Farrell book. This one surpassed all our (very high) expectation. How she manages to reach in and squeeze your heart, I do not know, but her style of writing is both beautiful and illuminating. This is a wonderfully layered story about a Mother's love and, ultimately, who you think you really are. Simply stunning.
Good Oil by Laura Buzo
Reminiscent of Looking for Alibrandi, this bittersweet story of first love and second thoughts will capture your heart and make you laugh. From the moment 15 year old Amelia begins work as a checkout chick, she falls head over heels in love with funny, charming man-about-Woolies Chris. However, Chris is 21 and the 6 year age difference may as well be 100. They talk about everything from Dickens to Alien, but will he ever look at her in the way she wants him to?
Good Oil won the Notable Book Award at the 2011 CBCA awards for older readers.
I loved it. It's well written and Buzo's use of duel narration adds depth to the storyline.I felt a bit smarter for having read it- it really gets you thinking. Not your average love story.
 
Testimony by Anita Shreve
 
This is the story of a sex scandal at a private school in Vermont. It is about how ordinary people react when thrust into extraordinary situations. Like all Shreve novels, however, everything is not quite what it seems and her clever drip, drip, dripping of information from different viewpoints works in spades.
This is my favourite Shreve so far. Every part of this novel works on your emotion and has you questioning your moral compass. If you are like me, you'll race through it, desperate to find out what happens in the end.