Vote Now

Hi Riverbenders
Voting has well and truly been the flavour of the weekend but with the federal election now a point of ongoing discussion and a new Australian Idol declared, let's turn our thoughts to voting for book of the year. At Riverbend we run a competition annually to gauge our readers' favourite adult and children's books. Nominating one book among many as a favourite is a real challenge. Is it possible to have only one favourite or is it in the nature of book lovers to have many? In recommeding books to our customers we often find ourselves here talking about favourites. My favourite is often the book I have just finished reading, a new favourite, but I also have lists of old favourites. When I arrived at work one day late last week I happened to see a new favourite on the shelves. How did I know it would be a favourite? It's a sequel to an old favourite! (Other Knuffle Bunny fans, don't miss Knuffle Bunny Too.)
In the last few weeks at Riverbend we have been asked to nominate our favourite books for Christmas reading, we are currently asking customers to nominate favourites and we have a number of catalogues on the counter listing favourite titles for Christmas purchasing. So today I've decided to devote myself to some of my favourites from 2007 and the Riverbend crew's Christmas favourites.

Someday by Alison McGhee has remained one of my favourites throughout the year. A gift for every child and every parent for any occasion or no occasion, this is a simple but powerful ode to the potential of love and the potential in life. A mother talks to her daughter about her hopes and dreams for a much loved child and the bonds which last always.

The Trouble with Dogs by Bob Graham continues to delight, many months after I decided it was a favourite.
A sequel to the much loved Let's Get a Pup we meet Dave and Rosie again as they settle in to life with Kate and her family. Dave is full of the joys of living and needs to be disciplined. When the family responds to an advertisement they meet the Brigadier from Pup Breakers with the ensuing lessons teaching all involved a few new tricks.

Gregory Maguire's What the Dickens is an imaginative journey into myth and mayhem. On a dark and stormy night three children await their parents return. Their cousin holds them in thrall with stories of rogue tooth fairies called skibbereen who are living in warring colonies in the neighbourhood. A perfect story for a stormy night, at first the children are skeptical but as the storm continues to rage, a certain unease descends. The quality of the writing is apparent from the opening paragraph making this a thoroughly enjoyable read for middle + primary readers.

A recent favourite for teen readers is Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers. Beautifully told through notes left on their kitchen fridge, this is an intimate portrait of the relationship between a hard-working mother and her teenage daughter. Stunningly sad but ultimately uplifting, it is about being a "good mother" or a "good daughter", and is a reminder of how much can be said in so few words, if only we made the time to say them.

Gallop by Rufus Seder is a book like no other. Employing a patented new technology called Scanimation, each page is a marvel that brings animals, along with one shining star, to life with art that literally moves. It's impossible not to flip the page, and flip it again, and again, and again. A first book of motion for kids this will become everyone's favourite.

And now to the Riverbend staff picks for Christmas. Here they are:
Notes from an Exhibition by Patrick Gale. This is a beautifully written portrait of family life in all its rawness. Told from a number of perspectives, the story of the gifted artist Rachel Kelly who has suffered bipolar disorder for most of her life, emerges. Like a painting, each chapter reveals aspects of her extraordinary life and together form the exhibition of the title. This would have my vote for favourite book of the year.

The Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo is an epic tale of middle American life. Louis Lynch is sixty, a life long resident of Thomastown in New York state a town divided according to wealth and social status. He is writing the story of his life as he and his wife prepare to visit an old friend in Venice. Rich in detail this book explores the influences which shape us.

Through the Children's Gate by Adam Gopnik is by turns a tender and hilarious collection of observations of New York family life.
Other staff nominations for Christmas reading include
Matthew Reilly's Seven Sacred Stones,
Twilight by Stephenie Meyers, Cultural Amnesia by Clive James, Paul Ham's definitive Vietnam and a couple of great cookbooks, Creole and Maggie's Harvest. Blurbs about a number of these can be found elsewhere on the Riverbend website or in previous blog entries. Suzy's favourite book for Christmas reading is Alan Bennett's thoroughly enjoyable The Uncommon
Reader.

Don't forget to vote for your favourite....if you can determine what it might be!

Good luck deciding
Jane

A Sure Thing

Hi Riverbenders
There's no doubt that around the nation today and tomorrow there will be much speculation about the winning potential of the various horses which will line up at Flemington for the big race. So in the spirit of the Melbourne Cup here are some of my favourites in the book stakes...

Christmas books are in abundance. There are all sorts of stories for all age groups. Olive the other Reindeer by J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh is full of flaps to lift, panels to sniff and a fabulous pop up at story's end. Olive is an adventurous dog who hears Christmas songs being played on her daily walks. In fact, she only ever hears one song, Jingle Bells and more specifically hears "Olive the other reindeer" instead of "all of the other reindeer." Olive reports to the North Pole to do her bit and do her bit she does. In fact, Olive saves Santa both time and potential embarassment. This is a tenth anniversary deluxe edition.

I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry is the story of another endearing animal. The bright blue giant squid rejoices in being the biggest thing in the ocean, comparing himself to all manner of sea creatures he encounters. His comeuppance occurs when he falls foul of a whale but undeterred he soon discovers that in fact he is the biggest thing inside the whale! Illustrations are big and bold and the simple story lots of fun.

Remember the very talented Chris van Allsburg? His new book is Probuditi, a cautionary tale in which Calvin, the practical joker goes too far when he hypnotises his sister and forgets the magic word which will bring her back from the canine world. Illustrations are sepia toned, reveal a fifties setting and dominate the double page spreads.

Another stunningly illustrated new book on the shelves is The Moon Rock by Boriana and Vladimir Todorov. This is the story of Elliot who one night borrows his grandfather's prized specimen of moon rock. What follows is a fantastic adventure in which Elliot finds himself transported to the far side of the moon where he becomes embroiled in battles between good and evil. Illustrations are cinematic in style and scope. This really is a "sure thing" for fantasy fans.

Our teen book of the month is Lissie Wilcock's first novel Losing It. Fourteen year old Gabbie Martyn had thought that life was pretty good the way it was but then things start to go awry. Her uncle moves in. Her best friend gets arrested. She falls in love.
Suddenly life isn't so easy, and Gabbie is losing the things she needs most.
At times moving, funny and confronting, 'Losing It' is an outstanding first novel.

All books are sure bets so..

Happy reading
Jane