Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand

This novel set on Nantucket Island was a fantastic read. This hard to put down book with its fast paced narrative was driven essentially by its characters who told the story in alternate voices and yet it was also plot driven, so a mix of both, which worked wonderfully well, it was not at all difficult to keep up with the characters, their back stories were beautifully lit and added another dimension to what could have been a lightweight read in the hands of a less skilled author.
The story begins with a horrendous car accident, one that will reverberate in ripples across the island and uncover secrets that have been skilfully buried, it will change and alter lives and take the narrative away across the seas to Perth, Western Australia and introduce a whole new set of richly drawn characters and away of life that is vastly different from that on the Island. I particularly loved the scene in the bar, where one of the main characters is watching a Rugby Game, Australia versus New Zealand, aka The Wallabies versus The All Blacks, Hilderbrand`s description of the All Blacks as Bad Asses is spot on.. It is obvious that Hilderbrand has done her research and done it well, her descriptions of people and places resonates and if you haven`t been there already you surely will want to by the time you finish reading this book. You will also want to see a Haka if you haven`t already!
Serious issues handled sensitively and wisely with compassion and empathy and with a realism that takes you right into the characters personal space and what characters Hilderbrand has drawn, linked to each other by life and loves and the circumstances of their residence, it is hard not to be drawn to them and harder still to let them go at the end of the book. Few readers will be unable to identify with the life issues tackled in this book and all will be able to empathise, most will be able to say "But for the grace god, go I".
A wonderful read with a marvellous dollop of humour, this book is available in Trade Paperback and also available via the Library System, this is an author well worth seeking out.

Heart of Stone...Justice for Azaria by Michael Chamberlain

There could be no worse occurrence in any parents life than to lose a child be it by illness or accident so there would supposedly be very few people who would not sympathise with the plight of Michael and Lindy Chamberlain whose daughter Azaria was snatched from the family tent at Ayers Rock in August 1980 when she was just 10 weeks old, unfortunately for the Chamberlains, Australia was full of people had no sympathy at all for them and felt in fact that Azaria had been killed by her Mother who was then according to public and media myth helped by her Husband to conceal or cover up the crime and so the door was opened for one of the worst witch hunts ever seen to be conducted by the Australian Media and an enormous miscarriage of justice to occur.
To summarise, after the first inquest cleared the Chamberlains of any involvement in Azaria`s death, the North Territory Authorities set to work to overturn this finding and succeeded in having the Chamberlains put on trial, with Lindy being found guilty of killing her young daughter and Michael an accessory, appeals followed with disappointing results and Lindy spent substantial time in jail while Michael and those who supported them worked tirelessly to have Lindy freed and justice done which after the finding of Azaria`s Matinee Jacket commenced. Lindy always claimed that Azaria was wearing this little jacket when she was taken, the authorities said she was a liar. A long battle to have Azaria`s death ruled as having been caused by a dingo followed and finally this year a Coroner ruled that Azaria Chantal Loren Chamberlain had been killed by a dingo and issued a new death certificate that reflected this finding.
Lindy Chamberlain wrote a marvellous book which detailed her long and exhausting road to freedom and to a new life, it was a best seller which I have read twice. She was not always complementary about her now ex husband and after reading his book, I can understand why.
I can not claim to have read every word, nobody in their right mind would, there are far too many words, far too much quoting of every source, for example every newspaper quote is both sourced and dated which was off putting to say the least.The book is ponderous and lacks any type of real flow, the narrative was continually stymied by legal jargon or source notes, there was far too many uncorrected errors which considering Chamberlain`s ponderous attention to detail elsewhere struck me as odd and very little real sense of Michael Chamberlain as a person came through, it was simply too mechanical.
This book sadly is only for the die hard adherents and those who love to be awash in meaningless detail, while Chamberlain has every right to tell his side of the story and there are interesting snippets here and there, one would be better served by reading John Bryson`s Evil Angels or Lindy Chamberlain`s Through My Eyes.As to my personal opinion on the case, I believe that neither Lindy nor Michael Chamberlain had anything to do with Azaria`s death, the appalling ordeal that they endured at the hands of the media and the Northern Territory Authorities and the Judiciary is very similar to that dished out to Arthur Allan Thomas in New Zealand.
Available at all good Bookshops in Trade Paperback.

Snow falling on cedars by David Guterson

My copy of this book was published in 1995 but I have until now never been able to read it, then I picked it up and click!
It has been one of the most marvellous reading experiences of my life, there isn`t a life theme that isn`t beautifully and deftly covered in this book. Set on San Piedro Island of  Puget Sound in the mid fifties this book takes you on a journey, a voyage of discovery if you like into another time and place with such depth and atmosphere that you can literally feel it pulling you in, the force of the fog alone is remarkable.
In a small community a death occurs and a trial results, it is in the getting from the start to the finish of the trial that the story evolves and the characters and their backstories are unwound and given to the reader. Each story and each chapter is linked seamlessly with the writer using the type of language that is simply a delight to read, the book is tightly written and there are numerous twist and turns and secrets and desires abound. The fallout on the Community from the Second World War and the bombing of Pearl Harbour are perhaps the most gut wrenching parts of the book and the deeply held prejudice that results is thought provoking to say the least, many of those attitudes and views are still held today, it only takes a trigger and they spring back into life, equally the book paints a remarkable portrait of love, compassion, truth and honesty and of the ability of not all to run with the pack. It also speaks of the ability of Justice to be done.

This book sold truck loads of copies, it also won the Pen/Faulkner Awards and The ABA Book of the Year when it was published and it certainly deserved them all, a book that crosses a number of genres, it is available from the Library and from Second Hand Bookshops, its worth hunting for or borrowing a copy.

Posh Candy Floss...

Dear me, apparently poor Posh is living a private hell... No more babies David, she says!
Millie Elder is back and holding down a steady job and making a new life for herself.. not as easy as it might seem but good luck to her!
As well as Millie`s story the new Metro which is gorgeously pink covered has Steve Braunias on Len Brown, David Bain and The Great South Road, a mind boggling combo but lets see..
What does billionaire Alan Gibbs want??
Tantric Sex comes to Auckland... hours and hours and hours.
Food, Fashion, Books,Politics...this issue of Metro has it all!
Kate and William are back together!
Simon Gault`s second passion is flying or it might be third after his wife and cooking!
Gretchen Hawkesby opens her home...
Margaret Thatcher goes for a walk in the park...
Willow Smith is not living the life of a child and strangely Education isn`t a priority!
Lily Collins has a big birthday bash.
Dummy Boy who? Jamie`s back with her ex!
Is J.Lo about to remarry?
Kourtney gives Scott his marching orders... weird as, this one!
Adam Rickitt`s bittersweet Kiwi Love Affair...dear lord!
Jessica Simpson gets bigger by the day but she has a great sense of humour about it! plus she had a divine Baby Shower.
Are Angelina, Melanie and Rachel Zoe wasting away?? some spooky pictures and their not alone!
Kony 2012s meltdown..rather strange.
George Clooney and his Dad Nick got arrested, jailed and released and all done with commitment and panache.
Joel Madden says...My marriage is fine, leave us alone!
Tori Spelling is expecting Number 4!
Sandra Bullock and Heidi Klum hit the town!
Nicolette Sheridan`s court case over her termination from Desperate Housewives didn`t quite go the way she`d hoped!
Kim Kardashian gets flour bombed on the red carpet and doesn`t seem to click that people don`t exactly like her!
Oprah`s weight hell.. not again. Her OWN channel is not doing well either, Rosie O`Donnell went last week plus 30 staffers...tough times.
Elle MacPherson and Michael Bolton enjoy a nice dinner with her son Cy... takes her mind of Uma`s pregnancy!
The Coroner releases his findings into the death of Whitney Houston...drowned with a number of drugs in her system, her family issued a most dignified statement, no attempt at denial here.

Then Again...a memoir by Diane Keaton

A memoir that records your thoughts and those of your mother, using the most delicious language and an honesty that is searing is the axis of this truly moving and open memoir, which opens its self out to tell the story of the Hall Family with a refreshing candour.
Diane Keaton and her mother Dorothy are both women that could be considered complicated. When Diane sat down to write she realised that for the book to work, to resonate it would need to include the story of her mother who had throughout her life keep 85 journals, journals that recorded thoughts and feelings on her marriage, children, grandparents, quite extraordinary stories that Diane felt deserved to be heard.
This book gives the most amazing snapshot of how people see things often from totally different perspectives and often they can all be in the same room.The book links seamlessly from Dorothy to Diane and vice versa, there are all the Keaton Hollywood Stories and all the big names and from Dorothy all the stories of children growing, marriage, the desperate desire to find herself through her creative outlets, the sense of lost opportunities and missed pathways leads to an immense amount of frustration and this impacts on her marriage.Diane Keaton experiences many of the same frustrations but in different times,places and emotional spaces. There is an amazing Mother-Daughter bond here and their intertwined experiences especially emotionally as both age is quite revealing.
This is a book that is easily read, there is a lot of humour, there are secrets and thwarted hopes, a heap of honesty, wonderful photos, amazing stories from both, a warmth, it is a snuggle up with type of book.Both Dorothy Hall and Diane Keaton are fascinating people, the way they dealt with life was so hands on, practical, down to earth.This book will get you thinking, if you have a parent who doesn`t journal try and tape their reminiscences, they need to be kept as the family backstop.

This book is available at all good bookstores in Trade Paperback and also through the Auckland Library System.

Once Upon a Secret..My hidden affair with JFK by Mimi Alford

When young Marion Beardsley arrived in Washington D.C. to intern at the White House she could never have imagined how things would quickly run from the barely know you to the intimate.
19, sheltered and rather naive, the 18 month relationship that transpired would have never so much as shot across Mimi`s thought path beforehand, the fact that it stayed a secret for so long is testimony to both her ability to be discreet and her having no desire to become a footnote to History, especially at a time when footnotes to JFK`s history were literally rushing out of the gate to stake their claim!
In this well written, easy to read book Beardsley details the relationship, the good, the bad and the yukky with well measured words and a wisdom that age brings, she is stunningly honest and accepts the reality of the situation with alacrity, she certainly has the ability to paint her picture with little gratuitousness and a thankfulness for the insider experiences she had while placing them in the context of Kennedy`s known behaviour pattern with Women.
I found it rather sad that the first person she trusted with her secret betrayed her within their relationship in such a sad and pathetic manner and was unable to see past the gritty and provide the support she needed, thankfully this came later, sad too that Alford got rid of gifts she should have kept.
A good read, a further insight into Kennedy and his retinue and a little snapshot of one woman`s moment in time.Available in soft cover at all good book shops.

I wanna dance with somebody Candy Floss...

In tribute to a remarkable talent, whose joy and verve was so infectious on that track, a lady who got the whole world dancing along with her and yet sadly it was not enough and danger lurked and to her families everlasting regret she bit that poisoned apple.
Woman`s Day was first out of the blocks... I picked their Whitney special up at 8.30 Friday morning! It is beautifully done and so is Who Weekly`s edition which personifies the gloss and glamour that Whitney was known for. Woman's Weekly is very thin and New Idea does a good job but sullies it a bit by asking if shock claims that Whitney was murdered are true, according to the Coroner they are not.
Adele quit for Love!
Magda Szubanski is Gay and out!
Rachel Hunters daughter Renee is all grown up.
J.Lo and her toyboy prance around a park...eek!
Jen and Justin have adopted a dog...Jen does a steamy photo shoot( heaven knows why) and Justin still talks to his ex!
The Divas are out and shining brightly at the Grammys! Lady Gaga caused concern as she appeared spaced out...she often does so I can`t imagine anyone being surprised.
David Tua`s wife still loves him but had to leave???
Harper Beckham looking like an angel pokes tongues at the photogs! and does it with such dignity.
Liev Schrieber seems to be behaving a wee bit oddly...
Bruce Willis has his hands full, ex in rehab, wifey due to give birth any day and daughters are falling a part..its a hard life these days!
Katherine Heigl`s daughter helps her cope with the fact that her big movie went down the drain.
The Danish Royal Family hit the slopes in Switzerland.
Kylie Bax and family move to Sydney.
Simon and Katrina Gault are living their dream.
Suri`s in school, there`s no acting work so the once much in demand Katie goes out shopping...
Sting is going to be a Grandad!
Oprah apologises for using Twitter to possibly influence ratings!
What are Jess and Justin hiding??
The now rather self righteous Madonna was not happy that Mia flipped the bird during Super Bowl, neither were we but Hello... Madonna has done it all before!

Thank You Whitney for all those wonderful songs and for all the happiness they brought to those who loved them.

The End of Normal by Stephanie Madoff Mack

The End of Normal is a beautifully written story of love found and love lost. It is not always an easy read but it is informative and very,very real.
When Financer  Bernie Madoff and his Ponzi scheme came undone in December 2008, it took more than just Bernie and his wife Ruth with it, it took his family and thousands of investors, big and small who found the lives they had been living coming to an abrupt and horrible halt. None more so than Madoff`s son Mark who found the stigma and the finger pointing to much to bare, taking his life in December 2010, leaving Stephanie and 4 children behind.
Stephanie tells with such love and learned wisdom the story of all her Princess Dreams coming true, the barriers and obstacles, the path she had to forge to enable hers and Mark`s relationship to flow, she is never less than thankful for all the good times and good things that come her way...her wariness of her in laws and her husbands ex along with her husbands brother and his partner bearing fruit, the cold impenetrability of Bernie and Ruth Madoff, the pure and utter blinkered vision and the disinclination to do what might be conceived as the right thing towards those most wronged by their actions or lack of.
There is plenty of anger and righteous indignation in this book, all directed at those who most deserve it. Equally there is guts, courage, dignity and a graciousness that will well serve her children as they grow, there are rivers of tears in this book but it is not riven with sadness, it is a book in which a young woman finds herself in the worst possible situation but chooses not to let it take her down to the bottom instead she sets out to heal and to take herself and her children on a path that will allow their lives to be almost whole again while always noting that their is a much loved, missing piece.
A very good read, it also points quite clearly to the important part others play in helping us to heal and move along, Stephanie has wonderful friends none more so than RoseMarie Terenzio whose book Fairy Tale Interrupted was recentlyy published and reviewed on this blog. Both these ladies have huge hearts and a tale to tell.

The Underside of Joy by Sere' Prince Halverson

A great read, a story well written and well told. A difficult subject, tricky at best but this author managed to ace it.
The story of Ella Beene and her seemingly perfect life tipped upside down by tragedy, it is the type of book that raises questions, plants options in your mind and well and truly gets you thinking about what ifs and buts.
One day the Stepmother to two children whose father had been deserted by his wife and left to cope, the next a widow holding a funeral to which an unexpected guest arrives. What happens to a family confronted with a multitude of issues, what side should they take,should contact with the children be their sole motivation? What is loyalty and how do you enact it, do we really ever know the truth about someone we love, does everything have a price and is their always a winner and a loser or can resolution take place and can the best interests of the most vulnerable be put first.
There are a number of themes introduced by the author and the each dovetail into the story in a way that develops the characters and their backgrounds and adds in the necessary strokes of colour that keep this book humming along.
I also think that they author did a really good job of  introducing the idea of permanency in life, what is there one day may not be there the next, her characters were defined with  a warmth and a realism and I particularly liked her use of guilt and anger/ fairness and unfairness, I thought she did a very realistic job especially in situations where the characters snap as a result of finding themselves in a position they don`t like, most of us would react the exact same way. The book never lost its humour,it was a very satisfying read.
This book is released in Trade Paper back in New Zealand this month and it is also available via the library.

The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigar

This is the second of Umrigar`s books I have read and it had no less of a powerful effect than the first one, although they were totally different stories and set in entirely different countries.
When Ellie and Franks son Benny dies unexpectedly, their lives as one would imagine fall to pieces and in an attempt to help them grieve and rebuild, the Company Frank works for sends them to India, a country so vastly different to America that the culture shock alone is enough to set them on separate paths.
The narrative which is fast flowing and beautifully written takes you into the heart of a small village where nothing be it food, expectations and language are on a page that deviates as it is revealed through the eyes of each of its characters. Umrigar has a remarkably deft touch when it comes to drawing her characters and developing them, she takes them way back which backlights the story and gives it depth and you their prior story, she then brings them into the present, it is all so well linked that it flows, there is no jarring, no what happened here? It is a book that's centrifugal force is love,misunderstanding, secrets, lies, anger, resentment, manipulation and the corrosive power of unresolved grief, it can be very gritty in parts. The book deals very well with the unmasking of peoples prejudice, be American/Indian or Indian/Indian. Umrigar rises to the challenge of dealing with the implications of blame be it unspoken or spoken and shows how grief can really lead you down the path of destruction and havoc should you let it, at every major juncture her characters are called upon to make choices and to deal with the often unfair hand they are dealt.
We really see the power of the adage Blood is thicker than Water, she shows that powerful bonds and connections are not always  easily visible, neither are they readily breakable, love is a powerful force and it often works in ways that are not understood.
The powerful question that we would rather not hear is posed..Can wealth and privilege give you the right to trample down and overrule those who are less fortunate.. is it our right to replace a dead child with a living child who is attached to you but not biologically linked, can we assume that we know what is right, what is best? How well do we really know anyone? If we have power, how do we use it?
Love in its many forms is a keynote of this book and it resonates throughout. I liked all of the characters bar one that Umrigar peopled this book with, especially powerful was Frank whose unravelling takes the reader down  a totally unexpected path the consequences of which turn out to be a huge surprise.
This was a marvellous read and all of Umrigar`s Books are available through the Auckland Library System and through special order at Unity Books and other Indies, except for her latest they are all soft covers and cost $28, they are worth every cent.

I will be reading The Space Between Us and The World We Found(which is released here mid Feb in Trade PBK) but I am having a little breather and will be reading Alix and Nicky by Virgina Rounding and Stephen Davis` biography of Carly Simon.. Make Room in a Broken Heart.

Inside The Mind of Casey Anthony...A Psychological Portrait by Keith Ablow, M.D.

This is book number 2 on this case for me and while the subject is not pleasant the book was a very engaging and interesting read. I had read Ablow`s book on Scott Peterson and found that to be rather insightful into why anyone would do these ghastly things.
This book was well written and researched and filled in a lot of gaps that helped me to understand Casey Anthony and her totally yucky family and it helped to paint a clearer picture of why and how a person can simply and utterly lie through their head and move on, its a pattern we saw in the Australian case of Tegan Lane whose mother Keli is in jail for her murder. The ability to lie and disseminate in both cases is shockingly similar.
It also leaves you reeling from the implication that exactly what happened to Caylee may never be known although Ablow offers 5 possible theories and one of them is bound to be correct and the fact is that no one is ever likely to be held accountable for this child's death. There are some stunning revelations about the Anthony family in this book, almost all backed up with witness accounts and you have to admire the courage of some extended family members and friends who believe the truth should be out there.
There is talk that Casey Anthony is shopping a book deal to publishers but how on earth would they know weather or not she was telling the truth?
This book is available through the Auckland City Library System.

Charming Billy by Alice McDermott

This is an oldie but a goodie, you will find it in the Library system and in good second hand bookshops and its worth the effort.
Billy Lynch is dead and buried and here begins the story of an Irish Catholic boy from New York whose life follows a pattern of predictability intermingled with unpredictability. The writing is beautiful, the descriptions of both people and places real, the characters are drawn with a fine brush that at times morphs into a few hard swipes when the writer deems it necessary.
Family, religion, love, ambition and redemption are all key to this story and are all intertwined in that peculiarly Irish way that plays out worldwide where ever you live and if you are a certain age, there will be so many, yes I remember that, I remember this. Entwined with alcohol and secrets this is not a slow narrative, it is never dull, never boring, like a wave it pulls you along, even a pervading sadness at life's disappointments doesn`t spoil this. I particularly liked the way she unravelled her characters a little bit at a time, it kept you of balance and you couldn't`t be sure where they might go. The characters are not always likeable, for example I loathed Eva, even while I could understand her motivations and forgiveness is a mighty powerful thing, as is settling for second best.
Hunt a copy of this book down.

Blue Nights by Joan Didion

The writer Joan Didion knows all about grief, its many forms and its many machinations, it has struck repeatedly those she has known and loved and often at a very young age. Her husband John Gregory Dunne died at their dinner table while daughter Quintana was in the ICU Unit at John Hopkins Hospital seriously ill, Joan wrote a magnificent book called The Year of Magical Thinking which described in a heart wrenching yet beautiful, exquisite, prose the path that that first year took her down and how she survived it.
This book tells the interweaved, interconnected story of the life and early death of Quintana against the backdrop of her parents story,their shared lives and the joys, challenges, fears and overwhelming love that the adoption of Quintana brought to their lives, a life that as Joan tells it was privileged, not always easy but on balance could truly be called well lived. Although Quintana`s death at 38 could hardly be called fair and  her life certainly wasn`t long, it was packed with experiences that could only have bequeathed to her a rich tapestry on which she hoped to paint the rest of that life with her husband Gerry.
Didion`s description of how the rug was pulled out from under Quintana on the cusp of a new life, newly married and suffused with a rare happiness tells us with startling clarity how cruel the fates can be, how unexpected can be the hand of death and how powerless we really are to prevent it.
Didion paints her own portrait of loss and in words that dance on the page, they are carefully chosen and they are purposeful, many are not easy to read, their poignancy can bring tears but oh how she shares the life of Quintana with an honesty and rare bravery, she links it so beautifully with other lives ended early such as Natasha Richardson and  with the lives of family and friends many still living all who contributed, good, bad and indifferently to Quintana`s and her parents lives.  As much as she shares death, she shares life. As a young woman I wouldn`t have read or understood Joan Didion with much alacrity but now with a dose of maturity I have read her writing and been enhanced by the lessons she has shared, to say this book gets you thinking is an understatement. Would Joan Didion see herself as a Teacher of Life Lessons, probably not but she is and she has much more to share. Brilliant, touching, moving and elegant, the thought I am left with is  that as Joan writes she realises, the fear we are left with is not for what we have lost but for what we still have to lose. So true whatever our own experience.

Let`s take the long way home by Gail Caldwell

Gail Caldwell's reminiscence of her friendship with the late Caroline Knapp is a warm, loving book which share with the reader what a Friendship can mean, where it can take you and why you would take the journey. Both Gail and Caroline had shared experiences when they met and although success had been theirs in the field of writing, the paths they had traversed were not easy and much pain had ensued until they had managed to beat their demons. Bonded by walking their much loved dogs, they fell into a deep friendship instantly, a friendship that lead to new interests(Caroline was a very good rower) and a sharing of all those big and little things that inform each and every day, there is a wonderful simplicity here, it isn`t all luxe and plane rides.
When illness strikes Caroline, she is circled by the most incredible people including Gail who care for every need, from the hands on to the routine and mundane.
This is a book that takes you along the path that leads to death and the life altering grief that is left for the loved ones to endure, it is not however a book that leaves you feeling depressed. It is uplifting and humour is never lost, we should all be so lucky to have a Caroline or Gail in our lives.

The Sweet Second Life of Darrell Kincaid by Catherine Robertson

Written by first time Novelist Catherine Robertson, this was a well written, well paced novel which centres on the life of Romance Writer Darrell Kincaid whose happy endingdoesn'tt quite eventuate.
Darrell decides that her only real option is to tackle life and its challenges head on and away she goes, seeking new adventures and hopefully new love. An easy read and very well suited for that summer/beach book that you can pop into your bag, it is a little bit more than the average Chick Lit novel and would appeal to a far wider age range of readers than that genre usually appeals to. The characters are well drawn and the storyline has obviously been well plotted and thought out, it would make an excellent gift for anyone who likes to read especially with Christmas racing up, equally if someone you know is having a birthday and you are stumped, this would solve your problem, throw in some chocolates and Viola!
I am sure we will hear more from Catherine Robertson.
Thank You to Random House for this book.

The Irish beat the Aussies Candy Floss...

What an amazing game, what parties, what hangovers!
Zara Phillips is on her way here...she says the lady in the pictures with her brand new hubby is an old family friend...the British Media say not so, watch this space!
Zac Guilfords Mum tells how proud his late Dad would be.
Suri prances around in high heels wearing bright lipstick..
6 page Womens Weekly special...Marriage, interesting to say the least!
Stella McCartney turns 40 and Daddy is getting married again!
Baby Harper wears Prada!
Jackie Kennedys secret tapes are released, I don't think even I could listen to all 8 hours, the voice would do my head in.
Brad and Ange's biggest fight...the truth about Brad's marriage to Jen, story is Brad considered the marriage to be pathetic.
Reese Witherspoon is looking black and blue, she was hit by a Granny while out running.
Guy Sebastian is going to be a Dad.
Parents tell...Our Children are Famous!
Sonny Bill Williams has a new girlfriend... how exciting is that!
Does Mrs Cruise have a baby bump?
Melanie Jackson is 34 and has 9 children...yes 9!
Peaches Geldof is not having an easy time of it...too much like Mummy for her own good.
Kris Humphries is sick of having a camera stuck in his face...hello..he married a Kardashian, what did he expect?
Best and Wost dressed of 2011 is Who Weekly`s glossy over and as always they do a great job with this weeks Bumper Special Issue.
We farewell Spartacus Star Andy Whitfield and Kara Kennedy Allen, daughter of the late Ted Kennedy and his first wife Joan, both will be especially missed by their children.

Dazzling Candy Floss....

The Queen`s granddaughter Zara Phillips got married over night and she looked terrific, simple but elegant.
All the magazines pay tribute to Amy Winehouse this week and do it well. Amazing to see her father Mitch outside her home late this week giving away bits and pieces to her fans, including clothing and trinkets, he said that's what she`d have wanted.
Australian Women`s Weekly is out, Peter Jackson and Fran Welsh are the cover story but they had no input as they are a little bit busy for interviews at the moment, a very good issue for those into cooking and crafts.
Is Michael Douglas dicing with death...
Kim crashes Kris` stag do..
Tatum O`Neal`s alarming new claims...
The Worlds happiest divorced couple...Andrew and Sarah! Sarah`s doco-series has a sobbing Beatrice and Eugenie..they are upset at the possibility of more poor press for their parents...with the York's it never stops.
Melissa McCarthy shows that being big, doesn`t mean you can`t be successful!(Bridesmaids)
Jennifer Lopez is single and happy...
The Hoff is in love..ain't it sweet!
Adam Rickitt dreams of kids..yeah right!
Scott Dixon`s baby joy!
At home with Hannah Tamaki...weeping winnies, what a sight!
Legends of the ball..the netball that is.
Lucy Lawless looks absolutely flawless in a WW pic,just Divine!
Kat and Jesse go splitsville...
Reese and Jim honeymoon in Paris!
Leighton Meester battles her Mum over brain surgery and botox....
Denise Richards has a Baby Shower for Eloise, so cute.
The Guide to this years Fashion Week is out,beautifully put together,well layed out, just the odd mistake or two!
There has been a lot of talk this week on the blogs about last weeks Woman`s Day Cover, none of it nice, and for my two pence it was one of the worst covers they have ever had with a  story that had most reaching for a bucket!Find a job girls, like the rest of us!Time to grow up your not 18....

A Widows Story by Joyce Carol Oates

Many people don`t like Joyce Carol Oates, too dark, too Gothic they would say and they are right, she is dark and she is Gothic but I love her.
Her last major book My Sister, My Love which is apparently not about a really famous child murder case is one of my all time greatest reads, from the disclaimer on the first page to the very last page, it was terrific!
The unexpected death of her husband on whom she was much dependent was not terrific and her sense of loss, bewilderment and grief is heart-breaking yet I would imagine it would resonate with anyone who has experienced a sudden death in the family. What appeared to be a simple illness had killed her husband Raymond Smith within a week.
To say that Joyce Carol floundered would be understating things greatly and yet she works through it all and unconsciously sees the humour in the death industry while struggling with the complexities of a life, where the partner had taken care of all those everyday things so as the wife was freed to write. The hand of friendship and everyday kindness was extended to Joyce Carol in a way that gave her a strength that enabled her to forge a path ahead, even if she often found peoples attempts at comfort rather absurd. She writes so honestly and beautifully about the situation she found herself in, she paints such a vivid picture in your mind with the beautiful words she uses that you can feel her feelings, you can feel the pain, confusion and bewilderment, you feel as if you have almost stepped into her life,the cold of the hospital was chilling,her unawareness of what was actually going on was stunning...I was touched by her sharing of letters she received and by how fragile she seems in everyday life and yet the strength of her writing is amazing and solid as.
A remarkable book, from a remarkable writer. She mentions Joan Didion`s book The Year of Magical Thinking another remarkable memoir of loss, people might find reading about it dark but it happens everyday and books can and do give you great comfort.

Summer in the South by Cathy Holton

I was a little surprised that I liked this as much as I did as normally this type of book although set in Tennessee (I love the south)isn`t my kind of book.
The story of Ava a writer in Chicago and her friend Will from an old Southern family, it darts from the present into the past using narrative voices as appropriate to the time. It is riven with secrets and peppered with atmosphere and darn right spooky in places.
What passes for one thing turns out to be something entirely different .The finely wrought characters are two dimensional to say the least and their motives and agendas keep this book running along at a great pace.
The chance to relax and get over heart break while attempting to write her first novel is foremost in Ava`s mind when she sets of to Tennessee, an aborted visit to her supposed father neatly hedged in between destinations and a funny feeling about her friend Will accompanying her, what is it? Well you have to read to find out, the secrets are drawn out slowly and tightly, the journal and diary entries add spice, all in all a very good read. A story well written, a tale well told.

I look forward to reading more from Cathy Holton.

Behind Closed Doors,The Tragic Untold Story of the Duchess of Windsor by Hugo Vickers.

I have read a number of Hugo Vickers books and they have all been very good and in many ways this is another very good book.
It is beautifully written, marvellously researched and the illustrations are first class.
Part One Starts with the Death of the Duke of Windsor and follows through various rather unfortunate fazes until the Death of the Duchess and the sale of her Magnificent Jewellery collection.
Part Two details the early life of the Duchess (Wallis Warfield Simpson) and traverses through until the Duke and Duchess Twilight Years 1960-1971.
This book is part mystery especially in regards to what really went on in the Duchess life after the Dukes death, whose agenda was honest and whose was not?  Was she really ill for years and years, when did she become non compos mentas and not able to enunciate her own wishes, let alone sign documents and deeds and issue statements decrying this, that and the other and litigating at will, well it all comes down to whom you believe.
The book is rife with petty jealousies and cheap shots, accusations fly like missiles from a launcher yet very little has ever been proven,other than that the Duchess may have fallen under the control of a woman who may not have had her best interests at heart and the Royal Family seemed rather unconcerned with what was (maybe) happening to Aunt Wallis and her possessions except for Lord Louis Mountbatten who apparently turned up at regular intervals to pester dear Wallis no end!
There was very little chance that the Royals would uplift the elderly, ill and frail Duchess and install her in a snug little Palace so why anyone would imagine they should beats me, she certainly may not have wanted to live under their roof and as an independent woman who had made many decisions over the years and chosen a life style of her own design, the reality of the final years if as painted may have been very hard for her to bear.
There were visits and flowers from the Royals,apparently but other than the return of Official Documentation covering the Dukes life and some bequests in her will, no real relationship existed.  The pity was that she was blamed for the Dukes actions and choices and although much bitterness existed over the supposedly early death of George VI due to the strain of reigning, the reality was that George VI was frail from childhood and his brother the more robust Edward VIII was totally unfit to be King unless England wanted to become a part of Germany.
This book is more than worth reading if you are a history buff however it would have been a better read if Part 2 had come before Part I, an interesting concept to reverse the telling of the tale but really for me it didn't work but in fairness it may work for you!