Batavia by Peter FitzSimons

Peter FitzSimons is one of Australia’s most popular historians, and it’s easy to see why – he has a knack for choosing fascinating moments in our history, and really bringing them to life. His latest, Batavia, is no exception. It tells the story of the Dutch East India Company ship Batavia, and it’s unfortunate occupants. In 1629, on it’s maiden voyage, Batavia was shipwrecked on a small island off the coast of Western Australia. As the commander of the ship sets out in a longboat to search for help, his second in command Jeronimus Cornelisz takes control, deciding that most of the 220 survivors should be killed to conserve their meagre supplies. His only opponent is Wiebbe Hayes, who tries to gather a force to stop the slaughter. An incredible true story full of rich historical detail that reads like a thriller. Batavia has just been released in trade paperback, so if you missed the hardback, it’s not too late! $34.95

National Bookshop Day Saturday August 11th.

On Saturday August 11th we will be celebrating National Bookshop Day.  We have a programme of authors helping us to do it, so you can take the opportunity to meet some local writers.  There is a mixture of adult and children’s authors coming throughout the day, and their times are listed at the bottom here. As well as having them here, Geoffrey McSkimming and his partner will be performing a magic show to help launch his new book, Phyllis Wong and the Forgotten Secrets of Mr Kyoto.  

We will have cupcakes, quizzes and raffles going on during the day as well.

It will be a fun day of celebrating bookshops in the community and we need your help to do it.

The author schedule is below.

Tony Wilson 10-10.45

Jen Storer 10.30-11.30

Michael Pryor 11-12

Deborah Robertson 12-1

Fran Cusworth 12.30-1.20

Geoffrey McSkimming 1-2

Kylie Ladd 1-2

Zana Fraillon 1.30-2.30

National Bookshop Day Saturday August 11th.

Last year we had the first National Bookshop Day in Australia and it was an opportunity to focus on the value of shops in local communities.  It’s on again this year on Saturday August 11th and we have a fun day planned.  We have a line-up of authors here from 10am until 2.30 who will be out in the street talking about reading and books.  There will also be a magic show with Geoffrey McSkimming to help launch his new book Phyllis Wong and the forgotten secrets of Mr Okyto.  We will have cupcakes, quizzes and giveaways.

Last year we asked people to write on the shop window the name of their favourite book which brought out the graffiti artist in lots of people. We will be doing something similar this year., but you will have to wait and see exactly what we are doing.

The shop will be open 9-5 as usual and we will have raffle tickets for anyone who buys a book on the day. Prizes will be books and book vouchers.

Come along and help up celebrate bookshops and reading. The world would be much the poorer without both of those things, so pop in during the day. and check out what’s going on. See below for the authors and their appearance times.

Tony Wilson 10-10.45

Jen Storer 10.30-11.30

Michael Pryor 11-12

Deborah Robertson 12-1pm

Fran Cusworth 12.30-1.30

Geoffry McSkimming 1-2

Kylie Ladd 1-2

Zana Fraillon 1.30-2.30

We plan to have a lot of fun, so come on down and join us for a while.

Charades for Kids

Charades has always been a favourite party game, but the classic book/film/TV show format assumes a lot of knowledge, making it suitable only for older kids and adults. Charades for Kids has adapted the traditional game for younger children, allowing them to join in the fun! The boxed game consists of cards with 3 levels of difficulty: there is a picture and a simple subject (train, chicken, lion) for the youngest children to act out, a simple action for slightly older kids (swimming, getting dressed), and a more complicated action for even older kids (frying a pancake, eating spaghetti). The audience needs to guess the action before the egg timer runs out. Great fun for three or more players, ages 4+, $26.95

Antarctica by David Day

The subtitle for David Day’s large tome on Antarctica is “A Biography”, and that’s exactly what this is – the first comprehensive history of that coldest, most distant and forbidding of continents. The book is set out in chronological time periods, from the 1770s when Captain Cook sailed further south than any of his contemporaries in search of a continent that was suspected to be at the bottom of the world but still failed to find it,  right up to the present day. In between are all the dramatic stories that have fuelled our imaginations for decades; the eventual discovery of Antarctica in 1820, the race by British, American and French expeditions to claim the new land as their own, the extraordinary stories of explorers Scott, Amundsen and Shackleton. Truly an incredible series of events, making this remarkable book a must for anyone interested in history. For a limited time, the book comes with a map of Antarctica. Hardback, $45

Fire in the Sea by Myke Bartlett – a Text Prize winner

Sometimes a reading copy can be really exciting, something you can’t wait to read. Some books you know you’ll like before you even really start reading them. Maybe you know the author and like their style, maybe the genre is one that never fails you, maybe you just really like the cover…Wait no that’s wrong no one ever does that excuse me…Anyway, unfortunately that’s not always the case. As booksellers we read other books anyway because it’s quite clearly good for us to know what a book is actually like, even if its not what we would regularly pick up. And the wonderful thing about that is sometimes you get a really pleasant surprise. That’s what happened when I finally committed to reading this years Text prize winner Fire in the Sea by Myke Bartlett. I was unsure: The authors name was Mike with a Y, you can’t have FIRE in the SEA and there was fantasy mixing with reality in a way that I often find annoying rather than entertaining. You’re not going to convince me there’s fairies in suburbia, so stop trying. Basically I put off reading it, thinking “it’s just not my style”. But the Text prize winner blot on the cover kept me coming back to it and I finally decided with 2 weeks of holidays ahead of me that I’d give it shot. Just cause it’s not my style doesn’t mean I can’t like it right?

Right. Sadie is a relatively normal, bored, Perth teen when her life takes a sudden turn for the strange and ancient. Drawn into a war between Gods and banished immortals, one sweltering hot summer night Sadie sees mysterious figures murder an old man and then run into the ocean. Soon she’s facing a young boy who claims to actually be the old man, a Minotaur and people who live in the sea and want to kill her. I think one of the reasons that I really enjoyed Fire in the Sea was because I could relate to Sadie’s reactions and thoughts about what was happening in front of her. I don’t think I’m going to meet the reincarnation of a man I just saw die, but if I did…I think I’d react like Sadie Miller did. And somehow that ‘realism’ made it all ok. I allowed myself to get drawn into the story; there is an evil woman living in the sea who could sink Perth if she felt like it and there are Gods who will destroy the world to stop said evil woman from overthrowing them. The story was just complicated enough that it made sense without being so complicated you forgot who was what and why. It’s fast paced and exciting, violent at times but emotionally rich and interesting at others.

On the real life side of it Sadie has annoying cousins to deal with and an adorable, well meaning best friend Tom who has a crush on her that they’re both choosing to ignore. Myke Bartlett created interesting characters, complex story lines and he had a (confusing) knack for making me feel like it was summer (I was at the snow). Did I mention this is also a debut? I was fully expecting to not like this book as much as I wanted to but I ended up really enjoying myself. The kind of book I’ll recommend to older teens regardless of gender and with little regard for genre, once this is released on the 25th July I’ll be selling it as much as I can. A timely reminder that sometimes when stepping out of your comfort zone you get a rewarding surprise. Paperback, $20.

Savvytel SIMs Back in Stock

PREPAID CREDITS NEVER EXPIRE!!

Just to let you all know that we have Prepaid Savvytel SIMs back in stock – These SIMs use the Optus mobile phone network and come with from $5  credit.  They can be recharged over the internet in various amounts up to $55.  These are ideal for light users, spare phones [just in case], or for kids to have a mobile for emergencies, holidays, trips etc.  Call costs are only 24c/min plus flagfall.  SMS are 15c.  See the full details at http://www.savvytel.com.au

You can change to regular prepaid with even cheaper calls, credits valid for 3 months or even an Unlimited plan, if you prefer.

Delicious winter warming meals – My Kitchen: Slow Cooker

My Kitchen: Slow Cooker, PB $29.95

Murdoch books have created a fantastic series of cookbooks called My Kitchen. Each book has over 100 recipes from various contributors and they are all triple tested in the Murdoch kitchen.

When it’s cold and miserable outside it’s time to bring out the slow cooker for some delicious, warming and super easy meals!

Slow Cooker is broken down into three sections; Family, Spicy and Friends for Dinner. Each recipe has a full colour photo to show the finished product and listed clearly how much time in the slow cooker is required as well as preparation time.

If you are stuck for lunch and dinner ideas then come in and grab a copy of My Kitchen: Slow Cooker and your problems will be solved!

 

*Other books in the My Kitchen series…

 

The Children Who Loved Books

The Children Who Loved Books

by Peter Carnavas, HB $24.95

This is a beautiful picture book that celebrates the power of books and how they bring families together.

The illustrations are simple and colourful and the story has a really great message. Peter Carnavas is an Australian author so the text has all our correct spelling.

A fun, warm family read!

 

Another big author with a new book before Xmas. Sebastian Faulks

An new Ian McEwan in August and then a new Sebastian Faulks in September. What a good year for literary fiction.  I don’t know much about it yet but we know it will be worth reading. It will be $32.95