New arrivals

Heartland by Jenny Pattrick

After a short stint in prison on trumped-up charges, the loveable simpleton Donny Mac returns to the house left to him by his grandfather in the small settlement of Manawa, in the shadow of Mt Ruapehu. Now inhabited by a handful of colourful locals, the once prosperous milling town is only bustling in the ski season when the out-of-towners arrive.

Awaiting Donny's return is the drunken and pregnant Nightshade, who claims he is the father. Donny's friends keep watch anxiously. Also watching is the Virgin Tracey, a sixteen-year-old hiding out in one of the abandoned houses, with her own tiny baby. 

When an accident threatens to put Donny back into prison, he and the Virgin Tracey come up with a solution to cover it up. But can the secret remain hidden? (Random House)

Will to Live by Matthew and Diane Ames

For a couple of weeks, Matthew Ames didn't feel well. The busy father of four young children knew things were not quite right but suddenly he was in Emergency, with a severe case of toxic shock syndrome – the common bacteria Strep A had entered his bloodstream and his body had gone into shutdown. He was put into an induced coma and the only way he could be kept alive was to have all his limbs amputated.

Diane Ames knew exactly what her husband would want and that he would cope – he had always been optimistic and practical. Despite a one per cent chance of survival, she asked the doctors to go ahead with the radical operation. And so began the inspiring story of an ordinary family's courage and determination to make the most of a terrible situation. (Penguin Books)

Matthew has a blog that tells his story and journey. An inspiring story of courage and resilience.

Everything to Lose by Andrew Gross

A determined, (down on her luck,) mother caring for her handicapped son becomes entangled in a murderous conspiracy to keep a twenty year old secret buried in this blistering thriller, set during the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. (Harper Collins)

                                                   (Source: Talk of the Town Authors and Books)

I am Rebecca by Fleur Beale 

Award-winning YA writer Fleur Beale's gripping sequel to the bestselling classic I Am Not Esther is a psychological thriller. When she turns 14, Rebecca will find out who she is to marry. 

All the girls in her strict religious sect must be married just after their 16th birthdays.Her twin sister Rachel desperately wants to marry the boy she's given her heart to. All Rebecca wants is to have a husband who is kind, but both girls know the choice is not theirs to make.

But what will the future hold for Rebecca? Is there a dark side to the rules which have kept her safe? Can the way ahead be so simple when the community is driven by secrets and hidden desires?(Random House)

Book review of I am Rebecca.

To This Day by Shane Koyczan

Shane Koyczan is a spoken word poet who wrote a poem about bullying called To This Day. Perhaps you have had the opportunity to hear it, his video went viral. Experience this poem in book form as a sophisticated picture book that has been illustrated by thirty artists from around the world. Allow the pictures to touch your heart and mind, to be incensed by the cruelty of the barbs and moved by the courage of the bullied.

                                                              (Walker Books)

(Shane Koyczan-Ted Talks)

Two stories about mothers and daughters

Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey

Through Maud, you enter a world where the past and the present blend. You experience her confusion and bewilderment. Reading this story through the eyes, emotions and thoughts of Maud helped me to reflect about this condition. Memories form part of our identity and enable us to be productive members of society. I came to appreciate the anxiety associated with the loss of short term memory. Not just the annoyance of forgetting but the repeated experiences of not knowing where you are or how you got there, everyone becomes a stranger and the people you interact with vary in their ability to relate to you. It must be a lonely struggle to deal with the ongoing unfamiliarity and make sense of where you belong. It has made me feel more understanding and compassionate towards people who suffer this condition.

World Alzheimer's Day is September 21, for more information about dementia and Alzheimer go to Alzheimer

Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan

When Apple's mother returns after eleven years of absence, Apple feels whole again. She will have an answer to her burning question – why did you go? And she will have someone who understands what it means to be a teenager – unlike Nana. But just like the stormy Christmas Eve when she left, her mother's homecoming is bitter sweet, and Apple wonders who is really looking after whom. It's only when Apple meets someone more lost than she is, that she begins to see things as they really are.(Back cover) 

Read the author's thoughts about her book at Interview