Book Review #798 - Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha #1) by Tomi Adeyemi

They killed my mother.

They took our magic.

They tried to bury us.

Now we rise.

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.

My Rating: 3.5/5

This is a book that had been on my radar for a long time but the mixed reviews I'd heard put me off from ever picking it up. The only reason I even read it now was because it was chosen for my book club.

This book was written by a Nigerian author and is rooted in African folklore which is something I have never encountered before so I loved that unique element.

I did for the most part really enjoy this book, that was until the romance was introduced about 80% into the story.

The romance, for me, was extremely unnecessary. There was no build up to it at all and suddenly they are all claiming they are in love. I didn't buy it.

Book Review #797 - A Fortunate Life by A.B. Facey

This is the extraordinary life of an ordinary man. It is the story of Albert Facey, who lived with simple honesty, compassion and courage. A parentless boy who started work at eight on the rough West Australian frontier, he struggled as an itinerant rural worker, survived the gore of Gallipoli, the loss of his farm in the Depression, the death of his son in World War II and that of his beloved wife after sixty devoted years - yet he felt that his life was fortunate.

My Rating: 4.5/5

As a sandgroper (a Western Australian) this book has been on my radar for such a long time with my grandfather having read it and my father having tried to get me to watch the mini series for as long as I can remember.

Firstly, I loved the setting as it was set in places that I know so well yet were obviously not as I know them. I was also amazed at how much of my home state of WA he covered especially in the days of minimal transportation.

Facey has such an amazing writing style. It was like he was telling you the story himself rather than me reading it. 

I was also amazed at just about everywhere Facey went, it seemed to have some connection to my family. For example, Fremantle is where my great-grandfather was born, Geraldton is where my grandfather (and a lot of generations of his family) were born, Kalgoorlie is where my mum was born and I could keep going. 

If you are looking for a very inspiring, genuine Australian read this is the ideal book I would recommend.

Book Review #796 - Lady Jane Grey by Sue Reid

The tragic story of Lady Jane Grey who was Queen of England for nine days in July 1553. Jane grew up watching her cousins in training as heirs to the throne, little imagining that by a twist of fate she would one day be crowned. But this is Tudor England where nobody plays fair, and even a queen isn't safe from those who wish her harm.

My Rating: 2/5

This book starts off in 1547 when Jane was only a child. I felt like this was only done to establish her friendship with her cousin Edward (the future child king) which obviously plays a larger role later on.

Starting the story so early made the book drag on so much because her life was so ordinary and boring up until the last few years.

If you are not that familiar with history and the life and death of Lady Jane Grey, I would not recommend this book at all because it throws a lot of names and dates around with no real explanation at times.

Book Review #795 - Wonderful Tonight by Pattie Boyd

Boyd breaks a 40-year silence as she tells the story of how she found herself bound to two of the most addictive, promiscuous musical geniuses of the 20th century and became the most famous muse in the history of rock and roll.

My Rating: 2/5

I borrowed this book from my local library because searching through their catalogue it was the only 'Beatles' related book I had yet to read.

If you don't know who Pattie Boyd is, she was a model/actress but is more widely known for being the first wife of George Harrison whom she left for his best friend Eric Clapton.

I was only really interested in reading the Harrison chapters but decided to read the entire book as I am not the type of person who can read 2 chapters and say they have read the book.

For the most part, I found this book quite boring. It was mainly just her telling us all the famous people she used to hang out with. Had I grown up (or even been alive) during that era it may have interested me but I honestly had never heard of anyone mentioned other than the four Beatles.

Before reading this book I knew absolutely nothing about Eric Clapton and this book does not portray him well at all. It chronicles his massive drug addiction problems (so much that he took to wearing a spoon around on a necklace) and how he would have affairs in the house with Pattie knowingly in the house. The worst thing he did however was joyfully tell her his mistress was pregnant knowing that Pattie struggled with infertility and expect Pattie to be happy for him about it.

Overall, I feel like had I been older this book would have been a fun, nostalgic read but because I'm not I found it boring with so many references flying right over my head.

Book Review #794 - Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

"My greatest thought in living is Heathcliff. If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be... Nelly, I amHeathcliff! He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure... but as my own being." Wuthering Heights is the only novel of Emily Bronte, who died a year after its publication, at the age of thirty. A brooding Yorkshire tale of a love that is stronger than death, it is also a fierce vision of metaphysical passion, in which heaven and hell, nature and society, are powerfully juxtaposed. Unique, mystical, with a timeless appeal, it has become a classic of English literature.

My Rating: 3/5

This is yet another book that I attempted to read before (in fact 3 or 4 times) and just was never able to get past the first chapter.

This book was massively atmospheric. Every time I picked it up it was like it instantly transported me to the Yorkshire Moors.

This was most definitely a character driven novel and a harrowing take of unrequited, forbidden love and the lifetime grief in the aftermath of it.

Heathcliff is a literary character I have heard so much about and so I never expected him to be so unlikable. He was most definitely a tortured man who in modern day could do with a lot of therapy but I really didn't like nor could see past the way he treated Hareton, Cathy and Linton.

I can definitely see how this book has remained a favourite classic some hundred or so years since its publication because the setting is amazing and there is always something happening or you feel something is about to happen all the time.

Book Review #793 - Boy:Tales of Childhood (Roald Dahl's Autobiography #1) by Roald Dahl

From the evocation of an enchanted boyhood spent in Wales and Norway to his unhappy experiences at an English public school, these sparkling memoirs are filled with wit, high spirits and more than a touch of the macabre.

My Rating: 5/5

Roald Dahl states that this book is not an autobiography instead it is a collection of tales from his childhood.

First of all as an amateur genealogist, I loved the inclusion og the postcards he wrote to his mother over the years and how awesome his mother was for keeping them. I wish something like that existed in my family.

All the tales were so well written and I loved that there were many occasions where you could see where the inspiration for some of the books he would later write came from. The most obvious of these being Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda.

Book Review #792 - Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State — and she would do it alone.

Told with suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

My Rating: 3.5/5

I've had this book on my TBR since March 2017 but never had the urge to pick it up until I saw it heavily referenced in the Gilmore Girls revival. 

I never really expected this book about a woman's experiences on a walking trail (that I actually had no previous knowledge about) to be as interesting as it was nor how vividly she would be able to illustrate what each day was like for her doing it.

I think what makes this book so intriguing and popular to read is because Cheryl is so relatable. She is not some outdoor enthusiast who sees a walking trail as a common adventure to do but she is just an average woman who needed an escape following the death of her mother.

In the Gilmore Girls episode, people were divided into the book or movie camps. As I have not yet watched the movie I am firmly in the book's camp and considering how much I enjoyed the book I can't really see this changing.

Book Review #791 - I, Me, Mine by George Harrison

Cherished by fans and collectors since its first publication in 1980, I, Me, Mine is now available in paperback. The closest we will come to George Harrison's autobiography, it features George in conversation with The Beatles' spokesperson Derek Taylor, discussing everything from early Beatlemania to his love of gardening. The lyrics to over 80 of his songs, many in his own hand, are accompanied by his uniquely intimate and humorous commentary. Fifty archival photographs of George with The Beatles and solo capture a journey of creative and spiritual transformation. Brimming with the wit, warmth, and grace that characterized his life, and with an introduction by his wife, Olivia, I, Me, Mine is a treasured portrait of George Harrison and his music.

My Rating: 4.5/5

This is the closest book out there to a Beatles autobiography and so on my quest to read as many books about my favourite band I had to read this one.

The reason I say this is the closest to an autobiography is because even though this book was written by George Harrison, the whole book is not autobiographical.

The book is split into three parts. The autobiography, although definitely my favourite part was by far the shortest section of the book which considering how much George hated talking about himself I guess we are lucky we even got a section at all. The writing style was straight to the point and very dead pan in humour.

The second section was photographs. This was equally as short as the autobiographical section but there were quite a lot of pictures I had not seen before especially from his childhood and early Beatles era.

I especially liked the photo of the chocolate box that inspired George to write Savoy Truffle as all the lyrics were right there on the box.

The third section was George's handwritten lyrics for all his songs along with narration of how he came to write the songs.

This was by far the most extensive part of the book and took up more than half the book on its own. 

I have read so many books breaking down Beatles lyrics but they mainly deal with the Lennon/McCartney songs so it was good to see George's songs given the proper attention and also to hear about their meanings straight from the source. 

Book Review #790 - The Times One Hundred Greatest Cricketers

Compile a book claiming to contain "the greatest" of anything and you are bound to run into problems. Do it with cricket and you are asking for trouble--everyone will disagree with at least one of your entries and chide you for perceived omissions. But John Woodcock, Times writer and cricket correspondent for more than 50 years, is among the best qualified to undertake such a task. And an admirable job he made of it in The Times One Hundred Greatest Cricketers. Opening the innings with a name few would argue with--W G Grace--Woodcock goes through many other of the greatest names the sport has ever seen--Don Bradman, Garfield Sobers, Len Hutton, Shane Warne, Viv Richards, Ian Botham--and includes cricketing greats past and the present. In addition to a one-page potted history of the player's career, each entry has a black- and-white picture to accompany it. A statistical index (accurate until March/April 1998) completes the information, giving the kind of figures cricket fans love--batting averages, highest scores, number of wickets etc. An introduction explains the thinking behind the choices and a foreword by former England captain Mike Brearley is a perfect starting place. A great book for cricket fanatics, this will also appeal to the more casual fan. Accessible, well-written and interesting, it will certainly provoke debate, whether you agree with the entries or not. Synopsis Based on the author's personal selection of all-time great cricketers, serialized in "The Times Magazine", during the summer of 1997. This book includes an epilogue featuring expanded statistics about the 100 cricketers, split into domestic and international sections.

My Rating: 3/5

I used to be a big fan of cricket but recently have not watched it for some years. I still have two whole bookshelves full of cricket related books though with this one obviously being one of them.

This book was published in 1998 and so even the 'modern' players from this book were before my time but cricket is a game that is constantly throwing stats at you and so I found that I had actually heard of almost every player mentioned.

The only cricketers I found I had not heard of were the ones who mostly played county cricket as being Australian I had no way of hearing of them before.

I read this book more as a historical look at players of the past rather than an accurate list of the greatest cricket players ever (because that is subjective and everyone would have their own list) which is probably why I enjoyed it more than some other reviews I have read of this book.

Book Review #789 - Family Don't End With Blood: Cast and Fans on how Supernatural has Changed Lives by Lynn Zubernis

How a Show, and the Support of Its Fandom, Changed—and Saved—Lives

May 2017 marks the end of the twelfth season of the CW hit Supernatural, a television show about two demon-hunting brothers (and an angel) that is at the center of a fan community as tight-knit as family—a virtual support system that spans the globe. The three-time People’s Choice Award winner for Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show and Tumblr’s 2015 Most Reblogged “Live Action TV” show has made a name for itself by supporting and encouraging its fans to “always keep fighting,” a main theme echoed in the show, and demonstrating the inspiring truth to a memorable line from early in the show’s run: “Family don’t end with blood.”

In twenty powerful chapters written by Supernatural’s actors and fans, including series lead Jared Padalecki, Family Don’t End with Blood: How Supernatural Has Changed Lives examines the far reach of the show’s impact over the last eleven years. Supernatural has encouraged fans to change their lives, from getting “sober for Sam” to escaping a cult to pursuing lifelong dreams. But fans aren’t the only ones who have been changed. The actors who bring the show to life have also found, in the show and its community, inspiration, courage, and the strength to keep going when life seemed too hard.

In keeping with the show’s message to “always keep fighting,” and to support the important work of combatting stigma and encouraging those who are struggling to speak out, a portion of the proceeds from the book will be donated to charity Attitudes in Reverse, whose mission is to educate young people about mental health and suicide prevention.

Contributors from Supernatural’s cast include:

Jared Padelecki (“Sam Winchester”)

Jim Beaver (“Bobby Singer”)

Ruth Connell (“Rowena MacLeod”)

Osric Chau (“Kevin Tran”)

Rob Benedict (“Chuck Shurley aka God”)

Kim Rhodes (“Sheriff Jody Mills”)

Briana Buckmaster (“Sheriff Donna Hanscum”)

Matt Cohen (“Young John Winchester”)

Gil McKinney (“Henry Winchester”)

Rachel Miner (“Meg Masters”)

My Rating: 4/5

This book deals with the Supernatural TV show and the impact the show and its conventions have had on not only fans of the show but the cast as well.

The majority of the shows cast wrote stories in here from Jensen Ackles' page to Jared Padalecki's short story and many other in between. It really demonstrated that there is no other TV show out there that cares about its fans more than Supernatural.

There was just so much love for what is my favourite TV show in this book that it made me want to go back and rewatch the show (again). I even spoke to my mum so much about this book that she has started reading it (she is also a fan of the show). 

I loved all the fan stories as well and not just how the show saved them but how they originally found the show. I just found that part really interesting because the reason was different for each person.

Book Review #788 - The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts.

There are dangers and adventures for Bod in the graveyard. But it is in the land of the living that real danger lurks for it is there that the man Jack lives and he has already killed Bod's family.

My Rating: 3/5

I picked this book up in 2017 and DNF'd it not far into it which I am glad I did because reading it for the 2018 Spookathon was the perfect time to read a book like this.

This is my second Neil Gaiman book - the first being Coraline and I have so many of his others on my TBR so it definitely will not be my last.

This book is primarily set in a very old cemetery where a toddler finds himself after a man murdered his whole family. He is then brought up by his adopted ghost parents.

There were also famous ghosts present such as Victor Hugo and Harry Truman which along with all the other non-famous ghosts acted as a family for Nobody Owens (Bod). 

Book Review #787 - Night Film by Marisha Pessl

On a damp October night, 24-year-old Ashley Cordova is found dead in an abandoned warehouse in lower Manhattan. Though her death is ruled a suicide, veteran investigative journalist Scott McGrath suspects otherwise. As he probes the strange circumstances surrounding Ashley's life and death, McGrath comes face-to-face with the legacy of her father: the legendary, reclusive cult-horror film director Stanislaus Cordova--a man who hasn't been seen in public for more than thirty years. 

For McGrath, another death connected to this seemingly cursed family dynasty seems more than just a coincidence. Though much has been written about Cordova's dark and unsettling films, very little is known about the man himself. 

Driven by revenge, curiosity, and a need for the truth, McGrath, with the aid of two strangers, is drawn deeper and deeper into Cordova's eerie, hypnotic world. The last time he got close to exposing the director, McGrath lost his marriage and his career. This time he might lose even more. 

My Rating: 3/5

I have heard nothing but positive things about this book for years and having added it to my TBR in June I finally decided to read it in October for the Spookathon reading challenge.

This book started out so well. I was captivated by the mystery, the pictures, the unique layout, the characters and then at some point I just got bored and it never recaptured my attention completely.

I definitely think that the book could have been shorter in length. This would have helped me love the book more as it just felt drawn out at times.

I loved that the story is essentially set around a fandom for an underground horror film director and the role the fansite played in helping solve the mystery.

An added mystery was the identity of the director as he liked to remain anonymous throughout his entire career. I was massively underwhelmed by how this mystery ended.

Book Review #786 - The Handmaid's Tale (The Handmaid's Tale #1) by Margaret Atwood

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...

My Rating: 3/5

I first attempted reading this book for the first time in 2017 but gave up on it only after the first few chapters as I just found it too confusing.

I picked it up again in 2018 for the Spookathon reading challenge and even though I still found it overly confusing, I persisted in finishing it.

The main issue I had with this book was the lack of world building at the beginning. As the novel begins you are just thrown into what becomes obvious a dystopian world but it was like you were expected to already understand the terms, settings etc and this is what I found confusing.

As I have now finished the book and know all these things now I will most likely have to reread it at some point in the future to enjoy it without all the confusion.

There is so much happening in this book and even more that could be developed deeper. For this reason, I am interested in reading the sequel.

I liked Offred as the protagonist as even though the situations she was in were so far removed from anything anyone would endure in the real world, she seemed really relateable. 

Book Review #785 - Joyland by Stephen King

Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever. 

My Rating: 3.5/5

I read this book for the Spookathon readathon and it is my fifth Stephen King novel.

This book was a lot different to the previous King books I've read in that it was more of a mystery novel than horror. Not that this was a bad thing, it just wasn't what I had been expecting.

This book follows Devin as he nostalgically looks back to his youth when he worked at an amusement park called Joyland following his girlfriend breaking up with him.

As this book was predominately a mystery it didn't really feel like a Stephen King book at times. Of course, it had King's hallmarks though like a child with special abilities and the ability to breath so much life and personality into every character (no matter how relevant to the story) with minimal words.

Book Review #784 - Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy

Jude Fawley is a rural stone mason with intellectual aspirations. Frustrated by poverty and the indifference of the academic institutions at the University of Christminster, his only chance of fulfilment seems to lie in his relationship with his unconventional cousin, Sue Bridehead. But life as social outcasts proves undermining, and when tragedy occurs, Sue has no resilience and Jude is left in despair.

My Rating: 5/5

I read this book for Victober and it is my third Thomas Hardy novel and like his previous 2 novels I have read (both in 2018) this one did not disappoint.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed my first Hardy novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles and how much I preferred his writing to that of Dickens, Austen, Wilde and the Brontes because they are much more well known.

Now having finished my third book by Hardy I can confidentially say that Hardy is by far my favourite  classics author.

I love Hardy's ability to describe settings in such vivid detail without boring me or slowing the pace and this ability was put on show in this book as the protagonist Jude is constantly moving from town to town.

This book follows Jude who from a young age is set on getting an education but as we follow him over the course of the rest of his life we see the many hurdles he encounters that ultimately prevent him from fulfilling his dreams.

Like with Tess I was amazed by how different their society is from the one today and how easy it is to become shunned from the community based on things that are not even your fault.

I also love how Hardy writes his stories over the course of the protagonist's lifetime because we get to see the development of the character as well as the mistakes and their eventual death. This has been the case for all 3 of the Hardy novels I have read so far.

Book Review #782 - Stuart Little by E.B. White

Stuart Little is no ordinary mouse. Born to a family of humans he lives in New York City with his parents, his older brother George and Snowball the cat. He's an adventurous and heroic little mouse. When his best friend, a beautiful little bird called Margalo disappears from her nest, Stuart is determined to track her down. He ventures away from home for the very first time in his life and finds himself embroiled in one exciting adventure after another, making new friends and meeting old ones along the way.

My Rating: 2.5/5

I read this book for the 2018 Popsugar Reading Challenge to read a book made into a movie you have already seen.

I grew up watching the film adaptation of this book although I have not seen it recently.

This book was more about Stuart's life as a mouse in New York rather than the strong family connections he has that the film focuses on.

I was really disappointed by the ending as I felt like it just stopped mid-story. There was no real resolution.

Book Review #781 - Whisper (Whisper #1) by Lynette Noni

“Lengard is a secret government facility for extraordinary people,” they told me. 

I believed them. That was my mistake.

There isn’t anyone else in the world like me.

I’m different. I’m an anomaly. I’m a monster. 

For two years, six months, fourteen days, eleven hours and sixteen minutes, Subject Six-Eight-Four — ‘Jane Doe’ — has been locked away and experimented on, without uttering a single word.

As Jane’s resolve begins to crack under the influence of her new — and unexpectedly kind — evaluator, she uncovers the truth about Lengard’s mysterious ‘program’, discovering that her own secret is at the heart of a sinister plot … and one wrong move, one wrong word, could change the world.

My Rating: 3/5

I knew very little about this book before diving into it and I think this is the ideal way to approach this book because even the smallest bit of leaked information would be massive spoiler material.

I love Lynette Noni's writing style. It is very engaging and her characters feel really real and relatable. Because of the unusual plot in this book, there is not an awful lot of character development so I am looking forward to that in the next book.

I am not the biggest fan of the science fiction genre and that element was a complete surprise to me because up until that element was introduced the book felt like a contemporary novel. The writing style definitely helped me like it more than what I thought I would.

I also loved the setting. Not just Lengard which was full of mystery but the city that it is set in. I remember being completely surprised when it was revealed where it was set because I didn't expect it and also because I have been to that city multiple times and so it was familiar to me.

Book Review #780 - The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White

Like the rest of his family, Louis is a trumpeter swan. But unlike his four brothers and sisters, Louis can't trumpet joyfully. In fact, he can't even make a sound. And since he can't trumpet his love, the beautiful swan Serena pays absolutely no attention to him.

Louis tries everything he can think of to win Serena's affection -- he even goes to school to learn to read and write. But nothing seems to work. Then his father steals him a real brass trumpet. Is a musical instrument the key to winning Louis his love?

My Rating: 2/5

This is my third E.B. White children's book that I have read and definitely my least favourite of the three. The other two are obviously also more well known being Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little.

Firstly, this book was published in 1970 and has not aged as well as his other books. Whilst none of his stories told through animal protagonists are realistic in any way this book went way too far in making anything plausible. 

Louis as a protagonist was something I loved. He was always the underdog in every situation and you couldn't help but hope he achieved everything he wanted.

Book Review #779 - Wreck by Fleur Ferris

Tamara Bennett is going to be the first journalist to strictly report only good news. Finished with high school, Tamara is ready to say goodbye to her sleepy little town and part-time job at the local paper. O-weeks awaits, which means parties, cute boys and settling into student res with her best friend Relle. Things take an unexpected turn, however, when she arrives home to find her house ransacked and her life in danger. What is this mysterious note? And why does it mean so much to one of Australia's most powerful media moguls? Caught between a bitter rivalry and dangerous family secret, who can Tamara trust? Or should she trust herself?

My Rating: 4.5/5

This is my third Fleur Ferris book and each one of them have been equally unique and amazing.

This book is more like her previous novel Black than it is Risk in that it is a mystery thriller.

This book has split narration which is something that is new to Ferris' books and I found it worked especially considering that Tamara and William's voices sounded different from one another which is something that so many authors struggle to achieve.

I definitely preferred William's narration to Tamara's simply because I found his storyline was much more intriguing for me along with his whole family drama.

Book Review #778 - Grim Crims and Convicts 1788 -1820 (Fair Dinkum Histories #2) by Jackie French

I read this book for the 2018 Popsugar Reading Challenge to read a book relating to your ancestry. I'm an amateur genealogist and so far have discovered three convict ancestors.

I shamefully did not know that much about the settlement of New South Wales at all. I am from Western Australia and we have a strong convict history ourselves and so that is what I learnt in school.

I've said this many times before but I love history books aimed at children because they are packed full of information but at the same time are told in such a fun and entertaining way.

There was a small mention of the Launceston settlement which I loved because that was where 2 of my convict ancestors (my 3x great grandparents) were sent.

I would definitely recommend this book to Australians wanting to learn Australian history in an effortless way or any fans of Horrible Histories and this is most definitely the Aussie version of that.