Corinne Bailey Rae by Corinne Bailey Rae     CD/RAE

I happened to catch this artist performing on Oprah one day and thought I would borrow her CD and see what it was like. Well, I loved it! Really great voice and very easy music to listen to.

Review by Michelle

Senna     DVD/SPORT

The life story of Brazilian motor-racing legend, Ayrton Senna, who won the F1 World Championship 3 times during his career spanning 1984 to his untimely death on track at Imola in 1994.  This is a comprehensive biography of Ayrton Senna’s life, his career and his passions.  It is very well done and quite moving.

Review by Gail

Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close     F/CLOS

I loved it! This is a book about young women finding their way through their first roommates, unsuccessful jobs and of course, failed romances. The three main girls are funny, hopeless at times and always reassure each other that hating your boyfriend sometimes or feeling like you’ve lost the plot is normal.  As the girls move into their late twenties everyone around them starts getting married and having kids and they question whether they are the normal ones for not feeling the same. It is such a relatable, funny, down to earth book and the only thing I’m disappointed about is that this is the only book Jennifer Close has written so far!

Review by Jaimie

Lola's Secret by Monica McInerney     F/MCIN

Another gorgeous story of friendship and family by Monica McInerney.  Lola’s Secret is set around Christmas time and is a continuation of the lives of the Quinlan’s and their Motel based in the Clare Valley of South Australia.  It is probably best to read The Alphabet Sisters before this one to have the background to all the characters.

Review by Gail

The Filter Bubble by Eli Pariser     004.678/PAR

Subtitled what the internet is hiding from you, this is a very scary book. The author argues that with the trend to personalise your internet experience, major internet sites like Google and Facebook are already feeding you what they think you want to see. On the face of it this seems like a good thing as it filters out stuff you would never be interested in. However, it can lead to a very one-sided view of the world. Google uses a series of secret algorithms in order to gauge what it thinks you want to see. Scary.

Review by Jim

Shutter Island     DVD/MOVIES

Leonardo DiCaprio is very convincing in his role as U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels – a man confronted with issues from his past which conflict with his present day logic whilst he carries out what seems to be, on the surface, a routine investigation.  Anything directed by Martin Scorsese usually doesn’t disappoint;  and Ben Kingsley and Mark Ruffalo do fine jobs as supporting actors. I found the plot a bit complicated and didn’t think this movie was as good as Mystic River, based on a novel also written by Dennis Lehane,  but it certainly is worth a viewing if you like a psychological thriller with a few twists and turns.

Review by Denise

A Lifetime of Secrets by Frank Warren     741.683/WAR

“A Lifetime of Secrets” was put together by Frank Warren, who has invited strangers to send him decorated postcards with their secrets written on them. It started as an art project in 2005, and soon hundreds of postcards arrived with people’s deepest, darkest secrets on them. He started posting them on the internet, and his website, PostSecret.com is now an Internet phenomenon, and an extraordinary and affecting art project. Some of the secrets are very strange, some are very funny, and many of them break your heart. An interesting read to discover what lurks in the heart of strangers.

Review by Yvette

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern     F/MORG

I was absolutely taken in by the blurb of this book and the hype surrounding it. Although it has only been released for two months there are movie plans in action and a wave of praise for this first time author. The Night Circus is a thoroughly descriptive book about an enchanting circus only open at night and focuses on two main characters pitted against each other unwillingly to face off at a mysterious challenge they know nothing about. I have to say I expected more of a plot and an explosive ending, but I am somehow unsure if this is a brilliant book or a mediocre one.

Review by Jaimie

Watercolours by Adrienne Ferreira     F/FERR

This is the story of a small riverside community seen through the eyes of an eleven year old boy and a twenty four year old man on his first teaching assignment. Novi is a talented artist that is falling behind in his school work and Dom, the new teacher, is keen to assist him.  The school librarian Camille is motivated to assist and together they garner Novi a scholarship.  This is a wonderful story with likeable characters whose various stories combine to depict the frailty of a small community.  Adrienne’s descriptive writing paints a visual that is both beautiful and haunting.

Review by Leanne

The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters     HCD/PETE

This is the second book in the Amelia Peabody mystery series in which Amelia and her archaeologist husband, Emerson return to Egypt. Sir Henry Baskerville had just discovered a tomb in Luxor when he dies suddenly under bizarre circumstance.   Amelia and Emerson continue his work while unraveling the mystery surrounding his death.  This book is really delightful to listen to as the reader, Susan O’Malley, does both Amelia and her precocious son, Ramses, brilliantly and their antics caused me quite a few chuckles.

Review by Kim