Kathryn's Inbox

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Sam Cotton's debut graphic novel featuring a group of savvy seagulls is sure to delight readers of all ages. If there is one thing seagulls love, it is chips. It is just a pity that Stanley, Stacey and Steve-O have been deprived of their favourite food, thanks to the driver of a chip van who--while he makes delicious chips--also happens to be a cold hearted seagull swatter, which led to a tragic incident. Can the trio, and their friend worm, defeat Brock and get their share of chips? It is going to take friendship and a lot of innovation to make it work. This was a fun read from start to finish. I had a good giggle at some of the scenes and illustrations, many of which felt very relatable. (I grew up not so far from the ocean. These days it isn't a trip to Port Noarlunga, Christies Beach, Brighton or Glenelg if I'm not surrounded by seagulls on the hunt for chips. Of course, I know that they shouldn't be eating them, but ...) Anyway, this one is pure fun from beginning

The first novel in Sir Anthony Trollope's beloved Palliser series is commentary on Victorian society and the lives of the women in it. The main plot tells the story of Alice Vavasor, the young lady the reader is asked to forgive. Previously engaged to her roguish cousin George, Alice has recently made what seems to be a much better match in John Grey, a gentleman in every sense of the word. It is a shame then that John Grey isn't terrible exciting, that George's sister Kate is prone to meddling and that now he is a little older George has lofty political aspirations that Alice approves of. All of which leads Alice to break things off with John and rekindle her engagement to George much to the disgust of all of her relatives except for Kate. From there, things go from bad to worse as George's true colours become increasingly obvious. Running parallel to this story is that of Alice's friend Lady Glencora who has to choose between a penniless rogue and an aspiring poli

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Odd and the Frost Giants is a delightful story about a boy who goes on an adventure, encountering some Norse Gods and finding himself standing up to a formidable frost giant. Odd is the son of a Viking and the Scottish woman his father fell in love with. When Odd's father dies and his mother remarries, Odd runs away. His stepfather has no time for a stepson who is crippled and there are limited opportunities for Odd in their village. So he goes away to find something more. That something more turns out to be a rollicking adventure with Odin, Thor and Loki who have been turned into animals and banished from their home by the frost giants. And somehow, gentle Odd must find a way to right things as return Asgard to its rightful owners. This was a fun and entertaining read that draws upon Norse mythology. (And syncs in perfectly with Neil Gaiman's book of the same name.) I liked to moral of drawing upon inner strength as opposed to physical strength, and the repercussions of bitte

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