Kathryn's Inbox

French Exit is the story of a widow. And her dippy, wet behind the ears son. And their cat, Small Frank, inside whom the dead husband of widow Frances lives. The money has run out (which is mostly Frances' doing,) and the trio are off to France to live in slightly reduced circumstances. But mostly it is a brutal and savage look at human nature. A reviewer from Mail on Sunday branded it 'Pure joy', as per the front cover. Personally, I think that depends on the ability of the reader to find joy in dull and despicable people who are not living their best lives. While parts of French Exit were entertaining, most of it felt as though as I was reading some kind of inside joke that those in the know would find hilarious while I was left completely clueless. I feel that somehow, somewhere I missed the point or perhaps I am just not smart or cultured enough to put it all together.  Not recommended. 

Michelle Botton and Margo Maraggi do an excellent job of visiting the life story of famed twentieth century artist Andy Warhol, shaping it into a near perfect graphic novel. With each chapter focusing on a different point in Warhol's life, it tells of his humble beginnings, move to New York and career that initially shocked and then continued to change and evolve through various mediums until Warhol's passing in 1987. I really enjoyed this one. A graphic novel feels like the perfect medium to tell Warhol's story. Originally published in Italy, this one has been translated into English and the translation flows very well. The illustrations are beautiful and fitting. All of the most controversial points in Warhol's career are covered and there is some interesting speculation as to the ways Warhol was affected after he was famously shot inside his factory by Valarie Solanas.  An excellent Warhol biography. Highly recommended.

Housebroke is a charming, lightweight friends-to-lovers romance that is sure to leave readers with a smile on their face. Hazel Bristow is homeless following a traumatic divorce. She has nothing left but for her car, a mattress, one pot and her five foster dogs. Fortunately her good friends give her permission to stay inside their old, slightly run down house, until it is sold. Then the settlement goes through and the new owner picks up the keys. Linc Kennedy is a man who is insanely wealthy and spends his time flipping houses. When he picks up his keys and enters his latest project house, the last thing he expects is a woman and her five foster dogs to be sleeping in there. Fortunately, Linc is a big hearted guy and he finds a way to turn the situation to their advantage and hires Hazel to help him around the house. But what happens when the pair start to fall in love, and it turns out that Line has been keeping a huge secret from Hazel? This was an entertaining read. The two leads w

I confess. Despite being utterly obsessed with the Baby-Sitters Club series and its spin-offs in my pre-teen years, I do not remember this particular book at all. I also confess. I like to occasionally read books that are meant for children, especially the ones that remind me of my childhood. So when I found this one on the shelf at the library, I couldn't resist borrowing it for a few days. It turns out this one is a fun read. Thanksgiving is almost here Karen's class at Stoneybrook Academy is going to put on a play. For Karen, who loves to be the star at all times and for her bestie Nancy Dawes who wants to be an actress one day, this sounds ideal. However, things take a turn for the worse when Nancy is cast as a potato, and Karen as the turkey. For some reason, her teacher thinks it is a good idea to give very minor roles (which involve walking across a stage,) to the kids in the costumes that are going to be the most expensive and time consuming for their parents to create

This may be a Ladybird book, but it most certainly isn't for children. Aimed at grown ups, this one is part of a series that offers a savage satire on the real world. In this instalment the series turns its focus to something that can often be confusing, frustrating and sometimes maddening. The people next door. On the whole, we all want to get along with our neighbours. That, however, does not account for the fact that often we find ourselves thrown together with people who have very different ideas on how to live than us.  This book takes a look at some of the more annoying types of neighbours, such as elderly neighbours who make reports to the police about their neighbours doing things that aren't actually illegal, neighbours with small babies who live in flats and apartments with thin walls and untidy neighbours. Every type of annoying neighbour possible is listed and there are some other funny situations that poke fun at human nature. The prose is clever and brutal and pro

The Click series is such a winner that it is no wonder that there is now a spin-off series. Jointly written by Click creator Kayla Miller and Jeffrey Canino and illustrated by Kristina Luu, the focus shifts from Olive to her classmates, best friends Chandra and Beth. Chandra wants to prove to her parents that she can be responsible in the hope of one, moving out of the shadow of her talented older sister and two, so that she can adopt a kitten from the shelter. Beth, meanwhile, wants to raise some money to take her mum to a day spa. The opportunity for the pair to work together to make both things happen comes along when they are asked to pet sit and look after the house of a wealthy neighbour. Unfortunately things go wrong when the pair get a little bit too excited about the house and invite a few kids around who aren't real friends. Fortunately, through friendship, innovation and a little help things soon turn right again. This was a fun and well-written spin off. There are a fe