Kathryn's Inbox

Many years ago, well before she was the author of multiple bestselling domestic thrillers with titles that just ooze with scandal like I Invited Her In or One Last Secret, Adele Parks was better known for writing saucy and ever-so-slightly dark chick-lit, with heroines that weren't always easy to like, difficult situations and, inexplicably, front covers that only ever featured pictures of somebody's legs. Playing Away was her debut and released at about the time that Bridget Jones's Diary was peaking. It was an era when contemporary novels pitched at a predominantly female readership were undergoing a reinvention. Authors like Sophie Kinsella were providing modern, funny stories. Marian Keyes was writing romances with a big fat slice of real life. And Adele Parks, well, she was becoming the author of her generation who was willing to tackle some taboo subjects in novels pitched squarely at a mass market audience. Playing Away tells the story of Connie. Sexually adventu

ABC journalist Tom Tilley's memoir is an honest yet wholly empathetic story of questioning the church he was born into. Growing up in a country town, Tom's life revolved around sports and most importantly of all, the church that his parents belonged to. As he grows older, Tom begins to question more and more of the teachings of the fundamentalist Pentecostal church that his family belongs to, in particular their strictly enforced requirement that all members speak in tongues. Even as a child he has suspicions that the speaking in tongues part may not be real, but to reject it would mean being cast out of his close knit church community and even his family. This was an interesting read about a childhood and a family who were shaped by a fundamentalist church community, one that Tilley would learn as he grew older had beliefs that were separate to other Christian churches and even other Pentecostal churches--and the rules far more harshly enforced to the point where entire famili

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Everything is working out for Sophia, an Australian living in New York. Or is it? Sure, she has left the small town where she grew up well and truly behind and she has a coveted job in the most exciting and glamorous of places--The Museum of Modern Art. She and her boyfriend Robert have suddenly and unexpectedly become engaged. So why isn't she happy? When Sophia meets Cara, she finds suddenly finds herself questioning everything about her relationships and her career. But what are the consequences of not following a traditional path, the one that she will have if she stays with Robert and his respectable family? And what are the consequences if she throws convention to the wind and chooses something else? What does it mean to be modern in twenty-first century New York? In many ways this was an interesting read about a young woman, and the huge gap between how she appears on the surface and how she feels underneath. The narrative, filled with Sophia's many thoughts about her li

The Philosophy of Andy Warhol is an entertaining and thoughtful glimpse into the mind of one of the twentieth century's most memorable artists. Within its pages, Warhol tells the stories of various people and events that shaped and influenced him, as well as sharing his thoughts about human behaviour, art and the exciting times and place where he lived. And, of course, the Factory gets a mention as well.  This was an enjoyable read. While I have no doubt that many of the stories were altered and embellished, such as that of his friend Taxi, they still make for entertaining reading. More interesting was his musings on life and the way people should treat one another, which was done via a tape recorder rather than being written, and that may or may not have been recorded while he was under the influence. It is obvious from the start that Warhol was deeply introverted, thoughtful and even in his own memoir very good at evading anything that he doesn't want to talk about. What he

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Playing With the Grown-Ups is a highly entertaining coming-of-age story about a girl from a very well, unusual family. Kitty is the illegitimate daughter of a teenage mother and a much older (and married) man, whose role in her life is to supply the occasional bit of money. She lives with her mother, nanny and her younger brother and sister in a small cottage at the back of the house where her eccentric grandparents and two young aunts live. Family life is chaotic--her grandfather, or Bestepapa is something of an eccentric her mother, Marina, is an artist who suffers bouts of depression and Kitty's aunts both make a fuss of her. That life soon comes crashing down, however, when Marina meets a guru, who soon wields a bit too much influence on her and convinces Marina to move to the United States. From then on, Kitty is flung between boarding schools, countries and each has a more detrimental effect on her than the last, until Kitty eventually comes to realise that Marina isn't

Alice Hoffman's latest novel is a beautiful testimony to the power books have to change lives. Mia Jacob has been raised in a cult, a commune run by her cruel and controlling stepfather. Fifteen year old Mia's life changes unexpectedly one day when she discovers the local library. There, Mia finds a copy of The Scarlett Letter and notices a surprising parallel between Hawthorne's beloved story and that of her mother--a young woman who was cast out of her home due to an unplanned pregnancy. Intrigued by how Hawthorne could have told a story that is so similar, Mia begins to spend more and more time at the library, an action that will eventually see her cast out of the cult and into the arms of a loving adoptive family--Constance and Sarah who do all they can to protect her from Joel, the cult's unhinged leader. When tragedy strikes, Mia finds herself making a wish ... one that has very unexpected results. Heartbreaking and filled with magical realism, The Invisible Hour

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Here For the Right Reasons was such a hit with me that of course I had to go out and buy Can I Steal You For a Second? More of a companion novel than a sequel, this is told through the eyes of reality show Marry Me, Juliet contestant Mandie Mitchell. She's come on to the show to win the heart of this season's Romeo, Dylan Jayasinghe Mellor, and to get over her manipulative ex who left her heart--and her self esteem--in tatters. But what happens when Mandie finds herself falling for another contestant from the series--tough nurse Dylan Gilchrist, the Juliet who looks set to win Romeo Dylan's heart. This was an entertaining read from start to finish. Mandie is an interesting character, a mechanic who is a real sweetheart, and who just happens to be bisexual. She is not out on the show, which creates some interesting moments of tension--and it seems that she might not be the only bi contestant on the show. Her friendship with Dylan G is handled realistically and with integri

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The Rock Star Detectives, thirteen year old music sensation Charley and her best friend George are back in another rollicking adventure. This time, the pair are in Sydney where they are working on a film about their previous adventure where they were falsely accused of art theft. Charley is playing herself and George is, well, George is still more comfortable working behind the scenes. Soon, things start going wrong on the set--the actor playing George keeps having mood swings, there's a big action film being made in the studio next door and something doesn't seem quite right with the big star who keeps crashing their set, and worse still, there are lots of horrible accidents occurring wherever Charley goes. Soon she and George realise that someone might just be out to kill Charley ... but can they get to the bottom of it in time? This was an enjoyable read, with plenty of action, fun characters and some truly funny moments. I liked this entertaining glimpse into the film indus

Some books offer pure escapism. Others are melodramatic tosh and, unfortunately, Virgin River belongs squarely in this second category. After Melinda Monroe's husband is murdered in a dramatic and unfortunate event, Melinda, who works as a midwife, decides she needs to leave the tough hospitals of LA. And so she applies for a job in Virgin River, an isolated small town. And without knowing so much as a thing of the town, let alone stoping by to see what it might be like, she chucks her old life in and moves there. Pity the accomodation isn't liveable, her car is totally unsuitable for the mountain terrain and the local doctor doesn't want her there. Fortunately, there is a rugged barman just ready and waiting for a girl like her, and she's just so charming she wins the locals over within a few pages. And then begins a host of utterly unbelievable adventures from abandoned babies (and did I ever cringe when I found out who the real mother was,) to the story of the good l