Kathryn's Inbox

Until recently I had no idea that Australian comedy duo Lano & Woodley had written a novel. It turns out that Housemeeting was originally published by Penguin Books Australia in 1996, a year or so before the first series of the brilliant The Adventures of Lano & Woodley television programme aired on the ABC. (A second series aired in 1999. You can find some clips on YouTube and Facebook, like this one here .) Anyway, Housemeeting runs on a similar premise to the television series, with Colin and Frank sharing a flat in inner-suburban Melbourne. Except that there is one problem. The arrogant and egotistical Colin wants the innocent and lovably stupid Frank out of "his" house. And Frank does not, under any circumstances want to leave ... This was a fun and entertaining read. It's not too heavy, with the bulk of the novel written in a format similar to a play or a tv script, with a few prose bits in between and some amusing illustrations by Frank Woodley. The chara

Islands is a story of a family that is fragmented and in distress. Weaving between time and eras and characters it tells the story of how fifteen year old Anna disappears one night, never to be seen again, the mystery of her disappearance never to be resolved. How did it happen? Why? These are the questions that each character asks as they blame themselves and each other for the loss of Anna. After all, things have never been quite right for the family. According to John's mother, he and Helen were never a perfect match. John could never properly get over the fact that Helen cheated on him and left. Their daughter, June, considers Helen to be selfish, holding her mother totally responsible for her parent's divorce and for Anna's disappearance. And Helen ... well, Helen just wants to be loved.  This is a novel that I found to be sad, well written and testimony to the fact that there is always more than one side to a story or situation. Readers focused looking for answers ab

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There is no denying it. Triple J's Hottest 100 is an Australian institution. We all know it, many of us love it and generations of Australian's associate it not just with music but a kind of kinship and community. For me, personally, which songs make up Triple J's Hottest 100 each year has more importance than the highest selling singles of that year. Shoulda Been Higher details the history of the Hottest 100 and is a definitive account of sorts of what is, essentially, the most important music countdown in Australia. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one from cover to cover. Tom W Clarke gives a definitive history, adds a little bit of humour (even the title--a phrase that will be instantly recognisable with its association to the Hottest 100,) made me smile. Clarke gives a few of his own opinions and while I didn't necessarily agree with everything I did find it entertaining. It's also great just to see the countdown getting the recognition it deserves as a part

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The second graphic novel in the reimagined Sweet Valley Twins series takes its focus from goody-goody twin Elizabeth to the devilish and fundamentally flawed Jessica. This time around, we see a vulnerable side to the younger Wakefield twin. After all, it's not so easy having such a perfect sister. Especially when this is the one occasion when Jessica deserves the spotlight. The twins are taking ballet lessons. Jessica loves ballet and works harder than anyone else in the class. Coupled with a natural flair for ballet, she should be living the dream, right? Nope. It is her sister Elizabeth who gets all of the praise and recognition from their teacher, who barely even notices Jessica no matter how hard she works. The premise is interesting enough, though like all Sweet Valley tales this one is flawed--it particular the retconned ending. (In the original, the teacher paid Jessica little attention because she mistakenly believed that she was not serious about ballet. This one pans out

By far, the best thing about Brutal Prince is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. From the cute cover, to the cheeky illustrations to a plot filled with an enemies-to-lovers romance and scores of mafia types (complete with shoot outs,) this book is filled with melodrama and trash and it doesn't waste my time pretending to be anything else. Aida is the youngest and wildest member of the wealthy Gallo family, big player in the local Italian mafia scene. They've been enemies with the Griffins, an equally wealthy family who are a part of the local Irish mafia. One evening, Aida decides to sneak in to a party at the Griffin's mansion. She accidentally sets their curtains on fire and one unfortunate event follows another, until the older generations of both families decide enough is another. They are going to end this war once and for all, with an arranged marriage between Aida and Callum Griffin, an aspiring politician and heir to the Griffin family fortune. Unfortun