Three students: dead.
Carly Johnson: vanished without a trace.

Two decades have passed since an inferno swept through Elmbridge High, claiming the lives of three teenagers and causing one student, Carly Johnson, to disappear. The main suspect: Kaitlyn, “the girl of nowhere.”

Kaitlyn’s diary, discovered in the ruins of Elmbridge High, reveals the thoughts of a disturbed mind. Its charred pages tell a sinister version of events that took place that tragic night, and the girl of nowhere is caught in the center of it all. But many claim Kaitlyn doesn’t exist, and in a way, she doesn’t – because she is the alter ego of Carly Johnson.

Carly gets the day. Kaitlyn has the night. It’s during the night that a mystery surrounding the Dead House unravels and a dark, twisted magic ruins the lives of each student that dares touch it.

Debut author Dawn Kurtagich masterfully weaves together a thrilling and terrifying story using psychiatric reports, witness testimonials, video footage, and the discovered diary – and as the mystery grows, the horrifying truth about what happened that night unfolds.

Hardcover, 400 pages

Published September 15th 2015 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Carly and Kaitlyn share a body. When Carly disappears, Kaitlyn is lost on how to find her and get her back. Encompassing recordings with her psychiatrist, to friends, news, the media, and herself, this book is a stand out, engaging read.

Starting out as complex psychological thriller, this story will eventually lead into a paranormal suspense. The pacing of the novel is constant, and the different formats for relaying the story make it a very visually enjoyable novel as well. The story does not all take place at the same place either; it switches between the psychiatric hospital and the school (and inside Katilyn’s mind).

My favorite character is Naida who is Carly’s best friend. She was the most dependable, honest and admirable character I have read about in years. The lengths that she goes to find Carly was astonishing. There is a small group of people who become involved in the mystery of Carly’s disappearance and each play a role in the mystery; especially, the mystery of who is behind the killings that begin to take place. This throws us into a horror novel — great for late night reading (if your not big on sleeping that is!).

I was surprised at how raw and dark this story really gets. The writing is deep and true, and the reader has to feel honest emotion to truly understand Kaitlyn.  It is really a story about a girl who gets lost in her own head as the author delves into how a person can  find their selves within, when there only seems to be locked doors blocking the way.This is definitely a story that I’d recommend  to our readers.

Solu’s luxurious celebrity-filled “Cruise to Lose” is billed as “the biggest cruise since the Titanic,” and if the new diet sweetener works as promised—dropping five percent of a person’s body weight in just days—it really could be the answer to the world’s obesity problem. But Laurel is starting to regret accepting her friend Viv’s invitation. She’s already completely embarrassed herself in front of celebrity host, Tom Forelli (otherwise known as the hottest guy ever!) and she’s too seasick to even try the sweetener. And that’s before Viv and all the other passengers start acting really strange.

*But will they die for it, too?*

Tom Forelli knows that he should be grateful for this job and the opportunity to shed his childhood “Baby Tom-Tom” image. His publicists have even set up a ‘romance’ with a sexy reality star. But as things on the ship start to get a bit wild, he finds himself drawn to a different girl. And when his celebrity hosting gig turns into an expose on the shocking side effects of Solu, it’s Laurel that he’s determined to save.

Emmy Laybourne, author of the Monument 14 trilogy, takes readers on a dream vacation that goes first comically, then tragically, then horrifyingly, wrong.

I found myself laughing through most of this story. It was very silly and shows a comedic side to Emmy Laybourne, which I really enjoyed. Even in times when it took a more serious turn, I couldn’t help but giggle.

Laurel is the hermit type who likes quiet and peace, so taking a super-hyped cruise for the rich, and  being the lucky-to-be-first to try an amazing weight loss product, soon becomes a nightmare at sea for her. Tom is a reality star who is getting to that stage in his career where he wants to drop his agent and make his own decisions. He takes the job as host on the voyage to help boost his career and maybe his love life. When he keeps seeing Laurel around the ship, he finds he is drawn to her; there is something different about her and he’s intrigued.

When the Solu products are given to the passengers, the results are immediate and overwhelmingly satisfying. The real vacation and parties begin and everybody is in high spirits, even Laurel who is shyly becoming attracted to the celebrity host, Tom. As the days go on, Solu’s results are impressive and those taking the sweetener are ecstatic with the outcomes. The more time they stay on the diet, the weirder things become. Soon Laurel’s and Viv’s friendship is taking a turn for the worse, and Tom is regretting accepting the job. People begin acting curiously as the outrageous mood swings begin.

I found Sweet to be entertaining and a bit surprising. It makes for a fantastic summertime read, and I recommend it to those who enjoy quirky comedies. Great for teens of all ages and very different from Emmy’s Monument 14 series.

Mandy Wrangles reviews Julie Goodwin’s cook book, and with her young family, it proves to be perfect.

Julie Goodwin has become a familiar face in Australian cooking circles in the last few years. As the winner of the 2009 ‘Master Chef’ television show, she’s gone on to huge success writing for the Australian Women’s Weekly, appearing on TV, and as a bestselling cookbook author.

Her first cookbook, ‘Our Family Table’ was one of the highest selling cookbooks in Australian history. She recently opened ‘Julie’s Place’ on the NSW central coast where she hosts cookery classes, corporate team days and special events. What’s her secret to success? Well, I think it’s her normalness. Julie Goodwin is kind of an everybody. The sort of person you can imagine being friends with, the mum you met at a school fundraiser or the lady from the local shop. Her cooking style is realistic – sure, as we all learned watching her on Masterchef, she can pull out the big guns and whip up a spectacular, world-class meal without blinking – but she realises most of us just don’t have the time to undertake those kind of cooking challenges on a regular basis.

Making a call to the local takeaway shop is so much easier, if not expensive and, well, there’s always that guilt factor if you’re anything like me. Homemade is always best. It’s just not always possible. Goodwin’s latest cookbook, ‘Homemade Takeaway’ solves both those problems. With simple, easy to understand recipes that are actually achievable for the average home-cook, gorgeous photographs and a variety to please the fussiest family member, I think she’s on another winner.

‘Homemade Takeaway’ is broken into chapters such as Thai, Tex Mex, Lebanese, Corner Store and Chicken Shop. There’s a fab bakery section (the baked chocolate cheesecake, oh my!) and lots of quick tip recipes, such as pickled onions and burger sauce to add to your Aussie or American burger. The chapter on Chinese cooking gives us those timeless classics such as Sesame Prawn Toast, Mongolian Lamb and Chilli salt soft-shell crab, along with basics like Special Fried Rice.

For Italian, there’s pizza of course, pasta dough and Spaghetti and meatballs, but you can also check out something a little more special such as the Ricotta and spinach ravioli with burnt butter and sage (I’m SO cooking that one soon…will be back to you with the results). I’m expecting my family favourites to be the Lebanese flatbread and dip recipes, along with those burgers from the Corner Store and Tex Mex chapters.

In all, this is one of the most well-presented everyday cookbooks I’ve come across in a long time. It’s practical as well as beautiful and nothing about it screams too hard or fiddly. Best of all, Goodwin gives us alternatives to buying takeaway, using healthy, locally sourced and easy to find ingredients. She also gives tips on how to make a dish more economical – for example using water instead of buttermilk to poach chicken pieces that will later be fried for Southern Fried Chicken (another must-make, it looks amazing).

I recommend ‘Homemade Takeaway’ for anyone who loves to cook, but is practical and realistic about what is achievable in a home kitchen. It would make a fantastic Christmas gift for anyone who enjoys feeding their family and friends the timeless favourites – and for fussy kids who prefer takeaway to Mum’s cooking…it’s a super-win!

Homemade Takeaway by Julie Goodwin

Published by Hachette Australia

Paperback (re-enforced, glossy) 273 pages

ISBN – 978-0-7336-3213-6

The Fyrelit Tragedy is the first in a series of four books, by Brisbane-based siblings, Nicholas and Alison Lochel.

The story takes place in the nation of Fynglade, a fantasy land inhabited by giants, elves, men, monsters and mysterious creatures. It begins in the city of Zarakora with an act of betrayal that will bring unexpected consequences for all and for the future of Fynglade.

We then fast forward to fifteen years later, in the neighbouring kingdom of Delmor. The young Fyrelit siblings are preparing for a tournament, of which the eldest, Neleik, is reigning champion. He, along with his brother, Ervine, and much younger sister, Skye, are getting along as best they can in the wake of their parents’ death. Neleik is the only one who fully remembers the event and the involvement of a cloaked man, known as Versalos. The trauma has left him protective and vigilant. He is now the head of the little family; a responsibility he takes very seriously.

During the tournament, Neleik’s worst fears become reality – Versalos returns and kidnaps Skye. Without pausing for thought, Neleik collects Ervine, some supplies, and an unlikely ally in Romahn, his former competitor. Together they tear off to petition the King of Delmor for aide in retrieving Skye.

Here the group experience their first obstacle, which only serves to harden their resolve. Their plight attracts another friend in Kyia, the Princess of Delmor, who finagles her way into their mission as they determine to find out more about Versalos. The four set out from Delmor with purpose, resourcefulness and little experience of the wider world.

It doesn’t take long for them to find trouble and intrigue aplenty. It soon becomes apparent that the situation is much larger than they knew. What started off as a mission to save one little girl, rapidly transforms into an epic quest to retake Zarkora and banish the forces of darkness from the land of Fynglade.

This new quest leads them to a city of magic, a close shave with the pursuing guards of Delmor, an unexpected reunion, and a devastating revelation. Undaunted, the friends forge ahead and continue to pick up information, allies and enemies in their bid to save the nation and Skye. They learn more about their quarry, Versalos, and soon realise that if they are to have any chance against him, it will take much more than willpower.

Their many trials test the companions’ strength and moral fibre and bring to bear the most powerful bonds of family and friendship. Together, they encounter vicious monsters and experience tragedy, loss and triumph. They find that they have friends in the most unusual places and are hunted by some very persistent enemies. Each encounter brings them a step closer to their goal and risks the wrath of Versalos, who is determined to wipe out any that oppose him.

It is hard not to get swept up in the increasingly grand mission of the Fyrelit family. It is an exciting and perilous journey with spectacular escapes and near-misses, unlikely friendships, and tests of faith. The characters are engaging and the final band of friends is well-rounded. They all experience growth during the story and together they display bravery, compassion, integrity, empathy, and selflessness.

The Fyrelit Tragedy is a good opening to a quest series and should please young readers who have enjoyed stories along the lines of Harry Potter, or The Lord of the Rings. As is appropriate for this audience, enthusiasm is high, doubts are overcome and reflection is present but fleeting. The tension ratchets up nicely and there is plenty to distract the group from getting bogged down in lengthy debate. All of the characters are upfront about their intentions and fall clearly into the categories of either good or evil.

The world building is solid with a few interesting parallels to our world. The only glitch for me was in the use of contemporary, real-world language in places but this may not be a problem for others.

The Lochels are in themselves a story of courage and self-belief. Over the years they have generated so much positive publicity for their self-published books, that a publishing company (Hachette Australia) took notice. I imagine that Zarkora is only the beginning of a long and fruitful partnership.

The Fyrelit Tragedy ends on a cliff-hanger and continues with Zarkora: The Lost Kingdom, which is released in Novenmber 2015.

When sixteen-year-old Tuesday wakes in Madam Marisol’s Unreality House, she has no idea who she is. And no clue about the fantastic world she is about to be flung into. With the charming but self-serving Quintalion as her reluctant chaperone and a letter from her unremembered self, she ventures out in search of her past.

With a war looming between those who practice the old ways and the daybreakers, and one particularly dangerous daybreaker who seems to have a vendetta against her, Tuesday’s quest will be more difficult than she could imagine. And it will take her to more places than she would have dreamed possible. From the purple-grassed Whispering Plains to the Silk Sea, Tuesday’s journey to find out who she was may just cement who she is now.

Book of Days is Brisbane author, K.A. Barker’s debut novel, and John Marsden probably said it best when he lauded the novel for being ‘dazzlingly different’. It is: both in style and content.

Usually it’s characters that make a fantasy journey memorable for me. There are some amazing characters in Book of Days, but here even they take a back seat to the world built within these pages. From the paper-burning traditions of Beggars End to Lady Fortuna’s Court in the heart of a magnificent floating city, the places in Book of Days are spectacularly sprawling landscapes that I’d love to explore.

The one main weakness in an otherwise enchanting novel is the main character, Tuesday. She has a tendency to make bad decisions, ignore solid advice from people who know the world better than her, and then crumple when her decisions get her in trouble. Her companions are amazing, but I don’t know why they stay by her when they have no reason to offer her loyalty and when her actions often wilfully endanger them.

As I’ve mentioned, the cast of supporting characters are fantastic. Quintalion might be self-serving but he’s also charming; and who doesn’t appreciate someone with such immaculate dress-sense? Hester, a warrior from the North, is as sharp as her sword, and fearless. She is a good foil for Quintalion, keeping him in check where Tuesday can’t. And Jack, the blind assistant librarian is sweet and funny. All together these characters have a dynamic that makes the book a more wondrous place.

Anyone who likes quirky fantasy worlds will devour this novel. Fans of Terry Pratchett or Garth Nix should try it out for the sheer imagination it exudes.

The Book of Days – K.A. Barker

Pan Macmillan (September 1, 2014)

ISBN: 9781742614175