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Staff Book Reviews

Life in the Pitlane by Calum Nicholas

Life in the Pitlane by Calum Nicholas

Start your engines, it’s lights out and away we go to the chequered flag.
 
Life in the Pitlane tells the story of Calum Nicholas, an ordinary lad working as an apprentice mechanic in a north London garage and how he was transformed into one of the most recognisable faces in motorsport.
 
As a lifelong Formula 1 fan myself I found it refreshing to read an open and honest account of what life is like for a member of the team who isn’t one of the globally renowned millionaire superstar drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen or Daniel Ricciardo. Nor was he a legendary team boss like Frank Williams or Enzo Ferrari.
 
Calum takes us inside his journey to the pinnacle of Formula 1 with the dominant Red Bull Racing team.  He details the highs of the thrilling & controversial ending to the 2021 season as well as the lows of losing friend and colleague Jules Bianchi (F1’s most recent driver fatality) in 2015.  Nicholas shines a spotlight on the sacrifices it takes to live life in the pitlane in the world’s most glamorous and demanding sport.
 
Biography buffs will enjoy this insightful read, while F1 fans will devour Life in the Pitlane in the gap between race weekends and awaiting the soon to be released F1 movie starring Brad Pitt.

Reviewed by Josh, Business Support Officer

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Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

This delightful gem of a book is just what the magician ordered!

Being evil isn’t supposed to be joyful and a villain should never find his assistant so disgustingly charming or distracting, but with Evie Sage in your employ, it’s a hard thing to do.
 
If you like your fantasy with a side of adventure, a dash of mystery and a touch of romance then hold onto your dragons, this tale is for you. Grab your comfiest blanket, pour yourself a hot drink and curl up on your couch ready to fly into this charming, witty and cosy read.
 
After a fortunate (or unfortunate, depending on the way you look at it) meeting with The Villain, the ever optimistic and chirpy Evie accepts his offer of employment. After all, being the personal assistant to the realm’s most infamous man can’t be all that bad. The severed heads hanging in the foyer may take some getting used to and keeping on top of her what not to do list (“Don’t make moon eyes at the boss, Evie” and “Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie!”) might take a minute – inherently evil people shouldn’t be so good looking!
 
But when the boss’s evil plans start falling apart Evie must find the traitor at Massacre Manor and with the lines beginning to blur between what is good and what is evil, how can you tell who is truly a villain?
 
Told from a dual point of view, with a cast of lovable characters including a healer who gets paid in secrets, a frog with a flair for the dramatic and of course, a grumpy and brooding villain with a moral code; this book will leave you with a permanent grin on your face, reaching for the next book  
 
Lucky for us this fresh take on the fantasy genre, whilst not a complete series, does have a sequel out “Apprentice to the Villain” and a third book “Accomplice to the Villain” being published in August.
 
Wanting to dip your toes into the fantasy genre. Maybe you are a fan of the grumpy-sunshine trope. Or perhaps you are just looking for a light and fun read. Well then, this delightful gem of a book is just what the magician ordered.
 
Reviewed by Rachel, Library Customer Experience Officer

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Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal

Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal

This novel has it all: lyrical writing, at times punctuated with humour, and interesting and imperfect characters with complex lives. It is a story about love, finding yourself, and discovering where you belong. There is also a mystery about paternity gently woven throughout the book.
 
Charlotte Walker is a young English zoologist who takes up a fellowship to study endangered gold coin tortoises on a remote island called Tuga de Oro. However, the real reason for her visit is gradually revealed - there is a hidden secret that connects her to Tuga. And while there is a love story, even that is not all what it seems.

I really enjoyed the description of the island, and the way of life unique to Tuga. The story also touches on themes of colonization, as the island is a British overseas territory (fictional) and the impact that humans have on the environment. The relationship between Charlotte and her mother is complex, and central to the book.
 
I really enjoyed getting lost on Tuga, with its fascinating cast of characters complete with all their foibles. This is one of those books that I finished with regret, as I wanted the story to keep going. The good news is that this is the first book of a trilogy, with the second book due to be released in June 2025. I am eagerly looking out for the next instalment: Island Calling.

Review by Renee, Library Customer Experience Officer

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The Gallow's Bird

The Gallow's Bird by Barbara Sumner

The main character of Barbara Sumner’s historical novel is ‘Birdie’, also known as Hannah Bird, who takes a job as a laundry maid in London in 1838, believing that the family employing her may very well be the same one that threw her mother out on the street. Believing that she is above the work that has been given to her, Birdie roams the house where she works through secret passages intended to help servants move about unseen. She covets the beautiful life of the daughter of the house, believing the girl to be her cousin. Forced to live in dire circumstances while her employers wear fine clothing and eat rich and sumptuous foods, Birdie grows increasingly bitter. She is an easy target for a gang of thieves looking to round out their number, and after their ill-planned heist turns deadly, she soon finds herself heartbroken and imprisoned, about to be transported to the other side of the world – Australia.
 
On the sea journey to the penal colony of New South Wales, Birdie bonds with her fellow prisoners and learns just what kind of hardness will be required of her to make it in her new life. Based on the real stories of female convicts, Barbara Sumner has built a tale of strength, resilience, endurance and friendship that pays tribute to the women who were sent to the other side of the world for crimes such as stealing something to eat for their starving children—children who they would never see again.
 
An epic, sweeping tale, this book has moments of beauty and brutality, and covers a fascinating chapter in Australia’s history from an often overlooked point of view. Fans of Meg Keneally will enjoy this debut book (twenty years in the making) by Barbara Sumner.

 
Reviewed by Emily, Librarian

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Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum

A reflective story which explores the small things in life and will leave you full of hope knowing it is never too late for a fresh start.
 
Welcome to Hyunam-Dong Bookshop revolves around Yeongju, who is burnt out by the demands of modern life.  In an attempt to recentre herself decides to follow her lifelong dream of opening a bookstore. There, she meets and warms to different characters from the neighbourhood. She hires a barista, Minjun, who is also going through a difficult time in his life. Unable to find a job, Minjun is disillusioned with society and its expectations. Running the bookshop together, Yeongju and Minjun grow to enjoy each other's quiet company and find purpose within their community.
 
The writing in Welcome to Hyunam-Dong Bookshop is gentle and evenly paced. I enjoy Yeongju's musings about books and life's 'big questions'. I find myself pondering about what defines success, the importance of human connections and how to derive happiness from the mundane. 
 
As Yeongju says, "To read is to see things from someone else's perspective, and that naturally leads you to stop and look out for other people, rather than chase after success in the rat race. If more people read, I think the world would become a better place." 
 
Welcome to Hyunam-Dong Bookshop gives us a peek into the lives of regular people and shows us how much difference empathy and kindness between strangers can make. If you are looking for a cozy fiction without mystery and romance, definitely try this one.
 
If you enjoyed this book, try: Days At Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, Yeonnam-dong's Smiley Laundromat by Kim Jiyun and The Restaurant of Lost Recipes by Hisashi Kashiwai. 
 
Review by Pearline – Library Customer Experience Officer 

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The Thinning by Inga Simpson

The Thinning by Inga Simpson

A powerful, atmospheric dystopian set in the near future as the world is on the brink of environmental collapse.
 
The natural world is collapsing. The Great Barrier Reef has died. The Great Artisan Basin is contaminated beyond hope, mass extinctions are common and human fertility rates are falling. 
 
The Thinning follows Fin, the daughter of astronomers, who witnesses the stars fading as the night sky becomes brighter with light pollution. Fin and her family are fighting to adapt to the drastically changing world when they discover the government has a plan for all females of reproductive age to be subject to fertility testing. To avoid this fate, Fin is pulled out of school and the family escape into the bush. Scraping through life in an off-grid community, they mix with other climate refuges including Incompletes, a new genus of humans evolved for life indoors staring at screens. 
 
Fin’s mother sends Fin and another teen, Terry, an Incomplete, on a secret mission trekking through the bush to observe a solar eclipse, during which they must send a laser signal back to the camp. Not only must the pair struggle through the inhospitable bush and the punishing tertian, they must also evade the authorities hunting Terry. The journey through the ancient landscape affects Fin, causing flashbacks to her childhood in Warrumbungle National Park and the Pilliga forest. After experiencing the eclipse, Fin asks the profound question: “What if we could see a way to make a new world, where all beings, no matter how fragile, could thrive?”
 
The Thinning is a thought-provoking dystopian page turner which captures the beauty of the Australian landscape and our unique night sky. Fans of Tim Winton’s Juice will love this book.

Reviewed by Chris, Business Support Officer

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