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Reviewsday: Armada by Ernest Cline

Pew Pew Pew!!!

Hurry reader we must find shelter from the laser fire….

Phew…that was close!

You might be wondering where these lasers are coming from…well perhaps it’s time to read Armada by Ernest Cline to find out! Cline’s second novel after his smash release Ready Player One will have you dodging destruction in this alien-infested sci-fi tale. Follow Zack Lightman as he begins to uncover the unsettling truth behind a government cover-up to protect the world from annihilation at the hands of the Europeans…I mean Europans, who’ve made it their sole purpose to destroy Earth and all its inhabitants.

A story fit for teenagers and young adults Armada pays homage to Cline’s personal favourite pop culture references and sources such as those created by the famous sci-fi directors Stephen Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick. Set your phasers to kill reader and pray to god you aim is better than a Stormtrooper's - this is going to be a fight you won’t soon forget.

~Liam, Carousel QBD

By Liam, QBD Carousel   0 Comments

Reviewsday: Impostors by Scott Westerfeld

Master storyteller Scott Westerfeld returns with a brilliant new series set in the world of his bestselling Uglies series.

The first thing that had me hooked with this novel was how refreshing it was to be back in Tally Youngblood’s universe. I somehow skipped over this little fact – which is handily supplied in the blurb, who knew? - due to my uncontainable excitement over the novel's existence. Diving headfirst back into it all these years later was like coming home.

As I’m sure we all know at this point Westerfeld writes some mind-blowing characters, but Frey has knocked everyone else off their pedestal and claimed her rightful place as my favourite. Despite basically being a walking, talking, ticking time bomb, she’s an insanely complex character with an unexpected vulnerability to her that had me firmly in her corner from the first chapter.

Westerfeld’s world building is superbly on point as always and the changes wrought by Tally’s hand in the Uglies series (which I wholeheartedly recommend reading if you haven’t already!) essentially lay the foundation for the plot of Impostors. I won’t say too much because untangling Westerfeld's intricate web is an experience not to be missed, but there are enough heavy smatterings of action, intrigue and good ole plot twists to keep you engrossed until the last page. With a cliff-hanger ending that is so deviously twisted I barely registered how shocked I was because I was so damn impressed, Impostors is not a novel to be missed.

~ Karen, Tweed Heads QBD

 

About the book: 

Frey was raised to take a bullet.

She's the body double for her twin sister Rafia - the precious heir of the first family of Shreve - and her existence is a closely guarded secret. So while Rafi was schooled in poise and diplomacy, Frey was drilled in weapons and combat. Her purpose: to protect her sister from their tyrannical father's many enemies.

When Frey is sent in Rafi's place as collateral in a precarious business deal, she becomes the perfect impostor - as elegant and charming as her sister. But Col Palafox, the son of a rival leader, is getting close enough to spot the killer inside her. As layers of deceit peel away, can Frey become her own person, and risk everything in a rebellion?

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Reviewsday: Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Strange the Dreamer transports you into a world filled with Gods and monsters. Lazlo Strange, an orphan boy, struggled against the rigid rules and requirements of being raised by monks. Lazlo’s only retreat is his dream to one day discover the long lost magical city of Weep. As Lazlo grows older his obsession with Weep only becomes stronger. Until one fateful day when citizens of Weep suddenly arrive into town.

This book instantly became one of my favourites. It just has everything a great fantasy novel should have. The world building is fantastic and the imagery created by the lyrical writing style of Taylor easily immerses you into the world of Lazlo Strange. Like all great fantasy books, Strange the Dreamer allows you to observe relevant issues and ideas for today through the lens of the fantastical. Taylor thoughtfully explores the ideas of forgiveness, racism and how trauma carries through generations.

Books like this are a rare find and I am eagerly awaiting the next one Muse of Nightmares which is due to come out in October 2018.

~ Orah, QBD Chadstone

 

By Orah, QBD Chadstone   0 Comments

Spotlight on QBD: Kawana, QLD

 

Check out our Kawana team's shelf-worthy reads!
They have plenty more suggestions. Visit them in store ASAP!

 

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden:

Following the story of young Chiyo, this books depiction of becoming a geisha was both entertaining and fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed the mixture of fact and fiction that was described through Chiyo's young mind that drew me in and kept me turning pages until the end. Memoirs of a Geisha is definitely an oldie but a goldie, for anyone that would love an insight into the mysterious and controversial culture of the Japanese geisha. - Jenna

Florence Foster Jenkins by Jasper Rees & Nicholas Martin:

There are no other words for this book other than inspirational! Within the first few pages I was drawn in, not only because this book takes you on a roller-coaster of emotion, but because her story is the pure meaning of never giving up and hope never dying. For anyone who loves music, courage and history this book is the one for you. - Louisa

Gallery of the Dead by Chris Carter:

This is the 9th installment of the Robert Hunter series & once again the 9th time I am captivated by Chris Carter's writing. His descriptive & in depth writing leaves you staying up way past your bed time to help solve the murders and catch the killer!
Detective Hunter & Garcia of the Ultra Violent Crime Unit are once again on the trail of a serial killer, but this time teaming up with the FBI as the killer crosses state lines. With no suspects, no link between the victims & the body count starting to pile up it is a race against time to stop this psychopath before his gallery is complete.
A book not for the faint of heart, but definitely for crime lovers! - Abbey

Breathing Under Water by Sophie Hardcastle:

Powerful is the word that comes to mind for this novel. Set in a sleepy ocean town, Hardcastle has created a character. who's life is struck with tragedy before it has really even begun. While reading, you are taken on an emotional roller-coaster as Grace, the novels protagonist, deals with grief and regret after a terrible indecent tears her surf-loving family apart. If you love novels by authors such as John Green or Rainbow Rowell, this book is for you. - Aimee

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland:

A beautifully written debut novel, set on an Australian flower farm. At the start of each chapter she has a picture of a beautiful Australian native with a small description of the plant. The story of Alice Hart will tear at your heart strings, as she uses the language of flowers to communicate the things she finds so hard to say. After suffering a terrible abusive childhood Alice finds refuge at her Grandmothers flower farm and finds the beauty of the flowers transport her to another realm. This enchanting novel is hard to put down as Alice transforms her life one tragedy after another. A must read for fans of beautifully written Australian drama. - Colette

We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver:

Everybody who has ever been a parent has at one time or another reflected on their choices be they good or bad. This novel is a narrative of flashbacks told by Eva, the mother of Kevin who murdered seven students, a cafeteria worker and a teacher at his high school. It is purely and simply superbly written! A perfect read for book club's as I'm sure it will be the pre-cursor for many interesting discussions. - Yvonne

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton:

Kate Morton never disappoints! Windswept whispers of a little girl lost swirl around this cliff top garden as the present is linked to the past by a century old mystery. An unexpected inheritance finally leads to the truth being revealed. - Jan

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Each week our QBD Spotlight falls on a different store.
Keep an eye out for your local team!

By QBD Kawana   0 Comments

Reviewsday: Jane Doe And The Cradle Of All Worlds by Jeremy Lachlan

Can't get enough Harry Potter? Waiting for Wundersmith?  

Never fear, we have found your next great magical read!

Introducing the Jane Doe Chronicles! A cursed child, a magical realm, and an epic quest.

It's all our reading hopes and dreams come true!

 

When a fierce quake strikes the remote island of Bluehaven, and her father disappears, Jane Doe is thrown headfirst into an epic quest to bring him home.

But this ain't no ordinary rescue mission. Her father is lost in a place between worlds; a dangerous labyrinth of shifting rooms, infernal booby traps and secret gateways. And Jane has to find him fast, because someone else is searching for him, too. A man who knows her father's secrets. A man who has an army.

With a pyromaniac named Violet and the enigmatic Hickory by her side, Jane is about to discover that this adventure is even bigger on the inside than it looks ...

 

"I was captivated from page one. There is action, adventure and mystery around every sentence.
Jane started with a possessed, mute father and had to care for him from a young age in a basement of a family who despised, but also feared them. Jane forged a secret forbidden relationship with Violet, the daughter of the family she was staying with. Violet was a risk taker and enjoyed sneaking around helping Jane. Little did she know that this friendship would mean helping save the world in the future.
The pressure is on when Jane discovers that the entire universe is depending on her to save it. Every world and every dimension will die if she does not find the keys and restore the Manor to it's original state. She finds the most unlikely accomplice who can barely be trusted but is her only chance of completing her mission and surviving the ever internally changing Manor which seems to have a life and mind of it's own.
In searching for the cure for the Manor, she discovers the truth about her past and who she really is. Her entire world changes and her future becomes uncertain. She has abilities she doesn't understand and needs to uncover before it's too late. Gripping, adventurous, fantastical, magical and mysterious. Be prepared to be gripped." ~ Taryn, QBD Chadstone 

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