Coleen Kwan

There are some books that make me sniffle, but in a nice, pleasurable way, because I know that whatever the setback it will be temporary and by the end of the book everything will be set to rights. And then there are books that make me want to cry out to the author, "Nooo, that's too sad. How could you do that?" Usually it's the death of a character that triggers this response, but it is the way the author builds up to this event that stirs the emotion so fiercely.

I'm still recovering from reading Anna Quindlen's Every Last One, even though it's been a couple of days since I finished it. This was such a harrowing book for me it gave me nightmares. Quindlen doesn't indulge in grisly details, but that makes her writing even more resonant and suspenseful. Definitely not a book for lazy weekend reading.







Other books that have made me cry in the past:
The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons - a sweeping love story set in Russia during WWII. So much suffering in this book, but it was the escape of the hero and his brother-in-law from a POW camp that had me choking.

The Twisted Sword by Winston Graham (book 11 in the Poldark series). My attention tends to wander when a book goes into long descriptions of a battle, but this book had such a gripping, intense description of the Battle of Waterloo where a much-loved character meets his end. Again, it's the events leading up to the death that make it such a powerful piece of writing.

After all that suffering, I need a break, so I'm re-reading Barbara Pym's Jane and Prudence.

When CEO Cameron McCormac cajoles pretty Peppa Grant to attend a dreaded family Christmas party with him to deflect attention away from his love life, he thinks he’s picked up a children’s entertainer, but in reality Peppa is one of his employees, a voice talent at his recording company. By the time he realises his mistake, it’s too late as they’ve already spent a sizzling night together, and before long they’ve embarked on a secret affair.

Both Cameron and Peppa have been hurt in the past. Cameron is still struggling to come to terms with the death of his wife, and has decided the only way to protect his heart is to avoid emotional entanglements. Peppa has been dumped by her boyfriend after their dream of having a child ended. As the affair with her boss hots up, she knows it’s only a temporary fling, but she reasons it’s a good way to heal her broken heart. And besides, Cameron is irresistible.

The romance between Peppa and Cameron is sweetly depicted. At times funny and moving, their interactions rapidly move beyond the purely physical as they both realise the hidden depths and hurts buried within the other. Peppa fears never having the family she dreamed of, while Cameron is still haunted by the death of his wife and finds himself unable to connect with his extended family. 

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

I have to confess that Cameron was not a very nice guy at times. His coldness when he told Peppa in no uncertain times that he wanted nothing to do with their baby made me want to clock him over the head with something. Yes, this guy had a lot of growing up to do (and his aunt wasn’t doing him any favours either), so when it finally dawned on him that he was being a callous d*khead about everything, it was gratifying to see Peppa make him go through a lot of grovelling.

*** END SPOILER ALERT ***

This contemporary romance was entertaining, fast-paced, and satisfying. One Perfect Night makes perfect reading!

Esme doesn’t only believe in women’s rights, she’s also a secessionist who believes Western Australia would be better off being independent rather than joining the federation of the eastern states, and her views are only strengthened when an arrogant and wealthy easterner begins to court her with an eye to marriage and her generous dowry.

I really enjoyed the depictions of daily life in the Swan River colony, including the exotic-sounding Bombaytown. As befits a steampunk story, inventions pop up everywhere — coffee makers, solar-powered stoves, etc.  Esme makes a charming and spirited heroine, independent yet caring, and proactive in opposing the inequalities she comes across in her daily life. Jed Reeve is a great hero who perhaps at times could be more of the scoundrel he purports to be. The romance between these two blossoms at a smart pace, helped along the way by admirers on either side plus the odd dash of heroics. Towards the end the story takes an unexpected twist which I definitely wasn’t expecting, and the final showdown is suitably satisfying.

If you’re looking for an Australian historical romance with a steampunk aesthetic, then you’ll definitely enjoy Wanted: One Scoundrel.

Publisher: Carina Press
Length:  26,000 words

My first review for the 2012 Australian Women Writers Challenge is 'Campaign Ruby' by Jessica Rudd.



Londoner Ruby Stanhope gets retrenched from her investment banking job and in a drunken daze accidentally books a non-refundable flight to Australia. Within days of landing in Melbourne she somehow finds herself as a policy advisor to the Leader of the Opposition (aka the LOO), and when a snap election is called, a hectic election campaign ensues.

This breezy novel has familiar chick-lit staples such as designer shoes and clothes, gallons of wine, a hot and sleazy spunk rat, lesbian secondary characters, and a heroine who manages to spill food and drink all over herself on a regular basis. What sets it apart is that its milieu is politics, and Australian politics at that. Also, the fact that the author, Jessica Rudd, is the daughter of ex-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, gives the story an extra piquancy, especially as political events in the book eerily mirror reality. In Campaign Ruby a long-standing Prime Minister, who’s been in power for thirteen years, is no longer popular with the voters but refuses to acknowledge this. (Sound familiar?) His deputy then moves to depose him, and succeeds in becoming Australia’s first female prime minister. (Sound even more familiar?)

This novel perfectly captures the insanity of a political staffer’s life when an election is on. Along with the rest of the Leader of Opposition’s staff, Ruby bounces from city to city, coast to coast, meeting an eclectic collection of people along the way and getting a crash course in Oz politics, language, and culture. It’s a pity we don’t get more of a picture of all the places she visits because after a while it all becomes a blur (which I suppose is how it is in reality). En route we learn a little of Ruby’s views on certain election hot potato topics, but it’s not a whole lot, and I would have preferred the story to delve a little deeper into her character and what makes her tick.

Apolitical readers need not worry that they’ll be bludgeoned by political rhetoric, as the book barely mentions our main political parties. This novel will appeal to readers who enjoy the circus of an election campaign combined with the Bridget Jones-type antics of an appealing heroine. I would have liked to know Ruby more, but still thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

After watching the latest Tintin movie I've been inspired to re-read the books covered in the film, starting with The Crab With The Golden Claws. My partner has the entire collection which are now battered old hardback survivors of his childhood complete with ancient scribbles. As a child I loved reading Tintin, and today they're just as entertaining as ever. Captain Haddock was always one of my favourite characters, so I was glad the movie didn't gloss over his drunkenness.
Comfort reading!

I've recently finished the following books: Heartless (paranormal/steampunk), Evolution Expects (steampunk), and DoubleBlind (sci-fic), and I'm feeling more than a little exhausted. Especially in DoubleBlind the pace was unrelenting. I could have done with a few quieter moments in there. Which is why I'm looking forward to diving back into contemporary romance, where the heroine isn't constantly under attack from vampires or alien monsters, and the sewers of London aren't inhabited by killing robots. The tension in contemporary romance comes ultimately from the emotional risks the characters faces, and that's what really resonates with me. A good contemporary romance is the ultimate comfort food.

Speaking of contemporary romance, WHEN HARRIET CAME HOME is now on pre-sale at most ebook stores, and I'm getting nervous!

I recently bought my first ereader. (Yes, I’m slow, what can I say?) After a lot of dithering, I finally bought the Sony Pocket Edition. I’m a bit miffed at having to pay $229 for it when it sells for US $180 in the US. Why do Australians have to pay so much more? Anyway, I know I could have got it for a lot less over the internet, and there are a lot cheaper ereaders out there, but I want to be able to take it back to a bricks-and-mortar shop if it breaks or doesn’t work.

So far I’m really happy with it. It’s light, easy to hold, and much nicer for reading than the PC. It’s also easy to prop up for hands free reading while you’re eating. Compared to a paper book you do a lot more page turns, and using the touch screen to turn the page can sometimes tire your arm if you’re a fast reader, so it’s handy to have the page turn buttons available. I find using the stylus a lot more comfortable, and I discovered that a cotton bud makes a perfect substitute stylus! (Also keeps the screen cleaner.)

 I’m still waiting for my local library to offer ebooks. Apparently only three libraries in NSW offer this service, so maybe I’m in for a long wait. (Or maybe I should move to Canberra)

I didn’t have much time for reading this month, but some books that grabbed me were:

The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark. A duet story set in India during two tumultuous periods — the Indian Rebellion in 1857, and Partition in 1947 — told through the lives of three women. I loved this book. The author captures all the beauty and mystery of India, and the details of life for Victorian women living in India are extremely evocative.

Agatha H and the Airship City by Phil & Kaja Foglio. A rollicking steam punk caper featuring Adventure! Romance! Mad Science! (according to the book flap). More of a YA book, I thought. Very funny at times and always entertaining.

I’m In No Mood For Love by Rachel Gibson. I don’t know why I enjoyed this contemporary romance so much, but I did. There were few fireworks in this story, just two likeable characters, both with relationship issues, gradually moving from dislike to like to lust, and ultimately to love. Believable and satisfying.

The Eight by Katherine Neville. A sprawling epic revolving around a mystical lost chess set, featuring a dizzying array of characters. Fast-paced lengthy story which sacrifices character depth for action, but still entertaining.

If you’re a Stephanie Plum fan, you’ll know what I’m talking about. If you’ve never heard of her, you’ve got some new books on your TBR pile. I have to admit, I don’t read these books for their plots. I can’t even remember half of them (and yes, some of them are repetitive). I read them for the humour, the dialogue, the crazy characters, and the relationships. Yeah, mostly for the relationships.

With the latest book about to come out, I’ve started wondering how many more books Janet Evanovich plans to write. By my rough calculations Stephanie must be well past thirty-five by now. I love her zany adventures, but, like her long-suffering mom, I also want to see her settled down. I don’t want her to keep circling the same territory without making a decision.

After so many books it’s time to start wrapping things up, in my opinion. So how is Evanovich going to everyone happy? I want Stephanie to end up with Morelli, but there’ll be others who think Ranger is just too HOT to pass up. We can’t all be satisfied, can we?

The wrap up of a popular series can leave a bad taste if it’s not done properly, but my money’s on Evanovich pulling this off sometime in the future. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to Smokin’ Seventeen.

I have a confession to make. I’m not into paranormal romance. Vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, daemons...meh. Give me something grounded in reality, either contemporary or historical, not some made-up stuff about curses and full moons and silver bullets.

Or so I thought until I picked up Gail Carriger’s Changeless and decided I’d read it for its steampunk setting, even though it heavily featured vampires and werewolves. The author’s detailed world-building impressed me. I liked how she set out the rules and etiquette of vampire and werewolf society. Still, the story didn’t connect with me until right at the end. Suddenly I was hooked. (Spoiler alert!) When Woolsey throws out his pregnant wife and accuses her of infidelity, I had the perfect meaty romantic angst to sink my teeth into. I raced through the next book, Blameless, keen to know how this intractable problem would be resolved.

For me, romance puts that extra zing in a story. Without the romantic conflict, I wouldn’t have bothered reading the next book, but now I’m eagerly waiting for the next instalment. And without the romance I wouldn’t have bothered reading more paranormal stuff.

Now, I’m even getting story ideas involving werewolves. Yikes!