Latest book reviews

Reviewer: Trevor J Moore
Title: First Family
Author: David Baldacci
Review/Comments: This is an exciting book with some drawbacks.It has a racy development but is the type to be given away, not kept & reread. I like the method that involves moving from group to group i.e. police, private detectives, victims & their families. The method is overdone creating a jerky plot. The style is realistic & fast paced in a conversational format. The conflict is predictable between the police & private detectives. What is also predictable
is the dramatic conclusion. But what is not predictable is the part redemption of some of the criminals.
Rating*:6

Reviewer: Trevor Moore
Title: The Happiest Refugee
Author: Anh Do
Review/Comments*: A delight, a funny, inspiring book. On of our politicians wants to prevent "boat people" coming here, this book gives the lie to that attitude.It is naturally written, because it comes from life. Its full of humor, pathos yet gratitude. The start is one of death & near death but ends with a Young Australian of the year award.
Rating*:9

Reviewer: Trevor Moore
Title: A World I Never Knew
Author: James LePore
Review/Comments*: poor is the word.A tome full of sterotypes & rambling plot. The story disappears into side issues. THe cover states "a novel of suspense" but i found it boring & hard to stay awake.
Rating*:2

Reviewer: Trevor Moore
Title: The Sunbird
Author: Wilbur Smith
Review/Comments*: The type of book I like to re-read.It does have a distracting parallel story from another time.Anyone iterested in archaelogy would be fascinated by this. It does seem to draw on the story of the discovery of Troy. Full of action & pathos, yet full of meaning e.g. the inscription"Lannon you are more than King you are my frend".
Rating*:8

Reviewer: Trevor Moore
Title: End of the Beginning
Author: Harry Turtledove
Review/Comments*: A reminder that history books are written by the winners.This is an alternate history of Hawaii during the second world war.A realistic fast paced read. Painstaking research the aircraft described are accurate the locality descriptions detailled.
Rating*:7

Reviewer: Trevor Moore
Title: Why don't people listen?
Author: Hugh Mackay
Review/Comments*: This one of the best written educational books I have read.There are ten laws of communication given. Each law is illustrated with an example from family life. Some examples are failures, some are successes.Each example forms part of a story leading to a satisfying conclusion.
Rating*:8

Reviewer: Trevor Moore
Title: Eagle in the sky
Author: Wilbur Smith
Review/Comments*: The book you can't put down, although the hero is too clever to be believed. It's the story of the selfish & pampered rich boy who faces a crises.Full of vivid description of aerial dog fights over Isreal it moves to Africa for a different challenge. In the course of these two adventures the hero grows up in self-sacrifice to triumph.
Rating*:8

Reviewer: Trevor Moore
Title: The Rough guide to Singapore
Author: Mark Lewis
Review/Comments*: A handy guide to find your way around, even if you need to cross to Malysia or Singapore's islands.It does describe the culture & history of each area. The best use is reducing the unknown with transport hints.More detail could have been given in the WW2 history of the Changi area.
Rating*:7

Reviewer: Trevor Moore
Title: Southern Cross
Author: Patrica Cornwell
Review/Comments*: Southern Cross refers to the southern states USA not Australia. A fast fun book using the swap method between groups. Unfortunately the usual "success despite the other cops are against me"method is used.The most interesting aspect is the character study of the youth caught up in gang warfare & saved.TYPE HERE....
Rating*:7