Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Jo Weston’s Netball Besties – Double or Nothing. Foul Play – Jess Black. Sam Loman.

    Penguin Australia Jess Black has real skill in creating these sporty adventures based on the life and career of various notable players in their field. And all the netballers in your cohort will love these. The first one was released early this year but for whatever reason passed me by, but the next two did…

  • Gloam – Jack MacKay

    Bloomsbury September 2025 Imprint: Oneworld ISBN: 9780861549528 RRP: $16.99 Sometimes a debut novel comes along that completely blows you away, and this would be one of those. I’m not a fan of horror, but I don’t mind a bit of creepy – this was actually quite a lot of creepy! and an enormously good read.…

  • The Midwatch – Judith Rossell

    Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing October 2024 ISBN:9781761212369 Price:AU$24.99, NZ$27.99 Holy Mackerel!! This is literally just WOW! The sleek and stylish binding is sensational and I’ve not seen such an enticing invitation to open a book for some time. We may have been waiting a while for a new book from Judith Rossell, but trust me,…

  • Mermedusa – Thomas Taylor

    Walker Books Book 5 of An Eerie-on-Sea Mystery Series September 2023 ISBN13: 9781529502138 Australia RRP: $17.99 New Zealand RRP: $19.99 When you’ve loved every minute of a series, it’s hard to say goodbye to it. So it is that in reading this fifth and final in the wonderful Eerie-on-Sea sequence, I tried hard to make it…

  • Alice-Miranda and the Christmas Mystery – Jacqueline Harvey

    Penguin Random House October 2023 It has been a while since we’ve had the pleasure of a new Alice-Miranda story, understandably as Jacqueline has been busy with other projects (successfully so I might add!!), and we all know that the A-M fans, young and old (yes, Tiarna G, I am looking at you!) are going…

  • 100 Things to Know about the Unknown

    Harper Collins Australia June 2023 by Alex Frith  Jerome Martin  Alice James  Tom Mumbray  Lan Cook  Micaela Tapsell Illustrated by Federico Mariani Dominique Byron Shaw Nielsen This is very much the type of book my nerdy child-self loved, and which so many children still love. Jam-packed with fascinating facts that are wildly diverse in nature, and, like a box of chocolates, that one can…

  • Before the Beginning – Anna Morgan

    Hachette SEP 29, 2020 | 9780734419651 | RRP $19.99 In a tweet when I mentioned I was reading this – and reading WAY past my bedtime because I was so engrossed – Anna Morgan replied “This book will disturb your sleep schedule” is an excellent review! Well all I can say is that it definitely will!!! Right from the…

  • When This Bell Rings – Allison Rushby

    Walker Books Australia ISBN: 9781760651947Imprint: Walker Books AustraliaRelease Date: September 2, 2020Australian RRP: $17.99New Zealand RRP: $19.99 I have many fans of Allison’s books – The Mulberry Tree, The Turnkey and The Seven Keys – who have already been pouncing on this latest of the author’s mysteries. Once again the narrative takes the reader into an almost recognisable parallel world…

  • Murder Most Unladylike #8: Top Marks for Murder – Robin Stevens

    Penguin August 2019 ISBN: 9780241348383 Imprint: Puffin RRP: $16.99 Yes there are seven previous books but this series has been somewhat of a ‘sleeper’ in my library. Now, however, due to the enthusiasm of several devoted fans it is steadily growing in its popularity. I know that this newest volume will be avidly sought after and the reservation…

  • Love Lie Repeat – Catherine Greer

    Penguin 9780143791225 March 5, 2019 $19.99 I’ve mentioned before that I have in recent times been somewhat disenchanted with many of the YA novels that have come my way. There have been a few exceptions. This one, debut novel and all, is an absolute corker! Annie and her ‘island girls’ (the kind you take with…