A Farewell to Arms

by Ernest Hemingway

Over the break I re-read an old favourite, Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms…I’d forgotten how hard the Old Man can be (as we get used to his densely detailed style) but soon enough the wonderful rhythms and cadences took over and I was back there in the north of Italy in that dreadful Caporetto aftermath, feeling just as cold and left out in the rain as our narrator – even though I was on Hamilton Island at the time… An absolute masterpiece! (Unlike, I should add, Geraldine Brooks’ agenda- driven potboiler Year of Wonders – but that’s another story…)

Mr Barrie Burton

(Head of English)

The Girl Who Played With Fire

by Stieg Larsson

This is the second volume of the increasingly popular Millennium Trilogy, even though the author, a journalist called Stieg Larsson, had planned to write ten volumes. Unfortunately he succumbed to a fatal heart attack shortly after leaving the three volumes with his editor, never knowing the world-wide success of his crime novels. In this volume, the journalist Mikael Blomkvist’s enigmatic friend, Lisbeth Salander, ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ from the first volume, is the chief suspect in the murder of two investigative journalists. The plot is well constructed and contains many twists and turns which will keep you guessing. However, to my mind, the main strengths of Larsson’s novels lie in the quality of the main characters and their interactions. It’s such a joy to follow the unusual life-journey of Salander as she continues to discover her inner-self and more about her (family) background. Blomkvist’s quest to undercover the sex-trafficking trade parallels the author’s real-life experiences since he also was an undercover investigative journalist, thus rending the actual storyline more realistic and attention-grabbing. Detective novels always make great easy and relaxing reads, so even though the summer holidays are over, this could be the perfect book to take with you to the beach next weekend.

Mr Christophe Taylor

(Teacher of English)

The Tall Man: Death and Life on Palm Island

by Chloe Hooper

Chloe Hooper has written a remarkable account of the circumstances and mystery surrounding Cameron Doomadgee’s death in 2004, an Aboriginal man who died while in police custody. The author meticulously explores and explains the specific environment of Palm Island, a rural isolated community where the power relationships between the white folk, in particular the police, and the Indigenous communities are tense, fragile and raw; a place where life is brutal and hope struggles to survive. Through her thorough investigation a la ‘In Cold Blood’, Cooper dissects the tragic living environment of the Aboriginal population, the devastating effects of alcohol as well as Indigenous traditions, myths and beliefs. However, the author also elaborates on the working and living conditions, as well as the inherent culture surrounding ‘the tall man’, which is a reference to Chris Hurley, the policeman accused of Doomadgee’s death. Captivating, gloomy and inspired, with its murder mystery style, ‘The Tall Man’ will fascinate you, while shining a light on a corner of Australia unknown to most of us.

Mr Christophe Taylor

(Teacher of English)

Hard Times

by Charles Dickens

Set in the smoke-stacked days of the Industrial Revolution, the people of Coketon reveal an often bleak and hypocritical existence as they struggle with the day-to-day issues of their lives. This is a very good read and its character development (Josiah Bounderby, Thomas Gradgrind, the very charming Mrs Sparsit, and others) is extraordinary. Dickens explores social and economic division with surgical attention to detail and manages, typically, to produce a sympathetic view of suffering and the individual’s place in a world constrained by judgment, prejudice, and discrimination. 9/10.

Mr Rob Hortin

(Teacher of English)

The Lost Symbol

by Dan Brown

I have just read the Lost Symbol by Dan Brown of Angels & Demons and the Da Vinci Code fame. This was a brilliant read that I could not put down. Dan Brown has the ability to put you there with the characters. You can visualize the room, the location, or the city. As you read there is no difference between fact or fiction, his style of writing just captures you. It contains references to architecture, technology, and CIA.

Mr Michael McKeown

(Computer Centre – Tech Support)

Rockers and Rollers: An Automobile Autobiography

by Brian Johnson

Being a fairly big AD/DC fan I had high expectations of this book and author. Sadly, it was a disappointing read for me - I think maybe Mr Johnson should stick to singing! It felt a bit disjointed, with the stories he relates to the reader in no particular order. On the plus side, it gives a humourous insight into another side of Brian and of the lifestyle of the rocker. For me would be a 3-4 out of 10 read.

Mr Christopher Simpson

(Design Technology Department)

The Complete Guide to Self-Sufficiency

by John Seymour

This could be classed as a “Bible for Self-sufficiency”. Both my wife and I love this book as it covers everything from laying out your garden (up to and over 5 acres), how to grow your own vegies and also keep your own animals. It also guides you through raising animals for food and how to butcher them. Guiding you through your garden, it shows you how to set it up and make it as sustainable as possible. Due to the “British” nature of the book, the seasons are out of alignment with ours, and the use of water is markedly different. Other than that, it is excellent and has loads of invaluable advise and very clear illustrations. I’d rate it 9.5 /10

Mr Christopher Simpson

(Design Technology Department)

The 10pm Question

by Kate De Goldi

This is a delightful book about a boy with a plethora of worries - some faintly ridiculous and others bad enough to get me worrying about him worrying! Above all, though, Frankie Parsons had me laughing. His mother is afraid to leave the house, his new friend’s mother could arguably be labeled a prostitute and his aunts are downright eccentric. De Goldi’s writing is engaging, her characters loveable and believable. The10pm Question is a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Mrs Michelle Sweeney

(Librarian)

Fromelles: Australia's darkest day and the dramatic discovery of our fallen World War One diggers

by Patrick Lindsay

A story builds from the genesis of WW1 to deconstruct the reasons behind a suicidal push by allied soldiers in an otherwise quiet part of the Western Front against a grossly superior German force in July 1916. Tragedy awaits the 7,000 Australians who ‘hopped the bags’ in this attack which resulted in more than 5,500 dead, wounded or missing diggers. The story does little to enhance the leadership who planned and executed this fruitless attack, in particular the contribution of a former Dux of Scotch College. It is by far the greatest loss of Australian lives in any conflict and was quickly forgotten by all, probably out of embarrassment. Many of the missing were killed and remained unidentified until one man driven by passion pursued the matter in recent years. Some of those diggers who died and were buried by the Germans in a common grave are now being given the respect and honour which they have been long owed. The journey taken to achieve this has been arduous. The conflict also proved notable with the involvement of one lowly German private, the man who would later become Adolph Hitler. Throughout February 2010 allied soldiers will be buried in military graves and some may even be identified - all 94 years after they gave their lives in The Great War.

Mr Ross Congleton

(Bursar)