Literary Brooding

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Creekwood) by Becky Albertalli  Kindle Edition, 313 pages Published April 7th 2015 by Penguin Simon is 16 at high school and suffering all the normal teenage angst of who is he, where does he belong and how do you get the courage to talk to someone you like? The twist is that for Simon well he likes guys not women and that makes life even more complicated. This is a gentle coming out story told through Simon's point of view. It is funny, it self-deprecating and treads through the complexities of teenage relationships where everything is life and death. The characters are well thought out and Simon is beautifully flawed. As he discovers more about who he is, he also realises just how much he does not know about his friends. The characters voices are spot on and really engaging. What I really like is when Simon does encounter issues when he makes his sexuality known Albertalli demonstrates what a perfect world can be for young people. When

The Nowhere Child  by Christian White   Paperback, 306 pages Expected publication: June 26th 2018 by Affirm Press Here you are coming up to 30 years of age and you think you have your life together, you are teaching photography, have a place of your own and a loving family. Then one day a male stranger sits down in front of you and says, ‘you are my long lost sister who disappeared over 28 years ago.’ Well, that would certainly turn your life upside down and that is exactly what happens to Kimberly Leamy. For Kim has to know the truth and leaves Australia to head back to Manson, USA to discover the truth about who she is. White has crafted an intriguing mystery thriller that keeps throwing doubts and suspicions on a cast of fascinating characters. The story is told via switching from ‘now’ to ‘then’ as you learn about the events surrounding Sammy’s disappearance and Kim’s attempts to learn about her past. From the outset, you are quickly absorbed into this fast-paced novel. The

Egyptian Enigma (Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth #3) by L.J.M. Owen Paperback, 384 pages, Published March 1st 2018 by Bonnier Publishing Australia I had heard about this series and had wanted to read it for some time. This is the third book in the series. Elizabeth Pimms, librarian and archaeologist is in Egypt living the dream as she visits all the famous sites and museums. The trip is not all fun when someone breaks into her hotel and steals her white journal. Returning to Canberra, Elizabeth begins an investigation into the Royal Egyptian family connections of who the Golden tomb may have been constructed for. She also is trying to finalise her papers for academic publication, undertake tutor responsibilities and deal with her family issues. Elizabeth has a group of friends who assist in this cycle of printing out 3D life size mummies, measuring them, examining them and discussing who they might be. Thus takes up the majority of the book. It is interspersed with descriptions