The Mid Year Book Tag

A couple of months ago I did my roundup of the best books of 2015 I'd read so far. While I still stand by those recommendations, when I stumbled across the Mid Year Book Tag I thought this was a fun way to elaborate on what I've been reading this year, in terms of the good, the bad and the downright boring. If you love book tags why not give this one a go and leave your link in the comments so I can check it out!

Best Book You've Read All Year?
This would have been a hard one to pick as I've read a lot of great books this year, but the standout which I have just finished so was never mentioned in my 'Best of 2015 So Far' post would have to be All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. It's truly a beautifully written book and one that made me appreciate the delicacy of the written word. Far and away this is the best book I've read so far in 2015.

Best Sequel You've Read So Far.
None. Absolutely zero, zilch, diddly sequels have been read this year! However I am really really excited to read the sequel to Libba Bray's The Deviners (called The Lair) which came out a few weeks ago and lots of lucky book bloggers (ie not me) featured it on their blogs, which I have resisted the temptation to read anything about for fear of ruining it for myself!

New Release You Haven't Read But Want To?
I just picked up a copy of the fourth Millennium book, The Girl In The Spiders Web by David Lagercrantz. It's a controversial one for sure since Stieg Larsson passed away after writing the first three, but I've heard rumours that the writing is actually pretty good and I love the character of Lisbeth Salander so really can't wait to get reading it!

Most Anticipated Release For The Second Half of 2015? 
A tie for me between The Lair, The Girl In The Spiders Web and the next Robert Galbraith crime fiction novel because I love all of these series. So much goodness is dropping this year!

Biggest Disappointment?
I read a couple of Cecelia Ahern books this year - Thanks For The Memories and A Place Called Here and while I enjoyed them I'm kinda disappointed that I don't love her books. They are great holiday reads but she has a very passionate fan base and I thought I would really 'get' her books but so far they have just been good three star reads for me which is a bit disappointing.

Biggest Surprise?
This would have to be You by Caroline Kepnes as I thought the book was going to be great but I was really surprised and conflicted with myself for finding the main character actually a little bit likeable at times. This is obviously troubling because he is a massive creep which made me feel like a massive creep for laughing at his jokes. Also I was quite surprised by certain events in this novel that went from creepy to massively psychopathic in the space of a few pages.

Book To Movie Adaptation?
I actually haven't read any books that have been turned into movies this year but I did pick up a copy of Paper Towns so that I can read it before seeing the movie as it's highly likely I'll be watching that soon. I've never read any John Green before so my expectations are a little high!

Favourite New Author?
Libba Bray for writing The Diviners. I've since tried to hunt down some of her earlier works as once I find a great author I love to read everything they've ever written in a weird binge-reading kinda way. Also I really like reading Ben Elton, both his satirical and his historical fiction novels.

Newest Fictional Crush?
Concierge Ryan from Must Love Otters. This book is so adorable and Ryan is a complete babe and is also a nice down to earth guy who should always win the girls I say.

Newest Favourite Character?
Evie O'Neill from The Diviners for her party girl ways but also because underneath all that bravado she's a sweet and caring friend, plus her cute 1920s slang made me like her even more.

Book That Made You Cry?
I don't think I've shed an actual tear reading any books this year, as far as I can remember but The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes was definitely an emotional one by the end!

Beautiful Book?
The paperback cover for All The Light We Cannot See is truly beautiful. I bought a copy for my Dad and felt pretty reluctant to hand over something so pretty, definitely one worth displaying on the bookcase. Unfortunately my library copy came plastic wrapped and wasn't the shiny version which had beautiful blues and yellows that sparkled in the light.

Books You Need To Read By The End of The Year.
The main three I'm looking forward to are the sequals for those I mentioned earlier, but my to-read book list is soooo long I really don't think I will get to everything I want to in the next few months.

What I'm Watching On Netflix

Netflix has officially turned me into a binge-watching television monster and I'm really okay with this. Since I'm always looking for new shows to delve into I thought I would share my favourites so you too can lose hours of your life in the best way possible.

Pretty Little Liars. With the finale airing recently and the true identity of 'A' being discovered I realised this is one show I had never sat down and watched. Being a former fan girl of Gossip Girl I thought it was probably something I should remedy and a recent sick day had me curled up on the couch for what was definitly an unhealthy amount of time. Kind of a guilty pleasure but one I'm not ashamed to admit. Hopefully I can avoid any spoilers on who A is by the time I get to the end of the last season.

House of Cards. Frank and Claire Underwood are a power couple not to be messed with as the first couple of seasons have seen careers destroyed and enemies taken care of in a very Sopranos-like way. I can't even tell you how many times I've been shocked by Frank's ruthlessness and he's definitily a character I love to hate.

Vikings. Bearded, shirtless, muscled Viking dudes with man buns, is there ever a better descriptive sentence than that? But there's also a plot that I really like, some awesome characters including kick arse ladies and not to mention a fascinating culture with rituals, gods and the occasional sacrifice to be kept up with.

Sens8. I absolutely loved this programme and I think we watched the first season in record time. Eight people across the world are connected through their shared use of senses allowing each person to use their abilities to help one another.

Orphan Black. This show needs to be watched if only to see the amazing transformation of it's lead actress who plays about 90% of characters on the show. When Sarah witnesses the suicide of a woman who looks identical to herself she plans on stealing her identity but ends up discovering a secret about her own origins.

Black Sails. This one's not strictly on Netflix (it screens on the History channel) but fans of Vikings will surely enjoy this Carribean-located series about pirates. Apparantly this is a prequel to Treasure Island but all you really need to know is this series has it all - dishy men, sword fights, love triangles and a beautiful island location.

Book Review: All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Sometimes I dread doing book reviews even though the book in question was truly amazing. After reading All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr I had no idea how I could eloquently sum up this beautiful book and really do it justice. I won't be able to of course for Doerr's writing is truly breathtaking and I can honestly say it's been a long time since I've read a book of such a high calibre. It felt like every word had been chosen for a reason, even sentence been perfectly constructed to flow just so.

The book centres around the lives of two youths leading up to and during the Second World War. Blind since she was six years old, Marie-Laure learnt to navigate the streets of Paris when her Father constructed a miniature of her neighborhood for her to study with her fingers. When Father and daughter flee Paris to take refuge in Saint Malo, the walled city by the sea, her Father takes with him something very valuable that he must keep safe from Nazi hands.

Miles away in Germany a young orphan named Werner has been noticed for his talents with working with radios, a skill the Hitler Youth are keen on nurturing. Although intelligent and physically able, Werner's success in the Hitler Youth is more about keeping himself from a life destined as a labourer in the mines than serving the Fuhrer.

As Marie Laure and Werner's lives continue throughout the war their lives are seemingly being pulled toward one another. Told with spectacular description and a gentleness which is not often present during war.I loved that so much of the story was spent developing Marie and Werner's character stories so that by the final chapters I was so reluctant to finish reading!

Rating: 5 stars

The Bedside Table Stack #10

This past week I was struck down with the dreaded flu which left me foggy headed and unable to concentrate on much. With two crime fiction novels on my reading list and an already down mood I decided instead to pick up some books that weren't quite as heavy man.

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella. I have been meaning to try more Young Adult fiction books this past year and Sophie Kinsella seemed like as good as any place to start. I did manage to spend a couple of hours while I was off work sick, sitting in the sun with this book in my hand and I have to say I'm really enjoying the dynamics of Audrey's unique family. With a theme that centres around mental illness and anxiety, it's definitely starting off a very light and easy read despite the subject matter. I'll do a full review once my brain returns to full functioning capacity!

The Humans by Matt Haig. Haig is an author I follow on Twitter so thanks to his self-promoting tweeting picked up this book in the Library the other day. I'll be honest and say that it was really the cover combined with recognising the author as was the reason I picked this up. But, happily, the blurb has got me really intrigued and it sounds like a quirky and heartwarming story if reviews of this are to be believed. Professor Andrew Martin solves the world's greatest mathematical riddle and then mysteriously disappears. When he's found walking naked along the motorway, something strange has changed Professor Martin.

Tapestry by Fiona McIntosh. Well, it wouldn't be a Bedside Table Stack from me without a little bit of historical fiction thrown in for good measure would it? Actually, Tapestry has been a book on my radar for a while now and I do quite enjoy a romp around the Scottish highlands. Having read Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series (well the first three, she does get a bit carried away after that) this time-travelling Scottish adventure feels like it could be quite similar.

What I'm Reading On Bloglovin'

L-R Impression Blend, Coco Chic, Vivianna Does Makeup, The Londoner,
I Covet Thee, Wholefood Simply, Cider With Rosie

It's been about seven years since I first discovered blogging, firstly as a reader rather than a writer and in that time my tastes have certainly changed. While I used to be solely fashion-obsessed when it came to perusing the internet I've found over time my tastes have bounced back and forward between different topics but now I have a fairly broad range of subjects I like to read about. I've put together a little list of my favourite bloggers (and Youtubers) in case you're looking for a little inspiration.

Beauty
Two years ago a quick Google of 'drugstore beauty skincare' was all it took to get me hooked on beauty blogs and makeup in general. As someone who grew up pretty much a total tomboy with no such clue as to what and where and how to use most of these products I've certainly developed a bit of an obsession with affordable and high end skincare and makeup. British beauty girls seem to be my favourite for their clear skin, neutral eye looks and bold lippy shades.
My Favourites: Vivianna Does Makeup, Hello October, I Covet Thee

Books
I actually don't read a tonne of book blogs as I find a lot of content is very Young Adult based and I don't read a lot from this genre (despite my attempts). I also find I get a lot more inspiration for my own blog by reading from a wider variety of blogs than just those that focus on books but the bloggers I do follow always have great recommendations!
My Favourites: Impression Blend, Fiction Book Review, Feed Your Head, Books Beauty Amerie,

Healthy Eating
My boyfriend finds it amusing that whenever I'm on a healthy eating site it's because I want to bake something yummy and not for all the other equally nutritious recipes I could be whipping up for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have really missed baking every since I cut back on eating sugar and so many snack foods and healthy alternatives have really filled the gap. I've found that traditional baking is often too sweet for me now but since I love the act of baking this is a nice alternative.
My Favourites: Deliciously Ella, Madeline Shaw, Wholefood Simply

Lifestyle
I think lifestyle blogs are actually one of my favourite genre's to read but also the hardest to find that appeal to my tastes since nearly everything can be classified as 'lifestyle.' My favourites tend to have a little bit of everything from travel posts to coffee spots and festivals.
My Favourites: Cider With Rosie, The Londoner, From Roses

Fashion
Compared to a few years ago when my Bloglovin' feed was cluttered with only outfit posts, I'm fairly restrained in this department now. Too much lusting after clothes that half the time aren't appropriate for my lifestyle or climate had left me a little burnt out but there are still some bloggers that I love visiting frequently for a fashion fix. I'm still on the hunt for more Australian fashion bloggers that are more aimed at a mid range price market (otherwise a girl can go broke) so any suggestions are welcome!
My Favourites: Fleur de Force, Lily Melrose, Flip & Style, Coco Chic

I'd love to know what genres of blogs or Youtubers you love reading when you're not keeping up with book blogs? I'm always looking for new blogs, big or small, to delve into so leave any that you love that you think I might too down in the comments!

I Need Your YA Book Recommendations!

The Young Adult book scene is one that has exploded not just in the publishing industry but in the book blogging community. But after six months of me vowing to try and read more outside my 'usual' genre's I've really only picked up one YA novel during this time. Truthfully I have no idea where to start, which is why I need your help!

I think the main reasons for my aversion to reading this genre is that there are two categories often represented that I'm not particulary big on - romance and 'things that centre too much around high school.' Okay, so I made that last category up but even when I was at high school (and for the record I loved my high school years, I just don't think they are the best time of our lives. Trust me no-one wants to peak that early) I was never that interested in reading about them. But, I know these type of books only take up a teeny tiny smidgeon of what's on offer from YA fiction.

So, if you've got a book you particularly enjoyed please let me know! My first and only foray into YA was with The Diviners by Libba Bray and it might just be the best book I will read this year so I really am looking forward to finding some gems from this genre. To the comments with your suggestions!

Authors to Note: J K Rowling

When I think about it and count it out on my fingers, JK Rowling is probably my most read author. With seven Harry Potter books, one work of fiction and two crime novels under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith that's TEN books from one author and yet I've never thought about including her in an Author to Note post. I guess having one of the most popular series in history I would assume all you good people are on the level with JK. But you never know. I do come from a family of five where I'm still the only one who has read Harry Potter. Yeah. I. Know. Right?!

Anyway, if you are one of those people who have not experienced the delightful magic of Harry Potter then please do yourself a favour and pick up The Philosopher's Stone pronto. For everyone else we can move onto her other books. To be entirely honest I was not a big fan of The Casual Vacancy. I was so excited when this book was released but it really was a bit of a let down. Give it a go if you like but if that doesn't tickle your fancy lets move on to where Rowling's writing continues to shine: as Robert Galbraith.

The Cuckoos Calling and The Silkworm are two of my favourite crime fiction books and I'm super excited that a third in this series is being released this October. Happy days! Ex-soldier Coromoran Strike and his capable assistant Robin are characters that I have loved seeing evolve from one book to the next and fans new to the genre will be sure to love these books just as much. It's definitly interesting seeing Rowling's writing get a little bit grittier writing crime fiction.

Do Book Reviews Matter?

Book blogging is a funny thing. I've found over the past 18 months that when it comes to writing actual book reviews they don't seem to do as well as when I just generally chat about book related things or do roundups of my favourite books or suggest my favourite authors. That's entirely okay. Mainly I post them because once I've read a book I do like to think about it afterwards and a book review seems like a good a place as ever to do this. (Plus I feel like as a book blogger it would be weird to never have them on my site). But, it does get me thinking from time to time - do book reviews really matter? Do they make you pick up a book, stop reading a book or avoid books altogether? Is all this talking about books and writing up reviews afterwards just a big fat waste of time?

I know for me as a user of Goodreads if I really want to find out what vast majority of people are thinking I can simply log on and see hundreds of book reviews which are a pretty good indication of whats good, bad and avoidable. And, I often use this method if I'm thinking about reading or buying a book that I haven't seen shouted about on any blogs.

But for the most part book blogs do have a wonderful role to play with their reviews. I think the beauty of a book review on a blog, as opposed to Goodreads, it really lets you get to know a blogger for their individual tastes. There are many blogs who I've been following for a while that every time they post a raving review I always want to add it to my reading list. Likewise if they think something is completely pants I'm going to take that opinion seriously too (although these usually fall into the borrow not buy reading category).

So while book reviews may, oddly, not be the most popular things to get people clicking I still find them incredibly useful for adding book recommendations to my bookshelf. What do you think about reading book reviews with sites like Goodreads available? Do you find them useful or a waste of time?

New Books Dropping This August

It's time for another monthly roundups of my favourite books dropping for the month! August is always a weird nothing month for me. It's the end of winter yet usually the coldest month and there just ain't that much to look forward to as the drought of public holidays really sets in. Maybe a good book is just what I need to cheer away the mid Winter blues?

Lair of Dreams (The Diviners Book #2) I read The Diviners earlier in the year and could not get enough of this story following Evie O'Neill a teenage diviner who is sent to live in New York City with her eccentric uncle. In book two now that the world knows about Evie's ability to 'read' objects she has become a media darling. But as mysterious deaths start occurring in the city Evie's powers may be called on again to catch a killer.

The Dust that Falls From Dreams by Louis de Bernieres. I've always like Louis de Bernieres as an author, although I do think you need time and a bit of patience to bear with his rambling tangents that sometimes leave me wondering 'where on Earth is he going with this?' But The Dust That Falls From Dreams sounds kind of lovely and whimsical anyway doesn't it? Set in the Golden Years before the Great War, Rosie McCosh and her three sisters are growing up in an idyllic and eccentric household. As the war draws nearer their days of childhood innocence will grow to a close and Rosie will have to navigate love and loss against a closing backdrop of war.

A Window Opens by Elisabeth Egan. Alice Pearse suddenly seems to have it all. A great job, husband and as a busy working mum she's learnt the fine and enviable act of juggling. That is until things inevitable all start to go pear shaped at once - a sick Father, a lagging marriage and a babysitter whose fed up may finally force Alice to rethink 'having it all' and instead ask for what she really wants in life.

The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory. It's been a while since I've read anything from this brilliant historical fiction author and the beginning sentence to this book really caught my eye. "Why would a woman marry a serial killer? Because she cannot reuse." Now if that doesn't sound intriguing than I don't what does. Kateryn Parr is commanded to marry King Henry V111, the serial marrier and wife killer himself. The two wives before her lasted less than two years as Henry's wives and Kateryn, an intelligent and studies woman has no doubt of the danger she in. 

Things I've Learnt From Fitness...

Almost two years ago now I decided to jump onto the workout bandwagon. Having always been a team sports/social sport kind of person the idea of working out consistently wasn't something that ever appealed to me or was something I thought I was capable of. But after finally reaching my 'goal weight' and realizing that what I actually wanted was to be fit and strong I decided to give working out solo a try. Here are some things I've learnt along the way:

Find what you love doing. Growing up I was always playing sports and getting involved in different activities, but since leaving high school and entering the real world my level of fitness had dropped significantly. Over my twenties I've always done the odd pump class or have been involved in a once-a-week social sport but nothing that really made a different to my muscle capacity or noticeably changed my level of fitness. I used to love going to Pilates classes but at $16 per session I turned to Youtube instead to see if there were any videos that I might like. I ended up finding out about Blogilates, pilates videos done to pop music and really started to enjoy them. I think once you find something you actually love to doing it doesn't become a chore anymore.

Remove the excuses. We all have our weak points and one of mine seems to be that I am a major procrastinator when it comes to doing things I don't enjoy (exercise being one of them!) Working out at home with my iPad and my yoga mat is so perfect as there is no excuse in the world for me to not do it. What I liked about doing team sports or joining a class was that I found other people's presence to be really motivating for me. Now even if it's howling a gale outside or boiling hot I can really don't have an excuse not to get my mat out.

Get the right gear. The right gear does not have to be expensive but it sure can improve your performance or make your workout that much more enjoyable. I use a $12 yoga mat from Big W, butone thing that is worth investing in are shoes if you are running and don't scrimp on the sports bra!

Schedule your workouts. If working out or exercising is important to you, make sure you make the time to put it in your schedule. Since I work out three to four times a week, I try and make my workouts on the same day and time each week. This means that exercise is a priority in my life and I know if I'm coming home on a Tuesday I need to get a workout in after work. The good thing for me about not working out every day is that I can still be flexible with things that crop up, but I'm still realistic about how many times I week I can achieve my goals. You may find some people find it funny that you schedule a workout but if exercise is a priority to your health or lifestyle then do what works for you!

Get a workout buddy. I don't have one but one thing I have found helpful is that my boyfriend also works out on a regular basis from home. He's been working out solo for about five years now so I find it really helpful to have someone to keep me motivated if I'm feeling like a couch potato (happens more than I'd like to admit!) Whether it be a friend you go to the gym with, or someone at work you can chat about being a gym bunny with (or whatever floats your boat) it's good to have any extra level of motivation!

Don't be too hard on yourself. I aim to work out three times a week but you know what, sometimes even with the best intentions life just gets in the way. Or as more recently happened to me you pull a muscle doing a weights routine you probably shouldn't have been half-arsing and need to take a break for a few weeks. I never really worry too much or guilt trip myself about workouts since I know that it's such a part of my weekly routine now. I guess I'm still amazed nearly two years on I still enjoy getting sweaty which in itself feels like a big achievement.

Its not about the number on the scales. If exercise has taught me one thing, it is not to worry about the numbers on the scales. Since I've begun exercising I never really weigh myself anymore and all in all I'm pretty amazed at the things my body can do now. Mastering a new move that I found really difficult when I first started gives me more of a buzz than any number on the scales can. If you do like to weigh yourself getting a set of scales that tells you your muscle percentage and body fat percentage is awesome, as your weight doesn't tell you the whole picture.I find I'm much more interested in those numbers than my total body weight.

What tips do you have to getting into exercise?

Making Time For Reading

Image

Despite having a book blog and having a love of books I still struggle to find time to fit it into my everyday habits. Part of the reason I wanted to start my blog was how much I missed finding time to read and I have to admit blogging definitly helps with extra motivation. But, still too often when I go to sit down with a book I feel the pull of something else that needs to be done, I think about how I should be cleaning or tidying or working on my writing, getting started on our renovations again or I get completely sidetracked by Youtube videos and catching up on my blogging reading list.

Thankfully I haven't felt like keeping this little space on the internet alive is a chore in any way shape or form. In fact my want to read list, authors I want to check out and new genres I want to delve into only seems to be getting longer and longer and over the past year or so there's barely been a book I've picked up where I've either hated it or just become truly bored with reading. I guess that in itself deserves a virtual high five, but still I think finding time to read without feeling guilty about it is my next goal.

Here are some easy ways I've thought about making more time for reading:

• I usually catch up on blog posts in the morning over my breakfast but the most obvious thing to do would be swapping this out for one of my books.
• Getting into audio books, I love this idea for when we start renovating our next room as I find painting to be soooooo tedious although I have no idea where to start with picking a good one.
• Taking a book to work. Most of the time I spend lunch breaks with my co-workers but every now and then when I'm required to man the office I thought half an hour with a book is a perfect solution.
• Taking more baths. I've never been much of a bath person but since our bathroom has been renovated and we had to spend six months with a makeshift outdoor shower I've started to really appreciate our little transformed space. The best part is their ain't much to do in the bath so grabbing a book is the perfect way to spend half an hour.

Do you have any ways you like to slip in some reading time every day?

Books On My 'Want to Read' List

I've updated the handy little list on my phone for whenever I stumble across a great sounding book. Here's what's been catching my eye lately:

Silent Scream by Angela Marsons. Continuing with my love of crime and thriller fiction this novel has been catching my eye for it’s great reviews. Silent Scream is also the first novel in a series about Detective Inspector Kim Stone and I do love a good thriller series, plus I don’t think I’ve read many with badass female leads so Im hoping this book delivers!

The Day We Disappeared by Lucy Robertson. Annie and Kate are two old friends who both have secrets that they are desperate to escape from. Even the blurb to this book is super cryptic barely giving anything more away which just makes me want to find out all the plot twists and juicy bits!

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind. I love historically set novels and even more so when they have really interesting subject matters. Set in the 18th Century Jean Baptiste Grenouille is born with the gift of an absolute sense of smell. His genius leads him on a quest to capture the scents of objects until one day he catches the scent of a beautiful young virgin. I can already imagine how rich and beautiful the subject of this book could be but interlaced with the madness of Jean Baptiste’s search for his prized scent things could get pretty dark and creepy too.

The Girl on The Train by Jennifer Close. I read Gone Girl and it blew me away and although every review I’ve read has said the only this book has similar to Gone Girl is that a) it has a female lead character and b) it’s a thriller with Girl in the title, it still sounds like a thrilling and mysterious read.

Viper Wine by Hermione Eyre. First of all I love books that are a little bit out of the box with their genres and aren’t quite able to be pegged into one spot. Also I think the cover art for Viper Wine is amazing and I need to buy this asap. Set in 1632 the ladies at the court of Charles 1 are beginning to look suspiciously alike. A new tonic, Viper Wine is to blame. Fading beauty Venetia Stanley is keen to get her hands on the tonic. Interspersed with recipes of  17th century beauty potions and mentions of David Bowie, Viper Wine combines fascinating stories from the modern day with this historically set story to illustrate our long standing obsession with women’s beauty.

Book Review: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

I wasn't really planning on reading any more of Liane Moriarty's books so soon after reading What Alice Forgot and The Husbands Secret in quick succession. But then Big Little Lies was plonked on my desk and I thought why the heck not? Similarly set up to the previous books of Moriarty's I've read, Big Little Lies centres around a cast of mums who live in Sydney's northern beaches and it wasn't long before I was fully lost into the story and quickly turning the pages.

As the title suggests many of the character's lives have been affected by lies. The lies they tell to protect loved ones and to protect themselves. There's Celeste who has a seemingly perfect life, married to an outrageously wealthy husband with two gorgeous twin boys, Jane the young single mum who worries over how her son is going to turn out okay without a father in his life and Madeline whose teenage daughter is taking more interest in her Fathers new family than her own, despite the fact her Dad abandoned her as a baby and now that he has a family of his own wants to reconnect.

The thing about Liane Moriarty is that she is so good at taking normal every day people and weaving their stories into something bigger. Each of these woman is dealing with raising their families, balancing jobs, husbands, and kids while responding to the goings on at the local Primary School on the Kindy Orientation Day. When a young girl accuses another child of hurting her it starts off a chain of events between parents and children that will result in a murder.

While this sounds outrageously dramatic I can assure you Big Little Lies is actually a really funny book. Liane Moriarty has a great knack of creating characters that are very very real. From the 'Blonde Bob's named after their perfect haircuts, who run the School to young Jane who 'would be better off in the Eastern Suburbs, where she would be less judged' according to one parent, I had to laugh at how accurate and observant Moriarty is at catching these personalities.

At it's heart though, Big Little Lies has a more serious message. The ease with which we can label some people as good or bad and how others can play into that belief is a strong theme and an interesting one to associate with Kindy kids. I've always like that Liane Moriarty manages to go deeper with her books and really create a great analysis of why her characters turn out the way they do. Big Little Lies takes this idea all the way back to the playground and it's a fascinating and enjoyable read.