Sophie's Little Library

As I was reflecting on the books I’ve read through this exceedingly strange year, I was struck by how many of them were by debut authors. Across the six books I’m sharing here, I’ve explored climate change and genetic experiments, a murder mystery, the history of words, a creepy legend in the Great Western Tiers of Tasmania, a flower farm, and a reality show with an awkwardly hilarious premise. Of these books, five are debut Australian authors and five of the books have been released in 2020 – which, as we all know, has been a challenging year to be releasing a novel at all, let alone a debut. These authors are most definitely ones to watch!  So here we are, some short reviews of my favourite debut novels I’ve read so far in 2020. To see what else I've been reading and loving, come over to my Instagram page @sophies.little.libary The Bluffs by Kyle Perry Published by Penguin Books Australia 2020 Well, I’m officially adding the Hungry Man to the long list of fears in my ...

  Well, it’s been about 7 months since my library makeover, and I am still completely obsessed with it. Especially with the addition of my reading chair, I mean…. Look at it! This space has been at least 10 years in the making, from the very first time I ran out of space in a bookshelf. My book collection has just continued to grow, and I spent so much time fantasising about a dreamy reading room in my house. When my husband and I decided to build a house, every single display home we went through or floor plan we looked at had one room we picked out to be ‘the library’. I’m thankful that my husband has always been supportive of this little dream of mine - although part of me thinks he’s just trying to make up for the fact that when we first started dating, he told me “one day I will build you a wall of bookshelves”. So romantic, right? It wasn’t long after that grand statement that I learnt he is not a particularly handy person, and would probably struggle to build me a box ...

  After a salacious scandal in Sydney, Rebecca Wood flees to a small coastal town in the hope of starting a new, inconspicuous life where her past can’t catch up with her. She is taking on the role of postmistress, and on her first day on the job she is disconcerted to learn that the prior postmistress committed suicide – in the very office where she is now to work. The circumstances and events leading to that suicide are very upsetting, and Rebecca finds it difficult to put it from her mind. Before long, other dark and disturbing events become known to Rebecca, and she starts to wonder if there is something more sinister in the underbelly of the town she was hoping to lead a quiet life in. I love stories about small towns, and the secrets, lies and whispered histories within them. Right from the start of The Mystery Woman, we start to get to know the strange and interesting characters in the small town of Shipwreck Bay – some endearing, some abhorrent, and everything in between....

The Paris Secret  By Natasha Lester 1928: Skye Penrose is a free-spirited 10 year old, growing up in an isolated Cornish cottage with her irascible younger sister Liberty and her outcast mother, when she meets 11 year old Nicholas Crawford. They quickly form the kind of close friendship that can only be described as soulmates. 1939: Skye, now a talented pilot, joins the war effort in the limited way she is allowed to by the men who don’t believe women should be able to fly planes. In her dangerous role, she comes across her estranged sister and Nicholas, who she hasn’t seen since she was 14, and who is now engaged to Frenchwoman Margaux Jourdan. 1947: Christian Dior releases his first collection of clothing to a country and world desperate for beauty and extravagance after years of war and utter despair. He names a perfume after his flower-loving, Resistance-fighting sister Catherine. 2012: Kat Jourdan is a fashion conservator, who comes across a wardrobe full of 65 haute c...

Not so long ago, I said to my mother, “remember when we were young, and we would spend the day at home playing café?” We would hunt through the pantry and freezer, write up a menu with our discoveries and spend hours getting our café setting just right. Tablecloth, a small vase with the fresh seaside daisies that were always present but exploded in our front garden each summer. Even now, those daisies make me smile. They’re so reminiscent of home. We’d welcome our most loyal customer and serve her regular cup of tea with milk and sugar, ask what she would like to eat and busy ourselves creating a meal. A fruit platter for the best customer in town? Of course! Two party pies with sauce and a teaspoon to scoop out the meat? Coming right up! Those days, that game, the memory is just wrapped in love. When I shared how special that memory is with Mum, she looked at me for a moment and said, “Those games, those days – we had nothing. We couldn’t go anywhere, pay to do anything because ...

The Nightingale is such a popular book, and for good reason. Like most people, I fell completely in love with it. It was beautifully written, with complex and layered characters and a well-paced storyline. I sobbed my little heart out at the end of the book (and I know I'm not alone there!!) If you loved The Nightingale, here are 3 more books I guarantee you will enjoy.  Happy reading! Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon     Why you should read it I love the concept of a fictional story about real people, and Nancy Wake is a brilliant subject. I honestly did not know anything about The White Mouse before I read this book, and I am completely in awe of her. It is incredible to think many of the stories in this book really happened. The writing was truly fantastic. The characters were really lovable, and the storyline was fast-paced. There were a couple of scenes in particular that stuck out, one that was so barbaric it made me feel sick and another so horrifyingly...