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JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

November 23, 2019

Lost but Found by Peter Sharp

November 23, 2019

Sydney Dogs & Cats Home is unique in its ability and commitment to find that ‘one in a million’ owner for animals in their care, as well as that ‘one in a million’ pet for people looking to adopt.

In Lost but Found, you will meet forty special dogs who have spent time at the Home. Their stories reveal how the dogs came to be lost, how and why they were in the shelter, and the love and care they received while there and in their new forever homes.

Fully illustrated and with both before- and after-adoption photography from award-winning pet photographer Peter Sharp of Tame & Wild Studio, this touching collection of precious pups will warm the hearts of animal lovers near and far.

All royalties from the sale of this book will be donated to Sydney Dogs & Cats Home.

Lost but Found by Peter Sharp is an incredible compilation of 40 dogs who have been lost then found thanks to Sydney Dogs and Cats Home.

This book is a gorgeous little package for readers — small, glossy and packed with stories of so many different types of dogs who have experienced different beginnings, and a resulting adoption.

Another day, another dog book that’s made me tear up on public transport.

This book sheds a light on the importance of finding the right dog for your family environment, and it encourages people to adopt rather than buy new puppies. There are so many dogs that need loving homes — of all ages — and they’re all worth a chance.

“Mimosa was picked up as a stray with no microchip or any other form of identification. A routine vet check revealed that this lovely girl had already birthed multiple litters of puppies and was no suffering from heart worm disease.”

The book features full-page, high-res images of each dog and most entries also feature some candids photos of the dog since being adopted by its new owner.

Most of these dogs had horrible starts. They were abandoned, left behind or found in terrible conditions in dense bushland. But the entries shy away from focusing too heavily on the dog’s earlier state, and instead spends more of the page real estate talking about their adoption.

Each dog’s present owner has written a first-person reflection on what it was like to adopt their dog, and it’s a really beautiful and tender addition to each entry.

“Dorothy had a serious case of demodectic mange and a terrible skin infection. She had lost almost her entire coat of fur and nearly every centimetre of her body was red raw, inflamed and covered in scabs, and there was a strong odour emanating from her infected skin. She was also extremely underweight.”

For those who are unfamiliar, the Sydney Dogs and Cats Home is Sydney’s only charity pound and community facility. The Home, which began in 1946, takes care of Sydney’s lost, abandoned and neglected pets. Each year, they help over 3000 animals and they service multiple council areas across Sydney.

The only thing I’d change about this book is that I’d suggest removing the interviews with the animals. I think children would be the main audience for these sections of the book, but I don’t see them picking up this kind of book. I think the main audience of Lost but Found are adult dog lovers, and adults who have adopted or rescued animals in the past. The interviews are sweet, but a little corny.

Recommended for dog lovers, and adults who have adopted or rescued dogs. A heartfelt and heartwarming compilation of really beautiful adoption stories.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lost but Found: Rescue Dogs and their Stories of Adoption
Peter Sharp
November 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

Leave a Comment · Labels: 9/10, Book Reviews, Non-Fiction Tagged: book review, non fiction, non-fiction, review

November 17, 2019

Miracle Mutts by Laura Greaves

November 17, 2019

Heartwarming stories of dogs that survived – and thrived – against the odds.

It’s no secret that dogs have indomitable spirits, that they’re tireless workers and have boundless energy. But it’s when everything seems hopeless that their grit and determination really shines through. Whether sick or injured, lost or abandoned, recovering from cruelty or neglect, it’s the underdogs of the world who have the most to teach us.

Dogs like Jake the bulldog, who was found unresponsive in a burning house but was revived by puppy CPR and now serves as a mascot for the fire crew that saved his life; Guy the beagle, discovered alone in the woods, desperately underweight, only to be adopted by Meghan Markle and become a four-legged part of the royal family; and Maggie, blinded by eye infections and shot 17 times, but still living her life with such relentless positivity that she provides support to stressed-out students and aged-care residents.

Miracle Mutts shares the stories of miraculous dogs like these, dogs who conquered seemingly insurmountable odds, dogs whose futures seemed bleak, dogs that weren’t expected to make it – but triumphed and thrived in the face of incredible adversity.

Miracle Mutts by Laura Greaves is the most uplifting, inspiring book for dog lovers — so many good doggos feature within these pages, so many resilient and determined young pups who experienced a catastrophic incident but turned it around and lived a happy and healthy life.

Another day, another dog book that made me tear up on public transport.

Miracle Mutts tells the story of 15 dogs who escaped possible death, from burns survivor Fergus to amputee Kali to a gorgeous greyhound called Millie whose front paw was mangled and almost completely cut off.

The dogs in the book aren’t just from Australia — Laura shines a spotlight on dogs from other locations such as Bali and Sri Lanka, and gives an insight into what life is like for dogs in those places and the limitations that they have simply because proper health and care is not always available.

“Ann’s mind raced with possibilities. What if the torrential rain had washed away his scent and he couldn’t retrace his steps? What if he’d been injured in the inclement weather? Charlie was registered and microchipped, but what if someone had picked him up and spirited him away?”

Exhaustive research and interviews have gone into this book — Laura speaks with multiple people who were involved in each dog’s journey to find out as much about what happened as possible.

In some of the chapters, the stories don’t just involve the dogs’ struggle, but their owners too. Some families experience heartache and are mourning family members, and their dogs play a vital role in helping their owner overcome grief and loss.

Your heart breaks in some parts of the book — there’s a pregnant dog who was sleeping in a field in Sri Lanka when a harvester machine accidentally drove over her and severed three of her legs. She lay bleeding for half a day before anyone found her, and then it was another half day to get her to veterinary help. Miraculously, the dog lived.

“To the man’s horror, Oscar did exactly that, launching himself over the balustrade and plummeting at least 15 metres to the ground below. Why did he do it? Nobody can say for sure, but it wasn’t entirely unexpected given his breed’s high prey drive and proficiency as escapologists.”

Readers will enjoy the story of how Meghan Markle adopted her dog, choosing him from a rescue centre many years before she married Prince Harry. Readers will also love the story of Jake, who was caught in a fire when he was a puppy and was rescued by a fire-fighter who later adopted him.

Recommended for dog lovers, and readers looking for something heartwarming. It’s hard to read this and not feel uplifted or inspired. What a joyous book of stories.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Miracle Mutts
Laura Greaves
November 2019
Penguin Random House

Leave a Comment · Labels: 10/10, Book Reviews, Non-Fiction Tagged: book review, non fiction, non-fiction, review

November 9, 2019

Beauty by Bri Lee

November 9, 2019

A powerful meditation on beauty and body image from the author of Eggshell Skull.

You were either fit and trim or you weren’t working hard enough. Your body was how you conveyed wealth and status to your peers, it was a personality trait, a symbol of goodness and values: an ethical ideal.

In recent decades women have made momentous progress fighting the patriarchy, yet they are held to ever-stricter, more punishing physical standards. Self-worth still plummets and eating disorders are more deadly for how easily they are dismissed.

In Beauty, Bri Lee explores our obsession with thinness and asks how an intrinsically unattainable standard of physical ‘perfection’ has become so crucial to so many. What happens if you try to reach that impossible goal? Bri did try, and Beauty is what she learned from that battle: a gripping and intelligent rejection of an ideal that diminishes us all.

Written by Australian author Bri Lee, Beauty is a memoir about her relationship with her body and her perception of how she looks — the book assesses women’s perspective on the concept of ‘beauty’ and how much time we spend thinking about how we look.

This is a compact read, clocking in at just under 150 pages. Whilst the book may be short, the words inside pack a punch. Beauty prompts the reader to think about their own experiences with their body — the reader experience is not just about understanding Bri’s journey, but understanding how women are made to feel inadequate no matter how they look. At times, it feels like we’re set up to fail. We’re set up to constantly worry about how we look, and how we’re supposed to look.

“The house I rented through 2017 was the first place I had ever lived or even stayed in for an extended period of time where I had never thrown up after dinner…Was I exhibiting more, or less, self-control by resisting these urges?”

As always, Bri’s writing is impeccable. Bri only uses the necessary amount of words to convey her point, and it proves her skill as an author. She doesn’t over explain or over indulge. There is no repetition. Her vocabulary is intellectual and informed, and her research supports the messages in the book. Stylistically, the mix of memoir and statistical and factual information is smooth and easy — the transition between Bri’s story and evidential information she presents to the reader is seamless.

I know this isn’t anything to do with Bri’s writing, but the cover of the book and the overall package is marvellous — the artwork on the front and the physical size of the book compliments the inside very nicely.

“I put the book down and made a new pact with myself, this time on paper, to try harder. I listed methods, weigh-ins, tips and tricks I found online that sounded cruel enough to be effective. It was a game of the mind; a challenge for the brain that would see the body benefit.”

Admittedly, I found it surprising that Bri didn’t take the time to acknowledge her privileged position when it comes to the notion of ‘beauty’. She’s tall, lean, white, straight, and able-bodied. And mostly, her idea of ‘beauty’ revolves around thinness (there are many other elements of ‘beauty’ that different women would experience) and so this book definitely feels like it maintains quite a narrow focus.

It’s to be expected because it’s about Bri’s experiences, but I wonder if there was capacity to make this a bigger project, and have other women come on board who have struggled with different aspects of ‘beauty’, perhaps in the realm of skin, height, disability or hair.

“The next day I ate nothing but two light Cruskits and three mini pieces of sushi. When I thought about how I was surviving — still running and working and travelling — on such a small amount of food, I thought back to previous times in my life when I would eat three meals each day plus snacks, and I wondered if that was gluttonous of me, and if some shame came from that excess consumption.”

This is incredibly well-written and touching, and Bri doesn’t shy away from confronting the difficult experiences she’s had with her body. Young women, and women who have a difficult relationship with their weight, will be the perfect readership for this.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Beauty
Bri Lee
November 2019
Allen & Unwin Publishers

Leave a Comment · Labels: 7/10, Book Reviews, Non-Fiction Tagged: book review, non fiction, non-fiction, review

October 26, 2019

Antoni in the Kitchen by Antoni Porowski

October 26, 2019

Queer Eye sensation and passionate cook Antoni Porowski is taking the world by storm. With a disarmingly fresh approach to food, Antoni inspires both newbies and knowledgeable cooks to get back into the kitchen.

Antoni’s gorgeous debut cookbook brings together his trademark inclusive and accessible attitude to food with one hundred of his all-time favourite recipes. With chapters including Weeknight Healthyish Meals, Apps and Snacks and Bakes, the book celebrates Antoni’s love for fresh, casual and healthy cooking and the occasional indulgent feast.

Antoni gets dinner on the table fast with Chicken Milanese with Baby Tomato Salad, makes visual stunners such as Roasted Carrots with Carrot-Top Pesto, playfully reboots Hi-Lo Poutine from his French-Canadian heritage and dazzles with Salty Lemon Squares for dessert.

As the food and wine expert of the ‘Fab Five’ style gurus on Netflix smash hit Queer Eye, Antoni burst onto our screens in 2018. A self-taught chef, Antoni’s degree in psychology helped him hone his underlying philosophy that food should tell a story because the heart and stomach are interconnected. On release, the show had a 100% rating on review website Rotten Tomatoes. In 2018, the show won three Emmy Awards and was nominated for four People’s Choice Awards.

Antoni in the Kitchen is a cookbook for newbies and amateur cooks — for people who want to dabble in the complex recipes, but only a little.

Whilst Antoni has worked in restaurants and as a private chef, Antoni is not a qualified or classically trained chef. The casting director of Queer Eye plucked him out of a gallery where he was working as a curator.

I do find it hilarious that Antoni has a cookbook, and I sense it must be a result of the responses he’s received from his appearances on Queer Eye. His cooking on the show is often minimal, easy things that sometimes aren’t really ‘cooking’. Sure, how can you possibly convey the complexities of cooking in such a short time frame? And to people who probably don’t know how to boil an egg? But Bobby redesigns entire houses…so…

Also, how much of this book is from Antoni himself? He gives a pretty strong acknowledgement to co-author Mindy Fox in the book. I find that odd for a cookbook. Did he show her recipes or meals and she transcribed how to make them?

“Was I enough of a food guy? Many of the contenders I’d been up against for the role of Queer Eye ‘food and wine expert’ had longtime careers as chefs, food-industry people and food personalities…I saw myself as an aspiring actor, my work in the food business as a means to an end.”

The recipes are relatively simple to make, and are split into 7 simple categories that any cook would be interested in using — Apps and Snacks, Green, Veg and Other Sides, Soups and Stews, Pasta and Rice, Weekend Healthyish, Animal and Bakes. Would be great to have some sort of cocktail/drinks menu, considering he also does touch on wine in the show.

The photos in the book are one of the highlights — not just the exquisite food photos but the high-quality, almost ‘lifestyle’ images of Antoni that fans can fawn over. Photos that make him appear like a regular person, but are incredibly glamorous photos of him out and about in New York City.

Because the recipes in this cookbook reflect Antoni’s food journey, elements of Antoni’s Polish heritage can be spotted as you make your way through the recipes. Scattered intermittently throughout the book are also little anecdotal memories or stories that Antoni reflects on, drawing a connection between his food and his childhood.

Some of the recipes he recalls from his travels or his high school years, and these little stories allow the reader to feel more connected to Antoni. Additionally, helpful tips and tricks are published in the book: his Top Ten Culinary Mantras, adding Pomegranate molasses to sweet and savoury dishes, and when peeling fresh ginger, use the tip of a small spoon to scrape away the skin.

“My middle sister, Aleksandra, first made a puree like this for me when I was a picky kid who refused to eat his veg. Roasting the squash caramelises it, and lime juice and peppery dried chilli perks things up.”

This book is not ideal for seasoned chefs who want complex recipes, with ingredients that spill over three pages. These recipes are easy, simple, quick, but also tasty. They’ll appeal to the kinds of people who are picked for Queer Eye — struggling in the kitchen. People who are beginner cooks and who want to improve their cooking skills will also find much to learn in this book.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Antoni in the Kitchen
Antoni Porowski
October 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

8 Comments · Labels: 8/10, Book Reviews, Cookbook, Non-Fiction Tagged: book review, cook, cookbook, cooking, non fiction, non-fiction, review

October 12, 2019

Unsolved Australia: Lost Boys, Gone Girls by Justine Ford

October 12, 2019

Can you catch a killer or find a missing person?

Australia is ‘the lucky country’. But not for everyone. Unsolved Australia: Lost Boys, Gone Girls tells thirteen stories of people whose luck ran out in the most mysterious of circumstances.

It’s a journalistic deep-dive into Australia’s dark heart by one of Australia’s premier true crime writers, Justine Ford, the acclaimed bestselling author of Unsolved Australia and The Good Cop.

Why are four people missing from a Western Australian doomsday cult? Who abducted and murdered beauty queen Bronwynne Richardson on pageant night? And why is a cooked chook important evidence in the outback disappearance of Paddy Moriarty?

Key players are interviewed, evidence laid out and suspects assessed. Never-before-published information is revealed. Can you help crack the case and solve these mysteries?

Hold tight as Unsolved Australia: Lost Boys, Gone Girls takes you on a chilling yet inspiring true crime rollercoaster ride where the final destination is hope.

Unsolved Australia: Lost Boys, Gone Girls is a fascinating record of 13 Australians who have gone missing and have never been found, written by well-known Australian crime writer Justine Ford.

Each section of the book focuses on a different missing person, detailing their life and the final days that anyone saw them alive. If there have been any updates on the case in recent decades, Justine has included that. This book is very comprehensive, very detailed, and incredibly researched.

Additionally, the book features interviews with six key crime personnel, such as former police detectives, investigative journalists, private investigators, and criminologists. These interviews are fascinating, reading about their career trajectories, their experiences, and what they remember most about cold cases from their careers.

“When cops are described as ‘dogged’ it means they are the kinds of police who go the extra mile to crack a case. They are the investigators who spend sleepless nights wondering, Is there something I missed? They are the cops who struggle to accept it when they cannot find the answers.”

The book is a plea to the readers, asking them to read the stories and provide help with any clues or information they may see that has been missed. There are people out there who know what happened to these thirteen individuals — reading these stories may jog someone’s memory.

Generous rewards are on offer for anyone that can help with each case. Although, quite a few of these missing persons disappeared decades ago, so I understand it’d be very unlikely someone will read this and remember anything useful to police.

“What was unusual — for them, at least — was the strange entity they saw bobbing in the water on the starboard side of their boat. It must be an animal, they thought, maybe a dog…The men looked once, they looked twice, and then agreed: it was a human body.”

Justine’s tone is appropriate for the subject matter — she’s compassionate and caring, and you can tell she genuinely wants to find out what happened to these missing persons. She also does well to present all of the relevant information to the reader in a succinct, clear manner.

“For half an hour the police boat judders across the swell until what looks like a dot on the horizon — a farmhouse — comes into sight. It’s lonely out here and the ocean surrounding the property ahead is hundreds, if not thousands, of metres deep.”

At almost 300 pages, I grew emotionally exhausted by the end of the story. There are no solutions or answers to these cold cases. Reading about thirteen people who disappeared in strange circumstances and have never been seen again was mentally draining towards the end.

I’d recommend readers pace themselves with this book. Each section of the book is an appropriate length — long enough to include all the facts, information, and updates on the case, but not too long where you feel your attention waning.

Recommended for true crime lovers.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unsolved Australia: Lost Boys, Gone Girls
Justine Ford
July 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

Leave a Comment · Labels: 9/10, Book Reviews, Non-Fiction Tagged: book review, crime, non fiction, non-fiction, review, reviews, true crime

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