Favourite reads

We have all been thinking about our favourite books in store and our favourite hidden gem (the book that doesn't necessarily get all the publicity or the prizes but is a guaranteed great read). Which book is your favourite and which book is your hidden gem?
I'll start the ball rolling and suggest Jasper Jones and the hidden gem is Modoc.
Just add your comments below...

About us

The Written Dimension book shop and ABC Centre is proudly independent. It is the oldest book shop in Noosa, having been in business for over 20 years. It is owned by local resident, Keith Moore, and ably managed by Rachel Burgoyne, a local resident of more than 20 years standing. With over thirty years of combined experience on tap, we offer our customers the ultimate book buying experience, providing an extensive range of titles and the best in customer service standards from our knowledgeable staff. With a wide range of books always available, across all genres and age groups, the Written Dimension has become a literary oasis for discerning book buyers in Noosa. Through our ABC Centre we also offer access to music and DVDs, including the latest in ABC, BBC and SBS products.


We pride ourselves on our ability to meet all your needs, so if we are unable to supply the title you want from our extensive range, we are more than happy to order anything not in stock, with delivery for the vast majority of titles, dependent upon supplier, usually within 7 to 10 days. If we need to get a title for you from overseas this will of course take longer, but is still usually within 4 weeks.


All of us here at The Written Dimension keep up to date with the latest releases and, whatever your taste in books, one of our friendly, experienced staff members will be able to make recommendations to suit your needs. Whether choosing a book for yourself, a friend or relative, we’re here to help you find what you’re looking for.

Being an independent business run by locals, for locals, we are proud to support our local authors, stocking and promoting their titles whenever possible. We arrange book signings and author visits – please let us know by subscribing to our monthly newsletter if you would like to see details of these events. At The Written Dimension we aim to provide the best service and widest range of products available to fulfill all your literary needs. Visit us in store, online (www.writtendimension.com.au), contact us by email (info@writtendimension.com.au) or call us on (07) 5447 4433.

At the Written Dimension, we love people who love books.

Our Favourite Reads

The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow by A J Mackinnon

I love travel narratives, and this one is one of the best I’ve read. A J (Sandy) Mackinnon is an Australian born teacher and now writer, who decided to quit his job at a school on the Welsh Borders, and sail away in an ancient little Mirror dinghy he’d “borrowed” from the school. His original goal was London, no mean feat in itself, but on reaching there, he decided to keep going, and ended up, 12 countries and nearly 5,000 kilometres later, on the shores of the Black Sea.

Told with wit and flair, this is the ultimate slow travel story, in the company of an eccentric raconteur of great charm.
  

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

This multi award winning book was our pick for the Book of the Year in 2009, and went on to win the Indie Award (the award made by independent Australian booksellers, for the best book that year written by an Australian author) and many others. It tells the story of Jasper Jones, a 14 year old half caste aboriginal lad growing up in rural Western Australia in the early 1970s, and his relationship with the narrator of the story, 13 year old Charlie Bucktin. Both misfits, the boys are thrown together one night when Jasper appears at Charlie’s window and asks for help.

A coming of age story which has been compared to the seminal “to Kill a Mocking bird”, this books is beautifully written, combining humour and life-affirming narrative, and setting it against the challenging issues of the age in which the book is set (and of today)  – racism, war and prejudice. The characters are well rounded and believable, as are the emotions. A real page turner, with a strong message.
  

One Day by David Nichols

I’m a sucker for a good ‘feel-good rom com’ and this book, soon to be a movie, is one of the best I’ve read in a long time. With loads of genuine laugh out loud moments and for those inclined that way, many tears, this book will brighten your day. Following a one night “fling” on the night of their graduation in 1998, Emma and Dex go their separate ways. So where will they be and what will they be doing on that very day next year? And the year after that?   And every year that follows? 20 years years later?....

We’ve just got this book in an exciting new book format called “flip-back”. Printed on bible paper and hand stitched for strength, these wonderful little new books are designed to fit in your back pocket or hand bag, yet are still easy to read. Light and easy to handle, flip-backs are taking Europe by storm.
  

Azincourt, by Bernard Cornwell

One of my favourite genres is historical fiction, and Bernard Cornwell is, in my opinion, the master. He combines meticulous historical detail with a rollicking good pace, to produce page turners which are so good you can almost “smell” the atmosphere of the times.

I first read a Cornwell because he wrote a series about King Alfred (b: 848, d: 899), the first king of a unified England. I was drawn to the series because, as a Winchester resident before arriving in Australia, I walked past Alfred’s statue in the High Street on an almost daily basis. I’m so glad I did, because the “Alfred” series, as it is known, is simply brilliant. This book though, Azincourt, is a stand-alone book set in 1415, documenting the epoch defining battle better known as Agincourt, when the English longbow archer defeated the much better equipped and far more numerous French army.

This book is widely regarded as his best book yet, and describes the battle from the viewpoint of one archer, Nicholas Hook. The historical detail is a reward in itself, but when combined with the fast-paced, heart stopping narrative, the result is simply brilliant. Story telling at its best.

Some Dogs Do by Jez Alborough

I just had to put this book in. My soon-to-be eight year old daughter, who has been reading by herself for a year now, still allows me to read this to her if I’m very, very good. We’ve been reading it together for nearly six years (and with my elder daughter for a year before that) and we both know it by heart. With rhyming text, perfect illustrations and a great message, this is a book for all kids from 2 to 92. I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t smile broadly at the last page.

Just A Girl

by Jane Caro

Reviewed by Jessica

Just a Girl was an interesting historical book, but I think it's for a much older age group. QUC needs to re-define the age group: it's not suitable for 12-14 year-olds. My mother very much enjoyed this, so I think the book should be for uni-students studying Elizabethan history, or 20+. 

The Clockwork Three

by Matthew Kirby 

Reviewed by Jessica

The Clockwork Three had my attention right from the beginning. I was reallly getting into
the story and loving it. Like the title suggests, each character's story is intertwined with the
other main characters. One thing that I didn't like though, was the fact that J. Kirby made
a 'spiritualist crackpot' or in other words, a lady who could commune with the dead, (witchcraft) a GOOD character. How does that work? In my mind you cannot mix good with evil.. so a witch shouldn't be a good character!!! Perhaps it doesn't bother other people, but to me it as if Sauron out of Lord of the Rings were a good character... It just doesn't work... y'know? All in all, I was disappointed 

No Safe Place

by Deborah Ellis

Reviewed by Jessica

No Safe Place was definitely not for the age rating suggested. The themes of sex, aggression and survival, plus the language used were NOT appropriate for the suggested age group.

11 to 14 years?! More like 13 to 16 years!! The story itself is definitely a stark eye-opener. It helped me to see how refugee children struggle, and how strong they become through all their struggles. It also helped me to see how soft, and spoilt Australian children are becoming. And how very, very privileged we are to have education, literature access, and freedom of speech. No Safe Place was good in it's own way, however, even though it was a story with children as the main characters, I believe the book needs to target a more mature audience.

Careful What You Wish For

by Maureen McCarthy

Reviewed by Jessica

Careful What You Wish For was an interesting enough book... but I didn't like the concept
of a magical rat??! Also, McCarthy was very prejudiced in her opinion of Catholicism going so far as to call one Nun 'Thunder Gut'! I'm sure if I published a book calling Muslim leaders names I would get some kind of radical response. Apart from this, I suppose I liked the concept that Ruth has to experiance three different lives before she realizes that her life is what she appreciates the most, snotty brothers, weird parents and all.
A good read for children eleven and under.

Raven's Mountain

by Wendy Orr

Reviewed by Jessica

Raven's Mountain was a very slow. Even though it was written by the author of Nim's Island I still think it had almost no story. Summing it up in one sentence: A girl hikes up a mountain with her family and gets separated from them by a rockfall, she then has to get help. I think, even though it has a lovely family message, it is a little slow. Perhaps that is because I am fifteen, though.

Dragonborn

by Toby Forward

Reviewed by Jessica

Dragonborn was an excellent fantasy fiction, and I thoroughly enjoyed this on-the-edge-of-your-seat story. I couldn't put it down for more than a few moments and even then it would be calling to me to pick it up and read, read, read. The only fault that I could find was the editing.

Just when you thought you were figuring out what was going on in the story, you would spot a stray comma, a spelling mistake, a quote from a character that wasn't finished off with a quotation mark. This was an excellent piece of work, but seemingly unedited at all. (This applies to the published edition as well.) I would still highly recommend this story full of wizards, good, evil and spells to all magic lovers. 

How to read a book.

Bill Granger Lunch Event

Hi everybody

Just a short line to let you know about our next  author event. We’re delighted to be able to bring to you, in conjunction with the highly acclaimed Ricky’s River Bar + restaurant at Quamby Place on Noosa Sound, a lunch with Bill Granger.

Bill needs no introduction, thanks to his highly successful TV shows and cook books.

Bill will be in Noosa next month to launch his new cookbook, Bill’s Everyday Asian. He will be in Noosa for one day only and will host a lunch featuring  dishes from his new book.  

For Bill’s Everyday Asian, Bill has simplified his favourite classics to create the very best that Asian food has to offer, drawing on his own colourful and varied experiences: from a home-cooked dinner in Singapore to a businessman’s breakfast in Japan, along with his most memorable flavour encounters at beach shacks, restaurants and roadside stalls.

WHO:         Bill Granger

WHERE:     Ricky’s River Bar + restaurant, Quamby Place, Noosa Sound.  

WHEN:       Friday 28 October

TIME:         12.30pm LUNCH, featuring recipes from Bill’s book.

COST:        $75.00, which includes a 3 course lunch and a glass of wine.

Tickets are strictly limited and are available only from Ricky’s on 07 5447 2455.

We hope to see you there.

Life: An Exploded Diagram

by Mal Peet

Reviewed by Mitch

Many books are set with the background of the Holocaust, but never before have I come across a book set in the Cold War, let alone in young adult fiction. The book is sad at times but the coming-of-age aspects of the novel were uplifting overall. The main characters of this book are Clem and Frankie and the story centres on their unique love. Clem is a strong protagonist, living with his parents and grandparents in a claustrophobic little house together with Frankie, the daughter of a rich farmer. Clem and Frankie's journey is truly inspiring and easy to relate to. I enjoyed the character's back-stories which are told through flashbacks.

As the book is written through memories, it switches from first person to third person.  The book is written in a beautiful way with lovely word choices creating a gorgeous atmosphere. My overall thoughts on this book are that it is a unique young adult historical fiction novel that is totally captivating from the first chapter. It's one of the best I've read. I really enjoyed the character's stories and their way of life. The plot was unique and the writing was beautiful. It is one of the best books I've read this year.

rating:  4.5/5 stars.

You Against Me

by Jenny Downham, publisher, price.

Reviewed by Mitch

The story is a unique tale of star-crossed love with mature themes. The book centres on the characters of Ellie and Mikey. Ellie is from the rich side of London and Mikey is from the poorer side. I really like Jenny Downham's writing because she develops the characters so well. I'm also reading Before I Die, another one of her books, which I am also enjoying. She is one fo my favourite authors.

Keeping it short and sweet, all I can say about this book is that IT IS AMAZING.  I urge everyone to read it

rating: 5 stars.

The Marriage Plot

by Jeffrey Eugenides

Reviewed by Catherine

Author of Middlesex and The Virgin Suicides, Eugenides latest novel is a fresh and contemporary portrayal of modern love. Madeleine Hanna enrols in Semiotics 211 in her final year of her English major and discovers that love, life and literature are intertwined. The work brims with intertextual references to contemporary pop culture and classic literary texts. This novel is smart, witty and engaging. Highly recommended.