Rooney Eats It! A Brit's Take on Pimps, Child Deaths and Other Fun Movie Stuff


Book Description

Chick flicks. Brokeback Mountain. Bollywood. Superhero movies. Sophie’s Choice. Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock. Avant-garde musicals... If this sort of stuff is your cup of tea, then this isn’t the book for you. Blokey film enthusiast Dave Franklin instead concentrates on the politically incorrect delights of Coffy, Magnum Force and Boogie Nights while paying tribute to the likes of Christopher Walken, Paul Schrader, 70’s disaster movies and Brian De Palma. There’s even some tongue-in-cheek appreciation of the God-like Steven Seagal. So settle back, forget about identity politics and the prevailing lefty narrative, and immerse yourself in a book that values celluloid entertainment above all else. Or as Rob Reiner says at the start of the immortal Spinal Tap: “Enough of my yakking. Let’s boogie.”




Oh, My God! Ninja! A Brit's Take on Arnie, Icky Sex and Other Fun Movie Stuff


Book Description

I have of late, wherefore I know not, lost all of my mirth… Man delights not me; no, nor women neither. In my dreams (and increasingly during my more whimsical waking moments) I wander through Movieland. Sometimes I chat to Kelly McGillis about being in a 4G inverted dive with a MiG-28 while a strung-out Withnail stands close by complaining about going on holiday by mistake. At others a xenomorph near the bus stop rips off Forrest Gump’s head before being machine-gunned by the ED-209. I close my eyes, take a contented breath, and reopen them to see Frau Blücher upsetting the horses again as Tony Montana snorts coke and tells the permanently agitated Don Logan that this town is like one giant pussy waiting to get fucked. I wander and I wander and I never want to leave… Some movies, you see, contain magic. Magic that seeps into your soul and becomes a part of you. I mean, why waste your time travelling the world, having a career, nurturing dreams or taking a woman seriously? Such pursuits involve a great deal of effort and invariably end in disappointment. Surely it’s better to stay invisible at home while exploring a rich cinematic odyssey alongside the likes of Marty McFly, Jessica 6, the Black Knight, Bill Kilgore and a Stepford wife or two? Come now. Partake in the madness. Let me hold your hand and lead you nowhere.




Bunch of Snake Freaks! A Brit's Take on Dead Pets, Sleazeballs and Other Fun Movie Stuff


Book Description

“You like movies because you’re one of life’s great watchers.” So says Woody Allen’s irked, soon-to-be-ex-wife in Play It Again, Sam, obviously having had enough of his sedentary lifestyle. Hmm, I think she would have left me, too. But, hey, do a female’s myriad charms really stack up against the corny delights of Cocktail, the vicious cynicism of The Sweet Smell of Success, the dark ferocity of The Thing, the fantastic imagination of Westworld, the perverted milieu of Happiness or the heartbreak of Kes? For these are just some of the films covered in the fifth part of this lewd, politically incorrect guide to the treasures of twentieth century cinema. Author Dave Franklin also throws in a bevy of bitches, the worst-ever holidays and a tribute to old men feasting on teenage flesh.




A Remarkable Friendship


Book Description

A huddle of wooden sheds in a courtyard off the Boulevard Montmartre known as Cormon's atelier was where the handsome art student from Sydney, John Peter Russell, first met the haunted, intense newcomer from Holland, Vincent van Gogh. Both were foreigners in the competitive art world of Paris in the 1880s, and over the next two years both would discover a passion for colour painting. Now, for the first time, Ann Galbally traces the passage of this extraordinary and unlikely friendship. The two spent hours together in a Paris studio experimenting with the fast-moving changes in art practice. Both artists ultimately rejected the Impressionist's world of urban sophistication and left Paris to develop colour painting in isolation, Van Gogh at Arles in Provence, and Russell on Belle Ile off the coast of Brittany. With a supporting cast including Gauguin, Rodin, Monet and Matisse this is a journey through the struggles and failures, plots and intrigues of artistic life. A tale of love found and lost and ultimate tragedy, it makes for enthralling reading.




Welcome to Wales, Girls


Book Description

Ryan teaches English to foreigners at a small school in Cardiff. He's not perfect but tries his best for his students. Nora, the boss' daughter, is his icily distant, ball-busting superior. Apart, they are nothing, two completely unremarkable and harmless individuals. But together... Welcome to Wales, Girls - Come study at the ESL school from hell.




Collecting Colour


Book Description

Collecting Colour tells the story of a day spent collecting colour in the Top End of the Northern Territory, narrated by a white Australian girl, Rose. Rose s best friend Olive s mother, Karrang, makes beautiful coloured baskets, mats and bags from leaves from the pandanus palm a tall, thin tree with very long, spiky leaves. Rose and Olive spend a day out bush helping to gather the pandanus leaves and stringy bark for making into strong bags and baskets. They collect the colour that the bags will be bright yellows and pinks, from special plants and berries. It is a hard day s work for Rose, but the results are worth it. Collecting Colour, featuring stunning collage illustrations on Nepalese paper, is a feast for the senses and is also a fascinating insight into the way of life of fibre artists, who produce beautiful, original work in often difficult conditions. Ages: 3+ Price: $28.99 HB




The Red Bridge


Book Description

Age range 5 to 9 Claire's family has moved from Australia to Vietnam and the little girl finds herself lost in the busy, bustling streets of Hanoi, until she finds the red bridge and a new friend to show her the way. Kylie Dunstan's stunning collage illustrations bring Claire's exotic, exciting new home to vibrant life in this touching story. Teachers' notes available here




Someone Else's Child


Book Description

A gripping contemporary novel from a magnificent new talent that tackles the almost unbreakable loyalty of female friendships, the generosity of community and the lengths we will go to save a child. Ren will do anything for her best friend, Anna. The news that Anna's daughter Charlotte has terminal brain cancer sends them on a desperate hunt for a cure and their only hope lies in an expensive European drug trial. Ren jumps on board Anna's fundraising efforts, willing to put everything on the line - her reputation in their close-knit community and all the money she can beg or borrow - to secure Charlotte's place. When the local charity drive quickly becomes a nationwide campaign, townspeople start asking questions about the trial. Questions Ren can't answer. The more she uncovers, the more Ren realises the truth is darker than she could ever imagine. Are there any lines that won't be crossed in their fight for Charlotte? PRAISE: 'An unputdownable, one-sitting read.' - Better Reading 'What is a life worth? Who decides? Someone Else's Child kept me up late at night reading to find those answers. A ticking time bomb of a mystery that asks how far would you go to get what you need.' - R.W.R McDonald, Australian author of The Nancys 'Someone Else's Child is a captivating story. In the age of GoFundMe, it raises some very timely questions about friendship, ethics and loyalty.' - Eliza Henry-Jones, author of In The Quiet 'Kylie Orr shines the spotlight on distorted female friendships in a tightly written novel that will have you turning pages past bedtime.' - Fiona Lowe, bestselling Australian author of A Family of Strangers




DREAM BIG & Imagine the What If


Book Description

This unique combination of an autobiographical, educational and motivational book is unlike one you've ever read before. In this genuine recount of her own life challenges, Kylie shares how connecting to culture and finding a teacher who believed in her changed her life. From breaking the cycle and facing fear to using the power of education and visualisation, you will be left feeling inspired and motivated to take on life's challenges with confidence and courage. As a proud Aboriginal woman with a big heart, Kylie has dedicated her career to improving outcomes for Aboriginal students and communities. Kylie's personal reflections about Australian history and injustices that have negatively impacted her people will move you deeply. In this must-read book, Kylie challenges anyone who wants to make a change in their life, to hit the reset button and Imagine the What If.




Radical Sydney


Book Description

Sydney: a beautiful international city with impressive buildings, harbour-side walkways, public gardens, cafes, restaurants, theatres and hotels. This is the way Sydney is represented to its citizens and to the rest of the world. But there has always been another Sydney not viewed so fondly by the city's rulers, a radical part of Sydney. The working-class suburbs to the south and west of the city were large and explosive places of marginalised ideas, bohemian neighbourhoods, dissident politics and contentious action. Through a series of snapshots, Radical Sydney traces its development from The Rocks in the 1830s to the inner suburbs of the 1980s. It includes a range of incidents, people and places, from freeing protestors in the anti-conscription movement, resident action movements in Kings Cross, anarchists in Glebe, to Gay Rights marches on Oxford Street and Black Power in Redfern.