Books

Federation University Honourary Professor Barry Golding launched his new book, Six Peaks Speak, Unsettling Legacies in Southern Dja Dja Wurrung Country, at the Castlemaine Visitor Information Centre last week in front of a diverse crowd of about 100. The book tells the stories of six significant volcanic peaks in the Central Victorian goldfields.

The Paradise Books Review Crew presents a range of books for young readers. And just in time for Christmas!

John Boyne’s “Water” and Jelena Dokic’s “Unbreakable” explore issues of child abuse. Both books, one fictional, one factual give us some insight into how indicators of child abuse can be ignored. Reading them can help start conversations about how and what we can do to respond.

The Review Crew is a monthly free program run by Devon at Paradise Bookshop for local kids aged 10–15 years old. The Crew meets after school on the last Monday of every month to read and review new books and help curate the Young Adult and Junior Fiction shelves. This is the first of their reviews!

Michael Gawenda, former senior editor of The Age, has a Jewish background and his book is a reflection of what that has meant in his personal life and his professional career.

From the Top, a memoir by Tom Robb describes his life as a “Traveller, Outlaw, and Producer”. The book is full of anecdotes about the various countries Tom’s Australian Entertainment Company (AEC) performed in, including Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It is in the end, a warm and moving account of a life well lived.