If you thought TV’s Nurse Jackie told it like it was, then Get Well Soon! is one hell of a revelation.

Falling into the nursing profession, Kristy Chambers has spent almost a decade working as a nurse, with patients ranging from drug addicts through cancer patients to those in Emergency. Along the way she met some wonderfully brave people. As for others, well, you’ll need to read her book to really believe it.

Chambers is a new and idiosyncratic voice in memoir writing. Her tone is dark, her humour black, but there is honesty, heart and compassion in Get Well Soon! She shows us more than ever the incredible work done by nurses and the challenges they face.

‘My quest for a career started early, when I was four years old and gave myself a haircut to see if I liked that sort ...

There's something wrong with Hazel Atherton she just knows it. She's not a kid anymore, but she's not grown-up either. Hazel hasn't even kissed a boy and she's not sure she ever will. Although that doesn't stop her from thinking about Leo in the year above... Hazel wishes she could talk to her mum about it - but these days her mum is too busy hanging out with her new boyfriend. Does anyone understand what's going on with Hazel?

Chrissie Keighery. Thalia Kalkipsakis. Meredith Badger.

Three very well-known authors - well, to me anyway.

Between them they've written a squillion books (yes, that's the technical term for it) in various series, including Go Girl, Go Girl Angels, Tweenie Genie, Fairy School Drop-Out and many more, and now, they are all branching out into YA (Chrissie with Whisper, Badger with Shift, and Kalkipsakis with Silhouette). I can ...

"I wait for him, the cold seeping through my clothes, until it finally dawns on me that he's not coming back. And I wonder why he chose her instead of me? Why he went looking for her when I was right there."

Tai and Juliet have been best friends forever – since they met at kindy and decided to get married in first grade.

They understand each other in the way that only best friends can.

They love music, beach walks, energy drinks and, they are slowly discovering, each other.

As they dream of adventures beyond the HSC – a future free of homework, curfews and parents, a life together – their plans are suddenly and dramatically derailed.

For Tai is sick.

And not everything you wish for can come true.

A poignant story of first love, hope, grief, family, and the twistedness of life.

I read this ...

Scarlett Stirling is hardworking and fiercely ambitious. She loves the blisters and the strict regime of her dance classes at the National Academy of Performing Arts. Her life is measured and balanced. Perfect.

But when Scarlett meets charismatic musician Moss, she enters another world - a world without restrictions - and is swept up in a heady whirlwind of sex, drugs and celebrity. Spread thin between her commitments and her desire to be with Moss, Scarlett pushes herself to the limit, unaware she's playing a dark game.

Silhouette is not just another dance book.

This gritty young adult novel follows the strong and determined Scarlett as she navigates her way from the safe, structured Academy into the adult world of commercial dance.

Thalia Kalkipsakis (Go Girl, Girlfriend Fiction) explores a cut-throat industry, where talent and ambition are paramount, and one ...

Every woman is too busy to stop. 

How to Get your Mojo Back is everywoman’s guide to taking a minute for herself and turning her hectic and stressful life into one that is fulfilling. No life is free from stress, weight problems, relationship worries, but you can break the cycle, get your mojo back and begin to enjoy life again.

Written in an intimate, informal, and hugely entertaining style by medical advisor/GP/author Dr Ginni Mansberg - who has seen and dealt with it all - this book is like having a friend with all the best advice to coach you through your mission to claim your potential and live the life you deserve. 

Covering all the key problem areas — work, eating/weight, sleep, relationship, parenting issues, stress etc this book offers practical, encouraging solutions in an intimate, informal, and entertaining style.

There ...

It’s an encyclopedia … all about Andy!

The Andypedia is a complete guide to every book, every story and every character in the world of Andy Griffiths’ books. It’s also a complete guide to everything you ever wanted to know about Andy himself – including the answers to questions people are always asking him, like “How old were you when you started writing?” and “How many books have you actually written?” and “Where do you get your ideas from?” and “Did all that stuff really happen to you?” and “Was Danny Pickett really your best friend?” and “Were you really in love with Lisa Mackney?” and “Did your bum really grow arms and legs and run away?”

Now, I know I say I don't review eBooks, but really, if I'm going to make an exception for anyone it should be Andy and ...

…And so welcomes the second installment of mini reviews for 2012!

After starting them last year in an exercise of brevity (as I'm known to be quite the rambler!) (and, let’s be honest, to help me out time-wise!) I’ve decided to bring them back! Hooray!

You can refer to them for tiny bite-sized morsels of good reading:)

Today's theme of bite-sized reviews are books that seem to be jumping on a popular topic band-wagon...

Bunheads by Sophie Flack

I love a good dancing novel and this one is no exception. Flack, being a professional dancer herself, clearly knows ballet and this shines through in this excellent book. All Hannah has done for the last few years is dance, dance, dance: in the hopes of becoming a soloist with her company. She doesn't have any sort of a life outside ballet - barely knows ...