The Sparrows of Edward Street- Elizabeth Stead

Hope can be found in the most unexpected places. Author Elizabeth Stead has recreated a little known corner of Australian history in this book. Having fallen on tough times, we follow Hanora and her two teenage daughters to a housing commission camp on the outskirts of Sydney in 1948.
I loved the cast of eccentric characters and especially look out for the hilarious "royal visit" from the Minister of Housing .

Linda

Music inspired booklist

Whether is be the delicate pluck of a string or the warbling note of a trumpet, music has often been used in fiction to highlight characters, bring life to places, and explore the human soul. The booklist below features novels in which music features heavily. Click on the title to view availability at Camden and Narellan libraries.

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin


The Soloist


Phantom of the Opera


The time of our singing


Oh, Play that thing


The Unconsoled


The Piano Tuner


Acqua Alta

Rainy Day Booklist

Well, the weather has certainly an unpredictable master these last few weeks. From beautiful summerlike days to idyllic rainforest downpours to chilling winds and snatched clothing off the line, we've had anything and everything.

So it's likely soon you'll have a day to spare, and why not use it in a great read? Here's five brand new bestsellers we'd recommend, all available at your local library.

1. 88 Killer by Oliver Stark

2. Born to Run by John M. Green

3. Covenant by Dean Crawford

4. Dragon's Time by Todd and Ann Mccaffrey

5. The Fix by Nick Earls

Eat History Booklist

All energised by the great foody events of Eat History Week? Our local studies librarian has compiled the following list to inspired!

1. Walkabout chefs : a fresh look at Aboriginal bush food by Steve Sunk and David Hancock

2. Mrs Beeton's Christmas book : practical ideas for creating the traditional Christmas compiled by Pamela Westland.

3. Feasting with the ancestors : cooking through the ages with 110 simple recipes by Oswald Rivera.

4. A taste of old Ireland : discover Ireland's culinary secrets, together with the legends, myths and stories of this emerald isle by Andy Gerald Gravette.

5. Elegant eating : four hundred years of dining in style edited by Philippa Glanville and Hilary Young.

6. Food : a history / Felipe Fernández-Armesto.

7. Hard to swallow : a brief history of food by Richard W. Lacey.

8. It's disgusting-- and we ate it! : true food facts from around the world-and throughout history! / by James Solheim ; illustrated by Eric Brace.

9. The medieval kitchen : recipes from France and Italy / Odile Redon, Franicoise Sabban, Silvano Serventi ; translated by Edward Schneider ; original drawings by Patricia Glee Smith.

10. A taste of history : the stories behind our favourite foods / Bryan Bruce.

11. The Fascinating history of your lunch / Jackie French ; illustrated by Judith Rossell.

Thankyou to Camden Reads sponsors!

And as all good things come to an end, so too does our winter reading program! With over 1000 registrations, this year's program is definitely our most successful. Prize winners will be drawn soon, so we'd like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors who made so many great prizes available.


• Bridge Climb Sydney
• Australian National Maritime Museum
• The Powerhouse Discovery Centre
• Australian Museum
• LG IMAX Sydney Theatre
• Dumaresq St Cinema
• Calmsley Hill City Farm
• Taronga Zoo

Spring is here, and we hope our patrons will "spring into reading" (Thanks to Sandy for the metaphor!).

Do you have any book recommendations from the program? Let us know and we'll post reviews on the blog!