Are you a bookworm? We'd love to hear from you!
Are you a bookworm? We'd love to hear from you!
14 February 2022
Calling all bookworms to enter our book competition.
Today is Valentine’s Day, the day of love etc etc. But did you know it’s also a day for those who love books – 14 February is International Book Giving Day?
It started in the United Kingdom in 2012 with the idea of giving books to children to encourage a love of reading (you can read more about it at bookgivingday.com).
This year, others.org.au and Salvo Publishing are joining in the celebrations with a bit of a twist. We have a great package of Salvo Publishing titles to give away to one of our readers, including children’s books for the little people in his or her life.
To enter, write no more than 100 words about a book you enjoyed over the holiday break and why you enjoyed it. Your book can be fiction, non-fiction, theological, biographical – anything. Email your entry to ‘Book Competition’ at others@salvationarmy.org.au by 5pm, Monday 21 February.
To inspire you, Others asked a few avid Salvo readers to share what they’ve been reading:
Name: Jessica Morris (Others writer and reviews coordinator)
Book: Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan
I am a long-time fan of young adults author Rick Riordan, and his contemporary sci-fi novel based on Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is a delight. Female lead Ana Dakkar is aspirational and relational, and even older readers will be swept up in the story about two rival schools – and siblings – battling it out for justice. Riordan masterfully depicts the real-life diversity of minority groups without tokenising them, subtly reframing your thinking as you turn each page.
Name: Lindsay Cox (Salvation Army Museum Manager)
Book: The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett
I re-read this (dare I say it?) tome with great delight, again immersing myself in a deliciously punny and funny parody of Australians and our culture. Nothing is sacred as our national icons – such as Vegemite, thongs, Peach Melba, hats with corks suspended from the brim, and even kangaroos – take on origins you could never have conceived. And all this is knowledgeably and thoughtfully woven through with the age-old wisdom of our Indigenous people and the Dreamtime. It won’t be long until I read it again!
Name: Dean Simpson (Others sub-editor)
Book: James Cook – The Story Behind the Man who Mapped the World by Peter Fitzsimons
Who was the real James Cook? I always wanted to know, and this well-researched book gave me the answers and dispelled many myths about this magnificent mariner, navigator, and cartographer. Fitzsimons is a master storyteller, bringing Cook to life, but I also learned two things – Cook largely respected the rights of the Indigenous people he came across while mapping the east coast of Australia, and, secondly, there is no record of him ever using the term ‘terra nullius’. I devoured this book in a matter of days, concluding that Captain Cook was indeed a remarkable man and has been unfairly judged.
Name: Maia Hadley (Web Content Coordinator – Internal Communications)
Book: Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin
To overcome my mental laziness, I have been reading Women of the Word to better understand how to study the Bible. It has been really challenging and a great and practical resource. Jen Wilkin writes in such a simple and personable way and really demystifies Bible study. All in all a very helpful book.
Name: Helen Molyneux (Internal Communications Manager)
Book: Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown
A fan of Brene Brown, I was thrilled to discover her most recent book explores the connection between emotions and humanness. It’s a beautifully presented book, and in a world full of heightened emotion, Brown’s insight that “accurately naming an experience doesn’t give the experience more power – it gives us the power of understanding, meaning, and choice” has never rung so true.
Name: Simone Worthing (Salvos Magazine Assistant Editor)
Book: Still Alice by Lisa Genova
A heartrending, poignant, and yet inspiring account of Alice, only 50 years old, and her descent into Alzheimer’s disease. As Alice’s memories and cognition decay, the book intriguingly shows an inner light that the disease cannot extinguish.
Name: Andrea Redford (Kidzone writer)
Book: The Maid by Nita Prose
New-release books with a lot of ‘buzz’ don’t always live up to the hype, but this one did. Molly is a maid at a fancy hotel. She lives to return rooms to “a state of perfection” and thrives on order in her own lonely life. When she discovers a guest dead in a room, Molly is thrown into the centre of a murder investigation. Molly is an endearing, modern-day hero, and The Maid is a compelling, touching, and funny read.
Name: Annemarie Watt (Head of Internal Communications)
Book: Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult
During the holidays, I finally had the time to enjoy ‘somewhat’ uninterrupted reading. I love Jodi Picoult, and this book does not disappoint. It takes you on the emotional journey of a troubled woman coming to terms with her mother leaving her as a young child and navigating motherhood herself, all while trying to find her worth.
Name: Darryl Whitecross (Others writer)
Book: Craig Lowndes. The Inside Line with Mark Fogarty
I get inspiration from people’s life stories. There’s always an insight to provide encouragement. I’m a V8 Supercar fan, Holden fan, and Craig Lowndes fan, so I was keen to pick up this book and learn more from the man himself. Craig lost credit with me when he left the Holden Racing Team for that ‘other manufacturer’, and I thought all was lost, but I was so glad to read why he returned to Holden. He has always impressed me as being down to earth, calm in all situations, and showing respect, which reminded me of the popular JOY acronym: Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last.
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