The erstwhile peace-loving land of Zamascus has been suddenly invaded by the army of Inigon. Thirteen year old Imm and his twin brother, Saxon, find themselves thrust into an unimaginably violent, horrific reality. Having just witnessed the gruesome death of their teacher during a bombing raid, they flee to their home to find it empty, their parents gone. After a terrifying flight through their newly-ravaged town, the boys cling together, using their instincts and wits to negotiate the hostile terrain.

When Courage Came To Call is an unflinchingly violent book. It’s hard to believe that this visceral, brutal story sprang from the mind of 16 year old, female first-time author, L.M. Fuge. In this gripping story, Fuge confronts readers with an effective blend of heart-pounding action and realistic dialogue. Vivid descriptions of military force, revolution, and genocide are riveting in their authenticity and drama.

Her characters are beautifully realised: Imm, the brains of the operation, is a thoughtful, sensitive boy; his brother Saxon is equally well-drawn as his impulsive, daring counterpart. Their complementary characteristics and brotherly bond make for enjoyable reading throughout this breakneck-paced page-turner.

There’s not an ounce of fat in this book. Fuge has developed a lean, tight narrative, filled with the gritty realism of war and its senseless slaughter:

It was an old shotgun, not one of the modern semi-automatic rifles of the soldiers. My eyes lifted from the gaping hole that could mean my death, and fixed on the figure clutching the trigger with firm hands.

As the boys encounter other surviving children among the ruins of their town, they forge friendships and build alliances for an eventual resistance. Along the way, Imm questions the politics of conflict, the nature of revenge, his own building rage, and the depth of his own character and courage. Fuge explores the themes of genocide, loss, camaraderie, and personal strength. Her taut, staccato style perfectly echoes the raw, brisk nature of the plot. When Courage Came to Call is a great read, filled with important themes and wonderful lessons about the legacy of violence, the treachery of combat, the importance of friendship, and the well of courage each of us (sometimes unexpectedly) has within us.

When Courage Came To Call – Fuge

April 1st 2010 by Random House Australia

Paperback, 326 pages

ISBN

9781741664447

Bec Says

Attention book lovers! There are some fantastic spots to hang out online and connect with other readers.

goodreads.com is a terrific place to join reading groups, hear about (and share) recommendations, and generally network with fellow readers. (If you haven’t already, you should join the Marianne de Pierres group, by the way)… You can build your own book shelf, let your friends know what you’re reading, rate your reads, and start and join all kinds of communities. It’s a great starting point for building an online reading group.

Aussie readers will no doubt all be aware of the ABC’s very fabulous First Tuesday Book Club, hosted by the incredibly well-read Jennifer Byrne. On their website, you can find out extra info, including  Facebook, Twitter, and  SMS details, how to join the studio audience, and news about upcoming shows and comps.

Teenreads.com is info overload; this contantly updated site will keep you busy for hours on end. If you’re a teen who likes to read, this is the place for you.

The Big Book Club is an Aussie-wide initiative that features monthly reads, literary events, and giveaways.

Very helpfully, the Random House site includes suggested reads and prompter questions to kick off your reading group discussions.

If you’d like to do some good while you read, you can join the MS Readathon and take up their Novel Challenge right through until the end of August. (What a great idea).

So, there are some ideas to get you started. You can also check out your local library, favourite publisher, or just grab your friends and start your own club. A book group can enrich your reading experience, broaden your literary horizons, and just be a great excuse to hang out with like-minded people over some new reads.

Bec Says

Because I couldn’t help myself, I went looking at plastic surgery disasters sites online. Yeah yeah, before you judge me, don’t pretend you haven’t checked some of this stuff out too.

So then I Googled cosmetic surgery in my area and wa-hey!!! There are 6 places within 10 minutes’ drive of my house that can surgically enhance me.  How convenient.

While I was Googling, I found this from a Queensland Health report:

There is some evidence that there may be an increase in the number of Queensland children and young people under the age of 18 using cosmetic surgery procedures and using solariums for cosmetic tanning.

Stop it, will you! You’re wasting precious resources and setting the bar even higher for the rest of us.

Come on! UNDER 18???!!! What have they even got to work with at your delicate age? Isn’t your skin so beautifully elastic and taut that one slice would send it skimming off your head like peel off a grape? It doesn’t have to be painful, though… According to the Pond’s Institue, a few swipes with their age-defying towelettes will fight the visible signs of ageing *while you cleanse*. And who would question an *institute*?

These guys have winter specials, if anyone’s interested. And I notice you can buy gift vouchers. Surely there’s no better way to cement a friendship than to offer a voucher to a cosmetic surgeon? “Sondra…You know I love you…But those drooping lids of yours are a constant distraction…”

Seriously, though. Why is there this awful preoccupation with youthfulness? When I see these faces, I don’t think they need facelifts… I marvel at the character and wisdom in each line and fold…

These faces are like road maps of the years, that show all the joy, all the pain… Why would you want to erase any of it?

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Of course, you can reject all this twaddle and age gracefully.

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Music: The Stranglers – Skin Deep

Marilyn Manson – The Beautiful People

Garth Nix was born in 1963 in Melbourne, Australia. A full-time writer since 2001, he has worked as a literary agent, marketing consultant, book editor, book publicist, book sales representative, bookseller, and as a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve. Garth’s books include the award-winning fantasy novels Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen; and the cult favourite YA SF novel Shade’s Children. His fantasy novels for children include The Ragwitch; the six books of The Seventh Tower sequence, and The Keys to the Kingdom series. More than five million copies of his books have been sold around the world, his books have appeared on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, The Guardian and The Australian, and his work has been translated into 37 languages. He lives in a Sydney beach suburb with his wife and two children.

1. You have a new children’s fantasy series, Troubletwisters, coming out in 2011. Can you tell us a bit about it?

I’m co-writing TROUBLETWISTERS with my friend and fellow bestselling author Sean Williams, my first foray into co-writing prose (I have written some screenplays with other people). We’re having a lot of fun writing it, though as is always the case, lounging about and talking through the story while drinking Guinness is probably the best part.

The basic blurb we wrote says: “The books tell the story of twins Jaide and Jack Shield, who have to move from the city to a small coastal town to live with their eccentric grandmother, where they are drawn into an age-old struggle against an ancient entity called The Evil, in the process discovering their own magical gifts and heritage.” Interestingly, in writing the first book TROUBLETWISTERS: THE BEGINNING, the story veered a bit from fantasy adventure to include more supernatural scary stuff, albeit suitable for the entry reading level of 9+. Like all my own children’s books, I don’t believe in upper age limits and I think that TROUBLETWISTERS will be an exciting and enjoyable read for older children and adults too.

2. Lord Sunday wraps up your incredibly popular Keys To The Kingdom series. Does finishing the last instalment give you a sense of completion or will you miss Arthur Penhaligon?

I think my major emotion on finishing the series was relief! The books ended up being both longer and more complicated than I planned in the beginning and the whole series took about twice as long to write as I originally planned. But that said, I do always have a strong sense of satisfaction when I finish a book and even more so when a series is finished. I don’t miss Arthur, because his story is done. It’s kind of like making a drystone wall that must edge a field — it needs to be a certain length and height, and when it’s done, it’s done, and hopefully will stand and serve its purpose for decades or even centuries. That’s how I feel about stories, they have their size and shape, I make them to the best of my ability, and then I move on.

3. Which of the 7 Trustees of the Architect do you most identify with and why? (If not, which was the most fun to write?)

Sadly I suspect that I am personally most like Mister Monday, the embodiment of sloth. I love doing nothing much and would sleep far more than I do if I had the chance. But I also identify with aspects of the other Trustees, and of course, like all my characters, they all do contain some particles of my own personality, mixed in with material drawn from many other sources.

4. Which of your many characters Burns Brightest in your mind and why?

This is a constantly moving tableau — the character I am writing at any particular moment has to burn the brightest so I can capture them and put them down in writing. I suppose that characters I have written a lot about remain etched in memory, and I can easily summon them up if I need to write about them again, but they don’t linger about if I don’t need them for the current work (or works) in progress.

You can check Garth’s website out here.

Bec Says

Boston mom calls 911 over over son’s video game habit

BOSTON (AP) – Police say a frustrated Boston woman called 911 to say she couldn’t get her 14-year-old son to stop playing video games and go to sleep. Police spokesman Officer Joe Zanoli said Monday the mother called for help around 2:30 a.m. Saturday to say that the teenager also walked around the house and turned on all the lights.

Two officers who responded to the house persuaded the child to obey his mother.

Zanoli says the mother’s 911 call over video game obsession “was a little unusual, but by no means is it surprising – especially in today’s day and age when these kids play video games and computer games.”

The Boston Herald first reported the 911 call, saying the boy was playing the popular “Grand Theft Auto” game.

I *SAID* I'll log off in a *MINUTE!!!!*

Only in America? Think again. In this article from The Courier-Mail, we learn this little nugget of info:

“Psychiatrists have confirmed that some players wear nappies during long sessions so they won’t have to take a toilet break.”

Yes, *NAPPIES*!!!

No sooner do parents get their kids toilet trained than WoW goes and undoes all the good work.

Video game addiction is so widespread that today’s kids are being referred to as SCREENAGERS and addiction centres are popping up around the globe.

So, fess up…  Are you too hooked on Final Fantasy to do your homework? Would you rather spend the day with Super Mario instead of your boyfriend? Crushing harder on Zelda than your girlfriend? Are you a gaming geek who can’t stay away from the console? It’s okay… Help is available. In the meantime, why don’t you change your status to AFK and g37 4 1if3.

Music: Mi-Sex – Computer Games

The Ataris – Teenage Riot