There is nothing more important than good health and happiness.  Forget the uncertainty of world politics and unstable economic woes, spare a thought for kids with cancer. 

If you would like to help with a good cause and have a laugh in the process, then you really can’t go past the Camp Quality joke book series. The latest book, 501 Great Aussie Jokes Camp Quality is available now.  Laughter really is the best medicine. http://www.dwyersbookstore.com.au/title/50/501_great_aussie_jokes_camp_quality   

I am really very excited about the 2008 Olympic Games for a number of reasons.  China is a fascinating country with an incredible history and a turbulent future ahead. The rapid growth phase they are currently experiencing is not over yet.  

There is no doubt that the Olympic Games is inspirational.  Watching our athletes pushing their personal limits, succeeding and standing on the podium makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and proud to be an Australian. 

There are some great books now available that will get kids and adults excited.  All school children will now be learning about China.  My six year old has already asked me if we can go….now that would be nice! 

For kids, have a look at:  
http://www.dwyersbookstore.com.au/title/50/Through_Time_Beijing
http://www.dwyersbookstore.com.au/title/50/Flaming_Olympics_Quiz_Book 

For trivia and sports nuts:
http://www.dwyersbookstore.com.au/title/50/chambers_sports_factfinder
http://www.dwyersbookstore.com.au/title/50/complete_book_of_the_olympics_2008_edition
http://www.dwyersbookstore.com.au/title/50/olympic_games_miscellany    

James Bond never seems to die.  He will live for eternity through film and through novel.  While the films generate more publicity than the original novels by Ian Fleming, that may all be about to change. Sebastian Faulks has released a James Bond action novel set in 1968 during the Cold War.    http://www.dwyersbookstore.com.au/title/50/devil_may_care 

Devil May Care is packed with the essential elements of any James Bond adventure; intrigue, a little flirtation, a lot of luck, exotic locations, evil versus good and power hungry tyrants.  Lots of money floating around, a few martinis and some great edge of your seat action makes for great entertaining reading. 

For junior readers there is a fantastic new Young James Bond series starring James as a dark haired 13 year old who is kept very busy solving clues and saving the world from destruction. http://www.dwyersbookstore.com.au/title/50/young_bond_01_silverfin 

Can’t wait for the next movie?  Dive into a book! 

When the world is besieged by political unrest and natural disasters we turn to simplicity and home comforts. Is it any wonder, when we are horrified by mindless politicians and our apparent spiral into disaster, that the books we choose are an escape into fantasy and fiction?

Interestingly, simple comfort food might also be a psychological attempt to cling to something minimal and wholesome. 4 Ingredients has been the number one seller in bookshops right across Australia. Chances are I’ll have the ingredients in the cupboard. A trip to the supermarket won’t be necessary. What a relief!  http://www.dwyersbookstore.com.au/title/4+Ingredients

Let’s be honest; we would all like to be brighter souls. There are lots of ways we are told we can ‘improve our memory’ and ‘train our brain’.  Here is a great book that will get your brain ticking and is a hundred times better than sitting down in front of the television where your brain is quite likely to fall asleep! We service our cars, why shouldn’t we fine tune our brains. Broccoli for the Brain provides seventy-five mind-bending puzzles scientifically proven to develop the skills of concentration, attention and focus. http://www.dwyersbookstore.com.au/keywords/?keywords=broccoli+for+the+brain

The summer months in Australia herald a festival of sport in Australia. For those that are cricket inclined, the armchair beckons and backyards around the country see increased bat and ball action.  For me, cricket is synonymous with heat waves, cold drinks and the occasional bout of torrential rain. There are some great cricket legends both on and off the field.  For some entertaining reading – I recommend Marc Dawson’s Cricket Curious Cricket
http://www.dwyersbookstore.com.au/keywords/?keywords=cricket+curious+cricket

Does your daughter aspire to be prime minister?  Maybe your sister dreams about being a leading sports star.  Does mum think she’s a movie star or manage the house pretending to be the CEO of BHP Billiton? Maybe she is a CEO.  Take a moment to think about Julia Gillard, deputy prime minister, who makes history when she becomes the first female acting prime minister for 2 ½ days from Tuesday 11 December while prime minister Kevin Rudd is in Bali. 

Whatever your political affiliation, you will have to admit that Julia is a stunning role model. I have just finished reading See Jane Lead by Lois P.Frankel. While most examples discussed are American, I think Frankel raises some valid points about women’s intrinsic qualities including; vision, a willingness to take risks and motivation.  A great book for anyone with daughters or anyone who is interested in developing their existing family or business management skills.  http://www.dwyersbookstore.com.au/keywords/?keywords=see+jane+lead 

I am in heaven with the number of books released recently with a food theme. Bill Granger’s Holiday is gorgeous with great recipes (as usual) and wonderful pictures to inspire you about relaxation and memorable times. www.dwyersbookstore.com.au/title/holiday. Maggie Beer’s epic Maggie’s Harvest is going to become something of a food bible and it wins the award for the most beautiful book cover. www.dwyersbookstore.com.au/title/maggies_harvest.

Let’s not forget fiction as well. The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones will have you heading to your local Chinese Restaurant to discuss plans for your next holiday to China. www.dwyersbookstore.com.au/title/the_last_chinese_chef

The reoccurring theme of all these books is the same; cooking and eating a great meal made from wholesome ingredients is about sharing and spending time with family and friends. Yes we might need food to survive but gosh it’s fun creating and then devouring it!

All in all, so much to choose from to start planning your own, or someone else’s, edible festive season. For a comprehensive list of all of our cook books, select Cooking in the Category List.

Australian State Educational Departments run annual Reading Challenges that encourage school kids to read more books.  In some States, they even operate a Summer Challenge as well.  We all know the advantages of reading to young children daily and any program which gets more kids reading sounds like a good thing to me. What I find interesting is; What are the current books that the young generation are enjoying?  Which author?  

Yes, J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series scored well on the popularity list which does not surprise me. I love those books and can really relate to their attraction.  Mem Fox’s books, especially Possum Magic, also rated highly with the younger readers (5-7 years) alongside The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and Belinda by Pamela Allen. 8-9 years old love the Anna Fienberg Tashi series and the 10-12 age group voted for Jeannie Baker’s Window and also for Roald Dahl’s classic stories; The BFG and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. 

What is also important is that these stories can be enjoyed by any age group. My family are already devoted book readers (even though they cannot read yet!)  My five year old’s favourite book is ANY Road Dahl book.  She cannot get enough of Mr Fantastic Fox or The Twits. I think we have read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory aloud to her about five times. There is strife in the house if we are home too late and rushing them into bed, think we can postpone reading until the next day! I am sure that Dr Seuss taught my kids how to rhyme (and also about the magic of making up a word) and while any story about fairies goes down a treat with daughters, they are not averse to stories about pirates and dinosaurs. 

Reading Challenges and Programs have great benefits. No matter how old children are there are some great books out there.  I am sure parents and carers get just as much out of reading these books as the kids do.  Well done to all who participated.   

The Books Alive Great Read Guide will be available on Wednesday 25 July 2007 at all participating bookstores.   This is an annual industry initiative to promote reading and make it easy to find great title.  Dwyer’s Bookstore will be stocking all 50 books listed in the guide.  These books cover a range of interests and categories (Children, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Biography).  They are chosen by a panel of book industry experts from around Australia.