Read it: The Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender.

Written by renowned Australian detective/crime author, Marele Day. The Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender one of the books in the 'Claudia Valentine mystery' series and it'll keep you on your toes constantly. Here is the blurb for your reference:

Mark Bannister, writing 'the best seller of the century' is found dead at his computer- the victim of a murder so perfect that Claudia Valentine smells a rat... and wants it caught. The chases leads deep into the murky underworld of Sydney- a world where bright tough Claudia must play a deadly high-tech game of cat and rat with the menacing overlord of the city's cancerous network of crime and corruption.

Witty, wryly, humorous and fast-paced, The Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender is a mystery with a twist, which brilliantly exposes the seamy action below the surface of the city's glittering facade.

Enjoy,

PS: Year ten students, we will be doing this book for novel study so please try to get a copy of it for our lessons ASAP. Cheers.

Some fun cheap holiday thrills.

Everyone (including myself) all have a wonderful long summer break ahead of us. Some people may have schedules which are just bursting at the brim, whilst others are struggling to find a cheap and simple holiday thrill. I like to think of myself as just in the middle of the two. Here is a list of some cheap (and chic) things to do in the holidays:

1. Have a picnic in Hyde Park or the Royal Botanical Gardens.

Grab your friends, a picnic blanket, basket and a pair of sunglasses and have a blast just chilling out in the beautiful grassy terrains of iconic parks in Sydney. Listen to the surrounding crowds and buskers for a true taste of the calmer city on the cheap. Sandwiches, baguettes and fresh fruit platters are a must.

2. Watch a movie at Dendy Cinemas on King Street in Newtown.

If you love anything out of the ordinary and alternative, Dendy Cinemas and Newtown is the place to be these holidays. Dendy Cinemas is my choice for the best place to watch movies (other than home) because there are usually less crowds and a lot of international and local films available to watch. It is less mainstream in content and far more interesting.

3. Visit Bondi, Glebe and/or Paddington markets

Visit some iconic Sydney markets and make the most of a budget savvy shopping day in the outskirts of Sydney city. Markets are perfect for cheap items, knick knacks, vintage, clothes, accesories and food. Affordable and stylish, markets are easy ways to go out and have a good time.

4. Go magazine shopping at Mag-nation on King Street.

Mag-nation is this new store which has recently opened with some great success. Supplying a large range of local and international magazines from all over the world, mag-nation is the tabloid lovers ideal inner city mecca. From the New York Times to Vogue Nippon, Dazed & Confused to Vanity Fair, you'll be able to spend hours pondering over these glossies for some time.

5. Eat Yum-Cha in Chinatown.

So cheap and so delicious, Yum-Cha would have to be the daily alternative to cocktails in the morning. Enjoy the fresh aromas of steaming tea along with the many exotic Asian influences in the dishes. Visit a Yum-Chas place with your friends as it's even cheaper.

I'm positive this short list will keep you busy for a little while, if you need any more ideas, let me know!

Restaurants for the festive season.

I assume that the many students who won't be hosting a Christmas Eve, Christmas or New Years lunch or dinner at their place would perhaps instead be dining out, and this information has inspired me to create a list of the top five restaurants to splurge at for the festive season.

1. Wildfire

www.wildfire.com

2. Glass

www.glassbrasserie.com.au

3. Aria

www.ariarestaurant.com/Aria-Sydney

4. Ichi Ban Teppanyaki

www.ichicbanteppan-yaki.com.au

5. Sir Stamford Plaza

www.stamford.com.au

Enjoy!

Great place to visit these holidays.

There is nothing that I adore more than a rainy grey day huddled up in a gorgeous dimly lit cafe with a hot chocolate by one side and a superb book on the other. My favourite place to do this would have to be the Guylian cafe. Located at The Rocks and Circular Quay, the Guylian cafe is a great hotspot in the heart of Sydney. Add a good book, the harbour view and a Degustation plate to share and your day is set. Check out www.guyliancafe.com.au/ for more information. Bon apetite!

Sydney Writers' Festival: Writers Talk 2009.

If you are interested in either improving your short story writing skills or one day becoming the next Stephanie Meyer and whatnot, the following website may be of interest to you. It is a compilation of interviews from the authors and writers who spoke at the Sydney Writers' Festival and the authors include Isabelle Carmody, Morris Gleitzman, James Roy and Danny Katz. Here, they speak about characters, plots, themes and storylines as well as any other tips and advice for young writers. Check out the interviews as I'm positive it will assist you in your own writing and production of creative stories. There are also archived interviews dating back to 2007. I've made the site address a TinyUrl and you should be able to still access it. Let me know if there have any difficulties. http://tinyurl.com/ycqopgo or alternatively visit www.swf.org.au/news and find the direct link from there. Enjoy and get inspired!

Join a book club.

If you like reading and talking about books, then why not join one of six weekly literature groups at North Sydney's Stanton Library? What better location for a book club of sorts than a library? Lock horns with like minded book worms on the title that has been chosen by the group in one of the ongoing weekly meet-ups. Visit www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/ for more details about this literary event.