This beautiful, devastating, wonderful book… John of John by Douglas Stuart is my first, hands-down five-star read this year.
The story begins simply – Cal, out of money and with little to show for his art school education in Edinburgh, takes the ferry home to the island of Harris –
…the closer he got to home, the more lost he felt. Continue reading
Most of the grief-lit that I read is nonfiction (either memoir or academic texts about grief). Lots of fiction that I read has elements of grief but rarely is it the main theme – I tend to avoid these because I fear there will be something that doesn’t ring true, which then colours my opinion of the entire book (probably unfairly).
So with that said, why did I pick up Some Bright Nowhere by Ann Packer? I was intrigued by the blurb that alluded to a ‘surprising’ end-of-life request. Continue reading
I’m always drawn to campus-lit, so I didn’t need much convincing for Grace Murray’s debut, Blank Canvas. And then I read the blurb –
…Charlotte begins her final year with a lie. Her father died over the summer, she says. Heart attack. Very sudden. Charlotte had never been close with her classmates but as she repeats her tale, their expressions soften into kindness.
– and I carried the book straight to the counter (at the always lovely Ramona Books). Continue reading
The premise for George Kemp’s novel, Soft Serve, is deceptively simple – four people taking shelter in a regional McDonald’s as bushfires close in around the town. What unfolds, is a story about grief, expectations and imagined futures.
…orange embers dart over her head and flutter down the hill towards the town, flicky death-filled confetti… Continue reading
During my month off blogging I was still doing lots of reading… so I am now very, very behind on reviews. Some quick ones to catch-up. Continue reading
Bonfires of the Murdochs by Gabriel Sherman Continue reading
A ridiculously short review of Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke despite the fact that I have SO MUCH to say about this book. Continue reading
I’ll admit that I bought New Skin by Miranda Nation for one reason – it’s set at Melbourne University in the nineties. Which is when I was there. So yes, references to Carlton, faculty balls and the Baillieu Library were enjoyable. Continue reading
Helm by Sarah Hall was my book group’s last pick. Our host, the wonderful Katie at Ramona Books, sent out a reminder email which made me laugh –
Helm, or Hmmm? … I’ll be pouring generously for all who managed to wade through.
In summary, it’s a story spanning hundreds of years, told from many perspectives, including that of a most unusual narrator – the wind. More specifically, the wind is the Helm, a strong, cold, northeasterly Foehn wind that blows down the slopes of Cross Fell in Cumbria, England. Helm is the only officially named wind in the British Isles and it is notorious for bringing freezing temperatures, roaring noise, and wrecking damage across the valley. Continue reading
What did I miss in David Szalay’s Booker Prize winning novel, Flesh?
I was engaged – the story moved along at a good pace with enough happening to keep me interested. The writing was fine – consistent, accessible, and well-developed characters.
And yet… there was nothing about this book that blew me away. Is it unreasonable to expect something of the ‘breathtaking’ variety when we’re talking Booker Prize winners? Or, if not breathtaking, then something that is arresting, dividing readers into one-star or five-star reviews? (I like books that illicit strong opinions either way.) Continue reading