Reviews Archive -

Sing Backwards and Weep by Mark Lanegan

Interestingly, Nirvana is having a resurgence currently. Mark Lanegan was also perched on that same 90s wave but never lived up to his potential. Unlike more successful 90s icons, he somehow survived. Mark was athletic, an alcoholic and non-compliant from a young age and his mother and father did not nurture him. At 18, heContinue reading “Sing Backwards and Weep by Mark Lanegan”

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

This enduring classic was first published in 1923 and has been in print since. It has inspired many, despite being largely overlooked by the literary world of the West. The book contains chapters sharing wisdom about love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, houses, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment,Continue reading “The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran”

The Drifters by James Michener

This novel, written originally in 1971, ensconces the reader in the counterculture that emerged following the Vietnam war. It is told from Mr. Fairbanks point of view and the point of view of those who were experiencing that period. Effective characterisation is a strength and the novel challenges the movement’s ideals with the harsh reality.Continue reading “The Drifters by James Michener”

The Night Dragon by Matthew Condon

The Night Dragon tells of how Maryborough girl Barbara McCulkin and her two young daughters were murdered by Vincent O’Dempsey and how he was sentenced to life in prison for the crime in 2017. Condon paints the story from the start “Barbara, who had grown up in the country town of Maryborough, Queensland, was notContinue reading “The Night Dragon by Matthew Condon”

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

This novel looks at the next phase of the internet, after a worldwide economic downfall. It is set in early 21st century Los Angeles. America is largely privatised, with the government only controlling selected compounds in an anarcho-capitalist model. Hyperinflation and electronic exchange plague the world. People withdraw into a metaverse – a virtual realityContinue reading “Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson”

Night Beach by Kirsty Eagar

This Australian gothic horror young adult fiction is enthralling. It is written from the point of view of a highly imaginative and sensitive Abbie. She mentions romantic and surrealist artists and poets throughout the novel, such as René Magritte, Dorothea Tanning, Giorgio De Chirico, Henry David Thoreau and Rupert Brooke. These artists illustrate how sheContinue reading “Night Beach by Kirsty Eagar”

The Unwonted Heroes by Jessica Grimsley

Fraser Coast local Jessica Grimsley has written a full-throttle novel that is the first of a series. People from the Fraser Coast are disappearing around the main character Leonie Reine and before she discovers why, it happens to her! This story has so many twists and turns, and just when the reader figures out theContinue reading “The Unwonted Heroes by Jessica Grimsley”

The Orchard Murders by Robert Gott

Robert Gott was born in Maryborough and has written “the William Power series of crime-caper novels set in 1940s Australia: Good Murder, A Thing of Blood, and Amongst the Dead.” He also has a Holiday Murder Series. (Fantastic Fiction https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/robert-gott/). The Orchard Murders is the fourth book in the Murder Series and has just been releasedContinue reading “The Orchard Murders by Robert Gott”

Krakatau Dragon: Legend One: The Hatchling Prince

McLennan has written a delightful first book about the formation of Sumatra. When the island volcano of Krakatau explodes, Minkatau, Queen of the Krakatau Fire-Dragons is hurled from her fire-cave as far as the icy waters of the great frozen South land, where her Hatchling Prince, MoroToba is ready to be born. Once the PrinceContinue reading “Krakatau Dragon: Legend One: The Hatchling Prince”

Piercing by Ryū Murakami

Businessman, Kawashima Masayuki, has mother issues and resists the impulse to stab his new-born daughter with an ice pick “he lifted the ice pick from his pocket. He closed his right hand around the handle and gently drew back the baby’s blanket with his left…” He decides not to murder his baby. Instead, he looksContinue reading “Piercing by Ryū Murakami”

The Real Lolita by Sarah Weinman

Vladimir Nabokov’s novel Lolita centres around Humbert Humbert a predator who steals a child and poses as the victim’s father. It is written from Humbert’s point of view, and we find he is an unreliable narrator. Weinman looks at the phenomenon of Lolita and the kidnapping of Sally Horner. Weinman claims the novel is looselyContinue reading “The Real Lolita by Sarah Weinman”

Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett

This debut novel about three brothers is an intense sensory experience set in the harsh coastal area of Bruny Island, Tasmania. Joe has left his brothers Miles and Harry behind with their grieving and alcoholic father after their mother dies. “I hope he’s dead,” Miles says to Joe, emphasising the pain they have endured dueContinue reading “Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett”

Beautiful Revolutionary by Laura Elizabeth Woollett

Based on the Jonestown massacre, this book is a fast-paced, concise read. There is always a feeling that you are on the edge of the killing that is to come. Woollett has interviewed the survivors of the event. Jim Jones has celebrity swagger, is eloquent and persuasive, wears dark shades and is handsome. In theContinue reading “Beautiful Revolutionary by Laura Elizabeth Woollett”

Electric Kool Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe

American writer Ken Kesey was a hugely popular writer and had the world at his feet when he became the first to test LSD for the American government. He snuck some home and shared it with his literary friends and wrote, Sometimes a Great Notion. Being the literary elite was not enough. He bought a bus,Continue reading “Electric Kool Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe”

The Diving Pool by Yoko Ogawa

This book is a collection of three novellas published over 20 years ago – The Diving Pool, Pregnancy Diary and Dormitory. They are all taken from the viewpoint of the silent female observer – a visceral undercurrent pervades. Aya has an inappropriate obsession with her foster brother Jun. Her strange relationship began when Jun wasContinue reading “The Diving Pool by Yoko Ogawa”

The Language of Butterflies by Wendy Williams

How Thieves, Hoarders, Scientists, and Other Obsessives Unlocked the Secrets of the World’s Favourite Insect Guest Book Review by Ruby Rosenfield This book is a riveting read in which the reader, if not already a butterfly enthusiast, will surely become entranced by the wonderful world of Lepidoptera. The author Wendy Williams is an American ScienceContinue reading “The Language of Butterflies by Wendy Williams”

The daylight and the dust: selected short stories by Janet Frame.

This short story collection covers four decades and themes from childhood to death. Frame was saved from a mental institution and a scheduled lobotomy when she won a most prestigious New Zealand literary award. Jane Campion directed the film adaptation of her autobiography ‘An Angel at My Table’ that details this suffering and recognition. DespiteContinue reading “The daylight and the dust: selected short stories by Janet Frame.”

Girl A by Abigail Dean

Main character Lex Gracie displays tenacity and intelligence in the face of a dreadful experience perpetrated by her parents. The aftermath of living in a house of violence and dysfunction is the focus of this story. After Lex’s mother dies, she gets in touch with her siblings to work out what to do with theContinue reading “Girl A by Abigail Dean”

Down the Rabbit Hole by Cynthia Terelst

Fraser Coast’s queen of romance writing, Cynthia Terelst has done it again. Terelst has written a medium heat romance with all the elements of Queensland country life. It begins when Emily or Lemony Emily returns to her hometown feeling like an outsider. Her progressive ideas were not understood when she was younger, and she couldn’tContinue reading “Down the Rabbit Hole by Cynthia Terelst”

Long Hard Road Out of Hell by Marilyn Manson

This book was published in 1998, and the context of what is written must be viewed through that lens. It is an autobiography of the character Marilyn Manson modelled on Dante’s Inferno. Manson’s signature is saying extreme things, pushing limits, transgressing to test people’s acceptance. This fiction stays completely in this lane, with intentional ironyContinue reading “Long Hard Road Out of Hell by Marilyn Manson”

The IT Girl by Ann Moffatt.

The author of this novel lives on the Fraser Coast. Her story is one of triumph over injury, domestic violence, and bias within the male-dominated IT industry. In this industry her treatment varied. She received compassion and protection in reaction to domestic violence from the AMP Society. She worked there between 1975 and 1986 “theyContinue reading “The IT Girl by Ann Moffatt.”

The Tale of Murasaki by Liz Dalby

The author of this novel is an anthropologist. This novel is based on the Japanese Heian era noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu. Murasaki was a court poet, and she wrote The Tale of Genji which is now considered a classic. Dalby imagines her life in this story. This is also a woman’s story about court culture, litteredContinue reading “The Tale of Murasaki by Liz Dalby”

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Untamed by Glennon Doyle is very underwhelming. Although it is touted as disrupting the status quo and rejecting the programming little girls experience to fit into a patriarchal society, it does not. It is written in neat anecdotes that use cliched prompts of living bravely and finding freedom which works fine for a particular demographicContinue reading “Untamed by Glennon Doyle”

History of Violence by Édouard Louis

This autobiographical novel documents Édouard’s rape at gunpoint. Édouard’s ambivalence toward Reda – the perpetrator – is at the centre of the subtle and complex story. Although Édouard reports him to the police he tries to understand what happened. After analysing the motives of Reda, he realises that Reda is ashamed of his homosexuality. Édouard’sContinue reading “History of Violence by Édouard Louis”

For Love of Zachary by Kathleen V. McLennan

McLennan gives a voice to the many children that have lost family and hope as they are shuffled between government departments. The story is one of redemption through friendship. Instead of being shown compassion when traumatised and simply trying to survive their circumstances, these children are often blamed. Set in Australian suburbs, this novella talksContinue reading “For Love of Zachary by Kathleen V. McLennan”

Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

The main protagonist is Natsuko. In part one, her sister Makiko and daughter Midoriko arrive in Tokyo. Midoriko hates her body, which seeps into hating her aging mother, who is considering breast implants. The condition of being female seems excruciating. In part two, we meet Natsuko eight years later. She wants a child, cannot tolerateContinue reading “Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami”

Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis

Cora Sabino’s father tells of a US government coverup about extraterrestrials existing amongst us for decades. In California, two Alien vessels arrive and abduct Cora. She discovers that her family is deeply involved, and Ampersand the alien wants to have aliens trapped on earth for 30 years returned. The difficulty of communication – “And weContinue reading “Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis”

In the Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami

Cynical Kenji is at the centre of this book, and so is loneliness. Frank is a serial killer who is vulgar in his demands of Kenji and the Shinjuku district. Kenji is hired to take him on guided tours but finds out more than he bargains for when he discovers he is on a rampageContinue reading “In the Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami”

Mishima’s Sword by Christopher Ross

Travels in Search of a Samurai Legend Yukio Mishima is one of the Japanese’s most sublime writers. He is sadly most remembered for cutting open his stomach and instructing assistants to behead him with his antique sword “Mishimi, who was fastidious with language, preferred the term hara-kiri over seppuku despite its perceived vulgarity.” Ross travelsContinue reading “Mishima’s Sword by Christopher Ross”

Spring Snow by Yukio Mishima

Spring Snow is the first part of a four-part series. The story starts in 1912 when Meiji Japan sees aristocracy dissolve as westernization and democracy take over. Shigekuni Honda is study law and is friends with Kiyoaki Matsugae, who possesses samurai heritage. Honda is pragmatic and duty-bound. However, Kiyoaki becomes enamoured with childhood friend SatokoContinue reading “Spring Snow by Yukio Mishima”

The Paper Menagerie and other stories by Ken Liu

Jack is central to the short story ‘The Paper Menagerie’. His mother immigrated to America from China, and Jack is bi-racial. Jack’s mother has created an origami menagerie of animals that comes alive with her breath. As he gets older, he becomes ashamed of his mother’s heritage and creates distance. Only after her death doesContinue reading “The Paper Menagerie and other stories by Ken Liu”

The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie

This story is a unique rewriting of Hamlet. The God of the silent forest and Mother of the Silent and the Raven and his bird rule Raden. Hill is a third God whose physical presence is a stone. The figurehead – the Raven’s Lease only has power and authority from the Raven because he isContinue reading “The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie”

A Room Called Earth by Madeleine Ryan

Madeleine Ryan takes us through her world for one night. Her perspective makes a lot of sense. She starts getting ready for a party and deciding what to wear. Her inner world carries us through each encounter until she meets and connects with someone. She takes him home and dances in the rain ““Dancing inContinue reading “A Room Called Earth by Madeleine Ryan”

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

In this story Adeline or Addie cuts a deal with the darkness to escape her mundane village existence. Henry is the only person who remembers her name. She explains to him everyone else forgets her the minute she walks away “Because”, she says, slumping back against the concrete wall. “I’m cursed”. Addie is born inContinue reading “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab”

Runaway Horses by Yukio Mishima

This second book in the classic tetralogy The Sea of Fertility was published posthumously and is the story of the second incarnation of Shigekuni Honda’s friend Kiyoaki Matsugae. Beginning in 1932, Honda, a judge, replaces a colleague at a kendo tournament. He meets a youth, Isao Iinuma, that has a mole pattern the same as Kiyoaki.Continue reading “Runaway Horses by Yukio Mishima”

1Q84 The Complete Trilogy by Haruki Murakami

The Christian Society of Witnesses, the doomsday cult Sakigake, The Dowager who supports domestic violence victims, her assistant martial arts instructor Aomame and Tengo the maths teacher and writer are all part of this book. This is mixed with parallel dimensions. The world Aomame arrives in via the staircase accessed from the freeway, at theContinue reading “1Q84 The Complete Trilogy by Haruki Murakami”

The Loudness of Unsaid Things by Hilde Hinton

This is an Australian novel that addresses the deeply complicated relationship the main character Susie has with her mentally ill mother. She is an outsider who moves to Melbourne with her father, leaving her mother behind. Miss Kaye is the works at a psychiatric hospital and tells of how you can live and not justContinue reading “The Loudness of Unsaid Things by Hilde Hinton”

Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

Wohlleben claims trees have personalities, feelings and thrive as families. He also suggests fungi operate as fibre optic internet cables, transmitting signals from one tree to another exchanging news about drought, insects and other things. The term coined for this is ‘wood wide web.’ There are loner trees such as willows and the fungi areContinue reading “Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben”

Before the Coffee gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi.

In a little coffee shop in Tokyo, Fumiko is dumped by her boyfriend. He leaves for America, leaving her devastated. She revisits the place and enquires about a fabled magic chair that lets people time travel. A ghostly woman occupies the chair and only when she visits the powder room can you sit there, orContinue reading “Before the Coffee gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi.”

The Pigeon by Patrick Suskind

Jonathan Noel is a security guard that lives a perfectly ordered life in Paris. His life has been so uneventful that a thunderstorm is remembered as an occasion when things went awry. Just when he is about to buy his apartment, as he had planned for some time, things changed. The purchase was an attemptContinue reading “The Pigeon by Patrick Suskind”

Get off your High Horse by Cynthia Terelst

Terelst is a Fraser Coast local! This is a feel-good equestrian romance targeting young adults. Each chapter is told from a different character’s point view and allows the reader a first-person insight into their motivations. The story begins at the wealthy Brisbane polo grounds. There is a sweet romance between Frankie and a would-be prince,Continue reading “Get off your High Horse by Cynthia Terelst”

The Gam Namu by Kathleen V. McLennan

This novel has been written by a Mary River Press competition awardee! Based in Korea, it spans the twentieth century from 1901 to the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Misuk, the main character, was born in Korea in 1901. She was the eldest daughter of a poor farming family and was very cherished by her family. AContinue reading “The Gam Namu by Kathleen V. McLennan”

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Lewis Clark and his friends belong to the American Blackfeet Nation. They trespass into the elders’ Montana hunting grounds on an expedition. Lewis has trouble killing a young pregnant elk. Jump forward a decade and he is living with his wife Peta when the trauma of that event haunts him. His beloved dog Harley isContinue reading “The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones”

The Conspiracy against the Human Race by Thomas Ligotti

Ligotti eloquently clarifies the existential dilemma of being human. Although the philosophy he explores is not revolutionary, he discusses the points with clarity and relates them to horror fiction. He reframes philosophy, literature and neuroscience and presents it from the point of view of a horror writer. In the chapter ‘The Cult of Grinning Martyrs’Continue reading “The Conspiracy against the Human Race by Thomas Ligotti”

Trout Fishing in America by Richard Brautigan

This novel is hilarious. Laugh out loud irony is mixed with seeping sadness. Weaving through recollections of America is the search for the ideal fishing spot. Trout fishing is a metaphor for change. The desire for a return to a simple natural life is a constant theme. One of the funniest scenes is about TroutContinue reading “Trout Fishing in America by Richard Brautigan”

Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey

This novel was published in 1964 and the great notion was about committing suicide by drowning. The story chronicles the life of two loggers that work independently in the union-controlled town of Wakonda. Leland Stamper returns home on a revenge mission against his half-brother Hank. His father Henry is dying, and he is protecting hisContinue reading “Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey”

Perfume by Patrick Suskind

Kurt Kobain’s favourite book was Perfume. Set-in the stench of eighteenth-century Paris the book follows the life of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. His lack of odour makes him unique as does his exceptional sense of smell. This story conjures smells: ‘This scent had a freshness, but not the freshness of limes or pomegranates, not the freshness ofContinue reading “Perfume by Patrick Suskind”

High Valley by Charmian Clift and George Johnston

High Valley is set in China and Tibet. It embraces customs of the Tibetan valley community. The Valley of the Dreaming Phoenix is full of vivid colour: ‘Each day was a gem of ever-brightening lustre. He was enchanted by the beauty of the high pastures: it was loveliness of a quality he had never knownContinue reading “High Valley by Charmian Clift and George Johnston”

An Experiment with Time by J.W. Dunne

This is a paradigm shifting book written by aircraft designer, engineer and pilot, Lieutenant William Dunne. After a series of dreams that seemed to predict the future, Dunne began to search for a logical reason for this phenomenon. He dreamt that there was a volcanic disaster and 4000 people died. He then misread a fewContinue reading “An Experiment with Time by J.W. Dunne”

Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard

After forty years J.G. Ballard put his memories of a World War 11 Japanese internment camp into a novel. Jamie is a young British boy who lives in Shanghai with his parents. After the pandemonium of the Pearl Harbour bombing, Japan occupies the area in Shanghai where he lives and he is separated from hisContinue reading “Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard”

Burials Rites by Hannah Kent

Burial Rites is an historical fiction based on the 200-year-old story of the last woman executed by decapitation in Iceland. In 1829 Agnes Magnúsdóttir’s is sentenced to death but must wait for her killing at a farm at Kornsá with Margrét, Jón and their children. She had spent her childhood in this parish. Her motherContinue reading “Burials Rites by Hannah Kent”

The Whisper Man by Alex North

Tom Kennedy and his son Jake move to the country to escape the grief of losing Rebecca, their beloved wife and mother. They move to Featherbank, a village with a dark history of the serial killer “The Whisper Man”. Supernatural overtones and analogies with grief see this psychological thriller become very chilling. There is somethingContinue reading “The Whisper Man by Alex North”

Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor

This dystopian book is set in the African desert and is a world fantasy award winner. It weaves a meandering story of magic, great emotional power and horror. Lyrical and clear prose propel the reader forward. Rape as a war crime is brought into stark focus as the story unfolds. Najeeba is raped and findsContinue reading “Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor”

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

This book investigates how people cope with the unspeakable. The character Eleanor is an authentic and lonely person who isolates on schedule. She slowly moves into the world of other people when a neighbour needs her help. “I was glad to help, glad to be moving away from Mummy-related conversation. There were various chores MrsContinue reading “Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman”

The Glass Bead Game (Magister Ludi) by Herman Hesse.

Set in the future around 25 AD this allegory is told from an historian’s perspective. It focuses on the 23rd Century and the main character is Joseph Knecht. Set in Castalia, the story is revealed through documents written by Knecht’s contemporaries. Further insight is gained through poems and short stories written by Knecht. Castalia isContinue reading “The Glass Bead Game (Magister Ludi) by Herman Hesse.”

The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante

This is a coming of age story about an Italian middle-class girl called Giovanna. She lives in Naples and the story opens with her questioning the unconditional love her father has bestowed on her. She overhears her parents talking. Her father blames her failing grades on her transformed likeness to ostracized Aunt Vittoria. This propelsContinue reading “The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante”

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver.

Dellarobia Turnbow, is bored with her life as a farm wife. She sets out for a rendezvous with a younger man and is entranced by a hillside covered in orange monarch butterflies or King Billies. Although some consider this strange phenomenon a divine intervention, entomologist Ovid Byron determines it is due to climate change. KingsolverContinue reading “Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver.”

The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly by Jean Dominique Bauby.

Bauby, experiences a stroke at the age of 43. He is in the prime of his life, on the editorial staff at Elle and has two small children. After waking 20 days later, he could only blink his left eyelid. Suffering what is called locked-in-syndrome he dictates this novel through blinking this eye. The beautyContinue reading “The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly by Jean Dominique Bauby.”

My Brother Jack by George Johnston

Each read of this fifty-six-year-old classic reveals more nuances about the Australian identity. Set in post-war Melbourne suburbs, this seminal piece is a retelling by David Meredith of his life. His mother is a nurse who houses Gallipoli invalids including Meredith’s father. Suffering PTSD, he is a brutal alcoholic who displays unpredictability and weakness. TheContinue reading “My Brother Jack by George Johnston”

The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

Le Guin’s writing is beautiful, political and too immense for one genre. She intricately and quietly draws us through her compelling story about the twin worlds of Urras and Anarres. Anarres has split from Urras, is anarchist and the home of physicist, Shevek. He believes his studies on time, called the Principle of Simultaneity, canContinue reading “The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin”

Priest Daddy by Patricia Lockwood

Patricia Lockwood shares her memories of life growing up in the Midwest of America with her father who underwent “the deepest conversion on record”. His change from atheist to a catholic priest occurred after being locked in a submarine watching the exorcist while serving in the navy. The memoir tracks her return to her family’sContinue reading “Priest Daddy by Patricia Lockwood”

Circe by Madeline Miller

If you love Greek mythology Circe is for you. Madeline Miller creates a world based on the enchantress. Circe is the daughter of the sun god Helios and Oceanid nymph, Perse. Circe has long been an inspiration in literature. Homer and James Joyce wrote of her. She was a powerful sorceress who turned sailors intoContinue reading “Circe by Madeline Miller”

True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey

Papers transported to Melbourne inside a metal trunk are the basis of Carey’s story. Broken up into age brackets, it chronicles Ned’s life from his point of view. Events of his life show his humanity. After his father’s passing, Ned felt “there would never be a knot or a rabbit I skun or a horseContinue reading “True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey”

Stories: The Collected Short Fiction by Helen Garner

Monkey Grip, Helen Garner’s first novel, is raw. The portrayal of single mother Nora and heroin addict Javo’s life is now cemented as a classic. Written in 1977, it started her long career. She delves into authentic experiences of Australian life and disregards writing rules. She has mastery of the short story form. In 2017Continue reading “Stories: The Collected Short Fiction by Helen Garner”

The Cure for Death by Lightning by Gail Anderson-Dargatz

Told through the eyes of 15-year-old Beth, living in rural Canada, this novel is an intense sensory experience set during World War Two. She befriends the local Indian kids and the rich spiritual and natural world they share enables her to survive the sexual abuse and increasing violence her PTSD suffering father imposes on her.Continue reading “The Cure for Death by Lightning by Gail Anderson-Dargatz”

Kindred by Kate Legge

Gustav and Kate Weindorfer walked the Tasmanian bush in an historic yesterday where the sublime power and enchantment of the wilderness was untouched. Through the Naturalist’s Club, they found a sense of belonging and freedom from the confining strictures of civilised life. We first learn of the Tasmanian landscape when Kate’s love of botany isContinue reading “Kindred by Kate Legge”

The Enigma of Reason by Hugo Mercier, Dan Sperber

This book contends with the question of what makes us human by taking us through the history of philosophical ponderings from Descartes to Martin Luther King, from Hermann von Helmholtz to Nietzsche. The authors step us through their theory regarding the purpose of reason and why it developed in humans. Examples demonstrate why we workContinue reading “The Enigma of Reason by Hugo Mercier, Dan Sperber”

The Mint Lawn by Gillian Mears

Gillian Mears was born into a family of four girls and wrote about Grafton in her first novel. In this intensely sublime work of art ‘she writes like an angel’. Clementine has stayed in the small country town as her other ingenious and artistic sisters abandon her for the city, one by one. Her memoriesContinue reading “The Mint Lawn by Gillian Mears”

Middle Game by Seanan McGuire

This is a cross between Brave New World and mythology. The author’s lyrical prose slowly interlaces a malevolent drama with avarice. Power is apotheosized with children as causalities. The story begins as a slow burn that concludes in an explosion that provides hope and light. The main protagonist, James Reed, is a Frankenstein like creationContinue reading “Middle Game by Seanan McGuire”

The Solar War by A.G. Riddle

This is book two in the Long Winter Series. Our planet has been thrust into another ice age. Migration to the only habitable areas left has resulted in chaos, with people languishing in refugee camps with nowhere to call home. The dystopian view of the world mirrors earth. Technology and unity save humanity. Drones, AIContinue reading “The Solar War by A.G. Riddle”

Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

This book allows you to reimagine pre-European Australia. Dark Emu is a factual explanation of pre-European Aboriginal agricultural practices.It puts to rest the simplification of the hunter-gatherer nomadic life of Aboriginal people and provides evidence of a complex land management system that sustained life for 40 000 years. The ignorance and arrogance of those whoContinue reading “Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe”