The debut novel of Michael Sala, a semi-autobiographical account of his early life, is a book steeped in memory and the power of stories, writes Bethanie Blanchard.
Book reviews
Finding the people who sparked the Arab Spring: Johnny West’s Karama!
Karama! Journeys Through the Arab Spring, a travel book by former Reuters Cairo correspondent Johnny West, is a compelling book about the Arab Spring, writes Max Denton.
The Good, the Bad & the Unlikely by Mungo MacCallum
The names and personalities of Australian Prime Ministers are often forgotten, reduced to trivia questions or bronze busts. Mungo MacCallum’s new book is all about the lives of those who came to lead the nation, writes Bethanie Blanchard.
Women of Letters — beautifully nostalgic
Marieke Hardy and Michaela McGuire’s Women of Letters seeks to revive ‘the lost art of letter writing.’ There are some funny and beautiful pieces in this collection from writers who have spoken at Women of Letters events, writes Bethanie Blanchard.
Revisiting the oldies: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift’s 1726 novel about a man who finds himself in fantastical lands populated by strange people is a genuinely funny and absorbing tale that undoubtedly deserves its reputations as a classic, writes Angela Meyer.
Extrapolations: stories re-imagined from the tangible
Michael Butor’s Mobile and Ross Gibson’s The Summer Exercises are stories that so successfully extrapolate their texture, arc, shapes and tone from their non-fiction sources that it’s like watching DNA replication occur, writes Kent MacCarter.
Bearings, by Leah Swann
Leah Swann’s book Bearings is an intense collection of stories with well-formed characters and a distinct voice. The subjects vary but all examine similar conundrums about the human condition, writes Rachel Edwards.
Hugging with knives: the viciously cosy culture of reviewing
While not every hatchet job might attract a libel suit, it’s still lazy reviewing.
Come in Spinner: Come in Spinner: common and uncommon sense — who’d believe the latter?
Millions of Australians have been listening to, and reading, the predictions of political pundits, economic forecasters, broking firm analysts, experts and others about what might happen in politics and the world.
The Geometry of Flight — by Angela Smith
Angela Smith’s aptly titled collection of poetry reads like a series of postcards written for close friends. Her writing is technically proficient but at heart it’s a coterie work, writes Greg Westenberg.
The Amateur Science of Love by Craig Sherborne
Craig Sherborne’s The Amateur Science of Love follows the grim journey of a love affair gone wrong. Sherborne’s humour is acerbic and his prose fluid and sparing, writes Raili Simojoki.
Fraser v Howard … left and right doing it by the book
Eloise Keating, a journalist for BOOKSELLER+PUBLISHER, looks at the reaction to the biographies of two former prime ministers.
Forgotten — by Cat Patrick
A man who can remember the future but not the past is the simple but compelling premise of author Cat Patrick’s charming, distinctive and intriguing novel, writes Jordi Kerr.
By Nightfall — by Michael Cunningham
The Hours author Michael Cunningham’s latest novel By Nightfall is about art, youth, maleness and beauty. It is an intimate portrait of a middle-aged, middle-class gallery owner, writes Angela Meyer, who also discusses the author’s recent trip to Australia.
Guy Rundle: Rundle: Manning Clark and the Austen Tayshus comparison
In one of the most bizarre sallies in the ongoing, nasty kulturkampf against Manning Clark, Ross Fitzgerald joins his voice to those who saw the great historian as some sort of Soviet stooge.
35 years and Blue Skies hasn’t dated
Helen Hodgman’s novel Blue Skies, a dark tale of a young mother trapped in suburban Tassie, is wonky and just a little bit sleazy. Imogen Baratta gives it two thumbs up.
Revisiting the classics: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley’s classic vision of a dystopian future is a little all over the place but is nevertheless a brilliant piece of art, writes Angela Meyer.
20 classics in 2011 #6: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The latest book in Angela Meyer’s project to read 20 classic, modern-classic or cult books in 2011 is the dystopia fictional classic Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.
Breaking the embargo proves Tanner’s point about media sideshow
There has to be a balance between our commercial interest in selling a book and the media’s commercial need to report on its contents, writes Scribe publicity manager Emma Morris.
Mr Peanut by Adam Ross
Opening with a husband plotting to kill his wife, Mr Peanut is a disturbing novel that spirals in on itself and winds tight like a slinky, writes Alice Grundy.
Journal review: Kill Your Darlings Issue Four
Issue four of Kill Your Darlings devotes space to three pieces of short fiction as well as some reviews, essays and commentary. It is a high quality journal that feels plucky and youthful, writes Lisa Down.
20 classics in 2011 #5: The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde’s classic story about a young man made forever young isn’t perfect, but it is perfectly enjoyable, writes Angela Meyer.
Daily Proposition: Read Sloane Crosley’s essays
American writer Sloane Crosley’s personal essays are original, funny and observant, says Laura Griffin. Before the HBO miniseries, read her two bestselling collections.
Ashes in the Air by Ali Alizadeh
In a book of poetry we want each poem to paint a picture, to shake us up a little and reach down inside us. On these grounds Ashes in the Air does a good job, writes Angela Meyer.
Daily Proposition: Read a thorny fantasy before its TV debut
The next big thing from US blockbuster TV network HBO premieres next month in the US, based on the best-selling epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. The books are worth visiting, says William Fettes.
