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.
Book reviews
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.
Armistice, by Nick Stafford
Nick Stafford’s Armistice recreates the disorientated, discombobulated world of London post World War One and looks at the effect that war had on the lives of those who survived, writes Rachel Edwards.
20 classics in 2011 #4: Heroes and Villains by Angela Carter
Angela Carter’s post-apocalyptic future gothic romantic novel Heroes and Villains is a visceral read: dirty, sticky and stinky, layered with rich writing and imagery, says Angela Meyer.
The Girl With No Hands, by Angela Slatter
Angela Slatter’s collection of fairytale re-imaginings presents a bunch of brilliantly plotted stories, including a stunning twist on the tale of Bluebeard, writes Lyndon Riggal.
Parting With My Sex by Lucy Chesser
Is a woman who travels from Ireland to Australia, poses as a man, marries three women, apparently fathers a child, and gets away with it for 20 years, boring? Or is this not the stuff of Australian legend? Matthew Giles examines Lucy Chesser’s Parting With My Sex.
This Too Shall Pass, by SJ Finn
This Too Shall Pass reflects on the complicated matter of a relationship break-up (with a child involved) and other shifts in life: at work, where we live, and within the self, writes Angela Meyer.
127 Hours: Between a Rock and a Hard Place — by Aron Ralston
The gruesome survival story outlined in American rock climber Aron Ralston’s memoirs is full of suffering and pain. However it also brims with hope and the overcoming of immense adversity, writes Alice Robertson.
What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us
Laura van den Berg has particular skill in capturing the strangeness that can come at times — the sense of being a stranger to your own life and the world, says Matthia Dempsey regarding her short story collection What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us.
Bite sized book reviews
In preparation for the Perth Writers Festival Crikey book blogger Angela Meyer read and reviewed three books including The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog by Andrew O’Hagan.
More bite sized book reviews
It’s round two of Twitter book reviews. Angela Meyer commissions her Twitter follows to write mini book reviews in exchange for a free book. See what they think of Australian Encounters by Shane Maloney and Chris Grosz and Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson.
Digesting the classics: The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
Henry James was one of the first authors to delve into deep explorations of consciousness and perception, and Portrait of a Lady is still a very interesting read these days - particularly in a feminist sense, writes Angela Meyer.
Funny and smart: Making News by Tony Wilson
Former professional AFL player, author and columnist Tony Wilson takes the “write what you know” adage to heart, with an intelligent and witty Ben Eltonesque tale of retired soccer playing and aspiring author in his latest book Making News, writes Lisa Down.
Mining the classics: The Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood
Originally published as two autobiographical novels in the 30’s, The Berlin Stories focuses on characters encountered by author Christopher Isherwood. The stories make for colourful and fascinating reading and the book deserves every bit of its status as a classic, writes Angela Meyer.
Five Wounds, by Jonathan Walker and Dan Hallett
An ‘illuminated novel’ must be more than novel: no minor feat, and no small promise. But Five Wounds lives up to its self-appointed label with five varied stories woven into a powerful multi-layered narrative, writes Lyndon Riggall.
Smart summer reading: Ben Cousins and the forward pressure
Forget the drugs, the more fascinating aspect of the Ben Cousins story is his narrative addiction, writes Mark Tomlinson.
Ink, dust & darkness: Magpie Hall by Rachael King
Richael King’s novel about a vintage-dress-wearing tattooed taxidermist writing a thesis about gothic literature cleverly pays homage to the gothic tradition, with hints of romance and dark and complex things, writes Angela Meyer.
