I didn’t sleep the night I finished this book. It is funny but also strangely emotional and I couldn’t get it out of my head. Released late last year, French Exit tells the story of a glamorous New York widow, Frances and her gloomy adult son, Malcolm. The two of them have spent the last of […]
Author Archives: Ms A
January
28
The Overstory by Richard Powers
posted by Ms A
If the measure of a great book is whether it makes you think about things differently, then this is a great book. The Overstory starts off as a collection of stories that merge into a single tale of mankind and its relationship with the environment. Some people have labelled it “environmental fiction” but that strikes […]
December
03
Normal People by Sally Rooney
posted by Ms A
My favourite books are ones that appear simple. This is one of those books. On the face of it, Normal People tells the story of a boy and a girl and their on again/off again relationship. At school, he is the popular one and she is out of place but they get to college and […]
November
15
Severance by Ling Ma
posted by Ms A
Add this one to your summer reading list please. An irresistible, apocalyptic look at contemporary life that will keep you distracted by the pool for sure. Candace is a twenty-something single in NYC. She is so swept up in her daily routine of work, email and google that she barely notices a killer virus spreading […]
October
15
Warlight by Michael Ondaatje
posted by Ms A
In times of war, there is a particular light given off by smouldering buildings, smoke and blacked out streets. It is called warlight. A fitting name for a shadowy book about a man trying to piece together memories of his wartime childhood. This story starts in 1945 in London. A mother is living a double […]
August
30
A Hologram for the King by Dave Eggers
posted by Ms A
Alan is a likeable, but insecure middle-aged business man. He owes money everywhere and is trying to reconcile relationships with his father, daughter and ex-wife. He has a memory for jokes and a problem saying no. I love him. For some perfectly random reason, Alan finds himself in Saudi Arabia to pitch security and IT […]
July
31
My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent
posted by Ms A
This book comes with multiple warnings. The first is that it deals with very distressing themes and the second is that you won’t be able to put it down. My Absolute Darling is a debut novel from American author Gabriel Tallent. It is a best seller, page turner and probably available at airports around the […]
July
15
The Eight Mountains by Paolo Cognetti
posted by Ms A
I am sure this book has inflated property prices in the Italian Alps. When you read about the small Italian family and their holidays spent climbing mountains you will know what I mean. Set over at least 30 years, The Eight Mountains is about relationships and how different people escape and/or embrace life and fear. […]
June
24
The Shepherd’s Hut by Tim Winton
posted by Ms A
It’s been too long since I lost myself in a Tim Winton book. If you are Australian, chances are you’ve read a few of them. It turns out lots of people overseas read Tim Winton too, although how on earth they can make sense of the heavy Australian slang and vocabulary is a mystery to […]
May
30
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Guest review by Mr D.
posted by Ms A
I resisted reading The Handmaid’s Tale for a long time. I can’t quite put a finger on why. In part it was because of my ignorant understanding that it was some sort of totalitarian chic-lit. In part, I have to also admit there was something I didn’t quite like about Margaret Atwood. Something undefinable about […]
