I’m pretty sure I heard people were dancing in the streets when Barbara Kingsolver released her new book. I nearly was. This woman is a legend and remains firmly implanted in my ‘Reading Hall of Fame’ for The Poisonwood Bible because apart from being a great book, it was the first book I read where […]
Category Archives: Grab it Now
March
05
French Exit by Patrick deWitt
posted by Ms A
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 […]
February
07
Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
posted by Ms K
Guest Review by Mr M Much like stories told around a dinner table, I think the best ones contain facts with entertaining embellishment and in my own case, the occasional physical performance for added effect. Trent Dalton’s book, Boy Swallows Universe is one of the most entertaining dinner table stories, but I must admit – […]
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 […]
January
11
My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
posted by Ms K
Despite this books dark and disturbing storyline, it’s quite the hoot. I’m sure it isn’t meant to be but there you have it, it is. The title says it all so I could easily just leave this review right here and say enthusiastically go grab a copy. But I will carry on…. Set in Nigera, […]
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
01
Beautiful Revolutionary by Laura Elizabeth Woollett
posted by Ms K
If you’ve ever wondered how the saying ‘drinking the Kool-Aid‘ came about, well good news Readheads, this book answers it for you. The not-so-good news is you really won’t like the explanation. In Beautiful Revolutionary, Laura Elizabeth Woollett has penned a masterful and intriguing re-telling of the 1978 Jonestown Massacre which saw 918 men, women […]
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 […]
