Hungover in church, Izzy wipes the sweat from her brow with a balled-up tissue from her sleeve. With people she knows pressing against her on all sides; there’s no space to to take off her jumper. When she moves to kneel, she smells her own sweat and tries to breathe deeply. “Lord have mercy.” That […]
August
10
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
posted by Ms K
Prepare to have your heart broken by John Boyne. This book tells one of the most brutal, gut-wrenching stories I have read. Ever. Ever. But before you start to find the ‘escape’ button on your device to click out of this review, S T O P, because this book is also one of the most […]
July
20
Always Home. Always Homesick by Hannah Kent
posted by Ms K
Hello Flight Centre. Can you please book me a ticket to Iceland stat. I need to see it and maybe even live there. Bold, I know but that, my friends, is what this memoir does to you. If you love Hannah Kent (haven’t met anyone who doesn’t), you’ve probably read this beauty already and I’m […]
July
10
Too Soon by Betty Shamieh
posted by Ms A
Arabella is a thirty-five-year-old theatre director living in New York. She descends from a family of Palestinian migrants, but has spent her entire career chasing Tony Awards without disclosing her background. She is conflicted daily by a combination of resentment and pride in her heritage. She’s also conflicted on the relationship front – lurching between […]
July
03
The Long Walk by Stephen King
posted by Ms A
Last month, I took a break from contemporary, literary fiction for a dose of dystopian horror in form of vintage Stephen King. Yes, this book snob read a Stephen King book…and loved every page of it. The Long Walk was not the first of Stephen King’s novels to be published, but it was the first […]
June
30
Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks
posted by Ms A
It’s a rare book that can be both a guide to the sudden loss of a spouse and a genuinely enjoyable read, but Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks does just that. With a protective wink, my neighbour and dear friend, slipped me her copy wanting to make sure I had the benefit of any pre-planning […]
April
24
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
posted by Ms K
Crying in H Mart is a memoir and does exactly what the title says, but it had me Crying in K Mart. If you pick this one up (and I hope you do), grab a box of tissues when you check out because if you’ve lost someone you dearly, dearly loved, your wee heart will […]
March
17
The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden
posted by Ms A
I fell in love with this book the moment I saw it. A small, dusty pink hardback, perched elegantly on the shelf at Glee Books. I took my copy to the counter and the cashier gave me a knowing nod as if I had stumbled onto Chanel at the local Vinnies. I walked home clutching […]
February
21
Butter by Asako Yuzuki
posted by Ms K
I don’t know whether it is reading this book, or a recent trip to Europe in winter which demanded hearty food and too many croissants, but I’m currently eating more butter than can be good for me. And I am here for it (apparently it makes your skin glow – or greasy – depending on […]
February
09
Dusk by Robbie Arnott
posted by Ms A
When I think of Tasmania, I don’t think of wild pumas. Tasmanian tigers, sure. Devils, obviously. But pumas? Not so much. So when this book opened with, “Word reached the twins that a puma was taking shepherds up in the highlands,” I did what any reasonable person would do—I put the book down and Googled: […]
Readhead 