I was looking forward to this read. The winner of two Australian literary awards, and shortlisted for another five, I expected I’d have nice things to say. But I don’t. Noah Glass tries too hard to be intelligent, and falls for cliches, stereotypes, and convenience. I had to keep checking it was written by a … [Read more…]
The blurb promised me an amusing read, but it’s about politics – how amusing could it be? Turns out, it was a thoroughly entertaining read. How can you not love this priceless description of Bob Hawke? “[he] strode straight to the car waving his hand and saying ‘Gday, Gday, G–day’, the last word elongated into … [Read more…]
Have you ever read those magazine articles where you can tell the writer has a bit of a crush on the interview subject? The ones where they meet for the interview in a trendy cafe and document the encounter with ridiculous details that say more about the starry-eyed writer than their interviewee? The Art of Happiness … [Read more…]
As a book set in another country, with a film released in 2013 that helped put the Autonomous Region of Bougainville on the tourism map, Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones fits as a Geography and Tourism book. Set during the Bougainville Civil War, Mister Pip is told from the perspective of teenage Matilda, who is introduced to Pip from … [Read more…]