Reviewed by Wendy Lipke As the title of the book suggests, this story is about Giacomo Puccini, the Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Broadly based on actual people and events, it imagines the composer’s life around the time of his creating the opera Madama Butterfly early in the 20th Century. However, the first
Reviewed by Clare Brook Nothing exists, and therefore can be understood, in isolation from its context, for it is context that gives meaning to what we think and do. Alvin Gouldner Tessa Morris-Suzuki’s biography of Monte Punshon reveals not only the unique life of a women born in the late nineteenth century but also deepens
Reviewed by Rod McLary There are some novels which defy easy categorisation – and Oblivion is one such novel. It is a lyrical and strangely moving story of an unnamed narrator as he travels through the East on an unspecified and rather mysterious task. The narrator spends his time in those detached places such as
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve The winner of The Australian/Vogel prize for young hitherto unpublished authors of fiction is eagerly awaited, for it has launched some of our finest writers, amongst them, Tim Winton. First Year tells in convincing detail of the life of a very young drama student who has left her Gold Coast home
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke The cover of All You Need to Know About Dogs says that the book is by A. Cat. Among the publishing details inside the book, in tiny font, is the sentence ‘Fred Blunt has asserted his right to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work’. Turning the first
Reviewed by Rod McLary The alliterative title of this debut novel gives some indication of its nature – a tender, heartwarming and whimsical look at the borrowed life of Frederick Fife. But what does ‘borrowed life’ mean? Well, that is the theme of the novel. The setting up of the situation takes a little time.
Reviewed by Ian Lipke I was quite disappointed in this latest publication by Stephen King. This author has created a reputation for fine, extended writing, of best quality, and of mind-blowing uniqueness that is not represented in the present volume. One can speculate over reasons why these stories fail to meet the level of satisfaction
Reviewed by Rod McLary From time-to-time, there are novels which grab the reader from the first line and never let go. When these novels come along – and there are so many of them – they are a joy to read; even more so when it is a debut novel. Anyone’s Ghost is such a
Reviewed by E.B. Heath Although an elaborate fantasy for children, Greenwild: The City Beyond the Sea, carries significance – a warning. One that in times of yore was communicated via an Aesop’s Fable – The Goose and The Golden Egg. A story of stupidity and greed. Apparently, that message has been long forgotten because, well,
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Previously I have not had the pleasure of reading any of the work by Australian author, Petronella McGovern, and found her latest book, The Last Trace, to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I have since discovered that Petronella’s first novel, Six Minutes, was published in July 2019 and debuted on the
Reviewed by Rod McLary The evocative title and cover image – a teenage boy with bloodied knuckles – offers a preview of what will be found within the book’s covers. This debut novel by Daniel Tamone explores the far-reaching effects of family violence and the challenges inherent in any attempt to leave them behind. The
Reviewed by Norrie Sanders According to a recent poll, 48% of Australians believe that AUKUS will keep us more secure from China. AUKUS being the trilateral security arrangement with the US and UK. The arrangement was forged in secret and no detail has been made public, so for that 48%, it is an act of
Reviewed by Rod McLary This debut novel by Jordan Prosser falls within a genre named ‘cyberpunk’ – that is, a novel set in a dystopian future with a combination of ‘lowlife and high tech’ and one where society is collapsing into a state of decay. The setting for the novel is a barely recognisable Australia
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve Jessie Tu’s debut novel, A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing, presented an author who is remarkable in her wide ranging talent. Her second book, The Honeyeater, does not disappoint. There is the same narrative brilliance and quiet intensity, relating the story of Fay, a translator bringing a modern English novel
Reviewed by E.B. Heath Asne Seierstad, the bestselling author of The Bookseller of Kabul, returned to Afghanistan in 2022 with the goal of understanding more about the Taliban’s regime. As an investigative journalist, she wanted to report what had changed now they were in power, what had stayed the same and what did they wish