Reviewed by Ian Hamilton It may be that there are more periods of history when this book would have been banned than periods of history when this book would be published. Think back to the test cases of the twentieth century, perhaps most famously that of D. H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Although published in
Reviewed by Rod McLary According to the Urban Dictionary, ‘tight lines’ is a good luck wish between fishermen – meaning that if your lines are tight, you are catching lots of fish. And Tight Lines is the title of this coming-of-age novel by Allee Richards and tells the stories of Luke, Josh and Matty who
Reviewed by Rod McLary Grunge literature – or simply grunge lit – is a genre of Australian literature which looks at the lives of young people in disadvantaged circumstances and often deeply involved in alcohol or drug abuse. The characters live on the social and cultural margins of their city. The term was created after
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Simply Beside Herself is the first novel by Judith Katherine who has always been fascinated by the narratives around role and how it can either broaden or narrow our worlds. Often people get caught up in doing the right thing, and what others expect by not making a fuss. This is
Reviewed by Ian Hamilton This novel-memoir has smatterings of cultural references but the one that comes to mind, but not mentioned, is Frost’s poet “The Road Not Taken” because our protagonist’s story centres on his choices deliberate and choices fateful. I don’t think Frost ever wrote the complementary poem “The Road Taken” but the two
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve Architecture provides an interesting and informative backdrop to this gripping novel of obsession and paranoia. Together they add a suspense which at times is twisted and can be frustrating to the reader. Design is the most obvious element of architecture but is, Woods states, about ‘constraints: budget, boundaries, building envelopes.’ The
Reviewed by Rod McLary This debut novel by Irish writer Edie May Hand is a breathtaking read from beginning to end. I have seldom read a first book which encompasses both the breadth and depth of a story about family, pervading violence, and ultimately survival so well and so engrossingly. From the first sentence –
Reviewed by Rod McLary Douglas Stuart has an enviable track record with his writing. His debut novel Shuggie Bain won the Booker Prize in 2020 after being rejected by 32 publishers and the author’s second novel Young Mungo was listed as one of the best books of 2022. And now his third book maintains the
Reviewed by Rod McLary The Hope is the third book in a trilogy – the first two being The Forcing and The Descent – each one providing a vivid and rather frightening vision of the future of the world and its people. Fortunately, The Hope offers some glimmer of hope of a way – a
Reviewed by Ian Lipke When Karly Lane’s name appears on the cover of a newly published book, serious readers of light fiction can buckle into their chairs and prepare to be entertained. Where There’s Smoke is just another example of ‘good’ fiction. This is a tale about second chances. It examines what might happen if
Reviewed by Gayle Williams Sarah Clutton’s The Bookshop of Buried Pasts is a beautifully crafted exploration of love, loss, hope, and the long shadows cast by secrets buried across six decades. The narrative moves seamlessly from 1960s Cambridgeshire to the present‑day NSW Southern Highlands, and finally to the windswept shores of the Shetland Islands, creating
Reviewed by Ian Lipke A charming story in many respects. Stella Quinn pens the tale of a young schoolteacher newly appointed to a school. Her focus of interest is students in years nine and ten. Filled with trepidation Felicity Miles had heard unpleasant things about the principal Nigel McKinlay, and although Felicity was blessed with
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Dandelion is Dead is the debut novel by Rosie Storey. It is set in London in 2025 and is a modern love story with dating apps and sexual freedom. Various apps and their use of acronyms for different kinks and desires are mentioned within the storyline. It is a time where
Reviewed by Rod McLary An older woman suddenly goes missing – not at home, unreachable by phone, no warning to her daughter – what has happened? Not an unfamiliar trope for crime mysteries but The Missing Mother is no crime mystery. It is a psychological thriller which engages you from the very first line –
Reviewed by Antonella Townsend Sam Beckbessinger presents an entertaining version of a supernatural horror in her debut adult novel, Femme Feral, a howling commentary on modern society from a female perspective. The main protagonist, Ellie, juggles work in the tech industry creating apps for guided meditations, and runs a household consisting of a vague, well-meaning