Booker Prize-nominees, debut novels, books from the veterans of Australian fiction … you name it, we’ve read it. Here are the best books we read in September 2020!
Mark Harding – Brand & Content Manager
Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh
Why I loved it: Ottessa Moshfegh takes the detective story, stands it on its head, and uses it to explore ageing, loneliness, death, and life in unexpected ways. At the core of this mystery is not a dead body or a crime scene, but a mysterious note discovered in the woods. It’s dark, layered, complex, and creepy. All the good things.
Buy it here
Olivia Fricot – Senior Content Producer
Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
Why I loved it: Dolly Alderton’s debut novel Ghosts is a delight on every front. It follows a food writer named Nina George Dean as she navigates the ups and downs of life as a 32-year-old single woman living in London. From trying dating apps for the first time (and experiencing the exquisite humiliation of a ghosting) to figuring out how to be the best daughter to a man suffering from the onset of dementia, Ghosts manages to be both hilarious and heartbreaking, while eschewing every kind of cliché for a ‘millennial novel’. Brilliant stuff.
Buy it here
Jo Lewin – Head of Trade Product
Who They Was by Gabriel Krauze
Why I loved it: Born of poor but earnest and hardworking immigrant parents, Gabriel has every opportunity to succeed. But ‘Snoopz’, as he is known around the South Kilburn estates, is drawn to a different kind of life. Who They Was follows his deeply divided existence of studying English literature at uni by day, and a world of petty robbery and drug dealing on the weekends. Peppered with slang, the language shows how deeply Snoopz craves acceptance from a lifestyle not his own, even if it risks his family, his safety, his freedom or his life. Think Boyz N the Hood meets The Bill meets Normal People.
Buy it here
Ben Hunter – Fiction Category Manager
Bluebird by Malcolm Knox
Why I loved it: Malcolm Knox is one of the nation’s most prolific writers and his latest novel, Bluebird, has rocked my socks off. It’s set in the fictional beach suburb of Bluebird, which could be a stand in for most any well-loved beach ‘burb stretching north or south of Sydney – development and hypergentrification squeezing out rusted-on locals who only surf on bad days to avoid crowds of novices. Brimming with wit, hilarity and some superb (if frequently foul) language, Bluebird is a marvel of a novel that should be mandatory reading for anyone who has lived or known someone who has lived in one of this country’s many beachside enclaves.
Buy it here
Shanulisa Prasad – Lifestyle Books Category Manager
The Living Sea of Waking Dreams by Richard Flanagan
Why I loved it: This is the first book I have read by Richard Flanagan, so I can’t tell you how this compares to his Booker-winning book The Narrow Road to the Deep North. I can tell you that I thought it was beautifully written – I read the first few chapters out loud, which helped me understand the rhythms of the book (and I’m definitely going to buy a copy of the audio book to hear the whole book read by Essie Davis). I was swept away by this story that managed to be both an intimate tale of a family and a broader study of mankind’s growing disconnection from each other and from the natural world around us.
Buy it here
Renae Adolfson – Trade Books Coordinator
The Morbids by Ewa Ramsey
Why I loved it: This novel is like a good shoulder to cry on, and a great confidante for anyone who has ever felt the weight of loneliness in a crowded room. After a car accident, Caitlin is convinced that she is going to die, and these thoughts seep into every avenue of her life. It is only through friendship, love, and self-discovery that Caitlin can learn to overcome these constant thoughts of death and begin to live again. Despite being an emotional read, The Morbids is also filled with humour and hope, and the uplifting message that kindness is life-changing.
Buy it here
Cassandra Sharpe – Merchandising Coordinator
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
Why I loved it: Morrigan Crow is a cursed child, fated to die on Eventide – until she’s swept away by Jupiter North to the magical world of Nevermoor. She must pass several trials to be admitted into the Wundrous Society, or be exiled forever. Jessica Townsend has crafted a living, breathing world, from the absolute chaos of the Hotel Deucalion, its cast of fantastical characters and the Society itself. One of my favourite things about Nevermoor is the relationship between its characters. We understand Jupiter’s concern for his charge, Hawthorne’s contagious enthusiasm and Jack’s disdain, along with Morrigan’s sense of wonder and frustration in her new home. I loved every second spent with Morrigan, Jupiter and co., and can’t wait to step boldly into the next adventure!
Buy it here
Rob O’Hearn – Academic & Professional Category Manager
Landscapes of Our Hearts by Matthew Colloff
Why I loved it: Matthew Colloff is a passionate CSIRO ecologist exploring the triangle of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, and the environment we share. Seeing the different ecosystems and lands of our lives through eyes both scientific and poetic, Colloff’s work reminds me of the writings of Eric Rolls and Robert Macfarlane; warmly nostalgic, evocative, and informed. This book reads like a survey of views, ideas, and glimpses, born from many minds, all converging on respect for the land. The author addresses the concerns of biodiversity conservation, but not without embracing change and the hearts of the most dominant species: humans. It is fresh, rich, and thoughtful reading.
Buy it here
Ashleigh Berry – Campaigns Coordinator
Real Life by Brandon Taylor
Why I loved it: Real Life is the incredibly evocative debut novel from Brandon Taylor, set over a summer weekend where long-held tensions between friends and colleagues threaten to erupt. Taylor’s prose is the highlight of this novel for me – powerfully acute with depth, he creates a vivid reading experience where each sentence is taut with pain, exhaustion, and loneliness, as well as the pressures of education, race, and sexuality. This is a consuming, stunning read.
Buy it here
Scott Whitmont – Business Development & Relationship Manager
When Time Stopped by Ariana Neumann
Why I loved it: With meticulous research, Ariana Neumann set out on the genealogical mystery trail that would lead her from the Czech Republic to Germany and the U.S., would take decades, and would uncover the Jewish heritage of which she’d known nothing – a truth-stranger-than fiction tale of determination, survival and immense courage. Growing up in Venezuela, she knew nothing of her father’s family or his early life in Prague before immigrating after the Holocaust. The path to resolution that would finally leave Ariana with a full sense of her identity for the first time would be intricate and complex. This is the ultimate satisfying true-life detective story.
Buy it here
Comments
No comments