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#BookReport for July

The Axeman‘s Carnival was my favourite. Woodworking, Fundamentally & Better Days were all terrific too & I wouldn‘t be surprised if they all feature in my best of 2025.

I adored this - one of my faves of the year so far. I think it‘s one worth listening to on audio, although I now can‘t get the bird out of my head! Miaow.

Tama, a magpie, is rescued by Marnie and becomes a social media star as he can talk. Marnie‘s husband is the local celebrated ‘axeman‘ but is also an angry man and takes it out on Marnie.

It was quite obvious where the story was going but, OMG, it was still so tense towards the end.

Tama is a magpie, adopted by a couple who turn him into a social media hype. Because Tama can talk, which means repeating things he‘s heard and remembers. The things he says are so funny (you recognize them from earlier conversations and they come up at the most awkward moments) and in combination with the sadness of the couple‘s daily life, it makes a book unlike any other. Brilliant.

#ReadTheWorld2025 book 21 #NewZealand

The talking magpie narrator explaining the ways of birds and people is an appealing hook that frequently had me laughing out loud and is also an effective counterpoint to the harshness of conditions of the human characters. What could have been very bleak became much more palatable, but no less powerful. I loved it. A definite contender for my book of the year so far. #NZfiction
Have you read this one @Centique ?

It‘s not my habit to buy new books because I get so many from the library and Lord only knows when I‘ll actually read these, but I‘m so happy to have them. Europa Editions rarely steers me wrong and I‘ve really liked Chidgey‘s work before so I‘m looking forward to it. And of course The God of the Woods has been getting lots of love lately. 💕💕💕

Had a day sick in bed and this was the most uplifting, well-rounded & charming piece of fiction one could read. Huge applause to the the author for such wonderful character development of Tama the magpie (our story narrator) and perhaps humans might see these clever birds differently from now on. We love you #tama ! 🖤

Late to the party but wow was I glad to be here. This novel is every bit as good as every hyped-up review says it is. Chidgey does rural NZ gothic so well here; the narration perfectly creates that sense of creeping unease. It‘s a book that has so much to say about heavy things like domestic violence, and the challenges of rural living, but delivers this with the pitch perfect touch of humour. I

An injury left Sam, mother of 3 boys, paralyzed from the chest down. Then, she & her Australian family adopted an injured bird. Healing ensued. The gorgeous photography is my favourite part of this book because the text is a little heavy on schmaltz. ie: “angels come in all shapes & sizes” & “we are all our journeys, hopes & dreams clad in mortal wrapping paper. It‘s a feel-good true story & I recommend it.

I love Cameron Bloom‘s photos of life with a magpie his family rescued when it was an injured fledgling.