A very interesting story about the life of Pippa Latour who worked as a secret agent in Nazi-Occupied France during WWII. Pippa‘s made such a courageous contribution to the allied war effort and her stories are told in a really engaging personal voice. For anyone interested in this part of History, this will be a compelling read. Very accessible.

So fun to revisit this childhood fave with Sid. As with all short story collections this is a bit uneven but there are some real bangers in here- namely The Giant‘s Bath, The Devil and the Corner Grocer, and The Pumpkins of Witch Crunch. These are beautifully told, imaginative stories, of worlds like our own but just a little bit different and more magical. Stories that twist and turn and go where you never quite expect them to. Such fun.

A really gentle, earnest, but also vulnerable story. Nicholls manages to be light, funny, and hopeful in the telling of the story that is in many parts sad and longing. It was a nice change of pace and tone for me to read this novel about the distance between lives imagined and lived, feeling lonely and left behind, and our drive to only connect. Extra points for well-produced audio with 2 narrators.

This was recommended to me as a book for fans of Strout and Kingsolver and so of course I was right in. This story is told in a measured, dispassionate, observational tone which reminded me a lot of Strout‘s writing in a good way. It‘s about loss and hope, connection and disconnection in a marriage, and it‘s one of those stories that just really gets people for all their flaws. Everything about it felt three dimensional and real.

A very emotive, and confronting story which addresses some of the most uncomfortable experiences. It‘s told with honesty, it doesn‘t shy away from the trauma it discusses, and doesn‘t soften its edges for the sake of a narrative. In many ways, it‘s well told. However, I did find it just a smidge too much, I am not sure it needed everything it had going on, because for me, it made elements that could have been especially moving a bit too didactic.

The dialogue is sharp as a knife, and Kay and Cyril leap from the page, vivid and fully formed. It‘s a novel that asks big questions about what it means to be in control of your life, the dynamics of a marriage, familial duty and love and the toll it takes on our individual lives, the shape and purpose of a society and its role in our individual lives, and most directly about getting older, and how we navigate our own unravelling.

Look it‘s just a really magical story isn‘t it? Perhaps the only thing more magical than reading it yourself for the first time, is reading it to someone else for their first time (even if they‘re a bit too little to remember it). Already looking forward to reading this together again.

Everest Inc explores the development of the Everest industry, with particular focus on guiding and the commercialisation of mountaineering experiences for inexpert climbers. If you‘ve been aboard that Into Thin Air train, this book is for you. It takes us beyond the 1996 tragedy, exploring stories of the mountain both older and more recent, to paint a comprehensive picture of the place, and the people. Really engagingly told, and informative.

Fast-paced, blockbuster, natural disaster nonsense. Exactly what I needed. The perfect Father‘s Day book. Divine.

An excellent collection of science fiction short stories. Suzuki‘s stories are accessible and clear in their telling, and explore interesting ideas like the impenetrability of the minds of others, the shape and role of society, gender, and imperialism. This is science fiction as I enjoy it the best, thought-provoking, at times surprising, and unburdened by excessive detail.

The blurb made me think I was the target audience for this book but I‘m really not. I was interested by the geopolitical and global economic influence of chip technology, and although this was a thread which ran through the book, for much of the book this is bogged down in highly detailed discussion of the mechanics of chip technology. I was not smart enough to penetrate this and I got bored. On reflection I should have quit while I was ahead.

I was shocked and challenged, both by some of the flaws, gaps, and inadequacies of early reading instruction in schools, and the faith I‘ve put into the ‘reading family culture‘ approach to child-rearing. I‘d consider this critical reading for parents and educators, and it made me realise the privilege I have because I know enough to be able to ask the right questions, provide the right support and interventions, and advocate where needed.

I think by now we all know that this reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, from the perspective of Jim (or James) is excellent, incisive storytelling. Everett does his best here- makes his readers a little bit uncomfortable, asks us to reconsider, to see things from another angle, and he does it so well. A novel deserving of awards which I am sure will be coming its way.

I‘m always nervous about a sequel to a book I‘ve loved, but this is just as good as the first in the series. A convincing balance of characterisation of core characters, and compelling, propulsive episodic plot. The real strength of this series is the strong sense of place which is established without detracting from the experience of reading a well-plotted crime novel. Hoping there are more to come.

This was just a very good Australian crime novel. It had everything I wanted; dual timelines, a slow reveal, nothing is quite as it seems, small town claustrophobia vibes, corruption of power, plot twists, flawed characters, a dog…I mean what else do you want? Pacing was great, resolution satisfying.

I‘m a big fan of Michael Lewis and the kinds of stories he tells, especially when finance sits at the centre. Unfortunately this one didn‘t quite fire for me. Although the story of the collapse of FSX is particularly interesting, the way the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried is narrated here lacked a bit of coherency for me. Too much focus on observational quirks and less than I‘d have liked on fraud. Okay, but not great.

I wasn‘t sure how I was going to feel about this because I don‘t always get on with Boyne but I liked this very much and think it‘s an accomplished novella (novel?) Water does everything I like in a short, serious work of fiction. It‘s relentlessly bleak, direct, has many layers, characterises with complexity, resolves but doesn‘t solve, evokes emotion and place, and does it all with a brevity of expression.

I found the first half of this book relatively compelling in an easy reading way, but in the end it just DRAGGED for me. There‘s SO MUCH set up, that dwells on the minutiae of the characters‘ lives and interactions, and then once the main event takes place it takes an absolute age to unpick it too. I love a rich people drama story usually but this one failed to capture me and I think pacing issues were the reason for this.

I‘ve had a bit of a marinate on this one and I think it falls firmly into the wanted to like it more than I did like it camp. It‘s an immensely compelling conceptually, and tickled a lot of my niche interests. But unfortunately for me the way that I was executed neglected or underdeveloped some of the more compelling facets of the concept in favour of a romance I wasn‘t convinced by (or convinced that the story needed).

Every time I read this I realise how much the film misses (and how sanitised it is). Oz is such a weird place, and Dorothy and her comrades‘ journey is so action-packed. A story that truly draws on the power of imagination to transport us to another world. I‘ve only just realised that this is the beginning of a quite lengthy series of books, so cue me reading more Oz tales (which I can only assume are weirder than this).

Was expecting more Bill Browder Red Notice vibes, and got a bit more outback adventure than I had bargained for here. Interesting enough, but too much visa drama and not enough Russian bad guys for me.

Well it turns out we did need this sequel and for me at least it is the stronger of the two novels. Faced with marital crisis and returning to Ireland for the first time in decades, Long Island could have been more of the same with nothing new to add. But instead, Toibin finds a subtlety and power of observation about the passing of time, the ripple effect of our decisions, and the distance and space that sits in relationships that is percipient.

If you‘re well-read in the world of long-form investigative journalism these are all stories you‘ve heard before; the opioid crisis, the monetisation of public health, job losses from the outsourcing of labour and more. This book brings a new angle to these stories and is a strong reminder of how unfettered capitalism can lead us to be amoral at best and more consistently unethical. Shocking, interesting, extremely well done.

A quiet little gem about grief, belonging and otherness, identity, and connection. I don‘t think anything can say in my review would accurately capture how carefully, and subtly these ideas are explored. But the writing is measured, and pitch perfect, and this story is so alive in its depiction of people and places. A wonderful novel.

Any easy read and for some reason I stuck with it even though it was totally predictable and pretty lame.

Brooklyn is a gentle story about the challenges of being alone, far away from home, and making big decisions about the direction your life takes, who you want to be, and where you want home to be. I didn‘t always love, or even like Eilis Lacey. At certain points in the novel she‘s hopelessly naive, a bit prejudiced, thoughtless, or helpless. But I think that‘s what makes her such a real character and so I never begrudged Eilis these imperfections.

Sid and I LOVED reading The Wind in the Willows together. I‘d forgotten how beautiful and rich the writing is. Rat, Mole, Badger, and Toad are such a spirited and diverse bunch of characters, and the novel manages many changes in pace and direction which really immerse the reader in the complex animal world, and deepen the characterisation of each of the central animals. Somehow Toad is more of a pest every time I read this.

Hughes made me think deeply about big ideas and problems, and challenged the way I might have thought about these things otherwise, while also drawing my investment into a cast of complex characters, their relationships with themselves, each other, and the world. what I mean to say is this is a novel that made me think and feel. I didn‘t see the ending coming but also it was basically perfect? Anyway, just read this, you won‘t regret it.

It‘s intense, it‘s sexy, it‘s obsessive, and it‘s VERY, VERY French. I LOVED it. As excellent on audio as I imagine it would be in print. I was edge of my seat right in the mind of the narrator for 6 hours. Pitch perfect ending. Love, love, love.

An extremely rich, character driven novel which reminded me of how much I love Jules‘ writing. Chenneville is a story that evokes a place and moment in history so strongly, while still remaining a really personal story about its central character. This is definitely an instance where reading in print rather than listening to the audio would have enhanced my reading experience. The narration here was quite flat which didn‘t do the story service

A fast-paced, atmospheric sunset-noir that was a propulsive read. El Flamingo is imaginative storytelling that really transported me out of my life, into a Central American redemption tale, full of extreme wealth, mystery, double agents, faking it until you make it, violence, and the constant threat of danger. It‘s not longs but its action from start to finish, and it was a treat to be transported into this vibrant world.

Funny Story was a fun story. As with all Emily Henry books it demanded nothing of my brain, but provided some light-hearted, and sometimes serious, romance, without too much cheese or smut. The perfect kind of popcorn read which relies heavily on banter as a mode of storytelling. You know what you‘re getting and you know if it‘s for you or not.

Look I love reality tv and I love a good background look into the drama. Better yet that there‘s some intense religious vibes and serious wrongdoing of many kinds here. An excellent recommendation from a friend that I greedily consumed on audio.

A funny, rich people drama, murder mystery. Fast paced, and quite tongue-in-cheek this was the easy read I needed.

A pretty compelling, fast-paced story about an accidental death in a Dunedin University flat (or is it?) Merriman has all the classic components of a good mystery here, a cast of characters including the likeable and unlikeable, rich and poor, mysterious and seemingly transparent. A classic story where nothing is quite as simple as it seems on the surface and that reminds us that none of us are good all the time.

A very interesting reflection on the challenges Domic has faced largely since the end of her playing career and the strategies she has put in place to work towards overcoming them. Definitely some self-help/gratitude vibes, but not overly so and they didn‘t detract from the experience for me. Dokic is vulnerable and reflective and her resilience and honesty is admirable.

I found the chapters in this novel all to be separately interesting stories but they didn‘t really hang together as a coherent whole for me and by the end it felt a bit like we were running over similar ground and the pacing was a little uneven. A vision that has potential but for this reader was not fully realised.

I found the chapters in this novel all to be separately interesting stories but they didn‘t really hang together as a coherent whole for me and by the end it felt a bit like we were running over similar ground and the pacing was a little uneven. A vision that has potential but for this reader was not fully realised.

Tom Lake is a bit of a slow burn to start with but it warms up so much, and really is a warm-hearted novel. Patchett writes beautifully about families, and this novel expertly blends the dynamics of a family with a story about growing up and being on the cusp of adulthood. As always, a story told with insight into decisions made, paths chosen and rejected, and how our lives are shaped piece by piece over time.

A compelling, readable story about class, ambition, desire, appearances, and blowing up your own life. For most of the novel I wasn‘t sure whether the obscurity of the key plot point was going to work, but in the end it did for me. This isn‘t a novel about what specifically happened, but rather how complicated and wrought it is to cross class boundaries, and to create a life that perhaps looks like what you desire, rather than feels like it.

An odd little novella/short story that was a bit more Christian spiritual musings than Beckett-esque rumination on the universe for this reader. Obscure and indirect in a way that didn‘t bother me- a worthwhile read, if not an entirely convincing or moving one for me.

Perhaps more like 3.5. Definitely not the strongest Grisham novel, in that lots of the action takes place off stage, and there‘s lots of narration of travel and movement, rather than of the mechanisms of the plot itself. Still relatively compelling but I could have been more invested in the details.

I have waited an age for a new Perkins novel, and goodness that patience has been rewarded. Perkins is as ever, pitch perfect in this story about MONEY- desire for it, the accumulation of it, the spending of it, the way it smooths the world for you when you have it, and the crushing weight of the potential, ever imminent loss of it. It‘s a novel that very clearly reminds us that money, indeed wealth, is the real source of power in New Zealand.

At an intellectual level it was really interesting to read a novel about the tensions of colonisation in a context more distant from my own. I know much less about French colonisation, particularly in places like Morocco, than I do other contexts. However, something about this novel kept me at a distance, so while I found the ideas interesting I never really felt like I was in the narrative, or connected to the characters.

The Thursday Murder Club books are much more wholesome than my taste normally abides and yet, I really do love them. This fourth instalment is perhaps not the strongest in terms of its central case (its number 3 for me). However the layers added to the characterisation in this novel are pitch perfect, nuanced, and written sensitively and yet with piercing insight. To balance humour with this more moving content is a skill. Loved it.

Great concept- messy, execution. Wanted so much more than I got here, which is disappointing although I shouldn‘t have been surprised based on reviews I‘d read in advance.

My rating reflects the fact that my pea-brain struggled to penetrate this narrative, rather than the quality of the book itself. I could see while reading that this is clever writing. I normally love a fever-dream-like story like this. But at the moment I found this, coupled with a complex cast of characters a bit difficult to keep track of. Lots to appreciate if you have the mental bandwidth (which I presently do not).

Not loving this book, am loving this quote, perhaps because I‘m nostalgic for the classroom

We‘ll team, it‘s Freida McFadden so you know you‘re getting a popcorn thriller with many twists. I‘d only read the Housemaid books before this and I was worried I wouldn‘t love the rest of her books, but this was great. An excellent, fast-paced mystery that made me want to sacrifice sleep to finish it. A good balance of twists and clues, this is the kind of easy reading I love and need right now.