
Which books did we read and love in February 2020?
You’ll find a fabulous mix of sci-fi, satire, crime fiction, literary fiction, and so much more in this month’s collection of staff favourites.
Read on!
Mark Harding – Brand & Content Manager
Recursion by Blake Crouch
Why I loved it: This is a great high-concept thriller that delivers page-turning twists and turns, while also asking questions about the nature of identity, connection and reality. People start waking up suffering ‘false memory syndrome’, vivid memories of parallel lives they never lived. When a detective investigates the death of one of the afflicted, he uncovers a dangerous plot with nothing less than the future of the entire world at stake.
Buy it here
Olivia Fricot – Senior Content Producer
Sisters by Daisy Johnson
Why I loved it: Literary darling Daisy Johnson has followed up her debut novel, Everything Under, with one that’s just as stunning. An unsettling story of obsession and loyalty, Sisters explores the monstrously codependent relationship between two young sisters named July and September in the wake of a schoolyard bullying incident. At 224 pages, this is a slim volume but it lands a heftier punch than many novels twice its length, written in deft sentences that deliver it to a gut-wrenching finish. Expect lots of buzz and possibly some Booker Prize attention when this one is released in early July.
Buy it here
Nicholas Wasiliev – Social Media Specialist
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
Why I loved it: Following my discovery of the TV show starring David Tennant and Michael Sheen, it immediately became a must-read when I discovered it was delivered by two of the best writers of the last twenty-five years. And this book certainly does deliver! Good Omens has a wicked sense of humour, in the vein of something Monty Python or Douglas Adams would come up with. Pratchett and Gaiman are a match made in heaven; the former matching his quirky sense of humour and passion for the bizarre with the latter’s creatively dark imagination. Never has the arrival of the Anti-Christ been so much fun!
Buy it here
Ben Hunter – Fiction Category Manager
The Animals In That Country by Laura Jean McKay
Why I loved it: The Animals In That Country is a mind bending novel. It seemed like a harmless bit of weirdness at first, but by the final page it had confirmed itself as the best book I’d read all year. It’s dark, it’s bizarre, and it’s both funny and heartbreaking. It’s a massive achievement in creativity, empathy, language, and wit. Reading it under the shadow of coronavirus panic made it all the more exhilarating. I’m actually gobsmacked. What a book!
Buy it here
Joel Naoum – Non-Fiction Category Manager
Phosphorescence by Julia Baird
Why I loved it: This is a beautiful, moving memoir about what makes us happy and how to survive the dark times. It draws on Julia Baird’s personal stories, as well as from sources as varied as the natural history of luminescent plant life and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. This book is being heaped with early praise and has quotes from just about every notable commentator in this country and beyond. You will not be disappointed.
Buy it here
Sarah McDuling – Kids & YA Category Manager
The Good Turn by Dervla McTiernan
Why I loved it: Tightly written and expertly crafted, The Good Turn lays out several seemingly separate strands of story and then proceeds to tangle them up in the most intriguing ways. The genius behind Dervla McTiernan’s writing is that even if you think you’ve guessed the truth, you can be sure it’s probably not the whole truth. Despite tough competition from The Ruin and The Scholar, I do believe The Good Turn might be my favourite Cormac Reilly book yet! (Full review here.)
Buy it here
Shanulisa Prasad – Lifestyle Category Manager
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
Why I loved it: Though ostensibly a book about a marriage, deeper themes emerge from this book around what we hide from ourselves and others, and how that shapes our interactions with those in our lives. I was drawn to the way this book explores the shifting nature of relationships over time – with ourselves, our families, our romantic partners, and friends & acquaintances.
Buy it here
Renae Adolfson – Trade Books Coordinator
Enter the Aardvark by Jessica Anthony
Why I loved it: Quirky, surprising, and a whirlwind of a read! This narrative sews together the plight of the love-obsessed taxidermist Titus Downing, who lived in England in 1875, and U.S Congressman Alexander Paine Wilson, who resides in present day Washington, D.C.. Linked by the disturbing aardvark that appears unexpectedly on Alexander’s doorstep, the novel rapidly unravels the uncanny parallels between these two men, and the life-altering secrets they kept. This story is as marvellous as it is tragic, as obscene as it is befitting of contemporary American politics, and ultimately bound together by the symbolic intent of the aardvark.
Buy it here
Rob O’Hearn – Academic & Professional Category Manager
Amnesty by Aravind Adiga
Why I loved it: Booker Prize winner Aravind Adiga was once described as “the Dickens of India”, but I disagree. He is much more observant and cutting, with a far superior humour. Amnesty is mostly set in Sydney and revolves around Danny, an immigrant from Sri Lanka. A cleaner of houses in the Inner West, Danny is an acute observer of the strange contradictions in Australian multiculturalism, where the fair go bypasses the invisible migrants struggling for cash-in-hand (and trying not to offend). This brilliant novel satirises and exposes the enlightened lefties of Sydney, our draconian immigration system, and our crazy fear of the other. Amnesty is vital, timely, and strongly recommended.
Buy it here
Ashleigh Berry – Campaigns Coordinator
When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald
Why I loved it: When We Were Vikings is a story about life; of heroes, villains, and all the grey areas in between. Zelda, a Viking enthusiast, is on a quest to be legendary. Born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, life hasn’t been easy for Zelda, but she pushes forth with her mission to be as strong as a Viking with remarkable resilience. This is an uplifting story about finding the strength to be brave and looking out for your ‘tribe’, those lucky enough to be closest to your heart. Beautifully written and just so different, When We Were Vikings was a joy to read.
Buy it here
Comments
No comments