{"id":113993,"date":"2019-11-11T11:24:41","date_gmt":"2019-11-11T00:24:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/?p=113993"},"modified":"2019-12-16T08:32:14","modified_gmt":"2019-12-15T21:32:14","slug":"what-katie-read-madeline-miller-sarah-bailey-philippa-gregory-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/2019\/11\/11\/what-katie-read-madeline-miller-sarah-bailey-philippa-gregory-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"What Katie Read: Madeline Miller, Sarah Bailey, Philippa Gregory and more!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"What<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Kate Forsyth is one of Australia\u2019s most treasured storytellers. On today\u2019s edition of What Katie Read, she gives us the rundown on all of the best books she\u2019s been reading lately \u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/a>Circe<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

by Madeline Miller<\/strong><\/p>\n

This year I travelled to Greece for research for a novel I am writing, and I set out to read as many books as I could set in the Hellenic Republic. I was particularly interested in novels inspired by Greek myth, and so bought this on the recommendation of a friend.<\/p>\n

What a brilliant recommendation! It is truly spellbinding.<\/p>\n

Circe is, of course, the witch in Homer\u2019s The Odyssey<\/em> who turns Odysseus\u2019s men into swine. Madeline Miller\u2019s reimagining of the story put Circe right at the heart of the narrative, a young woman struggling to find her way in a world filled with lust, violence, and misogyny.<\/p>\n

The daughter of Helios the sun-god and a nymph, Circe seems to have inherited none of her parents\u2019 glamour and beauty. She falls in love but is betrayed, and in her grief and rage turns her rival into a dreadful ravenous monster. Her own power frightens her, and those around her, and she is banished to live alone on a remote island. But Circe\u2019s family is at the heart of the ancient Greek world, and its power struggles swirl around her not matter how much she struggles to be free. She encounters the Minotaur, Medea and Odysseus, among many others, as she slowly grows into her powers. And the ending! It had me in tears.<\/p>\n

One of my best books of the year!<\/p>\n\n\n

Buy it here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"9781784701994\"<\/em><\/strong>When Breath Becomes Air<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n

by Paul Kalanithi<\/p>\n

A delicate and profound memoir of dying written by a doctor with a poet\u2019s turn of phrase, When Breath Becomes Air<\/em> is one of those deceptively simple books that can pierce you to the heart.<\/p>\n

Paul Kalanithi is a neurosurgeon who has devoted his life to learning how to heal the sick, yet when he is diagnosed with inoperable cancer he must somehow find a way to come to terms with his own inevitable demise. He charts his life\u2019s journey and his own fascination with the human brain and its capabilities, in language as clean and precise as a scalpel. It\u2019s the kind of book you can open at random and find something beautiful and profound on every page.<\/p>\n

For example, plucked accidentally from pp. 87:<\/p>\n

“For amid that unique suffering involved by severe brain damage, the suffering often felt more by families that by patients, it is not merely the physicians who do not see the full significance. The families who gather around their beloved \u2013 their beloved whose sheared heads contained battered brains \u2013 do not realise the full significance either. They see the past, the accumulation of memories, the freshly felt love, all represented by the body before them. I see the possible futures, the breathing machines connected through a surgical opening in the neck, the pasty liquid dripping in through a hole in the belly, the possible long, painful and only partial recovery \u2013 or sometimes more likely, no return at all of the person they remember. In those moments, I acted not, as I most often did, as death\u2019s enemy, but as its ambassador.<\/em>“<\/p>\n

This is not a book for comfortable reading, but it is a book that grapples directly with the great age-old question \u2013 what is the meaning of our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n

Buy it here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"9781785766138\"<\/a>The Familiars<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

by Stacey Halls<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always been fascinated by historical witchcraft trials, and have read quite a few books inspired by the famous Pendle Hill witches who were accused and arrested in 1612 in Lancashire. I also love books set in the 17th century. So my ears pricked up when I heard of The Familiars<\/em>, a debut novel which sparked a nine-way bidding war in the UK.<\/p>\n

Fleetwood Shuttleworth is a young noblewoman who is with child once again \u2013 but all her previous pregnancies have ended tragically with miscarriage. Her husband needs an heir, but she is afraid of the cost of keeping on trying since she has found a letter from a doctor that says she will not survive another birth.<\/p>\n

In her terror she flees into the forest and there meets a midwife named Alice Grey who promises to help her. But it is a dangerous time to be someone with herb-lore \u2013 accusations of witchcraft are tearing the small community apart, and Fleetwood is soon fighting for more than the life of her unborn child.<\/p>\n

The character of Fleetwood Shuttleworth was inspired by a real-life woman with the same fabulous name, and the witch hunt is also true. This gives this novel an extra depth of gravitas and relevance. The writing is swift and immersive, and Fleetwood herself is all too human. Loved it!<\/p>\n\n\n

Buy it here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n

\"9781250056436\"<\/a>The English Wife<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n

by Lauren Willig<\/strong><\/p>\n

A very clever historical murder mystery, The English Wife<\/em> begins with the point of view of Janie, a subdued young woman from a very wealthy American family. She is at a Twelfth Night ball at her brother Bayard\u2019s immense mock-Tudor mansion in winter 1899, doing her best to keep out of the way of the glittering socialite guests. Then her brother is found dying, a jewelled dagger thrust into his heart. He dies with a name on his lips: George \u2026<\/p>\n

To make matters even worse, his beautiful wife Annabelle is gone. Janie is sure she saw a drowned woman in the river, but no one believes her. The case is a scandal, and Janie does not know what to believe. She is determined to uncover the truth, and so makes an unlikely alliance with a journalist.<\/p>\n

The story then switches to the point of view of a young woman named Georgie, struggling to make a living as an actress in London in 1894. She meets a rich and handsome American gentleman named Bayard van Duyvil, who seems to promise her an escape from her precarious existence. Georgie has secrets in her past, however, secrets she dare not confess \u2026<\/p>\n

This book was so good, I devoured it in just a few readings. A fabulously Gothic romantic mystery with lots of clever banter and surprising plot twists.<\/p>\n\n\n

Buy it here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"9781782394860\"<\/a>Wild: A Journey From Lost to Found<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

by Cheryl Strayed<\/strong><\/p>\n

This memoir made Cheryl Strayed famous, and was turned into a movie starring Reese Witherspoon. I read her collection of advice columns, Tiny Beautiful Things<\/em>, last year and loved it, and so I thought I\u2019d give Wild<\/em> a go. It is a very frank and moving memoir of Cheryl\u2019s epic hike along the thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, which travels from the scorching heat of the Mojave Desert through to the icy forests of Washington State.<\/p>\n

As Cheryl walks, she reflects on her overwhelming grief for her mother, who died of cancer much too young, and her regret for the way she sought oblivion in sex and drugs, causing her marriage to fail and her relationship with her siblings to deteriorate. Her honesty is astonishing and liberating, but I hope it did not cause any more damage to those in her family. I have always wanted to do a long hike somewhere beautiful, and this book is very inspiring about the power of such a challenging adventure.<\/p>\n

She writes:<\/p>\n

“I knew that if I allowed fear to overtake me, my journey was doomed. Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me.<\/em>“<\/p>\n\n\n

Buy it here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/a>Where the Dead Go<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

by Sarah Bailey<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sarah Bailey is one of the fresh new voices on the Australian crime scene, and I really loved her debut novel The Dark Lake<\/em>. This is her third book, and continues with the story of DS Gemma Woodstock, single mother and troubled cop, and her obsessive need to solve puzzles and bring justice. Once again she absorbs herself in a case to avoid thinking about her own life, and once again it’s a tricky mystery with lots of clever twists. I like Gemma\u2019s strong spirit and hot temper, and the vulnerabilities that she tries so hard to hide.<\/p>\n

This mystery is set on the far north coast of NSW, near Byron Bay, a landscape of beaches and bush that is very different from the settings of the first two books. A missing girl is at the heart of the mystery, though it is the murder of her 17-year old boyfriend that brings Gemma to town. A fantastic fast-paced mystery with heaps of surprises.<\/p>\n\n\n

Buy it here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"9780733639401\"<\/a>The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

by Kayte Nunn<\/strong><\/p>\n

I love a dual timeline novel, and Kayte Nunn\u2019s previous book The Botanist\u2019s Daughter<\/em> was great. So I was really looking forward to her new book which has the added bonus of a truly gorgeous cover.<\/p>\n

The story begins in 1951. Esther Durrant is going on holiday with her husband, but she is too exhausted and dazed with grief to pay much attention to their destination. It\u2019s cold and wintry, and the boat is sailing across rough waters, and she wants to be home with their little boy Teddy. She cannot understand why her husband is so insistent upon taking her to a remote island, so far from home.<\/p>\n

Until she arrives, and realises she is being committed to a mental asylum.<\/p>\n

What a beginning!<\/p>\n

The story moves swiftly and deftly from here, moving between Esther\u2019s story in the \u201850s to the voice of a free-spirited young woman who finds Esther\u2019s forgotten letters while stuck on the same island in modern times.<\/p>\n

The characters are all vivid and interesting, and there\u2019s a dash of romance and a splash of intrigue. A really enjoyable read.<\/p>\n\n\n

Buy it here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n

\"9781925322255\"The Museum of Words: A Memoir of Language, Writing and Mortality<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

by Georgia Blain<\/strong><\/p>\n

I first met Georgia when we were both young writers, our first books being published around the same time. We saw each other occasionally at literary festivals and parties, but I never really got to know her well and I never read any of her work. So many books, so little time!<\/p>\n

Then, in 2016, we were both guests at the Byron Bay Writers Festival, and I went to listen to her speak in conversation with Charlotte Wood. Georgia had written a novel called Between a Wolf and a Dog<\/em> about a woman who discovers she is dying of a brain tumour. When her novel was about to be published, Georgia discovered that her dear friend and mentor Rosie Scott was dying of the same awful cause. One month later, Georgia had a seizure in her back garden. She too has glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer. The eeriness of the coincidence, the suddenness of the disease\u2019s onset, the way the tumour had sunk its poison-tipped claws into the language centre of her brain, the ominous shadow of her coming death \u2013 Georgie spoke about all of these so frankly and beautifully with her friend Charlotte that I was inexpressibly moved. She died soon after that interview, and this memoir of her last year of life was published posthumously. It is spare and delicate and haunting and unutterably moving. Read it with a big lump in your throat.<\/p>\n\n\n

Buy it here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"9781760851569\"Tidelands<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

by Philippa Gregory<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve really enjoyed all of Philippa Gregory\u2019s books that I\u2019ve read, though I\u2019ve missed quite a few in recent years. I was drawn to this one because it is set during the English Civil War, one of my favourite periods of history, and because it’s the beginning of a new series and so I didn\u2019t feel as if I had to catch up on all the ones I\u2019ve missed.<\/p>\n

It tells the story of an ordinary woman, and how her skills with herb lore and midwifery lead to accusations of witchcraft. It\u2019s a familiar story, but so beautifully told and with such depth of historical insight that the lack of surprise is easily forgiven. The pace is slow and deep and thoughtful, and the characters complex and not entirely sympathetic. The landscape is exceptionally vivid, so that you can taste the brine on the air and hear the lap and suck of the tides.<\/p>\n

The book ends on a cliffhanger, which always runs the risk of leaving the reader unsatisfied. I must admit I\u2019d have liked a more satisfying resolution, and a faster pace, but all in all, a great historical read.<\/p>\n\n\n

Buy it here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"The<\/a>The Harp of Kings<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

by<\/strong> Juliet Marillier<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of my all-time favourite writers, Juliet never disappoints. I love her signature mix of history, folklore and romance, all written in beautifully lyrical language and with a powerful and wise message of the importance of caring for this beautiful world of ours at its heart.<\/p>\n

The heroine of the tale is a young woman named Liobhan who desperately wants to be chosen to join a band of elite warriors. She and her brother Broc are training hard, though they still have time to sing and create music.<\/p>\n

Their musical talent finds them chosen for a dangerous mission, in which they must disguise themselves as travelling minstrels. The harp of kings has been stolen, and they must try and get it back in time for the coronation of the new ruler.<\/p>\n

All sorts of danger awaits them and their companions, including a journey into the magical world of the faerie. They had made the harp and given it to humans as a symbol of a peaceful accord between the two races. Liobhan must find out if they were the cause of the harp\u2019s disappearance, and what that means to the fragile accord. A beautiful way to while away a few hours.<\/p>\n\n\n

Buy it here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n
\"Kate<\/a>

Kate Forsyth<\/p><\/div>\n

Kate Forsyth wrote her first novel aged seven and has now sold more than a million books worldwide. Her new novel, The Blue Rose<\/em><\/a><\/strong>, is inspired by the true story of the quest for a blood-red rose, moving between Imperial China and France during the \u2018Terror\u2019 of the French Revolution (we have very limited signed copies \u2013 get yours here!). Other novels for adults include Beauty in Thorns<\/em><\/a><\/strong>, a Pre-Raphaelite reimagining of Sleeping Beauty, Bitter Greens<\/em><\/a><\/strong>, which won the 2015 American Library Association award for Best Historical Fiction; and The Beast\u2019s Garden<\/em><\/a><\/strong>, a stunning retelling of the Grimms\u2019 Beauty and The Beast<\/em> set in Nazi Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n

Kate\u2019s books for children include the collection of feminist fairy-tale retellings, Vasilisa the Wise & Other Tales of Brave Young Women<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, illustrated by Lorena Carrington, and the fantasy series The Impossible Quest<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. Named one of Australia\u2019s Favourite 15 Novelists, Kate has a BA in literature, a MA in creative writing and a doctorate in fairy tale studies, and is also an accredited master storyteller with the Australian Guild of Storytellers. She is a direct descendant of Charlotte Waring Atkinson, the author of the first book for children ever published in Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
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Kate Forsyth gives us the rundown on all of the best books she\u2019s been reading lately!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":66576,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[6677],"tags":[1242,2180,2936,6853,10634,3424,10630,4269,7439,10632,6491],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/What-Katie-Read-Social.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113993"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113993"}],"version-history":[{"count":78,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113993\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":116274,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113993\/revisions\/116274"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}