Explore our Books of the Month for November! These books have been read and recommended by our booksellers and below are extracted versions of their recent reviews. Read the reviews in full via our November edition of Readings Monthly or on the individual title's page on our website.
FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH
Willowman by Inga Simpson
Reviewed by Kate McIntosh, manager of Readings Emporium
'Willowman may well be the perfect Australian novel.'
Creating a cricket bat is an art form in and of itself and this age-old craft was passed down to Allan Reader during his time in England as a young man. He makes bats for a living, but also because he believes in the magic of creating something from a single piece of wood. Allan is going through a divorce, about to lose his home, and hardly hears from his only child. Making bats is all he has left. That and the cricket matches, which he attends or listens to religiously. When Allan first comes across a young player by the name of Todd Harrow, he thinks this kid has what it takes to be one of the greats. There is a certain piece of willow he has been keeping for just the right person, and he sends this specially crafted bat to Todd at the beginning of a stellar career, never truly realising the effect it will have on both their lives.
Allan and Todd’s stories run parallel to each other, their only connection the bat and their love of this game. Both men have battles and challenges to face, whether it be on the oval in front of an intense crowd or at home trying to keep their dreams alive, but through it all, you will be cheering for both of them to win.
CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH
Clarke by Holly Throsby
Reviewed by Fiona Hardy, Readings Doncaster
'Clarke is a glorious slow-burn mystery, but it is also much more.'
When the police officers arrive at Barney’s house, nobody on the street is surprised. It’s been years since Ginny Lawson disappeared from that home, and everybody’s been waiting for confirmation of the inevitable truth: that she is buried under the concrete in the backyard. Barney, however, is a bit surprised, since he only moved into the house recently and wasn’t aware of the property’s shocking past. The past few years have been pretty hard for him – as has driving around Clarke, reliving memories that are too raw – and now there’s a bunch of police in his yard, which isn’t helping matters, but is at least quite diverting. His neighbour, Leonie, is relieved that something is finally happening since the cops didn’t seem to care much about Ginny when she disappeared. The past few years have been pretty hard for her too, and now she’s looking after four-year-old Joe, who loves her dearly but misses his mother. Leonie misses her too. And Ginny. And the life she hasn’t quite got around to living yet.
Holly Throsby brings a warm familiarity to the 1991 depicted on these pages – the heat, the snacks, the television, the whole world as vividly detailed as it felt 30 years ago. Clarke is a town that aches with sadness, hope and love as Leonie and Barney move through it, both waiting to see what the police find buried in that yard. The more they wonder, the more they hear about the details everybody dismissed during Ginny’s disappearance, and what now seems obvious: that the man behind it was her abusive husband, Lou.
NONFICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH
Tell Me Again: A Memoir by Amy Thunig
Reviewed by Jackie Tang, editor of Readings Monthly
'Tell Me Again is the kind of clear-eyed and moving memoir that will stay lodged in your mind.'
The best memoirs immerse readers in the world of the author, becoming a viewfinder through which you experience not just the events of someone’s life but also the perspective and frame of mind that underpin those moments. Gomeroi academic Amy Thunig’s Tell Me Again is one such memoir ... Growing up on Dharug Country and Awabakal Country, with a brief tenure in Kaurna Country, Thunig’s childhood was marked by episodes of happiness and also stress. There are times of exultant joy, such as a rare family trip to the zoo and preparing for the Star Struck Dance Challenge in high school. But there are also periods that stick in the throat for how difficult they must have been for a young Thunig to process: tending to an unconscious mother during said zoo trip; being homeless and estranged from her family in high school.
What is remarkable about the way Thunig writes about these events, however, is how they refuse to let any single memory define their family. Instead, Thunig shuffles back and forth in time, juxtaposing the moments of trauma with examples of love and support, forcing the reader to comprehend that the potential for the latter has always existed even in the hardest moments of her life. It is a deeply moving way to structure time in a memoir, and one that Thunig explains is also embedded in Indigenous thinking: ‘I often wonder about timelines and the way a Eurocentric view positions time as linear but as Indigenous peoples we are raised to understand time as circular. Within a circular understanding of life: time, energy and generations coexist.’
PICTURE BOOK OF THE MONTH
Snap! by Anna Walker
Reviewed by Kate McIntosh, manager of Readings emporium
'With gorgeous illustrations, a very expressive amphibian, and plenty of animals to spot and count along the way, this book is sure to become a firm favourite at home.'
One cheeky little yellow-green frog. One big wide world. One cheeky little yellow-green frog learning all about the big wide world. Sometimes the pond and surrounds are fun – ‘splish, splish, splish’ goes the frog and its fishy friends – but sometimes it can be scary too – is that a crocodile? SNAP! Follow this little frog on one very adventurous (and potentially hazardous) day until, at last, they are back at home with all the other frogs, having a very well- deserved nap.
For a story with very few words (only 54 in total), the new Anna Walker picture book for the very young is a feast for the eyes (but thankfully never for the crocodile, or the owl, or the stork). As the frog leaps from place to place, it’s easy to make this book fun and interactive for kids. The simple repetition of words throughout the story invites lively call-and-response read-alouds with little ones, while Walker’s rich washes of colour prove irresistable, drawing the focus with their saturated hues and patterns. For ages 0+.
YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE MONTH
If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang
Reviewed by Angela Crocombe, senior buyer
'This is a charming romantic comedy that explores class, societal expectations and what it means to be truly seen.'
This novel from young Melbourne-based author Ann Liang is an intriguing and delightful debut. Set at an elite international school in Beijing, the protagonist is Alice Sun, a scholarship student, who has been told by her parents that they can no longer afford the school, even on scholarship. At the same time, she discovers she can randomly turn invisible for short periods of time. Alice decides to monetise this strange new power and recruits the help of her handsome nemesis, Henry, to create an app where people anonymously pay her to solve their problems. The two work together on tasks, such as collecting proof of a parent’s adultery or deleting incriminating selfies from a phone. But the jobs escalate in risk until Alice is forced to decide if she will orchestrate a kidnapping in order to get her much-needed money.
Running alongside this new business of deception is the developing relationship between Alice and Henry, a classic enemies-to-friends-to-more scenario. As Alice learns more about the boy she has been competing against for top grades for so many years, she realises maybe he doesn’t hate her (and more importantly, she doesn’t hate him) after all. Ages 12 and up.
CHILDREN'S CLASSIC OF THE MONTH
I Am David by Anne Holm
Reviewed by Angela Crocombe, senior buyer
'I distinctly remember the feeling I had after reading this book when I was young – a heartfelt appreciation of how truly lucky I am.'
This story set during the Second World War begins with David being given instructions from a guard on how to escape from a concentration camp. Although David has learnt many languages from the other inmates, which helps during his perilous journey across Europe, he knows little of the world and must learn quickly. At every terrifying moment, he expects to be caught, but slowly gains confidence, meets some kind people, is imprisoned by others, and makes a deal with God in order to survive.
This is a survival story where the reader has their heart in their mouth as they turn the pages, hoping against hope that the young protagonist will make it to his destination. I Am David has lost none of its potency in the nearly 60 years since it was first published. It is a testament to the strength of the human spirit that will deeply move and inspire readers aged 10 and up.
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE MONTH
Lewis Spratlan: Invasion – Music and Art for Ukraine by Nadia Shpachenko, Pat Posey, Aija Mattson-Jovel, Phil Keen, Yuri Inoo, Joti Rockwell & Anthony Parnther
Reviewed by Kate Rockstrom, friend of Readings
'Invasion is a truly contemporary album, with piano, war and raw emotion at its centre. This is not an album to put on in the background, it is something to really listen to: music to make you think, and art at its most powerful.'
With its discordant thumps, Invasion is not an easy listen and nor should it be. Written in response to the invasion of Ukraine, this album has been curated by pianist Nadia Shpachenko to convey her emotional response to the destruction of her home city of Kharkiv. Working with her long-time collaborator, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Lewis Spratlan, she commissioned the title work for piano, saxophone, horn, trombone, percussion and mandolin. It’s a strange but compelling piece with a lyrical middle section that allows each instrument a moment of expression. Meanwhile, pulsating piano chords continue the sense of unease before the piece explodes again into rage, grief and a whirl of emotions that must resonate with all these musicians, as well as the people of Ukraine ...
This is one of those multi-disciplinary productions, and an extensive booklet of artwork adds extra layers of meaning to the music. For the booklet, Shpachenko not only commissioned well-known Ukrainian artists working in different media, but also curated artworks by the children of Kharkiv that record their responses to the war. Shpachenko will also donate 100% of proceeds from the album to humanitarian aid organisations working in Ukraine.
