Each week our wonderful staff share the books that they've been enjoying.
Joanna has been reading:
Brian
Jeremy Cooper
I’ve recently re-read Brian by Jeremy Cooper, both because it’s a great novel, worthy of being read once, twice or more; but also, because it’s my March choice for the Hidden Treasures Fiction Book Club. The club’s philosophy is to guide readers away from big, new release titles towards recent books they might have missed, older books worth revisiting, rare or forgotten books, and titles that have received a new lease on life via a fresh publisher reissue.
Brian is a real hidden treasure, especially here in Australia. It’s the deceptively understated story of a solitary man living a very controlled, routine life in London, whose days take on a new shape once he starts attending nightly screenings at the British Film Institute. I chose it to inaugurate our book club for a very specific set of reasons – it’s a subtle, smart and strange novel about loneliness, community and art, and specifically about how art expands and enriches our imaginations and our lives.
I’m really looking forward to welcoming book club members to the Carlton store and guiding them off the conventional reading path with more wonderful, interesting, challenging books like this. The book club is currently full, but I encourage everyone to pick up Brian and discover this gem for themselves.
Baz has been reading:
So Long, See You Tomorrow
William Maxwell
This is a beautifully crafted, gorgeously written story of guilt and the power of childhood experience, and of men and women who aren’t let off from life’s complications and miseries, despite being basically good people doing the best they can. The old narrator’s determined grappling with a feeling of blame, and desire to be clear and truthful, is very moving. He’s always fair to himself, and this makes the heaviness he feels even more poignant, because it doesn’t really help.
This one’s for fans of William Trevor, Elizabeth Strout and Colm Tóibín.
Bella has been cooking from:
Good Cooking Every Day
Julia Busuttil Nishimura
I'm a big fan of the sweetheart of Melbourne's cooking scene, Julia Busuttil Nishimura, and have been excitedly working my way through her latest cookbook since it came out last year. All her recipes are approachable, straightforward and champion good quality ingredients over fuss and flair, but I particularly want to sing the praises of her 'Brown Butter Strawberry Cake'. I made this recently when we finally got a cool change in Melbourne that meant turning on the oven didn't feel torturous, and discovered that it's the perfect sweet treat for late Summer, when strawberries are still abundant but the cosy notes of browned butter and demerara sugar are a reminder that Autumn is on its way.
It was simple to pull together but extremely satisfying – do yourself a favour and try it out. It would be equally well suited to a quiet afternoon treat with a cup of tea, or a crowd-pleasing dessert for a dinner party.
