Juice – Tim Winton

Juice – Tim Winton

I am not a huge Tim Winton fan, I usually find his characters to be unsympathetic, but I have always admired his creation of place. I heard him being interviewed by Claire Nicols and it sounded like something I would like. In the end, I listened to it.

Here’s the blurb …

An epic novel of determination, survival, and the limits of the human spirit. This is Tim Winton as you’ve never read him before.

Two fugitives, a man and a child, drive all night across a stony desert. As dawn breaks, they roll into an abandoned mine site. From the vehicle they survey a forsaken place – middens of twisted iron, rusty wire, piles of sun-baked trash. They’re exhausted, traumatised, desperate now. But as a refuge, this is the most promising place they’ve seen. The child peers at the field of desolation. The man thinks to himself, this could work.

Problem is, they’re not alone.

So begins a searing, propulsive journey through a life whose central challenge is not simply a matter of survival, but of how to maintain human decency as everyone around you falls ever further into barbarism.

The descriptions of the different landscapes were fabulous. I enjoyed how the story unfolded slowly and we gradually learnt what had brought our protagonist to this bleak place. It is a story for our times and might hopefully get people thinking about the environment and the impact of climate change. It is a bleak story and (without giving away spoilers) it has a ‘Winton’ ending. I can see this being made into a movie.

A review.

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Intermezzo – Sally Rooney

Intermezzo – Sally Rooney

I am a Sally Rooney fan. I was keen to read this and my daughter received an ARC, but she didn’t get onto it, so in the end I listened to it (highly recommended by someone from my stitching group). It was a very good decision to listen to it, the narrator was fabulous.

Here’s the blurb …

Aside from the fact that they are brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek seem to have little in common.

Peter is a Dublin lawyer in his thirties—successful, competent and apparently unassailable. But in the wake of their father’s death, he’s medicating himself to sleep and struggling to manage his relationships with two very different women—his enduring first love Sylvia, and Naomi, a college student for whom life is one long joke.

Ivan is a twenty-two-year-old competitive chess player. He has always seen himself as socially awkward, a loner, the antithesis of his glib elder brother. Now, in the early weeks of his bereavement, Ivan meets Margaret, an older woman emerging from her own turbulent past, and their lives become rapidly and intensely intertwined.

For two grieving brothers and the people they love, this is a new interlude—a period of desire, despair and possibility—a chance to find out how much one life might hold inside itself without breaking.

I think this is my favourite of her novels. The writing is beautiful, it’s written from the perspectives of Ivan, Margaret and Peter, and each of their voices are different. I loved how internal it was, we were in their heads. Ivan was my favourite. There is a lot of thinking about what it means to be a good person and to live a good life. It is very thought provoking. And it’s about relationships: brothers, mothers and sons, lovers, and friends.

A review.

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The House in the Cerulean Sea – T J Klune

The House in the Cerulean Sea – T J Klune

The theme for my book club this month is joy and when I googled joyful books this one came up.

Here’s the blurb …

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

I would call this a ‘romantasy’. It is very warm and cozy, and the characters are charming. I don’t think I am the target audience for it, I found it a bit didactic (a bit too much respect everyone, include everyone, etc.) I think I needed a bit more conflict.

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Orbital – Samantha Harvey

Orbital – Samantha Harvey

This is the last of my Booker Prize shortlist reading. It is a wonderful selection. All of the books have been beautifully written and I have liked them all.

Here’s the blurb …

Six astronauts rotate in their spacecraft above the earth. They are there to collect meteorological data, conduct scientific experiments and test the limits of the human body. But mostly they observe. Together they watch their silent blue planet, circling it sixteen times, spinning past continents and cycling through seasons, taking in glaciers and deserts, the peaks of mountains and the swells of oceans. Endless shows of spectacular beauty witnessed in a single day.

Yet although separated from the world they cannot escape its constant pull. News reaches them of the death of a mother, and with it comes thoughts of returning home. They look on as a typhoon gathers over an island and people they love, in awe of its magnificence and fearful of its destruction. The fragility of human life fills their conversations, their fears, their dreams. So far from earth, they have never felt more part – or protective – of it. They begin to ask, what is life without earth? What is earth without humanity?

This book is beautifully written. The descriptions of the earth as seen from space are mesmerising. Although, it does put me off ever going to space – all of the things that happens to one’s body in micro gravity!

It’s very poetic, for example (when describing humanity)

[…], the igniters of fires, the hackers in stone, the melters of iron, the ploughers of earth, the worshippers of gods, the tellers of time, the sailors of ships, the wearers of shoes, the traders of grain, the discoverers of lands, the schemers of systems, the weavers of music, the singers of song, the mixers of paint, the binders of books, the crunchers of numbers, the slingers of arrows, the observers of atoms, the adorners of bodies, the gobblers of pills, the splitters of hairs, the scratchers of heads, the owners of minds, the losers of minds, the predators of everything, the arguers with death, the lovers of excess, the excess of love, the addled with love, the deficit of love, the lacking for love, the longing for love, and the love of longing, the two-legged thing, the human being.

We follow the astronauts and cosmonauts over a 24 hour period, which is 16 orbits of the earth. As the earth is spinning each orbit is slightly different, so we here about different parts of the earth. There is a terrible typhoon that builds and then slams into the Philippines, seeing cities at night with all of the connecting lights, deserts and rivers from space.

It’s a short novel (novella really), but very moving.

A review

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Big Sky – Kate Atkinson

Big Sky – Kate Atkinson

Sadly, I have now finished all of the Jackson Brodie books. Number six – Death at the Sign of the Rook, has just been released, so it will be a while before another one is published.

Here’s the blurb …

Jackson Brodie, ex-military police, ex-Cambridge Constabulary, currently working as a private investigator, makes a highly anticipated return, nine years after the last Brodie, Started Early, Took My Dog.

Jackson Brodie has relocated to a quiet seaside village, in the occasional company of his recalcitrant teenage son and an aging Labrador, both at the discretion of his ex-partner Julia. It’s picturesque, but there’s something darker lurking behind the scenes.

Jackson’s current job, gathering proof of an unfaithful husband for his suspicious wife, is fairly standard-issue, but a chance encounter with a desperate man on a crumbling cliff leads him into a sinister network—and back across the path of his old friend Reggie. Old secrets and new lies intersect in this breathtaking novel by one of the most dazzling and surprising writers at work today.

This was excellent. Different strands coming together in a beautiful tapestry. All of the good literary Atkinson things – literary references, great sense of place, fabulous characters (I particularly liked Harry and Bunny). A return of old characters – Reggie and Julia. Julia seems to live in Brodie’s head – always making comments on his thoughts.

Guardian Review

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Started Early, Took my Dog – Kate Atkinson

Started Early, Took My Dog – Kate Atkinson

I am continuing on my Jackson Brodie audio marathon (this narrator pronounces Niamh wrong, which is grating).

Here’s the blurb …

Tracy Waterhouse leads a quiet, ordered life as a retired police detective – a life that takes a surprising turn when she encounters Kelly Cross, a habitual offender, dragging a young child through town. Both appear miserable and better off without each other – or so decides Tracy, in a snap decision that surprises herself as much as Kelly. Suddenly burdened with a small child, Tracy soon learns her parental inexperience is actually the least of her problems, as much larger ones loom for her and her young charge.

Meanwhile, Jackson Brodie, the beloved detective of novels such as Case Histories, is embarking on a different sort of rescue – that of an abused dog. Dog in tow, Jackson is about to learn, along with Tracy, that no good deed goes unpunished.

This was very good. The new characters Tracy, Barry, Tilly and Courtney are excellent. I enjoyed getting their perspective (not Courtney – she’s only four). Jackson’s new dog was an added bonus. There were crimes and they do get solved, but it’s more about the characters, their interactions and how they develop or not over the course of the story.

A review.

I have read this before, so here is my previous thoughts. (It was 14 years ago).

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The Wedding Forecast – Nina Kenwood

The Wedding Forecast – Nina Kenwood

This was recommended on the Hill of Content Instagram – they have recommendations on a Monday.

Here’s the blurb …

Anna was never going to have an easy time at her best friend’s wedding. She’s the bridesmaid; her ex, Joel, is a groomsman. But she’s determined to get through the festivities with a smile on her face. Despite the fact that Joel is bringing his new partner, Bianca. Despite the fact she’s stuck sharing a house with the newly in-love couple. And despite the fact Anna has just turned thirty and her life is not exactly where she thought it would be by now. Anna has all her feelings completely under control—right up until the moment Joel drops a bombshell that rocks her to her core.

She needs a distraction, and Patrick, the wedding photographer, just might be the solution. Everyone has decided he is perfect for her. He is perfect for her. But the arrival of Mac, a not-quite-famous actor who has flown in from New York, complicates everything.

Much-loved YA author Nina Kenwood hits the spot with her first novel for adults. Laugh-out-loud funny with chemistry that jumps off the page, The Wedding Forecast will be the feel-good romcom of the summer.

I am a sucker for a good romantic comedy, and this was Australian!

This was great – well-written, with grown-up issues keeping people apart. The characters were great, and I loved all of the book talk.

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When Will There Be Good News – Kate Atkinson

When Will There Be Good News – Kate Atkinson

I am making my way through Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie novels – this one is number 3 (and I have read number 6, so just two more).

Here’s the blurb …

Three lives come together in unexpected and thrilling ways in Kate Atkinson’s When Will There Be Good News?

On a hot summer day, Joanna Mason’s family slowly wanders home along a country lane. A moment later, Joanna’s life is changed forever…

On a dark night thirty years later, ex-detective Jackson Brodie finds himself on a train that is both crowded and late. Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly hears a shocking sound…

At the end of a long day, 16-year-old Reggie is looking forward to watching a little TV. Then a terrifying noise shatters her peaceful evening. Luckily, Reggie makes it a point to be prepared for an emergency…

These three lives come together in unexpected and deeply thrilling ways in the latest novel from Kate Atkinson, the critically acclaimed author who Harlan Coben calls “an absolute must-read.”

Kate Atkinson writes what I am calling ‘literary fiction’. There are references and quotes to other novels – Austen and Henry James for example. The characters are great, funny, annoying, kind. We get inside the heads of various characters and I love their internal monologues. I found myself inventing tasks so I could listen to this story.

A review.

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The Safe Keep – Yael

The Safekeep – Yael Van Der Wouden

This is my fifth book from the Booker short list (2024).

Here’s the blurb …

‘A house is a precious thing…’An exhilarating tale of twisted desire, histories and homes, and the unexpected shape of revenge – for readers of Patricia Highsmith, Sarah Waters and Ian McEwan’s AtonementIt’s 1961 and the rural Dutch province of Overijssel is quiet. Bomb craters have been filled, buildings reconstructed, and the war is well and truly over. Living alone in her late mother’s country home, Isabel’s life is as it should be: led by routine and discipline. But all is upended when her brother Louis delivers his graceless new girlfriend, Eva, at Isabel’s doorstep-as a guest, there to stay for the season… Eva is Isabel’s sleeps late, wakes late, walks loudly through the house and touches things she shouldn’t. In response Isabel develops a fury-fuelled obsession, and when things start disappearing around the house-a spoon, a knife, a bowl-Isabel’s suspicions spiral out of control. In the sweltering peak of summer, Isabel’s paranoia gives way to desire – leading to a discovery that unravels all Isabel has ever known. The war might not be well and truly over after all, and neither Eva – nor the house in which they live – are what they seem.

I bought this solely because it was on the short list. I knew nothing about the author or the novel – I didn’t even read the blurb before I started.

At first I thought this novel was probably not for me, Isabel is a very unsympathetic character (rude and judgmental). She seems to be paranoid – is the maid stealing things? And then Eva moved in, and gradually things changed. However, it was Eva’s diary that really captured me – and made me realise the background history of the house (I was a bit slow there). In the end I was enthralled and this novel needs to be read by more people.

It made me think about things I had never considered before, about houses and ownership, but also about the limited opportunities for women, and what happens when your life (and education) has been disrupted by war?

This one might win, I am now torn between James and this one.

A review

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The Satsuma Complex – Bill Mortimer

The Satsuma Complex – Bill Mortimer

We needed an audio book that was about 7 hours and we wanted something funny, and this is what we found on Audible.

Here’s the blurb …

‘My name is Gary. I’m a thirty-year-old legal assistant with a firm of solicitors in London. To describe me as anonymous would be unfair but to notice me other than in passing would be a rarity. I did make a good connection with a girl, but that blew up in my face and smacked my arse with a fish slice.’

Gary Thorn goes for a pint with a work acquaintance called Brendan. When Brendan leaves early, Gary meets a girl in the pub. He doesn’t catch her name, but falls for her anyway. When she suddenly disappears without saying goodbye, all Gary has to remember her by is the book she was The Satsuma Complex. But when Brendan goes missing, Gary needs to track down the girl he now calls Satsuma to get some answers.

And so begins Gary’s quest, through the estates and pie shops of South London, to finally bring some love and excitement into his unremarkable life…

A page-turning story with a cast of unforgettable characters, The Satsuma Complex is the brilliantly funny first novel by bestselling author and comedian Bob Mortimer.

This novel was very fun. I particularly liked the dialogue (does that come from being a comedian?). It’s got good pacing and the characters are fabulous; funny, a bit weird, but believable.

I will be reading/listening to more.

A review.

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