Adam Thompson's "Born into this"

 

You can find this book here.

Thompson's book is a collection of short stories. This makes it helpful so that any reader can think about the first story before going on to one of the others. 

Before I go on about this book, you can visit a video where Thompson talks about his book here. Getting to know the writer and their perspective about their writing is a great asset to reading as well! 

The stories are contemporary and may be tough to read theme-wise for some. The characters are diverse across the stories and reflect cultural practice and perspective in different ways for these Indigenous characters across Tasmania. 

The stories can be gritty and emotional, though Thompson layers his wit throughout. The content is political: not just regarding history, but also the present, showing a strong voice for people, culture and the environment. 

There are sixteen stories in total and all are quick-paced. The book is a quick read; but it is one that makes you think. And that's the importance of Thompson's voice in this collection. 

Staf pick: "I am Heathcliff"

 

You can find this book here.

Wuthering Heights is my favourite book of all time! If you haven't read it, you can find it here (I am sure the Library has electronic versions too). So, I read this book because it is authors who have been inspired by the classic novel to write other stories. 

'I am Heathcliff' is a short story collection that looks at themes and characters within the novel and explores them in different ways: two- (an one-) sided intense relationships that mimic Heathcliff's emotional state for Cathy and re-writings about the problems of men like Heathcliff for women. Above all, there is the atmospheric emotional intensity of characters and even moments where the moors themselves become alive. 

I liked this book because of its different voices and perspectives on the classic novel. I liked different interpretations, readings and issues that writers found with the book. It was enlightening to read these and see what other people thought, even across diverse cultures. 

Whatever you feel for this Brontë's work; the freshness of these stories showed me how strong the impact of her work is still so that many more stories, perspectives and ideas can be shared, written and considered. 

It was fun to read: dark at times, but the good thing about short stories is that if you need a break to consider one that impacts you in some way, you can put it down for a couple of days before finding a whole new story altogether. 

-- S.B. 

Links for you

The following links are items that have been inspired by either 'Wuthering Heights' or Emily 's life.

Ill will

Michael Stewart

Nelly Dean

Alison Case

Wrong in all the right ways

Tiffany Brownlee

Dear reader

Mary O'Connell

Snappy Short Stories: A Booklist

Prefer your fiction in bite-size portions? There's nothing like a good short story to pour over in your coffee break or just before bed. Try these short story compilations available at Camden and Narellan libraries.

The Best Australian Stories 2011

Maeve Binchy's Treasury

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Burning Your Boats: Collected Short Stories by Angela Carter

Dreaming Again edited by Jack Dann

The Girl in the Mirror by Cecelia Ahern

International Man Booker Prizewinner - Alice Munro

You will find Alice Munro's work at both Camden and Narellan Libraries. I remember feeling transfixed by her wonderful short story collections when I first was recommended to them by a friend from Canada many years ago. Read about why she won this prestigious prize http://www.themanbookerprize.com/news/stories/1226 which is awarded to an author for their whole body of work. At 77, she has a significant set of titles to her name and she hasn't finished yet, as a new collection is due out in October 2009.
Wendy