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. 

Margaret Bearman's "We were never friends"

 

You can find this book here.

This book is adult fiction; but a lot of the perspective is of the protagonist when she was younger (so it may have the feeling of Youth Fiction, if that is something you want to be wary of). It follows Charlotte, known as Lottie, as she looks back at her life and friendships and the impacts of the past on the present and choices and lives we live. Its themes revolve around friendship, but also family dysfunction and what 'artistic genius' is. 

When I read this book, it seemed very raw and real. It seemed like the relationships fit with families and friendships not only in the past, but how they are dealt with now (just with less focus on social media). Charlotte summed up teens well and how they possibly relate as they move into adolescence. Whilst I didn't want characters to act or be the way they were necessarily throughout the whole novel; it showed how change, or its lack, can also impact on relationships. 

The setting is Canberra, so yay for Australian authors! Whilst characters had problems with the birds (I love hearing the magpies!), the setting does take a backseat for this novel. The protagonist's emotional journey is more important. 

Because the focus is on Lottie's emotional journey, the remaining characters are not necessarily well understood or fleshed out. I believe this could be because of the point of view it holds, which limits what we can see and know about the rest of the characters. and possibly adds to the self-involvement Lottie has about people in her life like Larissa who trumps, at that time in her life, relationships with her family. However, for this reason, it may not be a well-rounded read to some of you. 

The book is an easy, quick read. The author is Australian, and apparently has a great history in research as a professor at Deakin University. I like these points. I also recommend this book if you like rawness of emotion of characters as they try to work through life (or adolescence).

Links for you

Read-a-likes in the Library:

Husband's secret

Liane Moriarty

This is where I leave you

Jonathan Tropper

Read-a-likes in CloudLibrary:

Ask again, yes

Mary Beth Keane

This book looks at memory and the past and its impact on the future of adulthood. This book focusses more on the adult-side, unlike Bearman's.

We are water

Wally Lamb

Peter Hanington's "Single Source"

 

This book can be found here.

Peter Hanington is himself a journalist; so he knows how the world of journalism works. This adds credence to the novel. This is also a sequel of sorts to 'Dying breed', as the protagonist is the same. However, as I have not read the first book, I cannot tell you what crosses over between the two. I can tell you it didn't bother me during this read that I hadn't read the first one. 

William Carver who has been around awhile as a radio reporter. He knows the business, he follows his gut on stories, and he is a little unlikeable (maybe more so depending on your perspective). The story he follows in this novel is protests in Cairo during the Arab Spring. If you are unsure of this terminology, you could try History's website or Britannica's for an introduction. However, it turns out that Carver finds out there is an even bigger story happening during this time within Cairo; which is also even more dangerous than the first. 

Carver is a solid character with flaws and depth, but very good journalistic skills. His perspective is the dominant one within the book, though it does flit between characters, such as his producer Patrick and two brothers trying to escape Eritrea and make it to Italy. This adds different perspectives and voices to the story, and actually adds depth to the investigations overall. 

The journalistic side of this novel is very tight and the diversity of characters and connections is good. The story moves quickly, though you might not like the jump in perspectives I mentioned earlier (though I had no trouble with this) and may not be as fast-paced as other thrillers you have read.

I enjoyed the historical, political and journalistic elements of the novel. Hopefully you will too.

Links for you

Read-a-likes in the Library:

Man with no face

Peter May

Same genre and suspense elements in this novel, perhaps more so, as Hanington's. 

Seventeen

Hideo Yokoyama

Film Review - Trainwreck - By Director Jason Moore

Starring Amy Schumer and Judd Apatow. In Trainwreck Amy has a love/hate relationship with her father, who has greatly influenced her view on monogamous relationships from a young age.

When Amy meets sports doctor to the stars Aaron Connors, those beliefs are challenged. She works for a sensationalistic magazine and has to decide how authentic to be when writing an article on the doctor, who she is falling for. Could it be possible for her to have a healthy grown up relationship with someone she really likes? A very funny and enjoyable movie. Anne