⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book gets my five stars, simply by opening my eyes to the idea of data as a commodity. The title could not be more apt, the reading experience was a total Mindf*uck and I really feel strongly this should be a compulsory read for those seeking to understand the dark nexus of politics and social media.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The story of two orphaned siblings fighting for survival on the wild coast of Newfoundland. The plot is secondary to the 'extraordinary' relationship that develops between brother and sister.
Crummey writes beautifully of landscape, conveying in an economical and yet poetic style, the vastness and the drama of the local coastline.
A surprisingly terse ending is the only dent to an otherwise fascinating survival / coming-of-age story.

Here is my month in books. A not entirely satisfying collection but two books did stand out : Catch and Kill is as good as everyone is saying and Kevin Wilson is a new author to me that I want to read more from. On the “ticking off” on achievements front I have finally completed the Booker longlist novels and have one book remaining for #Readharder2019 ! Woohoo, it might nearly be time to read what I want ;)

⭐️⭐️⭐️

My final book to read from this years Booker longlist and there might have been a reason I held off for so long. I must have intuited Levy was not for me. In actual fact I liked the writing but I found the entire thing very “meh” as a whole as well as needlessly obtuse. It is quite an emotionally “cold” book but luckily it is short !

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I needed to tackle this book in little chunks as I found myself getting so infuriated with all the ways in which women are silenced. Even though I thought I had followed the Harvey Weinstein reporting fairly closely, there is much to be gleaned from Ronan Farrows memoir-like 'story-behind the story'.
Spoiler : The senior decision-makers at NBC do not come out of this well.
Essential reading for our current times.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I got plenty of enjoyment from this, at first glance it‘s bonkers with a refreshingly deadpan delivery. Yes, it is about two 10 year-olds that can spontaneously ignite, a bit of an inconvenience but hey, who doesn't have problems ?. In terms of tone, this was in the realm of Moonrise Kingdom slightly puzzling, visually arresting, highly entertaining.
( N.B I love a good cover, and this one might be my favourites from 2019 )

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my cozy mystery option for Read Harder and it probably isn‘t the best Miss Marple mystery. I wanted to read one where Marple was on vacation and while it was nice for the setting to be the West Indies, the mystery was a little lacklustre and implausible.

#ReadHarder2019

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

This story held plenty of promise initially, female-relationship focused and tackling some serious issues of date rape and social anxiety, I was quite excited to see all the aspects come together and culminate in this anarchist Supper Club. But it is not really structured in a way that delivers the punch it I was hoping for. Tricky time shifts got in the way of seamless storytelling.

Plus :Bacchanalian feasting Minus: food wastage !

⭐️⭐️

It pains me to report that this is a hot mess. In my notes I have written : Pretentious wind bagging, Wikipedia entries disguised as novel, Stop saying Dude ! , it‘s not exciting to read about characters googling historical information, lonely planet guide to Nice ?. There is just not enough story here and it is criminally boring ! At this point Emma Donoghue and I part company.

I think this has to be my most productive reading month - I couldn‘t even fit in the 10th book. Admittedly some of these are novella sized. Tough to call to decide “Book of the Month “ but I am going with Colson !
#Readharder2019 22/24 😊😊
#Bookerprize2019 12/13

Which means I am so close to being free of my 2019 reading ‘commitments‘

⭐️⭐️

This is not a book that worked for me and rather than trying to analyse exactly why, I will chalk it up to a reader / writer mismatch. However, I will say the male character, Shiraha, was supremely irksome and this had plenty to do with my 2-stars.

ReadHarder task - Neurodiversity ✅ Only two tasks remain 😊

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I thought this one would make a fantastic addition to a Brit Lit course which also included A. Levy's Small Island and Z. Smith's White Teeth. Together they tell a rich story of Britain and its colonial past. The 12 voices of here cover many circles on the intersectional Venn diagram. Radical feminism sits alongside classism and the gender identity politics of a younger generation.
It is a vertiginous undertaking which mostly succeeds.

⭐️

Ah no. Safe to say I read this only to tick a box on a tricky Read Harder prompt and it has left me very grumpy, despite the fact it was only 80 pages.
I will be avoiding all Romance in future Read Harder challenges.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I must admit to struggling with this one. It is a quick read, well written has some nice music references and a lyrical nostalgic air about it. I found it very much out of my comfort zone in terms of writing style, it seemed melodramatic and overwrought in places and there was a frustrating plot point I will not give away.
Still worth a look if, like me, you are new to this author and want to decide for yourself if she is for you.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don't normally go for novellas but this was suggested to me and it really is very good. It could go toe to toe with “Medusa”the short story Pat Barker published in The New Yorker earlier this year. Retellings ! they are everywhere, this one is a happy addition to the pile I am collecting up and an exceptional writing debut.

Certainly worth brushing off the Kindle for ;)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An exceptional novel, this story is told plainly, with few narrative tricks and embellishments but it retains Whiteheads deft touch with changing perspectives and idiosyncratic phrasing. It demands and deserves a close read, shining a light on a portion of history that could too easily become buried.
Whitehead is one of the most interesting contemporary authors dealing with the ongoing legacy of slavery and racial inequality.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was a little surprised by how much I liked this. Noir is all a little melodramatic for me usually and this 1947 rediscovered classic does have its moments of swelling waves and “the thunderous ecstasy of the hungry sea” not to mention fog ! . However it is very good. There is plenty of tension filled moments here and it‘s a solid portrait of toxic masculinity and maybe one could go as far as saying predictive of the rise of “Incels”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I think this is probably excellent and I enjoyed most of it but my caveat needs to be I am inept at appreciating poetry. I nearly always would rather spend time with a novel. I can only point feebly at bits I liked without having the language to say why. Predictably, my finger hovers over sections that are more like prose than poetry ( that bit on Serena was a highlight).
#readharder2019 - Poetry

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

An incredibly tough read and impossible to review because it feels akin to reviewing someones life. This is auto-fiction and as such I am fighting my nature to want to untangle the fact from the fiction. If there is one reason to pick up this novel then, it is for the sections set in Iraq. Walker gives a very believable, no frills account of the life Iraq circa 2005. The picture he paints is ugly but entirely believable.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

A work of narrative non fiction I wish I had read prior to reading Milkman and For the Good Times. It‘s just a stellar bit of work that manages to convey the complexities of “The Troubles” while not letting the weight of all that history bog it down. By allowing the reader a hook with the story of Jean McConville it is constantly reminding you of the cost of political violence and asking you does the ends justify the means.

September Reads :- Almost the entire month spent chipping away at Ducks and it feels good to have that one done ✅. However my standout for September is the tagged book, from the Booker shortlist and I have already raved about that extensively. I enjoyed my time spent with the Atwoods but I think October needs to be a refocus on #ReadHarder another 6 books to go !

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

For the most part I really enjoyed this, I have always loved Atwood and she hardly ever lets me down. However, I would have to say the last third of this seemed a tiny bit rushed ? It‘s a shame because even though I was one who doubted the need for a Handmaids Tale sequel, in the end I was won over by how she approached this. I just wish the ending was as solid as the start.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Started reading this 1 month ago and chipped away at it slowly. I certainly don‘t regret the experience but on the other hand it is decidedly not in my reading comfort zone. Long stretches of movie, music and other references that I couldn‘t relate to plus a mind-numbing amount of repetition - despite this it is does have its moments of fun. Maybe it‘s a book I will appreciate fully once we are out of these dark ages ?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A beautifully illustrated graphic novel version of The Handmaids Tale provided me with a useful refresher on the story prior to picking up The Testaments. I thought this tale worked very well in this format but it will never be a replacement for reading Atwood‘s classic novel.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This unsettling book is referred to as “The great unread NZ novel” in the introduction to this rerelease by Text classics. First published in 1968 it seems to have long fallen by the wayside and I had never heard of it until a copy began circulation in my book club.
I have mixed feelings on this one but it is certainly a story that is very hard to shake off and also one that needs multiple reads. Perplexing retro NZ storytelling.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My first experience with Rushdie and I was quite taken by this one. It‘s a crazy, sprawling meta-fictional ride with a little sci-fi / absurdist bent. It does traverse a porous line between fiction and reality, there are Mastodons as a kind of social metaphor, alongside stinging indictments of aspects of modern day America, Britain and India. This novel has such breadth and yet remaIns funny, propulsive and grandly risky. Loved it !

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have been tricked into reading a surreal allegory and it has left me discombobulated.
It became obvious by halfway that answers for my many questions were not going to be forth-coming and as elegant as this writing is, there wasn't sufficient oomph to prevent me side-eyeing other more exciting novels. I was left grappling with allegory and the deviances of the worlds creepiest typing teacher.

( That cover though, it promises much ! )

August was all about getting through as many Booker Longlisters as I could manage and I surprised myself by how enjoyable this has been. I liked them all with the possible exception of the Obioma, however my top read for the month was the tagged book which reminds me I need non-fiction occasionally:)
September it is going to be all about the Atwood and playing catch-up on #Readharder2019

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was predisposed to enjoy this one and it was everything I had hoped for. I knew this story from listening to a podcast called “The Dropout”. However to read the story told in all its excruciating detail from the WSJ investigative reporter John Carreyrou was still riveting. Just walk away Walgreens ! I cannot wait for the film version.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kevin Barry is a new author for me and I am keen to try his other novels. For some reason I went into this thinking “action novel” but it is a lyrical character study of two aging criminals and their reminiscences. The chapter entitled “The Judas Iscariot All Night Drinking Club” is a masterpiece of mood and slow building tension. There might be an argument to be made that this is more style over substance but I admired it tremendously.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nearly a one-sitting read but one I believe would be enhanced by a second go through. It‘s a little creepy and fever-dreamy. Some elements are not entirely in my reading comfort zone but the author is having such fun with language you can‘t help but admire the originality. I enjoyed this rather a lot but I did not fall entirely in love with it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am probably about to damn this one with faint praise. It was a perfectly fine read. I enjoyed it. It just didn‘t really nourish me much. A short, sharp, punchy novel about sisters, one of whom is a serial killer. An excellent and solid debut however I remain perplexed ( as I nearly always am ) about why it is on literary prize lists....Braithwaite is good but I think and hope more accomplished novels are in her future.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

This ended up being ok despite all indicators to the contrary. It might not be a literary prize-winning effort and as a dystopia it takes a fairly minimalist approach to world-building. Take one big wall, add water, baby politicians and some "Others" and that is your backstory. However, I approached this as a type of team-bonding novel; a low-key version of Platoon, set in England with tea and biscuits and as such I enjoyed it

⭐️⭐️
Booker 4 / 13

I am going to assume this novel is an exposé of toxic masculinity rather than the alternative read : one that is asking me to sympathise with this man's actions.

The fact that I remain unsure after 512 pages, concerns me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book 3/13 from the 2019 Booker longlist and I keep being delighted ! ( my luck is going to run out eventually). I have never read Shafak before but I certainly will be seeking out more of her novels. Leila‘s story is a sad one but it is told with such love and humanity. I got a real taste of the complexities of Istanbul- it‘s history and diverse people. I doubt the prose is the strongest on the list but it might be the most “readable”

A little late on the #julystats. A solid but maybe not outstanding reading month. Two books from the Miles Franklin long list but I still haven‘t read the winner ! A couple with beautiful covers that otherwise didn‘t click with me. Really enjoyed this tagged book the winner of the #MBI2019 prize.
August is all about #Booker2019 fever so looking forward to it.

⭐️⭐️ 1/2

Positives - lovely cover, interesting characters, Florida vibes.

Ultimately, though this is not my jam. One of my biggest hurdles was the focus on detailed description over narrative advancement. Whenever a character defining moment threatened to appear, the author would bury me in an avalanche of sensory details - stinky cushions, zits, dust and grime. I just don‘t need this hyper-real level of detail in my fiction.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shortlisted for the Miles Franklin, this is a confrontational book about growing up “Leb” in Australia. I don‘t think there is another author writing this frankly about these issues and in such a punchy style. This book will be offensive to some, I felt uncomfortable about plenty of things here, yet it got me to ask myself why and to consider how you might see the world when you grow up branded by the horrific actions of others.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

I enjoyed this years Booker International prize winner much more than anticipated. It‘s a very good introduction to the lives of women in Oman. It gives you a little bit of history in amongst the family saga but I still needed to do some background reading. I found it refreshing to read a book from this part of the world but the structure and the very confusing inter-relationships are a big stumbling block to full immersion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is not terrible but it is a little bit tricksy for its own good. The highlight was the Galah, an impressive amount of imagination is involved in this narration. I didn‘t find the communication between bird and satellite dish to add anything at all to the book apart from confusion. Plotwise it‘s pretty thin and structurally it‘s a little messy. What it does do well is small town Australia circa 1960.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5

I didn‘t enjoy this as much as I thought but it is still an outstanding piece of work.

The complex Mother-Son-Grandmother relationship was a highlight. Cruel, tender, funny, heartbreaking - it was a kind of melancholy portraiture done in prose and poetry.
Moving forward in time, things started to tumble out of control, heavy themes unfolding in erratic time jumps. The poetic interludes started to fuddle me ....
Excellent in parts.

A little late to my June summary as I wanted to include the James door stopper. Overall a solid month of reading with one great 5⭐️ and a new author to investigate further - Jeanette Winterson‘s Frankisstein is great ! I enjoyed everything to some degree with one notable exception that I have already posted about ;)
#junewrapup #junestats

⭐️

Ahhhh that‘s 9 days of good reading time I will never get back. I should have bailed but a slogged it out so I could have this opinion.
This is such a mess, a story that meanders and dodges, monsters that just appear with little sense of tension. I am not even touching on the oft mentioned violence - it exudes a smug air of if you can‘t handle it then your not cool enough for Marlon James. I would say “kill your darlings” James.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Yes ! Finally a book I feel justified in dancing around and declaring my book of the year. I laughed so much while reading this, every page with Ron Lord on it is an absolute riot. This book is so many things - a homage to Frankenstein, a thought experiment in what it means to be human and post human ? A history lesson on just about everything including famous woman scientists. It has some challenges but I adored it !

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Somehow this one did not make any connection with me, maybe it is my mood or my expectations were too high. I have enjoyed the previous books of the quartet but this was just too fragmentary for me. Just when I thought I had hold of a story strand we would digress into some other topic. It is like the reading equivalent of staring at imagery that is far too busy, there is no where for the eyes to rest and it starts to give you a headache

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“ She was old. So old she was colorless. So old only her mouth and eyes were distinguishable features in her face. Nose, chin, cheekbones, forehead, neck all had surrendered their identity to the pleats and crochetwork of skin committed to constant change “

Marvellous.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“trailing herself, like a many-plumed fish-lure with glass beads and three spinners and seventeen hooks, through the likely looking places, good restaurants and cocktail bars with their lush weed-beds of philodendrons, where the right kind of men might be expected to be lurking, ravenous as pike, though more maritally inclined “

Atwood‘s debut novel is as superb as you would expect and now being adapted for TV 😁

May was a little bit of a meh month of reading for me. The theme being one of books I expected to be great turning out to be a series of disappointments. The exception being the wonderful Lost Children Archive. As a result I am trying to stack June with as many sure things as possible!
#monthlywrapup #mayreadingstats #indiebuddyreads

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

This tipped too far into Neil Gaiman's world in the end there. However, it is a lovely celebration of everything Tasmanian. The section about the seal/tuna hunting is stunning, I was hoping the entire book was going to be in this vein.

⭐️⭐️ 1/2

I thought initially I was going to rate this higher as the setup is strong and I was having flashbacks to one of my favourite TV series - The Wire. Unfortunately the middle third bogged down in complicated plotting and by the end pretty much every character was loathsome to me.
I will keep trying with Winslow and try The Cartel series next.