{"title":"Latest Reviews","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"a-gentleman-in-moscow","title":"Gentleman in Moscow","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Review\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn 21 June 1922, Count Alexander Rostov – recipient of the Order of Saint Andrew, member of the Jockey Club, Master of the Hunt – is escorted out of the Kremlin, across Red Square and through the elegant revolving doors of the Hotel Metropol. But instead of being taken to his usual suite, he is led to an attic room with a window the size of a chessboard. Deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the Count has been sentenced to house arrest indefinitely. While Russia undergoes decades of tumultuous upheaval, the Count, stripped of the trappings that defined his life, is forced to question what makes us who we are.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Amor Towles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42551869636767,"sku":"","price":22.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0394\/7236\/5727\/products\/a-gentleman-in-moscow.jpg?v=1614868103"},{"product_id":"the-pigeon-tunnel","title":"Pigeon Tunnel","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Sunday Times no. 1 Memoir\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChris:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe late John le Carré has written this biography in which he explains how his lifetime experiences are used in his fiction books. As readable as ever, le Carré recounts his meetings with some weird and wonderful characters and his experiences teaching at Eton College and his employment with MI6. However, it is his on-off association with his wayward father that seems to have had the most impact on him as a person. He invented the modern spy thriller with \u003cem\u003eThe Spy Who Came in from the Cold\u003c\/em\u003e which changed his life. He studied German language and literature and travelled to Germany many times. He toured South East Asia, Russia and the Middle East to provide background to subsequent books, in doing so he met many controversial and sometimes unpleasant characters. All this provided him with the material for his wonderful collection of writing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOther Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublisher Review: The Pigeon Tunnel, \u003c\/i\u003eJohn le Carre's memoir and his first work of non-fiction, is a thrilling journey into the worlds of his 'secret sharers' - the men and women who inspired some of his most enthralling novels. From terrifying meetings with Yasser Arafat in war-torn Beirut to brilliantly observed encounters with the great figures of 20th century film, from Stanley Kubrick to Alec Guinness. The reader is swept along not just by the chilling winds of the Cold War or by the author's frightening journeys into places of terrible violence but, most importantly, by the author's inimitable voice. In this astonishing work we see our world, both public and private, through the eyes of one of the world's greatest writers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"John le Carré","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39920224272543,"sku":"","price":22.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0394\/7236\/5727\/products\/pigeontunnel.jpg?v=1620008273"},{"product_id":"girl-a","title":"Girl A","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Dolores Maund\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGirl A\u003c\/em\u003e is told from the perspective of the central character, Alexandra, a young and successful lawyer who works in New York but has returned to the UK because of the death of her mother. As the executor of her mother’s will Alexandra is required to contact her siblings which, combined with her mother’s death, stimulates disturbing memories of their family life in which the children were subjected to appalling violence and cruel privation by their pathologically warped parents. Stories of this nature hold a particular fascination for a variety of reasons, one being that it is beyond the imaginings of most people to begin to comprehend the behaviour of such parents. Also, in this novel, the means by which the children endure such circumstances and then the type of adults they grow to be makes for an engrossing meditation on the nature of the human condition – a topic ever ripe for endless speculation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWhile all of the characters in \u003cem\u003eGirl A\u003c\/em\u003e are finely etched and fully realised several of them are bound to leave a permanent imprint on the inner landscape of the reader, particularly the unforgettable Alexandra. Her acute observational powers in relation to her fellow human beings along with her exceptional integrity and courage in the way in which she faces her own psychological disfigurement and that of her siblings make for an admirable and endearing character. Furthermore, her character is made more convincing by her voice which is typical of a young adult shaped by the digital era and which effectively conjures the zeitgeist. The gradual unfolding of the story and development of the characters in \u003cem\u003eGirl A\u003c\/em\u003e make for utterly compelling reading. I could not put the book down and since finishing have continued to mull over this memorable novel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the hands of a lesser writer the subject matter which Abigail Dean has chosen to deal with in \u003cem\u003eGirl A\u003c\/em\u003e could indeed make for grim reading. Instead, the book is, among other things, a testament to the power of the human spirit. While this novel is not likely to appeal to the Pollyannas of this world or those who wish to skate over the surface of life it is Abigail Dean’s superb illumination of complex social and psychological phenomena which makes her novel a tour de force. Her intelligent perspective on aspects of the human condition can only serve to enrich and expand the imagination of the reader. I am sure readers will eagerly await Abigail Dean’s next book as I most certainly do.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOther Reviews:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘Sensational. Gripping, haunting, and beautifully written' RICHARD OSMAN\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘Haunting, powerful, with a pitch-perfect ending' THE NEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e ‘The biggest mystery thriller since Gone Girl' ELLE\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e ‘Incendiary, beautifully written debut' GUARDIAN\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e ‘Psychologically astute, adroitly organised, written with flair' THE SUNDAY TIMES\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e ‘An astonishing achievement.' JESSIE BURTON\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e ‘Gripping, beautifully written perfection.' SOPHIE HANNAH \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘A masterpiece.' LOUISE O'NEILL \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e ‘Fantastic.' PAULA HAWKINS\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Abigail Dean","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39965428744351,"sku":"","price":29.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0394\/7236\/5727\/products\/GirlA.jpg?v=1620440077"},{"product_id":"the-children-s-house","title":"Children’s House","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Dolores Maund\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Children’s House quickly elicited in me that marvelously satisfying feeling of wanting to continue to read through to the end while ignoring all the goings on of ordinary life. I began reading one evening and finished the following day. Not only did Alice Nelson succeed in completely immersing me in her particular world but the central theme of the book and its sensitively etched characters have stayed with me and now occupy part of my own inner landscape, a clear indication of the force of the book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe main concern of The Children’s House is the way in which extreme trauma deprives two women in totally different circumstances of their ability to nurture their children in a normal, loving way and then the ramifications of being denied this most fundamental of all human bonds on the children born of these mothers. While Alice Nelson is clear about the permanent psychological and emotional damage done to children who suffer such deprivation much of the book nevertheless deals with the way in which this inner ruin can be compensated for by the development of loving and stable relationships later in life. Both Marina and Gabriel, two of the characters whose mothers were marred by trauma, have the good fortune to become part of an exceptionally close-knit, stable and loving Jewish family in contemporary New York, the utter antithesis of their experience with their own mothers. One other does not have such luck on his side. Alice Nelson has performed a delicate balancing act indeed in examining such a deeply disturbing topic while also maintaining, in a realistic and convincing way, the possibility that people such as Marina and Gabriel are nevertheless able to live satisfying lives. For this reason, while the pain endured by the main characters is made clear, The Children’s House is still life affirming in that it carries a strong message of hope. This wonderfully interesting book is also timely in as much as that most important of shaping forces of an individual’s life, the bond between mother and child, is one which has and is being effectively undermined from a number of quarters. Thank you, Alice Nelson, for your contribution to the life of the mind and the imagination. The Children’s House has enriched and expanded my interior world. It is a beautiful and sensitive book and one which will undoubtedly be similarly appreciated by many other readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Alice Nelson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40010859708575,"sku":"","price":32.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0394\/7236\/5727\/products\/TheChildrensHouse.jpg?v=1620964175"},{"product_id":"the-valley","title":"Valley","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Dolores Maund\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI approached The Valley by Steve Hawke with some slight trepidation because the very nature of its subject matter could not but entail the objective of attempting to contribute to an understanding of the lives of indigenous Australians in contemporary society, no small undertaking indeed. Furthermore, I was acutely aware that such an ambition could only be achieved by means of a highly developed literary capacity. Thus, before even opening the book, I had such high expectations of it – or, more accurately, hopes of those particular expectations being fulfilled. Hawke’s deftly and sympathetically etched characters who shall undoubtedly remain alive in my imagination, his acutely observed descriptions of parts of the landscape of northern Western Australia wherein the novel is set, and the way in which the story line developed all combined to prove my feelings of apprehension totally unfounded. Hawke exceeded my hopes and expectations for this important and memorable novel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe period in which The Valley is set probably roughly coincides with the time in which Hawke’s own grandparents lived through to the present day. The story told is therefore one within living memory, one which shows how recent and constant were certain forms of cruel social dislocation and suffering endured by indigenous Australians. Hawke’s telling of recent history through the novel form counters a commonly held view that the privations suffered by indigenous Australians happened some two hundred years ago, that is, in their distant past. Furthermore, the lives of the characters in The Valley also undermine the widely held view that many light-skinned indigenous Australians are really mostly Caucasian and that their identification with the wider group of indigenous Australians is therefore somehow spurious. In The Valley Hawke has demonstrated the power of literature to evoke strong feelings in the reader which illuminate for him or her that commonality which exists between all human beings despite differences of race or social and historical circumstance. In doing so Hawke has contributed to eroding those trenchantly held images in the popular imaginary which are borne of ignorance and a lack of generosity.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Steve Hawke","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40010919149727,"sku":"","price":27.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0394\/7236\/5727\/products\/TheValley.jpg?v=1620964834"},{"product_id":"the-museum-of-broken-promises","title":"Museum of Broken Promises","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Dolores Maund\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe story of The Museum of Broken Promises spans some three or more decades and moves between communist Czechoslovakia during the latter stages of the Cold War and Paris and Berlin in the period after the fall of the Wall. This particular historical context, as most readers will be well aware, provides fertile ground for a discussion of the way in which repressive regimes shape and limit even those most deeply personal choices made by people living within such intensely constrained circumstances. Through her deftly and sympathetically drawn characters Buchan illuminates various ways in which many ordinary people in communist Czechoslovakia were forced to compromise their own integrity and then left to live with the consequences of their actions. Her rendering of the effects of this sorry state on the interior lives of the characters provides a memorable apercu of the central theme of the book. The way in which the narrative moves back and forth between the past and the present over such a long period gives a feeling of a gradual fitting together of the pieces of a jig-saw and in so doing makes for compelling reading. This structure also allows for a clear delineation of the long term psychological and emotional effects on the lives of the main characters along with the way in which each character attempts to attain some semblance of equilibrium. In throwing light on the insidious nature of Czechoslovakian society under communist rule Buchan asks the reader to place him or herself in the shoes of those unfortunate people who were forced to betray not only their own moral codes but in certain cases, other human beings. While for many readers this imaginative exercise will be an immensely absorbing one it is also likely to disturb in its inevitable prompting of the old adage that ‘but for the grace of god there go I.’\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the moment I began The Museum of Broken Promises I became completely immersed in the world created by Buchan and even after reaching the end of the book the images of life in the two different societies along with her superbly etched characters have remained with me. In this memorable and profoundly affecting novel Buchan has made a significant contribution to that well-established tradition within literature which deals with life in certain notoriously repressive and warped societies of twentieth century Europe. Many a reader’s imaginative horizon will be expanded by their entering into Buchan’s world.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOther Reviews:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'I ADORE cold-war novels and I live for love stories - \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Museum of Broken Promises\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is a perfect combination of both. It's a gem of a book ... beautiful, elegant.' \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e- Marian Keyes\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'Intricately plotted and beautifully written, the characters and the setting stay with you and leave you yearning for Paris.' \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e- Katie Fforde, author of\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eA Vintage Wedding\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Elizabeth Buchan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40011029020831,"sku":"","price":19.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0394\/7236\/5727\/products\/Museumofbroken.jpg?v=1620965736"},{"product_id":"the-only-story","title":"Only Story","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eReviewed by Dolores Maund\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\nThe characters in The Only Story are superbly drawn and so convincingly fleshed out that, in addition to causing me to weep on occasion, they have remained alive in my imagination during the past six or so weeks since reading the book and will undoubtedly continue to do so. Furthermore, I should add that the book so engaged me that I began it on an afternoon and finished it the next morning while still in bed. Barnes was able to take me into his world and completely envelop me. It was as if he had invited me to listen to him, a man of mature years, attempt to put the pieces of the jigsaw of his life together, a process which is common to those of a reflective and sensitive disposition as they sense the dimming of the light. In Barnes’ case, as undoubtedly with others, the entire process of such reflection and attempt at making sense of the most important aspects of life is given further impetus by the pain and suffering endured, the disappointments and the loses experienced. One can’t imagine that a person who views the world through the lens of positive thinking would ever have either the wherewithal or the inclination for such a pursuit. One of Barnes’ themes is the way in which we change our judgements about what we remember about both ourselves and others, how maturity and experience cause us to see things not simply in greater complexity but often dramatically differently. For example, his view of the husband from the vantage point of maturity bears no resemblance to that which he held as a young man. We make about turns which would have been unimaginable to our younger selves. While Barnes’ close and courageous examination of certain aspects of his life, those he undoubtedly considers the most important, could not have been achieved without considerable emotional cost, he does convey that the end result is a degree of acceptance which comes from understanding and with it the gaining of equanimity. However, the very nature of the process which Barnes describes is also one without an ending, is never complete, is always partial. If one of the aims of literature is to provide the reader with a rendering of the interior life which affirms and illuminates the readers’ own experience of life, and in doing so bridges that gap in communication and understanding which exists to varying degrees between all human beings, then, in The Only Story, Barnes has produced a tour de force. For the intimacy which Barnes afforded me in this exquisitely sensitive book I am not only grateful but also know that he has left a permanent imprint on my emotional landscape. I hope he knows how much he has enriched the lives of those who have loved this book.","brand":"Julian Barnes","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40011090821279,"sku":"","price":22.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0394\/7236\/5727\/products\/OnlyStory.jpg?v=1620966173"},{"product_id":"the-other-half-of-augusta-hope","title":"Other Half of Augusta Hope","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Dolores Maund\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot only did The Other Half of Augusta Hope engage my interest immediately but the way in which the story unfolded and the characters developed meant that I was compelled to read the book from beginning to end over two days. During the time in which I became completely immersed in the world of Joanna Glen’s creation there were occasions when I laughed out loud at the sharply observed comical aspects of life which are depicted so adeptly while at other times I was so deeply moved that I wept. Joanna Glen has mastered the art of eliciting in the reader deep feelings for her wonderfully memorable characters, characters who will undoubtedly remain vivid in the mind of the reader long after the book is finished.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFor the most part the novel focuses on the life of the character of the title, Augusta Hope, while the lesser part is devoted a young Rwandan man called Parfait. Each story is told in the first person and takes place over a similar time span. The book begins with Augusta’s perceptions of life as a pre-pubescent girl in a middle-class English family and ends with her as an adult. Augusta’s view of her family and the social milieu in which they live is rendered in a humorous, highly observant and delightfully convincing voice. The myriad and nuanced ways in which the family members communicate with and respond to one another is keenly noted by the perspicacious and intelligent Augusta whose rich interior life is so superbly depicted. While still a girl Augusta registers the distance, which often takes on the proportions of a chasm, between the goings on within her own inner landscape on the one hand and the mental and imaginative horizons of her sister and parents on the other. She is acutely aware of the difference between herself and her family in regard to the nature of their respective preoccupations, aspirations and general way of apprehending the world. In this regard Augusta recognizes the disjuncture which is often the consequence of one family member aiming for and achieving a significantly higher level of education than the others. At different stages of her life Augusta observes those forces which both bind and create distance within her family along with the changes in the dynamics of these over time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBoth Augusta’s and Parfait’s stories entail loss, forms of loss which are a part of life for many and then other more profound forms which mark a person’s life forever. While the pain and emotional dislocation of grief are made clear in each of their respective stories both Augusta and Parfait come to an understanding of those aspects of life which aid in healing the wounds of deep and life shattering loss.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eI have no doubt that many readers will delight in this humorous, sad, insightful, warm and generous spirited book. In The Other Half of Augusta Hope Joanna Glen has given us a gem.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Joanna Glen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40011119165599,"sku":"","price":22.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0394\/7236\/5727\/products\/Otherhalfofaugustahope.jpg?v=1620966393"},{"product_id":"lapsed","title":"Lapsed","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Anne Day\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom devout ten-year-old performing the part of Jesus in a primary school play to blaspheming, undergraduate atheist, Monica Dux and her attitude to the Catholic Church changed profoundly over a decade. Eventually, she calmed down and was just 'lapsed'. Then, on a family trip to Rome, her young daughter expressed a desire to be baptized. Monica found herself re-examining her own childhood and how Catholicism had shaped her. Was it really out of her system or was it in her blood for life?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eLapsed\u003c\/em\u003e, Monica sets out to find the answer. Her investigations lead her to test a miracle cure in Lourdes and visit the grave of a headless Saint who claimed to be married to Christ (and wore a wedding ring made of his foreskin to prove it). She speaks to canon lawyers, abuse survivors and even a nun who insists that the Virgin Mary starts her car every morning.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eReview by Kerry:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStatistics are slippery at the best of times, it is easy being a Catholic in a census. Just tick a box. Done. However as Germaine Greer states” I am still a Catholic, I just don’t believe in God. I am an atheist Catholic – there are a lot of them around.” And there are, in \u003cem\u003eLapsed\u003c\/em\u003e Monica Dux examines her own journey from convent to lapsed to ticking the ‘no religion box’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDux admits writing this book was cathartic as she tried to understand how much of the ritual of Catholism is ingrained in her identity, and if she was being unfair refusing to allow her daughter to attend a Catholic school. Can you align yourself with an institution that is at odds with your own moral code, why does she still feel the urge to pray? Calling on her own personal and familial experiences and research from both Catholic and non-Catholic sociologists Dux explores what it is to be a lapsed Catholic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eHaving been educated by nuns in the early aftermath of Vatican 2, I recognise Monica’s suburban church - Spiritus Sanctus. I admit I found our gory martyrs tales riveting and credit them with my love for the black absurdist humour of Monty Python. I was less enamoured with the liturgical dances and guitar masses, but then I am tone deaf. \u003cem\u003eLapsed\u003c\/em\u003e won’t be for everyone but for me it definitely struck a chord. 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Mann’s sexuality - its impact on his personal life and writing is also  addressed with a sensitivity that holds the reader.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThroughout the book Toibin places Mann in his study, cloistered from the outside world. While the door was firmly closed, as a reader I found the privacy Toibin affords Mann with these moments allowed me to imagine him as a writer, as if I was sharing the quietness that allowed him to be. In sharp opposition to this seclusion Mann’s household was large, [he had six children] and mercurial. Suicide, addiction and scandals formed the backdrop to his bohemian family. In striking comparison, Mann’s Teutonic earnestness often saw him at odds with and at times estranged from his siblings and children. Part of the success of this book is the vivid characterisations of Mann’s family and irreverent depictions of historical figures. Isherwood being one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith The Magician Toibin has created an intimate family saga. Quietly and assuredly he has walked Mann through six decades of writing and living. This isn’t a dry biography, it is a sensuous and (I think) unbiased homage to a very human writer. Toibin has offered us readers front row seats as he evokes a life where art is paramount, a force that can’t be denied. How very lucky we are.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you haven’t read Death in Venice the edition I suggest is translated by Michael Henry Heim and has a wonderful introduction by Michael Cunningham.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Review:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn this novel,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eThe Magician\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e, Colm Tóibín captures the profound personal conflict of Thomas Mann's very public life, and through this life creates an intimate portrait of the twentieth century.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWhen the Great War breaks out in 1914 Thomas Mann, like so many of his fellow countrymen, is fired up with patriotism. He imagines the Germany of great literature and music, which had drawn him away from the stifling, conservative town of his childhood, might be a source of pride once again. But his flawed vision will form the beginning of a dark and complex relationship with his homeland, and see the start of great conflict within his own brilliant and troubled family. Colm Tóibín's epic novel is the story of a man of intense contradictions. Although Thomas Mann becomes famous and admired, his inner life is hesitant, fearful and secretive. His blindness to impending disaster in the Great War will force him to rethink his relationship with Germany as Hitler comes to power. He has six children with his clever and fascinating wife, Katia, while his own secret desires appear threaded through his writing. He and Katia deal with exile bravely, doing everything possible to keep the family safe, yet they also suffer the terrible ravages of suicide among Thomas's siblings, and their own children. In\u003ci\u003e The Magician\u003c\/i\u003e, Colm Tóibín captures the profound personal conflict of a very public life, and through this life creates an intimate portrait of the twentieth century. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eThe Magician\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/b\u003e 'This graceful novel is a moving and intimate portrait by one master of another . . . It is a stunning tribute to the great man, and a vital story for now.' - Anna Funder \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e'The Magician\u003c\/i\u003e is a remarkable achievement. Mann himself, one feels certain, would approve.' - John Banville \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'As with everything Colm Tóibín sets his masterful hand to, \u003ci\u003eThe Magician\u003c\/i\u003e is a great imaginative achievement - immensely readable, erudite, worldly and knowing, and fully realized.' - Richard Ford\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e 'No living novelist dramatizes artistic creation as profoundly, as luminously, as Colm Tóibín, or conveys so well the entanglement of imagination and desire.' - Garth Greenwell \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'The Magician recaptures a literary giant . . . Toibin's symphonic and moving novel humanizes [Mann]... Maximalist in scope but intimate in feeling' - \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'What Mr. Tóibín's exquisitely sensitive novel gets right, in a way that biography rarely does, is its acknowledgment of unknowability... one of the most sublime endings I've come across in a novel in a long time.' - \u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'Extensively researched and lyrically wrought...a complex but empathetic portrayal of a writer in a lifelong battle against his innermost desires, his family and the tumultuous times they endure.' - \u003ci\u003eTime\u003c\/i\u003e, Best Books of Fall 2021 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'It's hard not to talk about Colm Tóibín's latest novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Magician\u003c\/i\u003e, in the loftiest of terms, as something staggering, or dazzling, or an achievement . . . these accolades feel deserving . . . [a] vast and stunningly realized world . . . you'll find yourself savoring every page.' - \u003ci\u003eVogue \u003c\/i\u003e'a work of huge imaginative sympathy . . . quite thrilling . . . It takes a writer of Tóibín's caliber to understand how the seemingly inconsequential details of life can be transmogrified, turned into art . . . an epic story of exile and literary grandeur' - Jay Parini, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Colm Toibin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41016403296415,"sku":"","price":32.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0394\/7236\/5727\/products\/Magician.jpg?v=1631266385"},{"product_id":"harlem-shuffle-publication-date-14-september-pre-order-your-copy-now","title":"Harlem Shuffle","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKerry's Review\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eColson Whitehead has said how much he enjoyed writing Harlem Shuffle and it shows. This, at times, very, very funny tale of Ray Carney, who as Colson writes, “Carney was only slightly bent when it came to being crooked” is a joy to read. Set in the Harlem of the late 1950s and early ‘60s this novel is alive with colourful characters - hustlers, gangsters, people aspiring for better or to be better and people just trying to get by. The stage for this cast is Harlem which Whitehead draws with such energy it becomes more than just a backdrop, it is a character. Life is fluid on her streets - one step forward, two steps back, or for Ray just a little one two sidestep.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRay is trying to make his way as a “purveyor of fine new and gently used pieces for the home”, his income bolstered by the odd bit of fencing. He is happily married, he enjoys his work and is proud of his showroom, life is ticking along. Enter Freddie. Freddie is Ray’s cousin and, well, a bad lot. Since childhood Freddie has enmeshed Ray in his schemes, he is the bad influence every mother fears. It is Freddie’s latest scam that sets Ray onto the dangerous path that forms the plot of Harlem Shuffle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Harlem Shuffle Whitehead has very successfully employed humor to temper the brutality and cruelty found in Underground Railway or Nickel Boys. However themes of racism, classism, political corruption and abuse still form the scaffolding and it is testament to Whitehead’s skill as a storyteller that it works so well. There are no jarring gear changes in this novel as it moves from gangster turf wars to the race riots of the 60’s. Funny and at times tender it is a very satisfying read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eColson Whitehead has won the Pulitzer twice, The National Book Award and a MacArthur “genius” Grant, he is incapable of writing badly. 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It’s a family saga masquerading as a crime novel, a hilarious morality play, a social novel about race and power, and ultimately a love letter to Harlem.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Colson Whitehead","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41016574541983,"sku":"","price":32.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0394\/7236\/5727\/products\/HarlemShuffle.jpg?v=1631268002"},{"product_id":"everyday-madness","title":"Everyday Madness","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGail Jones, winner of the Prime Minister’s Literary Award, and  Gail Jones has described \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEveryday Madness\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e as “a poignant portrait of suffering within marriage, and the ties that bind: wise, witty and humane.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e Josephine Wilson, winner of the Miles Franklin Award has described it as “an engrossing, moving and beautifully observed story of marriage, family and forgiveness.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Review\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLife sucks when you are a vacuum cleaner-salesman facing redundancy, and your wife of nearly forty years fills your days and nights with incessant chatter. 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Well worth the read with all sorts of unexpected things happening on the side.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Reid is a fierce new voice, shining a light on consent and class with clarity and grace”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOther Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘Diana Reid will be called the new Sally Rooney – you’re certain of it by the end of page one. 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This was finally resolved by Lachlan Macquarie and the regiment returned to Britain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A good book to sit down and ruminate over with a glass...or two....\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Review\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAustralia and its formation - through the distorted view of a rum bottle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCould the Rum Rebellion have been averted if Major Johnston wasn't hungover?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWould the Eureka Stockade have been different if the rebels weren't drunk?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow were prisoners to get drunk if Macquarie closed the only pub in the jail?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd why should sailors under fourteen be deprived of their sixteen shots of rum per day?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese are just some of the questions raised in Matt Murphy's account of Australia's colonial history. Brimming with detailed research and irreverent character sketches,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eRum\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003elooks at not just how much was drunk in colonial Australia (a lot!), but also the lengths people went to get their hands on it, the futile efforts of the early governors to control it, and the often disastrous and\/or absurd consequences of its consumption.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThose consequences aren't just in our past. 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Its world is the deeply-layered, rich interior of its protagonist's mind but also contemporary Sri Lanka itself, war-scarred, traumatized. At its center is an exquisite form of noticing, a way of rendering consciousness and handling time that connects Arudpragasam to the great novelists of the past' - \u003cstrong\u003eColm Toibin, \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBrooklyn\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Testament of Mary\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'a revelatory exploration of the aftermath of war... 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The news arrives on the heels of an email from Anjum, an activist he fell in love with four years earlier while living in Delhi, bringing with it the stirring of distant memories and desires.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAs Krishan makes the long journey by train from Colombo into the war-torn Northern Province for the funeral, so begins a passage into the soul of an island devastated by violence. Written with precision and grace,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eA Passage North\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e is a poignant memorial for the missing and the dead, and a luminous meditation on time, consciousness, and the lasting imprint of the connections we make with others.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Anuk Arudpragasam","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41193855058079,"sku":"","price":29.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0394\/7236\/5727\/products\/PassageNorth.jpg?v=1633146118"},{"product_id":"no-one-is-talking-about-this","title":"No One Is Talking About This","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2021\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2021\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKerry's Review\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI picked up \u003cem\u003eNo One is Talking about This \u003c\/em\u003ebecause it had made the Booker shortlist and was a finalist for the Women’s Prize and the Center for Fiction First Novel. I hadn’t heard of the American author- Patricia Lockwood, I hadn’t read her poetry, I was completely unaware that she is considered “the poet laureate of Twitter”- I really didn’t know what to expect, just that it was causing quite a stir. What I got was a book that made me do a complete about face halfway through.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a novel about the internet - how we interact with it, how it connects and isolates us, entertains, horrifies, informs, trivialises and everything in-between. It is also about love, grief and being human.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe protagonist of Lockwoods’ two part novel is a female whose whole existence revolves around the internet, a woman with a worldwide online following. With the opening lines this anonymous narrator pulls the reader into her world, the virtual reality of the internet which she refers to as the portal. Text is formatted in chunks that you scroll through. Every click brings a new ad, a new meme, a new outrage, a new joke, a new way of speaking, thinking, looking, dressing, being… don’t look away, what will you miss? While I recognised the rabbit hole created, laughed and appreciated the sly wit, the sharp political jibes and flashes of beautiful prose, the incessant and inane chatter of the first 119 pages of this theatre of the absurd did see my interest flag. Granted I am quite sure there were important popular culture references that I completely missed. I grew up when you were either a good or a bad influence, at some time (probably while I was napping) that noun morphed into a profession and you are now an influencer. As a “non-Extremely Onliner” I would have given up and set this novel aside, but after all the hype I was sure there must be something else, some pivotal point that was going to bring it home for me....... There was, Part Two. A text from her mother “Something has gone wrong” and “how soon can you get here” changes everything.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second part is more than a gear change, our narrator emerges from the portal stepping into a reality that demands emotional stamina, where it is the complexities of love, grief and joy that are to be navigated. I found this half of the book deeply moving and intelligent. I don’t know if the depth of emotion I felt, yes I cried, was because the poignancy of the writing stood in such sharp relief from the, at times, trying too hard to be funny first half of the book or if it just felt more analog. Probably a bit of both.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNo One is Talking about This\u003c\/em\u003e won’t be for everyone, but I do understand why this inventive text is making so many shortlists. I am pleased I stayed the distance and I am really looking forward to discussing it with our readers because this is one that will polarize, you will either love it or hate it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOther Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e______________________________________________\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'A literary star'\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eHadley Freeman, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'An intellectual and emotional rollercoaster'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDaily Mail\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'I can't remember the last time I laughed so much reading a book'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e David Sedaris\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'It moved me to tears'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e Elizabeth Day\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'Patricia Lockwood is a completely singular talent'\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSally Rooney\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'Takes us on a complex journey'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'A formidably gifted writer'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e______________________________________________\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThis is a story about a life lived in two halves.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIt's about what happens when real life collides with the world accessed through a screen.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIt's about where we go when existential threats loom and high-stakes reality claims us back.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIt's about living in world that contains both an abundance of proof that there is goodness, empathy, and justice in the universe, and a deluge of evidence to the contrary.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIrreverent and sincere, poignant and delightfully profane, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eNo One Is Talking About This\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eis a meditation on love, language and human connection from one of the most original voices of our time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Patricia Lockwood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41193926000799,"sku":"","price":29.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0394\/7236\/5727\/products\/Nooneistalking.jpg?v=1633147235"},{"product_id":"lincoln-highway","title":"Lincoln Highway","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eTwo brothers venture across 1950s America to New York in the absorbing new novel by the author of the bestselling\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Gentleman in Moscow.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNick's Review\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eI have thoroughly enjoyed reading Lincoln Highway. 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Every character is a gem, the many locations spring to vivid life, the book is an intricate and moving exploration of journeys and the infinite unexpected turns they can take – and somehow Towles makes it all seem effortless. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it again’ \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTANA FRENCH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e‘The best novel I’ve read in years. Epic and original, mesmeric and life-affirming, in THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY Amor Towles takes his unmatched gift for storytelling and puts it on the road. Every beautiful paragraph takes the reader a mile further into a world where our choices matter, where life surprises us, and where people are worth the trouble. 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Once There Were Wolves\u003c\/em\u003e tells the story of a young Australian biologist who heads a team which, as part of a project of rewilding, is in the process of introducing wolves into a national park in Scotland. This immensely absorbing story is told from the perspective of Inti Flynn, the leader of the team, and it is the descriptions of her rich interior life and acute observations which give the novel its force. Through this means \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOnce There Were Wolves\u003c\/em\u003e affords the reader the vicarious experience of gleaning the workings of a highly sensitive and intelligent mind at play. The way in which Mc Conaghy is able to elicit deep feelings for her characters, all of whom are convincingly and memorably drawn, is yet another of her many impressive abilities. She also exhibits a highly developed facility for illuminating those broad forces which shape human behaviour while at the same time recognising when such an attempt eludes even the keenest of observers. Her descriptions of the landscape and the wolves are imbued with a poetic sensibility though, as the novel is written from the perspective of Inti Flynn, the book as a whole is written in a contemporary conversational style typical of many young people. The gradual and surprising way in which the story unfolds not only makes for compelling reading but further reveals her skill as a master story teller.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMcConaghy is not one to skim the surface of life but rather writes for the reflective reader and in doing so provides a form of solace which good quality literature most often does. I found \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOnce There Were Wolves \u003c\/em\u003ean extremely engaging and thought-provoking book as I suspect many other readers will also do.  Those of you who have not yet read this book have a deeply satisfying experience awaiting you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOther Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘So damn good. 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And it's also funny and warm and perfectly crafted with some of the best characters I have ever read. I will be enthusiastically recommending this novel to everyone forever. Charlotte McConaghy has cemented herself as a sure-thing, must-read writer for me. I loved loved loved this book -- \u003cstrong\u003eLaurie Frankel, New York Times bestselling author of This Is How It Always Is \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis heart-pounding novel digs into the complex relationships between humans and the creatures with which we share the natural world \u003cstrong\u003e* Newsweek * \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSuspenseful and poignant...humans and animals alike can break our hearts \u003cstrong\u003e* Scientific American * \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFar more than an old wolves' tale. 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Unflinching in its view of the harm humans inflict on the environment and on each other and insisting on the interconnectedness of the two Once There Were Wolves delivers a powerful call for hope in the face of catastrophe \u003cstrong\u003e* Shelf Awareness * \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVividly realized... 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This is not a sad book though, it is uplifting and Amanda's sense of humour shines through it all the way - inspiring.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"http:\/\/edge.alluremedia.com.au\/uploads\/businessinsider\/2017\/11\/amanda-in-hollywood-1.jpg\" data-mce-src=\"http:\/\/edge.alluremedia.com.au\/uploads\/businessinsider\/2017\/11\/amanda-in-hollywood-1.jpg\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003e\u003cem\u003e*The above picture has Amanda at the Emmy Awards in Hollywood surrounded by the main leads Kian Lawley and Anne Winters.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'Moving, witty, heartbreaking and absolutely beautiful.' \u003cb\u003eAlice Pung, author of \u003ci\u003eUnpolished Gem\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eHer Father's Daughter\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e'Zac and Mia are unforgettable-they put hooks into my heart that are still there. 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