What we read in January
Kiwi authors
The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey
When Marnie, a farmer's wife on a remote south island station rescues a magpie chick fallen from a nest, she unwittingly sets in motion events that will change everyone's lives for ever. Tamagotchi, nicknamed Tama, sees the world differently, he sees the way Rob gets angry at Marnie, but can't do anything to stop it. He witnesses the violence inherent in the world both magpie and human (his mother, Death by Car), but is insulated by Marnie's love. When Marnie inadvertently makes Tama go viral though, the pressures on the familial relationships strain bonds. Tama's narration cleverly gives the reader a sense of remove from the brutality of Rob and Marnie's relationship, while also overlaying a growing sense of disquiet. A brilliant, tragic and darkly hilarious novel by one of New Zealand's great writers.
Keri is a single Mum doing it tough with a wild but sweet 4 year old Walty and a teenager Wairere who is struggling to grow into her powerful self. Next door lives Janet, an older woman with Opinions who has had her own struggles in life, and Sera, Adam and Eliana, recently resettled climate refugees from the other side of the world. The nascent peace of the flats is disturbed when Janet's adult son Conor returns, trailing dark vibes which Wairere feels, setting the neighbours on edge.
Set in a near future Aotearoa rumbled by ecological disasters and social tensions, this is a subtly nuanced and beautifully written novel.
An insightful, informative and inspiring memoir/travelogue of Nic Low's multiple crossings of the Southern Alps following the Kāi Tahu pounamu routes. Pieced together though oral and written histories including those of Low's own ancestors and whānau, this is a deeply personal story, yet also one for the entire country.
Borrow Uprising as a book club set.
Horror...kind of
Nell is a frustrated artist living on a remote, wave tossed island off the Irish coast. Using flotsam and found objects she makes unusual art, art that brings her satisfaction if not money. Also living on the island are the 'Inions', a group of isolated women who have removed themselves from the world. When the leader of the group, the enigmatic, slightly malevolent 'maman' contracts Nell to make a book commemorating the group's 30 years, Nell is drawn into the world of these women. Meanwhile, she meets Cleary, a man who has returned to the island to tend to his dying Uncle, and Nick, an American actor who comes to the island under false pretenses. Between the Inions and the two men, Nell struggles to keep her equilibrium, and as her project for the women comes to a close, the strange energy that surrounds the island seems to heighten, bringing things to a potentially violent end.
An eerie horror/thriller (more thriller than horror) set around a crumbling reservoir in upstate New York where generations ago a village was flooded so New York City could have drinking water. An engineer possessed by the ghost of villagers past, the sheriff's son on a path to redemption and a young police woman hoping to find answers to some family secrets get caught up in the dam's explosive path. This suspenseful thriller, with its well-developed characters and expertly crafted tension, will keep you on the edge of your seat until the explosive climax.
Different for Boys by Patrick Ness
Ant Stevenson and his friends Charlie, Jack and Freddie are navigating the highs and lows of teenage boyhood. Ant and Charlie are doing something (Ant isn't sure what it is), but Charlie is violently homophobic towards drama kid Jack who's obsessed with Mark Ruffalo. And beautiful Freddie, back in the area after years away is trying to figure out how to slot back in. Ness' exploration of young male teen sexuality is accompanied by striking graphics by Tea Bendix which add to the story.
If you're new to Ness, try Burn and Release.
I tried reading this 15 years ago when it first came out but didn't complete it. Listening to it now I am in awe of Mantel's ability to make a man seen by history as a villainous figure (Thomas Cromwell) into a very human person caught up in a sticky web of political intrigue. The genius of the Cromwell trilogy is Mantel's ability to bring out Cromwell the husband, the father, the family man, the man who provides for his nephews and wards, finds husbands for his nieces and cares for his servants. This human side makes an otherwise daunting (24 hour!) audio book a pleasant and entertaining prospect.
Listen to Wolf Hall on Libby or Borrowbox
What does Israel Fear from Palestine
A small book talking about a big topic in easy to digest and understand chapters, this is an essential starters guide to the conflict, encompassing history, present issues and future problems and possible solutions. A great guide to those wanting to stay on top of current events.
Beatty's bitter satire of life as a black man in modern day Los Angeles won the 2016 Booker Prize for good reason. This is a difficult, confronting and darkly funny read that certainly isn't for the faint hearted - one main character acts out his desire to become an enslaved person - but it is also brilliantly composed, highlighting what a skilled wordsmith Beatty is.
