Émile Zola: A Very Short Introduction | Brian Nelson #LiteraryCompanion

September 4, 2021September 4, 2021 ~ Brona's Books ~ 7 Comments

Émile Zola: A Very Short Introduction is part of the very excellent Oxford University Press Very Short Introduction series. There are over 700 titles in the series covering everything from author biographies, religions and philosophers, medicine and health topics, periods of history, cultural and social issues, to science and maths. If you're on the brink … Continue reading Émile Zola: A Very Short Introduction | Brian Nelson #LiteraryCompanion

The Labyrinth | Amanda Lohrey #AWW

August 9, 2021August 10, 2021 ~ Brona's Books ~ 9 Comments

Let me begin in my father's house. A good opening line tells you a lot. Right from the get-go we see there is a story to be told. There is a father (but not a mother) and that houses will be significant. We start with Erica returning to her old family home - a cottage … Continue reading The Labyrinth | Amanda Lohrey #AWW

The M Word | Dr Ginni Mansberg #AWWnonfiction

July 19, 2021October 17, 2021 ~ Brona's Books ~ 8 Comments

My nana used to call it the 'change of life'. It was a change alright. If you take a quick glance at the health section in most Australian bookshops, you will notice that suddenly there are quite a few books about older women's health, specifically perimenopause and menopause, being published. I can only assume it's … Continue reading The M Word | Dr Ginni Mansberg #AWWnonfiction

Square Haunting | Francesca Wade #GBRnonfiction

June 12, 2021October 17, 2021 ~ Brona's Books ~ 19 Comments

A few minutes past midnight on Tuesday, 10 September 1940, an air raid struck Mecklenburgh Square. After a mini-reading slump in April, I needed something to capture my attention and my heart. Normally I would go to some cosy crime, or pick up a Jane Austen. Instead, this time, I found myself in the warm … Continue reading Square Haunting | Francesca Wade #GBRnonfiction

The Mirror and the Light | Hilary Mantel #Readalong

June 8, 2021June 9, 2021 ~ Brona's Books ~ 10 Comments

Once the queen's head is severed, he walks away. Didn't Anne die in the previous book? And didn't we deal with the time immediately after her death already? Is this opening line a signal that a big recap is coming? Yes and no. As it turns out The Mirror and the Light is an overlong … Continue reading The Mirror and the Light | Hilary Mantel #Readalong

Wolf Hall Companion | Lauren Mackay #AWWliterarycompanion

June 5, 2021October 17, 2021 ~ Brona's Books ~ 17 Comments

Lauren Mackay has created a very appealing companion book, to have to hand, whilst reading Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy. I love beautifully produced and packaged books - this is definitely one. Now that I have reread and read all three Wolf Hall books, I suspect I will not need to read them again and … Continue reading Wolf Hall Companion | Lauren Mackay #AWWliterarycompanion

The Passenger: Japan #travelwriting

June 2, 2021October 17, 2021 ~ Brona's Books ~ 2 Comments

A new series from Europa Editions, The Passenger collects the best new writing, photography, art and reportage from around the world. There are five books in The Passenger series to date - Japan, Greece, Brazil, Turkey and India. Two more are imminent - Berlin and Paris. I'm often a sucker for good packaging, and these books are … Continue reading The Passenger: Japan #travelwriting

Phosphorescence | Julia Baird #AWWessays

April 19, 2021October 17, 2021 ~ Brona's Books ~ 17 Comments

There are few things as startling as encountering an unearthly glow in the wild. Confession one: this book was a chore to read. Confession two: for the past week I have been trying to read three books that were a chore to read. Why, I hear you ask? Confession three: I made myself finish one, … Continue reading Phosphorescence | Julia Baird #AWWessays

Homeland Calling | edited by Ellen Van Neervan #AWWpoetry

March 27, 2021October 17, 2021 ~ Brona's Books ~ 6 Comments

‘we are strong, we are beautiful and we should be proud of our culture, our stories, our languages.’ – Danzal Baker (aka Baker Boy) Homeland Calling is a collection of poems created from hip-hop song lyrics that channel culture and challenge stereotypes. Written by First Nations youth from communities all around Australia, the powerful words display … Continue reading Homeland Calling | edited by Ellen Van Neervan #AWWpoetry

Mayflies | Andrew O’Hagan #GBRfiction

March 23, 2021October 17, 2021 ~ Brona's Books ~ 9 Comments

Mayflies by Andrew O'Hagan appears to be one of those books especially designed for that subset of people born in the 1960's - the babies of the baby boomers and the very first Gen X-er's. Those people too young to get caught up in the whole 60's music scene, but by dint of being born … Continue reading Mayflies | Andrew O’Hagan #GBRfiction

People From My Neighbourhood | Hiromi Kawakami #JPNshortstories

February 26, 2021October 17, 2021 ~ Brona's Books ~ 4 Comments

From the best-selling author of Strange Weather in Tokyo comes a collection of playful, delightful, delectable Japanese micro-fiction. Take a story and shrink it. Make it tiny, so small it can fit in the palm of your hand. Carry the story with you everywhere, let it sit with you while you eat, let it watch you while … Continue reading People From My Neighbourhood | Hiromi Kawakami #JPNshortstories

Vesper Flights | Helen Macdonald #GBRnonfiction

February 21, 2021October 17, 2021 ~ Brona's Books ~ 4 Comments

I missed out on reading Helen Macdonald's H is for Hawke a few years ago when it first came out to great acclaim. No good reason, just one of those things, so I was determined not to miss out on Vesper Flights. Especially since Macdonald was fortunate enough to get Chris Wormell to once … Continue reading Vesper Flights | Helen Macdonald #GBRnonfiction

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