Griffith Review 63: Writing the Country edited by Julianne Schultz & Ashley Hay

26 November 2019 ~ Brona's Books ~ 4 Comments

Image: James Tylor, Turralyendi Yerta (Womma) 2017 Photograph with ochre & charcoal.Place. Land. Country. Home. These words frame the settings of our stories. Griffith Review 63: Writing the Country focuses on Australia’s vast raft of environments to investigate how these places are changing and what they might become; what is flourishing and what is at … Continue reading Griffith Review 63: Writing the Country edited by Julianne Schultz & Ashley Hay

FranKissStein | Jeanette Winterson

7 October 201924 May 2023 ~ Brona's Books ~ 2 Comments

I have spent a ridiculous amount of time wondering how best to write the title of this book - FRAN KISS STEIN like the cover, FRANKISSSTEIN like the title page of the book or Frankissstein like Goodreads. FranKissStein appealed to me, but it's not a version I've spotted anywhere else. Whatever you call it, though, Frankissstein: … Continue reading FranKissStein | Jeanette Winterson

The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch

3 June 2019 ~ Brona's Books ~ 2 Comments

The hardest part about writing a review more than a week after finishing the book is trying to make sense of my notes and markings and trying not to get my current reads mixed up with the old book. So to help me get everything straight in my head, I'll start with the housekeeping.The Sea, … Continue reading The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch

Memories of the Future by Siri Hustvedt

17 May 2019 ~ Brona's Books ~ 2 Comments

Memories of the Future by Siri Husvedt has lived with me for a few months now. The slowness of my reading is in no way indicative of any lack of enjoyment on my behalf. It is, however a thoughtful, intelligent read, that requires some active participation. Something I could only do when not completely exhausted … Continue reading Memories of the Future by Siri Hustvedt

Starting a New Book…

17 April 2019 ~ Brona's Books ~ Leave a comment

So I've just started reading Siri Hustvedt's latest novel, Memories of the Future.I'm inclined to anticipate enjoyment of Hustvedt's work thanks solely (so far) on my experience with What I Loved. I feel sure that I will be in for an intelligent, literary treat.The first chapter has not disappointed.Metafiction is the name of this game … Continue reading Starting a New Book…

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

24 May 2018 ~ Brona's Books ~ 8 Comments

I like to think that I have taken my 'what to read whilst travelling' choices to an inspired level of brilliance, but I really outdid myself with our recent trip to Japan. Reading Murakami in Japan now feels like the ONLY place to read Murakami!Not only does the usual Murakami weirdness make sense when you're … Continue reading Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose

10 May 20179 March 2021 ~ Brona's Books ~ 8 Comments

Usually I prefer to start a book knowing as little about it as possible, especially contemporary fiction. I like to come at it without any prejudices or preconceived ideas so that I can make up my own mind. However that was not the case with the Stella Prize winning book The Museum of Modern Love … Continue reading The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose

Do Not Say We Have Nothing | Madeleine Thien

10 October 201622 May 2023 ~ Brona's Books ~ 6 Comments

The things we never say aloud and so they end up here, in diaries and notebooks, in private places. By the time we discover them, it’s too late For four days I've been trying to write a review that would do this rich, engrossing, mosaic of a book due justice. It wasn't so much writer's … Continue reading Do Not Say We Have Nothing | Madeleine Thien

Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift

9 June 2016 ~ Brona's Books ~ 10 Comments

OMG!How have I not read anything by Graham Swift before?(Assuming that is, that the writing abilities he displayed so gloriously in Mothering Sunday are also evident in his previous works.)This is the best book I've read this year so far. Hands down. No contest.Every single word was perfectly placed and felt like exactly the right … Continue reading Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift

The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf

5 May 2016 ~ Brona's Books ~ 3 Comments

It has taken me a while to write this review for The Voyage Out, as I had got myself into a bit of a muddle.A literary muddle.After reading such a fine literary classic, full of clever literary devices, I felt duty bound to write a clever, literary review in appreciation.But, of course, there are already … Continue reading The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

10 April 2016 ~ Brona's Books ~ 6 Comments

Being Mortal was one of my best reads for 2015.When I spotted Atul Gawande's quote on the front cover of When Breath Becomes Air, I was, therefore, instantly attracted.I'm not sure why I'm so compelled to read about death and dying right now, although, perhaps like Paul Kalanithi, it would be truer to say, that … Continue reading When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Carol by Patricia Highsmith

15 March 2016 ~ Brona's Books ~ 4 Comments

Usually, I prefer to read the book before I see the movie, but in this case, our long hot summer got the better of my good intentions.I recently escaped the heat by watching Brooklyn and Carol back to back in our local cinema.Both movies were fabulous for very different reasons and I came away determined to … Continue reading Carol by Patricia Highsmith

Freya | Anthony Quinn

2 March 201611 February 2023 ~ Brona's Books ~ 2 Comments

It has been ages since I read a book in manuscript form. Its kind of fun.There are no cover distractions, author bio's or quotes from other well-known authors. It's all about the words on the page. And the words that make up the story of Freya by Anthony Quinn are very well-chosen ones indeed. Quinn … Continue reading Freya | Anthony Quinn

Books in Books

11 February 2016 ~ Brona's Books ~ 9 Comments

There are a whole swath of books out there that talk about books - books ON books - it's a shelf on goodreads and in many bookshops. I love books on books and I'm hoping to dive into Barry Jones' latest effort, The Shock of Recognition, sooner rather than later.There is another categoryabout books like … Continue reading Books in Books