Humankind: A Hopeful History is more than just a popular science book that hits the right note during this unsettling time in our human history. For starters, Bregman uses a LOT more footnotes than one usually finds in a popular science book. He has obviously spent a lot of time researching, questioning and thinking about … Continue reading Humankind: A Hopeful History | Rutger Bregman #NLDnonfiction
The run into Christmas and the silly season, leaves me tired, frazzled and depleted most years. This year I'm attempting a calmer, kinder approach. As a first line of defence I started interspersing junior fiction reads amongst my regular reads several weeks ago. I've been saving all the interesting looking ones for months now, so … Continue reading Australian Junior Fiction Catch Up
I picked Midwinter Break from my TBR pile to read for Cathy @746Books #ReadIreland18 month. It is a staff pick at work thanks to one of my colleagues, so I was looking forward to it. But I failed to engage. There was lots to like about the story. I enjoyed the time that Stella and Gerry had … Continue reading Midwinter Break | Bernard MacLaverty
I picked up Amsterdam unexpectedly just as I finished Do Not Say We Have Nothing thanks to spotting a readalong with JoAnn @Lakeside Musing, Care's Books & Pies and Althira @Reading on a Rainy Day. I adored DNSWHN to pieces and strongly wish, hope and desire that it wins this years Booker Prize (my review is … Continue reading Amsterdam by Ian McEwan
The Last Painting of Sara de Vos got a rave review on the ABC's Bookclub program early on this year.I've been saving it for my week's holiday at the beach, because it sounded like it would be my kind of perfect lie-by-the-pool-and-read-all-day book.And it was.Skipping between the 1600's in the Netherlands to the 1950's in … Continue reading The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith
Nine Open Arms is set in a fictional town based on the little town of Sittard, in the Netherlands, where the author grew up.Originally titled Negen Open Armen & published in 2004, it has now been beautifully translated into English by Dutch-born, Australian-based translator Johannes (John) Antonius Maria Nieuwenhuizen.In his translator notes, Nieuwenhuizen said,"Lindelauf uses … Continue reading Nine Open Arms by Benny Lindelauf
Please don't hold it against me, but I devoured The Dinner in one weekend. I could barely put it down (except for the times when the horribleness got too much for me and I had to look away.) For me it was the book equivalent of Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs. It was ugly, provocative and disturbing … Continue reading The Dinner | Herman Koch
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