I’ve read a couple of these now and generally enjoy Meanjin for the variety and introductions to new concepts, writing styles and authors I generally wouldn’t be exposed to. I also enjoy the biographies of the authors which captures a good snapshot of the literary community in Australia. I generally struggle with the short stories…

Stephen Fry’s tone oozes from this book and if you’re not a fan it can be a little grating. In retelling the classical Greek stories he takes creative liberties which don’t just stop at dialogue but also interwoven thoughts and options about the events being retold. The tone is generally humorous, a little irreverent and…

I started reading through this book quite quickly, then I took a break, and then I finished a couple of months later. This book is my second of John Carey’s after his 100 Poets, both are useful histories of poetry. 100 Poets offers I think a deeper look at the poet’s lives and a deeper…

I was over the moon when I received a copy of this book for my birthday. It was printed on demand and represented the culmination of a year’s search asking for it at bookstores around Melbourne. After a slow start (largely biographical) this book delighted me with unheard stories that I feel every football fan…

After reading a couple of Taleb’s books in Uni I was completely entrapped by his thinking. I picked up The Bed of Procrustes and not only did it take me nearly a decade to read but it has represented one of the most frustrating experiences of my life (a mild exaggeration there). Taking the advice…

I read most of this during a sick day at home. It was short and written in a quite personable open style so it was quick to get through. Murakami here presents a series of thoughts, almost like essays, in a loosely connected book that roughly is presented chronologically. Murakami talks about his pre-writing life…

I picked up Kafka on the Shore after visiting a bookshop in Japan. I was surprised (somewhat naïve) to find very few English books for sale so far on my holiday, so this small selection peaked my interest. However, oddly about half the books were various titles from the same author, Haruki Murakami. So after…

This was a short book that was neatly organised into clear parts. Generally, Matsumoto would describe an item, explain how to clean said item, explain said item in the context of monk like and tie this all together with the general philosophies of Buddhist monks. It covered practical cleaning areas like windows and kitchenware but…

After thouroughly enjoying the first book in this series I was delighted to pick up the sequel, The Da Vinci Code, for just $7 at K-Mart. Dan Brown once again employs similar narrative devices in this book. Again, we follow Robert Langdon on a frantic treasure hunt following a murder. However, this time Brown takes…

A poetry handbook is the first book about writing that I think I have read, and it was excellent. Oliver breaks down poetry like a true craftsman, technically, presenting different techniques and dissecting them for the reader. She peppers her analysis with often humorous opinions on the craft or particular techniques and writes so precisely,…

I think I read this in one day? It was short, I had time and space and I was fascinated by the simple and logical story this book presented. The Invisible doctrine sought to do one thing, reveal the concept of Neoliberalism from behind the increasingly dark cover it lurks behind. Much like Lord Voldemort…

This book spent more time talking about Jimmy Savile then I expected. It felt like a big part of this was Louis trying to make sense of the whole episode himself, and in that way Louis, intentional or not, provided us with a view into himself just as he does many of his other subjects.…

Browsing Brunswick Bound I stumbled on not just this collection of poetry, but a whole suite of Greek-Australian Press. I didn’t realise how active the scene here was and hope to better engage with it! Anyway, I’m thankful that I picked up Kalliope X Speaks and enjoyed the variety and tone of the content. The…

Angels & Demons was a fun book that I finally got to reading after encouragement from a friend. I accept that it isn’t a guilty pleasure, it was a good book! An engaging fast paced story with interesting characters and beautifully weaved interactions with history’s odds and ends. Anyone approaching this with more than the…