Isaacson, Walter (2023) Elon Musk. Simon & Schuster. Isaacson's biography of Elon Musk delves into the life of a complex, neurodivergent and brilliant man, from a dysfunctional background, whose ruthless and eccentric behaviour has challenged many. His relentless drive towards envisioning humankind's future has led to remarkable achievements and incredible feats. A capricious, creative, fanatical and… Continue reading January Picks
Tag: Good reads
December Picks
Harrow, Alix E (2023) Starling House. Tor. Although fantasy is not my thing this modern gothic tale with its haunted house and night horrors caught my attention. Not an easy read though. Opal is determined to find a better life for herself and her brother away from the dying coal town of Eden, Kentucky. Opal… Continue reading December Picks
November Picks
Hammer, Chris (2023) The Seven. Allen & Unwin. The Seven are Yuwonderie's most powerful founding families who became steeped in riches and power following the development of the town's irrigation scheme over 100 years ago. The machinations of the Seven are at the heart of this narrative with its three strands – a present-day murder… Continue reading November Picks
October Picks
Mawer, Simon (2022) Ancestry. Little, Brown. Simon Mawer brings his own family tree to life in a novelisation of his nineteenth century forebears. It is a tale of his two great-great-grandfathers, their wives and families - on his maternal side, seaman Abraham Block, and his seamstress wife, Naomi, and from the paternal, foot soldier George… Continue reading October Picks
September Picks
Patchett, Ann (2023) Tom Lake. Bloomsbury. During lockdown Lara's three adult daughters return to the family's Michigan fruit orchard. To lighten the weary work as they help with the cherry harvest Lara shares daily reminiscences of her youthful romance with Peter Duke. Duke later went on to become a mega-movie star (think Brad Pitt). This… Continue reading September Picks
August Picks
Atwood, Margaret (2023) Old Babes in the Wood: Stories. Doubleday. This is a rather sad book of stories about the inevitability of old age (and death). These miscellaneous tales are told in three parts, bookended by Tig & Nell then Nell & Tig. The Tig and Nell stories are tales of a long marriage, during… Continue reading August Picks
July Picks
Kassabova, Kapka (2023) Elixir: In the Valley at the End of Time. J.Cape. Kassabova's spellbinding pilgrimage to the lush valleys of the upper Mesta river, and its tributaries, in her ancestral Bulgaria is rich with connections between people, plants and place. The syncretic and wretched communities she visits have been traumatised by invasion, persecution, and… Continue reading July Picks
June Picks
Sauers, Joan (2023) Echo Lake. Allen & Unwin. Rose McHugh, a recently divorced historian, moves to the atmospheric Southern Highlands of New South Wales to begin a new life. In the garden of her isolated cottage she finds a buried roll of film containing photos of a young woman who went missing six years ago. Against… Continue reading June Picks
May Picks
Ivar, Katja (2023) Trouble. Bitter Lemon Press. Helsinki, June 1953. Intrepid Finnish detective Hella Mauzer, in her third outing, is now a reluctant private investigator. When her former murder squad boss asks her to dig into the background of a member of the Finnish Secret Service she is not in a position to refuse. She… Continue reading May Picks
April Picks
Bogdanich, Walt, Michael Forsythe (2022) When McKinsey Comes to Town: The Hidden Influence of the World's Most Powerful Consulting Firm. Random House. McKinsey and Company are the most widely recognised consultancy firm in the world. McKinsey has a reputation for recruiting top talent, high level advisory to governments and corporates, being values driven and above… Continue reading April Picks
7:30 Bookclub 