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F
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BOOKS
DECEMBER
& JA N UA RY
NEW RELEASES
MUSIC
FILM
EVENTS
PER
PETTERSON
$19.95
p3
WOLFGANG
HERRNDORF
$19.99
p4
$24.99
p6
BEHIND THE
CANDELABRA
$39.95
p17
JAMES VINCENT
McMORROW
$21.95
p18
MORE INSIDE...
DAN
CROWE (ED.)
CARLTON 309 Lygon St 9347 6633 HAWTHORN 701 Glenferrie Rd 9819 1917 MALVERN 185 Glenferrie Rd 9509 1952
ST KILDA 112 Acland St 9525 3852 READINGS AT THE STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIA 328 Swanston St 8664 7540
READINGS AT THE BRAIN CENTRE 30 Royal Parade, Parkville 9347 1749
See shop opening hours, browse and buy online at www.readings.com.au
R E A D I N G S M O N T H LY D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 4
Marks
Best
Books
of 2013
Mark Rubbo,
Readings Managing Director
SO FRENCHY SO CHIC
IN THE PARK
So Frenchy So Chic in the Park takes over the
grounds of Werribee Park on Sunday 12 January
for a day of fine French music, food and wine.
This family-friendly boutique party features folkpop chanteuse and daughter of Jane Birkin, Lou
Doillon, charismatic duo Lilly Wood & The Prick,
the effervescent Ff, and 10-piece ska, reggae
and rock band Babylon Circus. Please visit
cartellmusic.com.au/sfsc or
sofrenchysochic.com.au for more information
INTERNATIONAL AIDS
CONFERENCE
FF IN-STORE
This is a lovely, thoughtful novel. The protagonist, Nina Goldsmith, is a middle-aged advisor on memorial
projects. After spending most of her adult life overseas, she returns to Australia after her marriage fails.
There she finds her sister and her partner caught in a spiral of self destruction and deception, haunted
by their past. Critic Peter Pierce wrote in the Age, It is an adult entertainment passionate, thoughtful,
disconcerting and altogether to be welcomed.
This is an extremely powerful and, at times, confronting novel about the brutality of war and the nature of
heroism. Set mainly in a POW camp on the Thai Burma Railway, the central character is a young doctor,
Dorrigo Evans. By virtue of his rank, Evans is pushed into a role as leader of the POWs and comes to be
regarded as a selfless hero, a description that sits uneasily with him. Richard Flanagans description of
the conditions in the camp is brilliantly executed and I found the narrative totally compelling.
My Promised Land
Ari Shavit
Random House. HB. $45
Israel seemed a land of promise and hope. It was a powerful statement against the holocaust, and
the socialist ideals of the early Zionists heralded a grand social experiment. But Israel was founded
on contradictions that still haunt it today; the legacy of the massive, and often violent, displacement of
hundreds of thousands of Palestinians remains unresolved. Journalist Ari Shavit has written a powerful,
uplifting, sad and very personal book about this enigmatic society. My Promised Land will change the way
you think of the Middle East and Israel its a beautifully written book that will stay with you for a long time.
Coal Creek
Alex Miller
A&U. PB. Was $30
Special price $26.95
I have always been a great fan of Alex Millers work. His career has been marked by numerous awards,
including two Miles Franklin Literary Awards, the Melbourne Prize and the Commonwealth Writers Prize.
Coal Creek is an extraordinary and tough story of love set against the harsh Australian landscape. The
narrator is a stockman, Bobby Blue, who works for the local police constable. With no formal education,
Bobby Blues story is told without pretension. An astoundingly beautiful novel.
Eyrie
Tim Winton
Editorial enquiries:
Belle Place at belle.place@readings.com.au
Advertising enquiries:
Ingrid Josephine at ingrid.josephine@readings.com.au
or call (03) 9341 7739.
CINEMA
Keri Russell Bret McKenzie Jennifer Coolidge
NOVA
Theres something very unique about Tim Wintons writing. He writes with a powerful voice thats hard to be
ambivalent about. Wintons characters are often fighting their own inner demons and grappling with moral
choices. In Eyrie, former TV presenter and environmental advocate, Tom Keely, has hit rock bottom after
a political misjudgement sees his job, reputation and marriage in tatters. As our reviewer wrote: Eyrie is a
complex, exhilarating work that provides valuable insight into contemporary life in a compromised Australia.
Its also a ripping good read.
RECOMMENDS
KILL YOUR
DAnAambitious
R L Ithriller
N Gassisted
S
R E A D I N G S M O N T H LY D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 4
New Fiction
International
Fiction
ASHES IN MY MOUTH,
SAND IN MY SHOES
Per Petterson
GODS DOG
Diego Marani
Text. PB. $27.99
Released 2 January
Review: Gods Dog is a rare
kind of literary detective novel:
thrilling, hard-boiled and
action-packed, with beautiful
imagery and compelling
insights into religion, science
and philosophy. Its also a
uniquely Italian take on the dystopian genre, a
relief after the flood from the Anglosphere.
Reading translated novels is always a slightly
unnerving experience, but as Italian author
Diego Maranis novel New Finnish Grammar was
ACTORS ANONYMOUS
James Franco
Faber. PB. $29.99
Review: Mark Twain said,
Write what you know, and
James Franco knows acting. But
he has also directed two feature
films this year (Interior. Leather
Bar. and As I Lay Dying) and
teaches English at the University
of California. He published a collection of linked
stories, Palo Alto, in 2010, and is currently
undertaking a PhD candidature at Yale. Director,
teacher, writer, student arent these but roles in
the performance of life? Such is the premise of
Francos debut novel, Actors Anonymous.
Though the title suggests a juicy tellall, in the style of Kenneth Angers Hollywood
Babylon, Actors Anonymous is the opposite of an
expose. Entering the literary world as a madcap
exercise in self-obfuscation, it is much closer in
spirit to Joaquin Phoenix and Casey Afflecks
hoax film project Im Still Here (2010): a realityinspired fiction told by an unreliable narrator.
Sometimes that narrator is Franco but mostly it is
the wildest figures of his imagination, expressing
themselves freely in a mixed-bag confessional.
A continuation of the multi-character
narrative he developed in Palo Alto, Actors
Anonymous is Francos attempt to define and
give voice to the fragmented and tortured souls
who dwell in the darkest corners of his psyche.
The result is a book as narcissistic as it is selfloathing. Characters who dont embody Francos
own white, upper middle-class, heteronormative
and male constitution are treated with a lack of
respect, and sensitive readers will think Franco
is playing out some disturbing, deep-seeded
racism and misogyny but that would be too
simplistic. It is, after all, a work of fiction. The real
question then, is not so much Is it real? but Is it
From
the
Books
Desk
Martin Shaw,
Readings Books Division Manager
In mid-November the winner of the 2013 Most Underrated Book Award was announced at a
wonderful prize-giving evening organised by the Small Press Network. It is the only award on our
literary calendar which seeks to acknowledge special books that, for whatever reason, did not receive
their fair dues when first released. As the judges remarked: That we have such a thriving small press
scene capable of and willing to provide a platform for these exciting voices is thrilling, and the passion
invested in each of the titles is palpable. We heartily congratulate the shortlistees, and overall winner,
Merlinda Bobis, for the Fish-Hair Woman.
This edition of the Readings Monthly likewise includes several fantastic books which may fly a little
under the radar amid the Christmas maelstrom, but are worthy of our attention nonetheless. From
beloved Norwegian author Per Petterson (of Out Stealing Horses fame) comes the first publication in
English of his debut novel, Ashes in My Mouth, Sand in My Shoes, a release which already signaled
the arrival of a major talent. And from Italian author Diego Marani, who burst on to the scene with New
Finnish Grammar a few years ago, there is Gods Dog, a most unusual literary detective novel.
Speaking of strange, 2003 Booker-winner DBC Pierre returns with Petit Mal. Drawing on Pierres life
living in pursuit of sensation as he puts it its a collection of flash fictions, philosophical musings
and prose poems interspersed with cartoons, drawings and photographs. Browsing through these is
as disorientating a process as it is entertaining, according to our reviewer. Clearly one for the fans, or
the lover of the surreal!
In terms of Oz lit, there is a very exciting publication arriving on our shores from the US the third issue
of Music & Literature, partly dedicated to the life and work of our own Gerald Murnane. The issue
features a wonderful autobiographical piece in the form of correspondence with the Nigerian author Teju
Cole, and includes a glimpse of Murnanes legendary archive. This volume also offers numerous essays,
including contributions from local Murnanians Wayne Macauley and Emmett Stinson.
On the non-fiction front, notable is a collection of essays by Australias leading female voices on Julia
Gillards prime ministership: Bewitched & Bedeviled: Women Write the Gillard Years. There are also
two new music biographies one on the recently departed rock legend Lou Reed, Lou Reed: The
Life, by the well-regarded Mick Wall; the other We Are Alive: A Portrait of Bruce Springsteen, by the
New Yorker editor David Remnick.
Finally this is the month when Readings announces its Best Of lists. Im delighted to see that some
of my personal favourites have made the cut: Barracuda, A History of Silence, Boomer & Me and The
Death of Bees. To round out my personal Top 5 I would perhaps join the chorus of acclaim for Karl Ove
Knausgrd his A Man in Love is a book Ive seldom stopped thinking about this year.
PETIT MAL
DBC Pierre
R E A D I N G S M O N T H LY D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 4
EQUILATERAL
Ken Kalfus
SOMEONE
Alice McDermott
Bloomsbury. PB. $27.99
In Someone, scattered
recollections of childhood,
adolescence, motherhood, old
age are stitched into a vibrant
whole by National Book
Award-winner Alice McDermotts
deft, lyrical voice. Marie grows up
in an Irish neighbourhood in
1930s New York, and McDermott sketches her
first heartbreak and her eventual marriage; her
brother Gabes brief stint as a Catholic priest, his
subsequent loss of faith and eventual breakdown;
the advent of the World War II; the death of their
parents; the births and lives of the next
generation, Maries children, and the changing
world outside Maries Brooklyn window. With
sympathy and insight, this book speaks truthfully
of life as it is daily lived.
PIGS FOOT
Carlos Acosta
SAVING MOZART
Raphal Jerusalmy
Text. PB. $19.99
On the eve of the World War II,
time is running out for Otto
Steiner, an elderly Jewish music
critic who is languishing in a
sanitorium in Salzburg. With the
sinister sounds of Nazism in his
ears, he feels surrounded by
darkness, and when hes asked to write the
program notes for the approaching music
festival, he decides to act. His diary bears witness
to his astonishing act of heroism, revealing how
music itself can be a powerful form of resistance.
Anthology
book
of
the
month
WHY WE TOOK THE CAR
Wolfgang Herrndorf
Scribe. PB. $19.99
Released 2 January
Review: Mike Klingenberg has no friends. He
believes this is because he is boring, which is
cemented in his mind when he never receives
an invite to the party of the year being held by
the most popular girl in school (and the love of
R E A D I N G S M O N T H LY D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 4
New Crime
Dead Write
book
of
the
month
DEATH IN FLORENCE
SILENT KILL
NORTH OF BOSTON
Elisabeth Elo
Marco Vichi
Released 10 January
Inspector Bordellis emotions
mirror Florences grey and
stormy weather: its 1966 and
as he edges ever closer to
retirement and solitude,
Florence moves closer to a
catastrophic flood. Bordellis
inability to let go of his wartime past isnt helped
by his suspicions that fascists are to blame for the
disappearance of a 13-year-old boy, the timing of
which means that others who are not as
headstrong as Bordelli are preoccupied by the
rising waters outdoors. This is a loving re-creation
of Florence and a fascinating character piece.
IN THE BLOOD
Lisa Unger
Peter Corris
Stuart MacBride
Released 2 January
Outside
the Frame
Sam Twyford-Moore on how photography influenced the
writing of Janet Malcolm and Geoff Dyer.
Good writing about photography is hard to find. There are millions of photography books instructions,
owner manuals, individual artist monographs, digital camera guides for dummies but few books
of critical writing dedicated to the art. Usually it takes a non-expert stepping into the field to offer a
different perspective and bring the book to attention. Janet Malcolm began writing about photography
for The New Yorker in the late 1970s, seemingly building on the work of Susan Sontags seminal On
Photography collected essays primarily published in The New York Review of Books but in a far
more accessible manner. These early essays were eventually published as Diana & Nikon: Essays on
the Aesthetic of Photography, which was her first published book. The collection is not unloved but is
mostly ignored when it comes to talking about Malcolms oeuvre which is a shame, because it is the
key to unlocking the masterful non-fiction writer than she would later become.
Writing about photography seems to have been a strategy, intentional or otherwise, for Malcolm to
train her eye for her later non-fiction work the incredible descriptions of physical details in her later
New Yorker essays, and books like The Journalist and the Murderer and The Silent Woman: Sylvia Plath
and Ted Hughes, seem to have their origins in her writing on the American photography greats: Alfred
Stieglitz, Edward Weston, Robert Frank, William Eggleston and the titular Diane Arbus. It is difficult to
imagine Malcolms incredible and horrific visual survey of a derelict house of one of Plaths neighbours
at the end of The Silent Woman without going over the revolutionary ordinariness of the clutter found
in the photos of Eggleston and Frank. Indeed, a Paris Review interview with Malcolm opens with the
interviewer admitting her own blind spots with visual detail when it comes to describing the room in
which the interview is taking place as Malcolm gently debates what should be included. Or there is
this built up description of a volume on Arbus, published in conjunction with a retrospective by San
Franscico Museum of Modern Art, which Malcolm detested:
The book reminds me of a porch I know with a lovely view of a valley, but where no one ever
sits, because it is crammed from floor to ceiling with mattresses, broken chairs, TV sets, piles of
dishes, cat carriers, baby strollers, farm implements, unfinished woodworking projects, cartons
of back issues of Popular Mechanics, black plastic bags filled with who knows what.
This precise list-making is surely something that is learnt by observing and collecting the details of
photographs. British novelist and essayist Geoff Dyer acknowledges as much when he writes that
Walt Whitmans poetry at times, read like extended captions in a huge, constantly evolving catalogue
of photographs. Dyer approaches many of the same Canon-ical figures found in Malcolms book in
his 2005 non-fiction work The Ongoing Moment. The book serves as both a tour of and love letter to
America from an outsider looking in, one casually flipping through the family album of an entire nation.
Dyer, modelling himself on his hero Barthes in Camera Lucida, who makes the same confession,
stresses that he does not own a camera. The writer who considers photography is always an outsider,
as he doesnt have access to the visual exactness of the photographer himself.
R E A D I N G S M O N T H LY D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 4
New Non-Fiction
book
of
the
month
DEAD INTERVIEWS
Dan Crowe (ed.)
Granta. HB. $24.99
Review: The idea of talking with the dead as a
form of literary conceit has been with us for
centuries. Dan Crowe proffers Dialogues of the
Dead by Lucian of Samosata (c.12580) as the
first evidence of this kind of writing. We all talk with
the dead, Crowe suggests, seeking solace,
answers and revelations.
Many of the stories in this collection
of fictionalised interviews with deceased writers
and other icons have been published previously
in Crowes literary quarterly, Zembla, while others
were commissioned exclusively for this book. The
title Zembla was lifted from Nabokovs Pale Fire,
described here as a perfect fusion of tradition,
reflection, literary playfulness and distortion, and
the stories in Dead Interviews are certainly rife
with these last two. Cynthia Ozick asks Henry
James intrusive questions hes not prepared to
answer, especially not to a feminist. David Mitchell
interviews both Samuel Johnson and Johnsons
biographer James Boswell, while William Blake
makes a cheeky cameo appearance. Andy Warhol
appears as dithering in death as in life in Douglas
Couplands entry.
Its revealing to see how each writer
has worked with the concept, and some
stories will charm more than others. John
Burnsides interview with Rachel Carson was
particularly moving; her ideas still resonate,
given our continued environmental destruction
and political framework, and Ive now added
Carsons Silent Spring to my reading list. Z.Z.
Packers enlightening interview with the black
Mozart and inspiration for dArtagnan, Monsieur
de Saint-George, had me reaching for the
history books and revisiting Alexandre Dumas
The Three Musketeers.
Joyce Carol Oates refreshingly
broke the Q&A formation favoured by all other
contributors and elevated this collection with her
inspired piece on Robert Frost, whom we meet
seemingly dozing with a scribble of saliva on
his mouth. In some respects this is an odd idea
for a collection, and at times its a little patchy, but
its a wild plunge among the dead, into a curious
world where history has been inventively revisited
by some of our finest writers.
Politics
BEWITCHED &
BEDEVILLED: WOMEN
WRITE THE GILLARD YEARS
Samantha Trenoweth (ed.)
Hardie Grant. PB. $24.95
Bewitched & Bedevilled looks
at the reasons Julia Gillard, our
first female prime minister, was
so vehemently attacked, the
varied reactions to having a
female prime minister, and her
unfortunate position at the
receiving end of a barrage of sexism and
Australian
Studies
A COUNTRY IN MIND:
MEMOIR WITH
LANDSCAPE
Saskia Beudel
UWAP. PB. $29.99
After a difficult period Saskia
Beudel began walking,
through Australia and across
the globe, but often choosing
the glowing ochre gorges of
central Australia as her
surrounds. In the book that
emerged, Beudel powerfully captures the
enigmas of displacement and belonging; she
shares stories from the heart of the desert,
examines the entanglement of Aboriginal and
European cultures, remembers POW camps
in Indonesia during World War II, and relives
childhood epiphanies in a haunting collection
of landscapes.
Biography
WE ARE ALIVE: A
PORTRAIT OF BRUCE
SPRINGSTEEN
David Remnick
Scribe. HB. $19.95
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer
and editor of The New Yorker
David Remnick paints a
portrait of Americas workingclass hero Bruce Springsteen,
from his recent Wrecking Ball
world tour all the way back to
childhood rocknroll fantasies. Springsteens
strained relationship with his father, his battle
with mental illness and much more are
revealed as Remnick traces a career that
spans over four decades. The rock legends
story also provides insight into the heart of
America, the drive of self-transformation and
renewal, making We Are Alive a much-needed
contribution to our understanding of history.
SPIKE MILLIGAN:
MAN OF LETTERS
Spike Milligan
Viking. HB. $45
Spike Milligan: Man of Letters
presents a rich selection of the
funniest and most revealing of
his missives. Here is
correspondence with
politicians, actors, celebrities
and other unlikely individuals
on a range of subjects, from rounded teabags
(what did you do with the corners?) to backless
hospital gowns (beyond my comprehension).
Unlike his scripts, poetry, fiction or even his
memoirs, these letters show his talent raw and
unvarnished irreverent, often brazen,
sometimes cutting, frequently outrageous.
MOZART: A LIFE
Paul Johnson
Philosophy
Psychology
ONE WAY AND ANOTHER:
NEW AND SELECTED
ESSAYS
Adam Phillips
Sport
GAME CHANGER:
MY TENNIS LIFE
Paul McNamee
Text. PB. $32.99
Paul McNamee is a legendary
figure in Australian tennis. From
his early days as a talented
Melbourne teenager, McNamee
became a top international
player, conquering Wimbledon
and the Australian Open with
his doubles partner, Peter McNamara. Along the
way he shared a court with such luminaries as
Rod Laver, Martina Navratilova, John McEnroe
and Bjrn Borg. This is his story of an everchanging life in tennis.
Personal
Development
ITS COOL TO BE
CONSCIOUS
Harry OBrien
Cookery
Hannah Arendt
BEST OF 2013
Best of 2013
R E A D I N G S S TA F F S H A R E T H E B E S T B O O K S , M U S I C A N D F I L M S O F 2 0 1 3
BURIAL RITES
Hannah Kent
NoViolet Bulawayo
- JASON AUSTIN
BARRACUDA
Christos Tsiolkas
A&U. PB. Was $33
Special price $27.95
As the reviews for Barracuda
have appeared recently, Ive
noticed theyve almost all
shared something in common,
a caveat here or there aside:
namely that Barracuda is a
wonder of storytelling. Heres
Peter Craven: It swims, it soars, it is full of sap
and feeling: it will enrage you, it will engage you,
it will fill you with pity and wonder. Christos
Tsiolkas has dug deep with Barracuda, into
ourselves as well as himself more than ever
before, and its a transcendent achievement.
- MARTIN SHAW
- CHRIS GORDON
Fiction
THE LUMINARIES
Eleanor Catton
- KARA NICHOLSON
Ruth Ozeki
- ALISON HUBER
- LESLEY ANDERSON
- ANNIE CONDON
TENTH OF DECEMBER
George Saunders
- CHRIS SOMERVILLE
MY BRILLIANT FRIEND
Elena Ferrante
THE GOLDFINCH
Donna Tartt
A biting portrayal of a
complicated female friendship,
My Brilliant Friend is set in a
poor and violent Neapolitan
neighbourhood during the
1950s and acts as the first in a
three-part Bildungsroman from
the notoriously mysterious Elena Ferrante.
Ann Goldsteins rendering of the Italian
authors language is beautiful: pared back and
intensely felt. Ferrantes psychologically acute
characters are raw and so close to the bone
you can feel your teeth grinding. The result is
shockingly good.
- BRONTE COATES
- BELLE PLACE
BEST OF 2013
Non-Fiction
DECEMBER
RELEASES
NIGHT GAMES
Anna Krien
- BRONTE COATES
Fifty years on, this compelling
book pierces the veil of secrecy
to document the small, tightly
held conspiracy that killed JFK.
FORGOTTEN WAR
- EMILY GALE
Henry Reynolds
- SUSAN STEVENSON
MADNESS: A MEMOIR
Kate Richards
In this fun, funny, and
fascinating book, Gregory
Berns gets inside the heads of
our canine companions like
never before.
A HISTORY OF SILENCE
- EMILY HARMS
Lloyd Jones
- NINA KENWOOD
LEAN IN
NATURE MORTE
- MARTIN SHAW
Sheryl Sandberg
Sheryl Sandberg is the COO of
Facebook and Lean In is her
memoir, business manifesto and
career guide rolled into one.
Along with intelligent, practical
and useful advice, Sandbergs
passion to see women succeed
at the highest level is evident throughout and its
this that makes Lean In such an inspiring,
entertaining and energising read. NK
BOY, LOST
- STELLA CHARLS
Stuart Harrison
MURDER IN MISSISSIPPI
John Safran
NEW SUBURBAN:
REINVENTING THE
FAMILY HOME IN
AUSTRALIA AND NZ
- ROBBIE EGAN
BOOMER & ME
Jo Case
Kristina Olsson
Michael Petry
T&H. HB. $70
- GABRIELLE WILLIAMS
BEST OF 2013
Robert Galbraith
STRAIGHT JACKET
Adrian Deans
Garry Disher
GENTLEMEN FORMERLY
DRESSED
Sulari Gentill
DARK HORSE
On a mountain in Tasmania, on
Christmas Day, a woman rides
her beloved horse up and away
from the problems that plague
her. Not making life easier is a
freak storm, flooding the
mountain and stranding them
high above. The discovery of shelter leads to
another find: Heath, young, handsome, and not
entirely honest, but trapped as they are. This is an
unnerving and taut psychological thriller.
A BITTER TASTE
Honey Brown
Annie Hauxwell
Koethi Zan
Adrian McKinty
BEST OF 2013
Middle
Junior
Picture Books
NAVIGATING EARLY
This is a cracker of an
adventure and Early is a terrific
character. He shines with a
heart-warming strangeness and
his quest to find his brother
reveals him as a boy with a
powerful love. Clare Vanderpool
is a fine storyteller and she evokes a time and
place that is rich and palpable. Ages 9 to 12.
Clare Vanderpool
Mo Willems
- EMILY GALE
Peter Brown
- ALEXA DRETZKE
- ALEXA DRETZKE
- EMILY GALE
- ANGELA CROCOMBE
- EMILY GALE
MY HAPPY LIFE
Katrina Nannestad
Stephan Pastis
- KATE CAMPBELL
- ATHINA CLARKE
I WISH I HAD...
- ATHINA CLARKE
- KATHERINE DRETZKE
MY SUPERHERO
- KATHERINE DRETZKE
STAR WARS:
JEDI ACADEMY
Jeffrey Brown
- ATHINA CLARKE
TIMMY FAILURE:
MISTAKES WERE MADE
- ANGELA CROCOMBE
ON A BEAM OF LIGHT
- KIM GRUSCHOW
- ANGELA CROCOMBE
- KATHY KOZLOWSKI
- KIM GRUSCHOW
BEST OF 2013
Young Adult
ELEANOR & PARK
SHINE
Rainbow Rowell
- ALEXA DRETZKE
Candy Gourlay
WILD AWAKE
- KIM GRUSCHOW
Hilary T. Smith
- EMILY GALE
Jon Skovron
- ATHINA CLARKE
Patrick Ness
- ANGELA CROCOMBE
VANGO
GIRL DEFECTIVE
Simmone Howell
Pan Mac. PB. $16.99
Its summer in St Kilda and Sky
is expecting it to be the same as
usual: working in her dads
failing record shop while he
drinks too many beers and
continues to be miserable.
Instead, its a summer full of
mystery, friendship and love. I called it early that
this would be my book of the year and that hasnt
changed. Quirky, creative and original ... what
more could you ask for? For ages 15 and up.
- KATHERINE DRETZKE
Timothe de Fombelle
Walker. HB. $24.95
This is an adventure story, a
murder mystery and an
orphans search for parentage,
set during the rise of Hitler in
Europe and the awe-inspiring
flight of the Zeppelin. Written
by a French author in
translation, this novel with a large and
eccentric cast is thrilling reading for lovers of
action-packed adventure. AC
- HOLLY HARPER
HOW TO LOVE
Katie Cotugno
WILDLIFE
Fiona Wood
- KATHY KOZLOWSKI
BEST OF 2013
Food & Garden with Christine Gordon DVDs with Lou Fulco
COOKED
Michael Pollan
Penguin. PB. $29.99
In Cooked, Michael Pollan
explores an essential human
activity cooking which is at the
heart of our culture. It seems
insane that fresh food is flown in
from all over the world when we
can produce most of it in our own
patch. Pollans marvellous book is a call to arms:
reminding us of the magic of preparing food.
STEPHANO MANFREDIS
ITALIAN FOOD
Stefano Manfredi
CULTIVATING
MODERNISM: READING
THE MODERN GARDEN
Richard Aitken
MUP. PB. $39.99
Cultivating Modernism is a
gorgeous inspiration to anyone
with an interest in gardening,
design or history, but is also
packed full with creative
suggestions on how to
landscape your own home and
backyard. Richard Aitken has sourced images and
texts from an array of long-forgotten books and
magazines to take us on an armchair tour through
the landscape of our modernist gardens.
THE GARDEN
AT STONEFIELDS
Paul Bangay
GARDENING
AUSTRALIAS FLORA
Various
THE INTOUCHABLES
$19.95
$19.95
THE NEWSROOM:
SEASON 1
LIBERAL ARTS
Was $39.95
I AM ELEVEN
$29.95
Genevieve Baileys documentary
focuses on a group of 11 year
olds from 15 countries, weaving
together each of their thoughts,
concerns and ideas. Through
their straight-up stories we see
the similarities and distinctions
between different cultures and are offered
intimate accounts of how these not-quite-children
navigate a path in a changing world. This is a
truly heart-warming documentary.
HOUSE OF CARDS:
SEASON 1
$49.95
Special price $44.95
Set in modern Washington DC,
this brilliant political drama is an
adaptation of the 1990s UK
miniseries of the same name.
Kevin Spacey stars as the
devilish Frank Underwood, a
Democrat and House Majority
Whip who is seeking revenge after he was
passed over for the position of Secretary of
State. The mlange of greed, sex, wit and
corruption here all make for thrilling viewing.
$14.95
INSPECTOR MONTALBANO:
VOLUME 6
$39.95
Luca Zingaretti plays the gruff
yet laid back police inspector
from Sicily made famous in the
novels of Andrea Camilleri. For
close to a decade Inspector
Montalbano has been giving
viewers a slice of Sicilian life
that incorporates exotic locations, a great
murder mystery and, of course, fantastic dining.
Aided by a motley crew of detectives and
incorporating some fascinating locals, no case
has ever been too important as to get in the way
of a good lunch!
MOONRISE KINGDOM
$14.95
To declare that this film is one
of Wes Andersons quirkier
productions is saying
something. From the man who
brought us Rushmore, The
Royal Tenenbaums and my
personal favourite, The
Darjeeling Limited, quirky is status quo in an
Anderson movie. Moonrise Kingdom is a story
about two 12 year olds who, after falling in love,
make a pact and run away together into the
wilderness. With a cast including Bruce Willis,
Edward Norton, Bill Murray and Frances
McDormand, and warm, impeccable
cinematography, you cant help but feel good
watching this film.
BEST OF 2013
Music
$21.95
$19.95
The National
- FIONA HARDY
RANDOM ACCESS
MEMORIES
Daft Punk
$21.95
Here is an unexpectedly
rewarding left-turn into
late-night soul-pop after the
gradually diminishing returns
of their prior robo-funk
offerings. Calling on the Gog and Magog of
disco, Nile Rodgers and Georgio Moroder,
among other collaborators, Daft Punk have
fashioned the ultimate twenty-second-century
pop album. Smoking-jacket ballads and
glitter-sweating workouts alike are rich with
textural detail and laden with hooks.
- RICHARD MOHR
FANFARE
Jonathan Wilson
$21.95
His 2011 debut Gentle Spirit
was a minor, mellow classic
and with Fanfare, Laurel
Canyon revivalist Jonathan
Wilson has damn near topped
it. Once again there is a stream of illustrious
guests along for the ride but this is Wilsons
baby entirely. His prodigious multi-instrumental
talents, gorgeous production and wonderful
songwriting make Fanfare a treasure throughout.
- DECLAN MURPHY
AMERICAN KID
Patty Griffin
$19.95
Its always a good year when
Patty Griffin releases an
album. And when Americas
finest folk-country-gospel
female singer-songwriter
releases an album as good as American Kid,
then its a great year. Griffin is also rumoured to
be touring again in 2014, so make sure you see
her live what a voice. DM
DREAM RIVER
Bill Callahan
$21.95
Dream River is, at times, both
intimate and universally
awakening: Callahans
baritone voice captures your
attention, reminiscent of a 70s
Terry Callier and, of course, Kurt Wagner of
Lambchop. I am particularly taken with the
second track, Javelin Unlanding, which
transports me to Marvin Gaye circa Whats Going
On. Recorded earlier this year at Cacophony,
Texas, Dream River is a quiet gem.
- MICHAEL AWOSOGA-SAMUEL
PHILIP GLASS:
METAMORPHOSIS
& THE HOURS
David Bowie
- MELODY WHEELER
Lavinia Meijer
PIAZZOLLA:
4 BUENOS AIRES
- LOU FULCO
WAKIN ON A
PRETTY DAZE
Kurt Vile
$21.95
This fifth studio album from
American lo-fi guitar dude Kurt
Vile, Wakin on a Pretty Daze, is
warmer and mellower as
changes in his personal life,
notably fatherhood, palpably affect his music. The
angst in Viles previous album Smoke Ring for My
Halo is replaced by understated wisdom and a
one-shouldered Talmudic shrug. This album also
marks a departure from Viles more experimental
previous work; here are timeless, straightforward
rock songs reminiscent of Tom Petty and Neil
Young. Perfect for easy, sunny afternoons.
- PIA SPREADBOROUGH
BRUCKNER:
SYMPHONY NO. 7
RACHMANINOV:
SYMPHONIC DANCES,
THE ISLE OF THE DEAD,
THE ROCK
Andrew Litton & Bergen
Philharmonic Orchestra
SOLO
Leonard Grigoryan
Which Way Music. WWM017. $24.95
Leonard Grigoryan, younger
brother of Slava, takes centre
stage with his first solo
recording. Featuring four
original compositions one
being homage to American guitarist Ralph
Towner, one of Grigoryans musical heroes as
well as pieces by Villa-Lobos, Barrios and
Towner, this is an excellent first up recording. The
playing is exciting, precise and full of emotion
and beauty.
THEN: RENAISSANCE
AIRS AND DANCES
Stockholm Chamber Brass
BIS. BIS2017. $29.95
NOVECENTO GUITAR
PRELUDES
SHOSTAKOVICH:
SYMPHONY NO. 10
Cristiano Porqueddu
Sea, Sun
& French
summer
courses
mon
fri
06
26
jan
jan
to
2.
1.
3.
AllianceFranaise
de Melbourne
We teach French
4.
www.afmelbourne.com.au
42
griffith
reVieW
5.
6.
the annual
fiCtion edition
7.
9.
available noW
www.griffithreview.com
8.
10.
1. NANOBLOCK Large $22.95 each, Small $11.95 each Each Nanoblock, including the Eiffel Tower, Sydney Opera House and animals like the
Great White Shark, includes between 200-550 blocks and takes 20-60 minutes to complete. 2. QUESTION TIME! $90 An exciting new board
game that brings the highs and lows of Australian politics into your own living room without dividing the house. 3. AXEL & ASH TRAVEL
JOURNAL $34.99 Bound in cloth, this charming journal is suitable for every traveller to capture their travel memories in style from the classy
jetsetter to the novice explorer. 4. SCRATCH MAP 58.4cm x 82.1cm $34.95, 42cm x 29.7cm $21.95 Scratch off the places youve been with
a coin. Happy travelling. 5. GIFT IN A TIN $19.95 Pictured here is the Train Set in a Tin. Other Gift in a Tin products include a Farm Set, Mini
Mechanic, and Flower Pressing Kit. 6. AREAWARE MICRO CUBOT $12.95 Robot toys are usually made of plastic and require batteries but not
this one! When its time for Cubot to rest, he folds into a perfect cube. 7. PEPIN PRESS WRAPPING PAPER BOOKS $22.95 each These books,
including Kimono, Art Deco and Japanese Pattern themes, contain 12 large sheets of very high-quality wrapping paper, each sheet in a different
design. 8. OSLO DAVIS 2014 CALENDAR $20 Spanning 13 months, here are Oslos beloved trademark line-drawings combined with the usual
calendar-esque attributes. 9. MICHAEL LEUNIG FINE ART 2014 CALENDAR $29.95 Frameable Leunig images printed on Italian archival paper
plus curious quotes for each month. 10. PENGUIN BAGS $19.95 each Cloth bags from Penguin India based on Arundhati Roys The God of
Small Things and Vikram Seths A Suitable Boy.
R E A D I N G S M O N T H LY D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 4
Meet
the
Bookseller
Kim Gruschow
Readings Hawthorn
HarperCollins. HB $59.99
We have seen this type of all
un-compromising cookbooks
before the Chefs collection,
I like to call it. Here is Donna
Hays landmark book, The New
Classics, a definitive collection
of classic recipes for every modern cook from
the Donna Hay magazines. As any fan will know,
the recipes and even the presentation are
simple, clear and successful. And if that doesnt
win you over, remember any cookbook with a
EVERYDAY
Karen Martini
DISH IT UP
Hayden Quinn
Murdoch Books. PB. $35
For those who dont know,
Hayden Quinn became a bit
of a household name in 2011
as a contestant in the third
series of MasterChef
Australia. Dish It Up is his
cookbook, packed full of
recipes that would please anyone, but in
particular those in share-houses and those
gathering to have a big night (then those
recovering from a big night). Think cheery, fun
and no fuss: barbequed corn, big cooked
brekkies, and sweet munchies to finish it off. Its
no wonder Quinns style has hit a nerve out there!
Chip Kidd
Award-winning graphic
designer Chip Kidd gives a
stunning introduction to the
ways in which a designer
communicates his or her ideas
to the world. Kidd explains not
just the elements of design,
including form, line, colour, scale, typography,
but also, most importantly, how to use those
elements in creative ways. Go is all about shaking
things up with a playful spirit and belief that the
world looks better when you look at it differently.
The book ends with 10 projects; you can share
your designs at GoTheBook.com.
15
w w w . n e w s o u t h b o o k s . c o m . a u
16
R E A D I N G S M O N T H LY D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 4
HOW TO BUILD
A HUMAN BODY
Tom Jackson
John Marsden
Review: Lately Ive read some excellent real-life Australian novels for 912 year
olds that Ive little doubt had a female-only readership. So I was excited to see a book
about ordinary events and relationships that no boy would feel ashamed to be seen with
but which also has a healthy respect for girls. The stakes in this book are low compared to
current popular fantasy and dystopia, but when youre 11 like Josh a likeable, self-aware
character and your life is shattered by a sudden move to a dowdy country town, the stakes
may seem refreshingly close to home.
Josh surprises himself by avoiding the one thing that would help him fit in at school: his cricketing
prowess. But he cant hide his talents for long. Soon everyone is relying on him to drag them out of
inter-school humiliation and into glory.
Classic
The story is light on family relationships but Josh is no meathead, just a bit caught up in himself.
A secondary plotline involving a boy next door is a subtle message about remembering that no
matter how rough your life feels, that other kid is having an even harder time.
MR ROUSE BUILDS
HIS HOUSE
Dont let the great big cricket ball on the front fool you this is a story to be enjoyed by
cricket fans, for sure, but its also a tight and easy read about identity, security and
second chances.
Picture Books
MR TIGER GOES WILD
Peter Brown
New
Kids
Books
Junior Fiction
MOUSE HOUSE TALES
Susan Pearson &
Amanda Shepherd (illus.)
Classic of the
Month
Released 2 January
Maggie Stiefvater
Middle Fiction
Non-fiction
GREAT EXPLORERS
Louise Fitzhugh
Yearling. PB. $11.95
Review: First
published in 1964, Harriet
the Spy is the story of
eleven year old Harriet M.
Welsch, who wants to be
a spy and a writer. Harriet
lives in Manhattan with
her preoccupied socialite
parents, so her main
companion is her nanny,
Miss Golly. For a
character written in the 60s, Harriet is an atypical
heroine: she sneaks around her neighbourhood
spying on school friends, their families and other
locals. As a child, I was intrigued by Harriet: she
was fearless and determined, and honest to the
point of rudeness. She roamed the streets freely,
looking for unique sights and situations. Her
intense interest in the nuances of peoples lives
and her compulsion to write in her notebook,
always close at hand, inspired me to write too.
I also enjoyed the emotional depth
of the book as Harriet faced some of the
inevitable conflicts of growing up learning
how and when to compromise, and ultimately
how to be true to herrself.
R E A D I N G S M O N T H LY D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 4
New DVDs
BEFORE MIDNIGHT
DVD
of
the
month
$39.95
The third instalment in Richard
Linklaters much-acclaimed
romantic trilogy, which began
with Before Sunrise and Before
Sunset, is here. Nearly 20 years
have passed since Celine (Julie
Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan
Hawke) first met on a train bound for Vienna, and
we now find them in their early 40s in Greece,
living as a couple and parents to twin girls.
JAMIE: PRIVATE
SCHOOL GIRL
$29.95
Released 18 December
Joss Whedons retelling of
Shakespeares classic comedy
is dark, sexy, funny and
occasionally absurd. With a
clean, pared-back production
and starring a host of Whedon
regulars, the story of sparring
lovers Beatrice and Benedick is given fresh life in
this modern interpretation.
FAREWELL, MY QUEEN
$39.95
From French director Benot
Jacquot and based on the
novel of the same name by
Chantal Thomas, Farewell, My
Queen transports us back to
July 1789, where the gathering
momentum of the French
Revolution is causing panic among King Louis
NOTHING ON EARTH
$24.95
Murray Fredericks is renowned
for his photographs of the vast
empty space of Lake Eyre,
South Australia. In this
stunning documentary, hes
relocated to the Greenland
Icecap and it is here, atop a
melting glacier and beneath the solar storms of
AUSTRALIAN
ENCOUNTERS
$19.95
Australian Encounters is a
short-form animated series that
celebrates ten historic
encounters, each between a
renowned Australian and an
international mover and shaker.
What happened when Bob
Hawke locked horns with Frank Sinatra? Or
when Enrico Caruso slipped a hot sausage into
This months Readings Monthly cover art by Brad Howe has been proudly
brought to you by the very friendly faces, mouths, and hands at The Jacky Winter Group.
Read the
FREE
companion
ebook
jackywinter.com
State Library
of Victoria
Free exhibition
State Library
of Victoria,
328 Swanston St,
Melbourne
10am5pm daily
(to 9pm Thursday)
Image: Nicholas Chevalier,
The Public Library (detail),
1860, watercolour, gift of
Mr McEwan, 1965
Sponsor of the
Dome Centenary
17
R E A D I N G S M O N T H LY D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 4
18
New CDs
Pop & Rock
NEIL YOUNG: LIVE AT
THE CELLAR DOOR
Neil Young
$19.95
Released 6 December
Review: Its been a good
year for Neil Young fans.
First there was his string of
excellent shows earlier this
year, which knocked our
collective socks off, and now we see the
release of Live at the Cellar Door, Volume 2.5
of Youngs archival performance series.
Way back in 1970, Neil performed
for six nights at the Cellar Door, a tiny club in
Washington DC. His third solo album, After
the Gold Rush, had only been out for a few
months; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young had
only recently disbanded; and Young was
emerging as a solo performer in his own right.
The Cellar Door shows were recorded
to 8-track by Henry Lewy and feature Young on
acoustic guitar and piano, which means songs
we know and love Old Man, See the Sky
About to Rain, Down by the River, Only Love
Can Break Your Heart, Birds performed in
an intimate acoustic setting. Young also treats
us to a few Buffalo Springfield numbers: Flying
on the Ground Is Wrong, I Am a Child, and
Expecting to Fly. But the thing that has Young
fans all abuzz is perhaps the shining jewel of the
set Cinnamon Girl performed on piano. I am
not telling fans anything they dont know when
I say this is primo stuff, and well worth the price
of admission.
DISCONNECTED IN
NEW YORK CITY
Los Lobos
$21.95
Review: Los Lobos
celebrate 40 years together
with this live album,
Disconnected, recorded at the
City Winery in New York City in
December 2012. I am only just beginning to
appreciate this band; they last appeared briefly
on my radar when they recorded La Bamba in
1987. A former colleague here at Readings, Dave
Hay, said that Los Lobos were one of his favourite
bands and it got me thinking they seem to have
a loyal following and have stuck to their blend of
Tex-Mex style, never shying from their East LA
neighbourhood and Mexican heritage, and
recording complete albums in their native tongue.
Remembering my friends
recommendation, I played Los Loboss 2010
album, Tin Can Trust, in the shop recently. I was
truly amazed at how the band sat in a groove like
seasoned session musicians or famous house
bands like Motowns The Funk Brothers and the
great Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section who played
Aretha Franklin hits and Otis Redding recordings.
SPIDERBAIT
Spiderbait
$21.95
Finally, Spiderbait return with
an incredible new album,
entitled quite simply
SPIDERBAIT. Three years in
the making, and almost 10
years since the bands last record featuring the
number one hit single Black Betty, this feels
like a debut album again. We all feel like this is
our best record, says Kram. Produced by the
Grammy and ARIA award-winning Franc Ttaz,
SPIDERBAIT marks a new beginning for one of
Australias all-time most celebrated and popular
rock bands. Spearheaded by the single Straight
Through the Sun, SPIDERBAIT is a collision of
past, present and future sounds. Its the best
news in Australian music in a decade.
SHANGRI LA
Jake Bugg
$21.95
Jake Buggs new album
Shangri La follows his debut,
Jake Bugg, and comes just
over a year since that record
went straight to number one
in the UK, sending him into the record books as
the youngest solo male to debut at the top of the
UK charts. Its fast-approaching sales of one
million worldwide and has cemented Bugg as
one of the most exciting new talents to emerge
cd
of the
month
POST TROPICAL
DARKSIDE
$25.95
Also Available
WAGNERS RING: A TALE
TOLD IN MUSIC
Heath Lees
$100. 4DVDS
In these four DVDs each a
unique mixture of education
and entertainment Heath
Lees throws the spotlight on
the music of Wagners Ring,
focusing on how the music
and words work together to tell the tale. He
explains how characters, events, objects and
feelings come alive through the action and
interaction of their music motifs, and how,
together, they fuse Wagners music and drama
into a unique masterpiece.
R E A D I N G S M O N T H LY D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 4
cd of the
month
ROMANTIC PIANO TRIOS
Trio Anima Mundi
DIDOS LAMENT
RESPIGHI: COMPLETE
ORCHESTRAL MUSIC, VOL. 4
Francesco La Vecchia & Orchestra
Sinfonica di Roma
Brilliant Classics. 94395. $14.95. 2CDS
This fourth instalment of the
complete orchestral works of
Ottorino Respighi contains
some of his most popular
works, starting with the
Ancient Airs and Dances, three suites based
on Renaissance and Baroque dances by Italian
composers. The rich, brilliant and colourful
orchestration by Respighi adds a new
dimension, enhancing the joyful or melancholy
character of these relatively uncomplicated
pieces. The second work, Rossiniana, is a
charming suite derived from Rossinis piano
piece Les riens. Next follows the Concerto in
modo misolidio, a work for piano and orchestra
with a main theme based on Gregorian chant.
Completing the compilation is the affective
Metamorphoseon modi XII, also pervaded with
freely plainsong-like themes. All works are
skilfully interpreted by Francesco La Vecchia
and the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma.
19
Simon Tedeschi
Jeremy Denk
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one gir l
thr ee brothers
B o w l e r s
bohemians
& b lo o d s h e d
the 1930s were to die for
Captivating.
- the sun-herAld
gripping.
trilogy
giFt BoX Set
now
AvAilAble
The Blunders of
our Governments
Anthony King and
Ivor Crewe
Average is Over:
Powering America
Beyond the Age of
the Great
Tyler Cowen
amba3712rm