Review: Old Vintage Melbourne by Chris Macheras

* Copy courtesy of Scribe Publications *

Old Vintage Melbourne by Chris Macheras is a stunning collection of historical photographs of Melbourne, spanning from the very earliest photographs from the mid 1880s right through to the mid 1990s. For some readers, Old Vintage Melbourne will be a trip down memory lane, while for others it's the chance to see the city of Melbourne as their parents or grandparents did.

I thoroughly enjoyed taking my time to observe the development of the city and the establishment of the iconic buildings we recognise today. I also enjoyed studying the detail of the various pedestrians in some of the photos and wondering about their lives. Some were completely unaware a photograph was being taken while others brazenly stare at the camera in awe or curiosity. These photographs give us a rare glimpse of everyday life in Melbourne, as in the photograph of 'Bourke Street Pedestrians' c. 1880 by John Henry (Page 39).

This collection is annotated and organised chronologically and I especially loved the 'Then and Now' comparison photos, in which the site of an historical image is photographed again today to allow the viewer to compare the images and notice what has changed during the intervening years. Being able to study photographs of Southbank prior to its significant redevelopment and the eventual establishment of the building where I'm living right now was a real highlight.

I also enjoyed spotting the signage and advertisements painted on the buildings and store fronts through the years, and it reminded me of Nick Gadd's love of ghost signs (see my interview with this Melbourne author here).

Old Vintage Melbourne encourages the reader to reflect on the inevitable passage of time, the remarkable evolution of Melbourne and the marvellous architecture this great city has to offer. On the flip side, it also highlights the tragic loss of some of the most enchanting and attractive buildings in Melbourne all in the name of progress in the 1960s and 1970s. It made my heart ache to see photographs of glorious buildings only to learn they've since been torn down. The Federal Coffee Palace was located at 555 Collins Street and opened in 1888, but this beautifully grand building was tragically torn down in 1973. Another architecturally pleasing building was the Camberwell Post Office, built in 1890 and demolished in 1963. If you know the Witches in Britches building at 84 Dudley Street in West Melbourne, the Camberwell PO had 10 times the gothic charm and its loss is a tragedy.

Seeing Flinders Street Station decked out for the royal visit of Queen Elizabeth II in February 1954 was impressive, and it must have been a sight to behold with the banners and the upper dome decorated to resemble a crown. Wow! 

Impeccably produced, Old Vintage Melbourne by Chris Macheras is presented in a large hardback format enabling a better view of the photographs within. I enjoyed my time within its pages immensely and finished reading with a renewed respect and appreciation for Melbourne's heritage. 

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Naked by David Sedaris

Fresh on the heels of listening to Calypso by David Sedaris, I went back in time to a collection of his essays published in 1997 entitled Naked. This is a very short audiobook coming in at just over 3 hours and I got through it quite quickly.

Sedaris' caustic humour is back, as are the family interactions and dynamics. David Sedaris' sister Amy was involved in recording the audiobook and acts out some of the dialogue mentioned in the stories. I imagine this would have been a terrific collaboration between the two siblings (Amy is an actor) however the volume of her contributions were way too loud and jarringly contrasted with her brother's smooth delivery. As a consequence, I found myself regularly adjusting the volume and being taken out of the stories each time she spoke.

The title essay (Naked) is a story about the author's weekend stay at a nudist colony and was very enjoyable. I'm still enjoying Sedaris' sardonic take on the world and am listening to Me Talk Pretty One Day next.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Noni the Pony Counts to a Million by Alison Lester

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *

It's an absolute pleasure to review a Noni the Pony book here on Carpe Librum. Author Alison Lester lives in South Gippsland in regional Victoria and her picture books for kids are in every bookshop, library, school, child care and day care centre in Australia. I look forward to reading this with my niece and nephew just as soon as we can travel freely out of Melbourne Metro.

In Noni the Pony Counts to a Million by Alison Lester, Noni travels around the district with her friends, counting the number of animals, insects, fish, cars and more as they go.

This is a celebration of Australian flora and fauna and the glorious illustrations work well to highlight the delightful rhyming story.

Noni the Pony Counts to a Million by Alison Lester is bound to become another treasured Australian children's classic. Highly recommended for all ages.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: How Do You Fight a Horse-Sized Duck? by William Poundstone

* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury Australia *

I have a background in HR and still offer interview coaching services, so when I saw Bloomsbury were publishing a book about interview questions, I requested a review copy right away. How Do You Fight a Horse-Sized Duck? And Other Perplexing Puzzles from the Toughest Interviews in the World by William Poundstone offers a comprehensive look at the evolution of the interview, including: psychometric testing, behavioural interview questions, work sampling, personality testing, video and group interviews.

Employers always strive to employ interview techniques that are most predictive of job performance by a potential candidate, and many of the logic puzzles and brain teasers posed by companies such as Apple, Amazon and Google are an attempt to gain insight into the problem-solving abilities and creative thinking styles demonstrated by job seekers.

The author then goes on to present a whole heap of interview questions used by some well known US companies, as well as providing a working knowledge of the answers and a solid explanation of how a candidate should go about answering these types of questions.

"A hammer and a nail cost $1.10, and the hammer costs one dollar more than the nail. How much does the nail cost?" Page 111*

At times, reading How Do You Fight a Horse-Sized Duck? by William Poundstone was akin to reading a maths or statistics text book, and I expect it will be most useful to the dedicated job seeker looking for some insight and keen to prepare for any eventuality. Those readers would do well to check out another book I read on the topic this year, #EntryLevelBoss: a 9-step guide for finding a job you like (and actually getting hired to do it) by Alexa Shoen.

"For what it's worth, a 2013 study by David Comer Kidd and Emanuele Castano reported that reading literary fiction improved performance on an emotional intelligence test that included recognition of facial expressions. It's possible that reading about richly realized fictional characters primes readers to be more attuned to clues about other people's emotions." Page 107

Book lovers already know that reading every day builds vocabulary, improves comprehension, enhances brain connectivity and emotional intelligence, but it's always nice to see this recognised in other areas of science and study. From what I can tell, How Do You Fight a Horse-Sized Duck? seems to be an up to date account of the job seeker's experience in America informed by the accounts of job seekers who have applied for roles with these top tier organisations.

I suspect that here in Australia, we are yet to encounter these interview puzzlers on a regular basis, but if the US job market has taught us anything with the increasing popularity of recorded job interview videos, this will soon follow. How Do You Fight a Horse-Sized Duck? is a good read and I enjoyed putting some of these questions to my husband.

*Feel free to send me your answer and I'll let you know if you were right or not!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson

* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury Australia *

Having thoroughly enjoyed Never Have I Ever last year, I thought I'd give Joshilyn Jackson's newest domestic thriller Mother May I a try. When the novel opens, Bree is happily married to a lawyer, they have three kids and a nice house. Life is great, until her infant baby boy is kidnapped.

There have been many thrillers of a similar nature released in the last few years, all posing the same question for the reader, 'how far would you go to protect your family?' I received Mother May I unsolicited from the publisher, but based on the strength of my own 5 star review for Never Have I Ever, I thought there's every chance this could be one of the best of the sub-genre.

I liked our protagonist Bree, and thankfully she didn't make any stupid or groan inducing mistakes when the kidnapper, an old woman who looks like a witch, gets in touch to tell Bree how she can get her son back.

Themes of motherhood, guilt and revenge dominate this book, and I enjoyed this character insight from well into the book.

"The mind revises... As time passed, events became mutable. People justified their actions, and the more shame they felt about a memory, the more they chewed it over, fretting and defending and editing, until they could live with it." Page 227

I think that's very true, and perhaps if I was a parent myself I would have found Bree's predicament more frightening. Mother May I was an enjoyable read, but nowhere near as gripping and engaging as Never Have I Ever, which was a clear standout for me last year. Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson is recommended reading for those who enjoy domestic noir and domestic thrillers.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Calypso by David Sedaris

I'm new to David Sedaris and despite being well aware of his many books and essay collections, this is the first time I've dipped a toe into his literary ouevre, and let me tell you, this guy makes me laugh! Calypso is a collection of essays published in June 2018 and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to him narrate the audiobook.

Sedaris is a humourist (which I've learned is different to a comedian) and he shares his observational humour and revelations of varying degrees of importance about a range of topics, but largely including his family, upbringing with five siblings, ageing of his parents (and himself), and comments on society.

I loved the quirky family jokes and insights and each essay is delivered in an intelligent, yet self deprecating and insightful way that often made me laugh out loud or chuckle to myself. His wry sense of humour certainly isn't for everyone, and I was only too aware of Sedaris' white privilege shining through in many of his stories. That said, Sedaris seems to be extremely self aware in a way that made it easy for me to let this go and just enjoy the ride. Besides, who can hate on a guy for his white male privilege when his hobby is picking up litter by the side of the road.

There were many moments I stopped to repeat a phrase or enjoy a sentence again, like this one from half way through the book.

"There was never any problem making conversation with my mother. That was effortless. The topics springing from nowhere, and we'd move from one to the next in a way that made me think of a monkey gracefully swinging through the branches of a tree." Chapter 11, 3 hours and 20 minutes remaining

Employing a droll sense of humour and acerbic wit, Sedaris successfully maintains the balance between serious topics, like the death of his sister by suicide, to lighter moments like toilet troubles or the engagements he has with readers in the signing line of his shows. (I'd love to see him perform live if he comes back to Melbourne).

I enjoyed Calypso by David Sedaris so much that I've decided to go back to some of his earlier work and continue listening. Have you read any David Sedaris, seen him on talk shows or even perform live? Do you enjoy his sense of humour? If so, I'd love to hear about it. In the meantime, I recommend his work with caution. I don't know if I'd have enjoyed Calypso quite so much if I'd read his work instead of listening to it, and his humour is an acquired taste. But I can't get enough, so take from that what you will.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous

I loved reading The Au Pair by Emma Rous in 2019, and I was really excited to read The Perfect Guests this year, hoping for more buried family secrets, plot twists and flawed characters.

In 2019, Sadie is a struggling actress and receives an invitation to play a role at a murder mystery event at Raven Hall. In 1988, Beth is a 14 year old orphan sent by her aunt to Raven Hall to be a companion to a girl the same age, Nina.

The dual narrative in The Perfect Guests keeps the story flowing although I preferred Sadie's coming-of-age timeline at Raven Hall and the sinister undertones in the complex relationships between the characters.

I was worried the murder mystery setting might have been to cliche for my liking, but it totally worked and was the perfect platform for the 'reveals' at the end. I didn't guess at any of the character connection reveals or twists, and they were cleverly written and satisfying to uncover.

Just as in The Au Pair though, the cover design for The Perfect Guests wasn't representative of the novel for me. It's a scene from the book, however the UK cover design totally nails the atmosphere and setting and I wish this had been the cover chosen for the Australian market.

Raven Hall almost feels like a separate character, and once again, the author was able to bring the manor house and grounds to life in the way Stacey Halls does in Mrs England, and other authors like Laura Purcell and Kate Morton do that keep me coming back for more.

The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I can highly recommend it.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: As Swallows Fly by L.P. McMahon

* Copy courtesy of Ventura Press *

In As Swallows Fly by L.P. McMahon, Kate is a plastic surgeon living in Melbourne and Malika is an orphan from a remote village in Pakistan. Their lives unexpectedly converge thanks to the well meaning intentions of an uncle and priest and each of the women seem to directly - and sometimes indirectly - help one another with their struggles.

Malika's childhood upbringing in rural Pakistan was tough, yet full of love and her joy of learning and mathematics was a pleasure to read about. I learned that the author volunteered as a medic in Pakistan and his experience definitely shines through in his writing.

Malika struggles with a facial disfigurement after an horrific assault and insists on keeping her face concealed by wearing a veil and hijab. Arguably one of the most moving scenes in the entire book should have been the moment Malika reveals her face to Dr Kate for the first time. I was eagerly anticipating this moment, but the conversation between the characters is held 'off stage' so to speak. In my opinion the author missed an opportunity for these characters to experience a powerful scene and without it, I felt bereft.

Meanwhile, Kate is hardworking and overworked and she's constantly running late for things which really irked me. I know the author needed to demonstrate the demanding nature of Kate's job and how 'busy busy' she is, but it just made me roll my eyes.

I was enjoying the growing trust between Kate and Malika, but by the close of the book there were too many unanswered questions for my liking. There were unresolved character arcs and a glaring oversight right at the end. (Find me on GoodReads for more on this where I was able to hide my questions via a spoiler warning).

As Swallows Fly is the debut novel for Melbourne surgeon L.P. McMahon and will be an enjoyable contemporary read for those who don't mind an ambiguous or unresolved ending.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

I loved this book! Adeline LaRue is born in France in 1691, and at the age of 23, her family have decided to marry her off to a widower with three children. Adeline refuses to be 'gifted like a prize sow to a man she does not love, or want, or even know'. In sheer desperation to avoid this fate, she prays with every fibre of her being. A spirit of the woods eventually answers and Addie explains she wants to be free and doesn't want to belong to anyone. In making a deal, her soul is cursed.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab is a character driven story about how our main character comes to terms with her curse and the way in which she learns to navigate life now that she is forgettable. Addie is invisible, unable to leave a mark on the world or even say her own name. The unexpected ache of losing her family and everyone she's ever known is tough. Addie is completely and utterly alone and must find a way to survive.

Addie struggles and learns innovative ways in which to get by as she experiences life through the years, decades, and eventually the centuries and I loved it. It also reminded me a little of The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. Through the series, Rice imagines what it's like to outlive everyone else, never age and yet witness so much change in the world over time. The elements I love from that series (relationships, the changing culture over time and the evolution of art, architecture, travel and technology) are evident here, yet in Schwab's own style.

Full of evocative writing and passages that made me pause and reflect, this was my first time reading anything by V.E. Schwab, but it certainly won't be the last. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue manages to straddle the genres of historical fiction and fantasy (owing to the curse) and I just loved the writing style. It's clear the author loves books and stories too, here's a quote from Addie early on in the novel:

"What she needs are stories. Stories are a way to preserve one's self. To be remembered. And to forget. Stories come in so many forms: in charcoal, and in song, in paintings, poems, films. And books. Books she has found, are a way to live a thousand lives - or to find strength in a very long one." Page 31

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab is a slow burn character study that makes you reflect on the past, the present and the future and ponder what really matters in the world. The book also made me wonder 'what if' and is a serious contender for my Top 5 Books of 2021 list. The ending was powerful and had me cheering for Addie and I can't wait to read more from this talented writer.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: How to Behave Badly in Renaissance Britain by Ruth Goodman

I managed to leave the frustrations of Melbourne lockdown behind me while visiting Renaissance Britain with one of my favourite historians Ruth Goodman this month. In How to Behave Badly in Renaissance Britain, Ruth Goodman covers the many ways in which a person could offend, upset, aggravate and disrespect others in Renaissance Britain, which includes the Stuart and Tudor period. Interestingly, the book has been published under a different title in America, How to Behave Badly in Elizabethan England: A Guide for Knaves, Fools, Harlots, Cuckolds, Drunkards, Liars, Thieves, and Braggarts.

The book draws on a range of reference materials, including court records, letters, books, pamphlets and more, and Goodman describes the etiquette and manners of the times, and the way in which those who deviated from what was deemed acceptable or expected behaviour were rude, crass and unpleasant company.

Your dress and bearing immediately indicated your class and social standing, with everyone expected to respect their 'betters'. I continue to be fascinated by the changing fashions and the way in which garments and trends often altered a person's bearing, from the way they held themselves to the way they walked or entered a room. I especially enjoyed the chapter on bowing and curtseying but dearly wished for accompanying images or video footage to demonstrate the movements being described.

The insults were cutting and occasionally amusing, especially the author's favourite "turd in your teeth". Goodman provides interesting insights into the changing meaning of descriptions like knave and swashbuckler and I enjoyed other words from the period including: wastrel, fool, strumpet, drunkard and stinkard.

Chapter 5 covered Disgusting Habits and not much has changed over the centuries when it comes to personal hygiene and revolting habits. Slurping or eating with your mouth open was just as gross then as it is now, and I enjoyed this quote shared by Goodman:

"Sup not loud of thy pottage no time in all thy life.” Boke of Nurture by Hugh Rhodes (Published in 1577)

Having enjoyed watching Ruth Goodman in Tudor Monastery Farm, Victorian Farm, Edwardian Farm, Wartime Farm and Full Steam Ahead, I opted to listen to the audiobook after learning it was narrated by the author herself. Goodman's style and sense of humour flows through the book, however, I noticed that when she's quoting a reference, her voice is louder (and almost shouty) before resuming the regular volume again. At other times, she speaks more softly to emphasise a point, and as a result, I had to continually adjust the volume which greatly impacted my level of enjoyment.

I love learning new things about daily life in different eras, and in How to Behave Badly in Renaissance Britain, it was the importance of shirt tails. How did I not know that the long tails of shirts once acted as a barrier between the body and the trousers, essentially performing the role of underwear (or drawers) for men. Men's shirts reached down to just above the knees with a slit at both sides, so they could be tucked around one's nether regions without impeding movement. As a result, to see a man with his shirt tails hanging out was 'disgusting' and now I understand why!

I enjoyed reading How To Be a Tudor: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Everyday Life by Ruth Goodman back in January 2018 and How to Behave Badly in Renaissance Britain by Ruth Goodman is recommended for those with an interest in social history, etiquette and manners.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Nineteen Days by Kath Engebretson

* Copy courtesy of Atlas Productions *

Genevieve and her husband Peter are recovering from a family trauma and have decided to go on a cruise in an effort to heal the rift between them. Genevieve strikes up a conversation with another passenger by the name of Thomas. Morbidly obese and seemingly lonely, Thomas has a number of health concerns but he's a great listener and their friendship starts to take root.

Throughout the nineteen days of the cruise (informing the title of the book), their conversations begin to deepen and we learn about Thomas's complicated family history, and more about Genevieve and Peter's loss.

Genevieve and Thomas are on a cruise from Sydney to Honolulu via New Zealand and I loved the realistic descriptions of life at sea on a cruise ship. The variety of activities and happenings on sea days and port visits made me long to go cruising again after this pandemic is over. Some of you might recall that I recently read another book set on a cruise ship, and you'd be right, however The Ex-Husband by Karen Hamilton was a thriller and quite different to Nineteen Days.

Nineteen Days is a book about friendship, loneliness, the power of listening, the importance of family and the strength of love in the world. A poor decision by the main character at the very end of the book jerked me out of the story at a critical point, and while it didn't impact the characters or the ending at all, it ultimately cost a star in this review. Nineteen Days is written by Australian author Kath Engebretson and it was an entertaining read that made me long for the high seas again.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Silence by John Biguenet

* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury Australia *

It's time for another book from the Object Lessons series by Bloomsbury Academic and this time it's Silence by John Biguenet. By far, the most enjoyable of the series for me to date, John Biguenet is a playwright and novelist and in Silence he explores many aspects of sound and the lack of it, and I enjoyed his observations.

As a human race, we generate and consume sound in the form of communication, work, travel, music and entertainment, and much of what we do generates noise; think cars, appliances and general day-to-day living. Ironically, we're also seeking to quieten our lives through the purchase of sound cancelling earphones and whisper quiet kettles. Quiet carriages on trains are available for passengers not wanting to be disturbed by the sounds of phones chirruping, people talking or music playing.

Silence is often a luxury, it can be expensive and is richly sought after in wellbeing retreats and meditation. In contrast, silence can be used as a form of punishment in cases of solitary confinement. In silence, some of us find peace and tranquility, where others experience fear, loneliness and perhaps even the stubborn ringing of tinnitus.

We live in a world full of noise but most of us have our own tolerance levels regarding what constitutes good noise, loud noise, unacceptable noise, and irritating noise. Writing this from lockdown in Melbourne, I was excited when a neighbour began playing his electric guitar from a balcony a few nights ago. However other neighbours were quick to complain about the noise on social media. It's clear that what can delight some, is intrusive to others.

Some of us might relate to the frustration of being unable to find peace and quiet when working from home. I've had to tolerate construction noise at all hours for years here in Southbank, however this struggle isn't entirely new. I loved discovering that:

"The men whose labors brought forth the Constitution of the United States had the street outside Independence Hall covered with earth so that their deliberations might not be disturbed by passing traffic." Page 20

I love tidbits from history like that. Biguenet also comments on another of my favourite topics, the nature of silent reading and the auditory voice - or inner voice - we experience when we read to ourselves.

It turns out our forebears weren't so different from us, and that 'infernal racket' has troubled human beings for centuries. As such, I enjoyed following Biguenet's reflections on silence and sound and learned that:

"The quietest place on earth, an anechoic chamber at Orfield Laboratories in Minnesota, is so quiet that the longest anybody has been able to bear it is 45 minutes." Page 19

The closest I came to achieving complete silence was in a sensory deprivation tank or float tank and the experience was illuminating. 

Silence by John Biguenet is full of interesting observations in this collection of essays and I highly recommend it.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Lost Girls by Jennifer Spence

The Lost Girls by Australian author Jennifer Spence is a family mystery with a time slip at its core. Stella gets on a bus in Sydney in 2017, however when she steps off, it's 1997. Without knowing how, Stella has 'travelled' 20 years back in time, and I enjoyed following her around as she tried to make sense of her surroundings.

Accepting her newfound circumstances rather quickly, Stella wonders if she's been given a second chance to alter events and in doing so, avoid a family tragedy. Visiting her family home, she sees her younger self which is usually a 'no-no' in time travel. However the author provides a refreshingly different take on the time slip and Stella introduces herself as an Aunt who disappeared many years ago and is still considered missing.

The usual themes in time slip novels and movies arise, such as whether the slightest change can alter the future, or if the future is already set. Stella starts to record her memories so that she can determine if she's making any headway on changing the future. Here's where it starts to get a little too 'timey-wimey' for this reader. If Stella is successful in changing her past, then surely her memories will also change to reflect this, right? And shouldn't 2017 Stella, remember her long lost Aunty turning up and staying with her family in 1997? Things get hazy for Stella and the reader, and I found that I couldn't quite let go of the attempt to stay on track with the science fiction nature of this particular angle of the time slip narrative.

The Lost Girls is set in Sydney Australia and I enjoyed the setting in both time frames. Incorporating key historical moments within the narrative was interesting (the death of Diana, Princess of Wales for example) as were some of the internal observations Stella makes along the way. Most entertaining of all was the cold case mystery within the family.

Published in 2019, this has got to be one of my favourite cover designs of that year, don't you agree? As for whether Stella was successful in her endeavours or whether she made it back to her 'own time' in 2017, you'll just have to read the book to find out.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Guest Review: The Super Adventures of Ollie and Bea by Renee Treml

Guest reviewer James Harris, aged 9

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *

Intro

It's a pleasure to welcome James Harris back to Carpe Librum with his review from The Super Adventures of Ollie and Bea by Renee Treml. It's Owl Good is Book 1, and Squeals on Wheels is Book 2 in this junior fiction series and James really enjoyed them. Over to you James, what did you think?

James' Review

I was so lucky to get a copy of these graphic fiction books to review. They are aimed at young readers 4-7. I am 9, but I thought I would read them anyway and I really liked them. They were funny and I liked the illustrations. I think they would be very good for kids who maybe are scared of reading or who find a page of words hard to read. There were not too many colours and they had chapters also, which I think young kids would really like. They also both told a story which is important for young kids to know.

It's Owl Good (Book 1) in
The Super Adventures of Ollie
and Bea by Renee Treml
Allen & Unwin

It's Owl Good sets the scene for how an owl (Ollie) and a rabbit (Bea) they become friends, and Ollie wears glasses and they try to find their superpowers. In Squeals on Wheels, Bea is a bit scared of looking silly on roller skates, but Ollie shows Bea that you should just be having fun and not worrying about things like that. I think these type of lessons are important and kids will like them.

I really enjoyed these books, I think other young kids would too. I will be donating these copies to the junior library at my school for the kindy and grade 1 kids because I think they will love them! Best of all, the author lives in Australia! I give them 4.5 stars each.

James' Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Medieval Bodies - Life, Death and Art in the Middle Ages by Jack Hartnell

Medieval Bodies: Life, Death and Art in the Middle Ages by Jack Hartnell was a great follow up after reading Life in a Medieval Castle by Joseph Gies and Frances Gies in July.

Medieval Bodies is structured with chapters dedicated to different parts of the body (e.g. head, heart, hands, feet and so on) from the head to foot in order to provide the reader with an overall picture of the body in the middle ages and the approach to medicine at the time. Of course, this includes the four humours (blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm), and if a person was unwell, this was attributed to an imbalance of the humours. The appropriate treatment was then prescribed, which might include blood letting, leeches, poultices and more.

"Lauded above sweat or urine or spiritus, blood was the medieval body’s most vital substance." Chapter 7

Occasionally the author drifted off topic and while still maintaining my interest in the content provided, it weakened the overall structure of the book in my opinion.

Jack Hartnell is an Associate Professor of Art History specialising in the art of the Middle Ages and it shows in this book. There was a clear focus on the Art in the Life, Death and Art in the Middle Ages subtitle, and by listening to this on audiobook, I missed out on the illustrations which might have lifted this from a 3 star to a 4 star read. My natural curiosity led me to seek out the artworks mentioned online and my efforts were rewarded.

Medieval Bodies: Life, Death and Art in the Middle Ages by Jack Hartnell is recommended reading in print form for those with an interest in history, art, medicine and the middle ages.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Guest Review: Hyphen by Pardis Mahdavi

* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury Australia *

Intro

It's time for another instalment in my series of book reviews from the Object Lessons series by Bloomsbury Academic. This time, Neil Béchervaise takes a look at Hyphen by Pardis Mahdavi.

Neil's Review

What a pleasure to meet an object that is, at once, informative, entertaining and insightful. Pardis Mahdavi’s Hyphen is a delightful relief from the ‘full-court press’ of the publish-or-perish academic approach of several other ‘Objects’ I have tried to read. Her personal narrative as an academic who strongly identifies with her students confirms both the power of the hyphen as a point of connection and as a reminder of the potential difference that the punctuation mark commands.

Identifying Dionysus Thrax, the second century Greek student of Aristarchus, as the scholar who invented the hyphen and the apostrophe, Mahdavi provides an easy-to-understand outline of the value of his punctuation innovations for reducing the reader’s/speaker’s difficulties in separating and providing intended emphasis on words which were written without any spacing at all. 

“…[clarifying] for the speaker [how] the words should be understood – and spoken – as a single entity.” Page 16

By the time she introduces the 1440’s role of Gutenberg’s bible as probably the next-most significant development in clarifying our ability to read written text with the emphasis that the author intended, Mahdavi has already established her own identity as dependent on the role of the hyphen in twenty-first century America.

Weaving the backgrounds and college-formative experiences of several of her ‘hyphenated American’ students into her own Iranian-American-feminist-activist narrative, including her arrest and interrogation as an American spy when she speaks in Tehran, Mahdavi provides a chilling insight into the difference between multi-cultural inclusivity and multi-racial bigotry.

Drawing on the first generation Chinese-American, Mexican-American and African-American origins of three of her students at Arizona State University, Pardis Mahdavi foregrounds the issues that both she and they encounter in locating the fine line between being accepted as Americans and maintaining the integrity of their birthrights. Ania, identifying as Latin-American is called out for daring to represent her fellow Latinx students while being unable to speak her mother’s Mexican Spanish. Nigerian-American AdeChike’s ‘bending a knee’ while the national anthem is played before his football game leaves a football crowd with no memory of the final game score but an enduring memory of the un-American coloured player's action. Chinese-American Daniel adds outrage at their homosexuality when they seek to have their sperm preserved before undergoing sex-change therapy – and changing their pronominal identity to she. The ‘hyphenated Americans’ seek acceptance into what appears to be an unapologetically racist society, their skin colour no more an issue than their hyphenated identity.

Supporting her beguiling social narrative with the historical refusals of successive American Presidents and supportive power figures across the nation to accept any identification except ‘American’, Mahdavi identifies establishment efforts to remove the hyphen from the naming of the New-York Historical Society. She compounds her observation with infuriated reactions to the removal of the hyphen from over 1600 previously conjoined ‘words’ in the 2007 edition of the Shorter Oxford Dictionary. The response, she argues, denies recognition of the evolutionary role of the hyphen as a grammatical bridge – as exemplified in health care becoming health-care before morphing into healthcare.

While unapologetically admitting that this review contains ‘spoilers’, I have to assert that Hyphen has broken all my resistance to the Bloomsbury’s Object Lessons series. I can readily accept that hyphens and dashes are different -

“The dash divides. The hyphen connects. Brings together.” Page 129

So maybe there will come a ‘dash’ but that may be pushing my luck a step too far.

More importantly, more emotionally, I feel that I have a better understanding of how, 

“Living in the gap – or embracing the hyphen, as I like to refer to it – is important because there is great strength in being able to bridge, connect and birth new things.” Page 142

Through her own and her students’ lived experience as ‘hyphenated Americans’, Pardis Mahdavi’s has given a scope and a depth to both the grammatical and the lived meaning of the hyphen – not only for Americans but for everyone who sees themselves as a more complex being than the tick-a-box descriptions with which society too often labels and dismisses us.

Neil's Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Ex-Husband by Karen Hamilton

* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *

In The Ex-Husband by Karen Hamilton, married couple Charlotte and Sam work together on cruise ships to befriend rich guests and con them out of their money. They only target those who can afford it, and spin elaborate tales of woe to convince their targets to donate to fundraising pages. These 'worthy' causes are entirely fiction, and the pair line their own pockets as they aspire to lead the lifestyles of their wealthy targets.

Unfolding in dual timelines (then and now), Charlotte has broken up with Sam and is trying to live a good life when she starts receiving threats. She learns Sam is missing, but can't help wondering if this is just another one of his scams. Is he the one behind the threats or has a victim of their fraud tracked her down, looking for justice?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton back in March 2018 and have been keeping my eye out for Hamilton's books since then. There are some similarities between Juliette (of The Perfect Girlfriend) and Charlotte in The Ex-Husband. They're both slightly dysfunctional main characters who regularly overstep the boundaries of what we would call acceptable, however in this case, Charlotte is a con-woman and a criminal. Charlotte's complicity and avarice made her a less enjoyable protagonist than Juliette, but I was still caught up in trying to solve the mystery before Charlotte did or it was too late.

The Ex-Husband is a thrilling mystery and I enjoyed uncovering the full scope of Sam and Charlotte's deceptions while trying to work out who was behind the increasingly dangerous threats. The Ex-Husband is recommended for thriller readers and those who miss being on the high seas.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Billy Summers by Stephen King

* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *

Stephen King is at the top of his game and Billy Summers is an unforgettable character, as well as the title of his latest book. A war veteran and one of the best snipers in the world, Billy has become a killer for hire renowned for disappearing as soon as the hit has been made. Billy has been hired to do one last job and despite his immaculate planning and convincing back story, there's no accounting for bad luck, or is it destiny?

Billy is a likeable anti-hero with his own code and an admirable set of values. His relationship with Alice is touchingly complex and Billy's actions and decisions left me aching for him to find his place in the world. The scenes with Billy's neighbours also made me nostalgic for a time and place that often only exists between the pages of a Stephen King novel.

There's plenty of humour to keep the pages flicking by, and reading this observation while in another Melbourne lockdown made me laugh out loud.

"Billy doesn't care if it rains, sleets, snows, or shits bananas. He's going to be in this basement apartment no matter what the weather is." Page 203

As we learn more about Billy's background, King manages to set the scene in what feels like a very American book. In doing so, the reader is able to pick up on the author's politics and view about the country in which he resides and in which the book is set.

According to Billy:

"There aren't just 2 kinds of people, good and bad, like I thought when I was a kid who got most of his ideas on how people act from TV. There are 3. The third type of people go along to get along... Those are the most people in the world and I think they are gray people. They will not hurt you (at least on purpose) but they won't help you much, either. They will say do what you want and God help you. I think in this world you have to help yourself." Page 101

King is on fire in this novel, combining deep character insight with tension, action and plenty of danger. There's also a few instances where the writing is very meta. The first comes when Billy is engaged on a long haul hit and needs to pose as a writer hiring an office space from which he'll make the hit.

Another meta moment comes when a person is reading Billy's work.

"Billy understands he's downplaying her intelligence to protect his ego in case she doesn't like it, and he understands that's stupid because her opinion shouldn't matter, the story itself shouldn't matter, he's got more important things to deal with. But it does." Page 249

I thought this was incredibly insightful from Stephen King, and I think a few emerging and established authors would do well to take note of this insight.

The ending of the book was brilliant and very meta, but don't worry, you won't find any spoilers here. All in all, Billy Summers is another outstanding novel in Stephen King's considerable oeuvre and I highly recommend it.

For those who have already read this, I have just two words for you.... Fucking Marge!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *

I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy a science fiction novel about an Artificial Friend, but I did! Klara is an Artificial Friend (AF) with extraordinary observational skills who studies the behaviour of people and learns from their interactions. When we meet Klara she's on a shop floor waiting to be purchased and I really enjoyed this period of the novel. Klara is soon purchased to become a companion to teenage girl Josie and the novel explores their complex relationship.

Narrated by Klara, I was captivated by her speech, thought processes, observations, and unwavering drive to look after Josie.

Ishiguro presents themes of loneliness, love, privacy and sacrifice and of course the complexities around treating Klara like a person, an AI, or something in between. The interactions between Klara and the Housekeeper were an amusing touch.

The book is set in a futuristic and somewhat dystopian setting that I could never really understand or fully comprehend. Having said that, I wonder if the author intended to make the setting vague to focus the reader on the family unit instead, rather than what/where/how we came to be where we are.

Longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize, Klara and the Sun was an enjoyable read for me and a slight diversion from my regular reading choices. I'm giving it an extra star for the way in which Ishiguro manipulates the reader into considering whether an AI can 'feel' and prompting in me an unexpected reaction to Klara and Josie's ending.

I enjoyed reading The Remains of the Day back in 2008 and I'm glad I have a copy of The Buried Giant waiting for me on my TBR from this Nobel Prize winning author.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Inner Self by Hugh Mackay

Australian Hugh Mackay is a psychologist, social researcher and bestselling author, and is known for studying attitudes and behaviour. In 2015, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the community for this work, and I see him pop up on TV from time to time.

In this book, The Inner Self - The Joy of Discovering Who We Really Are, Mackay outlines our top 20 hiding places where we hide from the truth about ourselves. An interesting concept, these hiding places can include busyness, victimhood, nostalgia, anxiety, perfectionism and work, just to name a few.

Mackay provides case studies to throw light on each of the hiding places, and I found them insightful and sometimes quite funny. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on perfectionism and the case study of Helen dealing with her husband George's pedantry. Throughout the book, I was able to recognise some of these 20 hiding places in the traits of people I know, and of course, within myself, which is the whole point.

Mackay has a great way of speaking and I enjoyed listening to him reading The Inner Self on audiobook. Each chapter can be enjoyed independently of the others, but listening to this over a long period as my reviewing schedule picked up, no doubt diminished the overall impact of the book for me.

I do miss listening to Mackay's pearls of wisdom and I'm sure I'll be seeking out another of his books on audio before too long.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★