What Elimy Read in August
I don't know what it was about August, but almost everyone I spoke to was busy, busy, busy. August saw me spending one entire weekend escaping into book after book to get away from all the stress of uni and work and everything in between. Without any further ado, here is what I read in August.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne, John Tiffany and JK Rowling
A lot has been said about the new 'Harry Potter' book, which isn't a book at all but a rehearsal edition of the script for the new play currently on in the UK. There are a few problems with the play, but this came into my life at exactly the right time. A lot of things were changing and I felt unstable-- it was just the ticket to be able to escape back into the familiar world of Harry Potter, even if some things were just a little bit off.
The Muse by Jessie Burton
I loved The Miniaturist, which came out a few years ago and told the story of an enchanted doll's house in Amsterdam in the 17th Century. I was really looking forward to reading this follow up from Jessie Burton, who is a very talented author. It's been a while since I read this one, but I remember enjoying it at the same time as being a little fed up with the long lost painting discovered in an old house plotline-- it's everywhere at the moment!!! (And shows no signs of slowing down, because there's a new book by Bernard Schlink due out in November which has this plotline too!) The two voices in this book complemented each other nicely, and I enjoyed following the story along.
The Lost Swimmer by Ann Turner
I borrowed this book from the library on a whim after seeing Ann Turner speak at the 2016 Perth Writers Festival. Unfortunately, while I raced through this mystery, it just really didn't do anything for me.
The Windy Season by Sam Carmody
You can read my review of this book here.
Three Martini Lunch by Suzanne Rindell
The early reviews for this book said that it would do for publishing in the 1950s what Mad Men did for advertising. I don't know about that, but I really liked reading about the journeys of the three characters in this book. Miles, Eden and Cliff are all trying to make it in the publishing industry in New York, but it's a tough world and one mistake can end in endless tangles. I loved The Other Typist when it came out a few years ago, and while this one was slower going, I would recommend it to anyone who loves reading about New York.
Carousel by Brendan Ritchie
What happens when four kids are shut inside Carousel shopping centre for 18 months, while outside the rest of Perth seems to have disappeared? This debut YA novel by Perth writer/ filmmaker Brendan Ritchie explores a dystopian timeline for a quartet of young artists who must use their wits to find a way out of Perth's biggest shopping centre.
You can see me interviewing Kate McCaffrey and Brendan Ritchie this Wednesday (7th September) at Mattie Furphy House in Swanbourne.
Saving Jazz by Kate McCaffrey
An interesting counterpoint to McCaffrey's debut novel about cyber-bullying, Destroying Avalon, Saving Jazz explores what happens when you make a mistake and it goes viral on the internet. Jasmine Lovely and her peers let their actions get a little out of hand at a party one night, and the aftershocks will disrupt Jazz's life in more ways than one. Told in the form of a series of blog posts, this book explores the terrible night when it all went wrong, as well as the process of putting things back together. I enjoyed this book, and it brought back fond memories of Destroying Avalon.
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
This was my book club book for the month, and actually a re-read (hooray! I haven't been able to re-read anything for ages!) This is the first Jackson Brodie mystery, but it's much more than a crime novel. Kate Atkinson's prose demonstrates exactly why she is winning awards all over the place. I loved this multi-faceted novel and it's wide-reaching cast of characters.
Bodies of Water by V H Leslie
I first heard about this novella through Jen Campbell's Youtube channel and I was excited when my local library ordered a copy in. While the story had all the makings of an epic ghost story, unfortunately the execution just didn't match up. This one wasn't for me.
That's all for this month! What have you been reading? Leave me some recommendations in the comments below.
Until next month-- happy reading!
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne, John Tiffany and JK Rowling
A lot has been said about the new 'Harry Potter' book, which isn't a book at all but a rehearsal edition of the script for the new play currently on in the UK. There are a few problems with the play, but this came into my life at exactly the right time. A lot of things were changing and I felt unstable-- it was just the ticket to be able to escape back into the familiar world of Harry Potter, even if some things were just a little bit off.
The Muse by Jessie Burton
I loved The Miniaturist, which came out a few years ago and told the story of an enchanted doll's house in Amsterdam in the 17th Century. I was really looking forward to reading this follow up from Jessie Burton, who is a very talented author. It's been a while since I read this one, but I remember enjoying it at the same time as being a little fed up with the long lost painting discovered in an old house plotline-- it's everywhere at the moment!!! (And shows no signs of slowing down, because there's a new book by Bernard Schlink due out in November which has this plotline too!) The two voices in this book complemented each other nicely, and I enjoyed following the story along.
The Lost Swimmer by Ann Turner
I borrowed this book from the library on a whim after seeing Ann Turner speak at the 2016 Perth Writers Festival. Unfortunately, while I raced through this mystery, it just really didn't do anything for me.
The Windy Season by Sam Carmody
You can read my review of this book here.
Three Martini Lunch by Suzanne Rindell
The early reviews for this book said that it would do for publishing in the 1950s what Mad Men did for advertising. I don't know about that, but I really liked reading about the journeys of the three characters in this book. Miles, Eden and Cliff are all trying to make it in the publishing industry in New York, but it's a tough world and one mistake can end in endless tangles. I loved The Other Typist when it came out a few years ago, and while this one was slower going, I would recommend it to anyone who loves reading about New York.
Carousel by Brendan Ritchie
What happens when four kids are shut inside Carousel shopping centre for 18 months, while outside the rest of Perth seems to have disappeared? This debut YA novel by Perth writer/ filmmaker Brendan Ritchie explores a dystopian timeline for a quartet of young artists who must use their wits to find a way out of Perth's biggest shopping centre.
You can see me interviewing Kate McCaffrey and Brendan Ritchie this Wednesday (7th September) at Mattie Furphy House in Swanbourne.
Saving Jazz by Kate McCaffrey
An interesting counterpoint to McCaffrey's debut novel about cyber-bullying, Destroying Avalon, Saving Jazz explores what happens when you make a mistake and it goes viral on the internet. Jasmine Lovely and her peers let their actions get a little out of hand at a party one night, and the aftershocks will disrupt Jazz's life in more ways than one. Told in the form of a series of blog posts, this book explores the terrible night when it all went wrong, as well as the process of putting things back together. I enjoyed this book, and it brought back fond memories of Destroying Avalon.
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
This was my book club book for the month, and actually a re-read (hooray! I haven't been able to re-read anything for ages!) This is the first Jackson Brodie mystery, but it's much more than a crime novel. Kate Atkinson's prose demonstrates exactly why she is winning awards all over the place. I loved this multi-faceted novel and it's wide-reaching cast of characters.
Bodies of Water by V H Leslie
I first heard about this novella through Jen Campbell's Youtube channel and I was excited when my local library ordered a copy in. While the story had all the makings of an epic ghost story, unfortunately the execution just didn't match up. This one wasn't for me.
That's all for this month! What have you been reading? Leave me some recommendations in the comments below.
Until next month-- happy reading!