A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow (novella)
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
A Special Providence by Richard Yates
The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
Australian Magpie: Biology and Behaviour of an Unusual Songbird by Gisela Kaplan (natural history)
The Immortal Emperor: The Life and Legend of Constantine Palaiologos, Last Emperor of the Romans by David M. Nicol (history)
The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle
Hrolf Kraki’s Saga by Poul Anderson
A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow (novella)
Nation of the Night by Sue Isle (novella from the collection Nightsiders)
The Snake Stone by James Goodwin
The Gospel of Loki by Joanne M. Harris
Dreamer’s Pool by Juliet Marillier
Dance of the Happy Shades by Alice Munro (collection)
Warriors 2 Ed. George R.R. Martin & Gardner Dozois (anthology)
Black Light by K.A. Bedford
Meanjin Quarterly Vol.79, Issue 3 Ed. Jonathan Green (literary journal)
Fata Morgana by William Kotzwinkle (novella)
Sultans in Splendour: Monarchs of the Middle East, 1869-1945 by Philip Mansel (history)
The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson (novella)
Nightsiders by Sue Isle (interlinked collection)
Bull: A Farce by Will Self (novella from Cock and Bull)
Overland 203 (lit. journal)
In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende
The Heirs of Locksley by Carrie Vaughn (novella)
Cock and Bull by Will Self (collection of two novellas)
White Time by Margo Lanagan (collection)
Labels and Other Stories by Louis de Bernieres (collection)
Smart Ovens for Lonely People by Elizabeth Tan (collection)
Cock by Will Self (novella from Cock and Bull)
Dark Harvest by Cat Sparks (collection)
Overland Issue 238 (literary journal)
The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald (novella)
Out of the Dark by David Weber (novella in Warriors 2)
5 Faves
I could have easily waxed lyrical on plenty more wonderful books, but I’m keeping things to my favourite five due to time parameters.
No plot synopses here, just a few general comments.
A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow (novella)
A playful take on ‘Sleeping Beauty’. This was a refreshing delight and my favourite read of the year. I’ve really been drawn to meta elements being used in a playful manner over the last few years and this falls right into that alley. Fun, humorous, clever, inventive, touching and beautiful.
A Special Providence by Richard Yates
Another WII novel... but I swear I'm not some world war history buff. This was a gift from a friend and former colleague, Tania Hicks. Although the oncoming tragic elements are inevitable, the narrative journey has rays of light as it celebrates both humanity and the humanities. I have been keen on reading this ever since I read Doerr's incredible short story ‘The Deep’.
The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
I was wrong before when I claimed Tsiolkas tends to slap you over and again and that he focuses solely on disconnection. I may have been too young when I initially read some of his work and formed a somewhat naïve opinion that was further reinforced when I read Dead Europe, which to me, as an Australian Greek who has experienced life in both countries, was far too repetitively hard hitting.
A couple of years ago, however, I read Barracuda, which was excellent. And The Slap is arguably even better. Despite exploring some dark themes, the character arcs in The Slap are intriguing and there is also, ultimately, plenty of optimism. The Slap explores what it means to be truly human; not only in terms of our flaws, but also in terms of our strengths and potential.
Australian Magpie: Biology and Behaviour of an Unusual Songbird by Gisela Kaplan (natural history)
I’m a bird lover who has been observing maggies since a kid. Rightly or wrongly, my dad had one in his pet menagerie growing up, and my Pappou on the other side used to talk and feed a mob in his front yard. We lived with my Pappou and Yiayia on my mum’s side for a while, and then, being one of those stereotypical Greek Australian families, we moved one house over afterwards. The side of their home neighboured our backyard, so there were plenty of backyard convos, and, of course, visits both ways.
To put it in a nutshell, I enjoyed spending plenty of time with these highly intelligent and complex birds while growing up.
Kaplan, as you’d expect from the world’s leading magpie guru, delivers a thorough exploration on almost everything you’d like to know about our great carollers. I did want a little more on the neurological aspects and cognition, but Kaplan, as stated, covers plenty of ground, especially with regards to magpies' fascinating social aspects and behaviour. A must-read for both bird and maggie lovers.
Without doubt, these birds deserve to be on a better team flag than Collingwood's!
Happy 2025
Better late than never...Hope you all have a happy, healthy and meaningful 2025!
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