"Autocrats and body doubles go together like Elon Musk I reviewed this book on my blog:
As I say in my review:
"Autocrats and body doubles go together like Elon Musk and Nazi salutes. Stalin had body doubles, Saddam Hussein had body doubles, and I wouldn’t be surprised if, somewhere in America, a small fleet of actors are even now applying the orange spray tan and putting on the mannerisms, the cruelty, the tiny hands.
So it’s very likely Vladimir Putin has his own set of look-alikes. This excellent novella � maybe it’s more accurate to call it a collection of linked stories � takes that concept and runs with it. The thirty-one legs of Vladimir Putin won the annual 20/40 publishing prize, for works of fiction and nonfiction between 20K and 40K words, and that win was well deserved."...more
Landing Press has a great track record of creating interesting poetry anthologies that showcase a diverse range of poets - many new, others establisheLanding Press has a great track record of creating interesting poetry anthologies that showcase a diverse range of poets - many new, others established - and "Now and Then" is another fine anthology. Quite apart from the poems, I really like the format of these anthologies, the cover designs and the line art - they're a pleasure to look at.
Happily, the inside matches the outside for quality. The poets and the perspectives range from young children to grandparents, and a wide range of cultures are represented - including a pleasing number of poems written in languages other than English, with English translations provided. The anthology includes poems that are charming, deep, and everywhere in between. Recommended!...more
I've enjoyed all of Janis Freegard's work I've read - poems, novels, and short stories. These have been straitened times for short story collections, I've enjoyed all of Janis Freegard's work I've read - poems, novels, and short stories. These have been straitened times for short story collections, so it's especially good to see this new collection appear, published by At the Bay | I Te Kokoru, which is an organisation set up to champion and advance the short story form in Aotearoa.
And this is a fine short story collection! The theme is as it says on the cover: women, all wild, some wilder than others. The collection includes a mixture of character-driven stories and shorter, surrealist pieces - both styles that appeal to me. "Saturday Night" and "The Visit from the English Cousins" are two of my favourite stories, but every story is worth your time and attention....more
Craggan Dhu is the first volume in a trilogy of novels by Kay McKenzie Cooke that follow a family, with both Māori and Pākehā heritage, from a small cCraggan Dhu is the first volume in a trilogy of novels by Kay McKenzie Cooke that follow a family, with both Māori and Pākehā heritage, from a small coastal village in Murihiku / Southland. The narrative switches fluidly between points of view and time periods, building up a vivid picture of the family and the land that sustains and circumscribes their lives.
I grew up in rural Southland, not so very far from where this novel is mainly set, so I enjoyed the parallels with my own and my parents' lives. But even if you have no connection to Southland, this is a beautifully written tale of family, land and water that draws you into its weave....more
The voyage of the generation starship "Domina Penelope" is a perilous one. The ship was in peril throughout Volume 1, and the peril only deepens in BoThe voyage of the generation starship "Domina Penelope" is a perilous one. The ship was in peril throughout Volume 1, and the peril only deepens in Book 2 - which brings into sharp focus the characters around whom the three main storylines revolve. The duplicitous, the indecisive and the heroic - or at least the doggedly determined to do good - all get their turn in the spotlight.
The author does an excellent job of showing how, in a closed community, toxic interpersonal dynamics that began when the main characters were young can sharpen into rifts that threaten the entire community. Both the small party stranded on an increasingly unwelcoming moon and the main body of spacefarers learn things about their respective worlds that leave them more wise and less safe. As the machinations of mysterious navigator Ness play out, the rise of a demagogue to rule by virtue of bombast and bullshit threatens a catastrophic end to the mission.
In other words, "Sun God" does what any good second volume of a trilogy should do: put our protagonists, flawed as they are, in peril, and limit their paths to overcome it. I think they will - at least, I hope they will - and I'm looking forward eagerly to seeing how this all plays out in Volume 3....more
Light Keeping is an understated novel of quiet power. Set against the ruthless cost-cutting that led to the replacement of lighthouse keepers with autLight Keeping is an understated novel of quiet power. Set against the ruthless cost-cutting that led to the replacement of lighthouse keepers with automation, it follows a family of lighthouse keepers as they navigate both personal tragedy and institutional indifference, with the latest generation trying to escape the long shadow of the past.
Adrienne Jansen does a great job of intertwining the personal upheavals of her protagonists' lives with the vagaries of coastline, sea and weather. The boundary between land and sea on which the lonely lighthouse stands is blurred by both disaster and hope, as Jess and Robert struggle to keep the light in view....more
The World I Found is a really good read. It's a Young Adult novel seen through the eyes of 15-year-old Quinn, who is reluctantly dragged off to CampbeThe World I Found is a really good read. It's a Young Adult novel seen through the eyes of 15-year-old Quinn, who is reluctantly dragged off to Campbell Island by her Mum, who is heading there as part of a scientific expedition. While Quinn is on the island, a worldwide emergency breaks out, which means life is very different when she returns to Aotearoa and has to make her own choices in a radically changed world while attempting to reconnect with family and friends.
Latika Vasil does a great job of showing the world through Quinn's eyes. She's brave, resourceful, but also impetuous and at times beset by doubt. She's a very realistic protagonist - I enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes. If you enjoy YA fiction as so many of us do, or if you're a high school teacher looking for a well-written book that touches on important issues and tells a strong story through the eyes of a relatable protagonist, The World I Found is for you....more
Loading...
