Our latest reviews
Unwrapped Sky by Rjurik Davidson
Fantasy novels are often concerned with dynastic change, war and revolution – with, in other words, politics. Generally, though, it’s politics as seen from above, where farm boys matter insofar as they become eventually kings. The genre has a Great…
Happy are the Happy by Yasmina Reza
Happy are the Happy examines the lives of 18 Parisians as they struggle to cope with coupledom and marriage generally. And happy, it ain’t. There are 21 short stories in all, with characters who have a variety of links (some…
Young God by Katherine Faw Morris
Young God will interest anyone who enjoyed Gillian Flynn’s dark female villains or Megan Abbott’s quietly disturbing narrators; the hill-and-valley folk who people Daniel Woodrell’s grim and stifling stories; or Bonnie Jo Campbell’s mid-western American heroes, heroines and deadbeats. That…
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
The Miniaturist sparked a bidding war at last year’s London Book Fair and resulted in a six-figure deal for Jessie Burton – not bad for a book rescued from a literary agent’s slush pile! Set in the Dutch Golden Age…
Folk Singer: Volume 1 by Willie Watson
Don’t let the cover and title of this album put you off. The black-and-white cover art depicts Willie Watson smoking a pipe and wearing dark sunglasses, an acoustic guitar slung around his shoulders like some throwback early 60s folk hopeful…
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring & Mahler: Symphony No. 1
In October of last year, the Australian World Orchestra, under the baton of internationally acclaimed Zubin Mehta, performed concerts in Melbourne and Sydney to enraptured audiences. The result is this remarkable set of two influential works (recorded live in concert)…
Solo by Alisa Weilerstein
Alisa Weilerstein is one of those musicians born for their instrument. Debuting at the ripe old age of 13 with the Cleveland Orchestra, she has taken the world by storm with her cello performances of old and new works. Luckily…
Tin Star by Lindi Ortega
Lindi Ortega hails from Toronto, Canada and is a fast-rising star on the modern country scene. Tin Star is the third album from this songbird, who now calls Nashville home. Ortega has a powerful voice. It’s one that’s equally at…
The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe by Romain Puertolas
Ajatashatru Oghash (pronounced A-jar-of-rat-stew-oh-gosh!) leaves his hometown in search of a bed of nails, specifically one from IKEA. Rallying the people in his village together to help pay for his trip to Paris, where the nearest IKEA can be found…
Searching for Sky by Jillian Cantor
Imagine an idyllic island paradise where life is beautiful but challenging. If you’re not willing or able to hunt, fish, forage for food and build shelter from the elements, you won’t last long in this complex world of interconnected human…
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