Explore our books of the month for October!
Each of the below titles has been read and recommended by our booksellers before being selected as our book of the month for its category.
Fiction Book of the Month
A Great Act of Love
Heather Rose
A young woman boards a ship bound for a colony on the far side of the earth. To those on board she is a pious, grieving widow, someone with enough coin to invest in the goods the captain carries, but who keeps to herself and shares little of her past. The other passengers cannot know that Caroline is following her convict father, that she has made her money from nefarious schemes, nor that she has a family connection to French royalty.
When she arrives in Van Diemen’s Land, she is no longer alone, having taken on a young ship’s boy as her ward. The pair find themselves accommodation and Caroline begins work as governess to the younger children of Captain Swanston, soon to be her landlord. Their new home includes a vineyard, a twist surely put into play by the gods of fate, as Caroline’s father once made champagne. After the French revolution, he ran an apothecary, and educated his daughters in various sciences, now enabling this determined young woman to bring these vines back to life. As she creates a new beginning for herself and the adopted family around her, amid the beauty and harshness of colonial Australia, Caroline finds her place, a home, and, finally, happiness.
Heather Rose says at the start of this novel that it is one based on several true stories, and knowing that someone as brave, determined, and brilliant as Caroline really did exist makes her narrative even more moving. Rose has always been just as brave and determined and brilliant in her writing, moving easily from literary award winner The Museum of Modern Love to the political thriller Bruny and now to the past, with all of its complexity and absences. This is a heroic tale from one of my very favourite authors.
Reviewed by Kate McIntosh.
Crime Book of the Month
Murder on North Terrace (A Petticoat Police Mystery, Book 2)
Lainie Anderson
Historian Lainie Anderson’s debut crime novel, The Death of Dora Black, not only spun readers back in time to Adelaide during the First World War, but also introduced the pioneering female police officer Kate Cocks. In her real life, as a Jujitsu practitioner, and a teetotaller, Cocks was also astute, and had plenty of empathy to boot. In novel form, Anderson is able to expand on her own knowledge of Cocks and bring this formidable woman to life in these whodunnits. Whodunnits, plural – because the second instalment is here. As they were in the first book, Anderson’s descriptions of central Adelaide in 1916 are vivid. You can almost hear the hustle and bustle of people going about their day, and the clatter of the trams as they trundled throughout the city and into the suburbs. (Yes, Adelaide was full of them back then!)
Set some six months after the solving of the Dora Black case, this new book sees Kate and her equally capable offsider, Ethel, delving into a murder at the Art Gallery. The body is found at the base of a particularly controversial painting – controversial for the artist’s depiction of a naked woman and the derision it casts towards the UK establishment.
This time, Ethel’s family connections thrust her into the ‘point’ position of the investigation, while Kate is pulled into a dark plot involving the poster bloke for the war movement. It’s so refreshing having these women cast as the lead characters. Anderson does a terrific job keeping the plots propulsive and engaging, leaving you to absorb by osmosis the historical facts peppered throughout. These books are such fun, and perfect for anyone who loved Sulari Gentill’s Rowland Sinclair series, or Robert Gott’s William Power and Titus Lambert books.
Reviewed by Julia Jackson.
Nonfiction Book of the Month
A Woman’s Eye, Her Art: Reframing the Narrative Through Art and Life
Drusilla Modjeska
I’ve known about Drusilla Modjeska’s new book from its beginnings. I travelled to Germany with the author while she did research, I read early drafts, I’m one of the dedicatees. I thought I knew this book, but reading the published version has been an entirely new and wonderful experience for me. There’s an intimacy to A Woman’s Eye, Her Art. Drusilla Modjeska takes the reader with her, on her journey of discovery, as she brings to life several of the long-neglected women artists of the first half of the 20th century.
The art of that time was defined in masculine terms and valued through a masculine gaze; indeed, creativity itself was considered to be the domain of men. We all know the names: Picasso, Man Ray, Breton, Rilke, Kandinsky. However, until recently, the women artists in A Woman’s Eye, Her Art, if they were mentioned at all, were as muses/appendages to their famous male partners. There’s Dora Maar (Picasso), Lee Miller (Man Ray), Clara Westhoff (Rilke), Gabriele Münter (Kandinsky), just to name a few of the artists in A Woman’s Eye, Her Art. Modjeska ‘reframe[s] the narrative through [the] art and life’ of these women and, in addition, by drawing on the work of contemporary artists like Julie Rrap and Chantal Joffe reveals their radicalism, significance and their enduring influence.
There’s a novelistic feel to A Woman’s Eye, Her Art as Modjeska takes us into the places where the women worked, to erotically charged summer holidays in the south of France, as she portrays the problems of being an artist/mother/wife. We see the horrors of Buchenwald and Dachau through the eyes and camera of Lee Miller, and marvel at the queerness – such queerness! – of Claude Cahun. And then there’s the sumptuous production itself: gorgeous paper, wide margins and an abundance of illustrations. In every respect, Drusilla Modjeska’s A Woman’s Eye, Her Art is a pleasure to read.
Reviewed by Andrea Goldsmith, a friend of Readings.
Young Adult Book of the Month
For No Mortal Creature
Keshe Chow
Jia Yi has always believed she’s an Empty, someone without magical power. While searching for a cure to her grandmother’s illness, Jia is stabbed through the heart by a soldier of her mortal enemy, Prince Essien Lancaster. She finds herself in the afterlife and face-to-face with the ghost of Lin, the childhood best friend who betrayed her. Desperate to escape him, she resurrects and discovers she has a power after all: the ability to move between the Living and Death Realms. Jia must use this power to find a legendary sword hidden in the afterlife to save her grandmother. But to survive the treacherous layers of the Death Realm, Jia must seek the help of Lin, and Prince Essien. As tensions between Jia, Lin and the Prince grow, she must confront the ghosts of her past, or risk becoming one herself.
After devouring Keshe Chow’s first book, The Girl with No Reflection, I couldn’t wait to read this one. It deserves to be crowned Young Adult Book of the Month, just based on the cover alone! I have read MANY young adult fantasies, but I’ve truly never read anything like this. It’s fast-paced, funny and emotionally charged. It had me squealing and kicking my feet with delight. The character development is strong and the plot is well thought out. And the twists! Oh my!
Following Jia on her journey through the Death Realm felt like a fever dream, in the best way. The enemies-to-lovers trope has always been my favourite, but after reading this it’s been replaced by friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers-to- … I won’t give any spoilers!
Inspired by Wuthering Heights, and with an element of Inception, this haunting fantasy will stick with you long after you’ve read the final page. It’s perfect for fans of love triangles, enemies-to-lovers tales and anyone aged 13+ who loves great romantasy.
Reviewed by Lucie Dess.
Young Adult Classic of the Month
Alanna: The First Adventure (The Song of the Lioness Quartet, Book 1)
Tamora Pierce
A conversation between Lucie Dess and Bella Mackey
Lucie: Bella and I both wanted to write the review for the Alanna series. It was actually my idea to pick it for the Young Adult Classic of the Month, but because I got to review the Kids Classic last month, it was suggested Bella should do it instead. I disagreed … So, naturally the only way to settle the argument was an arm-wrestle. Of course, I won! No need to applaud. But then Elke, our fearless Readings Monthly editor suggested we write the review together, and being the gracious winner that I am, I agreed.
Bella: Thank goodness – it would have been a personal tragedy for me not to be able to share my love for Alanna and Tamora Pierce, but it was foolish of me to ever agree to an arm-wrestling match. Lucie destroyed me almost immediately … But that doesn’t matter now, because I still get to sing the praises of this timeless fantasy adventure!
Alanna: The First Adventure follows Alanna, who swaps places with her twin brother and disguises herself as a boy so she can become a knight. She’s got natural skill and a determination to prove herself, but Alanna soon finds herself up against gruelling training, mind-numbing lessons and relentless bullies. It’s not until she makes friends that the years of training ahead start to feel possible … as long as no one finds out about her secret identity.
Lucie: I first discovered Alanna in the school library. The book was tatty and the pages had yellowed. There were even a couple of pages missing, but that didn’t matter. I devoured it and then the next three books in the series. Alanna’s adventures are action-packed and utterly captivating. It has everything you could possibly want in a fantasy coming-of-age! There’s strong friendships, evil sorcerers, handsome princes, charming thieves, love triangles and twists that you will not see coming! The Song of the Lioness Quartet is a series I’ve returned to many times over the years, and it never fails to warm my heart and give me butterflies.
Bella: I was introduced to Alanna when I was in primary school, and it became pretty much my entire personality for the next few years. I absolutely fell in love with Alanna and her friends, and devoured the rest of the quartet (not to mention everything else Tamora Pierce had written). The fast-paced plots and magical world make her books incredibly engaging, while the wonderful characters will find a place in your heart and keep you coming back for more. Lucie and I are both proof that this book can inspire a lifelong passion! (and yes, we will now be re-reading the whole quartet, because it’s all we can think about after re-reading the first book).
We both recommend this series for any fantasy lover aged 12+, especially those who love Mulan and girls who can wield a sword.
Picture Book of the Month
Between
Anna Walker
A gentle and beautiful new picture-book offering by well-loved Australian creator Anna Walker.
Portrayed in stunning illustrations and sparse words, this picture book tells the tale of a meeting and developing friendship between a cabbage moth and a cricket. The gorgeous illustrations are thoroughly enthralling, rendered in spot colours that move along with poetic words. The stunning combination of watercolour, pencil and collage for which Walker is known creates an almost spray-paint effect that is subtle and gentle.
This is a beautiful book to share with any child in a quiet time before bed, inviting an understanding of connection, friendship and empathy. It would be a well-loved addition to any little library, in the style of a bestseller like Baby Bedtime by Mem Fox. It is perfect for ages 3+.
Reviewed by Melanie Barton.
Kids Book of the Month
Spud and Snowball and the Fancy Fish (Spud and Snowball, Book 1)
Judith Rossell
Who hasn’t been tempted by the promise of a new, amazing thing that you absolutely must have? In this wacky, highly illustrated chapter book, cats Spud and Snowball see an ad for delicious ‘Fancy Fish’ on television and immediately order it online. But what arrives is not the fancy fish they were hoping to devour. Not only does this fancy fish call itself Sir Mimsy Woffle-Poffle-Foffington, but the fish also wants Spud and Snowball to be its butlers. Hilarious mayhem ensues, of course, as the cats try to keep up with the increasingly ridiculous demands of their fancy fish.
With a nod to the Seussian humour of The Cat in the Hat, Judith Rossell, author of The Midwatch, has written and illustrated a future classic that will utterly delight many readers (and their butlers) aged 6+. More Spud and Snowball, please!
Reviewed by Angela Crocombe.
