What we're reading

Each week we bring you a sample of the books we’re reading, the films we’re watching, the television shows we’re hooked on or the music we’re loving.


Emily is reading We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

When I confessed that I’d lost my reading mojo last week, two of my colleagues formed a campaign to make me read We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler. This campaign consisted of thrusting the cover at me while insisting that they couldn’t tell me what the story was about. Fortunately, the cover and title on their own really appealed to me (reminding me that the phrase ‘completely beside yourself’ is something I heard fairly often as a child!).

I soon understood why they insisted on not telling me more, for fear of spoiling the big twist. It’s actually revealed quite early on but I think the experience is far better for not knowing. Sometimes twists can fall flat on their faces but this one really worked for me and I understood it as a part of the story, rather than simply a device. The novel was such an enjoyable read. Very dry-witted, incredibly touching, and so thought-provoking on its major themes: the way memory works, family dynamics and the ethics of scientific research. I can say no more, except that this would be a great book club read.


Bronte is reading Family Life by Akhil Sharma

The opening to this book is probably the best I’ve read all year.

My father has a glum nature. He retired three years ago, and he doesn’t talk much. Left to himself, he can remain silent for days. When this happens, he begins brooding, he begins thinking strange thoughts. Recently he told me that I was selfish, that I had always been selfish, that when I was a baby I would start to cry as soon as he turned on the TV. I am forty and he is seventy-two. When he said this, I began tickling him. I was in my parents’ house in New Jersey, on a sofa in their living room. ‘Who’s the sad baby?’ I said. ‘Who’s the baby that cries all the time?’

If you’re not yet tempted – at least a little bit – to read this wonderful novel, I’m afraid we can no longer be friends.


Nina is reading Big Brother by Lionel Shriver

More than a year after I actually bought it, I have finally gotten around to reading Lionel Shriver’s Big Brother. I’m a big fan of Shriver – I love We Need to Talk About Kevin and The Post-Birthday World especially – but I found So Much For That almost relentlessly depressing, so I was hesitant about Big Brother.

My hesitation proved mostly unwarranted. While Big Brother‘s first half is rather bleak and upsetting, the second half morphs into something more energetic and upbeat before delivering an ending that was so unexpected, I’m still not sure how I feel about it.

That’s the thing about Shriver. She’ll make you uncomfortable and she’ll make you think. This novel was borne out of her brother’s struggle with obesity and early death, and her personal connection to the story can be felt throughout. While not my favourite Shriver novel, it was still deeply enjoyable and one that I would recommend. The characters and the intricate details of their lives are perfectly realised.

Speaking of recommendations, I’ve one more to make: see the film Edge of Tomorrow. I love blockbuster, popcorn movies but of late, I’ve grown very, very tired of what’s on offer. The Marvel superhero films leave me cold and I hated Godzilla with the fire of a thousand suns. But Edge of Tomorrow is different – it’s fresh, original, funny and smart. It’s not a spin-off, remake or a sequel. Tom Cruise is suddenly palatable again, back to his best movie star form. And it made me love Emily Blunt even more than I already did. So if you’re in the mood for some light-hearted entertainment at the cinema this weekend, my tip is Edge of Tomorrow. (Not Godzilla, okay? Ugh, that movie.)


Ann is reading Woodsman: Living in a Wood in the 21st Century by Ben Law

I have been doing a lot of bushwalking, well sauntering or meandering really, as the late autumn rains have turned the bush into a wonderland after the bone-dry summer. Terrestrial orchids are emerging everywhere, proving that they are not just a springtime gift. And then there are the fungi in all their glorious forms and colours. Lucky we have Bruce Fuhrer’s A Field Guide to Australian Fungi as a walking companion. Colour photographs show close-ups of these wondrous plant forms that are at their peak from May to July as a result of good rains and warm soils.

A beautiful compliment to my outdoor experience is my current reading, Ben Law’s Woodsman: Living in a Wood in the 21st Century. This is a heartfelt testimony to living and working in harmony with nature. You might have heard of Ben – his amazing handcrafted home has appeared on Grand Designs. Ben is living in a unique part of the world, sweetly named Prickly Nut Wood in West Sussex. He inducts us into the world of old-time traditions. I loved the description of planting hedgerows (instead of cutting down trees for fences), using up to eight different plant species to attract wildlife and grant the forager bountiful baskets of wild food.

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Cover image for Big Brother

Big Brother

Lionel Shriver

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