Read:
June proved more productive in terms of reading than May. Four of these were sent to me for review and all four were excellent. Kairos was our book club selection for June, and it was a bust. It may have won the International Booker Prize for this year but as far as I'm concerned, it's a bin fire. I got to 53% (reading on my Kobo - great for stats!) and pressed remove from my device. No one in our book club finished it. And that's all you're going to get on that one!
Heartsease is a story of sisters, grief, and ghosts. Beautifully written and deeply felt, there was a possibility that this novel would have become weighted down by its own sadness and multiple layers of grief, but the author infused enough rays of hope, humour, and love into the narrative to lighten it all up. Thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for this one. Four stars.
Edenhope is a thought provoking and deeply emotional story about a woman who has been driven to the point of destitution by her daughter's drug habit and her quest to save her grandchildren from certain harm. I was gripped by this story from the outset and loved all of it, far more than I had been expecting to. Thanks to Text Publishing for this one. Five stars.
The Concierge is a nod to the cosy mystery genre of bygone days (think Agatha Christie's blend of the quaint with murder and mayhem), however it is also distinctly meta in style. It was a lot of fun to read, and Hector Harrow was such a gem of a narrator. Thanks to Ultimo Press for this one. Four stars.
The Lyrebird Lake Ladies Choir is a thought-provoking look at the growing epidemic of homelessness in Australia alongside a deep dive into a dark part of Australia's social welfare history, the forced adoptions that were in place from around the mid 1950s to the early 1980s. The heavier parts of the narrative are balanced with the cheeriness of the choir and its members. I really enjoyed this one and found it tugging on my heartstrings in unexpected ways. Thanks to Penguin Australia for this one. Five stars.
Listen:
My audio book consumption increased greatly across June. I was unwell for about a week and found reading fatiguing, whereas I could lay and rest with an audio book playing, so they won out. Each of these were really good! All of these were purchased from and listened to through Kobo.
The Lonely Hearts Book Club is a book about books - my favourite kind. When librarian Sloane risks her job to check on an elderly library patron who has failed to show up to the library at his usual time, she sets in motion a change to not only her own life, but to the lives of several others, all of whom end up forming a book club as a way of banding together to care for an elderly man who is alone in the world. As the story progresses, what becomes apparent, is that the kindness of strangers can move mountains when even just one person won't take no for an answer. This one is a love story of a different kind, that of friendship, where age is no barrier and everyone, no matter their background, can bond over a common cause and a good book. Five stars.
At The Foot of the Cherry Tree is set-in post-war Japan and Australia, spanning seven years, and tells the story of a young man's fight to change the immigration laws in Australia preventing him from bringing his Japanese war bride home. It's a thought-provoking and deeply moving story of love set against a backdrop of Australian political history. Based on a true story, it's an ideal novel for book clubs, offering up many topics for discussion. The narration was fantastic. Four stars.
White Noise and Black Lies I listened to back-to-back, a first for me, following one story up immediately with its sequel, but I enjoyed White Noise that much, there really was no other option but to keep on going. I loved Laura, our psychologist and main character, as she battled her demons, her ex-husband, her sultry teenage daughter, her co-workers, her growing feelings for a close friend, and the criminal justice system. I relished seeing her grow in confidence and get the respect she deserved across the two novels. I'm hoping for a third instalment in Laura's story. The narrator was the same for both of these novels and she did a fantastic job. It got tense at times! Highly recommended to those who enjoy crime reads. Four stars for each.
Funny Story is the latest release by Emily Henry, whose books I find irresistible. In this one, she once again treats us to a book about books, in that, her main character is a librarian and much of the story revolves around the library - and books. It's a fabulously funny and heartfelt story about love, friendship, family, finding your true self, and the value of libraries. Funny Story is indeed a funny story, and the narrator was just fabulous in this one. She really added so much into her reading and turned this into a fully immersive and entertaining experience. Five stars. It's our book club selection for July, so I'm winning now with having already finished it.
Watch:
I watched a few more movies throughout the month of June than is normal for me. Maybe it's the weather, we had a cold snap and there's nothing cosier than curling up on the couch with a blanket when it's very cold. Although it's not pictured, I am still watching The Great British Sewing Bee, having finished the month of June halfway through season nine. Season ten is currently airing in Britain, so I hope they hurry up and make it available here in the very near future.
Colin from Accounts returned for its second season. This quaint Aussie series is pure entertainment with all the feels and even more laughs. I talked the first season up so much that M binged it so we could watch the second one together. What's more fun than watching Colin from Accounts on your own? Watching it with someone else and laughing yourself silly together. Love this show and with that ending, there better be a series three in the pipeline! (Binge)
All of Us Strangers has been on my watchlist even before it was released. It never screened in the cinema here (they are dreadfully unsupportive of Indie films) and I waited and waited for it to pop up on streaming, but in the end, I paid to rent it because I was sick of waiting. It's unlike any other film I've ever seen. Emotionally charged, and then some, the story is so incredibly unique. Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal are both incredible in this, two very fine actors who had a terrific chemistry and also showed such raw emotion throughout. It was worth the wait, and the rental charge. (Prime)
The Pale Horse is a contemporary remake of an Agatha Christie classic. I'm enjoying these remakes, they retain the essence of the original but have a more edgy, and in this case, chilling, vibe. This had a bit of a Hitchcock feel to it. It was a limited series and I devoured it over a Sunday afternoon and evening. My memory on the original storyline was hazy, so I didn't see any of the twists coming. (Britbox)
Wicked Little Letters was so much fun to watch. Really heavy use of profanity (obviously) but in the most hilarious ways. It was based on a true story! Swearing aside, the storyline was very enjoyable, touches of sadness, and a range of issues delved into. Olivia Coleman is such a terrific actress, honestly, she's just a queen. (Prime)
The Fall Guy is not my usual go to watch, but it was show holiday, and I avoid the show, so M and I spent the afternoon watching this instead. A very funny nod to all the stunt people in action movies, those unsung daredevils that make the stars look like heroes but never get their own parts. The Fall Guy sees you! Ryan Reynolds and Emily Blunt had terrific chemistry too which just added to the entertainment factor. (Telstra Movies)
The Cleaning Lady returned for its third and what I expect to be its final season. The actor playing one of the main characters actually passed away between seasons (Adan Canto) and the show did a terrific job of working this into the storyline instead of just killing him off and returning without him. I enjoyed this season, but it had a definite wrap up feel to it at the end, which I think is a good thing - better to finish on a high with everything tied up neatly. (Binge)
Mothers' Instinct is a slow burn psychological thriller starring Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastin as neighbours and best friends with young sons the same age. When tragedy strikes for one of the families, the social network unravels. And boy, did it unravel and go to some unexpected and dark places. This was a chilling film, slow and steady, twisting its way to an ending that left me speechless. Both Hathaway and Chastin were excellent in it. (Prime)
~~~~
June in a (very large) nutshell. Stay warm and until the end of next month, good reading, good listening, and good watching.
No comments:
Post a Comment