You lot – yes, you lot over there, pouring all over the cute cat and puppy pictures on the internet? All those bloody memes? Have you ever stopped to think that there was more to fawning over cute and cuddly mammals? Have you ever considered diverting at least some of your attention in the direction of the poor, neglected invertebrates? Erin McAlister’s book ‘The Secret Life of Flies’ is like an Evangelist’s pamphlet for Diptera. She’s here to tell you fly stories, and hopefully, by […]
There May Be No Supernatural Shenanigans, but That Doesn’t Make the Real History Less Engrossing.
A few weeks ago, something shocking occurred when I went to check my credits on Audible. Usually, their recommended section either accidentally recommends books I’ve already read, or throws me some kind of self-help book – which, honestly, they probably inflict these on everybody. But this time they got it right – they gave me a recommendation off their new release list that wasn’t something I was already familiar with. And it turned out to be really damned good! I wasn’t sure of how to […]
Not so Bloody Fair
Rick Morton is a social affairs writer for The Australian, and 100 Years of Dirt is both his memoir and his commentary of class and disadvantage in Australian society. It’s a very tricky line he’s had to balance himself on; this book could have all too easily turned self-indulgent. However, instead, Rick comes across as very candid about both his family history and how we in Australia deal with these issues, making for a grim read. Rick’s grandfather, George was the owner of several large […]
I Was Tempted to Make This Review a Mediation of When Exactly the Likeable Arsehole Line Is Crossed, but Thought Nah, Better Not
Sorry, I’ve been a bit sluggish with this one. I had every intention – really, I did – of completing this one in time for the book club two weeks ago, but things got in the way. Like work. And Charles Stross’s new book. This book holds a very, shall we say, odd place in my personal rankings; one that is shared with just one other book that I have read recently – Charlie Jane Anders ‘All The Birds In The Sky’. Both of […]