This is what I’ve read so far this month. What, we’ve only just past halfway? I hear you ask. I suppose that’s the only upside of being laid up in bed for practically all this time.

Although, if I’m honest, I’m still making my way through Tender is the Night. My feelings about it oscillate between ecstatic delight to queasy unease. I will openly admit I don’t know how it ends – although I’m forming a pretty good idea, and these suspicions are almost, but not quite, enough for me to turn a blind eye to the sexist and racists moments that, sure, may be a product of Fitzgerald’s day (mind), but does that cut muster in ours? I don’t want to say too much – in another twenty pages my feelings could change again. But we’ll see.

I bought Damn Good Advice at the NGV bookshop during the Melbourne Writers Festival. It’s one of those aspirational/self-improvement books that I am occasionally susceptible of purchasing. I draw the line at Tony Robbins, though. Nuh-uh.

Before I Go To Sleep is a real page-turner, I’m not surprised the movie rights were snapped up. I think it’s an impressive debut. The pacing, plot, characterisation – all the structural elements – are really solid. Although I remembered after I finished why I rarely read thrillers – I always sit there and go back to find holes in the narrative where (in inferior thrillers or detective stories) a giant leap gets made between plausibility and downright silliness. Happily, none appeared in this instance!

I finally picked up The Family Law (it’s been on the shelf for a while) and I consumed in a sitting or two. I have a bit of a crush on Benjamin Law, I must admit. Plenty of LOLs to be had – and boy I needed them! A pick-me-up book, for sure.

 

What are you reading this month? 

karen andrews

Karen Andrews is the creator of this website, one of the most established and well-respected parenting blogs in the country. She is also an author, award-winning writer, poet, editor and publisher at Miscellaneous Press. Her latest book is Trust the Process: 101 Tips on Writing and Creativity