RNZ
Jenna phoned into the Nine to Noon studio today to talk about the fantastic memoir, The Friday Afternoon Club. Following the famous Dunne family, through celebrity, hilarity and then deep tragedy, this book has something for everyone.
A masterclass in storytelling! Listen below.
A cleverly told story which thoughtfully captures the uncomfortable space between the generational and gender divide of a daughter and a father.
Sophia’s father sits in a theatre to watch the debut of his young daughter’s play. But he soon realises the play is about him and a holiday they took together in Sicily.
For fans of Deborah Levy, Ian McEwan and Rachel Cusk!
Listen to Jenna chat with guest Nine to Noon host, Paddy Gower below.
Mongrel, a Time Out staff favourite for 2024, follows three women’s explorations of cultural identity. Moving between England and Japan, the threads that connect these characters are revealed.
This is a coming of age debut that features an expert hand of character development and an articulate and compelling exploration of cultural identity.
Listen to Jenna chat with Kathryn below.
Take What You Need follows an estranged stepmother and stepdaughter whilst commenting on the rural and urban divide, class, poverty and racism in America and the lives of artists.
It’s a fantastic read - compelling, nuanced and contemporary. Listen to Jenna chat with Kathryn below.
Set on the coast of Northern Ireland, Maguire’s debut novel Night Swimmers is another to add to the pile of great Irish writing. Local woman Grace, is known as a bit a grouch, who lives an independent life. However, after a meeting between two new village arrivals - Evan and his young son Luca - the three are drawn together, which may bring healing for them all.
The warmth of community and connections between strangers are highlighted in this novel about loneliness, with both humour and profound sorrow.
Listen to Jenna chat with Kathryn below.
The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions tells the tale of a lifelong friendship and a schizophrenia diagnosis which leads to murder.
Told through a historical, political and scientifc context, mental health and American healthcare are explored.
Listen to Jenna chat with Kathryn below.
Jenna called into the RNZ studio to review My Brilliant Sister, a Trans-Tasman novel linking three women who observe balancing creativity and domesticity - all with a connection to Australian author and feminist, Stella Miles Franklin.
Listen to Jenna chat with Kathryn below.
Today on Nine to Noon, Jenna was in the studio to chat to Kathryn about some of her favourite 2023 reads.
Listen below for the full review.
Today on Nine to Noon, Jenna chatted to Susie about The Bee Sting. This has been shortlisted for the Booker, which will be announced in just over a week!
A supremely Irish tragi-comedy, this is Jenna’s favourite novel of 2023.
Listen below for the full review.
Described as a “punk” by Mariana Enriquez, Aurora Venturini wrote this novel as an 85 year old, submitting the typewritten manuscript anonymously to a newspaper competition in 2007. After she won, she said, “Finally, an honest jury.” She had previously written 30 novels.
This is a story of vulnerable women, bad men and revenge in 1940’s Buenos Aires. Cousins is the first Venturini novel to be translated into English.
Listen to Jenna’s review with Kathryn below for more.
PHOTO BY CLAUDIA BERNALDO DE QUIRÓS
“I stood on the most God-forsaken patch of earth I hope ever exists and I thought: I wonder how Elly is.”
Alice Winn’s In Memoriam demonstrates both the despair of war and the distraction of love as we meet two young men in love, Ellwood and Gaunt as they leave their boarding school to sit at the front lines of World War I.
Listen to Jenna’s review with Kathryn below.
Sally Diamond’s Father told her that when he died, to put him out with the rubbish, so when he did die, that’s what she did. This act brings a lot of attention on this woman who has spent her life in her Irish Village pretending to be deaf outside the house.
With a good chunk of the novel set in New Zealand, this book alternates between a Rosie Project-esque tale and a compelling psychological thriller.
Listen to Jenna’s review with Kathryn below.
Kevin Wilson seems to be an undiscovered gem in the Southern Hemisphere, Jenna was very excited to read Now is Not the Time to Panic after loving Nothing to See Here and Tunneling to the Center of the Earth.
A Tennessee based coming-of-age story, that involves an art mystery. An excellent read!
Listen to Jenna’s review with Kathryn below.
Jenna was back in the Auckland RNZ studio today to review Bobby Palmer’s Isaac and the Egg. We know this sad/happy tale is going to be a word-of-mouth favourite. For fans of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Midnight Library and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.
Listen to Jenna’s review with Kathryn below.
Jenna reviews this epic novel from renowned poet, Honorée Fanonne Jeffers.
Ailey Pearl Garfield, her immediate family and ancestors tackle racism, trauma, colourism, black feminism, academia and history over 800 sweeping and effortless pages. This book is highly recommended!
Listen to Jenna’s review with Lynne Freeman on RNZ’s Nine to Noon below.
Jenna reviews Orwell’s Roses, the brand new book by prolific non-fiction writer, Rebecca Solnit. Starting amongst George Orwell’s (still living) roses, Solnit weaves together connections of war and beauty. Highly recommended!
Listen to Jenna’s review with Kathryn below.
Today, Jenna reviews the Greek classic, Three Summers by Margareita Liberaki. An escapist coming of age that is filled with the joys of nature and the pains of adolescence.
Listen to Jenna’s review with Kathryn below, with a little extra mention of The Promise by Damon Galgut, the 2021 winner of the Booker Prize.
Set in a French Village, People Like Them is an immersive and compelling thriller inspired by the murder of five members of a family, by their neighbour.
Narrated by the murderer’s wife, we watch how this tragedy unfolds. Does race play a factor in this murder? Where does humiliation take a human?
Listen to Jenna chat about People Like Them to Kathryn Ryan below. You can buy the book here for delivery in Auckland’s Level 3.
The winner of the Japanese Booksellers’ Award (the book Japanese booksellers most loved to sell.)
Kororo is a Japanese middle schooler, who has given up going to school due to bullying. One day, she notices her mirror is glowing and is able to step inside. There, she finds herself in a castle with 6 other teenagers - she’s not sure why they are there, but it seems they have something in common.
With elements of magic, fairy tales, Matilda and The Breakfast Club - Lonely Castle in the Mirror is a book full of heart, conquering your fears and human connection. Perfect for all fans of Japanese translation but also suitable for young adult readers.
Listen to Jenna’s review with Kathryn below and buy the book here.
Jenna chats with Kathryn about some of her ‘forgotten favourites’ from 2020.
Earthlings is an absurd & twisted foray into the ‘factory’ of Japanese culture.
Homeland Elegies is a modern day American auto-fiction classic - from the perspective of a Muslim American life post 9/11.
In the Dream House is a searing collection of vignettes that explore an abusive queer relationship and the history of queer relationships in pop culture.
