Jenna
The prolific David Sedaris is back with his second volume of diaries, A Carnival of Snackery (2003-2020.)
With the usual ingredients of travels stories, languages, bad jokes, the Sea Section, taxidermy, rubbish, Hugh & the infamous Sedaris family, this is a must read for Sedaris fans. It’s the type of book that can sit over the coffee table over Christmas and have multiple readers at once.
Listen to Jenna’s lockdown review with Rachel and Zoe below:
This little book follows The Woman in the Yellow Cardigan and she follows, like a friendly(ish) ghost, The Woman in the Purple Skirt.
This is a portrait of single women in Japan, women who work in service and the hierarchy within those industries. It’s also a portrait of loneliness.
This is perfect Christmas present for fans of Sayaka Murata and also Korean authors such as Han Kang and Bae Suah. It’s completely bonkers but funny, creepy but innocent, compelling and mysterious.
Listen to Jenna’s lockdown review with Rachel and Zoe 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.
Alice is ‘the person nobody cares about in the movie if they die’. She’s in her late thirties and lives with her mother (whom she only communicates with by morse code), she has an extraordinary IQ and low empathy for others.
Aotearoa is in a state of political and social change. A chance encounter with one of Aotearoa’s new weathugees,Pablo, leaves Alice living with his 15 year old daughter, Erika - who also happens to be a genius.
Set in a bleak future that we can almost touch with our fingertips, She’s a Killer has a perfectly formed plot, funny & considered dialogue and a thrilling twist. Not a single character is wasted.
Listen to Jenna’s lockdown review with Rachel and Zoe below:
An epic tale that spans the past, present and future from the author of All the Light We Cannot See. Jenna reviews this highly anticipated read from the shop floor, which was delivered by the courier during the review.
A gentle and funny love story, great for a lockdown read.
Listen to Jenna’s review with Rachel and Zoe below.
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.
From the home office, Jenna reviews Megan Dunn’s essay collection, Things I Learned at Art School.
An eighties childhood, a nineties art school education and a stint as a brothel barmaid on Karangahape Road. This is a collection of bite-sized, infectious essays where Dunn displays her trademark deadpan humour and observation.
Listen to Jenna’s review with Rachel and Zoë & pre-order below.
Jenna presents some Level 4 cosy crime goodness for you in today’s Loose Reads review. The Ghost of Frédéric Chopin is the newest title in the Pushkin Press’ Walter Presents imprint.
Prague, 1995: Vera Foltynova claims that the ghost of Chopin is visiting her with new compositions and journalist Ludvík Slany is sent to expose the truth.
This book is inspired by and dedicated to Rosemary Brown.
Listen to Jenna, Rachel and Zoë chatting below!
Today Jenna chats about the upcoming Going West Festival and then gives a quick review of The Commercial Hotel - a thoughtful and curious collection of essays about small town New Zealand.
A Swim in the Pond in the Rain is one of Jenna’s favourite books for 2021. Saunders presents seven short stories from four Russian masters and in doing so, teaches the us about trusting one’s creative voice.
This is a book that you can give any one and is a must have for one’s home library. Listen to Jenna and Rachel’s chat below!
Kāi Tahu author Nic Low traverses and immerses himself across Ka Tiritiri-o-te-Moana (Southern Alps) and Te Wai Pounamu (South Island) following the footsteps of his tīpuna.
Low has created a vital document that explores whakapapa, pūrākau, tikanga, navigation and adventure, whilst being an engaging and lively read.
Listen to Jenna & Rachel chat below, then take a listen to Marlon Williams’ Arahua.
Tracey Thorn (Everything But the Girl) writes a love letter to her rock ‘n’ roll friend, Lindy Morrison (The Go-Betweens) in this music memoir.
Capturing the “imprint one person leaves on another”, but also to female friendship and a record of the blatant sexism of the music industry, how women musicians are interviewed, reviewed and talked about.
This is a book to read and then pass on to your own rock ‘n’ roll friend.
Listen to Jenna’s review with Rachel and Zoe below.
‘Sobbing near the dry goods, asking myself, Am I even Korean anymore if there’s no one left to call and ask what brand of seaweed we used to buy?’
Jenna reviews Michelle Zauner’s beautiful autobiography Crying in H Mart, documenting a period that inspired the first album of her band, Japanese Breakfast.
When Zauner was 25, she dropped everything to care for her terminally ill mother in rural Oregon. This forces her to confront her identity as a Korean American, the cultural divide between herself and her mother, their difficult relationship when she was a teenager and the food that brought them together.
This beautiful book will make you feel sad and hungry - and leave you wanting more.
Jenna fully endorses Greta & Valdin - a queer/Māori/Russian/Auckland rom-com debut by Rebecca K Reilly. With loveable ensemble cast and incredibly funny dialogue - this is truly a feel good story. Listen to Jenna’s review below:
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 previews the Ockham NZ Book Awards, which are happening this Wednesday 12th at 7pm.
Previous reviews of shortlisted titles are:
Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for fiction:
Pip Adam - Nothing to See
Brannavan Gnanalingam - Sprigs
Catherine Chidgey - Remote Sympathy
Airini Beautrais - Bug Week
General Non-Fiction Award:
Alison Jones - This Pākehā Life
The rest of the shortlisted titles are here.
You can go to the ceremony! Check out details here.
From the author of the excellent The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty, Vendala Vida gives us a coming of age story set in 1984-5 San Francisco.
Vida continues her trademark style of dry humour, with a compelling mystery running through. We Run the Tides is effortlessly cool and nostalgic - it will take you back to both the joys and horrors of being thirteen, almost fourteen.
Listen to Jenna chat with Rachel below!
Sarah Krasnostein is the author of the incredible The Trauma Cleaner, and we’re so happy to see a new book from her.
Told with sharp journalistic skill and a curious mind, The Believer: Encounters with Love, Death and Faith explores different societies with varying beliefs - including UFOs, mennonites, a death doula, creationism & paranormal activity.
Have a listen to Jenna’s review with Annabelle and Zoe below:
Longlisted for 2021 Women’s Prize for Fiction, How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones is an intense journey through generations of domestic violence in Barbados.
It’s definitely not a light read, but a page turning and nuanced portrait of three generations of women and their surrounding community.
Have a listen to Jenna’s review with Rachel and Zoe below.
