Nonfiction
Me, Her, Us by Yen-Rong Wong
Structured in three loose parts, Me, Her, Us examines themes of sex, community, and reconciliation of the Asian-Australian diaspora through witty and thoughtful narration. ‘Me’ delves into the topic of sex, considering the origins and pervasion of shame alongside an…
Consent Laid Bare: Sex, Entitlement & the Distortion of Desire by Chanel Contos
In 2019 when I was in high school, I saw a video of a group of schoolboys singing an anthem on the tram, chanting the words, ‘I wish that all the ladies were holes in the road; And if I…
The Catch: Australia’s Love Affair with Fishing by Anna Clark
Australia is a country that has always been quietly proud of its traditions, and for Anna Clark there is no tradition more Australian than fishing. Her newest book, The Catch, celebrates the universal pleasure of throwing in a line…
The Empty Honour Board by Martin Flanagan
Martin Flanagan’s new book, The Empty Honour Board: A School Memoir is a raw and graphic account of his time at a religious boarding school in an unnamed Tasmanian town in the late 1960s.
Clearly a defining moment in his…
Sleepless by Marie Darrieussecq & Penny Hueston (trans.)
As a night worrier from childhood, I was a little wary of giving my subconscious any further ideas or licence by reading French author Marie Darrieussecq’s new book, Sleepless, but it was too intriguing to resist, and I am…
Ballet Confidential by David McAllister
Ballet and I had a rocky start. After just one lesson at five years old, I apparently informed my mother that I was quitting due to the playing of ‘too much leapfrog’. I then remember a grandparent-initiated excursion to see…
Art Monsters: Unruly Bodies in Feminist Art by Lauren Elkin
When I was an undergraduate in the early 1990s, I took a course in women’s art history that ran over multiple semesters and offered a historical survey. I encountered art made by Artemisia Gentileschi, Leonora Carrington, Alice Neel, Louise Bourgeois…
Many Things Under a Rock: The Mysteries of Octopuses by David Scheel
Early on in Many Things Under a Rock, author and marine biologist David Scheel describes a colleague’s first encounter with a huge and curious octopus, effortlessly conveying the enigmatic beauty and wonder of the event in less than a…
Prudish Nation by Paul Dalgarno
With a title like Prudish Nation, you could be forgiven for thinking that Paul Dalgarno’s latest book is a work of observation coming from a position of judgement. However, you would be wrong. In fact, it could be said…
What’s For Dinner? by Jill Griffiths
This nonfiction account by journalist and self-confessed food-obsessive Jill Griffiths is a deep dive into some of the biggest issues around agriculture, food production and food consumption in our increasingly complex world. Tackling the topic with a journalist’s eye and…
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