Jenna
We have a great non-fiction recommendation for you today. In the late 1960’s, a Premonitions Bureau was set up at the Evening Standard by psychiatrist John Barker and journalist Peter Fairley. However, Barker’s own fatality is predicted by one of his subjects.
An anecdotal yarn that follows the science of trying to explain the unexplainable.
Listen to Jenna and Rachel on the phone below:
First of all, we have a run through of the winners from last week’s Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, including the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for fiction, Kurangaituku by Whiti Hereaka.
Then, we are so excited talk about this debut from all-round artist extraordinaire, Coco Solid aka Jessica Hansell.
Following three wāhine around an evolving & gentrifying Tāmaki Makaurau - the form of How to Loiter takes sharp & spare shape in prose, poetry & essay.
Listen to Jenna and Rachel on the phone below:
It’s been a long time between drinks and it’s great to be back to our regular rotation of Loose Reads reviews on 95bFM. Today, Jenna talks about Booker Prize winning author Douglas Stuart’s Young Mungo.
Listen to Jenna and Rachel on the phone below:
Toi Tū Toi Ora is the book of the landmark exhibition of contemporary Māori Art from Auckland Art Gallery. Curator Nigel Borell has collated a richly illustrated text featuring exhibition artworks both on their own and within the gallery space. The book follows the exhibition's themes of Te Kore (the void), Te Pō (the night) and Te Ao Mārama (the light.)
With contributions from Moana Jackson and Taarati Taiaroa, this book is a must for your home library allowing the luxury of revisiting these beautiful works at your own pace.
Listen to Jenna and guest host Annabell chat below.
With rain and thunder in the background, Jenna reviews Last Resort, a debut novel by Andrew Lipstein.
Caleb’s dream is to be a novelist and after some ethically dubious inspiration, it looks like his dream is to be realised. This book is not serious, sharp & funny and is recommend for fans of grifter stories - especially the infamous Who is the Bad Art Friend?
Listen to Jenna and Rachel discuss 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.
Translated from Italian, Claudia Durastanti’s novel Strangers I Know explores the mythology of family, language, form and fiction. An incredibly smart read and highly recommended.
Listen to Jenna and Rachel discuss below.
Danya Kukafka’s Notes on an Execution is crime fiction fit for true crime lovers. Set in the twelve hours before he is to be executed, Ansel Packer’s story is told by three women who have been affected by his crimes. A pacy and thought provoking read.
Listen to Jenna, Rachel and Zoe discuss below.
The growth of tech, social media and personal devices has evolved the way our society interacts with the world today. Stolen Focus is an investigation into how this has happened, what it means and offers tools in how to get our focus back. A hot topic told in an engaging and thorough way, this a great non fiction read to start off the new year.
Read this excerpt from The Guardian and listen to Jenna, Rachel and Zoe discuss below.
Jenna is Rachel and Zoe’s first guest in the studio since August! Today, she reviews Lauren Groff’s Matrix. An imagining of the life medieval poet, Marie de France, who is sent away from the royal court to live as a nun. Never has a story set in the twelfth century felt so contemporary!
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.
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!
