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TOP 5 BOOKS
KID'S BOOKS
Behind You is the Sea is a collection of linked stories based around a community of Palestinians in Baltimore. Richly developed and compelling, this book is a new favourite at the shop!
Listen to Jenna & Jonny chat about it 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.
Suri declares My Friends by Hisham Matar one of her favourite reads of 2024 and one to look out for on the Booker Longlist (which is announced next week).
My Friends is a political novel that follows three Libyan men, exiled in London, and their friendship’s journey, weaving together fictional characters along side real events. With themes of loss, grief and friendship, My Friends reveals uncomfortable truths about finding your identity whilst away from home.
Suri phoned into the studio, listen to her review with Jonny below.
All That We Know is a Tāmaki Makaurau based, coming of age novel about Māreikura Pohe and her journey in rumaki reo whilst navigating viral fame, whānau, activism and relationships.
This book is funny, nuanced and asks hard questions - of its characters and the reader.
This has become a fast Time Out staff favourite, it’s for fans of Rebecca K. Reilly’s Greta & Valdin and Coco Solid’s How to Loiter in a Turf War.
Listen below!
Author Tina Makereti’s new novel released on Wednesday 3rd of July. It covers an array of themes such as colonisation, ecological devastation and extremism. It explores the strength of womanhood and the importance of connection in a polarised and fraught world.
Set in a small Aotearoa town, a little bit into the future, the story follows three women who find themselves neighbours. A sense of disquiet arises when the Pākehā neighbour’s son moves in sporting a fresh buzzcut and a new tattoo.
Beth spoke to Tina about The Mires, its themes and the inspiration behind the book. Listen below!
Teetering on the edge of dystopia, debut novel The Mark, takes place in a future Iceland where the device Zoe plays videos to soothe minds ill-at-rest and an Empathy Test determines your societal status.
Starting weeks before an explosive referendum to make the Empathy Test mandatory, The Mark follows the story of four characters: lonely, isolated Tristan fearful of what the Test will mean for his future job prospects, Vetur, a teacher worried about the prospects of her failing students and Eyjal, a corporate office worker facing dismissal and Oli, a psychiatrist who heads the organization responsible for creating and administering the test.
A compulsive, addictive read for fans of Black Mirror
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TOP 5 BOOKS
KID'S BOOKS
Today we welcome Jonny as bFM’s new breakfast host with the heifty 650-paged Caledonian Road by writer and journalist, Andrew O’Hagan.
A huge cast weaves together fully realised characters from all walks of life - an art writer, a Robin Hood style hacker plus Lords, politicians, Russian oligarchs and migrants. This is a Dickensian epic that tells a tale of modern London. It is also readable! and funny!
Jenna is tipping this for a Booker nod - the longlist is announced on July 31st.
Listen below!
After five years of reviews, Suri AND Jenna came into the studio to farewell the amazing Rachel Ashby from her role at breakfast.
Suri then talks about David Coventry’s new autofiction-ish novel, Performance. From Te Waipounamu to Europe, David takes us on a clever and fascinating observation of identity, loss and longing.
Listen below!
Jenna phoned into the 95bFM studio fresh from the BookPeople Australian Booksellers Conference.
Hard by the Cloud House, written by Peter Walker and published by Massey University Press, weaves together the threads of memoir, history, pūrākau and nature writing to tell the tale of the mysterious extinct bird, Pouakai (Haast’s Eagle).
Listen below!
This morning, Suri visited the bFM studio to review the well researched, electric and genius new book of short stories by Patricia Grace.
Divided into three sections, this collection immediately connects you to the human experience across a wide variety of character and place.
Listen to Suri’s chat with Rachel 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.
Click on the covers to shop!
TOP 5 BOOKS
KID'S BOOKS
Hollie spoke to Ineke Meredith about her memoir, On Call.
Author Photo: Rachel Calvo
What does a typical day look like for you?
Well, I don't quite have a typical day at the moment. I am in this period of transition with my life in Paris now. A few years ago, I launched our canine dermocosmetic brand in New Zealand and now we are launching in France. I have a new business partner here in Paris, and we are just about to take on a new member of the team. Most days we are working together.
But the typical day starts with coffee and a croissant. We live next to the Eiffel Tower so I try to run in the morning along the river and say hi to her :) I never cease to be absolutely amazed by her beauty. Then I have a day packed full of business meetings or I am writing something! I just finished writing an article for the veterinarians in the UK about the importance of dermocosmetics in dogs. Later this month, we are working with the French veterinary dermatologists in Corsica, so it's really project after project right now. If I did not run in the morning, I absolutely have to run in the evening. My running route is along the river all the way to the Louvre and back. I try to have a little break from the desk before I jump back on to time with NZ waking. At the moment, I am on meetings with NZ from 930pm - 2am Paris time. I am involved with some changes happening in Breast Screen Aotearoa so the meetings are a mix between Fur Love and that ;)
What made you decide to write ‘On Call’?
I never really 'decided' to write On Call. I was writing about patients and their stories which are always far greater than what we appreciate when we see someone in their illness. I was a little hit by this idea that we manage disease, and in particular for trauma or cancer, this journey turns the whole family upside down. I just wanted to write about them so that I would remember them as a person and not just the disease. I initially thought that I would like to write something to the New England Journal of Medicine which is one of the greatest medical journals but they did not want my stories, so when I had over 30,000 words I decided that maybe a publisher would want it.
The importance of your relationship with your mother shines through in your memoir, what was the greatest lesson she taught you?
I have a huge work ethic, I don't stop and this was through watching her. I don't know anyone who worked as much as she did. But if there is one 'lesson' that shines through for me, it is not to look into your neighbour's bowl. I do my best! Anyway, I think I am too busy to worry about what others have and what I don't have...and to be honest, if there is one thing medicine teaches you, it's that every day is a gift.
What is your strongest memory of medical school?
For some reason, cadaver labs. I suppose because it is so strongly visual, that it pervades my memories of med school. I can remember the hallway outside where we would leave our bags. The smell and the harsh white light in the labs. The cadavers on the table and our small groups huddled around a cadaver...I remember even the cold of the cadaver through my gloved hand and the greasiness... I imagine this memory is quite pervasive for most of us. My husband is also a surgeon and one day he bought a leg of "Pata negra" which is a cured leg of pork. At the time, it was a good idea...we loved to eat it in restaurants. Why not have it at home with friends? After a couple of months of this big leg of meat sitting on our kitchen bench, we started to feel unwell even walking into the kitchen. It really pulled on the memory of cadaver labs for both of us!
What’s one takeaway you hope people will have from your book?
It's been a pretty amazing month because I never realised how widely the book would resonate for all people from all walks of life. When I was writing the book, I had different thoughts at different moments: First, I hoped it would become this 'book of truth' for people entering medicine. For so long, we were always told to read 'House of God' but I was disappointed by how negative it was about patients, and frankly, our patients are awesome and they go through a lot. I hoped that it would illustrate something closer to the truth for young people who wanted to become surgeons at this moment in time. Second, I hoped that patients and patients' families would read it, and understand how much they impacted us. No matter how many times we have given bad news, it is always hard and heartbreaking even for us. And third, I hoped that the families of my colleagues would read it, and understand what it is like because I don't think there is any way you can understand what it is like unless you live it. I have had amazing messages from people who have read the book and so many messages have made me cry. People have told me they cried and they laughed. Spouses of colleagues have said that they have insight into what we go through at work. But the most frequent message I have received is that the book made them realise that life is fragile and can be taken at any moment.
What author or book is a recent discovery for you?
I am terrible. I have 3 books on the go right now. Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, Nos Frères Inattendus by Amin Maalouf (I always try to read something in French to continue to improve) and I am finishing Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez. One of my favourite books and 'recent' discovery has to be The Spinoza Problem by Irvin D. Yalom. I thought it was extraordinary and I subsequently read his other book When Nietzsche Wept which was also very good.
What is your favourite snack to enjoy while writing?
I can't snack while writing because if there is something in front of me, I will inhale it. So I am more of a mint tea while writing kinda girl.
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.
Miranda July’s work crosses many mediums, however Jenna has been anticipating her first novel since 2013’s The First Bad Man.
Our unnamed protagonist is an artist and mother and she is ready for freedom. Whilst experiencing symptoms of perimenopause as well as flashbacks to the traumatic birth of her child, she sets on a cross country road trip, which soon takes a detour. Boundaries and ethics are no barrier to her as she attempts to balance her desires and her family life.
The connection between strangers is what intrinsically links all of July’s work and All Fours is no exception. A laugh out loud, bonkers and provocative ride, it’s wonderful to be back in the hands of July’s storytelling.
Listen to Jenna, Rachel & Stella chat below!
Time Out spoke to writer Saraid de Silva about her debut novel, Amma.
People may not know this, but we had you work for a summer at Time Out. What was working at a bookstore like for you?
Honestly terrible for my wallet, I bought so, so, so many books. I think I became a bit of a magpie about it. People would come in chatting about a book and I'd eavesdrop and get fomo and then I'd have to buy it. But I loved working at Time Out specifically because all my colleagues were so lovely. And it was also just really great to get to talk about books with different people.
What is something new you learned while researching Amma?
I learned about rojak. I was talking to my Aunty Collette about Singapore and she told me about rojak, which is a dish found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore and it has like, tofu and veggies as well as some fruit in it, and it's all tossed in this sauce with peanuts on top I think. It just sounds so good and I really want to eat it.
What would your Gran think about Amma?
I would love to know. Mitzi, my Gran, would certainly have a lot to say about it. But I'm not sure what particular things she would like or dislike about the book. If she truly liked it she might not even tell me, but she would certainly be telling other people.
What’s your favourite thing about Invercargill?
I've only been there once so I'm not sure I could say. The hotel we stayed in was quite weird and creepy and I am partial to a somewhat haunted old building.
What author or books have you discovered recently?
Oh favourite question. I started reading Kitten by Olive Nuttall in Time Out, bought it, but then had to read other books for work reasons so it's sitting by my bed waiting for me. But two pages in and I was hooked. I'm looking forward to reading A Person is a Prayer by Ammar Kalia and Minor Detail by Adania Shibli. Who I've discovered recently though? I'm reading Homie by Danez Smith. I've read his work online before but holding his actual book feels so different. I know I will read everything he's written now because he's so, so good.
We don’t want to pressure you but are you working on any new writing?
I'm trying to write my second book but I am finding it almost impossible to do so whilst having a full time job!
What is your favourite snack to enjoy while writing?
Love this question and I take it very seriously because I eat a lot when I'm writing. Probably as procrastination, but also as reward and motivation. I like eating natto (away from desk) and cut up fruit or grapes (at desk).
Today on 95bFM’s Loose Reads, Suri reviewed Percival Everett’s James.
An amazing endeavour of a novel, where Everett gives Jim, the peripheral sidekick in Huckleberry Finn, a full voice.
With notes of Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad, James is a clever exploration of language, plunging the reader into the American South, pre-civil war.
Abby, one of our two Ockham Fiction Champions, popped into the bFM studio to chat the fiction shortlist.
Listen below and you can watch the Ockhams this Wednesday 15th March here.
You can also come in person! Purchase tickets here.
