A curious and entirely original novel. I mean who would think that there could be such a thing as a clandestine political network that feeds on cheese made from human breast milk and a night time warrior for justice that’s actually a drug-fueled fluffy cat. If I pitched this novel I’d get dismissed out of…
‘The Time of the Hero’ by Mario Vargas Llosa
Toxic masculinity. It makes young men do dumb things. It also doesn’t stop older men doing dumb things. When dumb things become commonplace they become the system. The system doesn’t like being changed when the people in charge of it are comfortable with dumb things happening. Dumb things become dumber when there are guns involved….
‘The War That Saved My Life’ by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
It’s World War two but nine-year-old Ada has never been allowed to leave their one-room flat because her mother is embarrassed by her daughter’s clubfoot. But when Ada’s younger brother Jamie is evacuated from London, Ada sneaks away to join him. They arrive in a country village and meet Susan Smith who looks after them…
‘CHERNOBYL PRAYER’ and ‘THE UNWOMANLY FACE OF WAR’ by Svetlana Alexeivich
Chernobyl Prayer by Svetlana Alexeivich So you want to cheer yourself up with a good book eh? Well, if the slow, aching death by radiation poisoning and cancers of both locals and the one hundred and seventy thousand ‘volunteers’ who performed the ‘clean-up’, the loss of livelihood and traditional lands of millions of Belarusians and…
‘THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS’ by John Buchan
Fine japes, what? Bally Jerry picking a bunfight, Yankee spook rumbles the game and tells our man. Seppo ends up tits-up pearside with a dagger in his gusset; framed! Chap ends up jollying orf to Jockland chased by the rozzers. Mmeeeooooowww! What?! That’s not the RAF! Bally Jerries again! Escape! Gent pops orf home for tea…
‘BETWEEN THEM’ by Richard Ford
Ford often ascribes his slowness of reading to dyslexia, but I don’t believe him; there must be 48 hours in his day to our 24. He also claims to be a slow writer, and likewise his books should be read slowly. To which I add, Richard Ford books must be held, savoured, and not listened…
‘BAKING WITH KAFKA: Comics’ by Tom Gauld
If you like reading, have been giving writing a go, hold mild opinions/attitudes about politics, or are bemused about modern (online) life, you need this book not to feel alone in this world, to know your sentiments/reactions/feelings are shared by many. Whether the tiny book is filled with gentle humour or LOL moments will depend…
‘GOOD NIGHT STORIES FOR REBEL GIRLS: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women’ by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo
Perhaps you have seen the small stack at VOLUME, or sample stories posted on VOLUME’s Facebook page. This is a beautifully designed book of famous and not-so-famous women from around the world, with their achievements told on the left page, followed by their portraits in diverse styles on the right. Where else can you read…
“GENERAL RELATIVITY FOR BABIES” by Chris Ferrie
A simple, concise explanation for an oft-over-complicated theory, this is a lovely introduction to the study of physics for babies living with bewildered, perplexed, or mystified grownups, particularly those in need of explanation with pictures. Light-weight board, rounded corners, and wipeable pages make this volume human-friendly.
‘VAN GOGH’S EAR: The true story’, by Bernadette Murphy
Whether Vincent van Gogh cut off his entire ear or only the lobe is the central theme of the book, but the investigative approach was what made this book different from other van Gogh biographies, which usually rely on anecdotes, letters, psychological/medical opinions or scientific analysis of paints and brush strokes. The book could have…
‘CLOTH LULLABY: The Woven Life of Louise Bourgeois’, Words by Amy Novesky, Pictures by Isabelle Arsenault
The book took me on a short trip to another time in another world.
‘WRITE TO THE CENTRE: Navigating life with gluestick and words’, by Helen Lehndorf
There are so many “how to keep a beautiful journal” books on the market, many containing much too beautiful examples (they discourage all but the already-accomplished and the truly-brave). This book, while visually just as attractive, shows how someone whose main focus is writing uses both text and collages to save ideas and record her…
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