Latest news with #TransitLounge
Sydney Morning Herald
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Estranged sisters and a curious gift: 14 new books to get stuck into this month
It may be the start of winter and things outside are cooling down, but there's no loss of heat in the book world, with a bumper crop of books being published this month. This selection includes an astonishing memoir, speculative fiction, love and other disasters in the `90s and so much more. Salvage Jennifer Mills Picador, $34.99 In her fifth, speculative novel, the always imaginative Jennifer Mills plunges us into the lives of sisters Jude and Celeste. Jude is on an Earth plagued by climate disaster, war and antagonism, struggling to survive in the Freelands. Celeste, meanwhile, is trapped on some sort of spacecraft designed to help plutocrats escape the benighted world. But when something falls from the sky, we learn the full, human story of the estranged sisters. The War Within Me Tracy Ryan Transit Lounge, $34.99 In the second of her Queens of Navarre series, poet and novelist Tracy Ryan turns her focus from Marguerite of Navarre to her daughter, Jeanne d'Albret. It's a story of royal and religious conflict as Jeanne escapes an arranged marriage to find love with Antoine, with whom she reigned before the Counter-Reformation pitted them on opposing sides of the long-running French wars of religion. Ryan is working on a third instalment, To Share His Fortune. A Beautiful Family Jennifer Trevelyan Allen & Unwin, $32.99 There's an irony in the title of New Zealand writer Jennifer Trevelyan's much-anticipated coming-of-age debut as the narrator, 10-year-old Alix, discovers much more about her family and its secrets during a summer holiday in 1985. From Kahu, a boy she meets on the beach, she learns the story of Charlotte, a girl who drowned two years earlier and whose body has never been found. Together, they try to find out the truth of her death, which reveals truths not bargained for. A Different Kind of Power Jacinda Ardern Penguin, $55 Jacinda Ardern became prime minister of New Zealand at the age of 37, and the way she dealt with the travails of high office along with the many major crises in NZ won her international admiration. Just think of her humane response to the appalling attack on the Christchurch mosques. Is there really a different way for politicians − and others − to lead? She argues forcefully that kindness and empathy are crucial. Let's hope other leaders take note of her methods. Our New Gods Thomas Vowles UQP, $34.99 Whether Thomas Vowles becomes a new god of literature remains to be seen, but judging by this debut novel set in the queer world of Melbourne he can certainly write gripping fiction. Ash is new to town and has quickly been befriended by James, who takes him to a party where his boyfriend, the charismatic and mysterious Raf, is DJing. But when Ash decides to leave, he stumbles across Raf outside and what he witnesses him doing is unsettling. Soon Ash is mixed up in something he really doesn't understand. The Death of Stalin Sheila Fitzpatrick Black Inc., $27.99 Black Inc. has made a point of publishing crisply written short books and essays that dissect global and local issues. In The Death of Stalin − not to be confused with Armando Iannucci's satirical film − Australia's pre-eminent Soviet historian tells us about the immediate change of direction after March 5, 1953, that was driven largely by the appalling director of the secret police, Lavrentiy Beria. In the simultaneously published Bombard the Headquarters, Linda Jaivin chronicles the disasters of Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution. Aftertaste Daria Lavelle Bloomsbury, $32.99 Daria Lavelle's first novel is a bit bonkers really. Kostya's beloved dad is dead, but suddenly he tastes his father's favourite Ukrainian dish, pechonka. Over the years, aftertastes of food appear 'in his mouth like messages', until he discovers that by preparing specific foods or drinks he can bring the dead back from the purgatorial food hall where they are marooned. So, Kostya opens a restaurant to ease them to their next stage of death – but then things go a bit berserk. Foreign Country Marija Pericic Utimo Press, $34.99 Another pair of estranged sisters. When Eva gets a surprise letter from Elisabeta at her new apartment in Berlin she's puzzled to find it contains an airline ticket back to Australia. They've been apart for years, but Eva sets off to the Blue Mountains only to find that Elisabeta is dead and she is left to sort the debris of her life. Tucked into an absorbing narrative about the interaction of past and the present are documents and photos to provide a visual contrast with the emotional discoveries that Eva makes about her sister. The Prime Minister's Potato and Other Essays Anne-Marie Condé Upswell, $29.99 Historian and museum curator Anne-Marie Condé says she meditates on 'how the past can be understood through the interactions of people, places and things'. Her titular essay in this diverse and rather lovely collection tells of a curious 1942 gift from one William Frith to John Curtin as a 'cure for your akes and Pains'. Other essays dwell on the Australian War Memorial, Barry Humphries' character Sandy Stone, and the man who owned the house outside which the school bus would drop Condé each afternoon. The Name of the Sister Gail Jones Text, $34.99 Gail Jones is becoming positively prolific − this is her fourth novel in five years. She has turned away from the literary figures of her previous two books to what might be called literary crime. Who is this 'Jane', found wandering at night on a highway near Broken Hill? Freelance journalist Angie sees a feature in the predicament of the unknown woman, while her detective friend Bev is in charge of the case. Both want to discover the backstory, 'the maw of possibilities, deep down and red'. New Skin Miranda Nation Allen & Unwin, $32.99 Miranda Nation has runs on the board writing and directing the 2018 thriller Undertow and writing the TV series Playing Gracie Darling, due later this year. Which is clearly quite a big one for her as now comes publication of her first novel, one that features an intense first love between two medical students in the '90s, the drugs, the sex, the parties and then flashing years forward to the consequences and emotional hangovers. It's all a question of timing. Things in Nature Merely Grow Yiyun Li Fourth Estate, $32.99, June 4 Yiyun Li's memoir is an account of the death of her two sons, Vincent and James, by suicide six years apart. It is remarkable for its clear-sightedness and sensitivity. The Chinese-born novelist argues that children have to have the space to become fully themselves, and writes: 'I loved them, and I still love them, but more important than loving is understanding and respecting them, and this includes, more than anything else, understanding and respecting their choices to end their lives.' Apple in China Patrick McGee Simon & Schuster, $36.99 June 4 Apple has got itself into something of a jam. As Financial Times journalist Patrick McGee puts it, the tech company's relationship with China 'has become politically untenable, yet the business ties are unbreakable'. Today, 90 per cent of all Apple's production takes place in China. With Apple's future 'inextricably linked to a ruthless authoritarian state', McGee also argues that today's China wouldn't be what it is without the company. Donald Trump may yet have more to say about all this. A Wisdom of Age Jacinta Parsons ABC Books, $34.99, June 6 Following on from A Question of Age, Jacinta Parsons delves into women's 'felt senses' to learn what it means to be human and how this understanding is changed by accumulated years. Through talking to many women around the country, she focuses on the disconnect between the way women who are ageing are treated in society and how they actually feel inside. Ageing, she writes, is not a malady that needs fixing, 'it needs for us to embrace it for what it offers us'.
The Age
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Estranged sisters and a curious gift: 14 new books to get stuck into this month
It may be the start of winter and things outside are cooling down, but there's no loss of heat in the book world, with a bumper crop of books being published this month. This selection includes an astonishing memoir, speculative fiction, love and other disasters in the `90s and so much more. Salvage Jennifer Mills Picador, $34.99 In her fifth, speculative novel, the always imaginative Jennifer Mills plunges us into the lives of sisters Jude and Celeste. Jude is on an Earth plagued by climate disaster, war and antagonism, struggling to survive in the Freelands. Celeste, meanwhile, is trapped on some sort of spacecraft designed to help plutocrats escape the benighted world. But when something falls from the sky, we learn the full, human story of the estranged sisters. The War Within Me Tracy Ryan Transit Lounge, $34.99 In the second of her Queens of Navarre series, poet and novelist Tracy Ryan turns her focus from Marguerite of Navarre to her daughter, Jeanne d'Albret. It's a story of royal and religious conflict as Jeanne escapes an arranged marriage to find love with Antoine, with whom she reigned before the Counter-Reformation pitted them on opposing sides of the long-running French wars of religion. Ryan is working on a third instalment, To Share His Fortune. A Beautiful Family Jennifer Trevelyan Allen & Unwin, $32.99 There's an irony in the title of New Zealand writer Jennifer Trevelyan's much-anticipated coming-of-age debut as the narrator, 10-year-old Alix, discovers much more about her family and its secrets during a summer holiday in 1985. From Kahu, a boy she meets on the beach, she learns the story of Charlotte, a girl who drowned two years earlier and whose body has never been found. Together, they try to find out the truth of her death, which reveals truths not bargained for. A Different Kind of Power Jacinda Ardern Penguin, $55 Jacinda Ardern became prime minister of New Zealand at the age of 37, and the way she dealt with the travails of high office along with the many major crises in NZ won her international admiration. Just think of her humane response to the appalling attack on the Christchurch mosques. Is there really a different way for politicians − and others − to lead? She argues forcefully that kindness and empathy are crucial. Let's hope other leaders take note of her methods. Our New Gods Thomas Vowles UQP, $34.99 Whether Thomas Vowles becomes a new god of literature remains to be seen, but judging by this debut novel set in the queer world of Melbourne he can certainly write gripping fiction. Ash is new to town and has quickly been befriended by James, who takes him to a party where his boyfriend, the charismatic and mysterious Raf, is DJing. But when Ash decides to leave, he stumbles across Raf outside and what he witnesses him doing is unsettling. Soon Ash is mixed up in something he really doesn't understand. The Death of Stalin Sheila Fitzpatrick Black Inc., $27.99 Black Inc. has made a point of publishing crisply written short books and essays that dissect global and local issues. In The Death of Stalin − not to be confused with Armando Iannucci's satirical film − Australia's pre-eminent Soviet historian tells us about the immediate change of direction after March 5, 1953, that was driven largely by the appalling director of the secret police, Lavrentiy Beria. In the simultaneously published Bombard the Headquarters, Linda Jaivin chronicles the disasters of Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution. Aftertaste Daria Lavelle Bloomsbury, $32.99 Daria Lavelle's first novel is a bit bonkers really. Kostya's beloved dad is dead, but suddenly he tastes his father's favourite Ukrainian dish, pechonka. Over the years, aftertastes of food appear 'in his mouth like messages', until he discovers that by preparing specific foods or drinks he can bring the dead back from the purgatorial food hall where they are marooned. So, Kostya opens a restaurant to ease them to their next stage of death – but then things go a bit berserk. Foreign Country Marija Pericic Utimo Press, $34.99 Another pair of estranged sisters. When Eva gets a surprise letter from Elisabeta at her new apartment in Berlin she's puzzled to find it contains an airline ticket back to Australia. They've been apart for years, but Eva sets off to the Blue Mountains only to find that Elisabeta is dead and she is left to sort the debris of her life. Tucked into an absorbing narrative about the interaction of past and the present are documents and photos to provide a visual contrast with the emotional discoveries that Eva makes about her sister. The Prime Minister's Potato and Other Essays Anne-Marie Condé Upswell, $29.99 Historian and museum curator Anne-Marie Condé says she meditates on 'how the past can be understood through the interactions of people, places and things'. Her titular essay in this diverse and rather lovely collection tells of a curious 1942 gift from one William Frith to John Curtin as a 'cure for your akes and Pains'. Other essays dwell on the Australian War Memorial, Barry Humphries' character Sandy Stone, and the man who owned the house outside which the school bus would drop Condé each afternoon. The Name of the Sister Gail Jones Text, $34.99 Gail Jones is becoming positively prolific − this is her fourth novel in five years. She has turned away from the literary figures of her previous two books to what might be called literary crime. Who is this 'Jane', found wandering at night on a highway near Broken Hill? Freelance journalist Angie sees a feature in the predicament of the unknown woman, while her detective friend Bev is in charge of the case. Both want to discover the backstory, 'the maw of possibilities, deep down and red'. New Skin Miranda Nation Allen & Unwin, $32.99 Miranda Nation has runs on the board writing and directing the 2018 thriller Undertow and writing the TV series Playing Gracie Darling, due later this year. Which is clearly quite a big one for her as now comes publication of her first novel, one that features an intense first love between two medical students in the '90s, the drugs, the sex, the parties and then flashing years forward to the consequences and emotional hangovers. It's all a question of timing. Things in Nature Merely Grow Yiyun Li Fourth Estate, $32.99, June 4 Yiyun Li's memoir is an account of the death of her two sons, Vincent and James, by suicide six years apart. It is remarkable for its clear-sightedness and sensitivity. The Chinese-born novelist argues that children have to have the space to become fully themselves, and writes: 'I loved them, and I still love them, but more important than loving is understanding and respecting them, and this includes, more than anything else, understanding and respecting their choices to end their lives.' Apple in China Patrick McGee Simon & Schuster, $36.99 June 4 Apple has got itself into something of a jam. As Financial Times journalist Patrick McGee puts it, the tech company's relationship with China 'has become politically untenable, yet the business ties are unbreakable'. Today, 90 per cent of all Apple's production takes place in China. With Apple's future 'inextricably linked to a ruthless authoritarian state', McGee also argues that today's China wouldn't be what it is without the company. Donald Trump may yet have more to say about all this. A Wisdom of Age Jacinta Parsons ABC Books, $34.99, June 6 Following on from A Question of Age, Jacinta Parsons delves into women's 'felt senses' to learn what it means to be human and how this understanding is changed by accumulated years. Through talking to many women around the country, she focuses on the disconnect between the way women who are ageing are treated in society and how they actually feel inside. Ageing, she writes, is not a malady that needs fixing, 'it needs for us to embrace it for what it offers us'.
ABC News
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Kamasi Washington's Fearless Movement and Gregory Day's Southsightedness
Tenor saxophonist, composer and bandleader Kamasi Washington makes music that appeals to even the most avowed jazz haters. His latest album Fearless Movement puts rhythm front and centre and includes the voices of rappers alongside his signature sounds of choirs, double drum kits and pulsing horns. He speaks to Andrew ahead of his tour here next month about how fatherhood has made him hear the world differently and what drives his continual exploration across musical genres. Gregory Day is a musician and writer. His latest volume of poetry, Southsightedness, spans twenty years and draws on familiar themes of place (specifically the west coast of Victoria), and culture. He joins us to talk about his music and the sound of his poetry. Kamasi Washington in Australia: Sun 8 Jun - Vivid Live, Carriageworks - Sydney, NSW Wed 11 Jun - Palais Theatre - Melbourne, VIC Thu 12 Jun - QPAC Concert Hall - Brisbane, QLD Gregory Day's Southsightedness is published by Transit Lounge. Music heard in the program: Title: Asha the First (ft. Thundercat & Taj Austin & Ras Austin) Artist: Kamasi Washington Composer: Kamasi Washington, Akili Asha Washington Album: Fearless Movement Label: Young Title: Prologue Artist: Kamasi Washington Composer: Astor Piazzolla Album: Fearless Movement Label: Young Title: The Lower East Side Artist: Dinner Party Composer: Terrace Martin, Kamasi Washington, Trevor Lawrence Jr. Album: Enigmatic Society Label: Sounds of Crenshaw Title: Vortex Artist: Kamasi Washington Composer: Kamasi Washington Album: LAZARUS Soundtrack Label: Cartoon Network Title: Sing the Changes Artist: The Fireman Composer: Paul McCartney Album: Electric Arguments Label: MPL Title: First Ever Car Artist: Gregory Day Composer: Gregory Day Album: The Flash Road Label: Dex Music Title: The Trees They Do Grow High Artist: Ellen Stekert Composer: trad. Album: The Early Years (1958-62) Label: Smithsonian Folkways The Music Show is produced on Gundungurra Country and Gadigal Country with engineers Roi Huberman and Tegan Nicholls.
The Age
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Eight new books to take you from rock ‘n' roll to the joy of nature
From The Hague to London's rock and roll scene in the '70s, to the journey we all face towards old age, there are all kinds of places to escape to among this week's new releases. Happy reading! FICTION PICK OF THE WEEK Out of the Woods Gretchen Shirm Transit Lounge, $34.99 The International Criminal Court has made headlines lately, with warrants issued for Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu, and the recent arrest of Rodrigo Duterte. Gretchen Shirm's Out of the Woods takes us to The Hague in 2000 (just before the court was set up) and follows an Australian woman, Jess, who travels there to serve as secretary to an Australian judge hearing a war crimes trial. As Jess bears witness to proceedings – a military man has been charged with participating in the genocide at Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1995 – the enormity of the crime is revealed, and Jess reflects on guilt and doubt, and the nature of tragedy itself. Meanwhile, she strikes up a friendship with a woman watching the trial from the gallery, and embarks on an awkward, tentative sort of romance with a man who works nearby. Told largely from Jess' perspective, the novel develops an almost dissociative narrative style and becomes a literary study in how we process inhumanity. The second Martini Club novel from Tess Gerritsen resumes the eventful retirement of a former spy, Maggie Bird. Maggie has decamped to the tiny seaside town of Purity, Maine, where she's joined by others in the intelligence community who've been put out to pasture. They meet for a regular book club – cocktails included – but villains from the espionage game emerged in the first novel to cause havoc, and this time Maggie feels bound to help a neighbour who becomes the prime suspect when a super-rich teenager goes missing near the local lake. Purity police chief Jo Thibodeau isn't thrilled about the Martini Club's involvement, but can't deny their spycraft comes in handy and can crack a case. The Summer Guests is entertaining crime fiction featuring a motley cast of retirees, and I enjoyed the way the book throws off its cosy crime disguise, twisting into dark and deadly conspiracy. An Invisible Tattoo Suellen Dainty Echo, $32.99 A fictional British musical icon, James Bennett, died more than 50 years ago at a midsummer party in 1972. Only one person remains alive who knows the truth of what happened that night – the elderly Ruth Henderson, in Sydney, and she's chosen the ambitious young Kate Griffin to tell her story. Ruth was childhood friends with Adela, James Bennett's wife, and the novel unfolds as a feminist counterpoint to the typical Dionysian rock novel focused on a male star. Shifting between rural Australia, the music scene in the early 1970s and the growing bond between Kate and Ruth as the latter unburdens herself of a secret history in her twilight years, An Invisible Tattoo swirls around the mystery of a celebrity death. It doesn't skimp on sex, drugs or rock 'n' roll, yet its chief appeal lies in the exploration of the sidelined role of women in the music industry, the contours of female friendship and the touching rapport between in-depth interviewer and subject. Love on the Air Ash London Allen & Unwin, $32.99 Popular music journalist and podcaster Ash London has published her debut novel, Love on the Air – a fluffy enemies-to-lovers romance set in the world of prime-time radio. A heartbroken Alex York begins the novel throwing away her career as a radio superstar and retreating to a tropical island, but it isn't long before she's lured back to the airwaves, offered a plum gig as a breakfast radio presenter. She has sworn off dating again, until she meets her hot new boss Leo – and as their working relationship develops a more affectionate side, she must decide whether to be vulnerable enough to love again. This isn't a terribly well-written affair, and Alex is impossibly shallow and brattish at the beginning. She does grow into a slightly more Austen-like heroine, however, and the author hits her comic stride. Expect celebrity melodrama, gossipy anecdote and an insider's eye on eccentric characters from radioland. NON-FICTION PICK OF THE WEEK Bloomer Carol Lefevre Affirm, $34.99 Carol Lefevre is 70, has embraced grey hair and places herself within the Young Old age bracket. But like many Boomers, she rejects stereotypical assumptions about ageing. Embracing Henri Bergson's conception of an enduring life force that is constantly evolving, she proposes we see this phase as an opportunity to savour the inner life while looking forward to the next adventure made all the more precious by a keener sense of life's transience. Set over the period of one year, she muses on the changes in her garden and in her own life as she considers society's attitudes to ageing, older bodies, loneliness, grief, the meaning of home and the inescapable reality of death. A statistic for youngsters keep in mind: a survey of 300,000 adults found that happiness peaks between 65 and 79. Bloomer is a lyrical celebration of the riches of ageing as well as a reckoning with its confronting truths. Deborah Frances-White knows a thing or two about the 'us' and 'them' mentality that pervades contemporary culture. As a teenager, her parents joined the cult of the Jehovah's Witnesses and she learnt to regard 'worldly people' as dangerous. Now a comedian and host of The Guilty Feminist podcast, her professional life is spent navigating the minefield of the public square. This thoughtful book examines how these mines might be defused through respectful engagement, critical thinking and self-scrutiny. The current flashpoints she focuses on include how we regard history and historical figures now considered to be repugnant, comedy and free speech, gender non-conformity and cancel culture. 'Let us not get stuck in our 'rightness', or we will be left behind. Let us learn to change minds, starting with our own because then we have at least a chance of changing our world.' Human/Nature Jane Rawson NewSouth, $34.99 Most of her life, Jane Rawson held certain staunch beliefs about nature. Humans are ruining the environment. Introduced species are bad. Biodiversity matters. Wilderness is the real nature. We are on the brink of apocalypse. Writing this book, she says, has made her challenge all these assumptions, especially the division between nature and not-nature. She comes to no neat conclusions, but her informed and probing questions about why we lament the extinction of some species but not others, or how we justify killing for conservation, are like the ripples from a stone tossed into the water. They unsettle, but in a good way, inspiring unexpected hopefulness. The more complex the picture became for Rawson, the wider her circle of compassion. 'I thought discovering more about the natural world would break my heart, but instead I keep finding myself in a state of transcendent joy.' There are no simple solutions to the rise of misinformation and the erosion of trust in institutions, the media and society as a whole. In these essays, ethicists, journalists, scientists, business leaders and other thinkers offer diverse perspectives on how we might regain community cohesion and the ability to agree to disagree. Instead of the curated truths of 'extreme individualism', says Anglican bishop Michael Stead, we need an acceptance of something larger than ourselves whether it is God or a social compact. The importance of strengthening civil society is a recurring theme, as is learning from the example of the ancient Greeks and Romans, and of being attuned to our own biases and preconceptions, rather than simply defending them. Above all, the message is that doubt can be constructive as well as corrosive, an opportunity to rethink the very foundations of society.
Sydney Morning Herald
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Eight new books to take you from rock ‘n' roll to the joy of nature
From The Hague to London's rock and roll scene in the '70s, to the journey we all face towards old age, there are all kinds of places to escape to among this week's new releases. Happy reading! FICTION PICK OF THE WEEK Out of the Woods Gretchen Shirm Transit Lounge, $34.99 The International Criminal Court has made headlines lately, with warrants issued for Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu, and the recent arrest of Rodrigo Duterte. Gretchen Shirm's Out of the Woods takes us to The Hague in 2000 (just before the court was set up) and follows an Australian woman, Jess, who travels there to serve as secretary to an Australian judge hearing a war crimes trial. As Jess bears witness to proceedings – a military man has been charged with participating in the genocide at Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1995 – the enormity of the crime is revealed, and Jess reflects on guilt and doubt, and the nature of tragedy itself. Meanwhile, she strikes up a friendship with a woman watching the trial from the gallery, and embarks on an awkward, tentative sort of romance with a man who works nearby. Told largely from Jess' perspective, the novel develops an almost dissociative narrative style and becomes a literary study in how we process inhumanity. The second Martini Club novel from Tess Gerritsen resumes the eventful retirement of a former spy, Maggie Bird. Maggie has decamped to the tiny seaside town of Purity, Maine, where she's joined by others in the intelligence community who've been put out to pasture. They meet for a regular book club – cocktails included – but villains from the espionage game emerged in the first novel to cause havoc, and this time Maggie feels bound to help a neighbour who becomes the prime suspect when a super-rich teenager goes missing near the local lake. Purity police chief Jo Thibodeau isn't thrilled about the Martini Club's involvement, but can't deny their spycraft comes in handy and can crack a case. The Summer Guests is entertaining crime fiction featuring a motley cast of retirees, and I enjoyed the way the book throws off its cosy crime disguise, twisting into dark and deadly conspiracy. An Invisible Tattoo Suellen Dainty Echo, $32.99 A fictional British musical icon, James Bennett, died more than 50 years ago at a midsummer party in 1972. Only one person remains alive who knows the truth of what happened that night – the elderly Ruth Henderson, in Sydney, and she's chosen the ambitious young Kate Griffin to tell her story. Ruth was childhood friends with Adela, James Bennett's wife, and the novel unfolds as a feminist counterpoint to the typical Dionysian rock novel focused on a male star. Shifting between rural Australia, the music scene in the early 1970s and the growing bond between Kate and Ruth as the latter unburdens herself of a secret history in her twilight years, An Invisible Tattoo swirls around the mystery of a celebrity death. It doesn't skimp on sex, drugs or rock 'n' roll, yet its chief appeal lies in the exploration of the sidelined role of women in the music industry, the contours of female friendship and the touching rapport between in-depth interviewer and subject. Love on the Air Ash London Allen & Unwin, $32.99 Popular music journalist and podcaster Ash London has published her debut novel, Love on the Air – a fluffy enemies-to-lovers romance set in the world of prime-time radio. A heartbroken Alex York begins the novel throwing away her career as a radio superstar and retreating to a tropical island, but it isn't long before she's lured back to the airwaves, offered a plum gig as a breakfast radio presenter. She has sworn off dating again, until she meets her hot new boss Leo – and as their working relationship develops a more affectionate side, she must decide whether to be vulnerable enough to love again. This isn't a terribly well-written affair, and Alex is impossibly shallow and brattish at the beginning. She does grow into a slightly more Austen-like heroine, however, and the author hits her comic stride. Expect celebrity melodrama, gossipy anecdote and an insider's eye on eccentric characters from radioland. NON-FICTION PICK OF THE WEEK Bloomer Carol Lefevre Affirm, $34.99 Carol Lefevre is 70, has embraced grey hair and places herself within the Young Old age bracket. But like many Boomers, she rejects stereotypical assumptions about ageing. Embracing Henri Bergson's conception of an enduring life force that is constantly evolving, she proposes we see this phase as an opportunity to savour the inner life while looking forward to the next adventure made all the more precious by a keener sense of life's transience. Set over the period of one year, she muses on the changes in her garden and in her own life as she considers society's attitudes to ageing, older bodies, loneliness, grief, the meaning of home and the inescapable reality of death. A statistic for youngsters keep in mind: a survey of 300,000 adults found that happiness peaks between 65 and 79. Bloomer is a lyrical celebration of the riches of ageing as well as a reckoning with its confronting truths. Deborah Frances-White knows a thing or two about the 'us' and 'them' mentality that pervades contemporary culture. As a teenager, her parents joined the cult of the Jehovah's Witnesses and she learnt to regard 'worldly people' as dangerous. Now a comedian and host of The Guilty Feminist podcast, her professional life is spent navigating the minefield of the public square. This thoughtful book examines how these mines might be defused through respectful engagement, critical thinking and self-scrutiny. The current flashpoints she focuses on include how we regard history and historical figures now considered to be repugnant, comedy and free speech, gender non-conformity and cancel culture. 'Let us not get stuck in our 'rightness', or we will be left behind. Let us learn to change minds, starting with our own because then we have at least a chance of changing our world.' Human/Nature Jane Rawson NewSouth, $34.99 Most of her life, Jane Rawson held certain staunch beliefs about nature. Humans are ruining the environment. Introduced species are bad. Biodiversity matters. Wilderness is the real nature. We are on the brink of apocalypse. Writing this book, she says, has made her challenge all these assumptions, especially the division between nature and not-nature. She comes to no neat conclusions, but her informed and probing questions about why we lament the extinction of some species but not others, or how we justify killing for conservation, are like the ripples from a stone tossed into the water. They unsettle, but in a good way, inspiring unexpected hopefulness. The more complex the picture became for Rawson, the wider her circle of compassion. 'I thought discovering more about the natural world would break my heart, but instead I keep finding myself in a state of transcendent joy.' There are no simple solutions to the rise of misinformation and the erosion of trust in institutions, the media and society as a whole. In these essays, ethicists, journalists, scientists, business leaders and other thinkers offer diverse perspectives on how we might regain community cohesion and the ability to agree to disagree. Instead of the curated truths of 'extreme individualism', says Anglican bishop Michael Stead, we need an acceptance of something larger than ourselves whether it is God or a social compact. The importance of strengthening civil society is a recurring theme, as is learning from the example of the ancient Greeks and Romans, and of being attuned to our own biases and preconceptions, rather than simply defending them. Above all, the message is that doubt can be constructive as well as corrosive, an opportunity to rethink the very foundations of society.
