Category: Family drama

Hamnet – Maggie O’Farrell

READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Suzy Set in the 1580s, this book is about Shakespeare and the events that led to him writing the play Hamlet. It is told not from his point of view, but from that of his wife, who is left in… Continue Reading “Hamnet – Maggie O’Farrell”

All Fours – Miranda July

READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Rachel A 45 year old artist plans a roadie from LA to New York. Twenty minutes into the drive, she exits the freeway, rents a motel room, and undertakes a transformation of the room and herself, leading her on a… Continue Reading “All Fours – Miranda July”

The Whalebone Theatre – Joanna Quinn

READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Jodie The story of Cristabel Seagrave from orphaned girl to WWIII spy. It is told in five acts, each portraying a different slice of her life and the stories of all the people in it. One Act is about the… Continue Reading “The Whalebone Theatre – Joanna Quinn”

Brotherless Night – V V Ganeshananthan

READ FOR WOMEN’S PRIZE Sashi is a 16-year-old Sri Lankan Tamil with aspirations to be a doctor. Even when civil unrest ensues and her four brothers are caught up in the violence, Sashi still finds a way to help people, at great risk to… Continue Reading “Brotherless Night – V V Ganeshananthan”

The Wren, The Wren – Anne Enright

READ FOR WOMEN’S PRIZE Three generations of women carry trauma brought upon them by the famous poet in their family. Phil McDaragh was a man of beautiful words and brutal actions. Years after his death, his daughter and granddaughter try to find their place… Continue Reading “The Wren, The Wren – Anne Enright”

Lioness – Emily Perkins

READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS Therese Thorn is a luxury homewares retailer and married to a wealthy man who is accused of corruption. Newly 50, Therese must now take control of her life and reinvent herself, with the help of her kind-of-muse and friend,… Continue Reading “Lioness – Emily Perkins”

Kim JiYoung, Born 1982 – Cho Nam-joo

READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Rachel Kim Jiyoung is a new wife and young mother living in Seoul. One day she begins channelling dead women from her past, speaking eerily. The book is a look at important events in her life and the way in… Continue Reading “Kim JiYoung, Born 1982 – Cho Nam-joo”

Backwaters – Emma Ling Sidnam

READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS Backwaters addresses the consequences of feeling distant from your ethnic heritage. It starts with fourth generation New Zealander, Laura, being asked “but where are you from from?” New Zealand has been her family’s birth place and home for generations,… Continue Reading “Backwaters – Emma Ling Sidnam”

Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby van Pelt

READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Jodie Remarkably Bright Creatures features an all-knowing giant Pacific octopus as its key narrator. Marcellus knows only captivity and is astute in his observations of those observing him, which helps connect missing family members. Day 1,361 of My Captiv- Oh,… Continue Reading “Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby van Pelt”

The Rabbits – Sophie Overett

READ FOR BOOK CLUBChosen by Rachel 16yo teenager Charlie Rabbit goes missing in the midst of an Australian heatwave. The story is about the collateral damage to the already dysfunctional family which must now navigate Charlie’s absence, too. A contemporary story with a touch… Continue Reading “The Rabbits – Sophie Overett”