The Free-Range Bookclub
Bookclubbers without boundaries in Nelson, New Zealand
Tag: Literature
Convenience Store Woman – Sayaka Murata
READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Suzy Keiko is a young Japanese woman who works in a convenience store and enjoys the repetitive nature of it, often referring to the store manual to learn how to act and respond to various situations. However, her simplistic life… Continue Reading “Convenience Store Woman – Sayaka Murata”
Trespasses – Louise Kennedy
READ FOR WOMEN’S PRIZE ● I had initially thought that this novel was a gentle exploration of the challenges of a romance between a Catholic woman and a Protestant man during the Troubles, however three-quarters of the way through things took a decidedly different turn… Continue Reading “Trespasses – Louise Kennedy”
Pod – Laline Paull
READ FOR WOMEN’S PRIZE ● This was a beautifully written book, however I had an absolute love-hate relationship with it. I was completely enthralled with the story of Ea, a Longi dolphin, and her interactions with many other sea creatures. It was no great… Continue Reading “Pod – Laline Paull”
2023 – NZ Book Awards
What is the job of fiction? To entertain? To educate? To document? To insert the reader into an unexpected place or mindset so they can see the world through another lens? The authors on this year’s shortlist took their roles to the next level,… Continue Reading “2023 – NZ Book Awards”
Mrs Jewell and the Wreck of the General Grant – Cristina Sanders
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS In 1866 a ship bound for London from Melbourne crashed into the Auckland Islands and sunk, taking with it many lives and an undetermined amount of gold, direct from the goldfields of Australia. There were only 15 survivors. These… Continue Reading “Mrs Jewell and the Wreck of the General Grant – Cristina Sanders”
Kāwai: For Such A Time As This – Monty Soutar
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS ● In the opening pages a 19-year-old man walks onto his family Marae and asks the local koroua about his whanau’s history. The man’s answer is provided over the following 300-odd pages. He tells of Kaitanga, born 1734 into… Continue Reading “Kāwai: For Such A Time As This – Monty Soutar”
Better The Blood – Michael Bennett
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS ● At first I was surprised to hear a crime story had secured a place on the shortlist over literary greats like Lloyd Jones and Vincent O’Sullivan. But who’s to say genre fiction doesn’t deserve a place on literary… Continue Reading “Better The Blood – Michael Bennett”
The Axeman’s Carnival – Catherine Chidgey
READ FOR BOOKCLUB & NZ BOOK AWARDS Chosen by Suzy From New Zealand author Catherine Chidgey is a story quite unlike her former novels. Instead of wartime Germany, this time the setting is rural New Zealand and the protagonist is a magpie called Tama,… Continue Reading “The Axeman’s Carnival – Catherine Chidgey”
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