The Free-Range Bookclub
Bookclubbers without boundaries in Nelson, New Zealand
Tag: what-to-read
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”
The Swimmers – Julia Otsuka
READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Rachel The Swimmers is about Alice, a Japanese American woman in the early stages of dementia. She swims daily but when a crack appears in the pool (ie in her memory) she has to stop swimming and move to a… Continue Reading “The Swimmers – Julia Otsuka”
Down From Upland – Murdoch Stevens
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS Set in Wellington, down from Upland Road in Kelburn, this book is a satirical tale about the complexities of growing up, when you’re a teenager and when you’re in your 40s. Axle has joined a new school. He is… Continue Reading “Down From Upland – Murdoch Stevens”
The Fish – Lloyd Jones
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS 2023 A baby is born to a young, single mother in a caravan park, suffering from an unnamed condition which earns him the name the Fish. The story of the Fish, and the family’s shame and secrets are narrated… Continue Reading “The Fish – Lloyd Jones”
How To Loiter In A Turf War – Coco Solid
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS A day in the life of three brown friends hanging out in Auckland, eating, chatting, catching the bus, amongst racism, gentrification and the modern effects of colonisation. That’s the third person I know without a house.What the hell is… Continue Reading “How To Loiter In A Turf War – Coco Solid”
The Axeman’s Carnival – Catherine Chidgey
READ FOR BOOKCLUB & NZ BOOK AWARDSChosen 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, who… Continue Reading “The Axeman’s Carnival – Catherine Chidgey”
2023: Escape From Reality
Looking for an escape from reality is a primary reason why many people read: to forget the worries of the world, the stresses of work, the demands of family and to take a moment to indulge in a fantastical world that stretches and opens… Continue Reading “2023: Escape From Reality”
2022: End of Year Thoughts
2022 was the year of adverse reactions to strong sentiment. Covid and its consequences may have been the catalyst but the effects reached all facets of the world. In literary circles, 2022 saw a hark to the mid 20th century with the banning and… Continue Reading “2022: End of Year Thoughts”
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