July 2015 Reading Guide

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July Reading Guide 2 0 15 bet terread.com.au

Welcome to our Better Read Than Dead July Reading Guide!

July. Deepest winter. The perfect time to hunker down and dream of warmer locales. And what better form of escape than into a book?

Our book of the month, The Other Side of the World

by Stephanie Bishop tells the story of a failing marriage that spans the globe from Perth to Delhi to Cambridge, while Relativity, by ex-book seller Antonia Hayes, travels the breadth of Australia.

But of course the main event of July is Harper Lee’s novel, Go Set a Watchman. This greatly anticipated sequel to the classic To Kill a Mockingbird is the publishing event of this year. Millions of readers across the globe are getting ready to revisit their old friends Scout and Atticus.

Elsewhere in this guide we have a sci-fi epic from a Chinese author, a new novella from Milan Kundera, and a new book from store-favourite Jesse Ball.

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So dive in. Enjoy. Escape. And stay warm!

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Gin’s Pick

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The Other Side of the World | Stephanie Bishop | $29.99 | Hachette

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Stephanie Bishop’s second novel is an unapologetic story of sublime, poetic power.

Understated prose forms a realistic work of heft and feck. The novel is a story of a young family turned upside-down when they move from England to Australia. A circular narrative imitates the journey of the characters along an arc in time and place. Her writing imagines the 1960s and 1970s of Cambridge, Delhi and Perth with alarming clarity. A wholly unsentimental and provocative read.

“Stephanie Bishop’s second novel is an unapologetic story of sublime, poetic power. Understated prose forms a realistic work of heft and feck.”

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Australian Fiction Relativity | Antonia Hayes | $32.99 | Penguin Young Ethan is obsesed with physics and astronomy. He is also becoming curious about his estranged father. His mother Claire is struggling with whether to tell him when disaster strikes: an illness related to Ethan’s infancy resurfaces.

Mark has spent years dealing with the absence of his family. When Ethan intercepts a letter sent from Mark to Claire, he sets in motion a reunion that could have disastrous consequences for all of them.

A stunning debut by an exciting Australian author.

“A stunning debut by an exciting Australian author.”

Cate Carlton has recently died. Yet she is able to linger on, watching her three young children and her husband as they come to terms with their life without her on their horse property in rural Australia. Gradually unfolding to reveal Cate’s life, her marriage, and the unhappy secret she shared with one of her children. In the essence of The Lovely Bones, this debut novel is a heart-breaking, tender and life-affirming novel about grief, loss and families.

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In the Quiet | Eliza Henry Jones | $29.99 | HarperCollins

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Fiction “Harper Lee once again delves into the disturbing and devastating American racial history.”

Go Set a Watchman | Harper Lee | $45.00 | Random House We know this one speaks for itself; the release of a sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird has been dubbed the literacy event of the decade. Following the later life of Scout in mid-1950s America, Harper Lee once again delves into the disturbing and devastating American racial history. This is a masterpiece in its own right.

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A Cure for Suicide | Jesse Ball | $29.99 | Penguin

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A man wakes up in a village. His body functions but he has no memory of his prior life. With the aid of a helper he must re-learn the basics of life.

Objects, interactions, notions of time and space are all painstakingly learnt. But something lingers in his mind, something from the time before. Ball has crafted another novel that toes the line between abstract and intimate, thrilling and cerebral.

Scott’s Pick

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Fiction The Festival of Insignificance | Milan Kundera | $24.99 | Allen & Unwin

In Kundera’s latest novel, a group of friends amble about Paris discussing not much at all. Kundera uses this “novel about nothing” construct to explore the nature of our times, wandering the line between despair and laughter. This is a taught epilogue to an expansive career, masquerading as a frothy tete a tete.

China Rich Girlfriend | Kevin Kwan | $29.99 | Allen & Unwin Kevin Kwan has thrust another salacious and uproarious novel into our grasping hands and China Rich Girlfriend is it. The story describes a young woman - Rachel Chu - about to marry the most eligible bachelor in Asia. Everything seems to be going tremendously well, although Rachel mourns that her father, whose identity is obscure, can’t ‘give her away’. What follows is a boisterous romp through the most ostentatious and expensive nightclubs in China encountering fevered paparazzi, and celebrity-girlfriends, all of whom behave as hideously (and to some - hilariously) as one might expect. It’s some kind of ride!

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“What follows is a boisterous romp...”

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Fiction The Quality of Silence | Rosamund Lupton | $29.99 | Hachette On 24th November Yasmin and her deaf daughter Ruby arrived in Alaska in search of Ruby’s father. Within hours they were driving alone across a frozen wilderness where nothing grows, where tears freeze and night will last for another 54 days. And someone is watching them in the dark. From the author of Afterwards comes a tense psychological thriller and atmospheric family drama like no other.

“From the author of Afterwards comes a tense psychological thriller and atmospheric family drama like no other. ”

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The Ecliptic | Benjamin Wood | $29.99 | Simon & Schuster

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In a bid to restore her creative powers, London artist Elspeth Conroy has joined a colony of painters, musicians, writers and architects at an island retreat off the coast of Turkey. Alone in her studio at night she devotes herself to feverish and focused effort.

Onto the island comes a young stranger whose troubled existence will unexpectedly complicate the lives of Elspeth and the others. Recommended for fans of Patricia Highsmith, Donna Tartt and Kate Atkinson.

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The Infiltrator | Robert Mazur | $24.99 | Random House

The Cartel | Don Winslow | $32.99 | Random House

This is the author’s true account of how, as an IRS special agent, he worked undercover for 5 years in a world of wealthy drug lords, crooked bankers, corrupt politicians and terrorists, gathering evidence to facilitate the eventual dramatic takedown that saw some powerful players brought to justice. Mazur went in deep, playing the part of mob-connected big shot while covertly advancing the operation. Read the incredible book before seeing the upcoming excellent film!

Don Winslow delivers an incredible true to life thriller about a DEA agent and a drug lord.

Art Keller has been fighting a war against the invidious drug-baron Adan Barrera for nearly thirty years, and his imprisonment cost Keller his partner and the life he may have led. When Barrera gets out set on rebuilding an empire, Keller tries to bring Barrera to a different kind of justice. Don Winslow’s gripping narrative is a vivid ride. The body count is high and there is no stopping to catch your breath.

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Sci-Fi/Fantasy The Three-Body Problem | Cixin Liu | $27.99 | HarperCollins

Scott’s Pick

The first book in an exciting new series injects science fiction into China’s Cultural Revolution. A dying alien culture is headed towards earth. Planet Earth is splitting into factions: those who welcome our possible new overlords, and those who oppose them. First published in Chinese, this book has been garnering praise and awards across the globe and is finally landing in Oz.

Day Boy | Trent Jamieson | $29.99 | Penguin

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In Day Boy Trent Jamieson reimagines the elements of the vampire myth in a wholly original way. Set in a post-traumatic future where immortals known as the Masters rule over humans, it’s Mark’s job - as a Day Boy - to serve and protect his Master. But will Mark undergo the Change to become a Master? As tensions reach crisis point, Mark’s decision may be crucial. This is a beautifully written and surprisingly tender novel about fathers and sons, the monster within, and what it may mean to become a man.

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Speak | Louisa Hall | $29.99 | Hachette A poet takes on the literary sci-fi genre by exploring the development of Artificial Intelligence through five characters over four centuries.

An immense task, Louise Hall handles this hefty concept with grace, meditatively weaving the disparate plots and perspectives together to present a nuanced story, a story that you’d expect from Margaret Atwood. The last piece of the “Do I want to read this?” puzzle was, for me, the recommendation from Emily St John Mandel. Hell yes.

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Cooking Milk Bar Life | Christina Tosi | $59.99 | Random House Tosi puts a new twist on nostalgic favourites in this groovy assortment of recipes and stories from the Momofuku Milk Bar in New York. This book is bursting with impossible to resist treats (crack-pie, cake truffles, compost cookies) but also mouth-watering savoury meals (Choose Your Own Adventure Chorizo Burgers, Kimcheezits with Blue Cheese Dip, and Kale with sesame seeds, and rich creamery burnt honey-butter). Tosi and her friends also illuminate the recipes with charming anecdotes about their enviable lives at the Momofuku Milk Bar.

“Joyce presents an enticing selection of delectable morsels from around the globe”

Have you ever yearned for that particular kind of taco that can only be found in The Mission?! Do you find yourself salivating over the memories of those dumplings in Shanghai that you’ve never found anywhere else?!

Renowned food writer Jennifer Joyce presents an enticing selection of delectable morsels from around the globe.

Each chapter collects recipes from different street food cultures and presents them alongside vivid photographs.

Joyce writes in such a way that the character of local dishes is preserved, but uses creative short-cuts and modern appliances to enable us to easily and enjoyably create these traveller’s treats as weekday meals.

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My Street Food Kitchen | Jennifer Joyce | $39.99 | Murdoch

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Cooking The Real Meal Revolution | $39.99 | Allen & Unwin This book offers a range of recipes catering to those seeking a diet low in carbs and high in natural fats.

Debunking the once popular idea that fatty meats, cheeses and nuts are bad for diets and health in general, this book offers a range of recipes for a whole new generation of those seeking a sustainable and tasty lifestyle change.

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“... these salads can rock the coldest of days.”

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Salad Samurai | Terry Hope Romero | $24.99 | NewSouth Books Terry Hope Romero co-authored the bestselling cookbook Veganomicon and is a confessed veggie warrior! In Salad Samurai she hopes to rescue salads from their bland reputation and “side-of-the-plate” status with 100 vibrant, filling dishes. With a hearty base, a zesty dressing and loads of tasty wholefood and seasonal toppings, these salads can rock the coldest of days.

Claire’s Pick

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Biography Selp-Helf | Miranda Sings | $29.99 | Simon & Schuster There’s been a run of books by YouTube personalities lately; Miranda Sings is one. For the first time, in this decidedly unhelpful, candid, hilarious “how-to” guide, Miranda offers us the life lessons and tutorials from her YouTube channel on paper with illustrations! So “Haters, back off!” because Selp-Helf is full of selfdeclared lifesaving instructions on EVERYTHING with a dose of Miranda’s signature sass and attitude.

“...why do funny people do what they do?”

Self-confessed comedy nerd, and highly successful Hollywood filmmaker, Judd Apatow, brings together a lifetime worth of conversations in this hilarious and revealing book. Having spent countless hours with some of the funniest people on earth Apatow is always asking the question why do funny people do what they do?

This collection of interviews includes the comedians that shaped Apatow’s career such as Mel Brooks and Steve Martin, as well as the brightest new stars like Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen.

Adams’ Pick

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Sick In the Head | Judd Apatow | $34.99 | Random House

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Biography The Seven Good Years | Etgar Keret | $27.99 | Penguin This memoir from the much-loved Israeli fiction writer covers the period between the birth of his son and the death of his father. Here, the storyteller’s imagination is fired by the messiness of real life. In what is essentially a series of lively essays, Keret explores family joys and griefs, the shadows of war and terror, and a host of other themes. The mundane meets the philosophical, the head dances with the heart.

“McDowell’s unflinching memoir is an honest, cautionary tale...”

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After Perfect | Christina McDowell | $34.99 | Random House

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Nineteen year-old Christina McDowell drove her father to jail while her mother dissolved in denial. Her father, Tom Prousalis was one of the guilty players sucked into the collateral fallout of Jordan Belfort (the “Wolf of Wall Street”). As her family floundered in rehab, depression, homelessness and loss, Christina succumbed to the grip of alcohol, drugs, and promiscuity before finding liberation in the most unlikely of places. McDowell’s unflinching memoir is an honest, cautionary tale about one family’s destruction in the wake of the Wall Street implosion.

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Non-Fiction Cobain: Montage of Heck | Brett Morgen with Richard Bienstock | $39.99 | Hachette I miss Kurt. It has been twenty years since his death, and it still hurts. Brett Morgen has collaborated with the Cobain Estate and Courtney Love to give new insight into the life of one of the most iconic figures of the 90’s. The volume includes never before seen interviews with Cobain’s family, animations stills from the film, and photographs that no Nirvana fan could be without. Read while listening to ‘Bleach’.

Here Comes the Sun | Jeremy Oxley & Mary Oxley-Griffiths | $29.99 | Allen & Unwin

Getcha Rocks Off | Mick Wall | $32.99 | Penguin Mick Wall spent much of the 80’s prostrate at some of the biggest and most debauched rock groups in history. Getcha Rocks Off! is an unflinching account of the days that were about as far from halcyon as can be imagined. Wall writes with the authority and grace afforded to him as the presenter of Monsters of Rock and the star writer of Kerrang! magazine. This book will take you on a Helter Skelter ride on the memory roller-coaster. To be read while wearing a leather jacket.

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This is an inspiring memoir of schizophrenia, fame and love by the frontman of Aussie band ‘Sunnyboys’ Jeremy Oxley. Chronicling his life from his initial diagnosis, denial and resulting erratic behaviour, through to meeting his wife Mary Griffith, the Sunnyboys fan and widowed nurse who helps him through his illness, this autobiography offers a distinct account of Jeremy’s remarkable journey.

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Non-Fiction Black Sheep: The Hidden Benefits of Being Bad | Richard Stephens | $29.99 | Hachette From the man who won the Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize 2014 and married a human statue comes a book of weird and wonderful psychological science from the far-flung corners of human experience. Richard Stephens became the focus of international media attention for his research on the psychological benefits of swearing, and here he turns his gaze on other pieces of surprising and occasionally bizarre scientific enquiry. What do you know about how fear can be mistaken for love? More pub conversation than science book, it casts a slant on a range of human experiences. A hoot!

Amelia’s Pick

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The Disaster Artist | Greg Sestero & Tom Bissell | $19.99 | Hachette

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Finally receiving a local release, this book deatils the making of one of the worst films of all time. Now a cult classic, The Room has a rich and hilarious history.

Headed by the bizarre Tommy Wiseau, who claims to have funded the film by selling Eastern European furs, the production of the film went from bad to worse, before finding unexpected glory in the anals of “World’s Worst Cinema”.

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Non-Fiction The Pleasure of Reading | Antonia Fraser (ed.) | $19.99 | Bloomsbury A book for the book nerds amongst us! Who inspired our favourite writers? What stories stirred their imaginations?

In this lovely collection, forty writers explain what first drew them to literature, what keeps their interest there and why they read what they read.

Original contributors to the first 1992 edition included the likes of Margaret Atwood, J. G. Ballard, Simon Gray, Alan Hollinghurst, Doris Lessing, Ruth Rendell, and Jeanette Winterson. The new edition will include essays from five new writers, Emily Berry, Kamila Shamsie, Rory Stewart, Katie Waldegrave and Tom Wells.

Let us not forget that ‘gut’ is the charming German word for good. These organs finally receive the attention deserved in this book. Her writing suggests that the braingut connection is stronger than previously recognised. The gut and digestive systems are praised and their artistry compared to ballet. It offers advice as well as insight into why better gut health means better health overall.

Claire’s Pick

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Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Under-rated Organ | Giulia Enders | $29.99 | Penguin

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Lives of the Artists, Lives of the Architects | Hans Ulrich Obrist | $45.00 | Penguin

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Hans Ulrich Obrist has been conducting ongoing conversations with the world’s greatest living artists since he began in Switzerland, aged 19. Here he chooses nineteen of the greatest figures and presents their conversations, offering the reader intimacy with the artists and insight into their creative processes. Inspired by the great Vasari, Lives of the Artists, Lives of the Architects explores the meaning of art and artists today, their varying approaches to creating, and a sense of how their thinking evolves over time. Including David Hockney, Gilbert and George, Gerhard Richter, Louise Bourgeois, Rem Koolhaas, and Oscar Niemeyer, this is a wonderful and unique book for those interested in modern art.

“A wonderful and unique book for those interested in modern art.”

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Gift “Still think puns are no fun? Birch, please.”

Have a Little Pun: An Illustrated Play on Words | Frida Clements | $24.95 | Hardie Grant If the merest allusion to a pun makes you groan, perhaps you should zip your lips and have a quick flick through this delightful book. Masterful Frida Clements may just change your opinion. She has paired animal- and plant-based puns (which are all on-point, by the way) with whimsically detailed and colourful illustrations that look like they belong in a darling children’s picture book, rendering them hilarious AND adorable. Still think puns are no fun? Birch, please.

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Adams & Claire’s Pick

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