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February/March 2022
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from David’s Desk So, a warm, if both bedraggled and belated, welcome to the 2022 Gleaner. Apologies for the delay: we had a wonderful long-term editor (thanks again, Viki), a quick-fire fill-in (thanks, Sarah), a new editor who quit the day she started (anon) and another quick-fire fill-in for this issue (thanks, James, our unflappable and ever up-for-a fresh challenge manager). We do have a new editor (Akshaya), who will introduce herself with the bumper April-May issue, where we'll again celebrate the annual Sydney Writers' Festival, taking place this year in the week of May 16-23. In the meantime, looking on the bright side, a tough thing to do in these difficult and troubled times, it's been great to hear that cry, "what's happened to the Gleaner?" There's some significant, and exciting, developments this year for Gleebooks, and we'll bring news of them as soon as we've clarity about timing and processes. Stay tuned. Regardless, we hope we can return, in a rewarding and uninterrupted way, to our full program of writers in conversation and discussion, as well as a rich and varied offering of the best books we can find, and our personal recommendations. More, next month, and thanks for sticking with us, and thnaks to those whoe noted with approval, our move to a plastic-free packing of the last issue. It's back to a cottage industry hand-packing, but we know it was overdue and necessary. Cheers, David Gaunt
Australian Literature Son of Sin by Omar Sakr ($30, PB)
Loveland by Robert Lukins ($33, PB)
In this extraordinary work, Omar Sakr deftly weaves a multifaceted tale brimming with angels and djinn, racist kangaroos and adoring bats, examining with a poet’s eye the destructive impetus of repressed desire and the complexities that make us human..
Amid the ruins of a fire-ravaged amusement park and destroyed waterfront dwellings, one boarded-up building still stands. May has come from Australia to Loveland, Nebraska, to claim the house on the poisoned lake as part of her grandmother's will. Escaping the control of her husband, will she find refuge or danger?
Happy Stories, Mostly by Norman Erikson Pasaribu ($26.95, PB)
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Aboriginal & Australian Studies Philosophy & Religion
pg 20-21 pg 22
The Arts
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When the river runs dry, the town runs red.
The first book of fiction by young queer Indonesian writer Norman Erikson Pasaribu. Happy Stories, Mostly is a playful, charged and tender collection of twelve stories – a blend of speculative fiction and dark absurdism, often drawing on Norman Erikson Pasaribu’s Batak and Christian cultures.
This could be any small town. It aches under the heat of summer. It flourishes in the cooler months. Everyone knows everyone. Their families, histories and stories are well-known by all. Or at least, they think they are. But no-one sees anything quite the same way. Perceptions differ, truths are elusive, judgements have outcomes and everything is connected. For better or for worse.
The Sorrow Stone by Kari Gislason ($33, PB)
Sadvertising by Ennis Cehic ($33, PB)
In a society where betrayals and revenge killings are rife, all Disa has is her pride and her courage. Will it be enough for her and her son to escape retribution?
An electrifying collection of stories from the febrile imagination of a young writer who traverses culture, genre and form. Short, punchy and direct, Ennis Cehic’s satirical fables are box-fresh and shot through with pitch-black humour, existential dread and late capitalist yearning for meaning. They grapple with love and loneliness, art and commerce, dream and reality, and reflect the absurdity of the modern condition.
Dramatic and urgent in its telling, The Sorrow Stone celebrates one woman’s quest, against the dramatic backdrop of the Icelandic countryside. In this gripping novel, the co-author of the bestselling Saga Land takes a sidelined figure from the Viking tales and finally puts her where she belongs – at the centre of the story.
The Islands by Emily Brugman ($30, PB) Contents Australian Literature International Literature Crime Fiction Poetry 2nd Hand Rows Biography Performing Arts Psychology & Self Help Food & Health Garden Children’s Books Events Politics & History Cultural Studies, Criticism Science, & Nature Specials
Australiana by Yumna Kassab ($33, PB)
The Islands is the sweeping story of the Saari family: Onni, an industrious young man, grappling with the loss of a loved one; his wife Alva, quiet but stoic, seeking a sense of belonging between the camps of the islands and the suburban lots of the mainland; and their pensive daughter Hilda, who dreams of becoming the skipper of her own boat. As the Saari's try to build their future in Australia, their lives entwine with those of the fishing families of Little Rat, in myriad and unexpected ways.
Home and Other Hiding Places by Jack Ellis ($33, PB) A clear-eyed, big-hearted work of literary fiction, Home and Other Hiding Places is a stunning portrait of a boy navigating the world of adult secrets. When Finn returns to Sydney to spend Christmas with his Gran, he discovers that his new home is a harsh and unfriendly space. As the life he has known crumbles around him, Fin learns that no-one is coming to his rescue, and he sets off on a journey to find his way home.
The Competition by Katherine Collette ($33, PB) Katherine Collette, author of the hilarious The Helpline, returns with another sharply observed comedy of manners and a cast of loveable underachievers, headed for self-improvement despite themselves – set against the backdrop of the SpeechMakers annual national conference and public-speaking competition.
Leaving Owl Creek by Sandy Gordon ($32, PB) Nick MacLean, heir to an old Australian farming family, is captured by mujahideen fighters while on a trek in the mountains of Kashmir. Waiting against hope to be ransomed, Nick is shackled to profound memories— of his parents’ unrealistic expectations of him, and of his sister, Lilly, left solely responsible for a property now in drought and decline. Most of all he is haunted by his youthful friendship with Richard Connolly, the able son of a stockman, who watched with frustration as Nick denied himself the advantages of his birth.
Hovering by Rhett Davis ($33, PB) A spectacular debut novel from one of Australia's most exciting new writers. Winner of the Victorian Premier's Unpublished Manuscript Award, Hovering crosses genres, literary styles and conventions to create a powerful and kaleidoscopic story about three people struggling to find connection in a chaotic and impermanent world.
Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au ($24.95, PB) A young woman has arranged a holiday with her mother in Japan. They travel by train, on guard against the autumn rain and the prospect of snow. All the while, they talk, or seem to talk: about the weather, about the mother’s family in Hong Kong, and the daughter’s own formative experiences. But uncertainties abound. How much is spoken between them, how much is thought but unspoken? Cold Enough for Snow is a reckoning and an elegy that expresses both the tenderness between mother and daughter, and the distance between them.
On D’Hill For the first time since we opened over 11 years ago (!) I've taken a huge swathe of accrued leave – the whole of January and February - only to learn how much you can sleep if only you have the time. And of course, how much you can read when 'certain circumstances' make leaving the house an unattractive option, if not downright dangerous. I often use the holidays to read books that have come out earlier in the year but which I missed at the time. This summer, it was Maggie Shipstead's Great Circle, an epic narrative centring on the marvellous Marian Graves, an aviatrix in the early 20th Century. From poverty-stricken upbringing, to marriage with a domineering and abusive bootlegger, who buys her her first plane, to flying during WWII, then her 'disappearance' as she escapes her husband, Marian's story is full of adventure. It's interspersed with the contemporary story of a disturbed Hollywood actor who will play Marian in a movie. The Hadley Baxter sections aren't quite as riveting as Marian's, but the contrast between the two women, and what Hadley eventually learns from Marian's life, make it work. A fabulous, if somewhat old-fashioned, narrative to totally immerse yourself in. Who doesn't love a plucky heroine, whose life choices are way ahead of her time? Quite different in structure and tone is The Candy House by Jennifer Egan (Manhattan Beach, Visit from the Goon Squad). Some of the characters from Goon Squad reappear here and like that book, the story jumps from character to character. The downside of this, for me, is that it's hard to get to know or 'root' for any one of them, but as usual with Jennifer Egan, they are all beautifully drawn. The futuristic setting in which there is new technology which allows people to download every memory they've ever had and share it with others, creates the intellectual and philosophical crux of the novel, without it being overly dystopian. 'Knowing everything...' Egan writes '...is too much like knowing nothing; without a story, it's all just information.' A rubric for the 21st Century perhaps. In the purely theatrical sense I can go along with 'willing suspension of disbelief', where the audience is in a compact with the actors to accept that what is happening on stage is 'real'. However I have much more trouble with it in the narrative sense – whether it be science fiction, fantasy, or one of the many dystopian books now being published, so I was hesitant, even somewhat scared (after the horrors of A Little Life), to pick up To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara. But of course, I am in the hands of a masterful writer and was immediately entranced by her alternative history of America. I have only just started the book though and have heard that the last dystopian section is quite brutal. It may be a literary crime and a grave disservice to the book, but I may just skip that bit. continued
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. d t n o c l l i H ’ On D Finally, a new Australian novel, published by the excellent new Ultimo Press. Australiana by Yumna Kassab is a truly beautiful novle set in an outback town brought to its knees by drought. Kassab has a pared-back style all her own which meshes seamlessly with her subject matter and her characters. The sensibilities and the writing make it a country mile away from the crime genre known as 'rural noir'. It's always so wonderful to be introduced to a new Australian literary voice (this is her 2nd book). Also coming from Ultimo this month is Jack Ellis's second outing, Home and Other Hiding Places, which I'm looking forward to and will write about next month. If nothing else pleases us in 2022, let it at least be another year of great books and good reading. It gets so many of us through! See you On D'Hill Morgan
International Literature Treacle Walker by Alan Garner Edmund White ($23, HC) Treacle Walker is a stunning fusion of myth and folklore and an exploration of the fluidity time, vivid storytelling that illuminates an introspective young mind trying to make sense of everything around him. Joe Coppock squints at the world with his lazy eye. He reads his comics, collects birds' eggs and treasures his marbles, particularly his prized dobbers. When Treacle Walker appears off the
Free Love by Tessa Hadley ($33, HC) Tessa Hadley, bestselling author of Late in the Day and The Past, comes a compulsive new novel about one woman's sexual and intellectual awakening in 1960s London.
To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara ($32.99, $29.99, PB) From the author of the classic A Little Life—a bold, brilliant novel spanning three centuries and three different versions of the American experiment, about lovers, family, loss and the elusive promise of utopia. What unites not just the characters, but these Americas, are their reckonings with the qualities that make us human: Fear. Love. Shame. Need. Loneliness. To Paradise is a fin-de-siecle novel of marvellous literary effect, but above all it is a work of emotional genius.
The Colony by Audrey Magee ($40, PB) The clarity of Colm Toibin’s prose is blended with the emotional truth of Anne Enright in this stand-out new novel of belonging and loss. Mr Lloyd has decided to travel to the island by boat without engine. Mr Masson will also soon be arriving for the summer. Both strive to encapsulate the truth of this place – one in his paintings, the other with his faithful rendition of its speech,.
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A freshly observed, funny, joyful, brilliantly perceptive journey deep into one family's foibles, from the 1950s right up to our pandemic present. Full of heartbreak and hilarity, French Braid is classic Anne Tyler: a stirring, uncannily insightful novel bursting with warmth and humour that illuminates the kindnesses and cruelties of our daily lives, the impossibility of breaking free from those who love us, and how close -- yet how unknowable -- every family is to itself.
Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter by Lizzie Pook ($33, PB) Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter is an exquisite historical novel set in a mesmerising yet unforgiving land, where both profit and peril lie deep beneath the ocean’s surface…
But the people who live here on this rock – three miles wide and half-a-mile long – have their own views on what is being recorded, what is being taken and what is given in return.
Eliza Brightwell nervously awaits the arrival of her father’s boat. But when his lugger finally limps in, Charles Brightwell, master pearler, has gone missing at sea. A gloriously rich and wonderfully assured debut, Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter tells the story of a daughter, a family, a place and a hidden history;
A Previous Life by Edmund White ($30, PB)
Booth by Karen Joy Fowler ($33, PB)
A daring, category-confounding and ruthlessly funny novel from Edmund White, exploring polyamory and bisexuality, ageing and love.
From the Booker-shortlisted, millioncopy bestselling author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves comes an epic novel about the infamous, ill-fated Booth family. Charmers, liars, drinkers and dreamers, they will change history forever.
When Sicilian aristocrat and musician Ruggero, and his younger American wife, Constance, agree to break their marital silence and write their confessions, they reveal secret lives and loves. A searing, scintillating take on physical beauty and its inevitable decline, A Previoius Life pushes for a broader understanding of sexual orientation and explores themes of love and age.
Of the six Booth siblings who survive to adulthood, each has their own dreams they m u s t fight to realise - but it is Johnny who makes the terrible decision that will change the course of history - the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Groundskeeping by Lee Cole ($33 PB) Eager to clean up his act after his troubled early twenties, Owen takes a job as a groundskeeper at a small college which allows him to enrol on their writing course. It's there that he meets Alma, a Writer-in-Residence,, and they begin a secret relationship. Exploring the boundaries between life and art, and how our upbringings affect the people we can become, Groundskeeping is at heart a love story - a novel about two very different people navigating the turbulence of an allconsuming relationship, and the complications which can ruin it.
Run and Hid by Pankaj Mishra ($33, PB) Arun is about to enrol in the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, determined to make something of himself. But once there, he meets two friends who are prepared to go to unimaginable lengths to succeed. In just a few years, they become the success stories of their generation. In reality, these men are about to pay for their transgressions, but who exactly will pay the price? An elegant, incisively observed novel about a group of friends in an age of upheaval and breakdown; it is a story for our times.
The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews ($30, PB) Norfolk, 1643. With civil war tearing England apart, reluctant soldier Thomas Treadwater is summoned home by his sister, who accuses a servant of improper conduct with their father. By the time Thomas returns home, his father is insensible, felled by a stroke, and their new servant is facing charges of witchcraft. Thomas prides himself on being a rational, modern man, but as he unravels the mystery of what has happened, he uncovers not a tale of superstition but something dark and ancient, linked to a shipwreck years before.
Paradais by Fernanda Melchor ($30, PB)
A Very Nice Girl, by Imogen Crimp ($30, PB)
Inside a luxury housing complex, two misfit teenagers sneak around and get drunk. Facing the impossibility of getting what they think they deserve, Franco and Polo hatch a mindless and macabre scheme to escape their narco-controlled village.
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka ($30, HC)
Anna is struggling to afford life in London as she trains to be a singer, working at a jazz club to make ends meet.
Alice is one of a group of obsessed recreational swimmers for whom their local swimming pool has become the centre of their lives. Until one day a crack appears beneath its surface ...
Paradais explores the explosive nature of Mexico’s brittle society, fractured by issues of race, class and violence—and confronts us with teenagers whose desires and hardships can tear life apart.
It’s there that she meets Max, a financier fourteen years older than her. Anna’s intoxication oscillates between her moments on stage, and nights spent with Max in his flat overlooking the city.
The Voids by Ryan O’Connor ($30, PB)
But Anna’s fledgling career demands her undivided attention, and increasingly – whether he wills it or not – so does Max…
From
While London comes alive with the new youth revolution, the suburban Fischer family seems to belong to an older world of conventional stability: But when the twenty-something son of an old friend pays the Fischers a visit one hot summer evening, Nothing in these ordinary lives is so ordinary after all, it turns out, as the family's upheaval mirrors the dramatic transformation of the society around them.
French Braid by Anne Tyler ($30 PB)
In a condemned tower block in Glasgow, residents slowly trickle away until a young man is left alone with only the angels and devils in his mind for company. Stumbling from one surreal situation to the next, he encounters others on the margins of society, finding friendship and camaraderie wherever it is offered, grappling with who he is and what shape his future might take. The Voids is an unsparing story of modern-day Britain, told with brilliant flashes of humour and humanity.
Strangers I Know by Claudia Durastanti ($33, PB) Every family has its own mythology, but in this family the myths don’t match up. Kinetic, formally dazzling and spectacularly original, Strangers I Know is a portrait of an unconventional family that makes us look anew at how language shapes our understanding of ourselves.
As cracks also begin to appear in Alice's memory, her husband and daughter are faced with the dilemma of how best to care for her. As Alice clings to the tethers of her past in a Home she feels certain is not her home, her daughter must navigate the newly fractured landscape of their relationship… The Swimmers is thhe finest work yet from a true modern master.
Harrow by Joy Williams ($30, PB) A fresh, powerful story of surviving ecological disaster and solidarity between the generations by a giant of American literature. Rivetingly strange and delivered with Williams' searing, deadpan wit, Harrow is a tale of paradise lost and the reasons to try and recover something of it.
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Crime Fiction The Mother by Jane Caro ($33, PB) A grapping domestic thriller with a moral dilemma at its core, from the Walkley Award winning journalist, social commentator and author Jane Caro. When the truth of Miriam daughter’s move to the country is revealed, Miriam is faced with an unthinkable decision. She would die for her daughter. But could she kill for her?
Those Who Perish by Emma Viskic ($30, PB) Deaf PI Caleb Zelic has always been an outsider, estranged from family and friends. But when he receives a message that his brother, Anton, is in danger, Caleb sees it as a chance at redemption. When a sniper starts terrorising Anton’s isolated community, the brothers must rely on each other like never before. But trust comes at a deadly price …
The Second Cut by Louise Welsh ($30, PB) Business has been slow for auctioneer Rilke, so when an old friend, Jojo, gives Rilke a tip-off for a house clearance, life seems to be looking up. The next day Jojo washes up dead. Jojo liked Grindr hook-ups and recreational drugs is that the reason the police won't investigate? And if Rilke doesn't find out what happened to Jojo, who will? Twenty years on from his appearance in The Cutting Room, Rilke is still walking a moral tightrope. between good and bad, saint and sinner.
The Torrent by Dinuka McKenzie ($33, PB) Heavily pregnant and a week away from maternity leave, Detective Sergeant Kate Miles is exhausted. But a violent hold-up at a local fastfood restaurant with unsettling connections to her own past, means that her final days will be anything but straightforward.As secrets and betrayals pile up, how far is Kate prepared to push to discover the truth?
The Village of Eight Graves by Seishi Yokomizo ($20, PB) The Village of Eight Graves takes its name from a bloody legend: in the sixteenth century eight samurai, who had taken refuge there along with a secret treasure, were murdered by the inhabitants, bringing a curse upon their village. Centuries later a mysterious young man named Tatsuya arrives in town, bringing a spate of deadly poisonings in his wake. The inimitably scruffy and brilliant Kosuke Kindaichi investigates.
Take Your Breath Away by Linwood Barclay ($33, PB) Andy’s peaceful world is about to shatter. One day, a woman - who bears a striking resemblance to Andy’s deceased wife, Brie - shows up at his old address screaming, ‘Where’s my house?’ It soon becomes clear that Andy’s future, and the lives of those closest to him, depends on discovering what the hell is going on. The trick will be whether he can stay alive long enough to
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Poetry The Cane by Maryrose Cuskelly ($33, PB)
Revenants by Adam Aitken ($24, PB)
Barbara McClymont walks the cane fields searching for Janet, her sixteen-year-old daughter. But the cane must be burned, and as the smoke rises and tensions come to a head, the dark heart of Barbara’s town, Oula, will be revealed, affecting the lives of all those who dwell beyond the cane. Atmospheric, and unputdownable, the brilliant new thriller for fans of The Dry..
The title of this collection, Revenants, suggests spirits and ghosts who return to the human world through dream and art, not to haunt it, but to remind the living that the present and the past are intertwined. At the heart of the collection is a series of poems about the poet’s father, a Melbournian who travelled and worked in Asia as a young man, who married the poet’s mother in Bangkok, and whose life and death are commemorated here.
The Mirror Man by Lars Kepler ($30, PB) Seventeen-year-old Jenny is abducted in broad daylight and taken to a house where she is caged along with several other girls. Five years later, she is found dead in a public park. Detective Joona Linna realizes that this murder has an eerie connection to a death that was declared a suicide years before. And now when Mia, a seventeen-year-old orphan, goes missing, it becomes clear to Joona that they are dealing with a serial killer-and the murderous rampage has just begun.
The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier ($33, PB) When Air France flight 006 departed from Paris, the route to New York was just as it had always been. Until the event that would change everything. A runaway bestseller, and the winner of France's most prestigious literary prize, The Anomaly is the bestselling international sensation that asks: What would you do, if there were two of you?
The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan ($33, PB) ‘We have your daughter' Frida Liu is a struggling mother. They'd been up since four am. Frida just had to finish the article in front of her. But she'd left a file on her desk at work. What would happen if she retrieved it and came back in an hour? She was so sure it would be okay. Now, the state has decided that Frida is not fit to care for her daughter. Soon, mothers everywhere will be re-educated. Will their mistakes cost them everything?
The Hiding Place by Amanda Mason ($30, PB) A brilliant, unsettling and chilling novel of mothers and daughters, truth and deception and the lengths people will go to, to obtain power over their own lives, The Hiding Place is a chilling modern ghost story from the acclaimed author of The Wayward Girls.
Give Unto Others by Donna Leon, ($33, PB) The celebrated Venetian detective, Guido Brunetti, returns in his 31st case, where he once again discovers he Janus-faced nature of yet another Italian institution, and ponders the wobbly line that attempts to differentiate between the criminal and the non-criminal.
New And Selected Poems by J S Harry ($29.95, PB)
2nd Hand Rows Toni Morrison, now one of the world’s most beloved and highly regarded authors, did not seem such a sure bet in the early 1970s – at least within the British publishing industry. Incredibly it took almost a decade after the US release of her first novel The Bluest Eye for Morrison’s debut to be published in the UK (by Chatto & Windus).
When J.S. Harry died in 2015 she was acknowledged as one of the great women poets of her generation. This commemorative volume gathers poems from all of her collections, as well as new poems written in the last years of her life.
Things had improved with the near concurrent US/UK release of her third novel - Song of Solomon – in 1978 (again by Chatto & Windus) which cemented Morrison’s reputation as a major literary talent and a powerful new voice of black experience in America.
Walking Underwater by Mark Tredinnick ($35, PB) When J.S. Harry died in 2015 she was acknowledged as one of the great women poets of her generation. This commemorative volume gathers poems from all of her collections, as well as new poems written in the last years of her life.
These two handsome UK ‘firsts’ are in excellent condition with only very minor spotting to both price-clipped dust jackets. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison - $150 (Chatto & Windus) 1978
Continuous Creation by Les Murray ($25, HC)
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison - $150 (Chatto & Windus) 1979
The final, posthumous collection of poems from Australia’s unofficial poet laureate In a poetic gift from beyond the grave, Les Murray left a trove of last poems. These are poems he was working on up to his death, as well as work uncovered from his scrapbooks and files.
Fantastic Day by Ken Bolton ($25, PB) Known for their allusiveness and indirection, Bolton's poems can also be jaw-droppingly direct, as they make their way towards resolutions never clearly within their sights, achieved rather than aimed for. They are frequently funny, regularly beautiful, and masterful in wielding a casual, almost idle precision in the service of thinking thinking about politics, about friendship, about time, even aesthetics.
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Concrete Poetry: A 21st Century Anthology (editor) Nancy Perloff ($50, HC)
O N LY B I R D S A B OV E by Portland Jones Arthur Watkins, blacksmith, leaves his beloved young wife Helen to serve with the 10th Light Horse Regiment in the Middle East in World War I. He returns without his horse, a man forever changed. ‘Only Birds Above establishes Jones as one of Western Australia’s finest writers of literary-historical fiction.’ Writing WA
A significant new collection of concrete poetry that redefines what this unique literary movement means today. This selective, personal, yet wide-ranging anthology of concrete poetry sheds new light on this highly visual and typographic poetic art form.
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Biography Found, Wanting by Natasha Sholl ($33, HC)
‘The most in-depth guide to the best audio storytelling around the world.’ Marc Fennell
On Valentine’s Day, after a night of red wine and pasta and planning for their future, Natasha Sholl and her partner Rob went to bed. A few hours later, at the age of 27, his heart stopped. Found, Wanting tells the story of Natasha’s attempt to rebuild her life in the wake of Rob’s sudden death, stumbling through the grief landscape and colliding with the cultural assumptions about the ‘right way’ to grieve
Don’t Be Too Polite, Girls by Wendy McCarthy ($35, PB) Wendy McCarthy has made her mark on Australia in many extraordinary ways. For more than 50 years, she has been on the leading edge of feminism and corporate and public life in this country and her trailblazing advocacy and leadership have made her a widely respected and revered figure. Wendy is a woman who shaped her times as much as she was shaped by them, and now, at 80 years of age, she shares her remarkable life and achievements, and the lessons she learned - and taught us all.
‘One of the most important books on China written since Xi Jinping assumed power.’
My Accidental Career by Brenda Niall ($35, PB) Brenda Niall, arguably Australia’s foremost biographer, looks back on her own life and the circumstances, events and choices that shaped her career.
John Lee
Brenda Niall’s career isn’t one of struggle against the odds in a man’s world but one of quiet, confident work that couldn’t be ignored. Her Jane Austen-like wit and elegant prose enlivens this story of Australian women’s history seen through the lens of her remarkable life.
‘A tremendous feat.’
The Ghost Tattoo by Tony Bernard ($33, PB)
Bri Lee
The profoundly moving story of a son's quest to uncover his father's Holocaust secret.
‘A forensic and gripping analysis.’
The Ghost Tattoo is the story of how Tony Bernard, Henry's eldest son, went on a forty-year journey with his father to solve the mystery of why Henry was the way he was, and how he finally came to understand the desperate choices Henry had made in the ghetto to try to keep himself and his family alive.
Jane Caro
A Witness of Fact by Drew Rooke ($33, PB)
The first book published on acclaimed Australian architect Andrew Andersons.
The compelling story of South Australia’s disgraced former chief forensic pathologist and the legal scandals in which he became implicated. In this book, Rooke examines several of Manock’s most controversial cases, and speaks with many of his former colleagues, people directly impacted by his flawed work, and legal experts.
We’ve Got This: Stories by Disabled Parents (editor) Eliza Hull by Drew Rooke ($33, PB) In We’ve Got This, twenty-five parents who identify as Deaf, disabled or chronically ill discuss the highs and lows of their parenting journeys and reveal that the greatest obstacles lie in other people’s attitudes. The result is a moving, revelatory and empowering anthology. As Rebekah Taussig writes, ‘Parenthood can tangle with grief and loss. Disability can include joy and abundance. And goddammit – disabled parents exist.’
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Bob Hawke by Troy Bramston ($50, HC) This unprecedented biography of Hawke includes an exclusive series of interviews with him – the last that he gave – as well as unfiltered access to his extensive trove of personal papers. It features new interviews with more than 100 people who knew and worked with Hawke, including his family and friends; political and union colleagues, and rivals;
The Lonely Hunter by Aimee Lutkin ($33, HC) More people are single today than ever before. Yet in a world where romantic love still reigns, the stories we tell ourselves haven't kept up. The Lonely Hunter explores the rise of singledom, and whether it is possible to live contentedly alone. Documenting her experiences, Lutkin explores the reality of sexual relationships today and reveals how the cultural messages we receive shape our expectations of love.
This is not a book about Benedict Cumberbatch by Tabitha Carvan ($33, PB) ( Drawing upon her personal experience of unexpectedly falling for the British actor Benedict Cumberbatch while stuck at home with two young children, Carvan challenges the reader to stop instinctively resisting the possibility of experiencing pleasure. Hers is clarion rallying cry: find your thing, whatever it may be, and love it like your life depends on it. Funny, intelligent, transporting and liberating, this book is a total joy.
Triple Helix by Lauren Burns ($33, PB) When Lauren learns she is donor conceived she begins a journey to discover the identity of her biological father. Battling outdated legislation and a medical culture of silence, she enters a campaign to pass world-first laws overturning decades of donor anonymity. She also grapples with the rewriting of her history and sense of identity when she finds her biological father to find she’s part of a well-known Australian family.
Missing by Tom Patterson ($33, PB)
Performing Arts A Sound Mind by Paul Morley ($23, PB) Paul Morley had stopped being surprised by modern pop music and found himself retreating into the sounds of artists he loved when, as an emerging music journalist in the 70s, he wrote for NME. But not wishing to give in to dreary nostalgia, endlessly circling back to the bands he wrote about in the past, he went searching for something new, rare and wondrous – and found it in classical music.
Music is History by Questlove ($45, HC) Bestselling author & musician Questlove harnesses his knowledge of popular music and his deep curiosity about history to examine America over the past fifty years. Choosing one essential track from each year, Questlove unpacks each song's significance, revealing the pivotal role that American music plays around issues of race, gender, politics, and identity.
Major Labels by Kelefah Sanneh ($40, HC) Sanneh has made a deep study of how our popular music unites and divides us, the tribes it forms, and how its genres, shape-shifting across the years, give us a way to track larger forces and concerns. This is a book to shock and awe the deepest music nerd, and at the same time to work as a heady gateway drug for the uninitiated.
The Coppolas by Ian Nathan ($50, HC) Centred on two extraordinary filmmaking generations: father and daughter Francis Ford Coppola and Sofia Coppola, each in different ways has defined their times. And of course, their stories are intimately entwined. The respective stories of Francis and Sofia offer a fascinating insight into the changing face of Hollywood and American culture from the seventies until now.
Why Karen Carpenter Matters by Karen Tongson ($25, HC)
In 1972 Mark May is bright, beautiful and has a scholarship to study law. Ten years later he descends alone into remote gorge country in New South Wales, lives in rough camps and stays for thirty-five years. Then, on a feeling, his brothers go looking for him. Missing tells of a broken life and a ruptured family but is also a spare and eloquent story of survival that carries a deep humanity.
Karen Tongson (whose parents named her after the pop icon) interweaves the story of the singer's rise to fame in the 1960s and '70s with her own journey between the Philippines and Karen Carpenter's home ground of Southern California. This hybrid of memoir and biography excavates the destructive perfectionism at the root of the Carpenters' sound, while finding the beauty in the singer's all-too-brief life.
Mala’s Cat by Maja Katzenburg ($35, HC)
Mozart by Jan Swafford ($40, PB)
When the German invasion shatters Mala’s idyllic childhood, she bravely removes her yellow star and sneaks out to the surrounding villages to barter for food. On her return she sees her loved ones rounded up for deportation. With only her cat, Malach, and the strength of the stories taught by her family, she walks away from everything she holds dear.
From acclaimed composer and biographer Jan Swafford comes the definitive biography of one of the most lauded musical geniuses in history, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
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Psychology & Self Help The Urge: Our History of Addiction by Carl Erik Fisher ($35, PB)
Toxic Positivity by Whitney Goodman ($33, PB)
An authoritative, illuminating, and deeply humane history of addiction - a phenomenon that remains baffling and deeply misunderstood despite having touched countless lives - by an addiction psychiatrist striving to understand his own family
Every day, we’re bombarded with pressure to be positive. But if all this positivity is the answer, why are so many of us anxious, depressed, and burned out? In this refreshingly honest guide, Goodman shares the latest research along with everyday examples and client stories that reveal how damaging toxic positivity is to ourselves and our relationships, and presents simple ways to experience and work through difficult emotions.
The Sweet Spot by Paul Bloom ($35, PB) In The Sweet Spot one of the world's best known psychologists gathers together the latest science to explain why, and to present a radical new account of human behaviour. Drawing on studies of the evolutionary value of play and the science of morality, he identifies the desire for meaning as being far greater than our desire for happiness, overturning long-held assumptions about our species.
Diagnosis Normal by Emma Jane ($35, PB) Combining brilliant storytelling with rigorous research, Diagnosis Normal is an incisive, darkly funny memoir from journalist/ academic Emma Jane. She writes candidly about the complex combination of autism, mental illness & childhood sexual abuse that led to her being the person she is, exploring the impact each has on others. By breaking the toxic silence surrounding sexual violence and mental illness, she raises the possibility of not just surviving them but thriving.
On Wanting to Change by Adam Phillips ($17, PB) We live in a world in which we are invited to change - to become our best selves, through politics, or fitness, or diet, or therapy. So there are the stories we tell about change, and there are the changes we actually make and they don't always go, or come, together. This sparkling book is about that fact.
Stolen Focus by Johann Hari ($33, PB) We think our inability to focus is a personal failing. It is not. This has been done to all of us by powerful external forces. Johann discovered there are twelve deep cases of this crisis, all of which have robbed some of our attention. He shows us how in a journey that ranges from Silicon Valley dissidents, to a favela in Rio where attention vanished, to an office in New Zealand that found a remarkable way to restore our attention.
Emotional by Leonard Mlodinow ($33, PB) Taking us on a journey from the labs of pioneering scientists to real-world scenarios that have flirted with disaster, Mlodinow shows us how our emotions help, why they sometimes hurt, and what we can make of the difference. Mlodinow's exploration of the new science of feelings is an essential guide to making the most of one of nature's greatest gifts to us.
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Food & Health One Pot Vegan by Roxy Pope & Ben Pook ($20, PB)
The Comfort Bake by Sally Wise ($40, PB)
In this foolproof recipe collection, icon of Based on all the most popular recipes from their good old-fashioned country cooking Sally channel So Vegan, Roxy and Ben have created 80 Wise serves up recipes that are big on comfort delicious recipes, which prove that vegan food is and low on fuss. Savoury classics (including fun, tasty and SO simple to make. Designed to cook pies, quiches, breads and focaccia - and the in just one pot/pan/tray, every recipe promises to be creamiest potato bake ever) sit proudly alonglow in washing up and high in flavour. This book is side a glorious line-up of sweet treats, includideal not only for vegans, but for the growing market of flexitarians hoping to make their diet more sustainable and eco- ing Maple Syrup Upside-down Banana Cake, Rhubarb and Caramel Slice, Orange Butter Bars, Spiced Ginger Cookies and a friendly, while still enjoying every single mouthful. supremely simple Whisky and Orange Chocolate Pudding.
I May Be Wrong by Bjorn Natthiko Lindeblad ($30, PB)
That Noodle Life by Mike & Stephanie Le ($50, HC)
The Vegan Baking Bible by Karolina Tegelaar ($50, HC)
In the Swedish sensation I May Be Wrong former forest monk Björn Natthiko Lindeblad shares his advice on how to face the uncertainty and doubt that is a natural part of life. We don't choose our thoughts. We don't control the shape they take, or what pops into our minds. We can only choose whether or not to believe them.
Oh, noodles! You’re so much fun. You’re so beloved! All your magical shapes, flavours, and textures. But no one obsesses over you quite like Mike Le and Stephanie Le, the-husband-and-wife team who are superstars in the food blog world. That Noodle Life is their 75-recipe celebration of the myriad pleasures of noodles.
ou shouldn’t have to compromise on flavour, texture and the look of your cake just because it’s vegan. From carrot cake and chocolate cookies to madeleines and muffins; in this ultimate bible, Karolina has veganised old baking favourites as well as creating new baking recipes to make vegan baking accessible and fun to the novice baker. Karolina Tegelaar has created the ultimate vegan baking book – a must-have for every baking-enthusiast’s kitchen.
This Working Life by Lisa Leong & Monique Ross ($35, PB)
Mabu Mabu by Nornie Bero ($45, HC)
Garden
This Working Life is the book you need to navigate your career with courage, openness and a good dose of laughter in these chaotic and uncertain times. Springing off the success of her ABC podcast, Lisa Leong, together with journalist Monique Ross, is bringing a deep curiosity to the world of work.
In Mabu Mabu, charismatic First Nations chef Nornie Bero champions the tastes of native flavours in everyday cooking by unlocking the secrets of Australian herbs, spices, vegetables and fruits. Mabu Mabu – which means help yourself – reflects Nornie’s approach to cooking: simple, accessible, delicious, and colourful!
Power by Kemi Nekvapil ($35, PB)
Intolerance-Friendly Kitchen by Georgia McDermott ($35, PB)
A highly respected executive and personal coach, Kemi has created a five-step framework to guide other women to build their power. Blending inspiring stories with reflective coaching practices, POWER provides the tools to navigate the challenges that impact who we are and how we lead, from discrimination and burnout to trauma and self-doubt.
Intolerance-Friendly Kitchen is all about reliable recipes that are gluten free, low FODMAP and vegetarian, and cater wherever possible to diets without dairy, eggs, nuts, grains, starches or gums .Georgia McDermott – also known as muchloved Melbourne food blogger @georgeats – is passionate about making life’s delicious moments accessible to everyone.
Second Life by David Hoysted ($30, PB)
Saka Saka by Anto Cocagne ($45, HC)
This is a story of advocating for the one you love and the importance of resilience and courage in the face of trauma & adversity. The life, loneliness, anxieties and needs of the long-term carer are examined. It provides a ‘carer’s eye view’ of what quality of life is, and the value of palliative care at a time when the world embraces euthanasia.
I Didn’t Do The Thing Today by Madeleine Dore ($33, PB) After five years of searching for the secret to productivity, Madeleine Dore discovered there isn’t one. Instead, we’re being set up to fail. Dore advocates for dismantling our comparison to others and the unrealistic notions of what can be done in a day, we can finally embrace the joyful messiness and unpredictability of life.
Chef Anto Cocagne introduces us to the best recipes from Gabon, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Congo, and Ethiopia. And since no one evokes a cuisine better than its daughters and sons, we meet African musicians, writers, artists, and creatives who tell stories about their favorite dishes, their family cooking memories, and what these recipes represent for them today.
Foolproof Fish by Libby Silberman ($25, HC) Bringing you 60 fuss-free recipes, with everything from Ultimate Fish Tacos, Spicy Salmon Burgers and Grilled Tuna Steaks, through to Clams in Cider, Crab and Cherry Tomato Linguine and Prawn Laksa – you'll have a mouth-watering variety of recipes to choose from every time you fancy fish for dinner.
Green Thumb by Craig MillerRandle ($45, PB) No one is born with a green thumb ... but anyone can grow one! Renowned indoor 'plantspert' Craig Miller-Randle takes you through the basics of helping indoor plants to thrive. Green Thumb is filled with advice that Craig has distilled in his 40+ years of experience. Whether it's choosing the right pot, propagating, watering or getting rid of pests, Craig has all the info you'll need. There are also photographic step-by-step projects, an A-Z guide to the care of indoor plants and loads of styling inspiration.
Thirteen Ways to Smell a Tree by David George Haskell ($30, HC) Thirteen Ways to Smell a Tree takes you on a journey to connect with trees through the sense most aligned to our emotions and memories. Thirteen essays are included that explore the evocative scents of trees, from the smell of a book just printed as you first open its pages, to the calming scent of Linden blossom, to the ingredients of a particularly good gin & tonic.
Herbal Handbook: 50 Profiles in Words & Art from the Rare Book Colletions of the New York Botanical Gardens ($25, HC) Herbal Handbook is a charming, information-packed guide to 51 herbs and their uses illustrated with rare botanical art from the renowned archives of The New York Botanical Garden.
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books for kids to young adults
picture books
boardbooks
That Cat by Jacqueline Harvey ($20, PB)
Animals All Around Us by Melanie Hava ($17, HC)
An utterly delightful rhyming book, purrfect for the whole family. Nothing is quite like a cat. There are brat cats and fat cats, rat cats and mat cats . . . but if there's one cat everyone knows, it's THAT CAT.
Discover the animals of Australia through the incredible artwork of Aboriginal artist Melanie Hava. The All Around Us series is a captivating collection of first concepts board books, told through simple narrative.
Out on a Limb by Jordan Morris (ill) Charlie Mylie ($30, PB)
Numbers All Around Us by Melanie Hava ($17, HC)
Lulu’s leg is broken, but she’s OK. She finds new ways to do ordinary things-like taking a bath or wearing her favorite pants.
Count your way through the incredible artwork of Aboriginal artist Rachael Sarra.
As time wears on, the newness of the cast wears off and the weariness sets in. Lulu grows bored and grumpy by day. Eventually, it’s time to get the cast off, but Lulu’s not ready. What if her leg can’t do all of the things it used to do? A visit from Grandpa, a well-timed letter, and the power of healing help get Lulu back on her feet.
Mum, Me, and the Mulberry Tree by Tanya Rosie (ill) Chuck Groenink ($28, PB)
The All Around Us series is a captivating collection of first concepts board books, told through simple narrative. .
8to12
non fiction The Book of Sisters by Olivia Meikle and Katie Nelson ($20, PB)
Adolescent health experts Dr Melissa Kang and Yumi Stynes have written the only guide to breasts you'll need. Whether you're worried they won't grow, or that they are growing too quickly, this book is has all the info – and is reassuring, interesting, and funny!
History is full of sisters making their mark. Meet incredible women in this nonfiction book for kids, from Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret to tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams. Authors (and sisters!) Olivia Meikle and Katie Nelson have scoured history for jaw-dropping stories of amazing siblings,
There's no getting around it – boobs can be pretty weird! And whether we’re ready for them or not, just about EVERYONE, of every gender, gets at least some boob growth when they hit puberty.
Our Country: Ancient Wonders by Mark Greenwood & Franc Lessac ($27, HC) This first book in the Our Country series takes readers on a journey across Australia to marvel at our unique geology and geography. With each vibrant fact-filled page of this unique book, readers will visit different natural wonders across all states and territories. See the prehistoric beasts that roamed the land in Winton, venture through the lavaformed caves at Undara, experience the fiery glow of Uluru and Kata
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teenfiction
When Alice is given Greta Thunberg as her celebrity pen pal, she finds herself opening up about her life. And as Alice approaches the hard questions by wondering, 'What would Greta do?', she starts to believe that she can make a difference - a big one.
Cold by Mariko Tamaki ($20, PB) Trans-Siberian Railway by Alexandra Litvina & Anna Desnitskaya ($40, HC)
This is the story of a boy who died-and a girl who wants to know why.
Come on a fascinating trip on the TransSiberian Railway! As you learn about the railway’s history, you’ll also hear from local people who live on the line, sharing stories about their lives and tips for travellers. Find out what day-to-day life on the train is like and pick up some souvenirs along the way.
Todd Mayer is dead. Now he's some sort of ghost, hovering over his body, which has been found in the town park. As detectives investigate Todd's homicide, talking to the very people who are responsible for how he died, Todd replays the events that lead him to his end.
Our year 5/6 bookclub are very lucky to have 2 authors joining us on March 12th at 3:30pm to talk about writing books with challenging concepts and all the feels. We welcome both Lisa Nicol, who wrote What On Earth Institute Of Wonder and Vincent and the Grandest Hotel on Earth and also Maryam Master, author of the fabulous Exit Through The Gift Shop. Both authors have a background in film and theatre; Lisa winning awards for her documentary films and Maryam working with David Walliams to translate his books to theatre. This will be an awesome session and everyone is welcome! On top of all that Rhyme Time & Storytime are back! Rhymetime: Mondays, 10am and 11am Storytime: Fridays, 10am
follow @gleebooks_kids on Instagram to stay up to date with all the kids events news!
Magical interlinked stories about what one girl learns from talking to trees throughout Time & from around the world in a sumptuous new novel from Natasha Farry & Lydia Corry.
Dear Greta by Yvette Poshoglian ($16.99, PB)
We kicked off 2022 with our year 3/4 kids book club on Saturday March 5th with a special session featuring illustrator Cheryl Orsini, who is our Illustrator is Residence for March. We had such a blast hearing about what it is like to be a full time illustrator.
Don’t forget to e-mail rachel@gleebooks.com.au or
The Girl Who Talked to Trees by Natasha Farrant (ill) Lydia Corry ($30, HC)
Shakespeare for Everyone by Emma Roberts (ill) Sarah Tanat Jones ($35, HC) Discover the history comedy and tragedy of the worlds greatest playwright. Travel back 400 years to visit rowdy theatres and royal palaces to understand what it was like to live in Shakespeares Elizabethan England and the influence it had on his ground-breaking work.
Northwind by Gary Paulsen ($16.99, PB) When a deadly plague reaches the small fish camp where he lives, an orphan named Leif is forced to take to the water in a cedar canoe. He flees northward, thrown from one danger to the next, unsure of his destination. Yet the deeper into his journey he paddles, the closer Leif comes to his truest self as he connects to the heartbeat of the ocean, the pulse of the sea.
A tender story follows a mother-and-daughter pair enjoying a ritual to remember: a bus ride to the countryside, baskets full of berries, and a fragrant pie.
Welcome to Your Boobs! by Yumi Stynes & Dr. Melissa Kang ($20, PB)
kids’events
Welcome to New York by Kyla May ($15, PB)
5 to 8
Hi! I'm Paris. I write in my travel journal as I explore the world! Paris is 10 years old and is off to visit her favourite city, PARIS! While she is there, she meets a girl named Amelie who has lost her dog, Eclair. Can Paris help Amelie trace her steps through the landmarks of the city to find the lost pup?
Only a Monster by Vanessa Len ($23, PB) Joan Chang-Hunt has no idea she's part monster until she's thrust into a battle between the boy she has a crush on and one of the most ruthless monster families of London. When the monsters of London are attacked, Joan is forced on the run with the ruthless Aaron Oliver, heir to a monster family who are sworn enemies of her own. Joan is drawn deeper into a world that simmers with hostilities, alliances and secrets. . She'll have to embrace her own monstrousness if she is to save herself, and her family. Because in this story . . .she is not the hero.
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events
ts Even r da n Cale
1 ee eclub for fr Join the Gle held in our nts entry to eve ere post anywh stores, free , in Australia
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Launch—2.30 for 3pm
Event—6 for 6.30 Waiting for Gonski In conv. with Pasi Sahblerg
Australiana In conv. with Tiffany Tsao
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Gareth Evans
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Event —6 for 6.30 pm
Best of Australian Poetry 2021 Launch
When we’re not afraid In conv. with Dr. Stephen Gourley Leonie Katekar’s memoir of leaving her past behind and confronting her fears by embarking on a 12,000 km solo bike-packing expedition.through South America.
Revenants Join Adam Aitken to celebrate the latest collection from the winner of the 2021 Patrick White Literary Award.
Event—6 for 6.30
Gareth Evans makes the case for good international citizenship as both a moral imperative and a matter of hard-headed national interest.
Leonie Katekar
Adam Aitken
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Good International Leadership In conv. With Geraldine Doogue
Wild Nature Launched by James Griffin, Minister for Environment & Heritage & Bob Debus. Celebrate the completion of John Blay’s South East Trilogy.
Event—2.30 for 3pm
Event—6 for 6.30 Emma Jane
Diagnosis Normal In conv. with Prof. Catherine Lumby Combining brilliant storytelling with rigorous research, Diagnosis Normal is an incisive and darkly funny memoir from journalist turned academic Emma Jane.
John Blay
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Event—6 for 6.30 Yumna Kassab
Something Else Launched by Walter Mason Celebrate the completion of John Blay’s South East Trilogy.
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Chris Bonnor, Tom Greenwell
Alicia Thompson
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March 2022
Waiting for Gonski examines how From the acclaimed author of The Australia has failed its schools and House of Youssef comes this exoffers inspired solutions to help traordinary and unique novel shinchange education for the better. ing a light on Australian rural life.
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Launched by Toby Fitch A new annual anthology collecting previously published and unpublished poems to create a poetic snapshot of the year that was.
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Event—6 for 6.30
Patrick Mullins & Matthew Ricketson
All events listed are $5/$2 concession. Book Launches are free. Gleeclub members free entry to events at 49 Glebe Pt Rd
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Event—6 for 6.30 Jo Dyer
Burning Down the House: Reconstructing Modern Politics In conv. With Kerry O’Brien Burning Down the House tells the story of how our political system went awry.
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Launch—6 for 6.30 pm
Events are held upstairs at #49 Glebe Point Road. Masks are a condition of entry.. Bookings—Phone: (02) 9660 2333, Email: events@gleebooks.com.au, Online: www.gleebooks.com.au/events
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Event—6 for 6.30 Drew Rooke
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A Witness of Fact In conv. with Maddison Connaughton The compelling story of South Australia’s disgraced former chief forensic pathologist and the legal scandals in which he became implicated.
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Event—6 for 6.30
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Lauren Burns
Event—6 for 6.30 Pip McGuinness
Triple Helix Skin Deep In conv. with Anna Clark In conv. with Nicole Abadee The compelling story of one woman’s journey to discover the A book about skin, that wonderful truth about her paternity—and to thing that covers our body, acting come to grips with the rewriting of as both barrier and receptor to her own history and sense of idenlife. tity. Launch— 6 for 6.30pm Event—6 for 6.30 Charlotte Epstein Satjayit Das Birth of the State Fortune’s Fool: Australia’s Choice Launched by David Smith & JesSolo Author Talk sica Whyte Das dissects the pandemic, global Epstein uses the body to peel back trends, Australia's narrow 'house the layers of ideas about the two and holes' economy and its dependency on China, spotlighting a defining political forms of modernity, the state and the subject of political paralysis & the change rights. that is urgently needed.
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Event—6 for 6.30
Ken Haley
Stephen Gapps
Sheila Fitzpatrick
The One That Got Away - Travelling in the Time of Covid In conv. with Bob Carr 2020 was the year most of us stayed at home. Ken Haley accidentally turned it into an adventure.
Gudyarra Gapps unearths what led to the first Wiradyuri War of Resistance, beginning with the occupation of Wiradyuri lands by Europeans following Governor Macquarie’s push to expand the colony west.
The Shortest History of the Soviet Union In conv with Linda Jaivin The story of an empire made and an empire undone by one of the world’s leading authorities on Soviet Russia.
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Event—6 for 6.30
Dr. Kylie Moore-Gilbert The Uncaged Sky
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Event—6 for 6.30 Patti Miller
True Friends in conv. with Kathryn Heyman Who Needs the ABC? Patti Miller recounts the joyful An impassioned defence of the na- The extraordinary true story of tional broadcaster, which argues Kylie Moore-Gilbert’s fight to sur- making and then painful ending of that hat a publicly funded broad- vive 804 days imprisoned in Iran. a long, close friendship. When it inexplicably unravels, Patti is left caster does much to cool down searching for answers. political radicalism .
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Coming in April Event: Wed. 6th April: Omar Sakr, Son of Sin Event: Sunday 10th April: Gina Rushton, The Most Important Job in the World Event: Tuesday 19th April: Sarah Krasnostein, Quarterly Essay: Not Waving Drowning for more events go to: http://www.gleebooks.com.au/events
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Politics
Cultural Studies & Criticism
Science & Nature
Chronicles of Dissent by Noam Chomsky ($35, PB)
The Betrayal of Anne Frank by Rosemary Sullivan ($33, PB)
Ten Survival Skills For A World In Flux by Tom Fletcher ($35, PB)
A Curious Boy by Richard Fortey ($25, PB)
In sixteen extended talks with Alternative Radio's David Barsamian, Noam Chomsky explains why the 'war on drugs' is really a war on poor people; how attacks on political correctness are attacks on independent thought; how historical revisionism has recast the United States as the victim in the Vietnam War. Chomsky's trenchant analysis of current events is a breath of fresh air in a world more and more polluted by mainstream media.
Using new technology, recently discovered documents and sophisticated investigative techniques, an international team-led by an obsessed retired FBI agent-has finally solved the mystery that has haunted generations since World War II: Who betrayed Anne Frank and her family? And why?
We all know there are major, overlapping, global crises ahead of humanity: climate change, mass migration, new warfare, big tech, further pandemics, authoritarian capitalism. Rather than be daunted, this book charts a way that we can respond, Tom Fletcher offers a practical manifesto that can help us transform the way we learn, live, and work together.
Charming, funny and wise, in this memoir Richard Fortey shows how restless curiosity about the natural world led him to become a leading scientist and writer, with adventures and misadventures along the way. Much more than a story about science alone, this memoir gives an unforgettable portrait of a young, curious mind, and shows how luck and enthusiasm can create a
Skin Deep by Phillipa McGuinness ($35, PB)
Mona Chollet takes three archetypes from historic witch hunts, and examines how far women today have the same charges levelled against them. Finally, Chollet argues that by considering the lives of those who dared to live differently, we can learn more about the richness of roles available, just how many different things a woman can choose to be.
The Insect Crisis by Oliver Milman ($30, PB)
This is a book about skin. The strange wonderfulness of our bodily covering. How the world responds to imperfection and difference. It’s about how skin makes us who we are. Phillipa McGuinness interviews experts and people with a range of lived experiences to write a book where science meets art and culture, history and politics.
The Shortest History of Democracy by John Keane ($25, PB)
In the Margins by Elena Ferrante ($25, PB)
In The Insect Crisis, acclaimed journalist Oliver Milman dives into the torrent of recent evidence that suggests this kaleidoscopic group of creatures is suffering the greatest existential crisis in its remarkable 400-million-year history. What is causing the collapse of the insect world? Why does this alarming decline pose such a threat to us? And what can be done to stem the loss of the miniature empires that hold aloft life as we know it?
In this vigorous, illuminating history, acclaimed political thinker John Keane traces democracy’s byzantine history, from the age of assembly democracy in Athens, to European-inspired electoral democracy and the birth of representative government, to our age of monitory democracy. He gives new reasons why democracy is a precious global ideal, and shows that as the world has come to be shaped by democracy, it has grown more worldly.
In these four crisp essays, Ferrante offers a rare look at the origins of her literary powers. She writes about her influences, her struggles, and her formation as both a reader and a writer; she describes the perils of “bad language” and suggests ways in which it has long excluded women’s truth; she proposes a choral fusion of feminine talent as she brilliantly discourses on the work of Emily Dickinson, Gertrude Stein and many others.
Facts and Other Lies by Ed Coper ($33, PB) From fringe conspiracy theories to 'alternative facts', a timely look at how we arrived in the 'fake news' era. Coper puts fake news in its historical context and explains how disinformation has fractured society, even threatening democracy itself. It explains why disinformation is so potent and so hard to stop, and what we can do to help prevent its pro-
Sexual Revolution by Laurie Penny ($30, PB) Sex and gender are changing, and the world is changing with them. In this time of crisis, we are also witnessing a productive transformation: a revolutionary change in how we define gender, sex, consent and whose bodies matter. Told with Laurie Penny's trademark urgency and candour, this is a hand-grenade of a book.
Guilty Pigs: The Weird & Wonderful History of Animal Law by Katy Barnett & Jeremy Gans ($35, PB) Animal law experts Katy Barnett and Jeremy Gans guide readers through the philosophy and practice of animal-related law, from the very earliest cases to the issues we are debating today, including the responsibilities of pet owners and the application of human rights to animals.
Social Contagion: And Other Material on Microbiological Class War in China by Chuang ($27, PB) The untold story of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, that argues that China's rapid but fragile economic growth has created conditions for new, deadly viruses, of which COVID-19 was merely the latest iteration. Chuang concludes that the pandemic has enabled new modes of counterinsurgent governance, rooted in decades of institutional experimentation and an emergent theory of statecraft.
The Quiet Before by Gal Beckerman ($35, PB) We tend to think of revolutions as loud: frustrations and demands shouted in the streets. But why do some promising ideas take root, and others never bear fruit? In this dazzling big ideas book, award-winning author Gal Beckerman shows how history is made.
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History
In Defence of Witches by Mona Chollet ($35, PB)
Talking History by Joan Haig & Joan Lennon (ill) Andre Ducci ($30, PB) Featuring 17 influential speeches from the past 150 years, Talking History explores the events leading up to each speech, how the spoken word was used to great effect, and the impact it had on the world, presented in graphic novel style to put the reader at the heart of the action. A book to inspire a new generation of thinkers and talkers.
Shortest History of the Soviet Union by Sheila FitzPatrick ($25, PB) The story of an empire made and an empire undone by one of the world’s leading authorities on Soviet Russia. Sheila Fitzpatrick shows us the fate of non-Russian republics often left out of discussions of Soviet history, provides vivid portraits of key Soviet figures and traces the aftermath of the regime’s unexpected fall, including the rise of Vladimir Putin, a product of the Soviet system but not altogether a Soviet nos-
Fake History: Ten Great Lies 7 How They Shaped the World by Otto English ($30, PB) Taking the ten biggest lies from history and looking at the people who propagated them, Otto English shows how our past has been bent and broken, used and abused over time to fit the ends of some of the world's most powerful people.
The Founders by Jimmy Soni ($33, PB) The gripping inside story of Paypal, the company that created the digital age as we know it. This book tells the gripping story of how a scrappy start-up became one of the most successful businesses of all time, and shows how the so-called PayPal Mafia continue to shape our future today.
Essays Two by Lydia Davis ($45, HC)
Mindwandering by Moshe Bar ($30, PB)
Lydia Davis gathered a selection of her nonfiction writing for the first time in 2019 with Essays. Now, she continues the project with Essays Two, focusing on the art of translation, the learning of foreign languages through reading, and her experience of translating, amongst others, Flaubert and Proust, about whom she writes with an unmatched understanding of the nuances of their styles.
Our brains are noisy. Certain regions are always grinding away at involuntary activities like daydreaming, worrying about the future and selfchatter, taking up to forty-seven percent of our waking time. This is mindwandering – and while it can tug your attention away from the present and contribute to anxiety, cognitive neuroscientist Moshe Bar reveals that there is a method be-
Why Didn’t You Just Do What You Were Told? By Jenny Diski ($23, PB) Jenny Diski was a fearless writer, for whom no subject was too difficult, even her own cancer diagnosis. Her columns in the London Review of Books – selected here by her editor and friend Mary-Kay Wilmers, on subjects as various as death, motherhood, sexual politics and the joys of solitude – have been described as 'virtuoso performances', and 'small masterpieces'.
Sounds Wild & Broken by David George Haskell ($35, PB) A lyrical exploration of the diverse sounds of our planet, the creative processes that produced these marvels, and the perils that sonic diversity now faces. Haskell shows that sonic crises are not mere losses of sensory ornament. Sound is a generative force, and so the erasure of sonic diversity makes the world less creative, just and
Burning Questions by Margaret Atwood ($43, $37.95, HC)
Otherlands by Thomas Halliday ($35, PB)
In over 50 pieces Atwood aims her prodigious intellect and impish humour at the world, and reports back to us on what she finds. The rollercoaster period covered in the collection brought an end to the end of history, a financial crash, the rise of Trump and a pandemic. From debt to tech, the climate crisis to freedom; to how to define granola, we have no better guide to the many and varied mysteries of our universe.
What would it be like to experience the ancient landscapes of the past as we experience the reality of nature today? To actually visit the Jurassic or Cambrian worlds, to wander among their spectacular flora and fauna, to witness their continental shifts? In Otherlands, the multi-talented palaeontologist Thomas Halliday gives us a breath-taking up close encounter with worlds that are normally unimaginably distant.
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Now $19.95 Living with the Gods by Neil MacGregor, HC
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How I Take Photographs by Daido Moriyama, HC
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Baan: Recipes & stories from my Thai home by Kay Plunkett-Hogge, HC
Now $79.95 The New Yorker Encyclopedia of Cartoons: A Semi-Serious ATo-Z Archive, HC
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Man Out of Time by Stephanie Bishop, PB
Delicieux: The Recipes of France by Gabriel Gate, HC
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A Distant View of Everything by Alexander McCall Smith, HC
Freud: The Making of an Illusion by Frederick Crews, HC
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Clock Dance by Anne Tyler, Sensations: A New History of British Art, HC HC
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Capitalism in America, Alan Greenspan & Adrian Wooldridge, HC
The Inflamed Mind by Edward Bullmore, HC
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If This Is a Man/ The Truce by Primo Levi, PB
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Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-194` by Stephen Kotkin, PB
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100 Classic Graphic Design Journals by Steven Heller & Jason Godfrey, HC
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The Temporary Gentleman The Atlas of Disease by by Sebastian Barry, PB Sandra Hempel, HC
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Late Essays: 2006-2016 by J.M. Coetzee, HC
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, HC
How Do We Know We’re Doing It Right? by Pandora Skyes, HC
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The Tango War by Mary Jo McConahay, HC
Amnesty by Aravind Adiga, HC
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Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister by Jung Chang, HC
Oscar & Lucinda/ True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey, HC
Tragedy, The Greeks, and Us by Simon Critchley, HC
My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci, HC
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The Man in the Red How Should One Read a Book? The Catalogue of Shipwrecked Fashion Design: A Guide to the Coat by Julian Barnes, By Virginia Woolf, PB Books by Edward Wilson-Lee, Industry & the Creative Process HC PB by Denis Antoine, PB
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Aboriginal Studies Indigenous Women's Voices: 20 Years on from Linda Tuhiwai Smith’s Decolonizing Methodologies ($40 PB) When Linda Tuhiwai Smith's Decolonizing Methodologies was first published, it ignited a passion for research change that respected Indigenous peoples and knowledges. Twenty years on, this collection celebrates the breadth and depth of how Indigenous writers are shaping the decolonizing research world today.
Sister Girl by Jackie Huggins ($30, PB) The pieces in this seminal collection represent almost four decades of writing by historian and activist Jackie Huggins. These essays, speeches and interviews combine both the public and the personal in a bold trajectory tracing one Murri woman’s journey towards self-discovery and human understanding.
The First Astronomers: How Indigenous Elders read the stars by Duane Hamacher ($35, PB) Guided by 6 First Nations Elders, Duane Hamacher takes us on a journey across space and time to reveal the wisdom of the first astronomers. These living systems of knowledge challenge conventional ideas about the nature of science and the longevity of oral tradition. Indigenous science is dynamic, adapting to changes in the skies, and pointing the way for a world facing the profound disruptions of climate change.
Telling Tennant’s Story by Dean Ashenden ($35 PB) In a riveting combination of memoir, reportage and political and intellectual history, Ashenden traces the strange career of the great Australian silence - from its beginnings in the first encounters of black and white, through the work of the early anthropologists, the historians and the courts in landmark cases about land rights and the Stolen Generations, to still-continuing controversy.
The Dreaming Path by Paul Callaghan & Uncle Paul Gordon ($33, PB) Through conversations, exercises, Dreamtime stories and key messages, Paul Callaghan and Uncle Paul Gordon will sit you around the fire and share knowledge that reveals the power of Aboriginal spirituality as a profound source of contentment and wellbeing for anyone willing to listen. This ancient wisdom is just as relevant today as it ever was.
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Australian Studies The Idea of Australia: A Search for the Soul of the Nation by Julianne Schultz ($35, PB) What is the 'idea of Australia'? What defines the soul of our nation? Are we an egalitarian, generous, outward-looking country? Or is Australia a place that has retreated into silence and denial about the past and become selfish, greedy and insular? This important, searing and compelling book explains us to ourselves and suggests ways Australia can realise her true potential. Urgent, inspiring and optimistic, The Idea of Australia presents the vision we need to fully appreciate our great strengths and crucial challenges.
The Party: The Communist Party of Australia from heydey to reckoning by Stuart McIntyre ($50, HC) Stuart Macintyre reveals how sources of strength in the party's heyday became the undoing of the party. Unconditional support for the Soviet model broke down as the horrors of Stalinism were revealed. Public support for the party eroded, and hostility from mainstream politics and security services took a toll. But for those who remained, the comradeship and intense political en-
Nabbing Ned Kelly by David Dufty ($33, PB) David Dufty goes back to the records to uncover the real story of the police officers who pursued the Kelly Gang. This pacey account of the capture of the Kelly Gang reads like a detective story. By recounting the story from the perspective of the law, David Dufty gets to the heart of the story for the first time and finds answers to many unresolved questions.
Quarterly Essay 85: Not Waving, Drowning by Sarah Krasnostein ($22, PB) Almost half of us will suffer from mental illness at some point in our lives. Yet today Australia’s mental health system is under stress and not fit for purpose, and the pandemic is only making things worse. In this brilliant mix of portraiture and analysis, Sarah Krasnostein tells the stories of three women and their treatment by the state while at their most unwell.
Chasing Shadows by Kirsty Campion ($35, PB) From Irish revolutionaries to the Christchurch massacre and the rise of right wing extremism, Chasing Shadows uncovers the long and brutal history of terrorism in Australia. It also traverses right-wing extremism, from Croatian fascists through to the white supremacists who have dominated headlines since the Christchurch massacre.
Sheilas: Badass Women of Australian History by Eliza Reilly ($35, HC) It’s been said that ‘well-behaved women seldom make history’, but the handful of white boys who wrote our history books conveniently left most of them out. Whoops! To rectify this situation, Eliza Reilly is setting out to revive the forgotten stories of the badass Sheilas of Australian history.
Making Australian History by Anna Clark ($35, PB) Making Australian History is bold and inclusive: it catalogues and contextualises changing readings of the past, it examines the increasingly problematic role of historians as national storytellers, and it incorporates the stories of people.
The Boy in the Dress by Jonathan Butler ($33, PB) On a balmy Townsville night in 1944, a young serviceman, Warwick Meale, is found murdered. The army and police do not, or will not, conduct a proper investigation and history forgets the killer – until now. Nearly eighty years on, Warwick’s descendant Jonathan Butler dusts off the case and chases the leads that were there all along.
Spies & Sparrows: ASIO and the Cold War by Phillip Deery ($35, PB) By interrogating the roles of eight individuals intimately involved in the conduct of the Cold War, and drawing on many years of research, Spies and Sparrows shines a powerful new light on the history of ASIO and raises important and enduring questions about the nature and impact of a state's surveillance of its citizens.
Waiting for Gonski by Tom Greenwell, Chris Bonnor ($40, PB) The Gonski Review seemed like a breakthrough. And yet, over a decade later, the problems have only worsened. Educational outcomes for Australian schoolchildren continue to decline, and there is a growing correlation between social disadvantage and educational underachievement. So why hasn’t Gonski worked, and what should we do now?
Stephen’s Lockdown Reads John Kenneth Galbraith – The Great Crash 1929. Pb. $23.00. One of my favourite historical works – originally published in 1954 – now reissued in a handsome Penguin Modern Classics edition. John Kenneth Galbraith (1908-2006), a Canadian born American public servant, diplomat, presidential adviser (to Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy and Johnson) was also one of the most influential and widely read economists of the 20th Century. This now classic account of the causes, effects and aftermath of 1929 Stock Market Crash remained a favourite of the author: “I never enjoyed writing a book more. It is the only one I remember in no sense as a labour but as a joy.” It shows in this crisp, illuminating work – shot through with a dry, mordant wit: “By the summer of 1929 the market not only dominated the news. It also dominated the culture. That minority which at other times acknowledged its interest in Saint Thomas Aquinas, Proust, psychoanalysis… spoke only of United Corporation, United Steel…Only the most aggressive of eccentrics maintained their interest in autosuggestion or communism.” Galbraith lived long enough to witness the global financial crises of 1987 and 1997. He just missed that of 2007-08. Having written the definitive book on the boom-and-bust cycle, he may have allowed himself a wry smile. C.J. Sansom – Dissolution. Pb. $23.00. I thought I was Tudor History-ed out after finishing Hillary Mantel’s superlative Wolf Hall trilogy (2009, 2012, 2020), Diarmaid McCulloch hefty but illuminating Thomas Cromwell (2018) and (Australia’s own) John Guy – Tudor England (1990). But no. Having recently discovered this series of outstanding historical thrillers. The first of which was published in 2003. Better late than never. This - the first of seven - is set in 1537 during the turbulent reign of Henry VIII. They feature hunchbacked lawyer Matthew Shardlake as a private investigator to the great: Cromwell, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, Catherine Parr (last wife of Henry VIII) and Princess Elizabeth. Harry G. Frankfurt – On Bullshit. Hc. $17.99. Historians (and others) once used to assign grandiose titles to various historical epochs: The Age of Democracy, The Age of Exploration, The Age of Revolution, The Age of Technology. Are we now living in The Age of Bullshit? A re-reading of this concise - 65 pages - monograph by the Princeton Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, convinces me we certainly are. Recent events – particularly in the United States between 2016-2020 - also persuade me it is inexorably on the increase. Originally a 1986 essay, this book first appeared in 2005. It sets out an enduring philosophical framework to distinguish between lies and BS. It now seems ever more prescient. Reading it ever more necessary. continued.
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Philosophy & Religion Simon Heffer (Editor) - Henry “Chips” Channon: The Diaries 1918-1938. Hc. $75.00. Born in Chicago, the son of a wealthy shipping magnate, “Chips” travelled to Paris in 1917. The start of the diary sees him working for the American Red Cross out of the Ritz Hotel (then a part time hospital). He had charm, ability and ambition. Later an undergraduate at Christ Church, Oxford, he settled in London and “adoring London society, privilege, rank, and wealth, he became an energetic, implacable, but endearing social climber.” In 1933 he married into the - very wealthy - Guinness family and became a Conservative MP for Southend from 1935 until his death. He had an undistinguished political career. As an author he published two not very good novels. It was as a diarist that his genius lay. A heavily edited and condensed edition of the journals – covering the years 1934-1959 – appeared in 1967. These caused a literary sensation. As Simon Heffer notes, an unexpurgated edition was impossible, as many mentioned in them were then still alive. Indeed, Channon requested that his complete diaries only be published 60 years after his death. Now we can see why. His sharp eye, neat malice and utterly frank views on individuals are unmatched. The vivid retailing of gossip and scandal from the great and the good (and the not- so- good) still makes irresistible reading. As Chips reflected (in 1935): “What is more dull than a discreet diary? One might as well have a dull soul.” Dave Goulson – Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocalypse. Pb. $35.00. I looked at the subtitle of this book and misconstrued what it might be about. I thought it would tell of a nightmare scenario of destructive insects overrunning the world and how humans could prevent this. In fact, the reverse is the case. Silent Earth graphically relates how we destructive humans are now wiping out insect species at an appalling rate. David Goulson wants to show us why insects matter and why they should be protected and - if not loved - respected. He has no illusions about the task ahead: “I fear the majority of people don’t like insects…I think many people loathe insects or are terrified of them, or both.” Insects – to the contrary – are beautiful, clever, mysterious and vital to our own survival. We cannot live without them. Insects pollinate. They break down waste – the dung beetle. Insects are invaluable in controlling invasive plants. A chapter entitled: “A View from the Future” set in 2050 gives a dystopian view of an impoverished, degraded almost insect-less Earth. The now elderly author stands guard over the family vegetable garden and orchard at night. Having to hand pollinate entire crops throughout the year is exhausting. A warmer temperature all year round (climate change) has led to plagues of flies, mosquitos and slugs. Bleak indeed. However, like numerous books, the author ends with a hopeful Chapter entitled: “Actions for Everyone.” Numerous, specific, insect-centric suggestions are offered to halt our slide towards catastrophe. Read them. Then go outside, look around in wonder and reacquaint yourself with the insect world.
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Metaphysical Animals: How Four Women Brought Philosophy Back to Life by Clare Mac Cumhaill, Rachael Wiseman ($35, PB) This page-turning blend of research and recovery tells the story of Iris Murdoch, Philippa Foot, Mary Midgley and Elizabeth Anscombe, friends & comrades in the intellectual trenches, rethinking the possibilities of moral philosophy when the men 'left the room' and taking on the establishment, ultimately embodied by President Truman.
On Love & Tyranny: The Life & Politics of Hannah Arendt by Ann Heberlein ($40, HC) In this immersive biography, Heberlein shows how Arendt's groundbreaking work was intimately formed by turbulence in both the wider world and her own personal experience. Heberlein develops a sharply detailed, complex portrait of Arendt as an involved witness to the crises of her time.
For the Good of the World by A.C Grayling ($35, HC) Can we human beings agree on a set of values which will allow us to confront the numerous threats that we and our planet face? To answer these questions, A. C. Grayling considers the three most pressing challenges facing the world: climate change, technology and justice, acknowledging that there is no worldwide set of values that can be invoked to underwrite agreements about what to do and not do in the interests of humanity and the planet.
The Arts Magritte: A Life by Alex Danchev ($60, HB) The first major biography for our time, from the celebrated biographer of Cezanne. Alex Danchev explores the path of an highly unconventional artist who posed profound questions about the relationship between image and reality, challenged the very nature of authenticity and whose influence can be seen in the work of everyone from Jasper Johns to Beyonce.
Women in the Picture by Catherine McCormack ($23, PB) Women in the Picture is a fierce challenge to the ways we depict, and are taught to see, women’s bodies. Plunging into the realms of art history, popular visual culture and advertising, McCormack opens our eyes to how archetypal depictions of women - as mothers, daughters, Venuses, whores or ‘nasty women’ - have encouraged us to objectify and subjugate, and to normalise violence towards them.
Everything All of the Time, Everywhere by Stuart Jeffries ($40, HC) In this brilliant history of postmodernism, Stuart Jeffries tells a narrative that starts in the early 1970s and still dominates our lives today. He tells this history through a riotous gallery that includes, among others: David Bowie, the iPod, Madonna, Jeff Koons’s the Nixon Shock, Judith Butler, I Love Dick, the RAND Corporation, the Sex Pistols, Princess Diana, Grand Theft Auto, Jean Baudrillard, Netflix, and 9/11.
Australian Architecture: A History by Davina Jackson ($40, PB) A comprehensive narrative history of building and design styles in Australia, from traditional Aboriginal gunyahs; to the local interpretations of northern hemisphere trends; to the sustainable, climate sensitive and high-tech constructions of the 21st century.
Who Are You: Australian Portraiture by Sophie Gerhard ($69.95, HC) WHO ARE YOU: Australian Portraiture is one of the most comprehensive explorations of portraiture undertaken in Australia. Drawn from the collections of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (NGV), and the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra (NPG), the artworks span disciplines and chronologies, challenging traditional perceptions about portraiture.
Bark Ladies: Eleven Artists from Yirrkala by Myles Russell-Cook ($59.95, HC) Bark Ladies: Eleven Artists from Yirrkala celebrates eleven daring artists – all women who, throughout their lives, have collectively pushed the boundaries of contemporary Australian painting.
An Event, Perhaps: A Biography of Jacques Derrida by Peter Salmon ($23, PB) Peter Salmon presents this misunderstood and misappropriated figure as a deeply humane and urgent thinker for our times. It will introduce a new readership to the life and work of a philosopher whose influence over the way we think will continue long into the twenty-first century.
Beyond Belief by Elle Hardy ($30, PB) Pentecostalism has 600 million followers; by 2050, they’ll be one in ten people worldwide. By turns troubling and entertaining, Hardy exposes the Pentecostal agenda: not just saving souls, but transforming societies and controlling politics. These modern prophets, embedded in our institutions, have the cash and the influence to wage their holy war.
Turin: Approaching Animals by David Brooks ($26.95, PB) Turin is truly a startling achievement. It startles us from an impoverished slumber, leaving us wondering how we could have been so blind to the gentle presence, the insistent voices, the sly wisdom, the subtle reproach, the offers of friendship held out by our non-human companions. The world cannot help but look different once Brooks rips away the veil of our all-too-human conceit.
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Bestsellers—Non-Fiction 1.
Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention
2.
Beyond Belief: How Pentescotal Christianity Is
Johann Hari Taking Over the World
Elle Hardy
3.
How to End a Story: Diaries 1995-1998
4.
These Precious Days
5.
Qanon & On: A Short & Shocking History of the In-
Helen Garner Ann Patchett
ternet 6.
Van Badham
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits
7.
James Clear
No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters Ursula K Le Guin
8.
The Dawn of Everything
9.
Another Day in the Colony
David Graeber Chelsea Watego
10. The Big Switch: Australia’s Electric Future Saul Griffith
and another thing..... Hi everyone, It feels quite strange to be writing to you from this column. Our long-standing Gleaner editor, Viki Dun, retired from Gleebooks at the end of last year, and so I have briefly assumed the mantle of editor while our new Gleebooks editor Akshaya settles in. (Her first issue is due out in April, and it is a cracker!) In the meantime I wanted to use this opportunity to salute Viki for the incredible job she has done over so many years. She first started working at Gleebooks over 40 years ago, and has performed almost ever job imaginable under the roof. When Gleebooks first began publishing a magazine it made perfect sense that Viki would take on the role. She has been our first and only Gleebooks editor, and has tirelessly produced every issue, while juggling customer enquiries and phone calls at the same time.
Bestsellers—Fiction 1.
To Paradise
2.
Love Stories
Hanya Yanagihara Trent Dalton
3.
The Promise
Damon Galgut
4.
Devotion
5.
And Then There Were None
6.
Still Life
7.
The Magician
8.
Crossroads: A Key to All Mythologies
Hannah Kent Agatha Christie
It has meant that the Gleaner has always been a magazine about books from a dyed-in-the-wool bookseller, and each time you held the Gleaner in your hands it was a testament to Viki’s hard work. Her passion for the sharing as many of the best books we had to offer shone through, and I think I speak for us all at the shop when I say that we are indebted to Viki for all she’s done.
Sarah Winman Colm Toibin
Thank you Viki. We’ll see you in the shop again soon. James
Jonathan Franzen 9.
Cloud Cuckoo Land
10. Love & Virtue
Anthony Doerr Diana Reid
For more February/March new releases go to www.gleebooks.com.au
Main shop—49 Glebe Pt Rd; Ph: (02) 9660 2333, Fax: (02) 9660 9842. Mon to Sat 9am to 6pm; Sunday 10pm to 5pm Blackheath—Shop 1 Collier’s Arcade, Govetts Leap Rd; Ph: (02) 4787 6340. Open 7 days, 9am to 5pm Blackheath Oldbooks—Collier’s Arcade, Govetts Leap Rd: Open 7 days 10am to 5pm Dulwich Hill—536 Marrickville Rd Dulwich Hill; Ph: (02) 9560 0660. Tue-Fri 9am to 6pm; Sat 9am to 5pm; Sun 10am to 4pm; Mon 9am to 5pm www.gleebooks.com.au. Email: books@gleebooks.com.au; oldbooks@gleebooks.com.au
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