What we're also reading: August 2023
Check out the Latent Book Club's extra reads for August 🔎📖
The Latent Book Club is so inundated with reading recommendations for August we’re taking a second look at what we’re reading and recommending. Happily, this list features two Australian authors 🇦🇺🇦🇺.
Limberlost, Robbie Arnott
This book, Robbie Arnott’s third, is a bildungsroman set in Tasmania during the First World War. With both his brothers out fighting, our teenage protagonist Ned, wracked by insecurities, is left to assist his sister and father on the family farm. Interposing Ned’s action on the farm, where he is desperately trying to obtain enough rabbit pelts to buy a boat, are flash forwards to adult but introspective ned, managing his burgeoning family.
The Latent Book Club loves the characterisation of Tasmania. Arnott’s passion for the land comes through in droves - you can picture the heat, you can feel the smell of the oils of the gums; and the people that work there.
As we’ve previously discussed, Limberlost was nominated for a Miles Franklin Award, we’re excited about this great Australian book. Check back in soon for a full review.
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The Sea, The Sea, Iris Murdoch
Our friends
recently wrote an excellent review of The Bell, by Iris Murdoch. Having not read any Murdoch (for shame), we decided it was time that The Latent Book Club forayed into this arena. We asked for a recommendation as to where to start, and they kindly pointed us in the direction of The Sea, The Sea.Having discovered that the audiobook version of The Sea, The Sea was read by Richard E. Grant, this seemed like a serendipitous opportunity to make the plunge. As you might expect, it is aural bliss. Expect a review in the future.
Search History, Emily Taylor
Search History is the breakout novel by another Australian Author, Amy Taylor. It deals with the anxieties of love, and the hidden history of a potential partner that can be discovered via the internet in the 21st century.
Having received our review copy, we’re excited to see how this small but complelling tome turns out.
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The Book of General Ignorance, John Lloyd and John Mitchinson
Having recently completed The Second Book of General Ignorance by the same authors made us want to turn back to see what got the series going.
We were pleased to find it was just as interesting as the second, yet written with a simple, unassuming style. This is the perfect end table book - it can be dipped in and out of while you’re waiting for other things to happen - a significant other to get dressed, a kettle to boil - for small snippets of facts delivered in an amusing manner to pique your curiosity for the day.
Any more for August?
This is the second post in the What We’re Reading series this month. That’s quite a lot for just August! Hopefully you will join the conversation for more finds and recommendations next month, unless we get ahead of ourselves again.