The Dully Despatch
It’s all sunshine and rainbows in Dulwich Hill as we proudly celebrate World Pride, Mardi Gras and our fabulous community of readers. Queer literature, graphic novels, history, politics, art, fashion, games – we’ve got your rainbow needs covered at Dully. February and March are also wonderful months for new-release books. So, what are we reading?
Soren just read Different for Boys by Patrick Ness, a gorgeous coming-of-age novella. “It sits alongside he Rest of Us Just Live Here in terms of being a very meta, tongue-in-cheek critique of young adult book conventions. Clever combinations of text, images and omitted text – not like anything I’ve seen for teen readers.” Soren also read Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention by Johann Hari. “This bestseller hardly needs my recommendation, but as someone who rarely reads non-fiction, I read this in three days straight and would recommend it to everyone.”
Zara devoured The Things We Do To Our Friends by Heather Derwent. “This is a dazzling story about friendship and power. When Clare starts at Edinburgh University, she finds herself drawn to a glamorous group of students – but what is the cost of winning them over, and what secrets of her own is she keeping?” She also enjoyed The Heroines by Laura Shepperson, “a timely feminist retelling of the Greek myth of Phaedra about rape in ancient Athens.” Zara is currently reading The Witches of Vardo by Anya Bergman, which follows the 17thcentury witch trials in Norway and Denmark through several fictional women. “This book is a gorgeously immersive read, full of icy tundras, northern lights and magic!”
Morgan recommends Still Pictures: on Photography and Memory by Janet Malcolm. “This is a brief but beautiful posthumous memoir. Using family photos and other images as her starting point, Malcolm takes the reader through her childhood in Prague and New York and on to her life as one of the most admired non-fiction writers of the 20th century (her most famous book being The Journalist and the Murderer). As with all of Malcolm’s writing, every word counts. A delight for Malcolm fans.”
Letitia stayed up far too late ripping through Deepti Kapoor’s novel, Age of Vice. “This is a big, extraordinary tale of power and corruption in modern India. Kapoor’s writing is masterful and gripping – I ached for some characters, railed against others and was held in this book’s grip from start to finish. A must-read.”
Letitia also recommends Return to Valetto by Australian author Dominic Smith. “Dominic’s research on
abandoned villages of Italy pays off in this wonderful novel. Almost operatic in feel, generational secrets and stories are revealed when villagers return to an Italian village for a birthday celebration. Evocative and original – salute!”
For primary-aged readers, Letitia recommends new Australian novel, Queenie in Seven Moves by Zanni Louise. “Queenie is a wonderful character facing tricky situations and learning about herself along the way. This book has all the feelings – highly recommended.” If you’re looking for escapist horror (not too scary and with some laughs), Dasha recommends Grady Hendrix and his books, How to Sell a Haunted House, Horrorstör (a haunted IKEA store!) and wait for it – My Best Friend’s Exorcism (come for the frights, stay for the 1980s music and film references). Meanwhile, Kelly is reading Robert Jordan’s fantasy classic Eye of the World (Book One in the Wheel of Time series). She says Jordan’s descriptions of the
characters’ costumes are just as impressive as his magic systems and world-building. 5 stars!
And finally, fans of Irish literature will be delighted to hear that Sebastian Barry has a new novel out in March, Old God’s Time. Retired police officer Tom Kettle is living a very quiet (isolated) life when officers from his old command come knocking. What can we say? You’ll be hanging on to every stunning word.