An enjoyable read from Aussie author Sophie Gonzales. I hate most reality TV, especially The Bachelor etc., but this not only poked fun at the ridiculAn enjoyable read from Aussie author Sophie Gonzales. I hate most reality TV, especially The Bachelor etc., but this not only poked fun at the ridiculousness of those shows, it did a nice subversion of them, too.
Never slow, never dull, well worth a read when you don't want a heavy book....more
Set in Cabramatta during the heroin epidemic of the 90s, this story follows young Vietnamese woman Ky ("key") as she tries to discover how - and why -Set in Cabramatta during the heroin epidemic of the 90s, this story follows young Vietnamese woman Ky ("key") as she tries to discover how - and why - her younger brother died in a restaurant on the night of his year 12 formal.
Delves into complex issues relating to Vietnamese immigrants in Australia, concepts of belonging and identity (who gets to 'belong'?), and the generational scars left by war. Well developed characters and voices, this was sad at times and very real....more
A completely random purchase leading to a highly enjoyable, even profound reading experience.
The premise of This is Not a Book About Benedict CumberbaA completely random purchase leading to a highly enjoyable, even profound reading experience.
The premise of This is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch is the author, Tabitha Carvan, exploring the intense 'fixation' she suddenly has with the actor, and the deep sense of guilt, shame and embarrassment that comes from being a 40yo mother of 2 who doesn't want to be lumped in with "Cumberbitches".
Basically, this is a book about joy: about following a spark wherever and whenever it occurs, and letting yourself go where it takes you. Whether that's becoming a fangirl of Benedict Cumberbatch or something else.
Ultimately, it's about the gender differences in what's permissible for men and women when it comes to "play", and the 'appropriate' (ie masculine-approved) ways we are allowed to show passion (or not).
As I was reading this engaging, funny and eye-opening book I kept thinking, Oh I don't have that problem, I have loads of interests, I just don't have any time to enjoy them.
But towards the end, in Part III "Unencumbered", I realised how much I'm just like other women of my generation: I never allow myself to get passionate, to get "carried away" or "obsessed" - always worried about how it will *seem* to others. Do I even know how to? Carvan says yes, I just need to recognise the spark when it happens and go with it, because it will lead to fulfilment, joy and new opportunities.
I'm actually feeling super keen have something to obsess over: no longer scared but buzzed. Do you have something that you love that other people don't really get?...more
Below Deck is a beautifully written testament to life, love, womanhood, and art. Both sparsely, simply written and lyrical and poetic, the story folloBelow Deck is a beautifully written testament to life, love, womanhood, and art. Both sparsely, simply written and lyrical and poetic, the story follows Olivia (Oli) after she fateful falls asleep on a random yacht in Sydney harbour. She not only forms a friendship with the old man who owns it, Mac, and his friend Maggie, they also teach her how to sail.
Yet a horrifying, traumatic experience at sea leads her in a new direction, and gives her a fear of the ocean.
A quick, smooth read, this is an ideal book to start if you're in a reading slump. Yes, it is written in present tense, but this is a good example of when to use it. I loved the descriptions, coloured as they are by Oli's synaesthesia, as well as the celebration - at the end - of womanhood and solidarity:
"I hold her hand, imagining that we too are icebergs. All of us. Women. Rising to the surface. That is what you see us by. But beneath the surface, we are spreading. We are powerfully demanding of space." (278)
Oli meets a glaciologist, Brooke, whose face was scarred by a man. This speech of hers really went to my heart:
"And you know what's funny?" she says. "It's how often women say to me, , as if that's what I'm aiming for. You know, the whole 'It doesn't matter what you look like, you are beautiful' thing..." Brooke laughs. "I mean, what the fuck? Who cares! Why do I even have to think of that? I want someone to tell me I'm a weapon, or that I'm fun, or challenging, or hilarious. Why is beautiful a thing? Why is it thing? Beautiful for who? Tell me I'm a heroine. Tell me I'm inventive. Actually, tell me I'm a fucking hurricane. Yeah - that's what I want to be - a hurricane." (282)
I feel like that when people comment on how nice I am. Like, part of me is angry, because I make a conscious effort to be nice and that's internalised patriarchy, and also because it makes me feel like that's all anyone sees. But I don't know how else to be a woman, but fuck me I would love to be a heroine, and a hurricane! ... except I'm an introvert, and 'nice' is safe.
Anyway, read this book, this book is wonderful!...more
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