06 June 2025

Review: What to Expect When You're Dead by Robert Garland

What to Expect When You're Dead - An Ancient Tour of Death and the Afterlife by Robert Garland audiobook cover

When the Pope died in April 2025 and his body was put on display for members of the church and the public to pay their respects, I was reminded how jarring it is to today's sensibilities and thought it was a good time to listen to What to Expect When You're Dead - An Ancient Tour of Death and the Afterlife by Robert Garland.

Covering the time period in history 100,000 BC - 400 AD, this audiobook references ancient texts, artworks and archaeology at a level I was largely unfamiliar with. However I did enjoy some of the content, including this quote taken from Greek Playwright Aristophanes (446 BC - 386 BC):
"In Aristophanes Frogs, anyone who has harmed a guest, failed to pay a boy for his sexual favours, struck his mother, punched his father or sworn a false oath is consigned to a sewer full of turds." Chapter 5 Heaven and Hell
The beliefs of many ancient civilisations and religions were offered, in addition to their thoughts on the afterlife, how best to lay the dead to rest and how to honour their ancestors.

As a youngster I was interested in the history of Egypt, the pyramids and of course the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. I was simultaneously disturbed by the fact mummified remains were once desecrated by grave robbers and disturbed in the 'modern era' by archaeologists, with artefacts removed to be sold to private collectors or displayed in museums. It shouldn't come as a surprise then that I relished the legend of the curse of Tutankhamun and enjoyed hearing more about Egyptian curses here:
"Thieves certainly weren't deterred by the stiff penalties they incurred if apprehended, death by impaling being a common punishment. Nor by the curses that the deceased promised to rain down on those who broke into their tombs. A typical Egyptian curse reads as follows: As for anyone who shall violate my corpse in the necropolis or shall damage my image in my chamber, the ka (spirit or soul) of Ra (sun god) shall abhor him. He shall not bequeath his goods to his children nor shall he be restful in life, nor shall he receive water in the necropolis. His ba (personality and soul) shall be destroyed forever.' " Chapter 8, Where to Deposit the Remains
Scary stuff! The book includes beliefs and practices from a range of ancient cultures and traditions, including Early Christian, Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek, Hindu, Islamic, Jewish, Mesopotamian, Roman and Zoroastrian. I'll admit I was in very unfamiliar territory here, however this did help to clarify that my interest in death rituals is anchored in Western culture closer to my own time. I've shared my interest in the mourning etiquette of the Victorian era in other reviews and have the current books on my virtual TBR to read at some stage in the future:
      • Fashionable Mourning Jewellery, Clothing and Customs by Mary Brett
      • Mourning Art & Jewellery by Maureen Delorme
      • Death in the Victorian Family by Pat Gallant
      • Childhood & Death in Victorian England by Sarah Seaton
Narrated by Zeb Soanes, What to Expect When You're Dead - An Ancient Tour of Death and the Afterlife by Robert Garland is recommended for dedicated non fiction readers with an interest in ancient history and ancient civilisations from 100,000 BC - 400 AD. I thought that was me but it turns out that it isn't.

My Rating:


03 June 2025

Celebrating 3 Million Page Views!

Carpe Librum image celebrating 3 Million Page Views

I'm a big fan of celebrating milestones and I have one to share today...

Carpe Librum has just reached 3 Million Page Views!

This year my web traffic has increased significantly (by more than 60%) and I'm receiving an average of 77,000 visitors to my website every month. I haven't made any changes to actively increase my audience but I love seeing the new subscribers signing up every day to receive a bookish post from me once a week or so.

This gives me a lot of joy and loyal readers will remember my excitement at hitting 2 Million Views back in September 2023, so to receive an additional 1 Million visitors in the time since then is a huge accomplishment.

This month I'll be celebrating my 20 Year Blogiversary and reflecting on the changes I've seen in that time. I'll also be doing something special to mark the occasion and thank my subscribers so keep an eye out for an upcoming giveaway.

In the meantime, thank you for being a valued visitor and subscriber, even if you just read my reviews from your inbox. I love sharing my reviews with you and hope you have something good to read at the moment.

I'm off to do a bookish happy dance.... which sounds like: "I've got 3 million page views" to the tune of "We've got 5 thousand dollars" from Wayne's World. IYKYK.

Carpe Librum!


02 June 2025

Review: The Buried Life by Andrea Goldsmith

The Buried Life by Andrea Goldsmith book cover

* Copy courtesy of Transit Lounge *

Set in contemporary Melbourne, The Buried Life is about three characters who form a connection. Adrian Moore is a university scholar who studies death, Laura is a highly successful town planner and Kezi is a young artist still coming to terms with being shunned by her family for rejecting their religion.

Written by Australian author Andrea Goldsmith, each of the three characters were well fleshed out and really came alive on the page.

We're introduced to 43 year old Adrian on the first page as he reflects on the fact that his university colleagues call him Doctor Death.
"Adrian believed no malice was intended; it was a term of familiarity, like any nickname. And it was accurate: death was his subject. He studied it, he wrote books about it, he lectured on it. As a result of his endeavours, death had yielded up a good many of its stings and mysteries." Page 3
Wow, what an opening paragraph, I was instantly hooked! Adrian's work was fascinating and my sole reason for reading this book. Thankfully this formed a great deal of the content and I enjoyed references to classic works and graveyard poetry in particular. However Adrian is mourning (sorry, couldn't help it) the demise of a 10 year relationship a year ago and starts to reflect on his career in an attempt to find a new angle in his field of study.

As a town planner, Laura was an interesting character however the author focuses almost entirely on her relationship with her controlling husband, not her career. Laura slowly - sometimes too slowly for my liking - begins to see her marriage in a new light although I quickly recognised her charming, lying husband Tony as a narcissist.

Adrian and Laura share a mutual love of cheese and Adrian is a close friend - almost a parental figure - to Kezi, a young artist who makes hand-made paper. These three characters are brought together in this literary novel with themes of death, parental estrangement, the depths of friendship and connection dominating the pages.

I really enjoyed the familiar setting on the streets of Melbourne:
"Melbourne, a sprawling metropolis of more than five million inhabitants, boasts a unique peculiarity: people accidentally run into friends and acquaintances, or they meet strangers with whom there is just one or two degrees of separation. Sydney is not like this, nor Saint Petersburg, nor Barcelona, all cities of a similar size to Melbourne. ....Melbourne is still a village; but a reason for ridicule by Sydneysiders is a source of delight for Melburnians." Page 119
I particularly enjoyed the mention of the Readings Bookshop on Lygon Street where I plan on taking my friend from Queensland later this month and who actually recommended this book! 

If you enjoy literary fiction about romantic relationships, platonic friendships and familial ties this is for you. If you enjoy music by Mahler, cheese or writings about death this is for you.

I'll leave you with an example of the writing style and Adrian's thoughts on cheese, admitting he shows no restraint:
"Soft cheese, hard cheese, blue mould, white mould, washed rind, cloth-bound, salty cheese, smoky cheese, cow's milk, ewe's milk, cooked cheese, raw cheese: Adrian was captive to them all. Only ricotta and cheese made from goat's milk failed to delight; the former lacked flavour and was the texture of vomit, the latter tasted of charcoal and perspiration." Page 75
The Buried Life by Andrea Goldsmith isn't my usual reading fare but earned an additional star for inspiring me to listen to music by Mahler and check out the hand-made paper scene here in Melbourne.

My Rating:


26 May 2025

Review: The Names by Florence Knapp

The Names by Florence Knapp book cover

* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *

It's possible The Names by Florence Knapp is going to be my favourite book of the year and within the first 50 pages I realised it was going to make My Top 5 Books of 2025 list. It has a unique and engaging premise and is incredibly well written.

It's October 1987 and Cora sets out to register the name of her newborn son. Her controlling husband Gordon expects her to continue his long held family tradition of naming boys Gordon. Cora believes names can influence a person's life and would prefer to name her son Julian, which means sky father. On the way to the registrar, Cora asks her nine year old daughter what name she would like to call her baby brother. Maia answers that she would like to call him Bear because it sounds soft, cuddly and kind but can also be brave and strong.

Cora weighs up the pros and cons of each of the names, worrying about the potential consequences of naming her son Gordon in case he grows up to be like his father.
"But what disturbs her more is that she must now pour the goodness of her son into its mould, hoping he'll be strong enough to find his own shape within it." Page 1
Yet by page 7 it is done, the baby has a name. The novel then splits into three narratives, the first where family tradition is upheld and the boy is named Gordon after his father, the next where his mother names him Julian and the third where he is given the name his sister chose, Bear.

This isn't a 'dream sequence' or an author's trick where two plot lines are later revealed to be a dream or imagined and the 'true' name revealed. Equal time is spent on all three narratives and there's no clear good/bad or right/wrong; every life turns out differently. The Names is an unbiased and carefully considered exploration of each of the three lives and the different ways in which they turn out. Naturally I did develop my favourite 'name' yet my favourite 'outcome' was different again.

Catching up with the three boys and the family members important to them in their lives every seven years was an inspired choice and reminded me of the Up series of documentaries. Beginning in 1964, the documentary followed the lives of 10 boys and 4 girls in England from seven years of age and checked back in with the subjects every seven years to see what had changed. The Up series had nine episodes and as far as I can tell, there's no plan for a 70 Up - due in 2026 - at this stage.

Back to the book and I was immediately struck by the author's powerful, direct and succinct writing style that also managed to convey softness and vulnerability with few words.
"Because some people - like Gordon's father - travel through life believing themselves so far beyond improvement, they come to think their children, and their children's children, should all be made in their name. Because sometimes their need to please previous generations is greater than their need to love future ones." Page 6
I can pretty much count on one hand the number of books that have brought me to tears - Exit Wounds by John Cantrell, Stoner by John Williams and Cloudstreet by Tim Winton - and now I can add The Names by Florence Knapp.

It happened in a scene where a character offers to walk someone home:
"... and her acceptance of it, is unthinking; they are already absorbed in a conversation that will continue to slowly unspool across all the years they have left." Page 283
This was so beautiful and poignant due to everything that had come before it that I was moved to tears, wow!

It's difficult to believe The Names is a debut novel for this London based author when it reads like a polished and page perfect masterpiece. The author is engaging with book bloggers and reviewers on social media which always adds to the enjoyment of a book and paints the picture of an author excited by the huge amount of hype surrounding her book yet humble and grateful for the coverage and reviews.

The Names by Florence Knapp was an unforgettable read and I look forward to reading more from this remarkable author in the future.

My Rating:


19 May 2025

Review: Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman

Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman book cover

Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman is the story of a farm house built in the outermost reaches of Cape Cod, Massachusetts in 1778. Beginning with its construction and taking us right up until the present day, each chapter contains the story of another generation of inhabitants who live at the farm house. The writing style often reads like a fairytale or fable with interconnected short stories that manage to convey much meaning.

At the beginning of each chapter we meet the next generation of occupants, quite often related or connected to the previous character/s. For instance Violet - a greedy and self-described ugly young girl who reads books as though she were eating apples, core and all - from the previous story becomes the mother in the next one and so on.

The reader notices the shifting times, with events like the first automobile to arrive in town in 1908. The driver was honking the horn so loudly that sea fowl and hunting dogs took up the racket, apples tumbled from the trees and milkweed was blown off its stalks.

I enjoyed the stories of how each of the incumbents found the house, and many of them felt like destiny or fate:
"People buy houses for all sorts of reasons, for shelter, for solace, for love, for investment. Katherine and Sam bought their summer house because they were drowning, and this was the first solid ground they thought they might be able to hold on to." Page 187
The author's description of the farm added to the narrative, and I could easily imagine the turnips, sweet peas, peach trees and summer raspberries growing on the farm; although I had to strain to imagine the red pear tree but won't forget it in a hurry.

Blackbirds - and a white one in particular - keep cropping up throughout the book and they take on different meanings for different characters. For Maya they were bad luck:
"Everyone knows a white blackbird is nothing more than a ghost, a shadow of what it ought to be." Page 154
The ramshackle farm is a welcome refuge for some, but takes on a darker meaning for the locals who believed it's haunted; and maybe it is. The house has witnessed births and tragedies over the generations and some years it even sits vacant. But eventually new owners and occupants arrive who overlook the outdoor toilet and leaking roof and decide to put down roots and establish a home there.

Set over a span of more than 200 years, Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman is surprisingly short at only 225 pages, but highly recommended for readers of historical fiction who enjoy feel good stories where the house is the main character. The overarching narrative explores themes of love and loss while also acknowledging the passage of time.

My Rating:


15 May 2025

Review: The Peepshow by Kate Summerscale

The Peepshow - The Murders at 10 Rillington Place by Kate Summerscale audiobook cover

At its core, The Peepshow - The Murders at 10 Rillington Place by Kate Summerscale is about the crimes John Reginald Christie committed in the 1940s-1950s in London. Christie was a rapist and a serial killer found guilty of killing at least eight people at his home at 10 Rillington Place and was executed in 1953 by hanging.

Tragically, his neighbour Timothy Evans falsely confessed to murdering his wife Beryl Evans (the first body discovered) but despite recanting his confession and pleading his innocence a number of times afterwards, he was later hanged. 'Reg' Christie was a key prosecution witness in the case against his neighbour Timothy Evans, although it's now recognised Evans was innocent all along with Christie being responsible for the murders of Beryl Evans and her baby daughter.

In fact, that was my key takeaway from this book, that in 1969, the Labour Government finally abolished the death penalty for murder.
"The Rillington Place murders had helped bring an end to capital punishment in Britain, making Reg Christie the last serial killer to be put to death by the state." Chapter 16 Dust and Rubble
Kate Summerscale is a seasoned author, previous Booker Prize Judge and journalist for The Independent and The Daily Telegraph, and I was expecting her to provide an interesting overview of this case. Instead, The Peepshow was a disjointed account of a complicated true crime case with many moving parts.

Harry Procter was a prominent journalist at the time of the murders and was investigating the case, although in my opinion there was way too much information provided on his career and involvement that I found extraneous and boring.

The living conditions at 10 Rillington Place in Notting Hill were covered in detail with multiple families living in the three-storey terraced house all sharing the one bathroom. Racism was unfortunately commonplace at the time and seemed to take the author off on a tangent quite frequently, along with other topics like abortions, loose women, the Queen's Coronation and even the Great Fog in 1952.

Christie buried bodies in their shared garden, behind a wallpaper covered kitchen alcove and beneath the floorboards in his ground floor flat. However the author posits whether his service in WWI and the fact he was injured in a mustard gas attack led to his vicious crimes, including gassing, raping and then strangling his victims. There's no excuse for savagery and Summerscale didn't make me care enough to understand any possible motive behind Christie's crimes.

Jumping forwards and backwards in time, this audiobook was narrated well by Nicola Walker, but it seemed to lack an overarching structure or purpose. Was Timothy Evans' innocence the focus? Or was it trying to understand the driver behind these crimes? Or was it the importance of journalism in reporting true crime?

In the past, true crime has been accused of giving too much air time to the perpetrators and overlooking the victims; rectified in books like The Five - The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold. Yet here the information about the victims seemed patchy and an afterthought and I never really got a sense of them or the impact of their murders.

This case caused a tabloid frenzy at the time, but if you're interested in the case and prefer a linear approach to true crime, I'd recommend checking out the Wikipedia page instead.

My Rating:


13 May 2025

Review: The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan

The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan book cover

The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan is the most harrowing novel I've ever read. It's the story of Australian surgeon Dorrigo Evans who grew up in rural Tasmania and after a passionate love affair during his Army training, signed up to fight in WWII. Captured and forced to work in a Japanese labour camp along the Thai-Burma Railway, the living conditions and violence Dorrigo and his fellow POWs experienced was nothing short of horrific.
"They were men like other young men, unknown to themselves. So much that lay within them they were now travelling to meet." Page 41
Before the war Dorrigo had an ardent love affair - despite being engaged to another woman - and he draws on those memories during his captivity. However, the narrative moves back and forth in time (before/during/after the war) without any obvious structure or chapter indications of timeframes and I found it quite disorienting. Adding to the confusion was the lack of punctuation for dialogue which very few authors manage to accomplish without upsetting the flow on the page.

Having said all of that, the writing and lyrical prose was absolutely sublime and often intensely intimate and emotive. Dorrigo loves reading and poetry and I enjoyed his reverence for books in this excerpt:
"He had placed it on the darkwood bedside table next to his pillow, aligning it carefully with his head. He believed books had an aura that protected him, that without one beside him he would die. He happily slept without women. He never slept without a book." Page 29
Slowly the narrative expands to include the first person perspective of other characters in Dorrigo's life, including love interest Amy and several Japanese soldiers from the camp which was surprising. These first person perspectives of the Japanese soldiers was deeply disturbing, as were their innermost thoughts about their mission, conduct, the lack of supplies and their individual contributions to the war effort. Reading their 'side of the story' so to speak felt like a significant betrayal, and I believe this demonstrated real courage from the author.
"It's not just about the railway, Colonel Kota said, though the railway must be built. Or even the war, though the war must be won. It's about the Europeans learning that they are not the superior race, Nakamura said. And us learning that we are, Colonel Kota said." Page 129
Having spent so much time with the Australian prisoners of war tasked with building the Burma Death Railway and reading in detail about the tropical diseases, malnutrition, starvation, beatings, exhaustion and despair they endured - in addition to the countless deaths - I was deeply disappointed that the author chose not to include their release and recovery. Flanagan highlights some of the struggles faced by those returning home - Australian and Japanese - even going so far as taking the reader to the point of their deaths and the manner in which they recalled their experiences. The inner reflections of the Japanese soldiers sickened me, including the fact that for one character, time eroded his memory of his crimes and nurtured stories of his goodness and extenuating circumstances:
"As the years passed, he found he was haunted only by the way he was haunted by so little of it." Page 375
Having suffered through these viewpoints and acknowledged Flanagan's attempt to highlight both sides of the conflict, I wanted to glimpse the moment Dorrigo realised he'd survived the war and was going home. This would have gone some way to offsetting the misery they endured, is that why it was excluded? What was it like for Dorrigo to taste real food again? How did he feel seeing himself in a mirror for the first time? Putting on fresh clothing? I wanted to know every detail of the treatment the Australians received, how they were rehabilitated and the ongoing problems they suffered afterwards.

Also completely missing from the book was an Author's Note or Acknowledgments section. I had to go elsewhere to find out that Richard Flanagan's father was a Japanese prisoner of war and that the main character of Dorrigo Evans was inspired by the life of Weary Dunlop. This would have been useful to know in the beginning or at the very least in an Author's Note at the end.

There were so many heartbreaking moments during this novel. The gruesome beating of Darky Gardiner that his comrades were forced to watch - and his later death - only to discover his connection to Dorrigo after the war was devastating. Reading the perspectives of some of the Japanese soldiers right up until their deaths was disturbing and I wanted to cry or vomit when I read Jimmy Bigelow's bugle was later sold by his daughter in a garage sale. Whilst only characters in a book, this was so well written and researched that their experiences and personalities seemed as close to real as you can get. I don't think I could recommend this novel to any reader in good conscience knowing just how distressing the content is, but I acknowledge it is a profound and important Australian novel.

The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan won the Man Booker Prize in 2014 and is a haunting novel about the savagery of war, camaraderie of men, national identity, legacy and the depths of love.

My Rating:


07 May 2025

Review: The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff

The Only Plane in the Sky - An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff audiobook cover

The Only Plane in the Sky - An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff presents a minute by minute picture of 11 September 2001 from the lived experience of countless people connected to the events at the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon that day. These include accounts from those who evacuated the buildings, those who were trapped and those who survived the collapse. It also includes testimonies from first responders, hospital staff, air traffic control, US military, passengers on Air Force One and more. In addition, the accounts from people whose loved ones died on the hijacked planes or in the Twin Towers and Pentagon are also included.

These accounts have been gathered meticulously from original interviews, recently declassified documents, never-before-published transcripts, previously published books and oral histories from almost five hundred government officials, first responders, witnesses, survivors, friends and family members. It also includes real radio transmissions from the hijacked planes.

The accounts have then been sorted chronologically so that in addition to the overarching narrative, we get perhaps 1 minute of this person's perspective, then 2-3 minutes of that person's experience and so on. The audiobook has been narrated by different actors who are reading all of these first person testimonials and accounts.

I'd heard this audiobook was a unique listening experience but I didn't think this choppy format was going to work for me. Still, I gave it a chance but was worried I'd find the snippets of introduction before each 'entry' distracting (e.g. Gordon Johndroe, Assistant Press Secretary, White House / Bruno Dellinger, Principal, Quint Amasis North America, North Tower, 47th Floor).

Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find this was an effective means of communicating the events of the day and the rhythm of entries meant the reader could pause their listening at any point and easily pick it up again. The audiobook is just under 16 hours in duration and the accounts aren't one offs as we return to the individual perspectives according to the day's progression.

Once I realised I didn't need to remember the full cast I was able to concentrate purely on their testimonies, like this one*:
"As I hit Vesey [Street] between Church and Broadway, the first thing that struck me was the amount of women's shoes. I couldn't understand it. Then I realised women had run out of their shoes, the high heels and what have you. There were women's shoes all over." James Luongo, Inspector NYPD, Chapter: World Trade Centre Evacuation
I didn't know that many witnesses heard shots fired at the World Trade Centre during the evacuation phase which understandably created concern as it was believed terrorists were shooting civilians as they were running out of the building. It was later confirmed to be Police Officers shooting out the lobby windows so people could escape the building quicker but you can just imagine the fear and confusion at the scene.

On September 11 2001, I was up late watching the news in Australia and remember seeing the events unfold live on TV after the first plane hit the North Tower. Images of people waving items out of the windows above the impact zone was haunting, as was the realisation that some of them were jumping to escape the heat and smoke. In this audiobook, a person on the street recalled the sound of falling bodies resembling the fierce flapping of flags in the wind, growing louder as they neared the ground.

You might imagine reading or listening to these testimonies would be depressing after a few chapters, but while I did find it a sobering subject I was also inspired by the bravery and courage witnessed on the day. It also helped me to better understand the confusion and chaos of the events as they unfolded around the country. I watched live on TV as the Pentagon was hit and when both towers fell, and perhaps that's the reason I'm still moved by the events some 24 years later. I'm not interested in the political climate, who was to blame or the military retaliation that followed, but the examples of fortitude displayed by everyday people in the hope I could do the same if it ever came down to it.

The Only Plane in the Sky - An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff is powerful and touching and recommended for readers interested in the personal stories of those who unexpectedly found themselves involved in an unforgettable - and previously unimaginable - terrorist attack.

* In researching the spelling of James Luongo NYPD for this review, I came across the September 11 Digital Archive where you can listen to his testimony of the events along with many others.

My Rating:


01 May 2025

Review: Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent

Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent book cover

* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan *

Always Home, Always Homesick is a memoir by bestselling Australian author Hannah Kent, focussing on her relationship with Iceland and the writing of her bestselling novel, Burial Rites.

Hannah Kent first visited Iceland straight after high school at the age of 17 when she participated in a Rotary exchange student program for a year. Living with different host families, learning the language and adapting to the culture and wildly different landscape was a life changing experience for the author.

Occasionally she mentions differences in language and culture that made me laugh out loud. One of those was her description of eating whale blubber for the first time and her response when asked by her foster family whether she liked it:
"It's like..." I hesitate. "Like biting into a lipstick. Made of fish." Page 74
However, buried deep within the travelogue and culture shock is the genesis of Burial Rites. I read the historical fiction novel Burial Rites in 2014 and was incredibly moved by Agnes' story. Agnes Magnúsdóttir (daughter of Magnus) and a farmhand by the name of Fridrik were convicted of murdering two men in March 1828. Agnes was the last person to be executed in Iceland and was beheaded in January 1830. Hannah came across the site of Agnes' execution while visiting Iceland and later became consumed with the case.

In 2013, Hannah Kent was featured in a piece called No More Than A Ghost on Australian Story where she described her writing and research process for Burial Rites. She revealed that many bizarre and weird coincidences took place throughout the writing process and it was this I was hoping to learn more about.

Thankfully I didn't have to wait long, and Hannah disclosed the following very early on:
"I come from a line of women who sometimes do dream things that are other and strange and not quite dreams at all, and there have been times in my life when my sister and my mother and I have known things, avoided things, warned of things dreamed. We don't usually speak of it outside of our tight trinity. It spooks people. But we three know the feeling of these not-dreams and I recognise it in that northern sea, in the boom of its crashing waves and their spray against my face, and the hidden river running to meet it. I lick my lips and anticipate salt. I wait for a greater understanding." Page 2
The first half of the memoir is Hannah's experience as an exchange student and it did take a while before this element re-surfaced. During this period I was moved by the connections she was able to make, largely due to her dedication to learning the language. Just as in Burial Rites, the writing is evocative, introspective and enlightening and raised many points for the reader to reflect on.

It wasn't a surprise to read she was homesick for her Australian home in the early months, but years later Hannah found herself homesick for Iceland, leading to the title Always Home, Always Homesick.

Other than the whale blubber and hákarl (rotten shark), the descriptions of Icelandic food made my mouth water and I'd love to try the kleina (donut) and the porridge made from fresh cow's milk. Trying to recreate some of the recipes in her home kitchen in Australia years later, the author reflects:
"But the truth is that all this cooking is an act of grief. I am engaging in ritual, locating a place and people I miss deeply, trying to create a little of the culture I miss." Page 151
The second half of the book moves into Hannah's life beyond the year of exchange, into her studies, PhD and research about Agnes. I was amazed to learn the full extent of her research, including more time living in Iceland and the reference material she was able to dig up in the archives and by meeting and engaging with the locals.

It was here that the author began to mention Agnes' presence and guiding hand although I had the sense there was a lot more going on than she felt comfortable sharing in this memoir. Perhaps it was dialled back out of fear of isolating the reader or perhaps the publisher suggested it be toned down, but the mere fact that others Hannah met during her research (like the actress Maria Ellingsen who played the character of Agnes in a 1995 movie about the case) had their own interactions with Agnes makes me believe that an intuitive person like Hannah would have experienced more than she shared on the page. 

As an example, in 1995 an Icelandic medium was urged by Agnes to guide a team to the burial location of two heads from the day of Agnes' execution so that they could be relocated. The remains were previously thought to have been buried in consecrated ground at a church but in truth were hastily disposed of near the site of her execution 165 years earlier.

Hannah's connection to Iceland has deepened over the years and she stayed in touch with her host families and friends and watched new generations born while time marched on in her own life too. Now married with children, the author manages to convey the importance of literature, storytelling and reading in Iceland and it's easy to see how this would have been a magnet to a young poet and writer from Australia.

I was also impressed to learn about Iceland's insistence on linguistic purism which extends to the naming of all babies born in Iceland. The Personal Names Committee must approve all baby names and if a name isn't included on the approved lists and if approval is sought for a name that doesn't reflect Iceland's structural and spelling conventions they're rejected by law. While this may sound rigid and inflexible to some, I can't help but admire a culture committed to protecting their heritage and ensuring their language is preserved generation to generation as the world continues to shrink.

All in all, Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent was a reflection on the trials and tribulations of being a writer, the wonder of language and our connection to the past. Containing next level nature writing - recommended for fans of Robert Macfarlane - in an almost square format that was a delight to hold in the hand, it's also about daring to step beyond your limits and the transformative discoveries and lasting bonds that can emerge as a result.

My Rating:


24 April 2025

Review: Gothic by Fred Botting

Gothic by Fred Botting book cover

Many years ago I toyed with the idea of undertaking a course in gothic literature. There wasn't anything available in Melbourne at the time so I did the next best thing and purchased one of the most popular texts that kept coming up on the reading lists of other courses, Gothic by Fred Botting. It then sat on my shelf for 7 years.

Gothic by Fred Botting is literary criticism and an academic overview of gothic novels - and movies - and changes in the gothic genre from the 1700s - 2012. While it’s only a slim book at 224 pages, the academic nature of the approach meant it was always going to be a slog reading this without the supporting structure of a course or guidance from a Professor of Literature to bring it to life.

What is gothic literature anyway I hear you ask? My 2012 blog post entitled Gothic Tales has been viewed more than 21,000 times and contains an ongoing list of gothic novels I've read, including an overview of nine elements that can make a novel gothic. Some of these include: setting in a castle; an ancient prophecy; women in distress or threatened by a powerful, impulsive, tyrannical male and more.

Here Botting includes the following description of gothic elements from an essay published in 1797:
"... dark subterranean vaults, decaying abbeys, gloomy forests, jagged mountains and wild scenery inhabited by bandits, persecuted heroines, orphans and malevolent aristocrats." Page 41
In the gothic genre, authors set out to create an atmosphere of gloom and mystery populated by shocks, supernatural incidents, superstitious beliefs and threatening figures to create wonder and fear in the reader.

It was interesting to read that some cyberpunk and steampunk novels can also be classified as gothic novels and I'd never have guessed that the character of Ripley in Alien is a science fiction gothic heroine. Graveyard poetry was discussed and I think I'd like to read a book on gothic architecture and gothic revival architecture at some point because those styles send shivers down my spine for some reason.

Botting takes the reader through the gothic genre chronologically and while I hadn't read any of the offerings in the early pages, familiar titles certainly started to pop up so I made the lists below. Towards the end of the book the author begins to mention films that I wouldn't have thought were gothic in nature at all so I added those too.

Books referenced that I've read
Carter, Angela (The Bloody Chamber)
Conrad, Joseph (Heart of Darkness)
Dickens, Charles (Great Expectations, Oliver Twist)
Du Maurier, Daphne (Rebecca)
Eco, Umberto (The Name of the Rose)
Hawthorne, Nathaniel (The Scarlet Letter)
Meyer, Stephanie (Twilight)
Rice, Anne (Interview with a Vampire, The Vampire Lestat)
Shelley, Mary (Frankenstein)
Stoker, Bram (Dracula)
Wells, H.G. (The War of the Worlds)
Wilde, Oscar (The Picture of Dorian Gray)

Book referenced on my TBR
Morrison, Toni (Beloved)

Authors I've read but different books were referenced
Ackroyd, Peter
Austen, Jane
Harris, Charlaine
Jackson, Shirley
James, Henry
King, Stephen
Melville, Herman
Twain, Mark
Woolf, Virginia

Movies referenced I've watched
Alien
Blade
Blade Runner
Lost Boys
Poltergeist
Psycho
Terminator and Terminator 2
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Amityville Horror
The Name of the Rose
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Vampire Lestat
Twilight

The academic writing style is very dry and technical and without the structure of a literary course it fell flat for me. Having said that, what I found really disappointing was that it just ends. The author doesn't speculate or posit anything for the future of the gothic genre and that was a missed opportunity in my view.

Gothic - Second Edition by Fred Botting is part of The New Critical Idiom series recommended for students and non fiction readers of literary criticism.

My Rating:


14 April 2025

The Paperbark Tree Committee Winners Announced

Thanks to all those who entered my giveaway last week to win 1 of 3 copies of The Paperbark Tree Committee by Karys McEwen thanks to Text Publishing. All entrants correctly identified the name the brothers gave to their secret committee was the Paperbark Tree Committee.

Entries closed at midnight on Sunday 13 April 2025 and I drew the winners today, congratulations to: 

Cynwit, Suzanne & Catherine G


Congratulations!! You've each won a print copy of The Paperbark Tree Committee by Karys McEwen valued at $16.99AUD thanks to Text Publishing. You'll receive an email from me shortly and will have 5 days to provide your AUS or NZ postal address. The publisher will then send your prizes out to you directly. Congrats and I hope you enjoy this heartwarming coming of age story.
Carpe Librum giveaway image for The Paperbark Committee by Karys McEwen

11 April 2025

Review: The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne

The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne book cover

In the year 1219, Haelewise is 78 years old and sets down the story of her life and how she became known as Mother Gothel after the tower in which she lives. Famous for allegedly kidnapping Rapunzel, Haelewise tells us her story from childhood into adulthood and old age.

The book immediately gave me Kate Forsyth Bitter Greens vibes and was on track to be a five star read with descriptions like this setting the scene of 12th Century Germany:
"I noticed for the first time their brightly dyed kirtles, the stilted way they spoke diutsch. Their long, ribboned braids, which my mother called corpse-braids because they were extended with hair from the dead. They were courtiers' wives." Page 64
Reading like a fairytale, Haelewise is a compelling character who suffers from light sensitivity and fainting spells. Living with the fear she may be accused of being possessed by a demon if she has a fit in public, I particularly admired her grit and determination after the death of her mother despite an uncaring and barely-there father.

Having studied under her mother as a midwife, Haelewise travels to an ancient tower to seek out the wise woman who lives there and offer her skills as an apprentice. I would have been happy to follow Haelewise and every step of her apprenticeship as a healer (reminding me of The Binding in many ways) but the author cranks up the story and instead it becomes a quest novel of sorts.

Essentially a retelling of Rapunzel's story from the witch's perspective, The Book of Gothel has all of the elements of a fairytale; a young girl in trouble; an old wise woman and healer; loss of a parent; an ancient tower; creepy woods; a castle fit for a King; a special horse; spells; dark magic and an evil prince.

The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne is recommended for historical fiction readers, Kate Forsyth fans and those who enjoy a good fairytale re-telling.

My Rating:


04 April 2025

Review & Giveaway: The Paperbark Tree Committee by Karys McEwen

Carpe Librum giveaway image for The Paperbark Tree Committee by Karys McEwen

Intro

It's giveaway time and today I'm offering readers the opportunity to WIN 1 of 3 copies of The Paperbark Tree Committee by Karys McEwen thanks to Text Publishing. A coming of age story set in Melbourne, this giveaway is valued at $50.97 and is open to entrants from Australia and New Zealand. Entries close at midnight AEST on Sunday 13 April 2025, enter below and good luck!

About the author

Karys McEwen is a school librarian, bookseller, Vice President of the Victorian branch of the Children’s Book Council of Australia, Education Advisor for the Melbourne Writers Festival and is passionate about the role libraries and books can play in the wellbeing of young people.

Blurb

Twelve-year-old Art and his younger brother Hilary are great friends, best friends.
The Paperbark Tree Committee by Karys McEwen book cover

When they move to Melbourne from a small town in Queensland things seem to be easy for Hilary, who is still in primary school, but Art struggles to fit in, and he’s become a target for school bully Jack. His dad is too busy to give him much attention, but Art has his stepmum, Sally, who is always ready to listen.

And there’s the paperbark tree. Art and Hilary climb into its branches and hold a secret meeting whenever they need to sort things out.

The only problem is Art’s not sure he still wants to be part of the paperbark tree committee. He’s getting older and he thinks he needs to solve his problems on his own.

The Paperbark Tree Committee is a heartfelt story about growing up and leaving childhood behind; it’s about family and being a good brother, fitting in and finding friends, and about making mistakes and learning from them.

Review

I really enjoyed this coming of age novel and the various literary hats the author wears has equipped her with a unique perspective on children's literature which definitely shows on the page. McEwen obviously knows what kids want to read and this book has it all; a new school, making friends, dealing with a bully, school activities and an annoying Dad at home.
"Being a teenager is all about swimming along with only your fin showing, trying to look like a shark when really you're just some average fish. Never revealing that you're not as brave as you look, never admitting that everyone else is in the same ocean. It's terrifying. And exhausting." Page 34
The real highlight through it all for me was the relationship between brothers Art and Hilary. Their relationship took me back to my own childhood dynamic with my younger sibling and it really warmed my heart. The Paperbark Tree Committee is aimed at 8+ readers and if you're in Australia or New Zealand, you can enter my giveaway below to win a copy for yourself or a young reader in your circle.

My Rating:


Giveaway

This giveaway has now closed.


31 March 2025

Review: Emily's House by Amy Belding Brown

Emily's House by Amy Belding Brown book cover

I received a copy of Emily's House by Amy Belding Brown for my birthday in March 2024 and decided I'd read it in my birthday month this year.

A dual narrative novel set in Massachusetts in 1869 & 1916, Emily’s House by Amy Belding Brown is the story of Margaret Maher, Irish maid to Emily Dickinson’s family.

In 1869, Margaret begins working as a live in maid for the Dickinson family, intending to stay a short while before joining her brothers in California. In the brief story arc set in 1916, Margaret reflects on the fate of the Dickinson home long after the death of Emily Dickinson in 1886.

Emily's House is a slow moving character study of Margaret and her relationship with Emily Dickinson in particular. The reader doesn't need to know anything about Emily's life or her poetry but those who do will enjoy an additional layer of understanding in this portrait of her life from Margaret's downstairs perspective.

I haven't read many works set in this time and place, however the author was able to draw me in with descriptions like this one:
"Patrick said he'd found a job with a carpentry crew building a mansion in Northampton... I was just telling him how Henry Paige had had to move his fish market out of Gunn's Hotel because of the stink when the hat factory lunch whistle blew." Page 134
I just love thinking about that hat factory lunch whistle. I wonder if factories and manufacturing plants still use a lunch whistle and if not, when was the last one sounded? Whilst that was a clear highlight, overuse of the word 'quare' started grating on my nerves early on - likely part of establishing Margaret as Irish - but thankfully it featured less as the story developed. Emily often mimics Margaret's accent in a condescending fashion and Margaret's struggle with nationality and identity was a continual theme throughout the novel.
"I couldn't think of what to say, so I just stood there like a dolt. I knew she was teasing. But teasing can be a clever mask for cruelty." Page 87
Margaret wants to consider herself American but wonders if she's Irish American or whether she'll always be Irish. I'm not sure if Emily Dickinson was known to make fun of the Irish, but as with any fictional imagining of a person's life, I took it with a grain of salt.

In the TV drama series Dickinson, Emily shares a physical relationship with Sue, however here their relationship seems to be that of very close and loving sisters-in-law, but never explicit.

Emily's House
by Amy Belding Brown is recommended for readers with an interest in the Dickinson family or those who'd like to read about the life of an Irish lady's maid in America and the plight of the Fenian Brotherhood who fought to achieve Irish independence.

My Rating:


25 March 2025

Review: Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal

Feel-Good Productivity - How to Do More of What Matters to You by Ali Abdaal audiobook cover

According to the blurb, Dr Ali Abdaal is the world's most-followed productivity expert and in Feel-Good Productivity - How to Do More of What Matters to You he shares his insights based on his study on the subject of productivity.

During medical school, the author became interested in the science of productivity in an effort to get more out of his day. While working as a Doctor for the NHS in the UK he reached a point of burn out and realised he needed to make some changes to his life.

This self help book is broken down into the following three components: Part 1 Energise, Part 2 Unblock and Part 3 Sustain. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that Dr Abdaal's secret to positivity is joy. The essence of his advice is to find a way to experience positive emotions in your work which will enable you to generate more energy to give to work and the other areas of your life.

This isn't a book about time management, prioritising or to-do lists and there wasn't much new-to-me-content on offer, but more about that in a minute.

Most of us have heard the term SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Relevant, Time-related), but in the chapter entitled Seek Clarity, I did learn about NICE goals for the first time.

N - near-term goals (daily or weekly objectives) ensure we're not overwhelmed by the bigger picture and help us to concentrate on the immediate steps we need to take.

I - input-based goals emphasise the process not the outcome. For example, go for a 10 minute walk every day rather than lose 5kg this year.

C - controllable goals are those within our control, naturally. Keep it realistic.

E - energising goals consider a way to integrate play, power and people into each goal.

The side by side comparison between SMART goals (lose 5 kgs in the next three months) and NICE goals (exercise for 30 minutes every day and focus on activities that are enjoyable and manageable) was interesting and probably my main takeaway from the book.

Abdaal narrates the audiobook in a friendly and appealing tone and following along with a print copy from the library, I was struck by just how much his approach seemed to be an amalgamation of my own reading on the topic. Make a dull task fun by listening to music, attach goals to existing behaviours and habit stack in order to establish new positive habits, push through procrastination by deciding to spend 5 minutes on the task.

Even the author's anecdote about the writing habits of Brandon Sanderson has been mentioned in other books I've read. This is the first time I've used ChatGPT to write a review, but I was sure I'd read about Sanderson's progress tracking and the fact he doesn't stop writing until he's reached 2,000 words every day in other self help books. A quick search with the help of AI confirmed my suspicions and this example has appeared in Atomic Habits by James Clear and The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. How I feel about the use of AI to fact check a book review is probably a topic to consider another day, but what do you think, is it cheating?

In summary, Feel-Good Productivity - How to Do More of What Matters to You by Dr Ali Abdaal is a good starting point for readers new to the topic of productivity or those disenchanted with their career or field of study. If you've read any - or a combination - of the titles below, you won't find anything vastly new here.

Still considering? Read a FREE extract of the book.

For more on the topic:
100 Ways to Motivate Yourself by Steve Chandler
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Fish! A Proven Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results by Stephen C. Lundin
What Makes Us Tick by Hugh Mackay
The Inner Self by Hugh Mackay
Just One Thing by Dr Michael Mosley
Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin

My Rating:



21 March 2025

Review: The Good Wife of Bath by Karen Brooks

The Good Wife of Bath - A (Mostly) True Story by Karen Brooks book cover

The Good Wife of Bath - A (Mostly) True Story by Karen Brooks is inspired by The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, but the only thing you need to know about Chaucer's classic written in the late 1300s is that it contains 24 stories told by pilgrims and that The Wife of Bath was one of them.

I read The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer before I started writing reviews here which makes it at least 20 years ago. It felt like quite the accomplishment at the time and I remember enjoying it a whole lot more than I thought I would. Chaucer's The Wife of Bath is the story of a woman named Eleanor who has been married five times and Australian author Karen Brooks brings her to life in this historical fiction re-telling.

It's 1364 and at the age of 12 years old Eleanor is married off to a sheep farmer against her will. I immediately admired Eleanor's young spirit and her attempt to embody her Papa's advice, even at such a young age:
"You have to create opportunities where you can. No matter what life hurls at you, child, catch it. If it's shit, turn it into fertiliser. If it's insults, throw them back. Grip opportunity with both hands and ride it like a wild colt until you've tamed it. You've come from nothing, and unless you make something of yourself with what you're offered, it's to nothing you'll return." Page 22
This advice is applicable to every reader and definitely forms the key to Eleanor's character which serves her well in life.

At 541 pages in length, The Good Wife of Bath is a long novel but it's broken down into each of the five marriages and each time Eleanor marries her life changes significantly; sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse.

As her circumstances were improving, I was just as giddy with possibility and optimism as Eleanor and equally frustrated and downcast when the wheel of fortune turned. Eleanor takes several pilgrimages and is a flawed character trying to learn from her - many - mistakes while protecting the people she cares about. There's much character growth and some moments that made me stop to contemplate, like this one I hadn't heard before:
"What's good for gander is not for goose to ponder." Page 232
Eleanor is very distantly related - by marriage - to Geoffrey Chaucer and calls him cousin. As a supporting character he pops up from time to time and as he catches up with Eleanor or they exchange letters, we hear about his career highlights and writing projects.

About halfway through the novel, we learn Chaucer has been writing several stories:
"I have. I'm using the idea of a pilgrimage to tie the tales together.' I slapped my thigh in delight. 'I've been on many of those!' 'Aye, and your letters have been most entertaining. Inspirational too. 'Twas you who gave me that idea as well. As you've so often noted, a pilgrimage brings together all manner of people in a shared adventure.'" Page 323
Those who know The Canterbury Tales well will enjoy the flashes of recognition and various easter eggs along the way, but those who aren't familiar with the classic or can't remember it won't experience an absence of understanding or enjoyment; Brooks cleverly includes all readers.

The Good Wife of Bath by Karen Brooks is extremely well researched and the author brings the middle ages to life in a vivid and engaging writing style. While it was a long novel, I would have happily spent more time with Eleanor if I could have.

I thoroughly recommend The Good Wife of Bath by Karen Brooks for historical fiction lovers and it's definitely a solid contender for My Top 5 Books of 2025. Thanks to my friend Andrea for the copy!

My Rating:


17 March 2025

Review: Unnatural Causes by Dr Richard Shepherd

Unnatural Causes by Richard Shepherd audiobook cover

Dr Richard Shepherd is a Forensic Pathologist in the UK and has performed over 23,000 post mortems. In his memoir, Unnatural Causes - The Life and Many Deaths of Britain's Top Forensic Pathologist he shares highlights from his early career until the time of publication in 2018.

Listening to the author narrate this memoir, his dedication and enthusiasm for the work definitely shines through. His early struggles to interact with the grieving loved ones of the deceased he looks after is also laid bare.

Shepherd worked on some well known cases but the one I was most surprised to read about was the Marchioness disaster.

In 1989, a party boat named the Marchioness was carrying 130 people along the Thames River in London when it collided with another vessel and a total of 51 people died. Identification of the remains at the time came down to fingerprints and dental records, however the bloating of some of the bodies that had taken longer to retrieve led officials to make one of the most horrific decisions in forensic pathology I've ever heard. Specialist equipment that could obtain fingerprints from waterlogged remains was available elsewhere in the country, but the logistics required to transport that many bodies at the time was prohibitive, so a decision was made to remove the hands of the deceased for testing. This was carried out without family approval and even typing these words I'm horrified this took place. However, it MIGHT have been deemed acceptable if those responsible for the process didn't make a complete mess of it. Bodies were given to the families without hands and some families were told they couldn't view the remains of their loved ones by undertakers causing untold additional grief and trauma.

Shepherd is clear that he wasn't responsible for making the decision to remove the hands and had no knowledge of the decision at the time. Understandably this element of the disaster still haunts him and the subsequent hearings and court cases ran for years. I remember reading about the case years ago and being utterly dumbstruck by the incompetence and lack of professionalism shown at the time. Reading Shepherd's involvement in the case, I couldn't help wondering if this memoir was a way for him to 'set the story straight' once and for all on this case and clear his name.

Several other cases the author chose to include were controversial and again I began to speculate that this might be the only avenue for a professional in his field to get his version on the record for the wider public; outside of legal testimony that is.

Some high profile cases - which will be recognised by UK readers - are included and the picture I began to see emerging is that Shepherd felt under valued and under utilised in some cases and unjustly criticised in others.

Interactions with his children and the slight overlap with his work made me uncomfortable and I wasn't surprised - and neither was he - when his marriage broke down. In fact, it reminded me quite a lot of the personal account of Peter Faulding in his memoir What Lies Beneath - My Life as a Forensic Search and Rescue Expert.

I deeply admire the work carried out by forensic pathologists, medical examiners, coroners and those who look after the dead and perhaps that's why I've read so many of their books.* While it's too soon for another just now, True Stories from the Morgue by John Merrick is on my TBR and likely to be the next one on the topic at some point in the future.

Unnatural Causes - The Life and Many Deaths of Britain's Top Forensic Pathologist by Dr Richard Shepherd is recommended for readers with an interest in forensic medicine.

* Other memoirs like this you may want to explore:
- All the Living and the Dead: A Personal Investigation Into the Death Trade by Hayley Campbell
- Personal Effects: What Recovering the Dead Teaches Me About Caring for the Living by Robert A. Jensen
- Curtains: Adventures of an Undertaker-in-Training by Tom Jokinen
- Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner by Judy Melinek MD & T.J. Mitchell

My Rating:


15 March 2025

Review: All That Impossible Space by Anna Morgan

All That Impossible Space by Anna Morgan book cover

All That Impossible Space by Anna Morgan is a young adult novel about Lara Laylor, a teenage girl in Year 10 at a school in Melbourne. It doesn't sound like the type of book I usually read does it? But when I tell you Lara's history teacher gives each of his students an unsolved mystery from history as part of an assignment and Lara chooses the Somerton Man, you can see the instant appeal.

The Somerton Man was an unidentified man found dead on a beach in Somerton Park near Glenelg, Adelaide in December 1948. He didn't have any ID and the labels on all of his clothing had been removed. His cause of death couldn't be determined, but he died propped up and reclining with his legs crossed which made him look like he was resting or sleeping with a cigarette in his hand. Police circulated a photo of the man's corpse in suit and tie in an effort to identify him but his remains were never claimed. A plaster death mask was also taken of his body from the shoulders up prior to burial to assist in identification. This cast still includes hairs from his body which have since been DNA tested.

Adding to the mystery, a tiny scrap of paper with the printed words 'Tamám Shud' (meaning it is finished or it is done) was found rolled up in his pocket. The scrap had been torn from the page of a book which was eventually handed into Police after being found on the front seat of a car. What are the chances? The book had a series of letters inscribed in the back which have never been decoded as well as a phone number. The phone number was traced back to a nurse who lived 400m from where the Somerton Man's body was found but denied knowing him.

In the novel, Lara researches the mystery of the Somerton Man and considers the theories he was a European immigrant or a spy. Lara is ultimately glad the nurse chose to keep any knowledge she had to herself but I was yelling at the page while enjoying the reports and testimonials about the case interspersed throughout her first person narrative.

Naturally, the assignment takes a back seat as Lara negotiates problems in her social life, auditions for the school musical, deals with the absence of her older sister and looks into the mystery disappearance of her history teacher.

All That Impossible Space by Anna Morgan is a young adult epistolary coming of age novel but I'll admit being mostly there for the connection to the Somerton Man. Who do you think he was? I think he was a spy and knew the nurse.

My Rating:


12 March 2025

Review: Traced by Catherine Jinks

Traced by Catherine Jinks book cover

* Courtesy of Text Publishing *

Traced by Catherine Jinks is possibly the first novel I've read set in Australia during the early stages of the pandemic. It's 2020 and Jane is a contact tracer working for New South Wales Health, and during the course of her daily tracing calls she speaks to a victim of domestic violence named Nicole. Years earlier, Jane helped her own daughter escape a violent situation and recognises Nicole's fear of discovery by her abusive partner. Jane and her daughter Tara are still in hiding from her ex Griffin, but Jane's shocked to find the person on the phone is also afraid of a man named Griffin.

The story unravels from there as Jane attempts to help Nicole into a refuge while keeping her location secret from Griffin and trying not to break too many rules at work in the process.

Alternate chapters take us back to 2014 and Jane's life before Tara met Griffin. The reader slowly learns what went wrong in the relationship and how the two women escaped before returning to the present narrative and Griffin's renewed interest in tracking them down.

Griffin is a real piece of work, he's manipulative, obsessive and controlling and this book could be a trigger for readers who have suffered at the hands of a gaslighting domestic abuser. As a character in this book he was a well-written villain and the perfect contrast to Jane's determination to protect her family at all costs.

The Australian setting was enjoyable and the references so Sydney and the surrounding areas were an unexpected pleasure, including this one:
"The only personal thing I knew about Michelle was that she lived in Kellyville and ate salads for lunch." Page 71
I have family living in Kellyville so that was a nice surprise on the page. Both narrative arcs - 2014 and 2020 - are packed with tension to make the reader squirm and boy did I fidget and clench my fists at the scenarios Jane was dealing with in both timelines.

The action really ramped up at the end towards a satisfying climax and I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Traced is recommended for those who enjoy domestic thrillers and is the third* book I've read from Catherine Jinks so I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for her next thriller.

* Panic (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) is a psychological thriller set in the world of sovereign citizens and an excerpt from my review is featured on the publisher's website, while The Attack (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) is a dual timeline domestic noir novel.

My Rating:


04 March 2025

Review: The Body Next Door by Zane Lovitt

The Body Next Door by Zane Lovitt book cover

* Copy courtesy of Text Publishing *

The Body Next Door by Zane Lovitt is a suburban whodunnit set in the Melbourne suburb of St Albans. Recently separated, Jamie is in his mid thirties and has moved back to Carnation Way to look after his Dad who has dementia.

Claire is a middle aged woman also living on Carnation Way and when she goes missing, Jamie wonders if her disappearance could be connected to the discovery of a body next door thirteen years ago.

Unfolding in alternating chapters - Jamie's in the present and Claire's thirteen years earlier - the characters were immediately identifiable and the novel contains many enjoyable Australian references. I liked this one from Claire because who doesn't love fresh stationery?
"... and so it was off to Officeworks the very next day. I already had pens and notebooks, but is there anything better than fresh stationery?" Page 15
No there isn't and I was just at Officeworks on the weekend! Back to the book and Lovitt has a great sense of humour that reminded me a little of Benjamin Stevenson's light and relatable writing style. Here, the author is able to strike a surprise sombre note with mention of the late Michael Mosley and then make the reader chuckle immediately afterwards:
"I had a ready line for that, one I'd planned to use with Andrew if I ever did anything clumsy in front of him. I told her that Michael Mosley says balance is an excellent indication of life expectancy, and I said, if that's true, I've been dead for four years." Page 160
As you can see, Claire is a likeable character with a great sense of humour. She's also curious about her surroundings and started a diary the day the body of a teenage male was found underneath the house of one of her neighbours.

Thirteen years later, Claire goes missing and Jamie is determined to find out what happened to her by nosing about, chatting to the neighbours and unearthing all manner of secrets; including some about his Dad. Jamie is also a very likeable character:
"By the time I'd finished my second cup of tea, during which I'd had nothing to do but listen and stress-eat as Tess related her story in detail, we'd made it through a whole pack of Tim Tams and half an Arnott's Tina wafers, though in truth, 'we' implies a degree of participation by Tess not reflected in reality." Page 298
Longer term followers of Carpe Librum may have noticed that Zane Lovitt has been featured here before. In 2016 I ran a giveaway for his collection of short stories entitled Crime Scenes and he's clearly been working hard since then.

Published today, The Body Next Door by Zane Lovitt is a double cozy mystery and Aussie whodunnit that plays out in a very entertaining way and is highly recommended for fans of Benjamin Stevenson and the lighter side of Jack Heath.

My Rating: