Review: Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel is the second book in the Wolf Hall trilogy by Hilary Mantel and commences in September 1535. Thomas Cromwell is about fifty years old now and holds the title of Master Secretary. I'm reading this as part of the Wolf Crawl slow read and was pleased to discover the superb writing in evidence in Wolf Hall is also present here. The connection between the two books is absolutely seamless, despite the three years between publication.

Cromwell is a formidable man and we are quickly reacquainted with him in the opening pages.

"No one knows where he has been and who he has met, and he is in no hurry to tell them. He never spares himself in the king's service, he knows his worth and merits and makes sure of his reward: offices, perquisites and title deeds, manor houses and farms. He has a way of getting his way, he has a method; he will charm a man or bribe him, coax him or threaten him, he will explain to a man where his true interests lie, and he will introduce that same man to aspects of himself he didn't know existed." Page 7

I love the frequent references to history in the book, a time when the forest stretched ahead for days and the forefathers of England - the giants - left their standing stones. This haunting atmosphere permeates the pages and the present here in Bring Up the Bodies. On every page I experienced the weight of foreknowledge, as Cromwell reflects on the ghosts of the past, while he is a ghost of the past to us, the reader.

This gives the writing a melancholic feeling, given we know who will succeed and who won't and the ultimate fate of the primary characters.

"It's not just the past you think of, as you ride these fields. It's what's latent in the soil, what's breeding; it's the days to come, the wars unfought, the injuries and deaths that, like seeds, the soil of England is keeping warm." Page 9

Cromwell has been an excellent father and mentor and it was interesting to see the qualities and attributes he prizes in his son Gregory and which were important 500 years ago:

"Gregory is a fine archer, a fine horseman, a shining star in the tilt yard, and his manners cannot be faulted. He speaks reverently to his superiors, not scuffling his feet or standing on one leg, and he is mild and polite with those below him. He knows how to bow to foreign diplomats in the manner of their own countries, sits at table without fidgeting or feeding spaniels, can neatly carve and joint any fowl if requested to serve his elders. He doesn't slouch around with his jacket off one shoulder, or look in windows to admire himself, or stare around in church, or interrupt old men, or finish their stories for them." Page 27-28

I've been listening to Lux by VOCES8 while compiling this review over several days and it's an album containing ethereal music covering 400 years of choral music. It perfectly embodies the feeling of history I tried to convey earlier and I can almost imagine I'm standing behind Thomas Cromwell in Westminster Abbey when I listen to it.

In Bring Up the Bodies, Cromwell tries to convince Queen Katherine to obey the king's wishes and the dialogue between them is fascinating. Here's a taste of Katherine's anger whilst speaking to Cromwell.

"There is a pause, while she turns the great pages of her volume of rage, and puts her finger on just the right word." Page 106

That word, in case you're wondering is contemptible. However just as he failed to persuade Thomas More to change his mind and take the oath, Katherine also proves to be immovable.

The king is through with Anne Boleyn after she continues to fail to give him an heir and relies on Cromwell to bring her down to make way for Jane Seymour. Cromwell does so by finding evidence of adultery against her, which is treason and punishable by death. Cromwell needs guilty men, so he finds men who are guilty and in carefully preparing his evidence and witnesses, Cromwell makes use of the opportunity to take out some of his enemies or weaken their houses.

King Henry is just as fearsome and narcissistic as ever, and his tempers shift without notice. Cromwell can read the king's mood better than any man and knows just how to manipulate him to achieve the desired outcome, although still at considerable risk.

"You can be merry with the king, you can share a joke with him. But as Thomas More used to say, it's like sporting with a tamed lion. You tousle its mane and pull its ears, but all the time you're thinking, those claws, those claws, those claws." Page 249

Anne Boleyn's downfall dominates the plot in Bring Up the Bodies, but there's also plenty of time to witness Cromwell's steady rise in power, the expansion of his wealth and family dynamics. He (Cromwell) has carefully mentored his young charges and Rafe is now a trusted man in the king's service. His advice to Rafe though is chilling.

"Look, he says: once you have exhausted the process of negotiation and compromise, once you have fixed on the destruction of an enemy, that destruction must be swift and it must be perfect. Before you even glance in his direction, you should have his name on a warrant, the ports blocked, his wife and friends bought, his heir under your protection, his money in your strong room and his dog running to your whistle. Before he wakes in the morning, you should have the axe in your hand." Page 417

The late Hilary Mantel was the first British author and the first woman to win the Booker Prize twice, and I totally get it now. Bring Up the Bodies is an epic character study of Thomas Cromwell and the writing is extraordinary, with a phrase to savour on every page.

I've already started reading the final book in the trilogy The Mirror and the Light and am loving it so far. It's 880+ pages though and the slow read will take us until the end of the year, when I imagine I'll be feeling bereft to have finished.

And now no more for lack of time.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

Review: Sleep First by Dr. Jemma King

* Copy courtesy of Wiley *

It's been 10 months since I last read a book on sleep, so when I received an offer to review Sleep First - Sleep Smarter, Think Sharper, Feel Better by Dr. Jemma King I was quick to accept. The book was off to an excellent start and I was very pleased to see the author quoting from historian Roger Ekirch within the opening pages and the fact that he uncovered hundreds of references to 'first sleep' and second sleep' in pre-industrial era documents.

"You've probably heard the compelling story about how humans 'naturally' sleep in two distinct chunks during the night. According to this theory, before the Industrial Revolution ruined everything with electric lights and rigid schedules, people would go to sleep soon after dark, wake up in the middle of the night for an hour or two of quiet activities (prayer, sex, contemplation, light chores), then drift back into a 'second sleep' until dawn. It's called biphasic sleep." Page 3

This is one of my favourite facts about sleep and it's one that isn't widely known. I wish more people knew about this natural phenomenon and that waking up at 3AM is entirely normal. Furthermore, acceptance of this ancient human biology will aid those feeling anxious about waking through the night, fearing they won't fall back to sleep and will feel tired as a consequence the following day.

I particularly enjoyed the chapter entitled 'Choosing the Fire: Special Forces and Elite Athletes' where the author outlines her experience working with the Australian Special Forces and the experiments she conducted during the Commando selection process.

Dr King provides a useful list of self talk and the harm it does and offers helpful alternatives you can try instead. Each one begins with a belief - like "I'm not tired yet" - and then encourages the reader to 'Try this instead' and explains 'Why it works'. This is effective, however the headings are around the wrong way. This proved confusing until I noticed the editing error and it's a shame because some of the suggestions are really great but their impact may be lost with the interrupted flow.

I haven't seen this in many of the books I've read before about sleep, but Dr King includes a chapter on sleep and technology, covering the pros and cons of wearable devices that can track sleep as well as other technology aids and devices that can aid in a good night's sleep. I was very interested in smart mattresses and rocking beds and plan to look into these a little more after writing this review.

My key takeaway after reading Sleep First - Sleep Smarter, Think Sharper, Feel Better by Dr. Jemma King is a consistent wake time. The time I go to bed and read is very consistent, but my wake time used to vary widely. Before reading this book I'd already started to trial a more consistent wake up / get up time regardless of the level of activity or pain experienced the day before. The author does an excellent job of explaining the importance and benefits of doing so and here's just one reason:

"Researchers have calculated that if everyone just adopted a sleep routine covering the same 7 hours each night, population-wide mental disorder rates could drop by 23 per cent through the simple low-cost act of going to bed and waking up at consistent times." Page 91

Sleep First - Sleep Smarter, Think Sharper, Feel Better by Dr. Jemma King is recommended for anyone wanting to improve their sleep quality. If you struggle to get to sleep or stay asleep, suffer from chronic tiredness or insomnia or you're just interested in learning more about sleep and maximising your quality of sleep - sleepmaxxing, it's a thing - then there's plenty to learn here. You can even read the first chapter for free. Oh, and did I mention she's Australian?

Sleep well tonight!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

Review: Privacy by Molly Young

Privacy by Molly Young is a chapbook in diary entry form about her pregnancy. At just 80 pages long, it's based on a journal the author started keeping when 16 weeks into her pregnancy in an attempt to be a participant-observer in the process. The well written entries feel like a combination of journal, essay and memoir rolled into one. I've seen Privacy referred to as a chapbook and a zine, but the author calls it a zine so let's go with that.

In the Preface, Young notes there are many books about birth and motherhood but wonders why there are so few about pregnancy. While considering why that might be, I also found myself pondering her choice of title and whether it could be a play on the words private and pregnancy.

Young has been published in the New York Times Magazine and her literary writing style and distinct sense of observational humour had me smiling and chuckling as I was reading. Here's a taste:

"Noticed that “prenatal” and “parental” and “paternal” are anagrams. Made a list of Things That Are Delivered: Babies, mail, speeches, verdicts, messages, pizza." Page 53

Young reads and comments on an 1882 manual called Enlightened Woman and pamphlets from the 1940s to humorous effect. Covering her pregnancy from 16 weeks until the the baby is born and can almost roll over at 8 weeks old, Privacy is a quick and entertaining read. 

While it's difficult to categorise, what's clear is that this is an intimate look at one woman's pregnancy as it happens. With deeply personal observations about the mental, emotional and physical nature of pregnancy, Privacy has broader appeal than women who have given birth or might do so in the future. Recommended to me by a male reader, I don't have children - and I'm past the childbearing age - yet was easily able to appreciate the content Young has generously decided to share with us.

I hope Molly Young has continued writing in her journal about becoming a mother as her unique and witty observations about parenthood would be worth checking out in the future. Thanks to Sam for the recommendation!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

Review: Once Upon a Stranger by Dr Gillian Sandstrom

I regularly make small talk and engage with strangers so it might surprise those who know me that I'd be interested in reading a book like Once Upon a Stranger - The Science of How 'Small Talk' Can Add Up to a Big Life by Dr Gillian Sandstrom. This book serves as a how-to for readers who find it uncomfortable to make small talk with people they know let alone those they don't know.

I'm an extrovert who frequently overcomes the fear of rejection or an awkward interaction to make an effort to exchange a few words with people. It might be in the lift, in a store or at a concert and most of the time these small exchanges are fun and pleasant, although sometimes they make my husband cringe. The reason I wanted to delve deeper into this topic is because we're in a loneliness epidemic and I worry that younger generations are losing their social skills.

Dr Gillian Sandstrom is an Associate Professor in the Psychology of Kindness - I didn't know that was a thing either - and clearly outlines the purpose of her book in the introduction.

"Now, not only do I regularly talk to strangers, I also study talking to strangers for a living, as a professor of psychology. (I'm a researcher, not a therapist or clinical psychologist - no couches in sight.) I've made it my scientific mission to understand the reasons that we feel anxious about talking to strangers and all the ways that we benefit if we're able to push past our fears. In this book, I'll share what I (and other researchers) have learned." Page 4

As a person who already practices the art of small talk, the author was essentially preaching to the choir, as I already understand and regularly experience the mutual benefits of engaging with a stranger.

I've noticed a cultural shift away from chatting on the phone or making phone calls and an increased reliance on text messages and email correspondence. Just this week the only way I could contact a new business I wanted to book a consultation with was via a WhatsApp text. I phoned another business and left a message to make an appointment and they didn't answer but texted me straight back instead. For years now, businesses have been asking customers on hold to their call centres to visit their website instead and now when you want to do something it has to be done via their App. Gah! Apart from being frustrating for those of us who are 'old school' this technology is stripping away social interactions and as a result, younger generations have real anxiety about initiating a conversation with another person or even answering their phone.

"A recent market research poll even found that 20 percent of women and 46 percent of men felt somewhat or very confident that they could land a plane if the pilot was incapacitated - a feat that, according to experts, would be nearly impossible for someone with no experience. In other words, many of us think we'd have almost as good a chance of landing a plane as we do of successfully navigating a conversation with a stranger at a party. This is not only ridiculous but untrue". Page 29

A new to me term I learned in the book is 'polite civil inattention'. An example of this is noticing someone at a bus stop or in a lift but actively choosing not to make direct eye contact or engage with them. It's an unspoken social norm where people acknowledge the presence of strangers in public with a brief glance but then quickly look away.

While acknowledging this is sometimes necessary, Sandstrom encourages readers to consider moving beyond civil inattention to interacting with a stranger, repeatedly extolling the virtues of short interactions that can boost our mood, our confidence and our sense of human connection in the world.

While I was reading Once Upon a Stranger, I became acutely aware of the times I initiate conversation with strangers and the author's right, I end up feeling good about it each and every time. I recently made eye contact with a woman at the local op shop while having a quick browse after making a donation and she immediately asked me to read the maker's mark on the back of a plate for her. I had to get my glasses out and we had a laugh and she said I'd made her day. She could just as easily have taken it up to the counter but there's something about helping another person that feels good.

Sandstrom also writes about experiencing shared reality and how it makes us feel connected to other people and gives us a sense of belonging. I experience this at the Dawn Service on ANZAC Day and it's the magic behind attending a music concert and singing the lyrics of a favourite song along with thousands of other fans.

I also loved learning the new (to me) french term esprit d'escalier and realised I regularly suffer from it myself:

"There have been several occasions when, after walking away from a conversation with a stranger, I think of something that I wish I'd said (often a joke I wished I'd made) or a question I wish I'd asked... There's a French term for this: esprit d'escalier. It literally means "wit of the staircase" - thinking of the perfect thing to say only after leaving the room and walking down the stairs." Page 163

For some reason, Sandstrom gives the negative self talk many people experience when it comes to the fear of talking to strangers a name and I found it incredibly condescending and annoying.

"This negative voice is, unfortunately, a main character in our lives and in this book, so I think it needs a name. Given its insidious nature, I'm going to call this devious character Sid. I'm hoping that, by giving this voice a name, we'll be able to think about it in a more objective way and learn to question and challenge it. (I encourage you to give yours a silly name too.)" Page 15

Indeed, I found this very silly and the continual and repeated mention of Sid throughout the entire text grated on my nerves quickly and cost the book a star.

The entire time I was reading this, I was looking forward to the How-To Appendix flagged on page 7, and expected to see a list with some recommended conversations starters. The Appendix provides commentary on choosing a person to start a conversation with and the situation but not a list of suggested words to say. The author gives us her favourite conversation starter of "whatcha doing" but I was disappointed not to find a lengthy list of conversation starters in the appendix and it would have been a terrific addition to the book. Alas, another star was deducted for the lost opportunity.

Once Upon a Stranger - The Science of How 'Small Talk' Can Add Up to a Big Life by Dr Gillian Sandstrom is recommended for readers who struggle to make small talk or see the value in it. Those who see the opportunities and advantages it provides and wish they had the confidence to engage with strangers more often will also benefit from the advice offered here.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

Review: Sirens by Martin McKenzie-Murray

It was a pleasure to attend the book launch for Sirens - Inside the Shadow World of First Responders by Martin McKenzie-Murray back in April this year. Sirens features the experiences of three first responders, Peter - Paramedic, Brett - Police Officer and Tara - Firefighter. Retired Police Officer Brett Kersten and I met in 2010, have been close friends ever since and he's The Copper in Sirens. Brett has openly shared the darkest sides of his service related PTSD and difficult upbringing with me, so I was thrilled for him when he excitedly told me he was being interviewed for this book. His is a touching and incredible story, yet these projects take time and along the way I eagerly helped to proofread the chapters about his life and career and keenly awaited the launch of the finished product, Sirens.

I was proud of Brett's involvement at the launch hosted by Gideon Haigh held at Readings Carlton and it was wonderful to receive a copy of the finished product with an inscription from both Brett and Martin McKenzie-Murray. However I did wonder whether it would feel right to review Sirens, given my personal involvement and deep knowledge of one of the key subjects. It's been a few months and I've finally decided that yes, I will try and review Sirens objectively, while openly disclosing my bias.

It was clear at the book launch that Australian author and journalist Martin McKenzie-Murray is a literary intellectual and brought those skills to bear when he viewed the world of first responders and the lives of these three subjects - Peter, Brett and Tara - through that critical journalistic lens.

In a helpful message to the reader at the beginning of the book, the author lets us know that difficult subjects are going to be recounted and helpfully provides a list of support services available in Australia. However the Introduction that followed instantly felt self-indulgent. As a journalist, I thought the author was going to largely leave himself out of this examination, yet he is front and centre from page one with a recurring nightmare, anxiety, intrusive memories, sexual abuse and his eventual PTSD diagnosis.

This background does serve to explain how the author became interested in first responders and their career inducing PTSD, but this could just as easily have come at the end.

Peter James is a retired paramedic living in Tasmania and is the first to be introduced. Peter was involved in the aftermath of the Port Arthur massacre in 1996 and was one of the paramedics supporting trapped miners Todd Russell and Brant Webb in the Beaconsfield disaster in 2006.

Amongst tales of Peter's trip to Scotland, I was confused when the author started writing about William Wordsworth and John Keats, even going so far as to include poetry from Wordsworth and an excerpt from a letter by Keats. I'm sure the connection was relevant from McKenzie-Murray's standpoint, but it seemed off track and completely irrelevant to this reader.

Further on there's a lot of content about Simon Webb, a Clinical Psychologist working with emergency personnel, including involvement at Port Arthur with Peter. Presumably introduced to offer another viewpoint on Peter's experiences, the reader didn't then need to learn about Webb's upbringing, career in the Army, injuries in the Vietnam war and his own subsequent PTSD. I certainly didn't care to know about Webb's 3 failed marriages, where he lived at the time of writing or how he spent his spare time. I understand the author had his own relationship with Simon Webb, but the detailed account of his illness and subsequent passing and funeral didn't seem to have anything to do with the overarching purpose of the book, other than Peter and Martin's shared history and desire to honour a man they both respected.

Relying on black humour and drinking to cope with the trauma experienced as a Paramedic, Peter retired in 2019 and continues to suffer the devastating effects of PTSD.

Book launch (L-R):
Martin McKenzie-Murray, Brett Kersten,
Peter James and Tara Lal

Moving on to Brett's section of the book, the author takes care discussing Brett's difficult childhood, even going so far as to call it Dickensian. Brett and his younger brother were abandoned as children when his mother took off with their sister and left them to fend for themselves with an alcoholic father who was rarely home. Brett and his brother lived rough on the streets of Queensland before eventually being institutionalised in the Christian Brothers’ orphanage in South Melbourne.

Where Brett's experience of this traumatic upbringing morphed into a respect for authority and led him to join the Australian Regular Army and later the Victoria Police, his brother developed a deep distrust of authority and they subsequently drifted apart. As with the inclusion of Simon Webb in Peter's section of the book, the relevance of Brett's brother Adam beyond this point was questionable.

Always striving to live a life of service to others and his community, it was these shared values and career in the ADF and Victoria Police that strengthened my friendship with Brett in the early days and thankfully they shine in this book.

Brett used dark humour as a coping mechanism early on - as did his colleagues - but in the book the author recounts an occasion where an attempt at black humour aimed at easing the distress of a junior colleague missed the mark.

"I wondered if Brett wasn't also trying to induct his partner into a world where a calloused familiarity with the obscene was not only necessary but expressed with cowboy puerility. In my experience, coppers have both a fierce belief in the usefulness of black humour and a zealous sense of entitlement to its use. And with good reason. In a profession that exposes its members to macabre destructions, they don't appreciate outsiders policing their humour." Page 126-127

For some readers this won't show Brett in a good light and while the author repeatedly confirmed - at the book launch - he didn't set out to write a hagiography, I didn't believe this inclusion was necessary. It's not the only unfavourable scene to feature in the book, Peter is shown in an uncomplimentary scene as well.

Tara Lal is the final of the three subjects and joined the NSW Fire Brigade training college in 2005. The following anecdote reminded me of my own training when she was describing how much trainees sweated during the 'hot cell' training, which involved navigating an intensely heated metal maze wearing full gear while blindfolded.

"Tara would later remove her boots and pour the stuff out like she was tipping a jug of beer". Page 148

Sounds intense doesn't it? (I did NBCD training in the Royal Australian Navy and never sweated that much). Tara also experienced more grief and heartbreak than most in her life which made it downright gobsmacking when the author introduced writer JG Ballard into her narrative. We're told about his experience as a prisoner of war - like the author's grandfather, is that the reason for the inclusion? - the death of Ballard's wife, his drinking and his writing. All of this was hugely jarring and if it was an attempt to provide respite from the heavy content of Tara's story or the book as a whole, all it did was deliver a juxtaposition I found deeply distracting and somewhat indulgent.

"I'm aware of the risk, as I write this book, of numbing you, the reader, with a repetitive anthology of carnage. I'm sensitive to leavening it, truncating it, and removing things altogether. I'm sensitive to your notional appetites and stamina, as I'm sensitive to the elements of crafting a book - of building and releasing tension, for example, but also of handling macabre material in a manner that neither corrupts it, nor alienates you." Page 134

Tara retired after 20 years service and I was impressed by how much she has changed in the time since. Learning to let go of the desire for structure, stability and control and her ability to accept life's uncertainty and chaos is truly inspiring.

In conclusion, there's too much of the author in Sirens. Even in the Afterword, McKenzie-Murray largely writes about his grandfather, gives us an interesting story from his time working with Victoria Police better placed earlier and four pages about Ernest Hemingway. Every writer deeply inhabits their project, however it felt to me that a sharp editor should have plucked out the personal content and encouraged the author to set that aside for another day. The lofty writing style also seemed incongruous with the three subjects and their chosen professions.

Instead I'd have preferred the focus to remain on the physical and psychological effects of the often terrible work first responders are called on to do each and every day. As a journalist, McKenzie-Murray was uniquely positioned to seek advice as to how we as members of the public can be kinder to the first responders we come in contact with. He could also have interrogated the ways in which we can learn lessons from the past and better manage the workplace stresses of these roles. Reading their stories I wanted to know how and what we should be advocating for to improve the career prospects of future paramedics, police officers and fire fighters.

I'm reading a book now about sleep and in it the author writes that if first responders drink alcohol after a traumatic shift, work long hours without a break - like Peter did at Port Arthur - and don't get an adequate amount of sleep required to clear the emotions from the events of that day, they will develop PTSD symptoms from just that one shift for the rest of their lives. The fact they do this on a regular basis explains how first responders are often crippled by PTSD by the end of their careers, if not before. This is an entirely new way of thinking and requires a significant cultural shift in all three emergency services and I'd loved to have seen the author discuss matters like this in Sirens in a 'where to from here' approach.

Instead I was left with little hope for the future of those who often meet people on the worst day of their lives.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

Holy Days Winners Announced

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway to win 1 of 2 double passes to see Holy Days. The movie opens in cinemas this week and everyone correctly identified that Holy Days is a comedy set in New Zealand.

The giveaway closed at midnight last night and I drew the two lucky winners today. Congratulations go to:

Thomas & Diana

Congratulations Thomas and Diana, you're both off to the cinema thanks to Kismet Movies. But don't worry, you don't have to go together, you've each won a double pass to see Holy Days valued at $40 so you can go with a friend or family member. I'll be emailing your tickets shortly and hope you enjoy the film.

Carpe Librum!

Review: Chasing Evil by Robert Hilland and John Edward

Chasing Evil - Shocking Crimes, Supernatural Forces, and an FBI Agent's Search for Hope and Justice by Robert Hilland, John Edward and Natasha Stoynoff might end up being my favourite audiobook of 2026, although we still have a few months before the end of the year.

Written from the first-person perspective of Robert (Bob) Hilland, Chasing Evil is largely about his career as an FBI Agent. In the late 1990s, Hilland was working on the cold case of serial killer John Smith when he noticed the rise of John Edward's popularity as a psychic on the radio.

A resolute skeptic convinced of Smith's guilt but desperate for new leads on the case, Hilland reached out and made an appointment to see psychic medium John Edward. The year was 1998, and he took along a number of items belonging to a missing woman from the case and threw in some control items from female colleagues as a test of sorts. At the end of the meeting, Hilland's entire world view had shifted. John Edward identified the control items immediately and communicated information that he couldn't possibly have known, making Bob a believer in the spirit world in a matter of hours.

John agreed to work with Bob on the condition that his involvement was off the books and completely off the record. This surprised Hilland - thinking John would want to capitalise on the involvement to boost his reputation and profile - but readily agreed. We're told that this reluctance of Edward's came from a fear of disappointing or embarrassing his father who worked in the NYPD and who had asked him not to work with Police.

Reading a book about their collaboration naturally made me wonder how they went from keeping John's involvement secret to his agreement to be the subject and co-author of this book, but unfortunately this change was never explained. In the face of this glaring omission I can only assume John felt more comfortable for his work with the FBI to become public following his father's death, but this is pure supposition.

Hilland worked on a number of cases in his career but it's fair to say John Smith was his white whale, and was responsible for multiple deaths and disappearances. Chasing Evil was published in 2025, and I had to exercise a huge amount of self discipline and restraint not to look up the cases he was investigating to find out what happened. Instead, I waited for Hilland to tell me as the book unfolded and ended up listening at additional times during the day in order to hasten the process.

The audiobook is narrated by Hilland and Edward and early on there seemed to be a lot of sound effects added - creepy music, the sound of writing on a whiteboard - but thankfully these featured less and less as the audiobook went on. Co-author and collaborator Natasha Stoynoff helped to bring both of their experiences together in the book which felt cohesive and flowed exceptionally well.

Throughout his career, John's psychic ability helped Bob find bodies, make arrests and close cases. They worked so closely together that after 25 years they became as close as brothers. It was a touching relationship developed over a shared interest in fighting against evil and I got the sense they chased evil together; making the title entirely appropriate.

I read and enjoyed Crossing Over by John Edward in 2011 and have seen him perform live in Melbourne several times. I eventually stopped going or reading any more of his books because I found his delivery style a little arrogant. He's so confident in his gift, and he receives and delivers his information so quickly that he often comes across to me as insensitive. With so many people wanting readings and so many spirits hounding him to be heard, I imagine the pressure to be something akin to being an author in a signing line with a massive queue and a tonne of fans on his side of the desk pushing and shoving for his attention. In an environment like this he's unlikely to stop and pause and have meaningful interactions with a select few people, but prioritise quantity over quality but the end result can seem a little uncaring. Not long after finishing this book I saw that John Edward is returning to Melbourne in December and after reading this book and admiring his work again, it felt like the perfect time to go and see him. I can't wait.

Chasing Evil by Robert Hilland and John Edward is highly recommended for fans of true crime, skeptics and believers alike and I loved it!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

WIN 1 of 2 Double Passes to see Holy Days

* Giveaway courtesy of Kismet Movies *

Intro

Can you smell popcorn? That's because I'm back again with more movie tickets up for grabs for lucky Carpe Librum readers. Holy Days is a comedy set in New Zealand starring Miriam Margolyes, Judy Davis and Jacki Weaver based on the book by the same name written by Kiwi author Dame Joy Cowley.

Holy Days is in cinemas from 6 August 2026 and I've teamed up with Kismet Movies to give away 2 double passes for the film valued at $40 per double pass. Enter below and you could be off to the movies!

Synopsis

In 1970s New Zealand, young Brian is devastated by the loss of his mother and determined to stop his dad from marrying the woman he sees as her replacement. Convinced he can reach his mother through prayer and penance, Brian finds refuge at a run-down convent with three delightfully eccentric elderly nuns. But when he overhears plans to shut the convent down and split the sisters apart, sending the most vulnerable to a terrifying institution, Brian sparks an unlikely mission: escape to the Southern Alps to find a former nun-turned-lawyer who might just save them all. For Brian, it’s more than a legal battle—he believes this is the miracle he’s been praying for, a chance to reunite with his mother atop the sacred mountain, Aoraki.

What follows is a wild, hilarious, and heartwarming road trip as a boy and three nuns face down their fears, outwit crooked officials, lose a sister to fishmongers, and even cash a bet shop win, all while racing against time to save their beloved convent. With its soul firmly planted in faith, family, and fierce loyalty, Holy Days is a joyful comedy packed with heart, humour, and high-speed hijinks. It’s a story about letting go, holding on, and finding home in the most unexpected places.

You can check out the trailer here and find out more details about the movie including which cinemas will be playing the film here.

Giveaway

This giveaway has now closed. It was open to entrants in Australia and entries closed at midnight AEST Sunday 2 August 2026. The double passes will be emailed, enabling the lucky winners to plan and attend the screening from the opening day onwards. Thanks to Kismet Movies for the giveaway and good luck!

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Madman's Gallery by Edward Brooke-Hitching

The Madman's Gallery - The Strangest Paintings, Sculptures and Other Curiosities from the History of Art by Edward Brooke-Hitching is an exploration of art through time, beginning in 38,000BC right up to 2021 and comprises drawings, paintings, sculptures and more. The author makes clear what the reader can expect to find in this illustrated book:

"While the bulk of art history books focus on the revolutionary and traditionally revered works, The Madman's Gallery is intended to offer an alternative guided tour of art history, focusing instead on the oddities, the forgotten, the freakish, all with stories that offer glimpses of the lives of their creators and their eras." Page 10

As I was reading the first half of the book, I didn't think it was an eccentric exploration of the strangest artwork and oddities ever made, but now that I've finished I can begin to appreciate the collection as a whole.

The Portrait of Gregor Baci - who was a Hungarian nobleman impaled with a lance during a jousting tournament but who shockingly lived another year with the sawn-off piece of wood entering his right eye and exiting through his neck - sent me off to Wikipedia to find out more.

Looking at the portrait of Federico Da Montefeltro by Piero Della Francesca it's impossible not to notice the notch missing from the top of his nose. The initial injury was the result of a jousting accident in 1450, where an opponent's lance pierced his helmet, shattered his nasal bridge and caused the loss of his right eye. According to historical accounts and medical historians, Federico intentionally had surgeons amputate the remaining bridge of his nose to widen the visual field of his remaining left eye. Jousting is dangerous people!

Religious artworks abound in this collection, and predictably the work of Hieronymus Bosch is included and later the controversial and highly offensive 'work' of Andres Serrano (Immersion) was mentioned but thankfully not included in the book.

I couldn't help wondering what 17th century viewers made of The Miraculous Lactation of St Bernard (1645-52) where Alonso Cano depicted the moment when the twelfth-century St Bernard received a miraculous stream of breast milk from a statue of the Virgin Mary. To me it looks both offensive and utterly ridiculous, making it an understandable inclusion in The Madman's Gallery.

I greatly enjoyed learning about Mr Barker's monster panoramas that caused Queen Charlotte to vomit into a lace handkerchief in Leicester Square in London 1794. They were gargantuan hand-painted 360 degree panoramas that spanned 250m2 and they gave the Georgian population of the time the equivalent of a virtual reality experience as they viewed the various city views, landscapes and battle scenes making some viewers feel queasy.

Francisco Goya's Black Paintings which includes the famous Saturn Devouring His Son (1819-1823) that so shocked and interested me at High School is also included.

However a new to me painting was The Coronation of Ines De Castro in 1361 (c.1849) by Pierre Charles Comte which captures the crowning of the wife of the King of Portugal, four years after her death. The King at the time ordered his deceased wife's body to be exhumed and crowned four years after her death in order to legitimise their children together. What a bizarre event and it definitely makes for a strange painting.

In more recent works, The Artist is Present performed by Marina Abramovic in 2010 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York is included and became the subject of The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose years later.

The Madman's Gallery - The Strangest Paintings, Sculptures and Other Curiosities from the History of Art by Edward Brooke-Hitching paints a good picture that will appeal to readers with an interest in art and art history. I'm glad I read it, but I think I preferred his other book, The Madman's Library - The Strangest Books, Manuscripts and Other Literary Curiosities from History.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

Review & How To Read S by Doug Dorst and J.J. Abrams

Have you ever held a book in your hands and not known how to read it? I have and it was a completely new experience. S was written by Doug Dorst but it was conceived by J.J. Abrams (Lost, Fringe) and the author is often listed as Dorst or Abrams or both.

Brace yourself because it's about to become complicated. The book is called S and consists of a hardback book called Ship of Theseus by V.M. Straka. (Confused yet?) Inside this beautifully produced hardback edition of Ship of Theseus are margin notes between two people, Eric and Jen.

You can easily identify the contributors from their handwriting style, and the first margin notes in pencil belong to Eric, then Jen finds the book and begins to leave her notes. As the book continues, the colour of ink they use changes several times, indicating the point in time at which they left their comments, some of which are even on the same page. You can think of this as a long conversation between two people over time as they leave their comments inside the book in the library for the other person to pick up. You also need to suspend your disbelief that two students would continue their protracted conversation in this time consuming and convoluted fashion rather than moving to a texting platform.

The conversation discusses the book within a book Ship of Theseus and the author Straka in addition to their personal lives and are colour coded as follows:

• Eric's notes before meeting Jen are in pencil.
• Eric is then using black ink and Jen's replies are in blue ink.
• Eric than uses green ink and Jen uses orange.
• Eric changes to red and Jen uses purple ink.
• Finally, Eric and Jen both use black ink.

As if that wasn't enough, throughout the book are various inserts that further add to the story. They include items like postcards, letters, newspaper cuttings, photographs and even a napkin. When I bought the book it came in a lovely slip case and the items were evenly dispersed throughout the book. I tried to keep them from falling out when I started reading but it soon became apparent that was going to be impossible. I frustratingly considered making a list detailing the page number location for each item but thankfully a helpful reader had already done that. (Check out the Ship of Theseus Wiki where you can see each of the inserts and if you zoom in you can see the margin notes between Eric and Jen).

Oh, and did I mention there are also footnotes? THIS is why I had no idea where to start reading S. When considered as a whole, S is a genre busting and revolutionary interactive book and puzzle in one and it's been staring me down on my bookshelf for far too long.

I wondered if I should read Ship of Theseus first. Should I read the margin notes as I go, or read the colour coded conversations in chronological order? Should I look at the inserts at the relevant page or study them at the end?

I'm not kidding when I say that I had to turn to Dr Google and found that those who love this book recommend reading Ship of Theseus first, without marginalia or inserts. Some reviewers recommend reading S a total of 4-6 times in order to fully appreciate it, Ship of Theseus first, then again with the first coloured margin notes, then again with the following coloured marginalia and inserts and so on. Phew!

So it was with a great deal of trepidation that I began reading and what I discovered immediately is that my eyes naturally drifted to the comments from Eric and Jen in the margins. I couldn't help it! I also found myself reading the footnotes and their abstract nature and tiny font annoyed me.

The basic plot is that the protagonist has amnesia, and finds himself kidnapped and taken to a ship. Those familiar with the ancient Greek paradox that questions whether an object remains the same if all components of it are completely replaced over time will be nodding in recognition. If every part of a ship is removed and replaced is it still the same Ship of Theseus? And if a ship is constructed from the parts removed, is that also the Ship of Theseus? And if so, which is the true Ship of Theseus?

Our protagonist ends up on this ship that is constantly changing but I didn't find an answer to this thought experiment because the plot was too bizarre. On a quest from the beginning to find out who he is and where he's from, the protagonist struggles to survive and ends up fighting what he considers to be a just cause. And then at the end he decides he no longer cares who he was/is, ummm WTF?

There were some moments of good writing I enjoyed, like this character observation about a newly met companion:

"Osfour has kept up a steady patter of nonsense (bland and meandering stories about people S. does not know, complaints about his digestive health, and exegeses on the volatile price of a particular tea and the aphrodisiac qualities of a particular wine), the constancy of which S has come to find companionable." Page 231

While all of this is happening, Eric and Jen are discussing the author V.M Straka and exploring a conspiracy theory as to the true identity of the reclusive left-wing writer.

"What does it all add up to, this farrago of images and words and voices and lives and nonsense and rants and fever-dreams and soliloquies and abject lies? What is he making, line by line, page by page?" Page 310

This quote from the book pretty much sums up the entire reading experience for me. I love the detailed concept of a central story, the layered conversations between two readers in the margins along with the intriguing variety of inserts, however the plot was too fantastical and impenetrable for me to become invested.

I'm guessing the moral is to fight against evil wherever we find it, and even if we don't believe we can stop it, every individual should at least try. You could apply this universal message to politics, environment and conflict throughout the world, but once I realised I didn’t particularly enjoy the central story, I found I had very little interest in pursuing Eric and Jen’s conversations about the book or their interest in the author’s identity or associated conspiracy. Nor did I want to spend more valuable reading time exploring this another 3-4 times just in case I was missing a transformational reading experience.

The production value alone is worth buying this book and why it'll remain proudly on my bookshelves but ultimately I've decided not to continue the reading process.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

Scammers continue to target Carpe Librum

It's come to my attention that the fraudulent behaviour identified back in April in my announcement entitled Important Notice: Fraudulent Behaviour is still happening.

The scammers have changed tactics and email addresses but the scam is essentially the same. They're contacting authors and providing a letter of engagement offering paid collaborations in my name, Tracey Allen, Carpe Librum. The scammers are offering four strategic partnership tiers starting at $275 for an 'essential visibility package', $500 for a 'strategic feature package', $750 for a 'premium amplification package' and $1,250 for an 'elite literary authority partnership'.

I'm listing all of their phoney packages and prices here in the hope that more authors Googling my name will come across this post and realise it's an elaborate scam before parting with a single cent of their hard earned money.

I can proudly say I’ve never charged an author a single dollar, but to know these low-lives are still out there scamming authors for outrageous amounts of money in my name is infuriating.

Please let me be clear, I only communicate using the following email address: tracey@carpelibrum.net so if you receive an email from carpelibrum415@gmail.com, carpelibruim@gmail.com or any other email address please treat it as suspicious.

Okay, I think I need to take a few deep breaths now and let you get back to your bookish content while I go and attempt to make a start on a few outstanding book reviews.

Carpe Librum!

Review: Castles in the Air by Judy Corbett

Castles in the Air - The Restoration Adventures of Two Young Optimists and a Crumbling Old Mansion by Judy Corbett charts the process of renovating Gwydir Castle located in North Wales. When the couple first purchased this fortified manor house, it was a derelict home to animals, chickens, horses, birds and bats, yet Judy Corbett and her husband Peter Welford had a vision to restore the 500 year old property to its former glory.

Before finding and purchasing Gwydir, the couple had visited several properties and I enjoyed hearing the method by which the author decided if a potential house was suitable to live in.

"The yardstick by which I measured the suitability of any potential house was whether I could imagine myself reading in it. Gwidr was unquestionably a reader's house." Chapter 1

What follows is a description of the renovation process, which began with clearing up the debris left behind from the period the property was used as a nightclub for raves. With a limited budget, the couple do most of the work themselves and Corbett shares how they slowly begin to make money by offering tours of the castle.

The research involved in tracking down historical furniture and wall paneling belonging to Gwydir and sold off at different points in history was inspiring. Some of the furniture has been re-purchased or donated and I found it particularly interesting that the 1640s dining room panelling was located in a warehouse in New York. It was subsequently returned and reinstalled in 1998, however, the 16th century panelling from the oak parlour is still missing and I admired the author's dogged determination to track it down.

I was disappointed when the couple decided not to inform the local police when they unearthed a human skull during the renovation in the cellar. At the time of writing at least the skull sits in Peter's room waiting to be painted and is the focus of a memento mori display, complete with roses and hourglass. I found this to be in poor taste and would have better understood if they'd left it where it was found, rather than handling it and taking it upstairs to be studied. I did enjoy the - unrelated - section about the ghost though.

Published in 2004, I recently watched an interview with the author Judy Corbett - primarily so that I could take a look at the magnificent property - and immediately noticed she doesn't sound like the audiobook narrator at all! Castles in the Air is narrated by the prolific Charlotte Strevens who has a refined and posh sounding accent (at least to my ears) and it gave me the impression the author was a generation or two older and potentially from a wealthy upper class background. Don't get me wrong, the narrator did a terrific job but I didn't understand the reason for this creative direction.

Castles in the Air by Judy Corbett was a comfort listen and will appeal to those interested in Welsh history, Tudor architecture, structural renovation and interior restoration.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

The Utility Belt Series Winners Announced

Thanks to everyone who entered my prize pack giveaway for The Utility Belt series by Sharon Giltrow. The two main characters in the series are Samara Rubin and Toby King, but there were a few incorrect answers and subsequent disqualifications so perhaps I made the question too difficult. I'll keep that in mind for next time.

The giveaway closed at midnight last night and the winners were drawn today. The two lucky winners are (drum roll):

Giovanna & Sharah

Congratulations! You've each won a prize pack valued at $35AUD containing a signed copy of Samara Rubin and The Utility Belt (Book 1), signed copy of Toby King and The Utility Belt (Book 2) and bookmarks thanks to the author, Sharon Giltrow.

You'll each receive an email from me shortly so that you can provide your postal address so start thinking about any inscriptions you might want inside your books and congratulations on your win. I hope your junior readers enjoy the series.

Carpe Librum!

Review: Atlas of Paranormal Places by Evelyn Hollow

Atlas of Paranormal Places - A Journey to the World's Most Supernatural Places by Evelyn Hollow is broken down into the following chapters: Haunted Places, Witchcraft, Sacred Sites, Myths & Legends, Strange Nature, and finally Cryptids & Creatures.

There's only one place listed for Australia, and I thought it would be the Devil's Pool, Babinda Boulders in Queensland but it's not. I'd never heard of Wycliffe Well in the Northern Territory but it's included in this atlas for its connection to UFO sightings, spies and ancient spiritual worship.

The atlas includes several locations familiar to this reader like the Catacombs in Paris, the Winchester Mystery House in California USA, Pendle Hill in Lancashire England, the Hanging Coffins of Sagada in the Philippines, Aokigahara Forest in Japan and the Door to Hell in Turkmenistan.

It was also nice to see the inclusion of Scotland's Bannockburn House in this collection as it was featured in the filming of the fantastic Outlander series.

However my favourite discovery of the book was that of Burg Eltz in Germany. Describing this twelfth century medieval German castle as a fairytale castle is an understatement. The home of the Eltz family for more than 800 years, it contains the ghost of a young woman who defended her home from an unwanted suitor and paid for her bravery with her life. Burg Eltz is one of the most wondrous castles I've ever seen and the photos on their website showcases the stunning grandeur of its architecture.

True to its name, the Atlas of Paranormal Places includes a world map at at the beginning of the book with each of the locations marked. Then each separate entry features a map page indicating the specific location of the place being described. My hardback edition borrowed from the library contained suitably themed end papers although I wish there were more photos included.

The Atlas of Paranormal Places - A Journey to the World's Most Supernatural Places by Evelyn Hollow enables the inquisitive reader to journey to paranormal places and explore geographic curiosities around the world, all from the safety of home.

And if you like the sound of this, you might also enjoy reading the Atlas of Improbable Places - A Journey to the World's Most Unusual Corners by Travis Elborough.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

Middle Grade Giveaway: The Utility Belt Series by Sharon Giltrow

Intro

I promised another giveaway and this time I've teamed up with Romi from Books On Tour PR & Marketing to bring you not one but two middle grade prize packs! Enter below for your chance to win.

The Utility Belt series is written by Sharon Giltrow and illustrated by Thu Vu and it's a speculative junior fiction series with magical tools, cute sidekicks and a 'super' family.

Recommended for readers aged 6-12, each prize pack includes:

• Signed copy of Samara Rubin and The Utility Belt (Book 1)
• Signed copy of Toby King and The Utility Belt (Book 2)
• Bookmarks

Giveaway

This Carpe Librum giveaway has now closed. Thanks to the author Sharon Giltrow for providing these prize packs valued at $35 AUD each. The giveaway was open internationally and entries closed midnight AEST on Sunday 12 July 2026.

Carpe Librum!

Review: Tudor Fashion by Eleri Lynn

I've had Tudor Fashion by Eleri Lynn on my virtual TBR for - ahem - years but when I started reading Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel back in January, I thought it was finally time to request it from my local library. Eleri Lynn is the former curator of the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection at Historic Royal Palaces and if the name rings a bell, that's because I recently reviewed another of her books Underwear - Fashion in Detail.

During the 1500s, dress was a form of competitive magnificence and was regularly reported on across the continent by ambassadors. And it's thanks to these letters that we have some detailed descriptions of the clothes being worn at court, particularly by the reigning monarch.

During the Tudor period (1485-1603), Sumptuary Laws were still in place and every member of society knew what they were - and were not - permitted to wear, creating clear class divides. However, a book about Tudor fashion is obviously going to focus on the most exquisite fabrics, needlework, embellishments, jewels and accessories of the time as that's where the level of craftsmanship is at its highest.

Much of what we know about fashion in the Tudor period - and earlier - has been obtained by studying the portraits painted at the time. To this end, several artworks are included in the book and serve to complement various descriptions of garments, jewels and accessories. Also included are photographs of several exhibits held by the V&A Museum, Historic Royal Palaces and other Trusts, museums and galleries around the world.

Given my motivation for exploring Tudor Fashion while reading Wolf Hall, I was thrilled to see the portrait of Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex painted by Hans Holbein the Younger. Wolf Hall is about the life of Cromwell and this very portrait features in Mantel's book. Lynn also explains that Cromwell avoided the trappings of his station and instead chose to dress as a simple lawyer in black robes as he was not born into nobility.

I love reading about the Tudor period in particular but was still shocked to read just how enormous the Tudor household was.

"The Tudor household was vast: Henry VIII's numbered 1,500 at its height. The household consisted of three sections: the household above stairs, which fell under the control of the Lord Chamberlain; the household below stairs, which was presided over by the Lord Steward; and the stables, which was overseen by the Master of the Horse." Page 109

Fascinating isn't it? Lynn goes into further detail, outlining which staff were assigned to which areas of the household, who was entitled to wear livery and how it was produced and funded.

I thoroughly enjoyed the detailed section about dressing a Tudor lady or queen and given women didn't wash their hair often, I appreciated this insight as to how they kept their hair from becoming greasy:

"A combing cloth was then placed over her shoulders while her hair was rubbed with a warm cloth to remove grease and dandruff, then combed. A ready-styled and dressed wig would then be put on her hair." Page 137

It was also a nice reminder - for me - to read how crucial pins were in Tudor dress. Pins were the primary means of holding the various layers of clothing together and in 1559, 24,000 pins of different sizes were supplied to Queen Elizabeth I, with similar numbers provided every 6 months. In How To Be a Tudor by Ruth Goodman I learned that pins from this era are still being found in the Thames today and in Mudlarking - Lost and Found on the River Thames by Lara Maiklem, the author explained that pins accumulate and wash together in tangled metallic nests and that they're one of her favourite treasures to find because they're so ordinary.

Tudor Fashion by Eleri Lynn is an informative and enjoyable read and will appeal to those with an interest in fashion, history, conservation, art and the Tudor period.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

Review: Rite of Spring by Kris Kneen

* Copy courtesy of Transit Lounge *

Miranda and Richard answer an advertisement in a nature magazine and agree to stay on an island off the coast of Tasmania for a period of six months. They'll be taking over from the previous caretakers but otherwise they'll be on their own in the remote wilderness the entire time. Taking all of their own supplies, the couple will be responsible for looking after the automated lighthouse and recording regular weather observations.

Miranda is recovering from a near death experience and the couple is reeling from Richard's infidelity. The environment is hostile, with winds so fierce that animals blow off the cliffs and down onto the rocks below. Yet somehow Miranda and Richard believe the seclusion, shared experience and time together will offer them the chance to heal their marriage. Yeah right! Obviously things were going to go wrong but I could never have guessed how.

Miranda is a Marine Biologist with a love of the ocean and spreadsheets.

"Keeping spreadsheets was not enough to distract her. She had revelled in the sorting and labelling of their produce, bought sticky labels for the bags, noting the date of drying, the variety of apple or pear or orange. She listed the total weight on each bag. When she had sealed one she lined it up next to all the others. The various colours and shapes were pleasing. This task appealed to something in her nature, perhaps the same thing that had drawn her to a career in marine biology." Page 21

The beginning of the book was easily my favourite part. Their arrival at the island demonstrates just how remote and cut off from the rest of the world they are, and the list of maintenance items was enormous. The weather takes a toll on every fixture and fitting and they're both energised by the physical challenges ahead. I especially enjoyed Miranda's planning for their trip.

"Her skills were easily transferrable to the planning for the island. She had measured out each meal - breakfast, lunch and snacks - planning them six months in advance, adding a few extra weeks of food in case the weather turned and stranded them on the island for longer than expected." Page 15

Getting set up and unpacking their supplies as the wind was howling outside my own bedroom window made me wish I could watch all of this unfolding on the big screen. Their optimism burst from the page and I was quick to share it. However, it soon becomes apparent Miranda is going through a lot more than first realised; she's physically recovering from a nasty accident, going through menopause and was already a person in flux.

It would be a spoiler to mention how things shift, but I can tell you there's a lot of sex in the book. If you're uncomfortable reading graphic sex scenes - and I'm not - then this is not for you. Having said that, the narrative goes further than just lots of sex and I think I'd call it dark erotica bordering on erotic horror.

There's quite a lot of poetry included in the book but much of it felt personal to the author and I had trouble connecting it to the narrative. There's also a heavy emphasis on Miranda feeling a lack of belonging her entire life and being different from everyone else that I couldn't relate to. It made me wonder if perhaps this was more of the author bleeding through into the character on the page.

And what's with the cover? I love the cover design, it's suggestive, erotic and intriguing but having read the book I can't see the relevance whatsoever. While the conditions are frigid, Miranda does take her clothes off on quite a few occasions however this isn't her body type. The reader is frequently reminded that Miranda is overweight:

"Miranda's body held its own in his company. She was corporeal. Short but fat, sturdy. She weighed more than he did, even though he was easily a head and shoulders taller than her." Page 175

After that one description - and there's plenty more - it's clear the woman on the cover is not Miranda. I also have no idea what the significance of the blackberries and blackberry juice smeared on her abdomen is all about. Perhaps it's suggestive or evocative of blood and something to do with menstruation but the torso of the woman doesn't look menopausal. It's a great cover, I just didn't understand the relevance.

The author mentioned in a recent interview that the idea for the book came after their friend sent them an ad just like this, thinking Kris might consider it a writing retreat of sorts. The position didn't appeal but they took the idea and ran with it and I hope the friend passes on more ads in the future.

I originally wondered if the title of The Rite of Spring was a reference to the piece of music by Stravinsky, but in the same interview I referenced earlier, I learned there are going to be four books with themes of queerness, gender, science, nature and the supernatural; one for each season.

The ending of the book reaches an exciting climax (pun intended) although I was left with unanswered questions in the denouement about the supernatural element. The Rite of Spring by Kris Kneen is dark erotic Australian fiction and will appeal to literary readers open to self discovery, sex and the supernatural.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

Review: Devil Mountain by Inessa Jackson

* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *

Devil Mountain is a debut novel by Inessa Jackson and the author has certainly made an arresting entrance into the somewhat crowded scene of Australian crime fiction.

Based in Sydney, Detective Sergeant Anastasia Brown is reeling from an unjust workplace suspension when she's sent to Stony Creek - a small town in NSW - to investigate the murder of a local GP. Pairing up with local Detective Harry Frost, Ana gets a quick run down of the unusual crime scene and seeks to find out more about the victim and why someone would want to kill him.

This police procedural moves quickly and several motives are swiftly identified. I loved this phrase summing up the motives for murder and haven't heard or seen it before:

"It met the criteria for one of the most common motivations for murder: love, lust, loot and loathing." Page 38

The mountain of the title overlooks Stony Creek and forms part of the Stony Creek State Forest where lights have been seen and the vengeful spirit of a wronged woman is said to haunt the mountain for eternity. Yikes!

DS Ana Brown is an easy protagonist to cheer for as she tackles misogyny in the workplace, peels back layers of lies in the small town to reveal adultery and addiction, investigates a Wiccan coven and plunges headlong into the forest despite the reported hauntings.

Detective Harry Frost was a highlight and my favourite character and I'd love to see Ana and Harry working together again in the future if this becomes a series.

Devil Mountain by Inessa Jackson is an enjoyable Aussie noir crime novel although I wish the supernatural element was more prominent.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

Review: Five by Ilona Bannister

* Copy courtesy of Harlequin Australia & Harper Collins *

I love a book with an enticing premise, and Five by Ilona Bannister has just that. Five commuters are waiting on a train platform and in five minutes the next train to London is going to arrive and one of them is going to die. The unnamed narrator takes us away from the present so we can get to know the back stories of each of the five characters and how they came to be standing at the train platform that morning.

We're introduced to mother Emma and her out of control child Gideon, Sonny, a young man who has gambled his life away, a cranky older woman named Mrs Worth who's refusing help even though she's having a medical episode and a successful looking businessman named Liam.

"There are many other mundane but poignant details we could explore in the lives of these ordinary commuters, but we have time constraints. Let's just say that you've seen them before, on some other train platform in some other suburb, weighed down by bags and coats and unmet goals and unrealised dreams." Page 20*

As you can see, the narrator breaks the fourth wall to address the reader directly and I came to see the narrator as the author herself, occasionally breaking into the story to communicate directly with me.

I love people watching and always wonder about the lives of those passing me by; or am I passing them by? Other characters on the platform are given nicknames like Bad Back and To Do List, and while on the periphery of this story, we're also given insight as to their behaviours and choices on the train platform.

Fans of Benjamin Stevenson will love the author's sense of humour and the way in which she foreshadows precisely what will happen, leaving the reader to reach the destination on their own. The thrilling nature of the plot is supported by surprisingly deep character development and the back stories of these five flawed characters really made me sit up and take notice.

This next quote is from a scene where Liam - one of the five main characters - is sitting with his brother and mother watching TV. It's an excellent example of the author's writing style and such a relatable family moment. That moment suddenly becomes shockingly poignant and I found it very moving.

"She sips her sweet, sweet tea and thinks to herself for the thousandth time in twenty years that she really should launder those curtains, and regrets that now she won't have the chance, as a thunderclap no one else can hear explodes inside her head. The pain is immense, but she sees her Liam, so big and muscular and broad and handsome pointing at the screen and making his brother laugh. As the feeling drains from her left side, Doreen regrets that she never had the money to fix the gap between his teeth that she knows secretly bothers him, but that she has always loved. The last thing she sees before her vision is lost and another blood vessel explodes in her brain is her Danny, smiling with the box of biscuits in his lap. As her breath stops, Doreen can still hear his hoarse, gasping laugh as Liam says something rude about the lady on stage impersonating Barbra Streisand. Lads, she thinks, her lads, and the word feels like a smile. And as the mug of tea drops from her hand and her soul leaves the room, she regrets nothing at all." Page 211*

At the end of the book, the death is revealed and the narrator addresses the reader about their feelings on who survived, who died and whether there was any disappointment about the outcome. I certainly had my preference for who was going to survive and who wasn't but this fourth wall questioning was so engaging I felt sad it was all over. I also enjoyed reading about the aftermath for some of the characters and immediately wished Bannister was in a book club to discuss it all.

Five stars for Five by Ilona Bannister, very highly recommended! (Why don't you take five minutes to read a sample, you won't regret it).

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

* I read an ARC so page numbers may vary.

Review: Underwear by Eleri Lynn

I've always been curious about underwear across history and I enjoy the snippets that occasionally pop up in the books I read* but where those authors may have touched on one or two fascinating facts from history, in Underwear - Fashion in Detail by Eleri Lynn it's the author's sole focus.

Eleri Lynn is a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the book is published by V&A Publishing which tells me she's at the height of her field with access to some of the best artefacts from history. It also tells me she's more than qualified to guide the reader through an evolution of underwear in this book.

Surprisingly, this evolution doesn't follow a chronological path, and the history of underwear is instead divided into the following chapters: Covering Up, Decoration, Control and Constrict, Fastenings, Support and Uplift, Volume and Inside Out.

This did create a little content overlap from time to time but not so much that I minded and in some cases it was helpful. I did have to smile when I read about drawers and knickers which were open at the crotch and weren't common in Britain until the 19th century.

"Early drawers, called pantaloons or pantalettes (long trouser-like undergarments for women), were introduced around the beginning of the century, but were not popular as they were considered too masculine and unhygienic. They were also considered immodest because they were cut quite long and were visible below the hem of the dress." Page 20

In the middle of the century (1850s) they were cut to a mid-calf length so as not to show beneath the skirt. Contrast that level of modesty with women's leggings, bike shorts and scrunch bum shorts today and I wonder what our ancestors would have made of our modesty standards - or the lack thereof - in the 2020s.

The author highlights the constantly evolving nature of fashion, showing how corset styles and construction changed and adapted across decades and centuries. A detail I found surprising was:

"The average corset was only expected to last about a year, as even very sturdy corsets would distort with wear." Page 94

As you would expect, the photographs of the V&A exhibits were detailed although sometimes it was hard to gain an appreciation of the entire garment. The accompanying illustrations were helpful but as a layperson, I would have appreciated some indication as to the front, back and side views as they weren't always obvious to me.

I've always found the bullet or torpedo shaped bra of the 1950s a strange fashion trend, and cringe when I see photos of Marilyn Monroe wearing them under a sweater. I remember when Madonna wore the conical corset designed by Jean Paul Gaultier in 1990 and in doing so turned soft feminine lingerie into a symbol of power and domination. This book helped me understand why it was that rosy pink colour, which was the most popular colour of underwear in the early to mid 1900s. That aside, I hope the bullet shaped bra never makes a return for the masses.

Here though, the author explains that the conical shaped bra included intricate concentric stitching and required padded inserts called falsies to fill out the shape and keep them from collapsing. I hadn't given much thought as to how the look was achieved so it was fun to consider it here. I wonder what the sweater girls would have made of the silicone chicken fillet inserts popular in the 1990s.

The sports bra gets a mention, but for some reason Lynn doesn't show us the plunge bra, and includes a photograph of the 'Ultrabra Perfection' balcony bra instead which was disappointing.

"Gossard launched the Ultrabra plunge bra in 1994, with the advertising tagline: 'Ultrabra, creating the ultimate cleavage'. It was followed by additions to the range, including 'Ultrabra Perfection', 'Ultrabra Light' and the 'Ultrabra Super Boost', which launched in 1999 with the slogan: 'Biggest Cleavage EVER... Or your money back!'"

I was also surprised not to see the wonder bra or push up bra, both of which seemed like significant fashion developments in the last 50 years and worthy of inclusion in a book like this. There was also no mention of Skims and the current shapewear trend which is as popular as ever.

Underwear - Fashion in Detail by Eleri Lynn ends suddenly and doesn't offer a conclusion on shifting trends over the centuries or any observations about the future of underwear. I did wonder if that was because the Victoria and Albert Museum collection includes historical items and curators focus on the past and present perhaps but not the potential future. That may be the reason, but given her expertise, I was keen to know Eleri's thoughts on the impact of changing technology and how future fabrics and changing materials will impact the underwear we wear in the future.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

* Those interested in intimate snippets about underwear from previous books I've read, might enjoy the following:

In The Dirt on Clean - An Unsanitized History by Katherine Ashenburg we're told the the Marquis d'Argens wore a flannel under-waistcoat to keep warm in the 1700s and wouldn't take it off for fear of catching cold. It was revealed he'd worn the waistcoat for four years, but when he finally agreed to take it off, it had "so fixed itself upon him that pieces of his skin came away with it." Eeek!

In How to Behave Badly in Renaissance Britain by Ruth Goodman I learned that the long tails of shirts once acted as a barrier between the body and the trousers, essentially performing the role of underwear (or drawers) for men. Men's shirts reached down to just above the knees with a slit at both sides, so they could be tucked around one's nether regions without impeding movement. As a result, to see a man with his shirt tails hanging out was 'disgusting' and now I understand why!

More recently in The Stuff of History by Steven Moore, I read about the 14 year old boy who broke into Buckingham Palace between 1838-1841, allegedly lived there in secret by hiding in rooms and chimneys and stole a pair of Queen Victoria's underwear. I was reminded of this when reading Underwear by Eleri Lynn, when we see a pair of Queen Victoria's underwear. Historians know they were worn by the Queen as they're embroidered with her monogram.

When reading Black - The History of a Color by Michel Pastoureau I learned that white was once the most common colour of underwear but that this trend has reversed and black is now the most popular. Wearing black underwear was once transgressive but no longer draws attention the way it once did. Go figure!