Happy’s Best New Books (30th August – 5th September)
Updated weekly by the fine folk at Happy Mag, these are the best new books that this week has to offer from Australia and around the world!
Tilly Lawless – Nothing But My Body
Effortlessly, Tilly Lawless draws you into her world. You pick up the thread of the unnamed narrator on page one and you dare not let go until the end — the conversational prose that spills from the mind of Lawless is addictive, her observations of the sex work industry, her colleagues, her clients, are insightful. Set in the context of tumultuous contemporary Australian events, it’s a profound, lyrical journey into the true nature of human relationships.
9.5
BUY HERE
TILLY LAWLESS
NOTHING BUT MY BODY
Karen Jennings – An Island
This compact novel from the South African author Karen Jennings has been long-listed for the Booker Prize this year. Its powerful critique of colonialism is rendered through the tale of Samuel, an exiled lighthouse keeper. When a refugee lands on his remote island, everything that Samuel — now an old man — sought to escape comes rushing back into his life.
9.3
BUY HERE
KAREN JENNINGS
AN ISLAND
John Safran – Puff Piece
Vaping is rapidly gathering widespread recognition all over the world, with people, governments — even the tobacco industry itself — rightly recognising the danger of cigarettes. But have the weasel-words and PR spin simply been shuttled across to this new industry? As John Safran tells you in Puff Piece, you bet! In trademark style, Safran skewers the hypocrisy of the establishment, lifting the lid on the rebranding efforts of Big Tobacco and its slippery use of language to avoid regulation.
9.0
BUY HERE
JOHN SAFRAN
PUFF PIECE
Camilla Nelson and Catharine Lumby – Broken: Children, Parents, and Family Courts
This vital exposé invites readers into the halls of the Family Court system of Australia. Offering a view into a world of which most people remain blissfully unaware, it’s a very real account of how lives can be radically reshaped and in some cases broken by a system in urgent need of an overhaul. Readers beware — this book is confronting — but if you’re passionate about justice, you’ll be absorbed.
9.2
BUY HERE
CAMILLA NELSON AND CATHARINE LUMBY
BROKEN: CHILDREN, PARENTS, AND FAMILY COURTS
Hannah Moloney – The Good Life: How to Grow a Better World
As we wade through the murky waters of a lockdown that we still can’t see the end of, thoughts inevitably turn toward making positive adjustments to the aspects of life that we can control. Hannah Moloney’s The Good Life offers practical guidance on sustainability within your own four walls. With easy to follow tips on self-reliance, you’ll be looking at your local environment with fresh eyes.
9.0
BUY HERE
HANNAH MOLONEY
THE GOOD LIFE: HOW TO GROW A BETTER WORLD
Miles Allinson – In Moonland
The return of Melbourne author Miles Allinson after his award-winning debut, Fever of Animals, does not disappoint. In Moonland spans three generations as a man comes to grips with a mysterious family tragedy. Addressing the bonds of family through a masculine lens and layered with the context of environmental upheaval, Allinson’s new effort is ambitious and emotionally impactful.
9.0
BUY HERE
