Happy’s Best New Books (7th February – 13th February)
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!
Siobhán McHugh – The Power of Podcasting
There’s nothing like the intimacy and narrative power of a podcast. But there are a lot out there. So how do you make your poddie stand out from the crowd? Preeminent audio scholar and award-winning podcast producer, Siobhán McHugh, has written a book for exactly that purpose. If you’re passionate about telling stories through the medium of sound, this is the book to have at your side.
BUY HERE
SIOBHÁN MCHUGH
THE POWER OF PODCASTING
Claudia Durastanti – Strangers I Know
Already a best-selling sensation in her native Italy, Claudia Durastanti’s Strangers I Know is a compelling bildungsroman and a courageous depiction of dislocation within one’s home. Bridging the gap between memoir and novel — as well as disparate cultures — Strangers I Know is alive with intensely original storytelling while packing an emotional punch.
BUY HERE
CLAUDIA DURASTANTI
STRANGERS I KNOW
Anna Qu – Made In China
An emotionally-charged memoir about migration, belonging, and family-based abuse, Made In China is a confronting read. Ultimately, though, readers are left with a profoundly enlightening experience, owing to the skill that Qu applies when unpacking the various details of her experience. A profound story whose impact can be felt on a personal and societal level.
BUY HERE
ANNA QU
MADE IN CHINA
John Keane – The Shortest History of Democracy
On a purely logical level, democracy is a bit of a no-brainer, but its existence is far from a given in many places around the world. As John Keane (whose credentials are far too numerous to list here) points out, it’s been a long and winding road for this system of representative government. In light of the seismic political events that have shaken what we’ve considered ‘stable’ democracies to the core, Keane’s fascinating overview is a prescient one.
BUY HERE
JOHN KEANE
THE SHORTEST HISTORY OF DEMOCRACY
Hélène Gaudy – A World With No Shore
Already a smash in France, A World With No Shore by Hélène Gaudy presents a powerful reimagining of historic events. A 1930 hunting expedition ventures into the Arctic and comes across the remnants of an 1897 expedition gone wrong. Gaudy’s setting of a love affair against the unforgiving yet intoxicating atmosphere of the North Pole makes for an addictive reading experience.
BUY HERE
HÉLÈNE GAUDY
A WORLD WITH NO SHORE
Weike Wang – Joan Is Okay
From the pen of Weike Wang, Joan Is Okay is a witty, sharply observed drama that follows a memorable protagonist. Joan is a committed doctor whose path to success in the States has been paved by her Chinese parents. But when Joan’s father dies, she’s forced to reconsider the balance of her life in this compassionate tale.
