Happy’s Best New Books (24th January – 30th January)
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!
Michael Schur – How to Be Perfect
If you like your book titles provocative and your wisdom delivered with a dollop of laughter, Michael Schur’s How to Be Perfect is a no-brainer. The showrunner for the critically acclaimed and hilarious The Good Place and writer on The Office has crammed all he’s learned about being a top bloke within the covers of this book. Together with Professor Todd May, he’s examined ethical quandaries from a variety of perspectives to explain whether or not it really is okay to tell your friend that you like her ugly shirt, or help you navigate that morally questionable, yet delicious sandwich.
BUY HERE
MICHAEL SCHUR
HOW TO BE PERFECT
Nick Blackburn – The Reactor
Penned by therapist Nick Blackburn, The Reactor: A Book About Grief and Repair is a work of intense emotional potency. On one hand, the episodic collection of memoirs is a journey through the nature of the grief that Blackburn processed after the death of his father. On the other, its depictions of human connection and its possibilities are too beautiful to be ignored.
BUY HERE
NICK BLACKBURN
THE REACTOR
Jackie Huggins – Sister Girl
An unparalleled collection from one of the nation’s most respected Indigenous historians, Sister Girl is the culmination of four decades of the work of Murri woman, Jackie Huggins. A broad scope of reflections and meditations are on offer here, including writing on identity, reconciliation, activism, as well as the intersection of feminism in Aboriginal society. A challenging and inspirational read from a formidably talented public intellectual.
BUY HERE
JACKIE HUGGINS
SISTER GIRL
Fiona Scott-Norman – Hard Knocks
High School can be a make-or-break period for anyone. In Hard Knocks by Fiona Scott-Norman, the high school adventures of 22 famous Aussies — including Adam Goodes, Mo’Ju, Christos Tsiolkas, Alice Pung, Penny Wong, and many more — are laid out in a series of impactful interviews. They tell the tales of how they survived all kinds of challenges and how some of these trials provided pivotal learning experiences.
BUY HERE
FIONA SCOTT-NORMAN
HARD KNOCKS
Nicholas Jubber – The Fairy Tellers
Fairy tales are an omnipresent feature of our personal histories — but have you ever stopped to think about where they actually come from? Some of these classics have more solid origins than others, but Nicholas Jubber’s fascinating historical book dives into the stories of the less-celebrated and sometimes altogether unknown progenitors of these tales, drawing intriguing connections between the East and West along the way.
BUY HERE
NICHOLAS JUBBER
THE FAIRY TELLERS
Brice Faraut – Saved by the Siesta
You don’t need to read a book to understand the restorative power of sleep — but what about that cheeky one you might indulge in just after lunch? Everyone’s got a theory about what’s best, but it turns out that Brice Faraut has actually figured it out! Read on to discover how you can harness the power of a good ol’ fashioned siesta to enhance your life and creative powers.
