Happy’s Best New Books (3rd January – 9th 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!
Olivia Yallop – Break the Internet
The influencer economy and ecosystem tend to be viewed with a mixture of bewilderment and disdain (they make all that money, how? Is that even a real job?). In Olivia Yallop’s new exploration of this cultural phenomenon, she goes far beyond the typically superficial understandings of what an influencer is — and more importantly — how to become one. A fascinating and whip-smart read, Break the Internet is for anyone who wishes to understand influencer culture and its place within the modern context.
9.5
BUY HERE
OLIVIA YALLOP
BREAK THE INTERNET
Nir Baram – World Shadow
In a work of stunning literary ambition, Nir Baram threads together seemingly disparate narratives, generations, and geographies in World Shadow. ‘World’ is operative here as it encompasses the intersectionality of geopolitics, capitalism, and discontent that frames our times.
9.5
BUY HERE
NIR BARAM
WORLD SHADOW
Nikki May – Wahala
Need a fast-paced and effortlessly entertaining yarn for your holidays? Wahala, by Nigerian-British author Nikki May will see you through. Centring on the trio of Ronke, Simi, and Boo, their perfectly imperfect lives are thrown into chaos by the arrival of an old friend — and with it — a reckoning with the past. An incisive and bitterly comedic novel that addresses race, class, and the limits of friendship.
9.2
BUY HERE
NIKKI MAY
WAHALA
Madeleine Dore – I Didn’t Do the Thing Today
Have you ever gotten through a busy workday and still felt guilty about the things you haven’t done? You’re not alone: in fact, Madeleine Dore has written a book that might help you to understand that feeling better. Divided into three sections that explore the beginnings of the day, the challenges in the middle of it, and the period of reflection at its end, I Didn’t Do the Thing Today will help you find clarity amid the clutter and patience that leads to fulfilment, rather than productivity.
9.1
BUY HERE
MADELEINE DORE
I DIDN’T DO THE THING TODAY
Marissa Meyer (editor) – Serendipity
It’s a tantalising prospect: collating 10 of the world’s best YA authors and charging them with the task of recounting romantic tropes while subverting them. The contributors to this thrilling suite have transformed love in all its forms on the page; it’s definitely a book to consider for the adventurous and creative young fiction fan in your life.
9.0
BUY HERE
MARISSA MEYER (EDITOR)
SERENDIPITY
Charlie Warzel and Anne Helen Petersen – Out Of Office
The dream (or nightmare) of remote work has become a reality for many in recent times. But where we physically do our 9-to-5 is the less interesting question: the how and why is an infinitely more intriguing philosophical quandary. Now that we’re at a point where more flexibility in work is possible, should it be pursued? How can this new way of thinking about employment be mutually beneficial to companies and workers alike? These questions and more are explored in Out Of Office.
9.1
BUY HERE
