Second Best, The Mission House, Electric Blue, One Year of Ugly and The Rare Metals War are the finest new books for an indulgent weekend of reading.
On the list for this weekend: Ben Pobjie’s ode to being a runner-up, Second Best, as well as the compelling novel from Carys Davies, The Mission House.
A uniquely oblique insight into policing is unveiled in Paul F. Verhoeven’s Electric Blue, romance with a Caribbean twist is served up in Caroline Mackenzie’s One Year of Ugly and in The Rare Metals War, Guillaume Pitron dispels the politically convenient mythology that surrounds the future of resources. Let’s check out the list.
Second Best: The Amazing Untold Histories of the Greatest Runners-up by Ben Pobjie
What of the people who dared to enter the arena, who strove to be the best, only to fall ever-so-slightly short of legendary status? Ben Pobjie hasn’t forgotten these super silver medallists. In fact, he’s dedicated a whole book to them. Via Affirm Press.
The Mission House by Carys Davies
The potential for love intersects with questions of faith in this bold yet subtle new book from the award-winning author, Carys Davies. Furthermore, it explores how the colonial past and present still co-exist in the modern world. See more at Text.
Electric Blue by Paul F. Verhoeven
Born from conversations with his ex-cop father, Paul F. Verhoeven ventures into the shady world of forensics in the NSW Police Force. A brave yet surprisingly funny deep dive into grizzly cases, with a parallel exploration of a father and son’s relationship. Via Penguin.
One Year of Ugly by Caroline Mackenzie
After escaping Venezuela and landing in Trinidad, the Palacios family find themselves in debt to Ugly — a local underworld figure. Still, Yola Palacios manages to entangle herself in a complicated web of romance — and a dangerous one at that. More details are available at Harper Collins.
The Rare Metals War: The Dark Side of Clean Energy and Digital Technologies by Guillaume Pitron
A particularly glib response to the developing climate crisis has arisen in recent years: technology is the answer. As Pitron explains, however, we’re in danger of swapping one dependence (oil) for another (rare metals). See Scribe for more.
