SMSA (Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts)
New Book Highlights
BIOGRAPHY
| Aly, Anne | Finding my place |
| McCulloch, Janelle | Beyond the rock |
| Mitchell, Wendy | Somebody I used to know |
| Qvortrup, Matthew | Angela Merkel |
| Robertson, Geoffrey | Rather his own man |
Beyond the rock / Janelle McCulloch
Strange, moody and yet also darkly comic, Picnic at Hanging Rock has enjoyed Australian classic status for close to 50 years. Is the novel fact or fiction? The question has been long debated (it appears two girls did go missing at Hanging Rock in the late 1800s). In Beyond the Rock, author and journalist Janelle McCulloch has written a seductive biography of novelist and artist Joan Lindsay, examining her upbringing, the influences on her art, and the milieu of famous artists, politicians, diplomats and writers that formed her bohemian circle. Lindsay emerges as a keen gardener, socialiser, excessive drinker and traveller. Most likely she was bisexual. Lindsay and her husband Daryl were regularly out of money due to their penchant for extravagances and ‘ruinous fancies’. They tried to keep up appearances, but were often living in distressing poverty. Picnic at Hanging Rock was written not so much out of inspiration but rather as the result of a pressing need for cash. Sumptuously illustrated with pictures of Lindsay’s friends and her famous Mulberry Hill home, Beyond the Rock provides an intriguing portrait of an unconventional artist from an era now long gone. Fans of Picnic at Hanging Rock will find much to enjoy and savour. (Books and Publishing, 28 February 2017)
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COOKING
| Wood, Phoebe | Delicious daily |
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GARDENING
| Herd, Kate | Native |
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GENERAL FICTION
| Ackland, Jenny | Little gods |
| Ahmad, Michael Mohammed | The Lebs |
| Allan, Louise | The sisters’ song |
| Averill, Roger | Relatively famous |
| Azar, Shokoofeh | The enlightenment of the greengage tree |
| Callaghan, Helen | Everything is lies |
| Chater, Lauren | The lace weaver |
| Church, Elizabeth | All the beautiful girls |
| Cleeton, Chanel | Next year in Havana |
| Cussler, Clive | The rising sea |
| Dovey, Ceridwen | In the garden of the fugitives |
| Fitzgerald, Penelope | The bookshop |
| Foster, Sara | All that is lost between us |
| Frost, Keziah | The reluctant fortune teller |
| Genova, Lisa | Every note played |
| Gilman, Charlotte Perkins | Herland and the yellow wallpaper |
| Hamilton, Karen | The perfect girlfriend |
| Harris, Eve | The marrying of Chani Kaufman |
| Howard, Linda | The woman left behind |
| Jaffe, Meredith | The making of Christina |
| Jin, Ha | Waiting |
| Kelly, Cathy | The year that changed everything |
| Kelly, Kim | Paper daisies |
| Kerrigan, Kate | That girl |
| Ko, Lisa | The leavers |
| Kureishi, Hanif | The buddha of suburbia |
| Leal, Suzanne Maree | The teacher’s secret |
| Lippman, Laura | Sunburn |
| Mackintosh, Clare | Let me lie |
| Mangan, Christine | Tangerine |
| McCallum, Fiona | Making peace |
| McDonald, Fleur | Fool’s gold |
| Moon, Josephine | Three gold coins |
| Moriarty, Nicola | Those other women |
| Ólafsdóttir, Auður | Hotel silence |
| Overend, Sunni | The rules of backyard croquet |
| Paris, B. A. | Bring me back |
| Patton, Shirley | The secrets we keep |
| Rimmer, Kelly | Before I let you go |
| Ringland, Holly | The lost flowers of Alice Hart |
| Riwoe, Mirandi | The fish girl |
| Ryan, Chris | Global strike |
| Scott, Kim | Benang |
| Sopinka, Heidi | The dictionary of animal languages |
| Sorensen, Tracy | The lucky galah |
| Vlautin, Willy | Don’t skip out on me |
| Watt, Peter | Beneath a rising sun |
| White, Karen | The girl on Legare Street |
| Winton, Tim | The shepherd’s hut |
The enlightenment of the greengage tree / Shookoofeh Azar
Shokoofeh Azar’s The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree is a unique and profoundly moving novel, translated from Farsi by Adrien Kijek. Set in Iran, the story is narrated by thirteen-year-old Bahar as she follows the fortunes of her family in the violent aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The novel presents a richly woven magical reality Bahar’s mother attains enlightenment atop a greengage tree at the moment her son is executed; the ghosts of five thousand prisoners march down the streets of Tehran, preceded by a river of their own tears; and a fictional Ayatollah Khomeini finds himself lost underground in his own labyrinthine palace of mirrors. Drawing on techniques of classic Persian literature, and recalling aspects of South American magic realism, Azar powerfully juxtaposes the beauty of Persian culture and mythology with the brutality of a political regime responsible for the destruction of so many lives. The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree is a stunning meditation on grief and loss in the life of a family and a society by an extraordinary Australian writer. (The Stella Prize 2018)
The reluctant fortune teller / Keziah Frost
In a lakeside tourist town, 73-year-old Norbert has no way to pay the bills, thanks to mooching relatives. When self-appointed leader and busybody Carlotta learns of Norbert’s downtrodden lifestyle, she makes him her latest project. Engaging Norbert’s natural observational and empathic abilities, her ladies club teaches him how to read cards. As he tells fortunes for a small profit, he—against his better judgement—realizes he might have the supernatural gift, after all. Frost’s cast of senior citizens shine in her comical debut, especially dear, lonely Norbert, who just wants to give advice to those that need guidance, and persnickety Carlotta, who desperately strives to be the most powerful and knowledgeable person in the room. As Norbert’s readings force his clients to address their depression, secrets, and fear, the whole crew learns about friendship, honesty, and the importance of healing. For extra detail and fun, every chapter begins with a card description that foreshadows coming events. The Reluctant Fortune Teller will charm any reader looking for a sweet, witty, zany read. (Booklist, vol 114, number 12)
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HISTORICAL FICTION
| Chevalier, Tracy | The lady and the unicorn |
| Leatherdale, Julian | The opal dragonfly |
| Storrs, Elisabeth | Call to Juno |
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MYSTERY
| Box, C. J. | The disappeared |
| Bradford, Laura | Shunned and dangerous |
| Bradley, Alan | The grave’s a fine and private place |
| Bude, John | Death makes a prophet |
| Camilleri, Andrea | The pyramid of mud |
| Carter, Chris | Gallery of the dead |
| Casarett, David J. | The missing guests of the Magic Grove Hotel |
| Chesterton, G. K. | The man who was Thursday |
| Crais, Robert | The monkey’s raincoat |
| Creasey, John | Gideon’s fire |
| Ellis, Kate | The mechanical devil |
| Florio, Gwen | Under the shadows |
| Fowler, Christopher | Hall of mirrors |
| Harper, Karen | Shallow grave |
| Harrod-Eagles, Cynthia | Shadow play |
| Hebden, Mark | Pel and the Paris mob |
| Hill, Mark | The two o’clock boy |
| Indridason, Arnaldur | The shadow killer |
| Jackson, Lisa | One last breath |
| Kellerman, Jonathan | Night moves |
| Lackberg, Camilla | Girl in the woods |
| Lewis, Susan | Behind closed doors |
| Marsh, Ngaio | Money in the morgue |
| Maxwell, Alyssa | A pinch of poison |
| Maxwell, Alyssa | Murder at Marble House |
| Miscellaneous | Prague noir |
| Miscellaneous | The long arm of the law |
| Ould, Chris | The fire pit |
| Owen, L. J. M. | Egyptian enigma |
| Parsons, Tony | Girl on fire |
| Raybourn, Deanna | A treacherous curse |
| Russell, Leigh | Class murder |
| Sheridan, Sara | Operation goodwood |
| Sheridan, Sara | Russian roulette |
| Simenon, Georges | The snow was dirty |
| Todd, Charles | The gate keeper |
| Truman, Margaret | Allied in danger |
| Turton, Stuart | The seven deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle |
| Weeks, Lee | Dead of Winter |
| Woods, Stuart | Unbound |
The shadow district / Arnaldur Indridason
This outstanding series launch from Indridason opens with the police entering the Reykjavík apartment of pensioner Stefán Thórdarson, who has died in his bed, apparently of old age. The subsequent autopsy reveals that he was smothered. Only some old newspaper clippings, about a crime dating back to 1944, offer a clue, which is pursued by a retired policeman who grew up as a poor kid in the Reykjavík neighborhood that gives the book its name. Flash back to Reykjavík in 1944. The city is teeming with American soldiers, who are dating Icelandic women. One such courting couple discover the body of a young woman named Rósamunda; the two policemen who investigate determine that she was murdered. Another case, in the countryside, has similarities, and is connected to Icelandic folklore, notably the huldufólk, mythological “hidden creatures.” What happened to Rósamunda and the other woman? And what’s the link to Thórdarson’s murder? Indridason provides a great window into Icelandic culture as he explores his recurring themes of greed and abuse of power. (Publishers Weekly, November 2017)
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NON FICTION
| Crystal, David | Sounds appealing | 421.52 CRYS |
| Fitzgerald, Shirley | Terminus | 994.41 FITZ |
| Griffiths, Billy | Deep time dreaming | 994.01 GRIF |
| Hamilton, Clive | Silent invasion | 327.940 HAMI |
| McNamara, Michelle | I’ll be gone in the dark | 364.152 MCNA |
| Norwich, John Julius | Absolute monarchs | 262.13 NORW |
| Pembroke, Michael | Korea | 951.904 PEMB |
| Peterson, Jordan B. | 12 rules for life | 170 PETE |
| Tyrrell, Ian R. | River dreams | 994.41 TYRR |
River dreams / Ian Tyrrell
Ian Tyrrell has created an eloquent portrait of a river, and from unlikely material. Cooks River, in Sydney’s south-east, about 23 kilometres long, is hardly T.S. Eliot’s “strong brown god”, the Mississippi. Taking the metaphor of the river as a life’s journey, Tyrrell tells its story, emphasising the way European Australians have used the river over the years, or attempted to impose their dreams of creating society anew upon it, dreams that are often evident in place names such Tempe, with its classical allusions redolent of Arcadian ideals. But as the 19th century wears on, bringing a sugar mill and factories, polluting the water, you feel for Cooks River. In this sense it is the site through which the impact on the natural world of progress, in its many incarnations, is measured. Lyrical and astute in its reading of the river’s history, this is quite an achievement. (Sydney Morning Herald, 15 March 2018)
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SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY
| Banks, Lucy Ann | The case of the deadly doppelganger |
| Baxter, Alan | Abduction |
| Benford, Gregory | Shipstar |
| Butcher, Jim | Storm front |
| Moon, Elizabeth | Into the fire |
Frankenstein in Baghdad / Ahmed Saadawi
In perennially violent Baghdad after the American invasion, an eccentric scavenger and junk dealer called Hadi collects human body parts — of which there are always plenty lying around in the street — and takes them home to assemble into one patchwork human body. But after the wandering spirit of a guard who has been atomised in a car-bomb explosion discovers and then gratefully inhabits the patchwork corpse, Hadi returns home to find that his creation has disappeared. What follows is a series of bizarre murders and the existence of the mysterious and apparently unkillable creature, christened Whatsitsname, soon becomes public knowledge. Part absurdist horror fantasy, part grim recent world history, and part protest against sectarian violence everywhere, this book won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction and its publication in English coincides nicely with the 200th anniversary of the Mary Shelley classic. (Sydney Morning Herald, 5 April 2018)
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TRAVEL
| Miscellaneous | A Paris all your own | 944 MISC |
| Osborne, Lawrence | Bangkok days | 915.93 OSBO |
A Paris all your own / Eleanor Brown
All of the bestselling authors featured in this book have written works that feature Paris, and this lively assemblage, edited by Eleanor Brown, puts on display the personal narrative of each woman’s experience of the City of Light. Whether recalling the books about Paris that propelled Cathy Kelly to travel there, the variety of experiences gathered by Paula McLain and Therese Anne Fowler during research trips for their books, Jennifer Coburn’s mother-daughter trip, which featured an unexpected outcome, or Ellen Sussman’s exploration of how her passion for the city masked the pain and emptiness of her crumbling marriage, the essays offer tantalizing portraits of both the city’s beauty and grit. Following each essay is a brief biography of the author, listing her works, her favorite and least-favorite Paris moments, what shouldn’t be missed during a trip to Paris and what to skip, and her favorite non-Paris travel destination. What makes this collection a treat are the varying viewpoints about this singular city. Each story offers a unique vantage point for better understanding the history and culture of the city. Award-winning romance writer Megan Crane, who has written more than 60 books, three of which feature Paris, describes how meandering around the city helped her to know herself better. A quick and fun read that should delight seasoned travelers as well as those planning their first adventure to this “enormous and complex place.” (Kirkus Reviews, May 2017)
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New additions to eBooks at SMSA
EBOOKS
| Biography | Baron, Hazel | My mother, a serial killer | ||
| Biography | Welch, Wendy | The little bookstore of big stone gap | ||
| General novels | Lee, Min Jin | Pachinko | ||
| General novels | Moriarty, Nicola | Those other women | ||
| General novels | Paris, B. A. | Bring me back | ||
| General novels | Ringland, Holly | The lost flowers of Alice Hart | ||
| Mystery | Clark, Mary Higgins | I’ve got my eyes on you | ||
| Mystery | Honigford, Cheryl | The darkness knows | ||
| Mystery | Ripley, Nathan | Find you in the dark | ||
| Science fiction and fantasy | Arden, Katherine | The girl in the tower | ||
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AUDIOBOOKS
| General novels | Lynch, Christina | The Italian party |
| Mystery | Daugherty, Christi | The echo killing |
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New Books — April 2018
The new books for April 2018 are now available to borrow, with new ebooks and audiobooks.
We hope you enjoy them!
- New books may be borrowed for a period of two weeks only and may not be renewed.
- Books remain listed as “New Books” for two months.
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