In Theory of Colours, Bella Li’s third full-length poetry collection, a planet slides into entropy. Inspired by poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s treatise of the same name, Li blurs distinctions between absence and presence to create a haunting meditation on the universe.
Category: Book reviews
BOOK REVIEW: Who Gets to Be Smart by Bri Lee
Bri Lee’s latest non-fiction work Who Gets to be Smart is a compilation of research and personal anecdotes that investigates the correlation between privilege, power and knowledge.
BOOK REVIEW: We Were Not Men by Campbell Mattinson
We Were Not Men tells the story of Jon and Eden Hardacre, twin brothers who are ejected from their childhood by the tragic death of their parents.
BOOK REVIEW: A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing by Jessie Tu
In Jessie Tu’s debut novel A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing, we follow a twenty-something-year-old violin prodigy named Jena, whose pattern of floating from one male prospect to the next is interrupted when she lands a temporary spot with the prestigious New York Philharmonic.
BOOK REVIEW: She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
Shelley Parker-Chan’s debut historical-fantasy novel, She Who Became the Sun, is a queer reimagining of the inception of the Ming Dynasty in China.
BOOK REVIEW: Hysteria by Katerina Bryant
Hysteria, Katerina Bryant’s debut memoir, is an exceptional and intimate portrayal of mental illness.
BOOK REVIEW: Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
Nine Perfect Strangers is the eighth novel from Australian author Liane Moriarty, widely known for her bestseller Big Little Lies and its wildly popular HBO adaptation starring Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern.
BOOK REVIEW: Growing Up Disabled in Australia, edited by Carly Findlay
Growing Up Disabled in Australia is a collection of true stories edited by writer and disability activist Carly Findlay. This compilation consists of non-fiction accounts from more than forty writers, including Paralympian Isis Holt, Senator Jordon Steele-John, Todd Winther, Eliza Hull and Patrick Gunsekera (among others), who discuss their experiences of growing with disabilities or chronic illnesses in Australia.
BOOK REVIEW: Smart Ovens for Lonely People by Elizabeth Tan
Smart Ovens for Lonely People is an anthology of 20 short stories. Published in June 2020, it is Elizabeth Tan’s second book. This is a contemporary work that draws from trends, issues and themes in today’s society, including the growing global discussion of the sensory phenomenon known as ASMR, of suicide and of technologically utopian futures. However, each story – some seemingly frivolous and random – work as a commentary on a deeper level.
BOOK REVIEW: Come, A Memoir by Rita Therese
Come, A Memoir is the debut memoir by Rita Therese, who introduces us to the intricacies of her life as a sex worker in Australia. Her story is interwoven with memorable and touching recounts of her attempts to cope with trauma as she navigates her body, the city and her newly independent life.