MADWOMAN
By Chelsea Bieker
Clove has curated the perfect life: perfect husband, perfect children, perfect house. Her lies and secrets are the very things keeping it all together but when a letter arrives that threatens everything Clove has built, she begins to unravel.
Madwoman is one of the most moving, gripping and powerful novels you’ll read this year. A devastating, honest and often funny interrogation of the lasting effects of family violence, the dark pasts that people hold close and the lengths they go to to bury them. You won’t regret this read.
LITTLE ROT
By Akwaeke Emezi
After the success of You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty, it’s no surprise Emezi has carried through with their risqué subject matter, this time following a web of characters in the dark underbelly of the Nigerian city of New Lagos. Over a sizzling weekend that will upend their lives, we follow several young, successful friends and strangers as they’re caught up in a criminal spiral of events that no one saw coming. Emezi is an undeniably talented novelist, with seven other books under their belt from YA to adult fiction, they are a master of their craft. This book will have you hooked from page one.
Madwoman, and Little Rot reviews from Chestnut Tree Bookshop – thechestnuttree.com.au
RAPTURE
By Emily Maguire
$32.99
Rapture is a stupendously good novel. It is historical fiction that is utterly authentic and immersive. Set in the 9th century it tells the story of a young girl, Agnes, the daughter of a high-ranking English Christian cleric in the city of Mainz. Agnes’ mother died in childbirth so she is raised by her father, in a brutal and austere environment. As a girl, Agnes’ serious intellect and astute observational skills go unnoticed by the men around her, mostly monks, so she learns to read and write when girls ordinarily never did.
As Agnes grows, she wishes for an alternative life to the one of child bearer and wife that is destined for her. She believes God has another path for her and his divine works fill her with elation and awe. In the chaos of the times, Agnes leaves Mainz disguised as a man with the help of another scholar, Radulf, a monk who did not choose his life, the only other soul to know her secret and the full extent of her love. She moves from place to place, known as John the Englishman, to eventually become the head of Rome.
Emily Maguire is masterful in her handling of time, place and feminist viewpoints.
THE MIDWATCH
By Judith Rossell
$24.99
Ages 9-12
Banished to the Midwatch Institute for Orphans, Runaways and Unwanted Girls, Maggie Fishbone is sure she’s in for a life of drudgery. But she quickly discovers there’s more to the Midwatch than meets the eye.
The Midwatch is a sensational and engaging book for middle-grade readers. With a hint of steampunk aesthetic, a relatable heroine, a compelling mystery plot and general hilarity, it is a recipe for success. Readers will also love the handy how-to guides punctuating each chapter, with titles such as ‘how to spot a fake diamond’, ‘how to shout extremely loudly’, and ‘how to walk silently’. The Midwatch is also full of gorgeous illustrations, including full-page spreads that will be sure to mesmerise young readers. A must-read!
Rapture and The Midwatch reviews from the Sun Bookshop – sunbookshop.com
