JAMES
By Percival Everett
$34.99
If you haven’t read Percival Everett’s whip-smart and deeply affecting novels before, now is the time to start. James is a clever and hilarious retelling of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn told from the perspective of enslaved Jim, who defies the conventions that have consigned him to the margins and reclaims his humanity.
When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a new owner in New Orleans, he flees, thus beginning a dangerous and transcendent journey by raft along the Mississippi River, toward the elusive promise of free states and beyond. As Jim and Huck begin to navigate the treacherous waters, each bend in the river holds the promise of both salvation and demise. With rumours of a brewing war, Jim must face the burden he carries: the family he is desperate to protect and the constant lie he must live.
A master of satire, James is a soulful and fascinating companion to Huck’s tale that plays brilliantly with language to face history and literature head on.
DETECTIVE BEANS & THE CASE OF THE MISSING HAT
By Li Chan
$17.99
Age 7+
Detective Beans is your classic hard-boiled detective. The thing is he can only be on the case on a weekend … and he definitely has to be home before 8pm because his mum says he can’t be out too late … oh and he’s a (definitely not cute!) kitten.
This time he’s lost his trusty detective hat and so it’s time for some serious interrogation tactics—first stop, that annoying nosy bird outside his window … next? A weird magician’s third-dimensional bag with bubble blowing rabbits? This is gonna be a hard one to crack …
This hilarious graphic novel had me giggling on every page. Filled with cute, expressive illustrations to match, this one is for the silly billies.
James & Detective Beans & the Case of the Missing Hat reviews from the Sun Bookshop – sunbookshop.com
Here One Moment
By Liane Moriarty
What would you do if you knew, or rather, were told how and when you were going to die? This is the central question at the core of Liane Moriarty’s newest novel.
People settle in for what they believe is a routine flight from Hobart to Sydney. An unassuming older woman rises from her seat at the front of the plane, and begins to march down the aisle in a trance-like state, predicting the cause and age of death of each passenger. Some are told that they will live to a ripe old age and die in their sleep. For others, death is apparently lurking just around the corner.
While the incident is unanimously decided on as being entirely odd, no one takes her predictions seriously… until one of the passengers dies a few weeks later, exactly as foretold.
Written with Moriarty’s trademark wit and introspection, we dip between the POV of a handful of characters whose days, according to the later dubbed ‘Death Lady’, are numbered. Is it true that ‘fate cannot be fought’, or armed with foreknowledge, do we each have the power to shape our own destinies?
A LANGUAGE OF LIMBS
By Dylin Hardcastle
A mesmerising celebration of queer love and friendship spanning three decades, set against the backdrop of Australia’s AIDS crisis in the 80s. We follow two women on distinct journeys of self-discovery, exploring their sexuality and finding their community. Their lives almost intersect during pivotal historical moments, keeping you on the edge of your seat. The raw and honest portrayal in this book resonated deeply with me. I read it feeling immense gratitude for the queer people who came before us, and I will cherish this novel forever.
Here One Moment and A Language of Limbs reviews from Chestnut Tree Bookshop – thechestnuttree.com.au
