Review: Jesus' Son

Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've come late to this superb collection of tales about the outsiders in society. More a series of vignettes creating a whole than a collection of self-contained tales, there's a power to Johnson's portrayal of the broken and the damned.

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Review: The Gospel According to Blindboy

The Gospel According to Blindboy by Blindboy Boatclub
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As much as I'd love to say this is great (because I really find Blindboy an amazing voice for a forward-thinking Ireland), I'm afraid I can't. One or two stories aside, the majority of tales in the compendium have a tendency to lurch (and I think that's really the most apt way of putting it) from an interest-pricking showing to a ineptly handled telling.
And it doesn't just happen once, it happens quite a number of times: taking stories that are just about getting into their stride and strangling the life out of them. Which is a pity because there's the seeds of some really interesting stories that flicker out for want of a serious editing.

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Review: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Some sound advice here. Only give a fuck about the important things. All the rest will just kill you or make you unhappy.

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Review: The Plot Against America

The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Scarily prescient novel, given what's going on in the US with Trump. Those who don't see the dangers of the Cheeto-in-chief and his normalisation of far-right rhetoric and neo-Nazi ideas would be well advised to read this book, and see how easily the world you think you know can be turned upside down.

A very powerful work.

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Review: The Whale Rider

The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Been reading this in class with my Literature class. Despite a few questions about relationships (ie are Koro and Nani the mother and father of Rawiri and Porourangi, or the grandparents and if so where are the parents) this is a wonderful little book to introduce secondary students to well-considered literature.

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Review: Pale Fire

Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I can't believe it's taken me so long to get around to reading this. What have I been doing? In essence a commentary on a long poem, Nabokov skilfully, whimsically and brilliantly weaves a convoluted tale of academic arrogance, royal intrigue, petty international politics, assassinations, literary criticism and huge dollops of dry, knowing humour that unfolds slowly like the first buds of May developing. Wonderful.

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Review: Making Sense: The Glamorous Story of English Grammar

Making Sense: The Glamorous Story of English Grammar by David Crystal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm really enjoying (Crystal has a lot of say on that usage) this recent series of books that esteemed linguist David Crystal has been putting out. Grammar is not the most glamorous subject but one that is hugely important if we are to make sense of what people say and write, and if people are able to make sense of what we utter. Crystal's a descriptivist and that emphasis on describing English's ever-evolving grammar and its role in the making of meaning is what makes me enjoy this book so much. Well worth a read.

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