What I'm Into October Edition

 Here is my very quick, last minute contribution to Leigh Kramer's link up

Books:

All the Birds, Singing Evie Wyld

No Place Like Home Caroline Overington

The Narrow Road To The Deep North Richard Flanagan

 

The new Alexander McCall Smith was, as always, a delight. Matthew Lee Anderson's The End of Our Exploring was challenging and intensely cerebral. Losing February was frustrating but interesting with a fully dimensional central character/narrator. (Sidenote: if you don't like any erotica in your fiction I wouldn't recommend this one!) No Place Like Home was up there with Overington's best. I Came To Say Goodbye is still my favourite but this one was fast paced and fascinating, tragedy alongside whip smart social commentary. Evie Wyld is new to me. All The Birds, Singing got inside my head in a not all together welcome way but she's an incredible storyteller and lyrical writer for sure.

Last but not least, the new Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road To The Deep North. Words fail me completely. Doubtless one of the best novels I have ever read. Horrifying, tragic, illuminating, stark misery and transcendent beauty co-existing in one magnificent work. It's hard to recommend this one without extreme caution to sensitive readers but I truly believe it is essential reading for any Australian ...or human! If the competition wasn't so steep this year (um, Tim Winton anyone?) I'd say Miles Franklin winner for sure.

 

TV:

Ja'ime: Private School Girl*

Homeland

Wonderland Though it's really grown on me, the theme song is still my favourite thing. Here it is (with a little of the show's footage too):

 

 

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

*PSA - Ja'ime is a satire, folks. The outrage from one side and adulation from the other are both missing the point entirely.

What have you all been reading, watching, etc. in October? Looking forward to finding out over at Leigh's place

Comments

[Mary]

Yay! for linking up with Leigh!! :) So...potentially dumb question. I realize that I'm not familiar with your TV shows because the US and Australia have different TV shows. But I'm wondering if your books are also specifically Australian? (And...yeah...I should just Google it. I know. Don't hate me.) Going to watch that theme song now...!

[Adele Chapman]

No worries Mary, great question. Yes, my TV shows this month (apart from Homeland of course) are all Australian; though Chris Lilley's Ja'ime will be on for you on HBO soon. You may remember his Summer Heights High? Our television probably isn't all that different as we get the majority of American shows too - I just tend to watch a lot of Aussie telly!
As for the books, you can usually tell when I'm struggling to find an Amazon link that the book is by an Aus. author! The Scotland St novel by Alexander McCall Smith is of course Scottish. The next three pictured (Matt Chandler, Jennie Allen, Matthew Lee Anderson) are all American. Losing February is by Susanna Freymark, an Australian author, but it is available on kindle. Evie Wyld is an English author but her books are mostly based in Australia. Caroline Overington is a very well respected Australian journalist and now novelist. Richard Flanagan is basically the John Updike of Australian literature; the first of his I read was The Sound of One Hand Clapping and I'm still recovering from the emotional trauma inflicted - 13 years later! - and The Narrow Road To The Deep North is even better, so powerful, about the Siam (Thailand) to Burma 'Death Railway' and the Japanese camps that many soldiers (esp. Australian, British & Chinese) suffered and died in during the second world war - we learn a lot about this in school but it might not be known so well in America.
Anyway, sorry to ramble on, I think that answers your question a little too thoroughly! Thanks for commenting, Mary. :)

[Mary]

Haha, I love your thorough answer! I'm not usually "up" on a lot of contemporary adult novels, so I just wasn't sure if our countries were the reason I didn't recognize your titles or my usual ignorance. And...um...did you just add the Jennie Allen book? Of course I've heard of that one, but I swear it wasn't in the picture last night?! (Or I'm crazy. ALWAYS a possibility.)

I like that theme song...though I really want to rip that hat off the singer's head. See? CRAZY. ;)

[Leigh Kramer]

I see The Explicit Gospel pictured up there- curious about your thoughts. I've thought about reading it. Homeland is a show I think I'd like to watch except I think it would be way too intense for me.

[Adele Chapman]

Hi there Leigh, thanks for commenting. :) Usually if I don't really care for a book I try not to say much about it so I guess that's why I didn't elaborate on The Explicit Gospel. It was quite a compulsive read but there was just so much theology in it that I believe to be wrong and even potentially damaging. I'm not sure what your position on these things are but I couldn't handle the focus on the doctrine of hell (which I don't believe) and, even more problematically, that of predestination. He even threw a little Complementarianism in at the end, though I'm not personally bothered by that one as much!
There was certainly some good parts but overall I found myself beaten down and discouraged instead of enlightened and lifted up. Obviously not Chandler's intent but that was my reaction.
We might come from very different schools of thought here so if that theology doesn't bother you please disregard my opinions and go for it!

PS Homeland is okay. This season (3) a little on the 'meh' side so far. :/