Literary Brooding

Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass Lana Del Rey 128 pages, Hardcover Published September 29, 2020 by Simon & Schuster I am going to be honest, I love poetry but I am crap understanding those deeper meanings that many are able to articulate. I read and allow myself to be emerged into the words and imagery. In Lana Del Rey’s book ‘Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass’ you not only have a collection of poems but some wonderful images that accompany the text. I found Del Rey’s photographs really captivating, I love the street scenes as it really compliments the text. I have been dipping in and out of the book for over six months, even though under 200 pages, I have taken my time to absorb and mull over what Del Rey has allowed onto the page. Again I can not profess to have the necessary attributes to tell you what the poems are about, only what I feel. ‘Thanks to the Locals’ – it flows, it packs a punch, there is vulnerability and toughness. The dilemma, the angst is very real on the...

Letters from a Stoic Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BC-AD 65) 254 pages, Penguin Classics, first published January 1, 65 What does my head in, is that here am I in 2024 reading letters that were penned some 2000 years ago. Not only that the issues being discussed we are still ruminating over today. Letters from a Stoic, is a collection of Seneca’s work and read like observations of daily life. It those parts I enjoyed the most as Seneca describes the seemingly mundane but these snippets give the most insight. It is easy to go through and tab/highlight slabs of text as there are some absolute corkers in there.  Like all works of philosophy, you will find what is relevant to you and what you think is absolute rubbish. However, 2000 years on Seneca remains relevant as you question and think about what he has put on the page.

The Dark Heir  C.S. Pacat 496 pages, Allen & Unwin paperback, first published November 14, 2023 Dark Rise set the reader up for a terrific ride and Dark Heir continues that journey. Will and his friends find themselves trying to stave off a disaster that is coming through the unleashing of an unholy force. That is all you need to know as anything more is giving away all the twists, turns, chaos, betrayals and sparks of romance that in the novel.  Pacat has again created an array of characters that all have their primary motivations questioned or misrepresented by others. Will knows who and what he is, whether he chooses to accept that mantle is unclear. He knows that what he feels for James is real but their history makes it unsure whether they are together for the right reasons now, or whether it is the past that brings them together. The other characters really sing off the page and each one faces a test of who or what they believe.  As a reader, you can trust Pacat...

The Early Stories of Truman Capote.   Audio Book 2015 - Narrators Scott Brick, Nancy Linari, Sarah Scott .  This a collection of 14 short stories written when Capote was a young man and it's wonderful.   Each story has delightfully created characters, situations that are believable and capture the essence of the times.   It is exciting to hear Capote's voice at such an early age and it is not all perfect. That is okay as you can hear the development of many of his writing traits.  I listened to the audiobook and the characterisations by each of the readers really breathe life into the stories. It allowed me to be just carried away into the descriptions, the anguish, the vindictiveness, the kindness, the humour, the desperation, the hope, all wash over you. I really enjoyed this audio book, and I will purchase the paper back so I can revel in the words in greater detail. 

  The Library Thief - Kuchenga Shenjé  368 pages, Hardcover, Expected publication May 7, 2024  Florence arrives on the doorstop of Lord Belfield's home, claiming to have been sent by her father to perform duties as a bookbinder. Through persuasion Florence able to secure employment. As Florence begins the task of repairing the books, she discovers a mystery surrounding the death of Lord Belfield’s wife Persephone. A mystery that Florence is compelled to solve no matter the personal cost.  The main character is Florence, as she goes on her journey, we are allowed to see the influences good and bad that have shaped her past and influence her future. Florence soon realises as a woman she has limited autonomy, an insecure financial outlook and that having a mind of your own can be a dangerous thing. Florence is book-smart she is not very life-smart and some of the issues she comes across are completely new to her. As Florence is exposed more to the personal circumstances...

Lux the Poet - Martin Millar  208 pages, paperback, published January 1, 1988 by Soft Skull Publishing In the middle of the Brixton riots, Lux is looking for the love of his life Pearl. Pearl is trying to find and protect her lover, Nicky. Nicky is traumatised as she killed her computer, stole some genetic code and has the Happy Science Computer Company secret police after her. Kahlia is trying to do a million good deeds and be readmitted to heaven but after several thousand years on Earth she is tired of trying. All these people come together, move apart and come together again. Trust me, it is incredibly hard to categorise this novel as it is completely insane and that is what makes it work so well.  The main character is Lux, who is many things, they are attractive, they are a liar, they are thief, they are self-absorbed, and they are not a very good poet. Lux is an infuriating character but so dedicated to their desires. Lux knows they are desired by both sexes and is quit...

Sanctuary - Garry Disher 384pp Text Publishing, publication date: 3 April 2024 ISBN: 9781922790620 Grace is a woman of many names, many pasts and an uncertain future. Bounced around the child welfare system, Grace learns the art of thieving and with the assistance of a corrupt police officer elevates her skills to a whole new level. Working in the shadows comes with a cost of constant vigilance, always on edge, always expecting danger and always alone. After running into a former associate who she needs to avoid, Grace wonders what it would be like to be normal, to have a job and not constantly be looking over your shoulder. That dream looks possible when Grace walks into Mandel Antiques in an Adelaide Hills country town and for the first time hopes she has found sanctuary. Grace soon realises that a life of security is not going to be for her as the dangers of the past and the present collide.  When I read, I like to try and take notes, jot down lines of the book that are descript...