The best books for summer holiday reading
Hit the sunlounge and kick back poolside with one of these perfect summer reads.
The Countess from Kirribilli by Joyce Morgan
Described as “mysterious and free-spirited”, Mary Annette Beauchamp (1886-1941) and her family moved when she was a young child from her Sydney harbourside birthplace to England, went on to become Elizabeth von Arnim by marrying into German aristocracy, tweaking her name and mothering five children. She consorted with the rich and recognised, presided over glittering salons, took lovers at whim, travelled widely and penned 22 books. And there’s much more to discover in this lively biography by Australian author and arts journalist Joyce Morgan. Allen & Unwin, $32.99.
Ciao Bella: Six Take Italy by Kate Langbroek
Dreams of an exotic transplant? Italy and France are the perennial mirages – the food, the scenery, the amusing neighbours. Langbroek, husband Peter and four children upped and moved to Bologna (home of mortadella, “the city of fat”) in 2019 for two years. They knew no-one in Italy nor spoke the language but it’s a destination that “conjures up … an emotional response”, and sometimes that’s enough. Expect insights into the myths of la dolce vita, white-haired Nonnas speeding at 150km/h, and the realities of upending lives and resetting family bonds after a son’s serious illness. Simon & Schuster, $32.99.
Sweet Jimmy by Bryan Brown
One of Australia’s favourite actors turns out to be an ace spinner of tales. There are seven revenge-themed stories in the collection. Some are in-the-gutter gritty, others flaring with laconic wit and fruity swearing. All are about Aussie blokes making bad decisions or being conned and then setting out to get even and it’s no stretch to imagine Brown on the screen playing some of the characters. Perhaps alongside Sam Neill, his sidekick in the 2014 hit TV show, Old School? Too right. Allen & Unwin, $29.99.
Men Without Country by Harrison Christian
The NZ-born author, whose fifth great-grandfather, Charles, was Fletcher Christian’s son, plunges into the “true story of exploration and rebellion in the South Seas”, focusing on the infamous mutiny against William Bligh aboard the British naval ship Bounty in April 1789, examining the court martial, invoking legends and debunking myths. The account is much livelier than it may sound, especially the chronicling of life aboard the three-masted frigate and the fates of the mutineers and Tahitian crew on “the high volcanic rock” of Pitcairn Island where one seaman survivor hid for 18 years without outside contact. Ultimo Press/Hardie Grant, $34.99.
Just Murdered by Katherine Kovacic
Fans of Phryne Fisher (inconveniently missing in the highlands of PNG), rejoice. Her niece, Peregrine Fisher, is on the case in this Miss Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries romp based on episode one of the premiere TV series, written by Deb Cox and starring Geraldine Hakewill in the lead. “Adversity and challenge were nothing new to the members of the Adventuresses’ Club of the Antipodes …” Never underestimate any Fisher family sleuth. It’s all a bit Miss Marple goes to Melbourne with ’60s Capri pants and Ford Falcons. Allen & Unwin, $29.99.
The One That Got Away: Travelling in the Time of Covid by Ken Haley
While 2020 and 2021 might have felt lost to inveterate travellers, Australian writer Haley was not about to be deterred. His best-laid plans were doomed to go off course but this wheelchair adventurer kept Cuba and the Caribbean in his sights. It wasn’t all rum and wickets. This account of a year (2020) of living pretty dangerously involves near-misses (hurricanes, volcanoes) and hurdles (cancelled flights, abruptly shut borders) shadowed by that unwanted companion, Covid (“Covey”). It’s not so much about a pandemic as an obstacle course of unfolding horrors. Stirring stuff. Transit Lounge, $32.99.
Before & Laughter by Jimmy Carr
The impish British comedian dubs his memoir a “life-changing book” but there’s nothing earnest about such a trite description. It’s a laugh-out-loud rollercoaster of a ride with this giggling TV host (8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown et al) and Netflix superstar. He covers all the big questions, but not quite the ones you’d expect, and is lewd, rude, dangerously funny and sends up everyone and everything. It’s an absolute tonic to lift the Covid-era blues. Hachette/Quercus, $32.99.
Taste: My Life through Food by Stanley Tucci
In his recent CNN series, In Search of Italy, charismatic actor and gourmand Tucci took viewers to the land of his ancestors. Across six episodes, what a treat it was to savour regional dishes, meet passionate producers and be inspired by the diversity of Italian cuisine. This new book builds on that journey by revealing more of his grandparents’ Calabrian roots, his life in New York and personal setbacks (his first wife died of cancer; he’s now married to literary agent Felicity Blunt, sister of Emily) but what comes through in almost every anecdote is Tucci’s gusto for family and food … and make that home-cooked food, with sides of laughter and heartfelt hugs. Penguin, $45.
The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
What a cracker of a page-turner from the author of You Should Have Known (adapted for the TV miniseries The Undoing, with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant). Ambition and intellectual property form the core of a salutary tale about a creative writing teacher who adapts the plot of an unpublished novel by one of his most talented students. It’s a terrible decision. The book becomes a feted success; it has Oprah’s seal of approval. But then the anonymous text messages arrive. The real creator had passed away but someone knows the truth. Faber, $29.99.
China Room by Sunjeev Sahota
This latest novel by British author Sahota was longlisted for the 2021 Man Booker Prize. Set in India, the story follows the lives of family members, divided by decades but conjoined in parallel stories of alienation and despair. The writing is sublimely original as readers are immersed in the life of 15-year-old bride Mehar on her in-laws’ farm in the 1920s in rural Punjab. The teenage narrator is her descendant, a heroin addict dispatched “home” from northern England in 1999 to his family’s birthplace to live with relatives. He moves to the now-abandoned farm where ancestral ghosts stir as his resilience and purpose strengthen. Penguin/Vintage, $32.99.
Some Items May Have Shifted in Flight by Richard Weston-Smith
This collection of 18 travel tales across 12 countries is full of spirited anecdotes. In the style of a memoir, kicking off in Hong Kong in 1977 and coming to a full-stop in Tokyo, amid poisonous pufferfish and fragile cherry blossoms, on the unheralded eve of Covid, it’s clear the author is a keen observer and occasional risk-taker. His writing style bears comparison with the likes of Bill Bryson and the episodic flow allows for dipping with ease. But there’s a deeper message – travel causes shifts within us, according to the people and places we encounter, and the cultures we explore. Amazon, $30.
The Fairytale by H.G. Nelson
The triumphs of Aussie Joe Bugner, the leaps of AFL’s Roy (“Up There”) Cazaly and the vagaries of cricket-loving ex-PM John Howard’s spin on bowling are all on show as Greig Pickhaver milks his H.G. Nelson alter-ego. He tackles the hard knocks of rugby league, Australian horse-racing legends, the mythology of golf and “medals, mates and memories” from the Olympics, aka “the five-ringed sporting circus”. H.G. also questions if skateboarding is really the answer to attract a cooler crowd to the biggest Games on earth, or could it be time to reinstate pigeon shooting and the tug-of-war. Pan Macmillan, $34.99.