Scary monsters by Michelle de Krester

Scary Monsters had me singing the David Bowie song whenever I looked at the cover, but drove all else from my head when I was reading. It is two novellas, each with its own cover, and you can choose the order in which you read them (I chose Lyle first). Don’t be fooled by the cover art, they are both dark. Lili is set in the early 80s and Lyle in the not-too-distant future. Both characters migrated to Australia when they were young, and the issue of belonging is a scary monster for each, and racism, misogyny and ageism permeate the book. Lili is teaching English in France before going to university, and her story is about friendship, power, and growing up. Lyle lives with climate crisis, extreme pressure to conform in a believable dystopian future. Disturbing, beautiful, darkly humorous, clever and thought-provoking, it might be my favourite de Kretser novel.

Ayoade on top by Richard Ayoade

If you like Richard Ayoade, you will very likely enjoy this light-hearted, often ridiculous appraisal of a little known (and certainly never seen by me) Gwyneth Paltrow film. Interspersed with details from his own life, Ayoade gives us the blow by blow glories of this film and the wonder that is GP herself. A great deal of fun, and a delightfully short and satisfying read.

Double blind by Edward St Aubyn

I won’t lie to you, this was probably a bit too clever for me, but somehow I didn’t mind. Francis, whose job is to rewild a property in Sussex, meets Olivia at a conference and they become lovers. Olivia’s friend Lucy returns to London after some years in New York to work for the super-rich Hunter on one of his scientific projects before receiving some unexpected news that binds them all together. The settings are glorious, the characters engaging, sometimes over the top, and the language complex and lyrical. Richly detailed, Double Blind ruminates on the environment, the brain, genetics, and relationships, and is darkly humorous, thought-provoking, touching, and marvel-inducing.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Set in a beautiful retirement village in England, this is a murder mystery with quirky, endearing characters, food, twists galore, humour, and a hint of romance, without being overly cute. There are multiple murders, and yet it is an uplifting, relatable story with tender relationships, and a great love of life.

Less by Andrew Sean Greer

Arthur Less’s latest novel has not been accepted by his publisher, he is about to turn fifty, and his ex is getting married. It’s all a bit much, so Arthur accepts a series of invitations that will take him on a trip around the world, away from his problems. Gently funny, with gorgeous settings, it’s a story about perceptions, connections, and what makes life worth living.

Everyone in this room will someday be dead by Emily Austin

Gilda is a gay atheist in her twenties, depressed and anxious, when she shows up at a Catholic Church for a therapy session, and ends up with a receptionist job. It’s a pretty dark story; Gilda’s brain doesn’t stop questioning everything, dwelling especially on death, and it is like a bleak comedy of errors, but the humour brings light, and it is also touching. There are elements of mystery, observations on modern life, kindness and hope.

Sorrow and bliss by Meg Mason

Such a story for our times, really funny, terribly sad, and so much like life. Martha struggles with her mental health and her upbringing, but her husband loves and cares for her, until she learns something that makes things really fall apart. It’s about modern life, love, marriage, parenthood, and responsibility. It reminded me a little of My Year of Rest and Relaxation, and Rabbits for Food, but was more hopeful than either of those; less bleak, and so funny, with a London and Oxford setting.

Reasons to be cheerful by Nina Stibbe

I do love Nina Stibbe’s fictional account of growing up in an eccentric family in the 70s and early 80s. Reasons to be Cheerful takes us right up to the point of her non-fiction book, Love, Nina. Lizzie Vogel, now 18, gets a job with a dentist, and moves out on her own, into the flat upstairs. She learns a scary amout about dentistry, tries very hard to have a boyfriend and get her driving licence. It is quirky and funny, as they all have been, though I did find this one a little slower.

The funny thing about Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson

A couple of weeks ago my son introduced us to Norman, his new puppy. I had just started reading The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman. A funny coincidence. So here is me with Norman, even though he is so black and you really can’t see him very well. Norman, the puppy, has a beautiful personality and so too does Norman Foreman, the main character of this book. He is a boy with a big heart and the story follows his and his mum’s journey to the Edinburgh Fringe comedy festival. This book is a charming, often funny, and cheering read. It is a book that gets better the further along you read as you get introduced to some very interesting characters along the way. I’ve read a few books lately that have been page turners but their endings were a bit disappointing. Not so this book, starting off slowly, its pace really picks up at the end and I loved it.

The dressmaker’s secret by Rosalie Ham

At the end of The Dressmaker, Tilly Dunnage walks away from Dungatar, having exacted a fiery revenge on the town. The Dressmaker’s Secret finds her in Melbourne, working for a second rate dress salon, trying to get her life back on track. She has plenty of obstacles to overcome in Melbourne, and the scorned people of Dungatar aren’t finished with her, either. I found the plot a little convoluted, and would have liked it more if there had been less of it, but there was plenty of black humour, gorgeous costuming, and over the top characters to enjoy.