Category: Poetry and Short Stories
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Janet Frame’s An Angel at my Table is A Phenomenal Autobiography
I have been meaning to read works by Janet Frame for a long time now, so what better way to get a feel for her narative voice, style, and literary influences than her stunning second autobiography An Angel at my Table. This short novel bursts at the seams with vivid emotion and imagery, and carry…
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Kirsty Gunn’s Pretty Ugly – A Short Story Collection Full of Human Emotion
Would it be fair if I only reviewed one short story collection this month? Pretty Ugly by Kirsty Gunn is a darkly-fascinating, ominously-enticing read, and I felt myself being drawn into the writing with no desire to pull back. Pretty Ugly by Kirsty Gunn is the inaugural title in a new series of short story…
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Horrifying Literary Fiction in Han Kang’s The Vegetarian
Han Kang’s literary prowess has been a point of interest of mine for the last few months, with Humans Acts and The White Book coming across my recent reads and now The Vegetarian making it to the list. The Vegetarian, like her other works, is not a light-hearted story, nor is it a simple read.…
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The Penguin New Zealand Anthology – Why Choose Just One NZ Story?
Over the past few weeks, I have reviewed several novels and authors, and I have discussed the importance of New Zealand litetature and why reading diversly is important. I have something different for you for my last post in New Zealand Book Month – an anthology. Curated by Penguin Random House fiction publisher Harriet Allan,…
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Airana Ngawera’s Pātea Boys – One of the Best Maori Short Story Collections
A truly breathtaking collection of short stories, Pātea Boys by Airana Ngawera is an incredible glimpse into small-town Aotearoa New Zealand, sharing the essence of being an average kid in profound and heart-warming stories you can’t help but love. There is no dull moment, and the characters will keep you entertained from cover to cover.…
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The White Book By Han Kang – Stunning Poetic Prose
If you are finding your tbr list is looking a little repetitive, then here is some prose to liven it up. The White Book by Han Kang contains many beautiful passages and poems that flow and sing on the page, making the novel a breeze to get through. The themes, imagery, characters, and ideas breath…
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Delicious Poetry in Joy Sullivan’s Instructions For Travelling West
Joy Sullivan is a mastermind of poetry and imagery, able to weave motifs and senses into the lyrical verses and couplets she writes. Instructions For Traveling West is a brilliant poetry collection full of emotion and character and it has made me reconsider my stance on poetry. First, you must realise you’re homesick for all…
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Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties – Genre-Bending and Unique
Another day, another short story collection to pass the time. Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties is a genre-blending selection of tales that will both titillate and terrify you. Mixing science fiction and horror with literary fiction with a heavy smattering of some sexually explicit details, this collection is full of LGBTQ+ representation…
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Banana Yoshimoto’s Dead-End Memories – A Collection of Human Experiences
I’m new to the realm of short story compilations, so opening up Banana Yoshimoto’s Dead-End Memories did not seem like it would be that big of a deal. I have been pleasantly proved wrong as the short stories have snuck up on me while I read them, starting off on a casual note before diving…
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Siobhan Harvey’s Ghosts is Chilling, Powerful and Unforgettable
I am not a huge poetry reader, but Siobhan is very near and dear to my heart as she was my supervisor throughout my masters, as well as my undergrad lecturer from Creative Writing. A lot of what I know came from her, so to have a copy of her 2021 collection Ghosts to read…
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