u/IAmABillie

**Never Home Alone** by Rob Dunn

Funny, warm and written with obvious passion by an author who participated in many of the studies discussed by the book, this was a very enjoyable read. Diving into the small creatures, insects and microbes that occupy the microscopic world around us, it did a wonderful job of building my interest and knowledge in this neglected topic. Loved it!

**Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Life in North Korea** by Barbara Demick

I was initially dubious about how well a Western author could write about life in North Korea, but Demick has published something special with Nothing to Envy. It's a vivid account of the lived experiences of North Koreans in the 80s and 90s. The history is captivating and emotionally devastating, weaving together personal stories with factual information about the regime and surrounding geopolitical issues. It was a broad yet intimate look at what it was to survive such extreme adversity and oppression, and to defect and adjust to the outside world. A great choice for anyone who is interested in human stories.

**Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood** by Trevor Noah

Another excellent example of a book that stitches together fact and anecdote to create powerful narrative non-fiction. I loved Trevor's stories and learned a lot about South Africa's recent history. I really rate the audiobook version, which is narrated by the author. Listening to it feels like hanging out with a good friend and shooting the shit - sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes serious, always a quality time.

**Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger** by Soraya Chemaly

This book is quite dry in comparison to the others on my list this month, but was a great read as an introduction for anyone new to feminism. It discussed the many ways women are disempowered in the world, and the social constructs that prevent women from expressing the fury that this disempowering causes. It links the mental and physical health impacts of all this suppressed rage and encourages women to channel their righteous anger into genuine movement towards equality. It provided good food for thought, especially as a mother raising young daughters.

**A Bunker in Kyiv: The Astonishing Story of the People's Army Defying Putin** by John Lyons

I finished this one on the last day of the month. It wasn't as tightly written as others, feeling much like a series of long-form articles instead of a cohesive book, but I found the stories of courage and resilience inspiring. I'm glad I read about the brave men, women and children of Ukraine and their efforts to resist Russian aggression. If you have an interest in the Russian-Ukrainian war, it provides a unique perspective on the fighting

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June was among the best reading experiences I've ever had. I think this would be my all-time highest average rating for a single month with three 5-star non-fiction reads, one 5-star novel and three 4.5-star fictional works. I loved almost all of my June reads! I've written a short review for each book for those interested in finding new books for their TBR.

Fiction:

**A Short Stay in Hell** by Steven L. Peck

A horror novella that's experiencing a boom at the moment. The opening prologue was a little stilted, but once the story got going it was genuinely one of the most unsettling concepts I've ever encountered. We follow a devout Mormon as he enters the afterlife, discovers he was following the wrong religion and is sent to hell. Hell is an endless library, and the novella spends the rest of its pages exploring the meaning of eternity. Devastating.

**The Correspondent** by Viriginia Evans

This is another popular one! I had it on hold at the library for many months, and it was worth the wait. Told entirely through the correspondence of a prickly elderly woman, it is a beautiful exploration of a life's story. A tale told with laughter and tears, it covered the full range of human emotion and I must say I was very moved.

**Nothing to See Here** by Kevin Wilson

What a treat this short, sweet and heartfelt book was to read. While it has an odd premise - magical realism featuring children who spontaneously combust when agitated - it was also a very grounded book. I enjoyed going along for the ride with our protagonist as she rolled with the punches. Easy to read and enjoy.

**Station Eleven** by Emily St. John Mandel

Station Eleven is about the end of the world following an extremely lethal pandemic. Unlike similar dystopian novels, it didn't hone in on the horror of what was lost, and how, but instead focused on the beauty of what went before and the hopeful future of the new world in all its complexity and complication. Slow, lovely and contemplative, it's a very human novel with many interlocking stories and characters. I really enjoyed how the story threads wound together to make a mournful, shining tapestry.

**Murder at Spindle Manor** by Morgan Stang

My least favourite read of the month, but possibly because I went in with high expectations. A winner of the self-published fantasy/sci-fi awards, I saw this one recommended frequently as a fantasy murder mystery. It was okay, and I was intrigued enough to keep reading to find out whodunnit, but didn't stand out for me and I probably won't continue the series. If you really like mysteries, or cool worlds, I'd still say you should give it a go.

**The Refrigerator Monologues** by Catherynne Valente

This is a novella about the wives and girlfriends of superheroes after they've tragically died to move the male MC's story arc along. Set in a support group in Deadtown, I wanted to like this more than I actually did. The idea was fantastic, and the narrator did a brilliant job in the audio version. Individual lines and paragraphs were powerful but as a whole anthology the stories didn't grab me the way I wanted them to and I wanted something more.

Non-fiction:

**Never Home Alone** by Rob Dunn

Funny, warm and written with obvious passion by an author who participated in many of the studies discussed by the book, this was a very enjoyable non-fiction read. Diving into the small creatures, insects and microbes that occupy the microscopic world around us, it did a wonderful job of building my interest and knowledge in this neglected topic. Loved it!

**Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Life in North Korea** by Barbara Demick

I was initially dubious about how well a Western author could write about life in North Korea, but Demick has published something special with Nothing to Envy. It's a vivid account of the lived experiences of North Koreans in the 80s and 90s. The history is captivating and emotionally devastating, weaving together personal stories with factual information about the regime and surrounding geopolitical issues. It was a broad yet intimate look at what it was to survive such extreme adversity and oppression, and to defect and adjust to the outside world. A great choice for anyone who is interested in human stories.

**Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood** by Trevor Noah

Another excellent example of a book that stitches together fact and anecdote to create powerful narrative non-fiction. I loved Trevor's stories and learned a lot about South Africa's recent history. I really rate the audiobook version, which is narrated by the author. Listening to it feels like hanging out with a good friend and shooting the shit - sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes serious, always a quality time.

**Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger** by Soraya Chemaly

This book is quite dry in comparison to the others on my list this month, but was a great read as an introduction for anyone new to feminism. It discussed the many ways women are disempowered in the world, and the social constructs that prevent women from expressing the fury that this disempowering causes. It links the mental and physical health impacts of all this suppressed rage and encourages women to channel their righteous anger into genuine movement towards equality. It provided good food for thoughts, especially as a mother raising young daughters.

**A Bunker in Kyiv: The Astonished Story of the People's Army Defying Putin** by John Lyons

I finished this one on the last day of the month. It wasn't as tightly written as others, feeling much like a series of long-form articles instead of a cohesive book, but I found the stories of courage and resilience inspiring. I'm glad I read about the brave men, women and children of Ukraine and their efforts to resist Russian aggression. If you have an interest in the Russian-Ukrainian war, it provides a unique perspective on the fighting.

May has been a good reading month with four 4-star books. I've had quite a historical focus with one true crime/biography and three fairly specific history books about a narrow topic. I'd recommend all of these if the reviews or concepts catch your interest!

**The Art Thief** by Michael Finkel. A biography of the world's most prolific art thief, who stole not for money but for a pathological love of art. It was a short, engaging read about an interesting and sad mind. I liked the detailing of how he committed the thefts and the author's various asides about 'traditional' art thievery, as well as the methods of top art crime policing. Oddly peaceful for a true crime story!

**Playtime: A History of Australian Childhood** by Emily Gallagher. This was a history of play for children in Australia between 1890-1940 in the era of emerging nationhood and before screen entertainment came into existence. It was relaxing read with a lot of snippets of children's writings and drawings from the era. Split into chapters covering different kinds of play (writing, playing at war, dolls, imaginary play, etc), it was easy and soothing to read. The abundance of primary sources was great.

**The Secret History of the Rape Kit** by Pagan Kennedy. It was a very swift and engrossing read about the life of Marty Goddard, who developed the rape kit. The book was also an overview of police and societal attitudes towards sexual assault in the 70s and 80s. Kennedy included elements of her own personal experience of sexual assault as memoir intertwined with the factual non-fiction content, so it may be a confronting read for some.

**The Great Influenza** by John M Barry. An in-depth overview of the Spanish flu pandemic that devastated the globe in 1918 and 1919, this was book was well written and explained both the disease and the process of understanding and fighting it (or, indeed, intentionally failing to fight it for military purposes) clearly and engagingly. Some scenes describing the hardest hit infantry camps and cities felt like excerpts from The Stand! I would have appreciated more focus on the events outside of the US, but it was already a lengthy book. It held a little more detail about the personal lives of the key scientists than I felt I needed but otherwise an excellent read.

I had a big reading month in May, although unfortunately none of my reads were five-star stand outs. I also started by didn't finish King Sorrow by Joe Hill - couldn't get past the cringy dialogue. Some mini reviews of my finished books:

**The Eye of the Bedlam Bride** by Matt Dinniman. Book 6 of the increasingly famous Dungeon Crawler Carl series - wacky hijinks, solid worldbuilding, not quite as good as the preceding book but I'll definitely continue.

**The Art Thief** by Michael Finkel. A non-fiction biography of the world's most prolific art thief, who stole not for money but for a pathological love of art. It was a short, engaging read about an interesting and sad mind. Very calming for a true crime story!

**The End of the World As We Know It** is an anthology of short stories inspiring by the world of Stephen King's **The Stand**. I adore The Stand and have reread it many times, so I was keen for this chunky collection. Unfortunately it wasn't quite what I'd hoped and quite a few of the stories lacked variety. There were 5 absolute standouts among the 30-odd tales and it was worth it to find these gems (and new authors to try!).

**Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery** by Brom. A supernatural horror novel set in Puritan era North America, I liked this one but didn't love it. The main character was a lot of fun! The lush illustrations in the hardcover edition are a huge bonus.

**Playtime: A History of Australian Childhood** by Emily Gallagher. This was a history of play for children in Australia between 1890-1940 in the era of emerging nationhood and before screen entertainment came into existence. It was relaxing read with a lot of snippets of children's writings and drawings from the era. Split into chapters covering different kinds of play (writing, playing at war, dolls, imaginary play, etc), it was easy and soothing to read.

**The Secret History of the Rape Kit** by Pagan Kennedy. It was a very swift and engrossing read about the life of Marty Goddard, who developed the rape kit. The book was also an overview of the police and societal attitudes towards sexual assault in the 70s and 80s. Kennedy included elements of her own personal experience of sexual assault as memoir intertwined with the factual non-fiction content.

**The Great Influenza** by John M Barry. A non-fiction overview of the Spanish flu pandemic that devastated the globe in 1918 and 1919, this was book was well written and explained both the disease and the process of understanding and fighting it (or, indeed, intentionally failing to fight it for military purposes) clearly and engagingly. Some scenes describing the hardest hit infantry camps and cities felt like excerpts from The Stand! A little too much detail about the personal lives of the key scientists for my liking, however.

**Orconomics** by J. Zachary Pike. My favourite fictional novel of the month, Orconomics was a very funny fantasy that incorporates a lot of economic satire, this book had me chuckling several times and kept me nicely amused. The characters and story were fun too, but the humour sometimes clashed with the actual storytelling. I will definitely continue the series!

**Invisible Cities** by Italo Calvino. I won't rate this one as it is a complicated work and I think I'm still figuring out what I want from it. More of a series of philosophical vignettes than a true novel, I almost gave up on this book, but I am glad I stuck with it. Not every 'city' resonated with me, but many did in a beautiful and powerful way. An unusual read, but a meaningful one.

**The Last Days of Good People** by A. T. Sayre. A science fiction novel about first contact between humanity and a race of pre-industrial aliens as they face extinction from a virulent disease. A debut novel with a lot of heart, this book had some rough edges but I truly enjoyed the interactions between the (quite lovable) aliens and human characters. I'm interested in what this author does next!

After a bumpy start with several rapid DNFs, I had an excellent and highly enjoyable month of reading in April. I kicked off my r/Fantasy bingo reading (it *always* leads me to wonderful things I wouldn't ordinarily seek on my own) and learned a lot from my non-fiction forays. I am unlikely to finish either of my current books before the end of the month, so without further ado, some mini reviews:

**Mary Poppins* by P L Travers.

This is a veryyyy different Mary to the one we know and love from the 1960s musical. I read this to my daughters as they are currently in love with the film, and it was full of new and familiar episodic adventures. Mary has fewer spoonfuls of sugar and far more vanity and haughty disdain but it was good in a classic children's literature way.

**Rat Island** by William Stolzenburg.

A 5 star non-fiction read about the devastation of introduced species on island populations and the fight to save the species we have left. Great for fans of history, ecology or conservation. I loved the way the author told the tale of great loss, environmental heroes and hope for the future - kept me rapt from first page to last.

**Excellent Women** by Barbara Pym.

A novel written in 1952 about the life of an unmarried woman in her 30s. A slow character study, this book was full of wry humour and highly perceptive commentary. Not much happened, but I enjoyed the mood and the focus on the under-appreciated but much relied upon 'excellent women' of the world.

**Dark Emu** by Bruce Pascoe.

A very interesting non-fiction read that challenges the conventional history surrounding indigenous Australians and their pre-colonial society. I learned a great deal.

**Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed For Men** by Caroline Criado Perez.

This non-fiction book was bursting at the seams with information, studies and examples to demonstrate its core ideas. A very eye-opening look at the casual discrimination of everyday life in which half the population is, if considered at all, considered to be atypical/an aberration. It helped me see how many things I take for granted as 'the way things are' don't need to be. Good book for an introduction to the topic, I will be looking for deeper reading on some of the subtopics here!

**Small Miracles** by Olivia Atwater.

A cozy fantasy featuring angels and demons. I enjoyed this book, but it was a little too cozy for me to really love. The homage to Good Omens was well done, the footnotes were funny and I liked that the angelic gender-switching was accepted without anyone batting an eyelid. Sometimes the pacing felt inconsistent and I often wanted more worldbuilding to deepen the story. The romance subplot (and the nuances of a relationship of this kind) was rather underexamined. Overall, a fun, light and quick read.

**Remnant Population** by Elizabeth Moon

This was a fantastic science fiction novel about an elderly woman who refuses to evacuate a colony planet and ends up being the first human to contact the intelligent life that lives there. Ofelia strongly reminded me of my grandmother at her crotchetiest and I loved her practical attitude throughout. The book felt like it had two concurrent storylines: the first contact tale, and the character growth of Ofelia as she is finally able to love herself after a lifetime of carrying burdens. Both stories were utterly captivating - really enjoyed this!

**Several People Are Typing** by Calvin Kasulke

A science fiction book told entirely in workplace chat logs, this book was bizarre yet bizarrely good. More of a novella given the text type, this was an office sitcom mixed with existential body horror. Very funny and warm-hearted, the unusual storytelling format really worked and I loved the characters. Great, creative book.

**How to Survive This Fairytale** by S M Hallow.

This was my standout fiction book for April - an absolute 5 star read. Another experimental book, this debut is a dark retelling of multiple fairytales woven into a single world and is masterfully told in second person. The author has crafted something truly special here, a novel that explores what happens after the story ends, with all the nuance of trauma, redemption and love. A harrowing tale told with beauty, empathy and hope - I loved it. Can't wait to see what more this author has in store in the future.

I went camping out bush in Australia at the beginning of this month and it was a fantastic location to read and appreciate both Rat Island and Dark Emu. A good month.

**Rat Island** by William Stolzenburg.

A 5 star read about the devastation of introduced species on island populations and the fight to save the species we have left. Perfect for fans of history, ecology or conservation. I loved the way the author told the tale of great loss, environmental heroes and hope for the future - kept me rapt from first page to last. Highly recommend!

**Dark Emu** by Bruce Pascoe.

A very interesting read that challenges the conventional history surrounding indigenous Australians and their pre-colonial society. I liked the inclusion of many primary sources and, having just read Rat Island, the extremely rapid decline/disappearance of much of the physical evidence for Australian agriculture was very understandable. The author's tone grew gradually more angry as the book went on, making it feel less academic than it did at the beginning, but that was understandable too. I learned a great deal.

**Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed For Men** by Caroline Criado Perez.

This book was bursting at the seams with information, studies and examples to demonstrate its core ideas. A very eye-opening look at the casual discrimination of everyday life in which half the population is, if considered at all, considered to be atypical/an aberration. It helped me see how many things I take for granted as 'the way things are' don't need to be. Good book for an introduction to the topic, I will be looking for deeper reading on some of the subtopics here, especially the impact on AI learning and healthcare.