From Irish literature to insights into AI, politics and media: some of the best new books on the market.
FICTION
In the work of Irish writer Colm Tóibin Long Island – a sequel to his bestseller Brooklyn – the main character, Irish-born Eilis Lacey, flees her home on Long Island when she learns that her American husband has impregnated another woman. When she returns to her hometown in Ireland with her teenage children after 20 years, she reconnects with those she left behind. A haunting, beautifully written novel about regret and longing, love and betrayal – and whether it is possible to reclaim the past.
The heart in winter by Kevin Barry, also Irish, is set in a mining town in Montana in 1891 and is the story of an unhappy love affair between two broken people – the hard-drinking Irishman Tom, a poet, and Polly, who is married to the local mine captain. The two ride off and spend an idyllic time until Polly’s husband sends bounty hunters to catch them. Barry’s writing style is captivating – short, sharp sentences punctuated by poetic descriptions of the landscape, and the dialogue between Tom and Polly is peppered with humor and deep emotion. A suspenseful mix of western and love story.
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The American writer Percival Everett James is a subversive rewrite of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finnthis time told from the point of view of the slave Jim and set in 1861 on the eve of the Civil War. As in the original, Jim and Huck travel down the Mississippi on a raft after Jim runs away to avoid being sold and Huck fakes his own death to escape his brutal father. In this version, Jim is an intelligent, educated man who speaks perfect English, except in the presence of white people, when he adopts the voice of a slave. A biting commentary on the cruelty and absurdity of slavery, told with bitter humor and irony.
The latest thriller from Australian crime writer Michael Robotham, Storm Childis the fourth installment in his series about forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven and his girlfriend, former refugee Evie Cormac. In this film, a ship carrying migrants en route to England has sunk at sea, leaving an Albanian teenager as the only survivor. Haven investigates allegations that the ship was deliberately rammed by another boat. Told from the alternating perspectives of Haven and Cormac, both psychologically complex characters with dark backstories, this is a fast-paced thriller that exposes the dark world of people smuggling.
NON-FICTION
In the eternal warformer BBC foreign correspondent (and regular Have a nice weekend (Contributor) Nick Bryant dispels the widespread myth that Donald Trump is an anomaly in US politics. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of American history (he has a PhD in it), Bryant argues convincingly that, on the contrary, Trump’s rise was “historically inevitable.” By drawing on the Declaration of Independence, Bryant illustrates that America is anything but democratic, citing examples of political violence that rival the January 6 Capitol attacks and previous demagogic and authoritarian leaders. Not a pleasant read, but a compelling one that will leave you better informed about America’s political history.
In his memoirs Running with piratesIcelandic-born Queenslander Kári Gíslason tells the story of how, at the age of 18, he went to work in a small town in Corfu for a man known as “the Pirate” who owned the local tavern. In 2022, Gíslason returned with his wife and teenage sons. As they relive his earlier journey, he reflects on fatherhood, including his sense of impending loss as his sons prepare to leave home and his joy at the adventures that lie ahead. A powerful meditation on reconnecting with our younger selves and a father’s love for his sons.
AI needs youby British AI expert Verity Harding, argues that far from being something to be feared, AI could be a force for good – as long as humans actively manage its development. Using three historical analogies – the space race of the 1960s, artificial insemination and the internet – Harding argues that despite the risks, with strong political leadership, global cooperation and a willingness to listen to and consider public concerns, AI has many potential benefits, including the ability to combat climate change. Fascinating and uplifting.
In The Stalin AffairBritish journalist Giles Milton writes about the wartime alliance between the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States in the wake of Hitler’s attack on the Soviet Union in 1941. Milton focuses on the personal relationships between Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt, as well as millionaire U.S. businessman Averell Harriman (recruited by Roosevelt as an assistant) and Archibald Clark Kerr (British ambassador to the Soviet Union), while describing the careful diplomacy and political intrigue that led to Allied victory. Complemented by the recent discovery of contemporary correspondence from Kathy Harriman, Averell Harriman’s spirited daughter, this novel offers fascinating insights into an unusual alliance.
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As a former editor of The Sydney Morning HeraldFounder of Text Publishing and Chairman of Private Media, the My goodnessEric Beecher knows the media scene well. He does not hold back in The men who killed the newsa scathing critique of media moguls from William Hearst to Rupert Murdoch and Elon Musk. Beecher worked for Murdoch as editor of the Melbourne Herald from 1987 to 1989; Private Media was sued for defamation by Lachlan Murdoch, who dropped the case in April 2023 and paid $1.3 million in legal costs. In this book, Beecher examines how the abuse of media power works, from issuing instructions to compliant editors to blatant support of political parties to “headline blackmail” to keep political leaders in line. A great – if scary – read.
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