BOOKS TO BE CONSUMED

books

to be consumed.

A list of books and music that would love to be your new personality trait, obsession, or escape from reality.

Words by Lauren Shallow

The Poppy War | R F Kuang

So, I started off June in a reading slump, mostly because I was attempting to enjoy gorgeouslywritten but extremely sad books right after exams. I honestly bought this book for the pure joy of buying something BUT The Poppy War blew me away. The novel’s protagonist, Rin, is a war orphan desperate to escape her situation, the only option available to her is passing the Keju, a notoriously hard exam, wherein the top percentage are admitted to the Sinegard, a military academy. The author R.F Kuang grounds the fantastical elements like, shamanism (calling down the gods), in factual history, and Rin’s country, the Nikara empire, is clearly inspired by China. A warning, the story does not shy away from the reality of war, (instances of genocide, drug use, sexual assault are prevalent). Kuang’s research background means the political intrigue, classism, racism, and traumatic events of the story are well researched, written, and graphic.

So you’re: interested in politics, a well written war novel, military academy, rivalry, parallels to modern Chinese history, an anti-hero protagonist, gods interacting with humans? Oh good, devour this one

then.

Wolf by Wolf | Ryan Graudin

This novel is also inspired by real-world events, but instead asks how the world would look if the Nazis won World War II. The protagonist, Yael, survived and escaped a concentration camp, yet not before

enduring horrific human experimentation that left her able to shape shift at will. She is part of a resistance movement driven by the singular desire to kill Hitler. However in order to kill Hitler Yael must impersonate a former victor, infiltrate and win the Axis Tour, a motorcycle tour from Germany to Tokyo, wherein the winner is crowned by Hitler himself. Yet, Yael did not account for the presence of other riders with a vendetta against the woman she’s pretending to be.

Read if you: are interested in World War II, life or death competitions, rebellions against tyrants, rivals/lovers, sibling bonds.

Refugee Tales edited by David Herd & Anna Pincus

This collection of short stories is the physical work of an important project that aims to describe the reality of Britain’s detention system. Each of the Tales are transcribed by a renowned writer, each who have communicated with a person experiencing detention or life as a refugee. Each author approaches the story differently, which gives the reader different points of reference, and shapes the entire system before them. The protagonists range from unaccompanied minors, long-standing British citizens whose heritage are called to question under draconian refugee policies, British lorry drivers, and many more. Yet, there are definite elements of hope within Refugee Tales, the project is one of welcome, and a stand against the British government. This novel is both extraordinary and saddening but so necessary, especially considering that many British policies are known to be directly inspired by Australia’s horrific detention processes.

(There are also a lot of references to the Canterbury tales, if you’re interested, look into both to open the Tales up a bit more).

Just read this.

Vicious | V E Schwab

Two university students (Victor and Eli) are convinced there is a relationship between near-death experiences

and the supernatural. They are arrogant, brilliant and determined to recreate the events on themselves…with mixed success. Years later, Victor escapes prison with revenge against the former golden-boy best friend who put him there. This same friend, Eli, is determined to eradicate every other super-powered person alive. It’s a race to the bottom, who can destroy the other first and what’s left afterward?

You want: morally grey characters, science induced superpowers, found family, friends to enemies.

Writers & Lovers | Lily King

Casey is a writer stumbling through her first novel, a story she’s been writing for over six years. She’s grappling with the loss of her mother, the whiplash of being violently in love to ghosted in a matter of weeks, the trauma her father left her with, working hospitality while striving toward the career she wants. During this, two extremely different men walk into her life. I loved this book; King has written Casey as a character that you are genuinely interested in seeing succeed, she is the real focus on the novel, not the romances she finds herself in.

Read if you like: well-written love triangles, somewhat tortured artists/writers, children growing past their parents’ harms.

Yolk | Mary H K Choi

Yolk follows Jayne as she moves aimlessly around New York, studying a degree she is only moderately interested in, when her sister, June, walks back into her life. June abruptly announces that she has cancer and expects no emotional support from Jayne but needs her college health insurance to afford medical treatment. The sisters have a difficult relationship, caused by June’s overbearing, mother-like role in Jayne’s childhood, while their parents, still in Texas, worked tirelessly in the family restaurant. Warning, Jayne suffers from extremely low self-esteem, which manifests as an eating disorder and informs her often destructive choices.

You’re going to enjoy if you like: siblings who love each other but struggle to like each other, healing family relationships, city vs. rural lifestyle.

The Heart Principle | Helen Hoang

Perhaps one of the best Romance books I’ve read so far, The Heart Principle follows Anna, a violinist who achieved massive success that she feels unable to replicate. After being told by her long-time boyfriend that they should go on a ‘break,’ before settling down because he thinks they both needs to experience something ‘new,’ Anna decides to reinvent herself. She downloads a dating app with the intent of having a one-night stand and meets Quan, a man who appears her opposite but continually strives to make her feel comfortable. The book is the third in Hoang’s The Kiss Quotient series, but I would argue each can easily be read separately due to the changing focus of the characters. Hoang is an Autism Ownvoices writer, and Anna discerns she has autism during the novel, a realisation that allows her to accept herself further. The novel deals with autistic and artistic burnout, themes of ableism and toxic familial relations.

Do you want a: self-acceptance story, healthy romantic relationship, children moving beyond the confines of their family? If yes, read away.

Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead | Emily Austin

The protagonist of this novel, Gilda, is a lesbian woman who accidentally gets herself a job as a church receptionist and begins to live a double life, hiding parts of herself from her co-workers, and the rest of herself from everyone else. Simultaneously, she falls further into extreme anxiety, worries over a missing cat, and begins to question the circumstances of her predecessors death. Gilda is loveable as hell, I just wanted to give her a hug, and she’s extremely funny too.

This one’s for: the overthinkers, anyone looking for a funny read that deals with death, anxiety, family and the pains of general life, people interested in church?

5 AUSTRALIAN LITEARARY JOURNALS TO SUBMIT TO

Words by Beck Rowse

Aniko Press

Aniko Press is looking to publish ‘unique, exciting and challenging work by new and emerging voices.’ For those looking for an entry into the Australian lit mag scene, Aniko Press is the perfect place to get started. Keep an eye on their submissions page for the hundred word flash fiction competition they run often throughout the year. It’s a nice and easy way to get your submission numbers up.

Voiceworks

Voiceworks is a journal created for those under the age of 25. Smelling like teen spirit, they are after ‘stylistically playful stuff, and work that blurs the boundaries between nonfiction, fiction and poetry.’ Writers are paid $100 for each successful entry.

The Saltbush Review

The Saltbush Review is a digital literary journal based on Kaurna Land here in South Australia. They seek to ‘celebrate the local space of South Australia’ and ‘embrace the liminal, the marginal, and the fluid.’ They have recently released their second issue, so go show it some love!

Bramble

Bramble is currently seeking submissions for their debut issue, publishing works by Australian disabled writers and artists. They want to ‘emphasise the importance of representing the wide scope of diversity within disability itself,’ including the unique ways individuals experience disability. They accept prose, poetry, non-fiction, script, visual art, mixed media, and photography.

The Suburban Review

The editors of The Suburban Review ‘praise creativity, adore the tonguein-cheek, and love having [their] hearts broken again and again.’ In addition to accepting submissions, they run an intern program twice a year for those interested in working in the publishing industry.