Page 88 - Marie Claire Australia (January 2020)

BOOK OOK
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'Tis the season for reading, napping and
reading some more. Make the most of
your summer with these new releases

POEMSIA YOUR OWN KIND GRAND UNION DEVOTION BRUNY
by Lang Leav OF GIRL by Zadie Smith by Madeline Stevens by Heather Rose
(Andrews McMeel by Clare Bowditch (Penguin Random (Faber & Faber, $29.99) (Allen & Unwin, $32.99)
Publishing, $29.99) (Allen & Unwin, $29.99) House, $32.99)
In Devotion, Bruny throbs with
With more than Clare Bowditch is a Zadie Smith’s first the sensual and the clash of rapacious
530,000 followers on born storyteller. In her collection of short stories suspenseful debut development versus
Instagram Lang Leav is song “Your Own Kind is made for beach-side from Madeline a simpler life. Astrid
one of the trailblazing of Girl” she sings reading. Not only can Stevens, an unlikely Coleman returns to
“Instapoets” who has about a girl struggling you take a dip in the friendship between Tasmania and the
used social media to with body image and sea between each story, two women catches family fold as the
bring the art form the pressure to be but Smith’s beautiful fire and fuels a story political campaign
to new generations a certain size and musings, sometimes of intense desire. that pits her siblings
of fans. Now, she fit into a fixed box. devoid of plot, are However, as against each other
is trying her hand Likewise, Bowditch’s perfectly digestible imbalances of power gets underway, and
at fiction in an memoir is the brutally in smaller doses. and privilege become tries to discover why
emotionally charged honest story of a girl A common thread more pronounced, a bridge is being built
story about friendship, struggling with fear, between the stories is obsession turns into between their tiny
first love and betrayal. self-doubt, anxiety hard to detect as she resentment. Stevens’ and idyllic Bruny
Leav writes masterfully and acute grief, told ricochets between place, deliciously descriptive Island and Tasmania,
from the perspective with her trademark perspective and genre, writing will have you and why there is
of her protagonist, humour and warmth. however, her trademark absorbed in the such urgency to
an aspiring poet, Listen to our Finding playful wit is ever- captivating plot get it done.
and gives readers a Fearless podcast with present. As with all of and love-to-hate Crisp and evocative PHOTOGRAPHY BY EDWARD URRUTIA.
backstage glimpse Bowditch to hear Smith’s work, you will characters as she writing makes this
into the new-wave more about her finish this book feeling explores just what a hugely enjoyable
poetry movement. incredible story. wiser than before. devotion means. page-turner.

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