Bunny is one of the weirdest books that Jenna has ever read. In a good way!
Listen to Jenna, Rachel & Tess chat about this black comedy, set at a narrative arts college is worth picking up.
95bFM's Loose Reads: Bunny by Mona Awad /
Jenna
95bFM's Loose Reads: The Farm by Joanne Ramos /
The Farm is Joanne Ramos’ first book. Jane arrives to the luxury resort Golden Oaks to become a ‘host’ - a surrogate for a wealthy client. Jane sees this well paid gig as a opportunity for her and her young daughter to get a step up in life, but the strict conditions of Golden Oaks, leads her to question a choice she can’t reverse.
Narrated by a cast of characters on all sides, The Farm is an educated insight into ethics, class and privilege & service culture.
95bFM's Loose Reads: Then It Fell Apart by Moby /
Jenna was a HUGE fan of Moby’s first autobiography Porcelain, but the follow up has been bathed in controversy. Listen to Jenna, Rachel & Tess discuss Then It Fell Apart, which Jenna can only describe as ‘feral.’
Don’t forget, your bCard qualifies you for a 10% discount at Time Out.
RNZ's Nine to Noon: Memories of the Future by Siri Hustvedt /
Memories of the Future explores themes of time and memory in Hustvedt’s new novel.
Tying together three threads of narrative, S.H from the past and S.H. from the present project towards each other, questioning philosophy, literature, art and feminism along the way.
Listen to Jenna’s review with Kathryn Ryan below:
95bFM's Loose Reads: Attraction by Ruby Porter /
Jenna had a big weekend at the Auckland Writers Festival, so on tofay’s Loose Reads she chats to Rachel and Tess about this incredible book event which included the Ockham Book Awards.
Books that we have spoke about before on Loose Reads came away with gongs. The Acorn Foundation Fiction Prize was awarded to This Mortal Boy by Fiona Kidman. Tayi Tibble’s Poukahangatus won best first poetry book and Chessie Henry’s We Can Make a Life won best first non-fiction book. Check out the rest of the winners here.
Then, Jenna reviews Ruby Porter’s Attraction. Winner of the inaugaral Michael Gifkins Prize. You can also listen to Ruby’s interview from last week here.
Don’t forget, your bCard qualifies you for a 10% discount at Time Out.
RNZ's Nine to Noon: The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See /
The Island of Sea Woman is a gripping historical saga that follows the lives of two haenyeo (women divers) from Jeju Island, Korea. Impeccably researched and set alongside the political turmoil of Korea in the twentieth century, this is a fascinating tale about the women who undertake one of the world's most difficult careers in a unique matrifocal society.
Listen to Jenna’s review with Kathryn Ryan below:
95bFM's Loose Reads: Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid /
A new week and a new breakfast host for 95bFM! This morning, Jenna chatted with Rachel and producer Tess about Daisy Jones & the Six. This is a tale of a 1970’s fictional rock ‘n’ roll band, who are vividly imagined in through the novel’s structure as an oral history - think VH1’s Behind the Music meets Almost Famous.
Don your hoop earrings, imagine yourself in the California sun and step inside this digestable & fun read.
Don’t forget, your bCard qualifies you for a 10% discount at Time Out.
RNZ's Nine to Noon: Spring by Ali Smith /
Ali Smith is back with the third book in her Seasonal Quartet, Spring.
We are introduced to three characters that are soon to meet - Richard, an elderly film & TV director who is mourning the death of his friend, Brittany, a young, educated, security officer at a UK Immigration Removal Centre and 12 year old Florence, who is traveling on her own from London to Scotland.
Smith’s ability to form this intricate web of connections between fictional characters and current events is masterful and self aware. She’s constantly pushing the boundaries of fiction, as well as publishing. This is a modern classic that is a true joy to read. Listen to Jenna’s review with Kathryn Ryan below:
95bFM's Loose Reads: Auckland Writers Festival with Anne O'Brien /
We were so lucky Auckland Writers Festival director, Anne O’Brien, join us to talk about what we need to see this coming May 13-19.
Some of Anne’s picks for bFM listeners are Shayne Carter, Jeff Tweedy, Akala and Kate Raworth.
We also give some tips about how to tackle the free events line.
95bFM's Loose Reads: The Library Book by Susan Orlean /
Today on 95bFM’s Loose Reads, Jenna reviewed a new favourite, The Library Book by Susan Orlean.
This memoir starts with a mystery - who set fire to the Los Angeles Central Library in 1986? On our way to find an answer, we look at the incredible role that libraries have in our communty and how that came to be all the while meeting the weird and wonderful people who helped make it happen.
This is a warm & joyful read full of facts and stories that you will share for years to come.
Susan Orlean is coming to the Auckland Writers Festival! Book tickets here.
95bFM's Loose Reads: Kamila Shamsie, Zoya Patel & Sabrina Mahfouz /
Whether you’re reading a reflection of your own community, or stepping inside the stories from another culture, the joy of reading has no boundaries.
On the latest 95bFM Loose Reads, Jenna suggests some wonderful Muslim writers to delve in to.
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie - see her in May at the Auckland Writers Festival.
No Country Woman by Zoya Patel
The Things I Would Tell You - British Muslim Women Write ed. by Sabrina Mahfouz
95bFM's Loose Reads: You Know You Want This by Kristen Roupenian /
Today we talk short stories and how GREAT they are!
Before today’s review, Jenna gave Tess some homework: To read the viral, December 2017 short story, Cat Person, from The New Yorker.
This collection of twelve stories (including Cat Person) was published off the back of this success. Dark, twisted and humourous (sometimes), You Know You Want This explores the power dynamics of sex, relationships and gender.
If this sounds good to you, you may also like the following short story collections: Things to Do When You’re Goth in the Country & Her Body and Other Parties. You can also buy Cat Person on its own!
95bFM's Loose Reads: Bad Blood: Secrets & Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou /
On today’s Loose Reads, Jenna and Tess chat about one of the latest fraud cases to be in the midst of a media frenzy.
With two upcoming documentaries, a podcast and a movie due, the case of Elizabeth Holmes and her now failed, fraudulant medical company Theranos is being dissected by all angles.
However, Bad Blood is the book that started it all. John Carreyrou’s thorough reporting is transfixing, culminating in a truly compelling tale of corporate crime.
For fans of the Fyre Festival documentaries and the latest scoop on Dan Mallory AKA A.J.Finn, this is an another intriguing tale of millenials gone bad. The new b-format edition is due back in stock very soon, so pre-order now.
RNZ's Nine to Noon: The Friend by Sigrid Nunez /
Jenna popped into the RNZ studio in Wellington to review National Book Award-winning novel The Friend by Sigrid Nunez. It’s a wry and moving story of companionship based around the unlikely friendship between a woman and a Great Dane.
95bFM's Loose Reads: The Ockhams’ 2019 Longlist /
It’s an exciting time of year for NZ literature as the Ockhams’ 2019 Longlist has just been announced. Jenna talks to Mikey and Tess about the award categories, some titles to look out for on the longlist and points out what books we’ve reviewed previously on Loose Reads!
They also ponder, how long should you keep reading a book that you’re not enjoying…?
Listen to previous reviews of longlisted titles here:
This Mortal Boy by Fiona Kidman
The Ice Shelf by Anne Kennedy
Poukahangatus by Tayi Tibble
We Can Make a Life by Chessie Henry
95bFM's Loose Reads: My Thoughts Exactly by Lily Allen /
It’s a powerful thing to be able to tell your own story in your own words and Lily Allen does it well in My Thoughts Exactly. This autobiography is straight up honest, gossy and super compelling. Listen to Jenna’s review from this morning with Mikey & Tess.
RNZ's Nine to Noon: A Different Drummer by William Melvin Kelley /
This image features a little secret from RNZ. As Kathryn is in Wellington, we record our book reviews from a little room at RNZ Auckland.
Sometimes, if another guest is recording a live interview with Kathryn and we don’t have time for a song, we have to creep in quietly beside them and hope we don’t give them a fright or break their flow.
Jenna crept in yesterday to review A Different Drummer. This is a new lost classic, originally published in 1962, set in 1957, in a fictional Southern USA conferate state.
An incident causes the entire black population to leave the state over a few days. William Melvin Kelley, is himself African American, tells this story from the point of view of the white characters.
With vibrant prose and rich characters, this lost classic couldn’t be more timely. Read the 2018 New Yorker article that sparked this book being republished here.
And listen below for more:
95bFM's Loose Reads: Jenna's Top Reads of 2018 /
Jenna popped into the studio for her last review for 2018, so talks over some of her favourites for the year. These are guaranteed great Christmas gifts.
Top fiction: My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottesha Moshfegh
Top memoir: We Can Make a Life by Chessie Henry
Top kid’s book: The Bomb / Te Pohū by Sacha Cotter
Top cookbook: Ottolenghi’s Simple
Jenna also mentions the following music books:
Tina Turner’s autobiography, Lily Allen’s My Thoughts Exactly, Roger Daltrey’s Thanks a lot Mr. Kibblewhite & Michael Hutchence’s biography (written by his sister.)
95bFM's Loose Reads: Everything I know about Love by Dolly Alderton /
Jenna has started reading through a few customer favourites for 2018 and this is one of them. Everything I know about Love, is a great read for fans of Caitlin Moran, Lena Dunham, Bridget Jones & Sex and the City.
A smart and honest memoir, that is easy to dip into during this busy time of year. Also, check out Dolly’s podcast, The High Low.
Listen below!
95bFM's Loose Reads: Everything Under by Daisy Johnson /
Last week, Kiran chatted to the bFM crew about the Man Booker winner, Milkman. This week, Jenna goes back to the shortlist to review Everything Under, a quiet novel that evokes an eerie feeling of dark family secrets, misunderstanding, destiny and myth. Listen below!