Jenna reviews the highly acclaimed 2017 memoir Priestdaddy, which has recently come out in paperback! This is a hilarious family tale - the premise of which Mikey does not believe to be possible. Listen here to find out more.
Jenna
95bFM's Loose Reads: Hellholes of the World: A Love Story by David G. Brown /
This morning Jenna reviewed Hellholes of the World: A Love Story by David G. Brown. This is a pure, rough and tumble travel memoir. Published posthumously, David tells of travelling to places that are no usually on your bucket list: Israel, Syria, the Congo, Banglasdesh, Sierra Leone and more. This is a classic travel memoir with excellent storytelling and political insight.
Jenna also chats with Jogai about Auckland Writers Festival highlights.
95bFM's Loose Reads: What to do at AWF /
Today, Jenna gives bFM listeners a taste of the music-y events that are happening at the Auckland Writers Festival.
This includes three sessions with Alex Ross, author of The Rest is Noise. Tama Waipara's songwriting series 'On Song', featuring musical guests Nadia Reid, Lawrence Arabia and Moana Maniapoto. We also talk about the Ockhams and The Listener Festival Gala.
RNZ's Nine to Noon: Circe by Madeline Miller /
Circe, well known from The Odyssey, was the first recorded witch in Western literature. Madeline Miller (winner of the 2012 Orange Prize for Song of Achilles) has captured her story in Circe, which will be a joy for classicists. Listen to Jenna chat about the book with Nine to Noon's Katherine Ryan below.
95bFM's Loose Reads: Ponti by Sharlene Teo /
On Monday, Jenna, Jogai and Mikey spoke about the excellent read, Ponti. With sweaty Singapore as its backdrop, this story interweaves the lives of three women. It's smart, captures the subtly of complex female relationships, has great pop culture references. Listen to the review below.
Sharlene Teo will be in town for the Auckland Writer's Festival in just a few weeks. Check out her sessions here.
95bFM's Loose Reads: Educated by Tara Westover /
This morning Jenna reviewed the riveting memoir, Educated. Westover grew up in a radical survivalist Morman family in rural Idaho. She didn't attend high school, but studied on her own to gain University entrance. Listen to what else happens here and why you should read it!
95bFM's Loose Reads: Down with Childhood by Paul Rekret /
Jenna chatted to Mikey about Down with Childhood, a slim book on a rather specific topic: children's voices in pop music.
RNZ's Nine to Noon: Peach by Emma Glass /
This morning on Nine to Noon, Jenna reviewed Peach, a 98 paged novella that hits you straight in the gut. Listen to Jenna's review below.
95bFM's Loose Reads: Things to do when you're Goth in the Country by Chavisa Woods /
Jenna reviewed one of the best short story collections today on bFM's Loose Reads. Things to do when you're Goth in the Country is a collection eight short stories - American small town grime full of imagination, politics & black humour. Jenna's highlights are Zombie and A New Mohawk.
RNZ's Nine to Noon: Jenna's Summer Reads /
Things to do when you're Goth in the Country
Chavisa Woods
Woods has given us eight tales of American small town grime. A major highlight was the story, A New Mohawk, where the protagonist wakes up one day to have a miniature version of the Gaza strip living in his mohawk.
This is Roxane Gay's favourite read of 2017. An epic 500 page saga which follows four generations of a Korean family living in Japan over the 20th century. A fantastic read for those who love to learn about different cultures.
Hera Lindsay Bird's favourite read of 2017. This could be seen as just another university coming of age story, but it's so much more. We following Turkish American Selin in her first year of Harvard as she navigates classes, friends and this new fandangled thing called email. A very funny, crisp observation of language and what's lost in translation.
95bFM's Loose Reads: Light the Dark by Joe Fassler /
It's a new year and a time where people often set both creative and reading goals. Listen to Jenna, Mikey & Sarah crack into 2018 with Light the Dark, a collection of essays where contemporary authors tell us what inspires them - perhaps this will inspire you too!
RNZ Nine to Noon: The Stolen Bicycle by Wu Ming-Yi /
Jenna conveniently cycled to RNZ to review The Stolen Bicycle. A beautiful insight into Taiwanese history and culture.
95bFM's Loose Reads: Winter by Ali Smith /
95bFM's Loose Reads: Meet Me in the Bathroom by Lizzy Goodman /
Jenna's been living in a printed word flurry of late, but she's still had time to bring us in Meet Me in the Bathroom, Lizzy Goodman's oral history of the 2000s NYC indie music scene. A hefty tome covering The Strokes to Yeah Yeah Yeahs, LCD Soundsystem to Interpol, Goodman captures a very particular scene from the mouths of the very particular characters that made it happen. But do you have to be a fan? Or does the book stand on its own?
RNZ Nine to Noon: Sing, Unburied, Sing /
Jenna reviewed Jesmyn Ward's Sing, Unburied, Sing this morning on RNZ's Nine to Noon.
RNZ Nine to Noon: Sour Heart by Jenny Zhang /
Jenna reviews the excellent short story collection Sour Heart by Jenny Zhang. Listen here!
RNZ Nine to Noon: BABY by Annaleese Jochems /
Jenna talks to Kathryn Ryan about a wonderful new literary talent from VUP. Click the image to listen to the review.
bFM Loose Reads: Riot Days by Maria Alyokhina /
Jenna & Mikey chatted about this powerful memoir by one of Pussy Riot's founding memoirs. You can listen to the review by clicking on the image below.
