Feed by M. T. Anderson

The image of a filet mignon farm will never leave me. Picture this: walls of red, areas where genetic coding had gone wrong, leaving an eye or a heart. Imagine a young couple having fun in a maze created from filet mignon. I still shudder at the grossness of it. Feed is YA dystopia that disturbs with its world of consumerist excess. There are few books that can make you physically recoil yet be strangely invested, and this is one of them.

At the Foot of the Cherry Tree by Alli Parker

Compellingly written, this beautiful romance between an Australian soldier and a Japanese woman was a read I finished so fast that I astounded myself. Based on the true story of Australia’s first Japanese war bride, this novel is one that opens our eyes to a history of Australia that is often overlooked. It’s a story of courage and fortitude, of perseverance and love. This is one of those novels I would love to see on every Australian bookshelf.

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

A story full of twists and turns. This book messes with your head (in a good way). The story is refreshingly modern, with its protagonist being a podcaster living in a home that looks like one right out of the magazines. Enter her Birthday Twin, a woman born on the same day as her in the same hospital, but who is as different from her as night is to day. Nothing is ever as it seems, and you will be guessing right up to the very end. Perfect for anyone who loves a good twist ending.

The Darwin Affair by Tim Mason

This book has an intriguing premise - a series of murders committed because of Charles Darwin’s seminal work. I enjoy the way historical fiction was woven into a murderous plot. However, the book could have moved along a lot faster and I found my interest waning as I moved through the second half of the book. There was also a sense of the book having far too many characters, resulting in them not being adequately fleshed out.

Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective by Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar

As a fan of Pride and Prejudice, I had high expectations for this book; however I was left in two minds. While it was exciting revisiting familiar characters, the characterisation of Caroline Bingley and Georgiana Darcy here seemed to veer away from the characters Jane Austen had created. Despite that, I found myself enjoying the book as an interesting Regency detective story.

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