JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa

Bookish high school student Rintaro Natsuki is about to close the secondhand bookshop he inherited from his beloved grandfather. Then, a talking cat named Tiger appears with an unusual request. The cat needs Rintaro’s help to save books that have been imprisoned, destroyed and unloved.

Their mission sends this odd couple on an amazing journey, where they enter different labyrinths to set books free. Through their travels, Tiger and Rintaro meet a man who locks up his books, an unwitting book torturer who cuts the pages of books into snippets to help people speed read, and a publisher who only wants to sell books like disposable products. Then, finally, there is a mission that Rintaro must complete alone . . .

Japanese fiction translated by Louise Heal Kawai, The Cat Who Saved Books is a story for book lovers. At only 217 pages, and published in a small format, this book is a very short read and at its core explores love, loss, family, and the persistent power of books and reading. And with a talking cat, the novel of course dabbles in magical realism and contemporary fantasy.

Whilst this largely seems to be marketed as an adult novel, its appeal certainly expands beyond that readership. Over the course of the story, Rintaro embarks on four journeys to rescue literature, and the episodic structure of the novel is reminiscent of many children adventure stories — the grief-stricken protagonist, a talking animal driving the plot forward, and a friend in the form of a sidekick, keeping the story grounded in reality.

“It was only two days since Sayo and Rintaro had tea together. Rintaro had only replied vaguely to her pleas for him to go back to school, and ever since stayed holed up inside Natsuki Books. Really there didn’t seem any reason to go to school at all at this point.”

Underneath all the adventures, this is a story about an introverted young boy coming to terms with his grandfather’s death. When we meet him in the beginning of the novel, he’s getting ready to shut his grandfather’s bookstore. He’s barely attending school, he doesn’t have any friends and he doesn’t seem to possess passion for anything anymore. By meeting Tiger and embarking on these adventures, he comes to recognise what brings him joy and happiness, and is able to forge on without his grandfather. He learns to let others in, and let some things go from his mind.

“Rintaro took another look at the magnificent gate and the mimosa tree above. Its giant branches were covered in cottony blossoms. That was strange. It was December, which made this a very unusual mimosa indeed. But then again, from the outset everything he had seen today had defied common sense.”

Louise has done a great job with the translation, maintaining the whimsical, quirky nature of Japanese fiction and ensuring the story stays on course.

Admittedly, the short word count means the story does feel a little simplistic at times. It’s quite a clear cut story of good and bad, and does feel more like a novel for children than adults. However, it is a charming and enchanting tale that doesn’t take much time to read.

“Something in the atmosphere changed. Rintaro turned to look at the door. Beyond the darkness a wind had begun to blow. Or rather, there was a wind blowing through the hall, towards the darkness, easing Rintaro and the cat towards the fusuma door.”

Literary fiction with quite a specific audience, The Cat Who Saved Books is magical and wispy and will largely appeal to frequent readers and those who truly love reading. Readership skews 12+

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Cat Who Saved Books
Sosuke Natsukawa
September 2021
Pan Macmillan Book Publishers

The New Hustle: Don’t Work Harder, Just Work Better by Emma Isaacs

What if we’ve been served a big, fat lie about what it takes to be successful at work?

Pro-hustlers will tell you living in a work-more, sleep-less world is how we get ahead. But on the back of the pandemic, entrepreneur and Business Chicks founder Emma Isaacs believes the hustle is now dead. Moreover, traditional ways of working – long commutes, unproductive meetings and outdated systems of bureaucracy – actually don’t work at all.

Emma believes we don’t have to work harder; we just need to work better. In fact, we can slash our hours, take shortcuts and still get more done – without feeling depleted. By becoming more intentional and reimagining the way we work, we can rewrite the old work rules and reinvigorate our lives.

The New Hustle condenses Emma’s wisdom into 77 anti-rules for maximum dip-in-and-out efficiency. Drawing inspiration from her team, the member of Business Chicks and the many entrepreneurs and leaders who have graced the Business Chicks stage – from Elizabeth Gilbert to Simon Sinek – she guides us towards embracing radical flexibility, making quick decisions and working smarter, from the emails we craft to the talent we recruit . . . and say no to the things that don’t matter, so we can say yes to the things that do.

Written with humour, insight and a serving of tough love, The New Hustle is your go-to for more productive, creative and meaningful work by one of Australia’s most unconventional and effective entrepreneurs: a bestselling author, mum of six – and a woman determined to start an anti-hustle revolution.

Emma Isaac’s The New Hustle is the latest addition to a long suite of go-to business guides with practical, useful advice to people working within a professional environment. The New Hustle will also suit readers wanting to pursue a new passion — people who are perhaps afraid to take a leap towards something different.

Given we’re eighteen months into COVID-19, there’s a lot of content in here that feels relevant and timely. Businesses have had to learn how to adapt to the pandemic, and Emma’s inclusion of COVID makes the book a welcome inclusion in this genre.

“Making better deals is not just about making more money. It’s about being able to enjoy our work more and it’s about being able to truly work smarter and not harder. Sometimes to make a better deal you just need to be a bit more creative and think of alternative ways to structure it.”

There is an element of vulnerability to this book — it’s as much about advice and rules as it is about Emma revealing the lessons that she has learned throughout her career. She’s experienced hardship and failure, and she doesn’t shy away from introspection and delving into personal stories.

The book is broken up into short chapters to allow for easy reading — you’ll devour this very quickly. I can imagine many of Emma’s fans, particularly members of Business Chicks, will enjoy having this on a bookshelf for the odd occasion that you need some life tips.

“Sometimes we’re so used to something being normal, we forget to interrogate why we’re going along with it in the first place. A great example of this is the work hours that most workplaces accept as normal.”

Whilst there is plenty of advice and wisdom in here that readers can take away from, if you’re the kind of reader who regularly delves into these kind of books, you will find a bit of similarity here. There were a couple of nuggets in this book that I felt I hadn’t read before, but some of this is common sense and I wonder if the target audience of this book might already know what they’re reading.

Something else I felt when reading this book is that it seems to mostly serve people who work in management roles, rather than professional workers who are lower down the pecking order within the business. There’s a chapter about companies needing to adapt work hours to reflect contemporary lifestyle — great! love it! but that’s not a decision I can make, nor is my boss. We’re a company with thousands of employees. Ideally, we’d need the CEO to read this book.

It felt like the book never really settled on the type of reader it was speaking to. Is this for creative people wanting to start their own business? Is this for bosses? Management? Is this for entry-level workers wanting to move up? What about middle-level? Each category of reader may find something relevant in this book, but interest will differ depending on what chapter you’re on.

What does feel different about The New Hustle are the personal experiences, the anecdotes, and the life lessons along the way. Whilst sometimes, and it’s just sometimes, Emma tells a story from a time she did something ‘right’ and it comes off like a humble brag, it is nice to have examples tied to most of her advice so that we can gain further understanding. It is also refreshing when authors admit what they’ve struggled with over the years, how they’ve failed, and the lessons they’ve picked up along the way.

“Another great way to keep in touch with the people who matter to you is just to drop them a short email from time to time. I do this regularly with our members. I’m never after anything from them, but a random, unexpected note to say ‘I’m thinking of you’ can go a long way towards making others feel great and building upon a relationship.”

Recommended for readers wanting some direct advice on their career, and how to achieve what they want. Readership skews female, 35+

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The New Hustle
Emma Isaacs
September 2021
Pan Macmillan Book Publishers

It’s Not You, It’s Me by Gabrielle Williams

A literally life-changing novel about time travel, soulmates and serial killers that asks a very big question: Can you ever change your fate?

Holly Fitzgerald has inexplicably woken up inside the body of an LA teenager called Trinity Byrne in 1980 – trapping Trinity in Holly’s forty-year-old body back in Melbourne, 2020.

Mind. Officially. Blown.

Holly finds herself navigating a brand-new body, family and cute boy next door – not to mention rock band that might just make it, and potential kidnapper. Meanwhile, lies intersect with truth, hurtling both Holly and Trinity towards a dangerous fate as the connections between them grow deeper and stranger than either could have ever imagined.

Freaky Friday meets Pretty Little Liars — if the Liars were an all-girl punk band from the 1980s.

Gabrielle Williams’ latest YA novel It’s Not You, It’s Me is a soul-swap story predominantly set in the 1980s. When forty-year-old Holly — who lives in 2020 — wakes up in the body of 16-year-old Trinity in 1980, she must learn to manage this new identity whilst figuring out why she’s been swapped in the first place. What does she need to do and how can she get back to her own body?

It’s certainly an interesting perspective to focus on for a YA novel — centring the story on the 40-year-old rather than the 16-year-old. But to be fair, when we do come in contact with Trinity it’s clear she’s quite unfriendly and bitter, and I probably would’ve hated reading an entire book about her anyway. It’s nice to see her humble out a bit.

“Holly couldn’t pretend. This wasn’t her life. None of it was. Deep down in her gut, in her soul, she knew this wasn’t who she was. Holly didn’t know how to behave with a dad. She hadn’t grown up with one. What happened when you had a dad? What sort of things did you talk about?”

Focusing on Holly’s perspective allows us to focus on the plot, rather than the character. Holly is wise and intelligent, and her journey is more about finding out why she’s been body-swapped, and what she can do to improve Trinity’s life. Over time, we come to realise how lonely Holly’s childhood was — an absent mother, no father. By stepping into Trinity’s shoes, she gets to experience the love of a family and the comfort of feeling like she belongs. It’s a nice touch.

Another interesting element to the story is how Gabrielle explored muscle memory and unconscious reactions. In many situations, Holly is able to ‘be’ more like Trinity and is able to tap into memories rather suddenly.

The pacing is consistent and appropriate, and tension builds in the second half as Holly’s life nears danger. Whilst Gabrielle probably could’ve increased the presence of the Mariposa Murder in the first half of the novel — the fear and concern — I still really enjoyed Holly’s progression in the novel.

“She strummed the strings, trying to get a feel for the instrument. She was going to make a fool of herself. But as she started tinkering, her fingers took off with a mind, or a memory, all their own. Her body was plucking the strings, listening for tone, adjusting the tuning pegs…”

Admittedly, I would’ve loved a bit more reference to the 1980s — pop culture, fashion, lifestyle. Perhaps these things are light on because the YA readership weren’t alive in the 1980s and so they may not necessarily respond to these elements, but I would’ve loved just a bit more sense of place. Holly waking up in the 1980s lends itself to quite a bit of humour and quirk, and this novel does feel like it has room for a bit more.

The only other element of the novel I struggled with was the initial scenes when Holly wakes up in Trinity’s body. Because the story is written in third person, Holly is referred to as Holly, but Trinity is frequently mentioned, and introspection allows for Holly to talk about Trinity a lot. After the first few chapters you’ve got it, but initially? I was quite confused.

“Holly wasn’t ready for the outside world yet, even if it was only coming in through the phone line…Holly’s instinct was to hang up the phone and deal with the consequences later. But if she didn’t talk to this girl, the mom would know something was up.”

Quirky and original, It’s Not Me It’s You is recommended for a YA audience. Readership skews female, 12+. The ending is particularly enjoyable.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

It’s Not You, It’s Me
Gabrielle Williams
September 2021
Allen & Unwin Book Publishers

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

When violinist Anna Sun accidentally achieves career success with a viral YouTube video, she finds herself incapacitated and burned out from her attempts to replicate that moment. And when her long-time boyfriend announces that he wants an open relationship before making a final commitment, a hurt and angry Anna decides if he wants an open relationship, then she does, too. Translation: She’s going to embark on a string of one-night stands. The more unacceptable the men, the better.

That’s where tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan Diep comes in. Their first attempt at a one-night stand fails, as does their second and their third, because being with Quan is more than sex-he accepts Anna on an unconditional level that she herself has just begun to understand.

However, when tragedy strikes Anna’s family, she takes on a role that she is ill-suited for, until the burden of expectations threatens to destroy her. Anna and Quan have to fight for their chance at love, but to do that they also have to fight for themselves.

Helen Hoang’s The Heart Principle is both a contemporary romance novel and commercial women’s fiction novel exploring identity, self-sacrifice and belonging. The second half of the novel painfully explores the role of family expectations and caregiving.

Protagonist and violinist Anna is struggling with her music — after experiencing viral fame, she feels her music is riddled with errors. She’s also struggling to connect with her family, and her sister’s continued disinterest and disregard for Anna’s feelings creates friction between them. Anna’s connection with Qual after an intended one night stand allows her to confront her insecurities and her hesitations (particularly relating to intimacy), and work to understand herself a little better.

“There’s a confidence and relaxed coordination in the way he moves that suggests he’s been in a few fights — and won them. Have I lost my mind that this is intensely appealing to me, that hint of danger?”

Helen’s strength lies in her narration and voice. Written in first person, Anna’s voice offers reflection at key moments. She’s wise and intelligent, and she’s considerate. Too considerate. She puts others before herself, and she doesn’t quite understand how unhappy she is — how she’s not living the life she wants.

For most of the novel, Anna battles with herself as she tries to overcome her music struggles and her family’s judgement of her. When Anna’s psychologist tells her that she’s likely autistic, it allows Anna the chance to understand who she really is, and how she can progress in her personal life and her career.

Many readers will understand that multi-faceted feeling of pressure — from family, partners, career, and society. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy, so it’s nice to feel reassured about who you are and where you are in life.

“Parts of me don’t look quite right anymore. That’s the simple truth and something that I feel I need to explain. There’s also the other thing, the thing that I haven’t told anyone yet, because it’s awkward and it sucks and sometimes it still makes me cry.”

Admittedly, the novel does a bit like a clash between priorities. Is this a romance first and foremost? The first half certainly feels like it, but the second half almost feels like a different story. I’m not saying it’s not enjoyable — I binged the book in one day — but it did feel a bit like a jolt as I made my way through the story. The progression of Anna and Quan’s romance certainly felt predictable, and the ending foreseeable.

Personally, I loved that Anna’s relationship with her sister was left unresolved at the end of the novel. It shows that not everything can be fixed or wrapped up in life, and that sometimes relationships can remain broken.

“His words catch me off guard, and I stare at him for a moment. I need to run, to escape, to crumple up tonight like a ruined sketch and start with a fresh sheet. And he’s telling me not to. Worse than that, he makes perfect sense. And he’s smiling again, taking my breath away and making me stupid.”

Heartwarming with a lot of soul and charm, The Heart Principle is recommended for fans of romance and commercial women’s fiction. I can see YA readers loving this as well. Readership skews female, 20+

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Heart Principle
Helen Hoang
September 2021
Allen & Unwin Book Publishers

Cutters End by Margaret Hickey

A desert highway. A remote town. A murder that won’t stay hidden.

New Year’s Eve, 1989. Eighteen-year-old Ingrid Mathers is hitchhiking her way to Alice Springs. Bored, hungover and separated from her friend Joanne, she accepts a lift to the remote town of Cutters End.

July 2021. Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti is seconded to a recently reopened case, one in which he has a personal connection. Three decades ago, a burnt and broken body was discovered in scrub off the Stuart Highway, 300km south of Cutters End. Though ultimately ruled an accidental death, many people – including a high-profile celebrity – are convinced it was murder.

When Mark’s interviews with the witnesses in the old case files go nowhere, he has no choice but to make the long journey up the highway to Cutters End.

And with the help of local Senior Constable Jagdeep Kaur, he soon learns that this death isn’t the only unsolved case that hangs over the town…

Set in the South Australian outback, Margaret Hickey’s Cutters End transports us to rural Australia and centres around a suspicious death thirty years earlier. At the time it was ruled an accident, but what really happened along that deserted and dusty highway? Was the death of Michael Denby really an accident?

This novel falls fairly easily into the rural crime and Australian Outback noir genre, and doesn’t stray too far from the stereotypical elements of the space — the flawed male detective with a troubling marriage, a young woman holding a few too many secrets, a decades-old cold case that remains unsolved, and the desolate town filled with sketchy inhabitants. You’ll know from simply glancing at the cover whether this is novel you’ll want to read.

Cutters End is definitely a commercial novel and will find many valued readers looking for some sort of escapism. This would be a great book to gift for Father’s Day.

“She returned to her papers, indecisive. Since Mark’s visit, and perhaps just before, she sensed that her life was becoming unstuck. Her hand rested on the photograph from the old newspaper clipping. Nothing seemed definite and the resolve she’d enjoyed for a number of years was slipping.”

With all rural thrillers, setting is integral. Get that wrong and you’ve lost the atmosphere. In Cutters End, Margaret captures the thick heat and humidity of rural Australia with ease — the desolate town and its silences, the houses and businesses few and far in between, with plenty of distance and solitude to commit a crime and keep it hidden. Everyone knows each other and secrets can remain hidden for years.

In most rural thrillers, evidence is lacking so the story relies on the protagonist slowly unravelling the crime secret-by-secret, and this usually stems from townsfolk. In Cutters End, whilst some evidence reveals itself over the course of the novel, Mark’s interactions with other characters and his ability to piece together clues helps him solve the crime.

“The phone rang: his mother. Mark felt the familiar pang of guilt that she was calling him and not the other way around. His mother still lived in Booralama, the country town he grew up in. The rose gardens, the long, slow, winding river and the old gum trees — the town never failed to fill him with fault nostalgia for all things young and free.”

Told with a dual timeline, moving between the 1980s/1990s and the present allows Margaret to reflect on each era. In the past, hitchhiking was incredibly common but posed significant dangers for young women. Additionally, women who were abused or hurt were rarely believed, so it was easier for crimes to go unpunished. The present storyline follows a fairly standard kind of procedural pace, with Mark finding similarities between the events in Cutters End and the notorious Milat backpacker murders.

Admittedly, I did feel like a couple of loose threads undervalued the rest of the novel, particularly around TV presenter Suzanne Miller and her interest in the case. She’s in one scene and we barely hear from her again. I felt there was a missed opportunity to incorporate her into the story, because at present it feels like you could cull her and it’d barely make a difference. Secondly, Mark’s relationship with his wife felt thinly developed, and their storyline as a whole could’ve been explored a bit more.

“As the dark paddocks rolled on by, gradually giving way to subdivisions and then traffic, he thought about his own lack of resolve over the years. He seemed to float along; things came to him and he accepted them as par for the course.”

Pacy, intriguing and exhilarating, Cutters End is recommended for fans of rural crime, such as Jane Harper, Chris Hammer and Greg Buchanan. Readership skews 25+

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cutters End
Margaret Hickey
August 2021
Penguin Random House Publishers