Mother’s Day Recommendations
With Mother’s Day right around the corner, it’s time to think about spoiling mum, the woman who can (and does) do it all. If you’re stuck for ideas, never fear, we’ve got you covered! With a great selection of old and new titles, gifts, and puzzles, finding the perfect gift for mum is easy! Below are some of our favourite new releases that have been tried, tested, and approved by our in-house bookworms!
Fiction
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
It’s hard to write a review for ‘Klara In The Sun’ as to avoid giving away major plot points. This is my first introduction to Kazuo Ishiguro, and I am absolutely floored.
Set in a dystopian future, this novel is told through the perspective of Klara, an Artificial Friend; a robot quipped with artificial intelligence that contains very human qualities, and exists to be a companion for a human child. One day she meets Josie, a 14 year old girl who is gravely ill. Klara observes human idiosyncrasies, the environment around her, the way humans interact with one another and how they exist among other Artificial Friend’s.
Klara is bought and taken in by Josie and her mother. With Klara’s optimism, she firmly believes that Josie will get better providing that the Sun – Klara’s solar panel charge – will heal Josie.
This is a stunning novel that delves into relationships between humans and their artificial companions. Klara’s gradual understanding of the world gives this perspective a very human and compassionate quality, and raises points of the binding love between humans and machines.
I highly recommend!
— Reviewed by Cathy, the manager of BOOK FACE Port Macqurie
non-fiction
One Last Dance by Emma Jane Holmes
A biography promising a behind the scenes look at two completely different industries – funeral homes and strip clubs. Emma Jane Holmes has had quite the colourful life. Tending to those who have passed at her day job as a mortician and enjoying the lucrative life of dancing in a strip club to help pay the bills.
Always very respectful to her clients both at the funeral home and the strip club, Emma gives us a very raw and honest look into both sides of her life. Although you may think a mortician should perhaps be sombre, her approach and zest for life that comes from seeing what she sees comes across as endearing. Her story will make you laugh and gasp all in one chapter.
Personally, I found her mortician life more intriguing and having learnt a lot about the industry. Like any great non-fiction book, One Last Dance has left me looking inward, considering what my final wishes may be. This book has raised a lot of questions and has prompted a lot of discussion with friends and family. Warning, some sections may stop you in your tracks or take your breath away. But for me, you get a sense this profession is definitely not for everyone and has left me with huge amounts of respect for those that dedicate their life to it. I would highly recommend!
— Jenny, bookseller at BOOK FACE Orion
