2016 Booklist #30: The Dressmaker

By Rosalie Ham.  (A Bookclub Book).  I was familiar with this book from the movie trailers (I haven't seen the move), so I was expecting a quirky comedy. It was certainly quirky and I guess it was a comedy, but it's a pretty dark book,  with very few sympathetic characters, and an ending that felt like a farce.  There's no doubt that Ham's characters are unique.  Her Australian town is not a typical Aussie town (or maybe it is?? perhaps I should say it's not *stereotypical*), but was it an enjoyable read?  I'm not sure...

(No picture as it was a library book that has gone back to the library!!)

2016 Booklist #29: Soul Kitchen

By Poppy Z. Brite. Brite mentions in her foreward that this book was finished the night before Hurricane Katrina which made reading this quite poignant - how much of the buildings and landscape remained after this book? A good read, Ricky and G-man have slightly more complex problems and are very tired. Perhaps Brite is tired too, as the book feels quite weary, and a conclusion to the main plot line is somewhat demoralising. Still the final *actual* ending is very sweet.
 

2016 Book list #28: Prime

By Poppy Z. Brite. Another charming outing with Ricky and G-man. Two years on, they're not quite as fresh, a bit more weary. This story has quite a cleverly entwined mystery/thriller element that becomes obvious in the end, but otherwise add quite a nice twist to the story. As always, the descriptions of cooking and restaurant life is fascinating.