Gaudy Night, by Dorothy L Sayers

Published in 1935, Gaudy Night is a novel very much of its time, with some obscure language, class consciousness and assumed knowledge that is well and truly out of date. Nevertheless its central issue is timeless; the struggle for women’s equality and independence. It is somewhat depressing to realise how little progress has actually been made in 80-odd years. Ostensibly a detective story, the mystery takes second place to the developing relationship between writer Harriet Vane and detective Lord Peter Wimsey, ‘will she-won’t she?’ taking precedence over ‘whodunit?’. Ultimately the resolution of the romance is more satisfying than that of the crime, with more questions than answers remaining, including one of justice. It is difficult to imagine that Ms Sayers would have tolerated the number of typos that appear in this work, so yet again it must be noted the lamentable state of modern publishing with regard to proofreading and editing. Feminist credentials notwithstanding the novel serves as a rather extended ode to Oxford with too many (dull) quotations demonstrating the scholarship of the writer and the likely ignorance of the reader.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2017), directed by James Gunn

The second instalment of the most fun of the Marvel franchise features the gang gaining in fame throughout the Universe as guns for hire. Unfortunately their latest employer, the mightily superior Sovereign are mightily pissed off when Rocket can’t keep his mouth shut nor his thieving hands to himself. Rescue is at hand from a strange being called Ego, who claims to be the Star Lord’s long lost father and whisks him off to his distant planet for some bonding. Meanwhile Yondu has been ostracised by the Ravagers for breaking their code and faces a crew mutiny for being too soft Elizabeth Debicki makes a stunning golden high priestess of the Sovereign; there are some cracking cameos from the likes of Sylvester Stallone and Stan Lee; and there is an interesting potential new guardian in empath Mantis, played by Pom Klementieff. The trials and joys of bringing up baby Groot punctuate the action, while sisters Nebula and Gamora reach some understanding in a film that is all about family and how sometimes you make your own. The only question being would you rather Kurt Russell or David Hasselhoff was your Dad? This is rollicking good action with plenty of laughs and the essential, delightfully cheesy soundtrack from the 70s and 80s.

Goodwood, by Holly Throsby

Two people go missing from a small country town a week apart. The disappearances of 18 year-old Rosie and salt of the earth butcher Bart unravel the fabric of Goodwood and ugly truths begin to surface. Told from the point of view of 17-year-old Jean and set in 1992, the tone is quirky and light despite the dark material. The novel has a strong sense of place and a reasonably strong sense of time. The characters of the town are brought to life, although there are possibly rather too many minor ones, who have little impact on the main tale, to keep track of. The story loses credibility when it increasingly switches to action Jean didn’t personally witness. Throsby clearly couldn’t find a way to provide necessary crucial plot detail without losing Jean’s voice and it damages the structure of the novel – either use first person or don’t, but be clear about it. The story of Jean’s emerging sexuality is an interesting counterpoint to the mystery, but its climax makes for an odd conclusion to a sad tale.

The Peach Keeper, by Sarah Addison Allen

A quirky small town in North Carolina; flawed or troubled characters with a challenge to face or a journey to make; a touch of magic in the air to move the plot along; these are the standard ingredients in a Sarah Addison Allen novel. She somehow always manages to mix up a delicious and enjoyable dish, full of interesting people whose fates you care about. Her writing is very sensual, the smell of coffee, the sound of the wind, the chill of snow, the beauty of trees are deeply felt. The peach keeper has a nice circular motion, with historical events influencing the present and four people who were at high school together discovering that relationships can change if you want them to. When secrets of the past are literally dug up in the eco-tourist town of Walls of Water, loner Willa and eternally busy Paxton must rediscover the friendship their grandmothers had to solve a mystery and move forward with their lives. The joker, the stick, the princess and the freak find they can break old stereotypes, find their true selves and be open to love.

Secret City (Showcase), directed by Emma Freeman

Murder, conspiracy and political shenanigans abound in a tale where it’s almost impossible to tell the heroes from the villains, except for our intrepid reporter of course. Anna Torv is wonderful as political journalist Harriet Dunkley, who writes for the Daily Nation and has a complicated love life. The very strong support cast includes Dan Wyllie, Jacki Weaver, Alex Dimitriades and Damon Herriman in a most unusual role. Sex, lies and videotape underpin innumerable twists and turns as spies and counter spies impact on Australia’s relationship with the US and China. Political and journalistic rivalries are cleverly depicted and Canberra makes a fascinating backdrop, although the very large number of secret meeting places around Lake Burley Griffin seems a little unlikely. This is a rare case where the film, or in fact the six-episode series, is so very much better than the book. The stupid names, insider jokes and constant exposition have been cut to create a taut and suspenseful thriller that occasionally challenges the suspension of disbelief but is ultimately satisfying.

Clariel, by Garth Nix

Delving into the history of Nix's Old Kingdom, Clariel takes place centuries before Abhorsen, Sabriel and Lirael. It fills in some gaps about the working of free magic and charter magic and warns of the dangers of complacency among Abhorsen, Royalty and The Clayr. Bravery and tragedy are required to restore balance to the world and events trigger a challenge for Lirael to meet far into the future. Nix’s assured grasp of his strange other world makes it believable and absorbing, its flawed but heroic characters facing ethical dilemmas and tests of courage. Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker? Clariel’s path is long, difficult and dangerous, for herself and for the Old Kingdom.

Take This Waltz (2011), directed by Sarah Polley

Michelle Williams is Margot, married to man-child Lou, played by Seth Rogan in serious mode. She adores his family and they her. They have fun together, laughing and playing pranks, and they throw great parties, but their sex drives are not in sync and after five years of marriage he won’t even discuss having children. So Margot is ripe to fall hard for Daniel, a charming and free-spirited neighbour. But is passion enough to sustain a relationship and is it worth giving up family and friendship for? A complex and quirky relationship drama that doesn’t pretend to have the answers, it has a few unlikely plot points and a rather flat ending. It’s refreshing that it is set in Canada. Sarah Silverman is striking as Lou’s alcoholic sister but the film belongs to Michelle Williams, who embodies Polley’s heroine.

Desire for Chocolate, by Care Santos

Something must have been lost in translation of this award-winning Spanish novel. A white porcelain chocolate pot that acts as an incidental character and the setting of Barcelona links three separate stories of women in different eras. The first story, set in modern times, tells of a love triangle between traditional chocolatier Sara, innovative chocolatier Oriel and food chemist Max. Neither of the male characters is credible and while Sara is more so she is not likeable. The chocolate pot’s only purpose is as a rather clumsy metaphor for their relationship, shattered and painstakingly put back together with some hope for future utility. Set in the late 19th century, the second story is for some reason written entirely in the second person, an annoying and sometimes confusing conceit. Opera dominates this tale of an orphaned servant girl who makes good late in life. The chocolate pot once again serves as a rather obscure metaphor – redemption? Forgiveness? The letter format severely limits the third story of a French delegation to Barcelona in the 18th century and the chocolate pot’s purpose in this story is a complete mystery. The convoluted plot involves French spies, including a hermaphrodite, thuggish English soldiers and the murky start of the Barcelona guild of chocolatiers. While it introduces an interesting method of looking at the history of Barcelona and its chocolatiers, the novel is let down by its expository style and its uninteresting characters.

Final Impact, by John Birmingham

The third instalment of the alt history of WWII sees events take a sharp turn from the impact of the 21st century ‘uptimers’ with the roles of Japan, Germany and the Soviet Union changing considerably in 1944. Stalin, Hitler, Eisenhower, even John F Kennedy find they are on different paths with the very early advent of modern technology wreaking havoc. Everyone has one eye on a post-war future, with the uptimers determined to carve out a space that suits modern values. The old bugbear of sloppy proofreading raises its ugly head again in this book. Authors of strong and high-selling novels really deserve much better from reputable publishers. Birmingham has the ability to make the reader care about even minor characters, on all sides of the conflict, which can be distressing when he kills them off. Fortunately he doesn’t kill off as many favourites as George RR Martin. He has written a trilogy of novellas set in the 50s as a follow-up, examining espionage in the cold war, where readers can discover just how alternative history becomes and what happens to some of the major characters.