American Gods, by Neil Gaiman

Ex con Shadow gets caught up in a Civil war between the old Gods of tradition and mythology and the new Gods of technology and innovation. Shell-shocked by the sudden death of his wife, Shadow is taken under the wing of Odin, now known as Mr Wednesday, on a road trip around small-town America. Dealing with Gods fallen low and Gods pushing their way up, Shadow’s dreams become increasingly disturbing. He is targeted by the slick and dangerous opposition and finds threats on all sides. Shadow is the universal traveller, seeking truths internally and externally - a modern day Odysseus, operating at the whim of the Gods, except there is no Penelope waiting for him and good guys are few and far between. In fact his late wife is a rather disturbing presence amid all the mayhem. Seeking and sacrifice are recurrent themes, while mythologies of ancient and modern cultures add breadth and depth to this rather bleak and violent tale, which has recently been made into a television series reputedly breaking records for being out there.

The Soldier’s Curse, by Meg & Tom Keneally

Set in Colonial-era Port Macquarie, this mystery story pulls no punches on the brutality of convict life. The scholarship is admirable, if somewhat overdone, exposition and historical detail tend to overwhelm characters and plot in the early chapters. Gradually they fight their way through to create an increasingly interesting tale of crime and redemption. Tall and intelligent, Hugh Monsarrat is resentful that his station in life restricts him from rising to his abilities in a London law firm. Ambition outstrips common sense and he finds himself transported to the other side of the world. In Parramatta a rush of blood to a place other than the head sees him throw away his ticket of leave and wind up in the northern penal settlement for second offenders. Serving as a clerk for the moderate governor, Monsarrat makes friends and enemies among the soldiery. When the governor’s wife comes down with a mystery illness he must use all his skills to get to the bottom of it to keep his friends safe and foil his enemies.

Tell the Truth Shame the Devil, by Melina Marchetta

At first the overly complicated storyline reads more like a script for a BBC mini series than a teen novel. The main teen character Violette is seen more in her absence from the point of view of others, which is an interesting device but she comes across as hyper-real. In fact it is aspires to be more than a teen novel, with most of the action surrounding Chief Inspector Bish Ortley, using the well-worn trope of disaffected/at risk cop battling the system. There are so many plot elements thrown in and some are tied together quite loosely with some large holes and some cultural disconnect undermining credibility. Terrorism, multiculturalism and racism, media sensationalism, incipient alcoholism – the ism themes abound. Chuck in teen sex and coming out, family separation, prison, overcoming grief, divorce, competing police forces and intelligence services and coerced confession and you get a mish-mash that threatens to run out of control. Marchetta largely pulls it all together in a fast paced and entertaining read that manages to make some important points amid all the action.

Pop Star (2016), directed by Akiva Schaffer & Jorma Taccone

Comedian Andy Samberg’s mockumentary collaboration with his good mates Schaffer and Taccone is hit and miss. It’s biggest problem is that times have changed a lot since Spinal Tap and it can’t go extreme enough to send up its targets – many of them really are that ridiculous all the time. The best parts are the celebrity cameos – Pink, Mariah Carey, Fifty Cent, Usher, Ringo Starr, Seal and many more are very funny. Samberg is good as Conner4Real, former boy band member gone solo, embarking on the difficult second album. The songs are clever and shocking and Samberg can actually sing, but the dialogue is lame and largely unfunny. A few standout scenes such as Proposes With Wolves are amusing. Well-aimed shots at Justin Beiber, U2 and Kanye West, among many others, hit the mark but are not enough to sustain a whole film.

Big Little Lies, by Liane Moriarty

Someone has been killed at the annual school trivia night after an all-out brawl erupted among warring factions of parents. We don’t find out the identity of the victim until the end of the book, but on the way there we find out about the factions and what led to the war. Feisty Madeline is the heart and soul of the whitebread beachside community of Pirrawee. Loyal and outspoken, she sometimes gets it very wrong. Young single mum Jane is a newcomer with an awful secret in her past, which is made easy for the reader to guess. Beautiful Celeste has the seemingly perfect life – a lovely home, wealthy and attentive husband and twin boys, but she is living a lie. These three unlikely friends support each other through a tricky six months of personal challenges and school politics leading up to the death. A Greek chorus of other parents provide insight and misinformation about the situation leading up to the tragedy. It is no surprise to find out who died, but the identity of the person who caused the death is something of a shock twist, which nevertheless makes sense. A social study more than a murder mystery, the novel features engaging characters with breadth and depth. Its short, sharp chapters make for an easy read that is hard to put down. It has been made into a mini-series starring Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley and Nicole Kidman, which is reported to be a good adaptation despite its transportation to America.

The Terranauts, by TC Boyle

A privately funded science experiment plans for teams of eight ‘terranauts’ to spend two years in a glass domed Ecosphere, living self-sufficiently as if colonising another planet. The second group of terranauts is determined to weather any crises and surpass group one, who repeatedly broke the sacred seal of the airlock to obtain outside help. The story is told from three different perspectives, two insiders and one jealous outsider. A slow start is not helped by some confusion as to who is who, with a plethora of interchangeable names and nicknames for no discernable reason. The timeframe is also unclear at first – later it is said to be the late 20th century, which belatedly explains the lack of technology. It gradually builds to a more compelling narrative as the tensions and triumphs of eight people living under glass – and the media spotlight - are explored. It holds echoes of the worst kind of reality TV – exploitation under the guise of environmentalism – Survivor meets Big Brother, only no-one gets voted off. The most interesting character, if the least likeable, is outsider Linda – who is both best friend and betrayer with a high degree of self-delusion. In one moment of clarity she describes the program as a cult, which is the only logical explanation for what these fanatics sign up for and allow themselves to be subjected to. Apparently based on a similar real-life experiment, it is possible that truth is stranger than fiction, but the ludicrous closing chapters collapse all suspension of disbelief and it’s just good to be done with these stupid people.

Fight Like a Girl, by Clementine Ford

Funny, frank and fearless, Fight Like a Girl deserves the awards and accolades it has received. Sexuality, abortion, mental illness, masturbation, feminism – Ford uses anecdotes from her life to demonstrate what it means to fight like a girl and why it is so important to do so. She addresses everything from casual sexism and everyday misogyny to rape culture. Her essential message is that it is ok to be angry and to fight back; in fact it is essential to do so to achieve change. The writing is clear and vivid and although the themes are a little repetitive, it is because the author is a passionate advocate for women standing up for themselves and each other. It is an astonishingly easy read for such a serious subject. Ford is a strong woman with the courage of her convictions. In Fight Like A Girl she encourages other women to take strength and not accept their lot as second class citizens in a world shaped by and for men.