White Male Stand-Up

In 2021 I read the memoir by Alan Davies, Just Ignore Him, which described the sexual abuse that Alan received from his father as a child. In White Male Stand-Up the author discusses the effects of this abuse which continued into his adult life causing the rising, from time to time of the 'angry young man'. It is only when his friend, Jo Brand, convinced him that he needed help that he started to see a therapist.

Alan Davies started to write this book after a diagnosis of possible bladder cancer caused him to reflect on his past relationships and the development of his career as a well known British comedian and actor. This book provides a list of names of British comedians as Alan Davies describes starting his career as a stand-up comedian before working regularly on radio and television. He is probably best known for his work on Jonathan Creek and the television series QI but there were many other projects along the way, not all successful.

White Male Stand-Up provides an overview of the development of the British comedy scene. The book also examines how events suffered early in a life can have a continued affect on a person's life for many years until the realisation that outside help may be required to assist in understanding the situation and moving on.

Always Home, Always Homesick

When Hannah Kent was seventeen she travelled to Iceland as a Rotary exchange student. She did not know the language and although there were a number of other Rotary exchange students in Iceland at the time they were in Reykjavik while Hannah was hosted in Saudarktokur in the north of the island. Arriving in mid-winter Hannah also had to acclimatise to only a few hours of sunlight during winter plus long periods of daylight during the summer.

Always Home, Always Homesick is an account of Hannah's experiences living in a land very different from home in Australia. During the twelve months she lived with three different host families, each providing different experiences. However it is with Petur and Regina and their ever-growing family that Hannah felt most at home.

While in Iceland Hannah decided that she really does want a career in writing and enrolled in a course to study creative writing when she returned to Australia. 

While in Iceland Hannah learned about the belief in local spirits and ghosts held by the locals. She learned to appreciate the traditions of the country and that she is in a special place. Then she visited the site where the last execution was held in Iceland and began to learn the story of Agnes Magnusdottir who was beheaded in 1830.

Back home, Hannah found that she could not forget the story of Agnes and was determined to find more information about the story which became the basis for her first novel - Burial Rites. 

Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent is an account of the author's visits to Iceland over the years  as well as the challenging journey of researching and writing the novel.

Always home, always homesick won the non-fiction award in the 2026 ABA Book Awards. 

Three Wild Dogs and the Truth

When the Zusak family decided to adopt a dog from the local pound they did not know the change this animal would make to their lives. The dog was Reuben, a mixture of many breeds though they were told his ancestry was possibly a Great Dane / Labrador cross. He was a few months old when they brought him home and what was certain was that he would be a big dog. 

As Markus and his wife had a three year old daughter it was essential that Reuben should be a family dog and fortunately he was. Reuben and Kitty became the best of friends. However there were other occupants in the house - two cats named Bijoux and Brutus. Bijoux was in charge. Eventually the animals came to accept each other but there were still challenges, especially when Markus took his dog for a walk.

Then a second dog named Archer arrived. There was a lot of love in the house between dogs and humans but there was also chaos, especially when the dogs went for a walk. There were also expensive vet bills. But the dogs became an important part of the family life which had expanded to include a son. 

When the two dogs died within a short time of each other it was decided to wait six months before considering another dog in the family until they saw a photo of Frosty, another street dog from the pound, and the challenging and chaotic life of looking after and loving a large and sometimes unruly dog began again.

In Three Wild Dogs and the Truth Markus Zusak provides an often humorous account of the highs and lows of living with strong-willed pets. There are a number of photos of the three dogs, usually looking innocent despite the disruption they may have caused. While Reuben and Archer were entertaining the family Markus was often away on publicity tours for The Book Thief and writing Bridge of Clay so we also learn a little of the life of an author.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book which I read in one sitting.

The Mango Tree: A memoir of fruit, Florida and felony

When the phone rings one morning Annabelle Tometich finds herself talking to her mother who is in the Lee County Jail. This was not the start to the day that she had been expecting. Josefina Tometich was arrested for shooting at a man with an air-rifle when he was stealing mangoes growing on a tree in her garden.

In The Mango Tree Annabelle Tometich has written a memoir about her family when she was growing up in Fort Meyers, Florida. Her mother was born in the Philippines and moved from Manila to the USA to work as a nurse at the local hospital. Her father, Lou Tometich, was the son of an immigrant from Yugoslavia. Annabelle and her sister, Amber, and brother, Arthur, were therefore the product of a mixed marriage.  

Families can be complicated. The author acknowledges towards the end of the memoir that the real interpretation of an event may not be clear until much later. The book contains themes of forming and maintaining relationships, raising a family in a culturally different environment, racism, grief and especially family relationships in general. There is much humour in the book as the author recounts family events and describes often eccentric members of her extended family.

The heart of the book is the mango that Josefina loves to eat and attempts to grow from seed in her garden. A difficult task but one that she is proud of when she is finally successful. The mango tree is therefore a central feature in Josefina's family life

The Mango Tree was one of three books selected as a possible title for the Monash Alumni Book Club in March 2025.