Highway 13 by Fiona McFarlane

Mr Blackwell and I visited Adelaide to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary, and I always try to read a local author whenever I'm somewhere new. I chose this one because it was a finalist for the Miles Franklin Award (Australia's equivalent of the Ockham's) and even better, it's a collection of short stories, which fits perfectly with one of my reading goals for 2026.

The collection is centred around a serial killer operating in rural Australia in the 1990s and the ripple effects of his crimes on the many lives touched by them. I thought it was a clever way of tying the stories together/

I don't read much crime fiction, but February seems to have become a bit of a theme - I also read my first Ngaio Marsh book:

 

A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh

This was Ngaio Marsh's very first detective story, and apparently she later cringed at the simplicity of the plot and characters. Set in a country house, it features a real murder unfolding inside a murder mystery game. I quite enjoyed it and if it were published today, I think it would sit among our 'cozy crime' category.

Legend has it that Ngaio wrote this in pencil across three exercise books, wanting to see if she could produce something like Agatha Christie, who she admired. Clearly, she could, I thought it felt very much like something Agatha could have written.

 

A State of Siege by Janet Frame

Another first for me, my very first book by Janet Frame. The main character, Malfred, is a retired art teacher who moves from the South Island to a fictional version of Waiheke Island after the death of her mother.

The story unfolds mostly over her first night in the new house. A storm rages outside, an intruder tries to force his way in, and, as the hours pass, she begins to slowly unravel.

You might have come across the distinctive editions from Fitzcarraldo Editions and wondered about their presentation: the blue covers for fiction, and the reversed white with blue text for nonfiction. Their goal is that the uniformity creates an even playing field among their authors, whether a debut author or winner of a major international prize.

You can purchase this book here.

 

Earlier this month I was in Lyttelton and stopped in at one of my favourite second-hand bookshops, London Street Bookshop (no website or social media presence), a tiny space absolutely crammed with books. I managed to find a first edition so I just want you to see the contrast of that plain blue cover with my groovy 1960s edition!

 

Eradication by Jonathan Miles

I didn’t finish this book thinking it would become a favourite, but it’s certainly the one that has replayed over and over in my mind this month.

It tells the story of Adi who, after losing his son and his wife, accepts a solitary assignment from a mysterious agency to travel to a Pacific island and eradicate its invasive goat population. The problem is, Adi has no hunting experience. Once he arrives and realises he actually has to start killing animals, an existential crisis begins to unfold.

There are also two deeply unsettling encounters with a pair of men on the island - men he hadn’t been told about - and the novel raises difficult questions about our relationship with the planet.

It’s a short novella, really, but one that has been in my mind many times since I finished it. I haven’t read such a propulsive ending since The Bee Sting, by Paul Murray.

You can purchase this book here.

 

Afterthoughts:  or Some Pistachios Won’t Open. Wisdom for the Unreflective  by Richard Ayoade

For sure the quirkiest book I read this month. The author is probably best known to many of you as the actor who played Moss in The IT Crowd. If you’ve ever watched the show, I’m sure you’ll join me in hearing these lines in Moss’s voice.

It’s a series of one-liners and stray thoughts from the author, such as:

• Just remember: ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’ is just something someone wrote. Probably some nerd whom you could crush like a cheese puff.

• When sniffer dogs detect a bomb, what does it small like to them? Probably sausages.

• Time is a great teacher, but She’s also too late,

On Friendship by Andrew O’Hagan

I hadn’t read anything by Andrew O'Hagan before this, though Mr Matthews is a big fan of his fiction.

This is a short collection of essays on friendship. It’s not a sentimental gift book about friendship in the abstract; much of it draws quite specifically on his own life and social circles. For that reason, it will probably have the strongest appeal for existing O’Hagan readers. Still, I found the essays engaging, and the compact size of both the book and the pieces themselves made it an ideal flight companion.

You can purchase this book here.

 

Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan

This one came into the shop recently, it’s a special edition of short story collection from 2007.

There’s typical Claire Keegan themes through all the stories of love, loss and memory. There’s also a soft reference to the land in most of the stories.

Lots of Claire Keegan books are being reissued in this petitie hardback style so if you’re a fan we have a number of them for you to have a look at.

You can purchase this book here.

 

The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins

I am definitely behind the curve on this one, with about half the universe of self-development readers having already read it.

If you find yourself often irritated by small things other people do - like coughing around you, or speaking too loudly in public places - then this one contains some very down-to-earth, everyday advice to help keep your head on straight.

You can purchase this book here.

 

The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

I’m reading The Portrait of a Lady slowly this year - five chapters a month until November. I didn’t write a post about my January reading, so this is a summary of Chapters 1–10. From next month on, I’ll just cover the five chapters I read for that month.

You can purchase this book here.

Chapters 1-5

The novel opens at Gardencourt, an estate in Oxfordshire, about 40 miles from London. It belongs to Daniel and Lydia Touchett.

We’re first introduced to Daniel Touchett, his son Ralph, and their neighbour Lord Warburton, who are taking tea on the lawn and discussing women - specifically Isabel Archer, Lydia’s niece, who is on her way from America.

Isabel soon arrives with her aunt. Lydia has brought her from the United States after the death of Isabel’s father, whose gambling has left the family in difficult circumstances. Lydia intends to introduce her niece to the refinement of European life.

It quickly becomes clear that Lydia and Daniel have a strained marriage. Lydia spends most of her time away from Gardencourt, largely in Florence, Italy.

In these opening chapters we meet:

• Lydia Touchett – independent, unhappily married and frequently absent

• Daniel Touchett – Lydia's husband, he is not well

• Ralph Touchett – their adult son

• Lord Warburton – Ralph’s friend and neighbour

• Isabel Archer – Lydia’s niece (the daughter of her deceased sister), newly arrived from America

• Bunchie – Ralph’s terrier

We also hear of:

• Isabel’s sisters, Lilian and Edith

• Her late father, described as a gambler and a scoundrel

• Caspar Goodwood, a suitor waiting for Lydia in Boston

Chapters 6-10

Isabel is repeatedly described as “high-spirited” which I take to mean curious and independent-minded. She forms a warm connection with her uncle Daniel Touchett, who takes time explaining English customs to her. There’s a memorable moment when she lingers after dinner to continue talking with the men when her aunt goes to retire - a small act that raises eyebrows and much is made of this impropriety!

Ralph, despite being her cousin, makes it increasingly clear that he is falling in love with Isabel.

Lord Warburton invites Isabel to visit his home, where she meets his sisters. Having already questioned her own relatives about his character, she seems to be weighing him carefully. His sisters speak warmly of him, reinforcing his reputation as a good and honourable man. On a walk together, Warburton confesses his admiration for her spirit, though Isabel deflects this suggestion.

By the end of Chapter 10, we are introduced to Henrietta Stackpole, an American journalist and friend of Isabel’s. She has come to Europe to write about European society and asks for Isabel’s help in making connections.

So far, the novel feels very much concerned with observation of character, of manners, of possibility. Isabel stands at the centre of it all: young, intelligent, and seemingly with many opportunities for her future.

Until the end of March, save 10% on any of the books I read in February by using the code BLACKWELLREADS at check out.