Concrete Playground's Winter Reading List 2017

Time to get out the mohair blanket, crack open the Gingernuts and sit by the fire (or heater) with a good book and a cup of tea. Rather than recycling your favourite list of classics or turning the pages of Harry Potter for the fifteenth time since you were 16, we've rounded up some the best recent book releases that you could be reading this winter.

THE COLOR OF OUR SKY BY AMITA TRASI

This powerful novel follows the story of childhood friends Mukta and Tara who live in Mumbai, India. The story follows dark undertones of child prostitution and human trafficking, but also shows the innocent friendship of two children who enjoy ice cream and going on adventures together, despite both hailing from very different backgrounds. After Mukta is kidnapped, Tara and her family move to Los Angeles to start a new life. As Tara becomes an adult she returns to Mumbai to search for answers. This gripping tale with have you hooked.

I AM BRIAN WILSON BY BRIAN WILSON

The Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson shares the story of the band's rise to success during the 1960s. Wilson has written some of the greatest pop songs in history such as 'God Only Knows' and 'Good Vibrations', and struggled with drug abuse and mental illness following their success by the 1970s. The iconic musician shares the highs and lows of his career and personal life in this telling retrospective tale.

THE TWELVE LIVES OF SAMUEL HAWLEY BY HANNAH TINTI

Samuel Hawley is no ordinary father. After spending years on the road, moving from motel to motel he wants to give his teenage daughter Loo an ordinary life. He becomes a fisherman in his late wife's hometown, while Loo struggles to fit in at the local high school. It doesn't take long though before Loo wants to find out more about her parents' past. After a bit of investigation, Loo finds out the meanings of her father's twelve bullet scars which he received on different incidents during his criminal career. This dark story is suspenseful yet exquisitely sensitive as it explores the quirky relationship between a father and daughter with a heavy past.

WORKING CLASS BOY BY JIMMY BARNES

The Scottish-Australian musician is known globally for his work with Cold Chisel, and his full-throated voice that screams louder than a jet engine. Formerly James Dixon Swan, the talented musician now affectionately known as Barnsey was born in Glasgow, before moving with his family to Adelaide. Barnes shares a memoir of his childhood of poverty, alcohol abuse, and neglect, which then led him to become a talented, and world renowned musician. The story is honest, and shows the musician's inspiring courage, that has made him the Aussie hero he is today.

FLÂNEUSE BY LAUREN ELKIN

A female take on the masculine original ('flaneur'), Elkin reflects on her own upbringing in the Big Apple and places she's been. The story features her pondering while exploring a big city by foot, focussing on a range of different characters. This read is perfect for those who enjoy people watching in cosmopolitan cities, idolise the likes of Holly Golightly and Patti Smith, and enjoy a light yet "deliciously spiky and seditious" (The Guardian) read.

THE RULES DO NOT APPLY: A MEMOIR BY ARIEL LEVY

This New York Times bestseller will leave you laughing and crying. Levy lives an unconventional life and openly details the way it fell apart around her. Her resilience makes her character a strong female figure and heroine in today's society, and her experience with loss is gut wrenching. "I am thunderstruck by feeling at odd times, and then I find myself gripping the kitchen counter, a subway pole, a friend's body, so I won't fall over. I don't mean that figuratively. My sorrow is so intense it often feels like it will flatten me." 

MEN WITHOUT WOMEN BY HARUKI MURAKAMI

Renowned Japanese author Haruki Murakami has just released his latest book of short stories. Titled Men Without Women, the collection features seven tales which explore the lives of men who live alone. Cue in the mysterious women, smoky bars, wry humour and vanishing cats and you have yourself another piece of delightfully quirky Murakami literature.

THE GYPSY MOTH SUMMER BY JULIA FIERRO

During the summer of 1992, a gypsy moth invasion blankets Avalon Island. Leslie Day Marshall, returns to the island with her husband, a botanist, along with their children to live in 'The Castle' which is the island's grandest estate. An indie adventure novel that explores racial prejudice, privilege as a facade and scandal which is presented in a hazy dreamlike way.