The Pocket Bookclub celebrates the year’s end with the usual wine, cheese and food, and each member votes for their favourite and less favourite read of the year.
The year is bookended with joint-favourite reads in January and November (blue dots). There was a reluctance to place the (orange) less favourite dots, indicating a good reading year!
Joint favourite read of the year
January
Flyaway by Kathleen Jennings (7 blue dots)
Cunttail: Ghost Sitting in a Lemon Tree
March
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy (1 blue and 3 orange)
Cunttail: Bambi on the Run
Disappointing despite the Angela Carter quote at the beginning. At least two plot points that are ridiculous.
April
The Commandant by Jessica Anderson
Cunttail: Bloody Moreton Martini
Brisbane’s frontier history
May
Devotion by Hannah Kent (1 blue dot and 2 orange)
Cunttail: Shandy
A surprise turn and lovely language but…too much romance for this book club.
June
Islands by Peggy Frew (4 blue dots)
Cunttail: Winter Wine
Grief
July
The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield (3 blue dots)
Cunttail: Bleeding Passion
Masterful short stories
August
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (4 blue dots)
Cunttail: Fiery Salamander
September/October
The Angry Women’s Choir by Meg Bignell (3 orange dots)
Cunttail: Sweeten the Vocal Chords
Dropbear by Evelyn Araluen (no dots but everyone in Australia should read the poem ‘Welcome to…. ” It is confronting.
Joint favourite read of the year
November
The Bluebird Cafe by Carmel Bird
Cunttail: Bluebird Bubbles
The Pocket Bookclub raged against a book of literary cocktails that only included quotes from men. We embarked on a cunttail project, inventing a cunttail for every book we read in 2022. We made a literary cunttail book! What’s wrong with the word cunt? Nothing
Literary Cunttails 2022 is hand-drawn by Miriama and includes every recipe. Get a free copy.