Well-Read: Daisy Henry

What a writer reads.

One of my favourite corners of The Internet is the one Read My Blurb have carved out for themselves. An online book club (with irl meet-ups in Melbourne) or as they aptly put it, “a space for booklovers”, by Daisy Henry and Jess Trevaskis. Because I’m nosy, I wanted to know more about what the pair are reading, I asked them. Here, you’ll find self-confessed “mood reader” Daisy’s selection. Jess’s will be dropping before you know it.

Tell me a little about yourself and what you like to read

My name is Daisy and I'm from Melbourne! I freelance as a writer and copywriter, and I also spend time working in the education and pathways sector. My reading preferences tend to ebb and flow – I lean towards contemporary/lit-fic the most, but I love a good memoir or non-fiction audiobook.

What are your must-read books?

Deborah Levy’s Living Autobiography Series

This might be cheating, because technically I’m listing three books-in-one here, but Deborah Levy’s Living autobiography series will always sit very highly for me. I first came across it while studying abroad, so it carries a lot of nostalgia for me. Plus, her writing is divine!

But The Girl by Jessica Zhan Mei Yu

I loved But the Girl by Jessica Zhan Mei Yu. It’s a literary fiction debut set primarily in an artist's residency in Scotland. It’s very interior, with sharp and witty observations and dives back into the protagonist’s Malaysian-Australian family history.

Green Dot by Madeleine Gray

Green Dot was one of my top reads for 2023! It’s set in Sydney and features a relationship/affair with the protagonist's older, married work colleague. It borders on being a *sad girl novel*, but I felt like it offered SO much freshness to the genre. It’s hilarious, relatable, tender, modern and gripping.

None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

I’m not usually a crime or thriller reader, but None of This is True by Lisa Jewell had me hooked. It was more psychological than gory, and it follows an unlikely ‘friendship’ between Alix, a podcaster, and Josie. I couldn’t leave my house, I could barely leave my seat, it was that addictive.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Though Never Let Me Go is often labeled as a Science Fiction novel, I found it to sit far more within the literary fiction genre. It’s set in an alternate version of England, but it zones in on the relationship and friendship between its three main characters. It’s beautifully written and makes such fascinating comments about life.

What are you reading next?

I’ve just started rereading Sunbathing by Isobel Beech, which has long been a personal favourite (I’ve been feeling nostalgic and leaning towards old favourites for some comfort). But I do have about a million other books on my TBR list. I tracked down a copy of The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue after it sold out everywhere, and I recently borrowed a copy of Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au from a friend, so I’m thinking one of them might be next. I’m very much a mood reader though, and I’m lucky enough to have a few stacks of unread books scattered around my house to choose between, so who knows!

Enjoy!