Joan's picks: Lola in the Mirror and Be Useful

Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton. He’s the author of Boy Swallows Universe which has made a big impact on the literary scene, and this new one is simply wonderful. He writes brilliantly about the dark underbelly of Australia – especially Queensland which is his home state, and this is the story of a woman and her unnamed daughter who’ve spent the girl’s entire life on the run and are currently living in a busted down old van which is parked in a Brisbane scrapyard. The girl has a dream that one day her art will be exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, which given her circumstances feels like shooting for the moon. The author writes with incredible empathy about their situation, and about all the people in their small community. This is about survival, ambition and love and it’s fantastic. 

Be Useful by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Arnie’s father apparently drilled into him the mantra be useful which is what he says he’s tried to do his whole life. Here he shares the seven guiding principles which he says enable you to find your real purpose, presumably much as he found his. He interweaves his insights with compelling personal stories, life-changing successes and life-threatening failures alike – and in the process provides a toolkit for getting the most out of your life. 

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