George Michael, Andy Jones, Sharon Bala … and other books I’ve read recently
Like a lot of people, I didn’t think that much of George Michael at the outset. Wham! was a huge pop act in the early and mid-Eighties, and were hard to escape. Nothing really against the tunes, but I was in my late teens and early 20s, and just didn’t care.
I kind of came around a bit when Listen Without Prejudice came out in 1990, and I eventually grew to have a grudging respect for George Michael.
My impression has changed thanks to a remarkable book called Tonight the Music Seems So Loud: The Meaning of George Michael, by the British journalist Sathnam Sanghera.
It’s one of the books I’ve read in recent months. This post covers some of them, and is the first post of its kind since March.
Sanghera, who went on to write for The Times in London, was a kid during the Wham! heyday, and an admitted fan, even though that made him rather uncool at school. He applies that lens, as well as adult journalistic rigour, to reassess Michael, how he worked, how he lived, how he died.
It’s a captivating investigation: I was surprised to learn that Michael, who played every instrument on tracks like Last Christmas and I Want Your Sex, was unable to master any instrument at all. (Recording was an excruciating process for his engineers, as he took hours to nail down simple parts that could be played in moments by masters.) He was a perfectionist or a control freak, depending on your perspective. He wrote some of the most popular songs of the last few generations, but could neither write nor even read sheet music.
And yet … there were elements of musical genius to him. And, unknown to many, incredible generosity; Stephen Fry was so moved by one then-secret donation to an AIDS charity that he wept. (Michael’s will and estate still stipulate that such donations are often made with no publicity). Sanghera is clear-eyed about his demise: Michael died of heart issues, but was truly killed by years of addiction. Though egotistical at times, he lived many years genuinely, openly and on his own terms. He had lived in the closet as a young man, but was proudly open later; he dealt directly with tabloid intimidation by refusing to carry the shame they tried to dish out.
A much more complex life than I had thought. I always appreciate a book that helps me look at something differently, and this one reminded me that there’s often much more to a story that we have long assumed.
Other recent books
Here are some of the books I’ve read in the last while, in no particular order.
Villain, Natalie Zina Walschots. This is the sequel to Walschots’s brilliant Hench, which took a trope of comic books — the henchmen who side with the villains that fight superheroes — and turned it into a riot of a read. Villain, as the title suggests, gets deeper into the world of baddies, with a focus on a protagonist of an antagonist called the Auditor. If you liked Hench, you’ll enjoy Villain. Walschots will be in St. John’s for a reading on Aug. 18 at Bannerman Brewing, sponsored by the journal Riddle Fence.
Actor Needs Restraint, Andy Jones. In 1983, I saw Andy Jones perform his one-man show Out of the Bin at the LSPU Hall in St. John’s, and I think my life changed a bit. Actor Needs Restraint! (the title comes from a high-pitched review, I presume from John Holmes in the Evening Telegram) collects the script for that and two other shows. Although “script” is not quite the right word: the notes reveal the text was fashioned out of tape recordings of different performances. No matter. His voice comes through. Recommended for people who loved editor Helen Peters’s The Plays of Codco. Further reading: This conversation with Andy via NQ.
Good Guys, Sharon Bala. St. John’s writer Sharon Bala follows up on her debut novel The Boat People with Good Guys, which puts a light on charities and the impact (especially harm) that can come with good intentions. Of course, some people’s intentions are not that good, either. This book feels topical in a world of celebrities, feel-good social media reels, a lack of critical thinking, and unchecked privilege and racism.
Sisters in Science, Olivia Campbell. Some of the greatest minds in science as the Nazis came to power were women and/or Jewish. Olivia Campbell’s book looks at four women who escaped to freedom, but at great costs; their work in physics (especially that of Lise Meitner, who helped unlock nuclear fission) was eclipsed by misogyny.
Frankie, Graham Norton. Yep, that Graham Norton. The popular talk show host from the other side of the Atlantic is also a talented novelist, and this story may charm you as much as it did me. The title character is an aging woman whose life takes her from Ireland to New York to London, and connects her with a carer who learns much more than the turning points of her life.
The Mill Girls, Heather Barrett. My fellow retired CBC colleague Heather Barrett returned to one of her documentaries to tell this story for Boulder Books, about young women who left rural Newfoundland to work in the industrial heartland of Ontario, specifically in Hespeler in what is now Cambridge, Ont. It’s such an interesting story, and reminds me of how ordinary people often don’t realize how extraordinary their own stories can be.
Breath of the Gods, Simon Winchester. Having dealt already with oceans (not to mention geology, disasters and dictionaries, among other subjects), Simon Winchester turns his eye in his latest book to the history — and future — of wind. That may sound esoteric, but it’s absorbing. It’s a compelling way of looking at climate change. Batten the hatches, indeed.
Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief, Ernest Cunningham. This is the fourth book in Cunningham’s series (it started with Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone), which are entertaining tugs at mysteries and detective fiction. A great recommendation for a lazy summer day.
That’s a bunch for now. I’ll have more soon, I warn and/or promise. I’m always looking for book recommendations; write to me at john@johngushue.com or leave a note on my Facebook page.
Various posts I’ve made about books can be read here. In March, I posted this about some books I read early in the year, and in January, I posted about some of my favourite books from 2025.
On Goodreads, here’s what I’ve been reading so far this year.
I’m grateful for the Libby app, as well as memberships I have in a variety of public libraries. I wrote about Libby and how I use libraries in this post.