What's the good of a biography that doesn't reveal much of the subject's true personality, their inner life? There's merit in getting on the record the defining moments in a person's career, but isn't the joy of reading a biography dependent on the power to revel in the inner workings of a person's mind, their secrets and obsessions? Colin Steele considers a new biography of Terry Pratchett this week, that leaves him a little cold. Perhaps the warning should have sounded with the word "official" on the cover, which can sometimes stand in for "sanitised". You can find all the books we've reviewed this week below. And I welcome your thoughts and feedback on what we've been reading. You can reach me by email at jasper.lindell@canberratimes.com.au Angela Meyer has written a novel in the post-COVID era of Melbourne, in that time when the city is just stretching back to life. Moon Sugar (Transit Lounge, $29.99) begins with a 40-year-old personal trainer, Mila. But the disappearance of a sex worker, Josh, who Mila meets on a website for older women seeking contact with younger men, brings her into contact with Josh's housemate Josh, 24. "As Mila and Kyle's hunt for Josh unfolds, as more of the mystical is revealed, and obscure players with powerful agendas are introduced, Meyer does hold back in some places from leaning into the drama of her own tale," writes Miriam Webber in a review this week. "The elements are there, but where there could be a sense of urgency and danger, there is sometimes a restraint which keeps the reader back from racing forward with the story." Colin Steele, who interviewed Terry Pratchett six times, considers this week the new official biography of the esteemed fantasy author. "Pratchett always intended to write an autobiography but only left behind "rough hewn, disjointed" segments which ended in 1979, before his publishing career really took off. Wilkins, while noting they were an invaluable source, observes that Pratchett was not always "an entirely reliable documenter of his own life'," Steele writes. But Rob Wilkins' biography (Doubleday, $45) never really reveals the inner Pratchett. Amy Martin considers four perfect, fun reads that walk the line between fun and substantial plot lines. Try Taylor Jenkins Reid's Carrie Soto is Back (Penguin, $32.99) for a story of a determined tennis player coming back from retirement to secure her record. First she must push past her limits. Or what about The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas (Simon & Schuster, $22.99), which Martin writes will have you up all hours of the night wanting to know what happens next. See what else Martin recommends in her recommendations this week. Frank O'Shea hasn't bought the hype on Bobby Palmer's debut novel, Isaac and the Egg (Headline Review, $32.99). Isaac is on the brink but is stopped by the screams of a large egg, which he takes home and begins to communicate. "It would probably help if the reader were au fait with popular stories about ET and mysterious beings. Our two heroes spend a great deal of time watching such movies, while their house and their lives descend into chaos," O'Shea writes. "This portion of the book probably needs a psycho-someone to explain what is going on, because the truth is that it makes little sense. "It appears that Isaac and Egg become friends and each tries to explain himself to the other, some of the incidents described on the cover as "strange, funny and adventurous." Try silly, puerile and repetitive." Looking for more reads and recommendations? Browse our books write-ups and reviews.