There are few things as startling as encountering an unearthly glow in the wild. Confession one: this book was a chore to read. Confession two: for the past week I have been trying to read three books that were a chore to read. Why, I hear you ask? Confession three: I made myself finish one, … Continue reading Phosphorescence | Julia Baird #AWW
Confession one: this story was a chore to read. Confession two: for the past week I have been trying to read three books that were a chore to read. Why, I hear you ask? Confession three: I made myself finish one, but I have decided to abandon the other two. Sometimes a book does not … Continue reading All That Swagger | Miles Franklin #1936Club
Mr Books and I recently enjoyed a roadtrip through rural Victoria and NSW to visit relatives we hadn't seen for over a year. The journey between Echuca and Rutherglen allowed us to see two of the silo art installations popping up in various country towns across the two states in recent years. Jimmy Dvate has … Continue reading Parrots | Rex Ingamells #1936Club
It's time for another Classics Club Spin.The rules are easy: compile your list of 20 books by Sunday 18th April.On that day a number will be randomly selected.That's the book you read.You have until the 31st May 2021 to finish your book and review it.Join in the fun by visiting the other players and commenting on their lists.It's … Continue reading CC Spin #26
It had stopped raining. Okay, I'm now a Niall Williams convert. This is Happiness is a delight of a book, from start to finish. Full of wonderful, poignant story-telling and rich, humorous characterisation. It is proudly Irish, with glorious descriptions of the weather and the matter-of-fact grimness and poverty of everyday life in County Clare … Continue reading This is Happiness | Niall Williams #IRLfiction
Returning home after a journey is always a little weird. I'm struggling to let go of that wonderful feeling of being on the road, with nothing but unhurried time up my sleeve and where to eat tonight, the most pressing thing on my mind. Mr Books and I love exploring the back ways and byways, … Continue reading A Poem For A Thursday #HomeAgain
Inscribed June 2016 Reviewed on this blog June 17, 2016 I enjoyed the Titanic elements, but found Bainbridge's writing cold. Very, very cold. Absolutely nothing about this book has stayed in my memory. I'm still keen to read more Titanic stories, but not so keen to read more Bainbridge. In an interview she suggests that … Continue reading Shelf Life #7
One of the many pleasures of being a bookseller, is the insight I have gleaned into books no longer in print or hard to get. The pleasure part comes when enquiries by customers about said books, allows me to engage in some bookish research on their behalf. It is disheartening when I have to inform … Continue reading Book Stop #4
April is Zoladdiction month with Fanda @ClassicLit! This year I am up to book five in the Rougon-Macquart series - La Faute de l’Abbé Mouret (1875) The Sin of Father Mouret. I will be reading the Oxford University Press edition translated by Valerie Minogue, the President of the Émile Zola Society in London. 'I really don't … Continue reading Zoladdiction 2021
Here we are at the end of March, and hopefully, the end of our (re)read of both Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. A road trip holiday has delayed my ability to finish BUTB on time, but I'm close. Very, very close. My (re)read of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies has reminded … Continue reading #WolfHallReadalong2021 Update
My Week: A week of travelling! Yes really. We thought we might run away from the ferocious storm cell that had settled over the east coast of NSW, throwing down metres of rain in one weekend. Only to discover that it was following us down the coast as we headed into eastern Victoria. Each night, … Continue reading Stories & Shout Outs #38
‘we are strong, we are beautiful and we should be proud of our culture, our stories, our languages.’ – Danzal Baker (aka Baker Boy) Homeland Calling is a collection of poems created from hip-hop song lyrics that channel culture and challenge stereotypes. Written by First Nations youth from communities all around Australia, the powerful words display … Continue reading Homeland Calling | edited by Ellen Van Neervan #poetry
