The Edith Readalong has been my priority of late. But before I got started with it, I was determined to finish a few of the half read books by my bed which included a trip to Nigeria, dabbling with some poetry and a peek inside a leper colony. Princeton, in the summer, smelled of nothing, … Continue reading June Mini Reviews
Chapter 1: How Edith Campbell Berry Ate Six Courses and Practised the Seven Ways in the Dining Car on the Train from Paris to GenevaOn the train from Paris to Geneva, Edith Campbell Berry, at twenty-six, having heard the gong, made her way to the first sitting and her first lunch in a railway dining … Continue reading Grand Days | Frank Moorhouse #EdithReadalong
May featured some wonderful, interesting stories, but I still don't feel up to writing about them in any length. I would like to acknowledge Cathy @746 Books and her glorious review of Claire Keegan's novella, Small Things Like These, last year that was the impetus for me picking up this book as soon as it … Continue reading May Mini Reviews
Part of understanding what is happening in Ukraine right now, obviously involves understanding the shared and heavily intertwined history of Ukraine with Russia over time. After reading Sheila Fitzpatricks's great catch-up book, The Shortest History of the Soviet Union, I went back in time to the Russian Revolution, October (see below) followed by another shortest … Continue reading Understanding Ukraine Mini Reviews
Mary Gaunt's first short story collection The Moving Finger (1895) contains seven stories. I read the two Christmas themed ones back in December last year. These were read with a seasonal lens in mind. The following five stories have been read using my 'female experience' lens as they will be part of a post that will end up … Continue reading The Moving Finger | Mary Gaunt #AWWshortstories
Mary Gaunt^ This post was originally conceived for the Australian Women Writers Challenge and posted on their site on the 18th May 2022. A big thank you to Bill for offering me the chance to be one of his incredible guest posters. I'm honoured to be part of such illustrious company and to be involved … Continue reading Mary Gaunt – an #AWWbiography
Last year, for DDM reading week with Heavenali, I only had time for one short story. I chose The Birds, the first story in one of my beautiful Virago Designer Classic editions. This year I was more organised and finally finished the rest of the collection. The other stories include: Monte Verità (pp. 44-113) "They … Continue reading The Birds and Short Stories | Daphne Du Maurier #DDMreadingweek
Better late than never right? "This happened back in March of 2010, when the Philadelphia train station still had the kind of information board that clickety-clacked as the various gate assignments rolled up. Serena drew stood directly in front of it, gazing intently at the listing for the next train to Baltimore." Title: French Braid … Continue reading April Mini Reviews
The President of the Chamber remained standing until the faint stir caused by his entry subsided. Then he took his seat, saying rather nonchalantly, in a quiet voice:'The sitting is open.' As always, I am facsinated by translation choices. Above are the opening lines from Brian Nelson's recent 2018 translation of Son Excellence Eugène Rougon, … Continue reading Son Excellence Eugène Rougon | Émile Zola #Zoladdiction
The sunlight of late September filled the pale, formal streets between Portland Place and Manchester Square. The sky was a burning blue yet the still air was chill. The first point I wish to highlight about Margaret Elizabeth Jenkins are her birth and death dates - the 31st October 1905 and the 5th September 2010. … Continue reading The Tortoise and the Hare | Elizabeth Jenkins
Yesterday, I posted a mini review for the fiction titles I read during March. Today we a take a quick peek at the non-fiction. It has been a great reading month. My March book club read was Archie Roach’s Tell Me Why. It was a moving, honest account of his life. Archie Roach is a … Continue reading March Madness 2 #minireviewsnonfiction
Yes, I'm on a writing hiatus, but I couldn't just let my March reads disappear off the blogging radar completely. One of the reasons I have this blog is keep track of what I've read. Many of my books have not been purchased by me - they are reading copies from work. Therefore, they are … Continue reading March Madness 1 #minireviewsfiction
The Minotaur by George Frederic Watts | 1885 | Tate Britain And the Queen gave birth to a child who was called Asterion. I wish I had known before my first read through of The House of Asterion (La casa de Asterion | 1947) that Borges was inspired to write a story from the perspective … Continue reading The House of Asterion | Jorge Luis Borges #ARGshortstory
This incredible book is a testament to the renaissance of First Nations poetry happening in Australia right now.UQP website Fire Front: First Nations Poetry and Power Today is an anthology of poems and essays from many well-known and emerging First Nations writers and thinkers. It is powerful and confronting stuff. It is very contemporary, yet … Continue reading Fire Front | edited by Alison Whittaker #AUSpoetry
"Ready ?""Ready.""Now ?""Soon.""Do the scientists really know? Will it happen today, will it ?" First published on the 1st March 1954, Ray Bradbury's short story came to my attention today thanks to a chat on our local ABC radio morning show. One of the presenters remembered a story she read as a child about a … Continue reading All Summer in a Day | Ray Bradbury #USAshortstory
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