Opening Lines: Early on Sunday, after first Mass in Clonegal, my father, instead of taking me home, drives deep into Wexford towards the coast where my mother's people came from. It is a hot day, bright, with patches of shade and greenish, sudden light along the road. Foster was the buddy read chosen by Cathy … Continue reading Foster | Claire Keegan #IRLnovella
It is on the train from Russia to Ukraine that the moment I have been waiting for finally comes, and Billie refuses to use the toilet, point-blank. Maria Tumarkin is an Australian writer of memoirs and cultural histories. Her books and essays tend to include oodles of fascinating things about the nature of memory, change … Continue reading Otherland | Maria Tumarkin #UnderstandingUkraine
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
I have read Persuasion so many times I've lost count.It's pretty much the same story for all of my Austen's. I reread them for comfort as well as the pure pleasure of spending time with a good friend.But as with all long-term friendships, a time comes when you realise that maybe you're starting to take each … Continue reading The Annotated Persuasion by Jane Austen & David M. Shapard
Smile and Sisters have been two very popular books at work with 11-14 year old girls. Now I see why. Raina Telgemeier has created two very personal, engaging stories from two significant events in her pre-teen years. Smile details her rather horrific orthodontic work, while Sisters not only features her relationship with her younger sister, … Continue reading Smile & Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
You can probably guess something about the school term we've just had with one of the booklets by my latest choice of reading matter!Teenagers! Hmmmm.The Politically Incorrect Guide to Teenagers was recommended to us by our brother-in-law. It has been the perfect remedy. Not so much for the advice (which was useful) or the information … Continue reading The Politically Incorrect Guide to Teenagers | Nigel Latta
Ninth Ward was published two years ago, but has just been released in Australia. Jewell Parker Rhodes has written a number of adult novels, but this is her first foray into junior fiction. She has picked a doozy of a topic - Hurricane Katrina. Lanesha is a twelve year old girl living with her Mama … Continue reading Ninth Ward | Jewell Parker Rhodes
Think not of the amount to be accomplished, the difficulties to be overcome, or the end to be attained, but set earnestly at the little task at your elbow, letting that be sufficient for the day. —SIR WILLIAM OSLER, physician (1849–1919) How does one do justice to a small book about snails and illness? I … Continue reading The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating | Elisabeth Tova Bailey
The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a collaborative effort between the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance, the Library of Congress's Centre for the Book and 20 high profile US authors and illustrators. The story begins with a train rushing through the night as twins Joe and Nancy begin a quest to rescue their parents. What … Continue reading The Exquisite Corpse Adventure | Various
The Hare with the Amber Eyes: A Hidden Inheritance by Edmund De Waal is one of those magnificent stories that made me sigh at every turn.I sighed with pleasure; I sighed with sorrow; I sighed with delight; I sighed with horror; I sighed with anticipation and I sighed with satisfaction.I hugged this book to my chest. … Continue reading A Book of Sighs
Although I was delighted to be given a copy of VIII, I did think that it might be a bit - well - blokey for me - a boys' own adventure!Obviously any story about the life and times of Henry VIII is going to be full of jousts, bloodshed and treachery. However, Castor has also … Continue reading VIII | H. M. Castor
What a wonderful treat of a book. Fantasy books usually sit low down on my pile of books to read - especially fantasy books with strange creatures and a language guide in the back! I think my imagination is not active enough for fantasy books as I have trouble creating a world full of bizarre … Continue reading The Search for WondLa | Tony DiTerlizzi
Anh Do's funny/sad autobiography won this years Indie Award for non-fiction. The Happiest Refugee was very easy to read, full of self-deprecating humour and honesty. I grew up with tales of Vietnamese boat people on the news. During the 70's there was a lot of media backlash against the boat people. Racism and fear about Asian … Continue reading The Happiest Refugee | Anh Do
Grief and the search for truth are the themes covered by my next two reviews. Amy and Roger's story is thrashed out whilst on a road trip together. I love a good road trip story (think John Green's Paper Towns for starters). It's a great device for moving a story along with the obvious parallel between the internal journey … Continue reading Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour | Morgan Matson
I loved the cover of Birthmarked as soon as I saw it - and in this case - you can judge a book by its cover! Gaia lives in a future world scarred by the climate changes caused by the previous peoples. A world where your future is decided by whether you live inside the walls of the enclave or … Continue reading Birthmarked | Caragh O’Brien
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