Gadalung marool season, the hot time. Wangal country. The premise of Jane Harrison's The Visitors is straightforward. It is the morning of 26th January 1788 and the First Fleet sails into Sydney Harbour. Except this story is not another white colonial or convict story (of which there are hundreds). This is the story of the … Continue reading The Visitors | Jane Harrison
Tag: 4th Estate
The Fire and the Rose | Robyn Cadwallader
Eleanor has no parchment, but she does have three quills and a pot of ink. She sets them on the lid of her wooden chest and looks at them. Nothing more. Australian author Robyn Cadwallader writes superb, well-research historical fiction. Medievel England, religion and the role of women seem to be her speciality. The Fire … Continue reading The Fire and the Rose | Robyn Cadwallader
June Mini Reviews
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
March Madness 1 #minireviews
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 #minireviews
Let Me Tell You What I Mean | Joan Didion
A peculiar aspect of Joan Didion's nonfiction is that a significant portion of it reads like fiction. Or, more specifically, has the metaphorical power of great fiction. Foreword by Hilton Als Last year I had had a copy of Let Me Tell You What I Mean floating around on my TBR pile for a number … Continue reading Let Me Tell You What I Mean | Joan Didion
Mrs March: A Novel | Virginia Feito #ESPfiction
George March had written another book. Virginia Feito was raised in Madrid and Paris, and studied English and drama at Queen Mary University of London. Mrs March is her debut novel. She lives in Madrid. A movie starring Elizabeth Moss is on the cards. These are the things one quickly learns, when you Duck, Duck, … Continue reading Mrs March: A Novel | Virginia Feito #ESPfiction
The Mirror and the Light | Hilary Mantel #Readalong
Once the queen's head is severed, he walks away. Didn't Anne die in the previous book? And didn't we deal with the time immediately after her death already? Is this opening line a signal that a big recap is coming? Yes and no. As it turns out The Mirror and the Light is an overlong … Continue reading The Mirror and the Light | Hilary Mantel #Readalong
Bring Up the Bodies | Hilary Mantel #Readalong
His children are falling from the sky. Part of my desire in (re)reading Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies was to refresh my memory, so that I could have it all front of mind for my very first reading of The Mirror and the Light. As I started BUTB, I realised that Mantel helps … Continue reading Bring Up the Bodies | Hilary Mantel #Readalong
Phosphorescence | Julia Baird #AWWessays
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 #AWWessays
Wolf Hall | Hilary Mantel
Right from page one, it is obvious to see (as I (re)read), that Mantel is setting up the story to show Cromwell in a favourable and sympathetic light. The first chapter of Wolf Hall graphically, and unforgettably, describes a young Thomas Cromwell being severely beaten by his father, Walter. This is not a one-off event … Continue reading Wolf Hall | Hilary Mantel
Bring Up the Bodies | Hilary Mantel
From what I have read, we know a lot about Thomas Cromwell's deeds but not a lot about his motivations, feelings or thoughts. This is what Hilary Mantel gives us with Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. Mantel gives Cromwell flesh, heart and thoughts. Via these two novels we see Cromwell's desires, his disappointments and … Continue reading Bring Up the Bodies | Hilary Mantel
Book Beginnings on Fridays
Although it is strictly speaking, no longer Friday where I live, I figure it is Friday still somewhere in the world! Book Beginnings on Fridays is hosted by Rose City Reader. This week I am reading 'Bring Up the Bodies' by Hilary Mantel. The opening lines (after several pages of cast of characters and family … Continue reading Book Beginnings on Fridays
A Common Loss | Kirsten Tranter
My good friend Girl Booker has already written the perfect review for this book. So much so, the whole time I was reading 'A Common Loss', I craved a cup of buddha's tear tea! In fact, making a cup of buddha's tear tea quickly became a ritual every time I picked up the book. All … Continue reading A Common Loss | Kirsten Tranter
The Lost Life | Steven Carroll
Poetry is not normally my thing. Perhaps I'm not emotional enough, high brow enough or enough in the know. I often just don't get it, or if I get it I just don't care. However T.S. Eliot has been an exception over the years. Snippets of his poems have entered my world at appropriate times. I have felt … Continue reading The Lost Life | Steven Carroll
A Swag of Stories
This blog is mostly reviews for books for young children and teens, but I've been reading a lot of adult fiction this year, so I thought I'd do a quick catch-up. At the moment, I'm half way through Bereft by Chris Womersley. It's a gripping, haunting tale of murder, grief and family. It's setting is … Continue reading A Swag of Stories