Goodness! What a read. Or more accurately, a reread. I bought my Penguin edition of One Hundred Years of Solitude on the 3rd April 1996 in Sydney. At a guess, it must have been the Easter school holidays and I was visiting my sister, who lived in Coogee, for a few days. I cannot remember … Continue reading One Hundred Years of Solitude | Gabriel Garcia Márquez #NobelPrize
It's a long weekend in Australia, and for the first time in over a year, we've enjoyed a lazy, nothing-to-do-but-flop-around-the-house kind of weekend. It has been blissful. Even with the ghastly high temps and even higher humidity, or maybe because of, it has been the perfect time for reading, snoozing and listening to music as … Continue reading Flames by Robbie Arnott
I've loved Japanese literature for many years now, but since visiting Japan earlier this year, my fascination and interest has exploded! Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto popped up on several lists as a great contemporary example of Japanese literature. Kitchen is a slim book containing two stories - Kitchen and Moonlight Shadow - both deal with death, … Continue reading Kitchen | Banana Yoshimoto #JPNshortstories
I like to think that I have taken my 'what to read whilst travelling' choices to an inspired level of brilliance, but I really outdid myself with our recent trip to Japan. Reading Murakami in Japan now feels like the ONLY place to read Murakami!Not only does the usual Murakami weirdness make sense when you're … Continue reading Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree has been attracting my attention for several months now, however it took its recent longlisting for this year's Stella Prize to finally make me pick it up. I'm nothing but a Stella groupie!The cover alone might have been enticement enough (a collage of three of Azar's art works), but … Continue reading The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid has divided many readers and reviewers. (For an interesting cross section of responses try My Booking Great Read, Michael @Knowledge Lost, Rachel @Pace Amore, Libri, and Kate @Books are my Favourite and Best). I was therefore prepared for the pared back, deceptively simple writing style that has kept many reviewers at an emotional distance. … Continue reading Exit West | Mohsin Hamid
I haven't read a lot of teen/YA fiction lately - it has been boring me to tears to be perfectly honest.Which is difficult, when it's my job to read children's book!Thank goodness then, for Meg Wolitzer and Belzhar.I was reluctantly, then wholeheartedly, drawn into this sad world of teens with 'issues' and their special school, … Continue reading Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer
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
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