I haven't been paying as much attention as usual to the various literary awards and their shortlists this year. Partly because I have wanted to read more classics this year and partly because I've dropped the ball in quite a few areas lately!However, I have just started reading one of the shortlisted Miles Franklin books … Continue reading The Long & Short of it.
I love a good epigraph.A well-chosen, thoughtful epigraph can establish the tone for the book journey you're about to embark on. However many authors spend a lot of time and effort on finding the perfect epigraph only for it to be skimmed over by most readers.For the reader who does consider the epigraph, its true … Continue reading Epigraph Philosophy
One of my good friends has been raving about Salt Creek for nearly a year now. I knew I would love it - it has all the things I usually look for in a good book.Strong, interesting female protagonist, fascinating setting (Younghusband Peninsula in South Australia), a lovely cover design and historical fiction based loosely … Continue reading Salt Creek by Lucy Treloar
Ruth Park (1917 - 2010) won the 1977 Miles Franklin Award with her penultimate adult novel, Swords and Crowns and Rings.Until it was republished under the Text Classics umbrella in 2012, I had never even heard of it, let alone read any reviews about it.I've been wondering how this was possible?I read and loved some … Continue reading Swords and Crowns and Rings by Ruth Park
I am!Since returning from my holidays and finishing my #20booksofsummer (winter) challenge and my Home and the World readalong with Cirtnecce, I've been thinking about what I want to read next and with who.I love the classics and would like to read more. It would also help my TBR pile tremendously.Working in a small Independent … Continue reading Are You Readalong Ready?
Rereading a book after 18 yrs is a very interesting experience. It's almost like reading it again for the first time.This has certainly been the case for me and The Great World.Thanks to the fact that I write my name, date and place of purchase on the inside cover of all my books I know … Continue reading The Great World by David Malouf
It's that time of year again when the book world goes crazy with longlists, shortlists and highly commended's! No matter what you think about the various awards, their merits & selection criteria's, it's very difficult not to get caught up in the buzz.In Australia, the Indie Book Award has come and gone... and the Stella longlist has … Continue reading And the Winner Is….
I've just realised that I've had a butterfly theme going on with my reading this week.First Euphoria with the butterflies across the cover (see review below), then Butterfly by Hartnett and now, this weekend, I've been browsing through the launch issue of Womankind magazine...with its gorgeous cover of Simone de Beauvoir made from butterflies.Metamorphosis and … Continue reading Butterfly by Sonya Hartnett
Monica Elizabeth Knight was born in Birmingham, England on the 4th June 1923.She was privately tutored at home until age 11, before being sent to a Quaker school in Banbury for her highschool years. By all accounts, her childhood was not a particularly happy one.She then trained as an orthopaedic nurse in London. It was … Continue reading J is for Elizabeth Jolley
The Miles Franklin Literary Award is named after Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin who was born on the 14th October 1879 on Talbingo station in southern NSW. Franklin's family moved a little to the east to Brindabella Station when she was a child. She was the eldest daughter of two Australian born parents (which is … Continue reading F is for Stella Miles Franklin
Sonya Hartnett is a Melbourne based author who writes for young children, teens, YA and now adults with her recent release of Golden Boys.She has won more awards than you can poke a stick at including the CBCA for Older Readers for The Midnight Zoo in 2011, the CBCA for younger readers in 2005 for The … Continue reading The Midnight Zoo by Sonya Hartnett
This is the week of the Sydney Writers' Festival.Realistically though, the whole month of May can be taken up with major book events.For anyone in Sydney or in the book trade this can be a big deal.I'm in both!Last week I had my book sellers cap on and attended two invitation only events.One was hosted … Continue reading Longlists and Shortlists Take 2
This is my kind of fiction. The Railwayman's Wife is heart-achingly sweet. Hay has created an emotional world that is absorbing and very tangible. She see-saws between loss & grief and love & hope. Her writing is tender & lyrical and full of the wonder & healing power of nature. I devoured this book in … Continue reading The Railwayman’s Wife | Ashley Hay #AWWfiction
It's that time of year again when our favourite books are categorised, judged and pitted against each other for first place.In Australia we have...The Stella Longlist• Letter to George Clooney - Debra Adelaide • Moving Among Strangers - Gabrielle Carey• Burial Rites - Hannah Kent *• Night Games - Anna Krien *• Mullumbimby - Melissa … Continue reading Longlists and Shortlists.
Glenda Adams won the 1987 Miles Franklin Award with this novel about Lark Watter's determination to leave Australia for the big, wide world.This is a theme that reflects the real life experiences of a whole generation of Australian writers, scientists, artists, philosophers etc. throughout the 50's, 60's & 70's.Australia was viewed as a cultural backwater … Continue reading Dancing on Coral by Glenda Adams
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