My dear son James has given me a task for my last years, or months, or whatever time I have left beyond the many years I have lived so far. Sometime in April or May last year, I was given an advance reading copy of Kate Grenville's A Room Made of Leaves. I was very … Continue reading A Room Made of Leaves | Kate Grenville #AWW
In preparation for #AusReadingMonth in November, I will create a few posts full of Aussie books to help inspire and expand your true blue wishlists.Today we start with Non-Fiction.November has become one of my busiest reading and blogging months of the year. In 2013, not only did I start hosting #AusReadingMonth for the first time, … Continue reading Two Birds; One Stone.
For Lisa's Indigenous Literature Week I had planned to post a selection of new Indigenous picture books, however my plans were bigger than my time management abilities!Fortunately, these beautiful books deserve to be shared at any time, regardless of NAIDOC week or ILW.Baby Business (2019) by Jasmine Seymour is a wonderful story for new parents, showing … Continue reading Indigenous Picture Books for Children
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 suspect I'm going to be the lone dissenting voice when it comes to Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton.This is a debut Australian novel garnering a HUGE amount of attention and rave reviews. In the lead up to our Christmas rush at work last year, this is the book many, many locals were asking … Continue reading Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
Dark Emu Black Seeds challenges the orthodoxy of how Australia was settled and what the settlers actually saw when they arrived. To the victor goes the spoils...as well as the right to write history their way. Reading E.H. Carr's What is History? during my first year at Uni was the first time I had cause … Continue reading Dark Emu Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident? by Bruce Pascoe
Subtitled A Pedestrian in Paris, I was expecting The Most Beautiful Walk in the World to be all about walking around Paris, seeing the sights and getting some great tips for places to visit next time...one day....But TMBWW is more of a memoir. Part boastful name dropping, part journal, with quite a bit of "look … Continue reading The Most Beautiful Walk in the World by John Baxter
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
I read my first Herrick last year when I fell in love with Pookie Aleera. I knew I would have to read more.The Simple Gift is an older teen read, written in verse. (Please, please, please do not be put off by the fact that this is a verse novel. Herrick writes so simply and … Continue reading The Simple Gift by Steven Herrick
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
I wanted to like Wildlife more than I did.It was well written with familiar teen characters doing many unfamiliar things (i.e. godmothers who organise a photo shoot & billboard campaign for their 15 year old goddaughters, spending a whole term of Year 10 at a sport & rec camp).Before starting this review I spent some … Continue reading Wildlife by Fiona Wood
I've been going through a phase of reading sad, bittersweet books these past few weeks...and I feel like I've been through the wringer!Boy, Lost is no different.Based on the true story of what happened to Olsson's family in the 1950's in Queensland, Australia, this memoir is retold with grace, understanding and a deep, overarching love … Continue reading Boy, Lost: A Family Memoir by Kristina Olsson
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.
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