All I can remember, and this is what I told the police over and over again, is that there was a party at the house and I'd been drinking. It took me several weeks to read Benang in preparation for Indigenous Literature Week. It was intense, demanding and confronting. I'm very grateful to have finally … Continue reading After Story | Larissa Behrendt #AWWfiction
The very first thing I want to know is how does Emily pronounce her middle name? Does she say it as it looks, 'saint john', or does she use the English pronunciation 'sinjin'? I have no idea, or any good reason, why it has taken me so long to get around to reading this terrific … Continue reading Station Eleven | Emily St. John Mandel #CANfiction
A few days into our recent road trip through western NSW into South Australia and their wine districts, I decided to start a journal. I was taken with the urge to document the unfolding drama of Covid-19. The trouble began on the second day when I realised that this urge would wax and wane. … Continue reading The Covid Chronicles #3
I left you at the end of The Covid Chronicles #1, heading off into the wild, wild west with Mr Books. Our first stop was to visit my parents. This was the first time we found ourselves considering how social distancing might work in the real world. As we drove into town, we realised that … Continue reading The Covid Chronicles #2
This may, or may not, become a thing, but right now I cannot get my head around writing a book response for love or money, let alone reading anything for any length of time. So, The Covid Chronicles it is! My last two weeks worth of posts were pre-scheduled ones written over three weeks ago … Continue reading The Covid Chronicles #1
Yikes!Poems.I didn't know I would have to read poems to get through Don Quixote!I'm not averse to poetry; in fact, I love many, appreciate even more and adore a special few. But I've always struggled when authors insert poems, odes and songs into their work.The songs throughout The Lord of the Rings bore me to … Continue reading Musings of an Idle Reader
If I ever had any doubts about whether I was a cat person or not, The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa decided me! I defy even the most hard-hearted, adamant cat-denier to not be affected by the relationship between Nana (so named because of his tail that curled like a number 7) and his … Continue reading The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
I've read The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns by John Green previously and thoroughly enjoyed both of them. So I was expecting quite a lot from An Abundance of Katherines.I was, therefore, disappointed when it didn't 'grab' me straight off.I found Colin annoying more than endearing and the dialogue with his friend, Hassan … Continue reading An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
I now have another title to add to my list of books that made me cry.When We Were Two was a real surprise package. I had put off reading it because I thought it was about two soldiers/brothers in the Vietnam War. I'm not philosophically opposed to war stories or the Vietnam War in particular, but … Continue reading When We Were Two | Robert Newton
It is to be expected that a children's book from Roddy Doyle would be funny, poignant and very, very Irish. A Greyhound of a Girl doesn't disappoint on any of these points. It is beautifully written with characters that charm you from the start. This is a four generational story of mothers and daughters; a ghost … Continue reading A Greyhound of a Girl | Roddy Doyle
What a lovely, lovely story.One Dog and His Boy is perfect as a read-aloud for younger readers or for good 8+ readers. This is the story of Hal - an only child to rich parents. A child who has everything...except a dog of his own. For his 10th birthday, Hal's father arranges to hire a … Continue reading One Dog and His Boy | Eva Ibbotson
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
Paper Towns is a funny, smart teen novel that culminates in a road trip to find the girl, romance and friendship. This is reality fiction - no vampires, werewolves, parallel universes or avatars! Green makes use of fabulous dialogue, complex characters and people you care about. Highly recommended for the older teen reader looking for something … Continue reading Paper Towns | John Green
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