Two books came to mind as I was reading Trent Dalton's debut novel Boy swallows universe. One was Steve Toltz's out-there book about fathers and sons, A fraction of the whole (my review), and the other was Tim Winton's Breath (my post), which explores what it is to be a good man, but more on these … Continue reading Trent Dalton, Boy swallows universe (#BookReview)
Month: January 2019
Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Media Hall of Fame
When I was a young twenty-something library student, I learnt a new word - serendipity. It, means, essentially, finding things by accident, and was apparently coined by Horace Walpole back in 1754. It's one of the best things about research I think - unless, of course, you are so focused you have no time for … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Media Hall of Fame
Deborah Hopkinson, Ordinary, extraordinary Jane Austen (#BookReview)
Writing biographies for young children - like, for example, Deborah Hopkinson and Qin Leng's Ordinary, extraordinary Jane Austen - is an interesting concept. Interesting, but not new. So, when I was given this gorgeous Jane Austen one for Christmas, I decided to research the topic - and what I discovered is that the picture book biography … Continue reading Deborah Hopkinson, Ordinary, extraordinary Jane Austen (#BookReview)
Jennifer Down, Pulse points (Guest post by Amanda) (#BookReview)
Amanda is on a roll, reading several Aussie women writers, so when she offered me a review of Jennifer Down's collection of short stories, Pulse points, of course I said yes. I love her opening explanation of why she loves short stories - I couldn't have said it better myself. Amanda's review I love short … Continue reading Jennifer Down, Pulse points (Guest post by Amanda) (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Older women protagonists
This post was inspired by Book Word's "older women in fiction" project, which involves her reading and posting reviews for books with older women protagonists as well as encouraging others to read these books and sharing them with her. She has quite a list on the page I've linked above, and is adding to it … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Older women protagonists
Capel Boake: Three short stories
Having written about Capel Boake in my last Monday Musings, I couldn't resist checking out some of her short stories. Bill's AWW Gen 2 Week concluded yesterday, but I hope he'll accept this post as a contribution. Boake's stories are easily accessible in Trove. In fact, I was spoilt for choice, so just picked three at random. … Continue reading Capel Boake: Three short stories
Louise Mack, Girls together (#BookReview)
Well, that was, surprisingly, genuinely enjoyable. Louise Mack's Girls together is a sequel to her novel Teens (see Bill's review), and features protagonist Lennie (Elinor) Leighton. It shouldn't have been a surprise, given I know something about Mack, through my Monday Musings on her and my review of her debut novel The world is round, but it was, … Continue reading Louise Mack, Girls together (#BookReview)
Jamie Marina Lau, Pink Mountain on Locust Island (Guest post by Amanda) (#BookReview)
Late last year I hosted a review of Maria Tumarkin's Axiomatic by Amanda who had responded to my call on the Australian Women Writers Challenge for reviews of it and Jamie Marina Lau's Pink Mountain on Locust Island, which won the 2018 Melbourne Prize for Literature’s Readings Residency Award, and was shortlisted for the Readings Prize for … Continue reading Jamie Marina Lau, Pink Mountain on Locust Island (Guest post by Amanda) (#BookReview)
Indie Books Awards shortlist, 2019, announced
And so it, starts, the Literary Awards trail! Early in the year will be the Stella Prize, but first up is the Indie Book Awards. These are lovely awards, because they are run by Australia's Independent Booksellers - who are members of Leading Edge Books - and we love to support them don't we? Consequently, … Continue reading Indie Books Awards shortlist, 2019, announced
Monday musings on Australian literature: Capel Boake
This week Bill (The Australian Legend) is following up last January's Australian Women Writers Gen 1 Week with a Gen 2 Week, this one highlighting Australian women writers from 1890 to 1918. He takes his inspiration from HM Green's A history of Australian literature, which characterises 1890-1923 as a period of “Self-conscious Nationalism”, the time of … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Capel Boake
Whispering Gums 