I have reviewed (and enjoyed) two of Christos Tsiolkas' books since blogging - The slap and Barracuda - so I was of course interested when Allen & Unwin sent me his most recent release, until, that is, I saw its subject matter. Biblical history, or historical fiction set in biblical times, are not really big … Continue reading Christos Tsiolkas, Damascus (#BookReview)
Month: May 2020
Bill curates: Eve Langley’s The pea pickers
Back in April, Karen of Booker Talk published a great series of posts on the A2Z of Bookblogging. One of those posts was on Updating Posts or, Breathing new life into old posts. Bill (The Australian Legend), as part of his generous plan to help me keep my blog alive during my time-challenged period, suggested … Continue reading Bill curates: Eve Langley’s The pea pickers
Monday musings on Australian literature: Guest post from Bill on Melbourne and Sydney, 1880-1939
Over the years, I've invited people to write guest posts on my blog, including Bill a couple of years ago. However, when Bill (The Australian Legend) became aware of my current family care situation and its impact on my reading and posting, he offered to organise some guest Monday Musings posts for me. It lifted … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Guest post from Bill on Melbourne and Sydney, 1880-1939
Yarra Valley Writers Festival 2020 (Online): Place, Family and the Weekend
I have now written three posts on last weekend's Yarra Valley Writers Festival (which you can find on this linked tag). Lisa (ANZLitLovers) also wrote up several sessions. Given Lisa has also covered the last three sessions I have yet to cover, I will, as I did in my last post, try to focus on a … Continue reading Yarra Valley Writers Festival 2020 (Online): Place, Family and the Weekend
Monday musings on Australian literature: Nurses in Australian fiction
As some of you may know, last Tuesday, 12 March, was International Nurses Day, the date chosen because it was Florence Nightingale's birthday. The day's aim is, in Wikipedia's words, "to mark the contributions that nurses make to society". Each year, apparently, has a theme. This year's - presumably chosen long before COVID-19 - seems quite prescient: … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Nurses in Australian fiction
Yarra Valley Writers Festival 2020 (Online): Fire, Climate and the Natural World
What I hate about writers festivals is that I end up wanting to read every book discussed. But this is impossible, so my next best option is to give the writers a little heads up, at least. I have written posts on two sessions from last weekend's Yarra Valley Writers Festival (see this linked tag). Lisa … Continue reading Yarra Valley Writers Festival 2020 (Online): Fire, Climate and the Natural World
Monday musings on Australian literature: On the Run (Aussie crime writers in America)
In yesterday's post on the Yarra Valley Writers Festival (YVWF) crime panel, I mentioned Sulari Gentill's intitiative which saw four Australian crime writers taking Australian crime to the USA last year. Called On the Run: Australian Crime Writers in America, it's such an inspired project that I thought it deserved its own post, a Monday Musings post, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: On the Run (Aussie crime writers in America)
Yarra Valley Writers Festival 2020 (online): If I tell you I’m going to have to kill you (Crime panel)
This is my second report of the sessions I attended of the first Yarra Valley Literary Festival. I hope to write up more, but you can also check Lisa's blog for her posts. She did not, however, attend Christos Tsiolkas - see my post - nor this crime panel. Like Lisa, I really read crime, but … Continue reading Yarra Valley Writers Festival 2020 (online): If I tell you I’m going to have to kill you (Crime panel)
Yarra Valley Writers Festival 2020 (online): Road to Damascus (Christos Tsiolkas with Angela Savage)
Today I attended several sessions of the first Yarra Valley Literary Festival, which the organisers turned around and converted to an online event with the arrival in our lives of COVID-19. I plan to write up a couple more sessions over the next week, when time permits, but you can also check Lisa's blog for her … Continue reading Yarra Valley Writers Festival 2020 (online): Road to Damascus (Christos Tsiolkas with Angela Savage)
Shokoofeh Azar, The enlightenment of the greengage tree (#BookReview)
I bought Shokoofeh Azar's novel The enlightenment of the greengage tree when it was longlisted for the 2018 Stella Prize, for which it was also shortlisted. However, it was its shortlisting this year for the International Booker Prize that prompted me to finally take it off the TBR pile. Born in Iran, artist and writer Azar … Continue reading Shokoofeh Azar, The enlightenment of the greengage tree (#BookReview)
Whispering Gums 