For some years now, I've made my first Monday Musings of the year, a "new releases" post. As in previous years, my list is mostly drawn from the Sydney Morning Herald, whose writers do a wonderful job of checking out publishers large and small, but I have found a couple of extras on my own! Also, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Some New Releases in 2021
Author: Whispering Gums
Blogging highlights for 2020
Finally, the last of my traditional and very self-indulgent year-end trifecta (which includes my Australian Women Writers' Challenge wrap-up and Reading highlights posts). But, before I launch into my usual analysis, I must send a huge shout-out to Bill (The Australian Legend) for the astonishing effort he put in this year to help me keep my blog going … Continue reading Blogging highlights for 2020
Six degrees of separation, FROM Hamnet … TO …
Woo hoo! A New Year at last after what has really been a doozy for us all, in one way or another. So glad to see the back of it. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas wherever you were and however you were able to spend it. Now though to that thing that … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM Hamnet … TO …
Reading highlights for 2020
For newbies here, my annual Reading Highlights post is my answer to other bloggers' Top Reads posts. In other words, I don't do a ranked list of the books I consider my year's "best", but instead share my "highlights", which I define as those books and events that made my reading year worthwhile. I don't, … Continue reading Reading highlights for 2020
Craig Cormick and Harold Ludwick, On a barbarous coast (“BookReview)
Craig Cormick is a Canberra-based writer whom I've seen at various literary events around town, but not read until now, so I was especially glad when Allen & Unwin sent me this book to review. Titled On a barbarous coast, it was written collaboratively with Harold Ludwick, "a Bulgun Warra man whose traditional lands lie … Continue reading Craig Cormick and Harold Ludwick, On a barbarous coast (“BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers Challenge 2020
Once again I am devoting my last Monday Musings of the year to the Australian Women Writers Challenge*. Last year in my opening paragraph, I wrote that I loved the sound of 2020 - and I wished you all a wonderful year to come in whatever form you would like that to take. My, oh my, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers Challenge 2020
My reading group’s favourites for 2020
In what is becoming a tradition, my reading group once again voted for our favourites from our 2020 schedule. Given many of us like hearing about what other reading groups do, I'm sharing the results as I did last year. First, though, here is what we read in the order we read them (with links … Continue reading My reading group’s favourites for 2020
Monday Musings on Australian literature: ABR’s 2020 Books of the Year
The Australian Book Review (ABR) recently published its annual books of the year as selected by 34 of its contributing critics and reviewers, who include novelists, poets, historians and literary critics. Most are known to me, but there are a few newbies too. I know we discussed the pros and cons of lists in my … Continue reading Monday Musings on Australian literature: ABR’s 2020 Books of the Year
My life in books 2020
As I started reading other people's contributions, I said that I might play the "my life in books" meme - and I have not decided that I will! So, thanks to Lisa for bringing it to my attention and to Annabookbel for managing this fun meme. It's a simple meme, and goes like this: Using … Continue reading My life in books 2020
Sue Lovegrove and Adrienne Eberhard, The voice of water (#BookReview)
I had planned to post on this beautifully produced book, The voice of water, earlier in the year, but the events of the year threw me completely off track, and here I am at the end scrambling to finish off the posts I planned oh so many months ago. Created by Tasmanians, visual artist Sue … Continue reading Sue Lovegrove and Adrienne Eberhard, The voice of water (#BookReview)
Whispering Gums 