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
Australian literature
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)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Summer picks 2020
For a few years now, I've shared ABC book journalists' top Aussie reads of the year, but this year I'm doing something a little different. I'm sharing picks from three different sources. Most of these include non-Australian books, but I like to share them in a Monday Musings post and focus on the Aussie books … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Summer picks 2020
Carolyn Collins and Roy Eccleston, Trailblazers: 100 inspiring South Australian women (#BookReview)
South Australia, say the authors of the beautiful coffee-table book Trailblazers, "was an early leader in women's rights, so it's no surprise that it has produced an army of trailblazing, inspirational women". However, they continue, their stories are not well enough told or known, hence this book! As with any endeavour like this, it was … Continue reading Carolyn Collins and Roy Eccleston, Trailblazers: 100 inspiring South Australian women (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: New England Writers’ Centre
I thought I had finished my round-up of Australia's writers' centres with my post on the Australian Writers Centre, but then I came across a rather interesting - and active - regional one, and would like to share it with you (as well as document it here). It is the Armidale-based New England Writers Centre … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: New England Writers’ Centre
Julie Janson, Benevolence (#BookReview)
In a rather curious synchronicity, the last three books I've read have all had single word, multiple-meaning, titles, all relating to the colonial settlement of Australia - Gay Lynch's historical fiction Unsettled (my review), John Kinsella's memoir Displaced (my review), and now Julie Janson's historical fiction Benevolence whose title drips with irony. Recently, I commented … Continue reading Julie Janson, Benevolence (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Nonfiction November
Every November for a few years now, a group of bloggers have coordinated a focus on nonfiction for bloggers in November. They set up a plan of topics, one per week, with a different blogger being responsible for each week, as follows: Leann (Week 1) (Shelf Aware), Julie (Week 2) (Julz Reads), Rennie (Week 3) … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Nonfiction November
Yarra Valley Writers Festival 2020 (Online): New Release Sundays: Ramona Koval
Four weeks ago I posted on another session from the Yarra Valley Writers Festival's New Release Sundays, the one with Robert Dessaix talking about his book about growing older, The time of our lives. In that post, I mentioned that Dessaix had presented a couple of radio programs on ABC RN, including Books and writing. … Continue reading Yarra Valley Writers Festival 2020 (Online): New Release Sundays: Ramona Koval
Anna Goldsworthy, Melting moments (#BookReview)
Melting moments is Australian writer and concert pianist Anna Goldsworthy's debut novel, following her highly successful memoir of a decade ago, Piano lessons (my review). Melting moments - for those not familiar with this Antipodean classic - are little shortbread-based biscuits (cookies) sandwiched together with buttercream. In titling her book by these little treats, with … Continue reading Anna Goldsworthy, Melting moments (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: “Returning novels”
In his review of Tara June Winch's The yield (my review), Jonathan Shaw (Me fail? I fly!) writes that "Ellen van Neerven, in a review in the Australian Book Review, describes The Yield as a ‘returning novel’". I loved this way of framing the novel, so I checked the review. Van Neerven, who has featured several times on this … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: “Returning novels”
