I cannot remember when I last laughed out loud - a lot - when reading a book. The book that broke the drought is Elizabeth von Arnim's Expiation. Even in her darkest, grimmest novel, Vera (my review), Von Arnim managed to make me splutter several times, albeit ruefully. Expiation, though, caused no such qualms. I … Continue reading Elizabeth von Arnim, Expiation (#BookReview #1929 Club)
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Nonfiction November 2022: Stranger than fiction
Week 3 of Nonfiction November (November 14-18) focuses on "all the great nonfiction books that almost don’t seem real. A sports biography involving overcoming massive obstacles, a profile on a bizarre scam, a look into the natural wonders in our world—basically, if it makes your jaw drop, you can highlight it for this week’s topic" … Continue reading Nonfiction November 2022: Stranger than fiction
Nonfiction November 2022: Book pairings
Week 2 of Nonfiction November and hanging in. This meme/blog event/reading month/challenge (what do we call it?) is hosted by several bloggers, with Week 2: (November 7-11) – Book Pairing, being hosted by Rennie (of What's Nonfiction). The challenge is to pair a nonfiction book with something else - a fiction title, another nonfiction work, or … Continue reading Nonfiction November 2022: Book pairings
Monday musings on Australian literature: Classic Australian novellas
I have written on and reviewed novellas almost since this blog started, because I love the form. Last year, for Novellas in November (run by Cathy of 746 Books and Rebecca of Bookish Beck), I wrote a Monday Musings on Supporting Novellas (here in Australia). This year, I thought I'd address the meme's first week's … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Classic Australian novellas
Six degrees of separation, FROM The naked chef TO …
Oh my, oh my, I'm becoming one of those people who complains about the weather - but really, we've had so much rain in our neck of the woods. It's proving difficult to get our washing dry, to carry out some necessary house maintenance, and so on. The problem is, though, that I feel embarrassed … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM The naked chef TO …
Nonfiction November 2022: Your year in nonfiction
My participation in Nonfiction November is usually a bit catch-as-catch-can - that is, I often don't manage to complete every week's topic - but I do like to start off as though I might, so here I am. Nonfiction November, as most of you know, is hosted by several bloggers. This year, Week 1 – … Continue reading Nonfiction November 2022: Your year in nonfiction
Frederic Manning, The middle parts of fortune, Ch. 1 (#Review, #1929 Club)
I had identified two novels for my 1929 read, M. Barnard Eldershaw's A house is built and another. With Lisa also considering A house is built, I decided to go for the other. I started it, and am loving it, but I won't finish it in time, so I thought I'd check my Australian anthologies … Continue reading Frederic Manning, The middle parts of fortune, Ch. 1 (#Review, #1929 Club)
Monday musings on Australian literature: 1929 in fiction
As many of you know by now, Karen (Kaggsy's Bookish Rambling) and Simon (Stuck in a Book) run "reading weeks" in which they nominate a year from which "everyone reads, enjoys, posts and shares wonderful books and discoveries from the year in question". The current year is 1929, and it runs from today, 24 October … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: 1929 in fiction
Six degrees of separation, FROM Notes on a scandal TO …
It might be spring but it's not a particularly appealing one here, with so much grey and rain, which is unusual for my corner of the world. But, Daylight Savings starts this weekend, which is always a plus, and the spring blossoms and bulbs are out which cheer up the grey. What also cheers up … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM Notes on a scandal TO …
Six degrees of separation, FROM The drover’s wife TO …
Spring at last - in the southern hemisphere anyhow. Winter seemed to start early this year so many of us, in my corner of the world anyhow, have been desperate to see its end. Yes, I know many of you have much more severe winters than we do, but it's all relative! And on that, … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM The drover’s wife TO …
Whispering Gums 