Much as I love watching Julia Baird on The Drum, and much as Mr Gums and I worried about her multiple cancer diagnoses and her extended journey to recovery over recent years, I'm not sure I would have read her book, Phosphorescence: On awe, wonder and things that sustain you when the world goes dark, … Continue reading Julia Baird, Phosphorescence (#BookReview)
Review
Gay Lynch, Unsettled (#BookReview)
Coincidentally, my first review after this week's Monday Musings on historical fiction happens to be a work of historical fiction, Gay Lynch's cleverly titled Unsettled. Consequently, I'm going to start there, that is, talking about the form. Well, more or less, because I should at least give you a sense of its subject. It is … Continue reading Gay Lynch, Unsettled (#BookReview)
Fannie Barrier Williams, Women in politics (#Review)
It's been months since I posted on a Library of America (LOA) Story of the Week offering, but this week's piece by African American activist, Fannie Barrier Williams, captured my attention. Several LOA offerings this year have been relevant to the times - including stories about infectious diseases - but this one is so spot on for … Continue reading Fannie Barrier Williams, Women in politics (#Review)
Balli Kaur Jaswal, Erotic stories for Punjabi widows (#BookReview)
Broadly speaking, Singaporean author Balli Kaur Jaswal's third novel, Erotic stories for Punjabi widows, reminds me of Anita Heiss' choclit books like Paris dreaming (my review). By this I mean it presents as an escapist romcom genre novel but within it is some serious intent. In this case it relates to the oppression of women, … Continue reading Balli Kaur Jaswal, Erotic stories for Punjabi widows (#BookReview)
Carol Lefevre, Murmurations (#BookReview)
Murmurations is a beautiful, evocative word, and Carol Lefevre's latest book, titled Murmurations, does beautiful, thoughtful justice to it. It is though an unusual book. Styled by its author as a novella, it reads on the surface like a collection of short stories, except that the stories are not only connected by the various characters … Continue reading Carol Lefevre, Murmurations (#BookReview)
Emuna Elon, House on endless waters (#BookReview)
I've said before that I'm surprised by how many takes there can be on World War II, and on the Holocaust, in particular - and once again I'm here with another such story, Emuna Elon's House on endless waters. I hadn't heard of Elon before but, according to Wikipedia, she's an Israeli author, journalist, and women's rights … Continue reading Emuna Elon, House on endless waters (#BookReview)
Griffith Review 68: Getting on (#BookReview)
I love reading the Griffith Review, though have mostly only reviewed individual articles on this blog. It's a meaty quarterly, with each edition being devoted to a particular theme. Edition 68's theme, Getting on, seemed apposite for my reading group and so was our August selection. Although it was confronting at times, it was a … Continue reading Griffith Review 68: Getting on (#BookReview)
Thea Astley, An item from the late news (#BookReview)
Set in the satirically named town of Allbut, whose nearest large town is the equally satirically named Mainchance, Thea Astley's An item from the late news is framed by the story of a man who comes to the town, fearful of "the atom bomb", and wanting to live a quiet - sheltered, you might say … Continue reading Thea Astley, An item from the late news (#BookReview)
Desley Deacon, Judith Anderson: Australian star, First Lady of the American stage (#BookReview)
When historian Desley Deacon offered me her biography of Dame Judith Anderson for review, I was a little reticent because my review copies were getting out of hand. Little did I know then what was in store for me, and just how much more behind I would become. However, finally, its turn came, and here … Continue reading Desley Deacon, Judith Anderson: Australian star, First Lady of the American stage (#BookReview)
Emily Paull, Well-behaved women (#BookReview)
Well-behaved women is a debut collection of short stories by Western Australian writer Emily Paull. It is one of those collections that has a unique title, and what a perfect - and teasing - title it is for a collection of stories focused on women. It has, you won't be surprised to hear, the usual … Continue reading Emily Paull, Well-behaved women (#BookReview)
