Louis Nowra is one versatile and prolific writer, having written novels, non-fiction, plays and screenplays, essays and even libretti. Into that forest is his latest work. It was shortlisted for the Young Adult Novel prize in the 2012 Aurealis awards and the Ethel Turner Young People's Literature prize in this year's NSW Premier's Literary Awards. … Continue reading Louis Nowra, Into that forest (Review)
Review – Novels
Carrie Tiffany, Mateship with birds (Review)
Carrie Tiffany is on a roll. Last month her second novel, Mateship with birds, won the inaugural Stella Prize, and this month it won the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction at the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards. It has also been shortlisted for the Miles Franklin award. Many bloggers* have already read and reviewed … Continue reading Carrie Tiffany, Mateship with birds (Review)
Andrew Croome, Midnight empire (Review)
Andrew Croome's latest novel Midnight empire is yet another read this year that is outside my usual fare. I read it because of my reading group's focus this Centenary year on Canberra writers. It wasn't a big ask, though, because I had read and enjoyed his first novel, Document Z. While both deal with spies, … Continue reading Andrew Croome, Midnight empire (Review)
Dorothy Johnston, The house at number 10 (Review)
Dorothy Johnston's The house at number 10 has one of the cheekiest opening sentences I've read for a long time ... but I'm not going to tell you what it is. If you are interested you'll have to find out for yourselves - and tell me if you agree. I decided to read this novel … Continue reading Dorothy Johnston, The house at number 10 (Review)
Courtney Collins, The burial (Review)
I became aware of Courtney Collins' The burial when it was longlisted for the Stella Prize. It has since been shortlisted for the Stella, shortlisted for the new writing award in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, and longlisted for the Dobbie Literary Award for new writing. It had previously been shortlisted for the 2009 Australian/Vogel … Continue reading Courtney Collins, The burial (Review)
Graeme Simsion, The Rosie project (Review)
While I go to films fairly regularly, I rarely think of adapting books to film when I am reading. However, I was only a few pages into Graeme Simsion's The Rosie project when it occurred to me that it was perfect film material. The feeling got stronger - and then around a third of the … Continue reading Graeme Simsion, The Rosie project (Review)
Anita Heiss, Paris dreaming (Review)
Late last year I wrote a post about the inaugural Canberra Readers' Festival. One of the speakers was indigenous Australian author, academic and activist, Anita Heiss. I wrote then that I bought one of her books. It was her fourth (I think) chick lit novel, Paris dreaming. This might surprise regular readers here, as chick … Continue reading Anita Heiss, Paris dreaming (Review)
Valeria Luiselli, Faces in the crowd (Review)
Mexican writer Valeria Luiselli's Faces in the crowd was, as regular readers here might remember, one of my two Bah Humbook virtual gifts from Stu of Winston's Dad. I ordered it on Christmas Day for my Kindle - after all, it was a Christmas present - and have now read it. Wow, what a read, … Continue reading Valeria Luiselli, Faces in the crowd (Review)
Frank Moorhouse, Cold light (Review)
As I reached around the two-thirds point in Frank Moorhouse's Cold light, the third tome in his Edith trilogy, I wanted to cry out "Enough already"! It's not that I wasn't enjoying (most of) it, and it's not that it's a bad book, but it does go on - and on. It's a book, I … Continue reading Frank Moorhouse, Cold light (Review)
Patrick White, Happy Valley (Review)
My love affair with Patrick White, figuratively speaking, began in my last year of high school when I studied Voss. Always partial to Aussie literature, I was, at 17 or 18, bowled over by White's writing, passion and vision - and by his rather acerbic, though mostly compassionate, view of the way people submerge their … Continue reading Patrick White, Happy Valley (Review)
Whispering Gums 