Al Campbell's debut novel, The keepers, is a complex and ambitious novel about parenting, specifically about parenting children who are deemed too difficult by society, leaving their mothers, or carers, to survive, or not, as best they can. It's confronting but, unfortunately, all too real. That this is its theme is obvious from the novel's … Continue reading Al Campbell, The keepers (#BookReview)
Women writers
Nell Stevens, Mrs Gaskell and me: To women, two love stories, two centuries apart (#BookReview)
It's a bit of a stretch, I admit, to submit Nell Stevens' strange hybrid biography-memoir, Mrs Gaskell and me, as my second contribution to Bill's (The Australian Legend) Gen 0. But, having read Elizabeth Gaskell's two novellas, Lizzie Leigh and Cousin Phillis, for the week, and having had Stevens' book on my TBR for a … Continue reading Nell Stevens, Mrs Gaskell and me: To women, two love stories, two centuries apart (#BookReview)
Elizabeth Gaskell, Lizzie Leigh AND Cousin Phillis (#BookReviews)
This year, Bill (The Australian Legend) has framed his usual January "Gen" (short for generation) week, as Gen 0. Zero? How can that be? Well, let's get it from the horse's mouth. Bill says, "I am using ‘Gen 0’ as a designation for those writers – necessarily not Australian – whose work influenced, predated or … Continue reading Elizabeth Gaskell, Lizzie Leigh AND Cousin Phillis (#BookReviews)
Rebecca Campbell, Arboreality (#BookReview)
Arboreality, by Canadian writer Rebecca Campbell, won the 2023 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize. However, not being much of a speculative fiction reader, I didn't discover this book through this award. Fortunately, some bloggers I follow, like Bill (The Australian Legend), do follow this genre, and his review convinced me that this climate change dystopian … Continue reading Rebecca Campbell, Arboreality (#BookReview)
Claire Keegan, So late in the day (#BookReview)
In her final Novellas in November post, Cathy (746 Books) wrote about Claire Keegan's short story "So late in the day", and included an online link to the story. Having not read any of Keegan's writing, to that point, and feeling the lack, I pounced - and was not disappointed. "So late in the day" … Continue reading Claire Keegan, So late in the day (#BookReview)
Holly Throsby, Clarke (#BookReview)
My reading group's last book of the year, Holly Throsby's third novel, Clarke, was a popular end-of-year choice. It's a straightforward but compelling read that was inspired by a story we were all across, the Lynette Dawson story. Inspired, though, is the operative word, as Clarke is not Lynette Dawson's story. For a start, while … Continue reading Holly Throsby, Clarke (#BookReview)
Margaret Atwood, The Labrador fiasco (#Review)
Although I am an Atwood fan from way back, I haven't, to date, taken part in Marcie's (Buried in Print) MARM (Margaret Atwood Reading Month) event. But I promised her I would this month, albeit with just one little short story probably, this one. I have had The Labrador fiasco on my "little book" TBR … Continue reading Margaret Atwood, The Labrador fiasco (#Review)
Kim Kelly, Ladies’ Rest and Writing Room (#BookReview)
Early in the month I reviewed the first of the two winners of Finlay Lloyd's inaugural 20/40 Publishing Prize, Rebecca Burton's Ravenous girls (my review). It was set in Sydney in the 1980s. Now, as promised, I bring you the other winner, Kim Kelly's Ladies' Rest and Writing Room. It is also set in Sydney, … Continue reading Kim Kelly, Ladies’ Rest and Writing Room (#BookReview)
Shirley Hazzard, The picnic (#Review, #1962 Club)
As I have done for most "year" reading weeks*, I decided for 1962 to read a short story by an Australian author. I read two, in fact, and may post on the second one later. Today's story, though, is Shirley Hazzard's "The picnic" which I found in an anthology edited by Carmel Bird, The Penguin … Continue reading Shirley Hazzard, The picnic (#Review, #1962 Club)
Susan Glaspell, A jury of her peers (#Review)
One of my retirement activities is to co-ordinate a little band of volunteer indexers at the National Film and Sound Archive. Not only do we do useful work for the Archive, but we get to socialise a little with our peers, meaning we talk about what we are watching, listening to, and reading. Recently, one … Continue reading Susan Glaspell, A jury of her peers (#Review)
