Some of the editions of Pride and Prejudice owned by my JA group Back in the early to mid-2010s, my local Jane Austen group undertook a program of slow reading Jane Austen's novels, coinciding with those books' 200th anniversaries. Given that began around a decade ago, we decided last year that it was time to … Continue reading Slow reading: Jane Austen’s Pride and prejudice
Women writers
Jane Austen on travel
It's been some time since I posted on Jane Austen, but currently my local Jane Austen group is repeating the slow reads we did a decade or so ago when her novels had their 200th anniversaries. Last year, we did Sense and sensibility, and right now we are doing Pride and prejudice. There are different … Continue reading Jane Austen on travel
Maggie O’Farrell, The marriage portrait (#BookReview)
I have mentioned Author's Notes a few times recently, because I have read a few works of historical fiction. Maggie O'Farrell's latest novel, The marriage portrait, is another historical novel and so here I am again talking Author's Notes. The marriage portrait, as you probably already know, is based on the life of Lucrezia de' Medici, … Continue reading Maggie O’Farrell, The marriage portrait (#BookReview)
Stella Prize 2023 Winner announced
The 2023 Stella Prize winner was announced tonight and, for the second year in a row, it's a poetry collection ... Sarah Holland-Batt's The jaguar Darn it! I nearly bought it last weekend when I was at the National Library but with my move and having stuff everywhere, I put it back down again and … Continue reading Stella Prize 2023 Winner announced
Eleanor Limprecht, The Coast (#BookReview)
I love to read Author's Notes, Afterwords, or whatever they are called, at the end of novels, and particularly so when the novel is historical fiction. This is because these notes will often explain the author's thought process, the line they have drawn between fiction and fact, the sources used, the level and type of … Continue reading Eleanor Limprecht, The Coast (#BookReview)
Zitkala-Sa, The soft-hearted Sioux (#Review)
Zitkala-Ša's "The soft-hearted Sioux" is the second story in the anthology, Great short stories by contemporary Native American writers, sent to me by my American friend. I posted on the first one, Pauline Johnson's "A red girl's reasoning", a couple of weeks ago. Zitkala-Ša As he does for all the stories, anthology editor Bob Blaisdell … Continue reading Zitkala-Sa, The soft-hearted Sioux (#Review)
Monday musings on Australian literature: A letter from Mary Gilmore
Gilmore, by May Moore, 1916 State Library of New South Wales (Public Domain) Mary Gilmore (1865-1962) is, I suspect, not well-known outside of Australia, but she was (is) a significant Australian poet - so significant that she earned herself a dame-hood! Wikipedia describes her as "an Australian writer and journalist known for her prolific contributions to Australian literature and … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: A letter from Mary Gilmore
Pauline Johnson, A red girl’s reasoning (#Review)
As some of you know, I have a close American friend, Carolyn, with whom I correspond weekly. We met in the early 1990s when I was living in California. During that time we started a reading group, so you won't be surprised that our correspondence always includes reference to what we are - or are … Continue reading Pauline Johnson, A red girl’s reasoning (#Review)
Gwendolyn Brooks, Maud Martha (#BookReview)
I came across Gwendolyn Brooks' 1953-published novella, Maud Martha, on JacquiWine's blog last year, and was confident it was a book for me - so I bought the e-Book version and read it slowly on my phone and iPad whenever I was out and about. This sort of reading doesn't work for all books, but … Continue reading Gwendolyn Brooks, Maud Martha (#BookReview)
Meet the Author: Dervla McTiernan
You’ve heard me say it before and I’m sure to say it again, I am not a “crime reader” - but I do read crime novels when something about them catches my attention. I have been interested to read Irish-born Australian writer Dervla McTiernan since her first book started appearing with positive reviews on the … Continue reading Meet the Author: Dervla McTiernan
