With Bill's AWW Gen 4 Week still in play, I hoped I'd find something relevant to share from Reading like an Australian writer. And there was, a discussion by novelist Emily Maguire of a short story by Elizabeth Harrower. The short story, as you can probably guess, is titled "The fun of the fair" and … Continue reading Epiphany in Harrower’s “The fun of the fair”
Women writers
Margaret Barbalet, Blood in the rain (#BookReview)
When I thought about Bill's AWW Gen 4 week, I knew I'd have some hard choices to make as I have many eligible novels on my TBR shelves. However, the choice wasn't too hard because there was one author who just doesn't seem to be talked about and I wanted to include her on my … Continue reading Margaret Barbalet, Blood in the rain (#BookReview)
Janette Turner Hospital, The inside story (#Review)
Between 1985 and 1990, Janette Turner Hospital wrote four books which had one-word titles - Borderline (1985, novel), Dislocations (1986, short stories), Charades (1988, novel) and Isobars (1990, short stories). I've read the novels, and they imprinted on my mind Hospital's love of metaphor. In these works, her titles clearly herald her concerns, and I … Continue reading Janette Turner Hospital, The inside story (#Review)
Christine Balint, Water music (#BookReview)
Christine Balint's Water music was a joint winner of the 2021 Viva La Novella Prize with Helen Meany's Every day is Gertie Day (my review), but they are very different books. Meany's is contemporary, perhaps even near-future, and tackles some up-to-the-minute issues regarding fact, truth and authenticity, while Balint's is historical fiction, a coming-of-age story, … Continue reading Christine Balint, Water music (#BookReview)
Cindy Solonec, Debesa: The story of Frank and Katie Rodriguez (#BookReview)
Cindy Solonec's Debesa is one of those curious hybrid biography-memoirs that are appearing on the scene. Its subtitle describes it as The story of Frank and Katie Rodriguez, implying biography, but in fact, Frank and Katie are Solonec's parents and so the book also incorporates some of her own story as part of the family. … Continue reading Cindy Solonec, Debesa: The story of Frank and Katie Rodriguez (#BookReview)
Alison Croggon, Monsters (#BookReview)
Alison Croggon's Monsters: A reckoning is a demanding but exhilarating read, demanding because it expresses some tough feelings, and exhilarating because of the mind behind it, the connections it makes and the questions it asks. Coincidentally, it has some synchronicities with my recent read, Sarah Krasnostein's The believer. Both talk about "uncertainty", and both conclude … Continue reading Alison Croggon, Monsters (#BookReview)
Novel-in-stories, Tara June Winch’s Swallow the air
This is my third post inspired by Reading like an Australian writer, and it involves two First Nations writers, Ellen van Neerven on Tara June Winch's award-winning debut novel Swallow the air. I chose van Neerven's essay for my next post, because, coincidentally, I'd just read Winch's story "Cloud busting" in Flock, an anthology, edited … Continue reading Novel-in-stories, Tara June Winch’s Swallow the air
Sarah Krasnostein, The believer (#BookReview)
One of the reasons I love reading fiction is to be introduced to lives and cultures I know nothing about. This is less so in nonfiction, but Sarah Krasnostein's latest book, The believer, fits the brief. In it she explores questions concerning what people believe and why through six different people (or groups of people), … Continue reading Sarah Krasnostein, The believer (#BookReview)
Helen Meany, Every day is Gertie Day (#BookReview)
Helen Meany's Every day is Gertie Day is the third Viva La Novella winner that I've read and posted about on my blog, the other two being Julie Proudfoot's The neighbour (my review) and Mirandi Riwoe's The fish girl (my review). All are memorable reads, and do this award proud - and no, I am … Continue reading Helen Meany, Every day is Gertie Day (#BookReview)
S-S-S Snake, Kate Jennings’ Snake, that is
I thoroughly enjoyed Tegan Bennett Daylight's essay on Helen Garner's Cosmo cosmolino (1992) in Reading like an Australian writer. Consequently, I plan, over time, to read and share other essays in this book - at least those discussing books I've reviewed here. As it happens, there is an essay by Debra Adelaide on Kate Jennings' … Continue reading S-S-S Snake, Kate Jennings’ Snake, that is
Whispering Gums 