Shirley Hazzard's novella, The bay of noon, has been in my sights for a long time, but finally, this Novellas-in-November year, I managed to get it out of my sights and into my hands. It's the first of two novellas I read for the month, but the second to review. Such was my November (and … Continue reading Shirley Hazzard, The bay of noon (#BookReview)
Women writers
PS Cottier and NG Hartland, The thirty-one legs of Vladimir Putin (#BookReview)
Earlier this month, I posted on a conversation with the winners of the 2024 Finlay Lloyd 20/40 Publishing Prize, P S Cottier and N G Hartland, who wrote The thirty-one legs of Vladimir Putin, and Sonya Voumard, who wrote Tremor. On the surface, these books look very different, but conversation facilitator, Sally Pryor, found some … Continue reading PS Cottier and NG Hartland, The thirty-one legs of Vladimir Putin (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Forgotten writers 8, Jessie Urquhart
While some of the forgotten writers I have shared in this series are in the category of interesting-to- know-about-but-not-necessarily-to-read, others probably are worth checking out again. Jessie Urquhart is one of these latter, though I've not read any of her novels, so don't quote me! However, there are articles for her in Wikipedia and the … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Forgotten writers 8, Jessie Urquhart
Margaret Atwood, Widows (#Review)
Marcie's (Buried in Print) MARM (Margaret Atwood Reading Month) event is now seven years old, but this is only my second contribution. I read a reasonable amount of Atwood before blogging, and since then have let her slide somewhat, though I have reviewed a couple of books here. You can't read it all - but, … Continue reading Margaret Atwood, Widows (#Review)
Raynor Winn, The salt path (#BookReview)
While my reading group's main fare is fiction, we do include nonfiction in the mix. In fact, this year has been unusual as we've scheduled three nonfiction books - Richard Flanagan's Question 7 (my review), Anna Funder's Wifedom (my review), and, last month, Raynor Winn's The salt path. I can't recollect how The salt path … Continue reading Raynor Winn, The salt path (#BookReview)
Karen Jennings, Crooked seeds (#BookReview)
Crooked seeds is the third novel I've read by South African writer Karen Jennings, and she continues to intrigue and impress me, because she seems to be quietly bubbling away in her little corner of the world writing books that grapple with the difficult questions. Unfortunately, I didn't read her Booker-longlisted novel, An island (2020), … Continue reading Karen Jennings, Crooked seeds (#BookReview)
Jane Caro, The mother (#BookReview)
When my reading group scheduled Jane Caro's debut novel, The mother, I was, I admit, not exactly enthusiastic, because my sense was that it was not going to be the sort of, shall I say, subtle writing I prefer. My sense was right, but I am not sorry I read it - partly because of … Continue reading Jane Caro, The mother (#BookReview)
Beth H. Piatote, Beading lesson (#Review)
Beth Piatote's "Beading lesson" is the thirteenth of fourteen stories in the anthology, Great short stories by contemporary Native American writers, and with it, we move from the 1990s to the 2000s. Beth H Piatote Anthology editor Bob Blaisdell provides very little information about Piatote. It simply says that she is Nez Perce and a … Continue reading Beth H. Piatote, Beading lesson (#Review)
Donna M. Cameron, The rewilding (#BookReview)
Quite coincidentally, earlier this month, I read and posted on Willa Cather’s short story "The bookkeeper's wife" which commences with a young man, Percy Bixby, sitting in his office deciding to do something in order to keep his flashy fiancée Stella. That was published in 1916. I have now just finished Donna M. Cameron’s novel, … Continue reading Donna M. Cameron, The rewilding (#BookReview)
Jane Austen, Lady Susan, revisited (#BookReview)
I have read Jane Austen's Lady Susan several times, including with my local Jane Austen group in 2014 (my review). That now being ten years ago, we decided it was time to read - and consider - it again. However, as my time was tight, I decided to try an audiobook version, and found a … Continue reading Jane Austen, Lady Susan, revisited (#BookReview)
Whispering Gums 