Over Christmas, during one of my conversations with Son Gums, he commented how he tires of meaningless conversations, conversations, for example, in which people discuss a television series they've seen but say nothing of note. He mimicked the sort of conversation he meant ... well, imagine my surprise when, in one of those surprising synchronicities, … Continue reading Delicious descriptions: Louise Mack’s dialogue and satire
Monday musings on Australian literature: Some New Releases in 2017
This is the last of what seems to have become my set of end-of-year-beginning-of-year posts - and it's about, as if you couldn't tell, the books that will be published this year. Obviously, I can't list them all - even if I could know them all - but it's fun to share a few that … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Some New Releases in 2017
Six degrees of separation, FROM The girl with the dragon tattoo TO The natural way of things
Ok, I admit it, I'm hooked on this meme, not only because it's a fun intellectual challenge to find links between books, but also because it gives me an opportunity to revisit books I've read, which helps keep them fresh in my mind. For those who haven't caught up with this meme, it's the Six Degrees of … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM The girl with the dragon tattoo TO The natural way of things
Louise Mack, The world is round (Review)
I've had Louise Mack's debut novel, The world is round, on my TBR for about 20 years. Published in 1896, when she was 26 years old, it's a fairly straightforward tragicomedy about a young well-to-do 21-year-old girl, Jean, who aspires to be a writer, and the two men who love her, the 30-plus-year-old self-confident, successful lawyer-and-writer Musgrave, and … Continue reading Louise Mack, The world is round (Review)
Blogging highlights for 2016
It seems that I've established a bit of an end of year trifecta with my Australian Women Writers' Challenge wrap-up post, followed by posts on Reading highlights and Blogging highlights. This post, obviously, is the Blogging one. I do it as much for my own record, because I enjoy tracking trends on my blog, so please don't feel obliged if you've … Continue reading Blogging highlights for 2016
Monday musings on Australian literature: Louise Mack
I promised in my Reading Highlights post that my first review of the year would be for a book from my TBR pile, and so it will be - hopefully in a couple of days. However, I suspect that the book, and maybe even the author, will be unknown to most of my readers here so I've decided … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Louise Mack
Reading highlights for 2016
And so we finally say goodbye to a year many of us would like to forget, but before we do, I would like to share my 2016 reading highlights. As usual, I won't be naming top picks, because I'm a wuss. It's too hard. So, instead, I'll be sharing highlights which combine best reads with those that were interesting for … Continue reading Reading highlights for 2016
Eudora Welty, A curtain of green (Review)
This week I received the Library of America's annual email in which they list their "Top 10 Story of the Week selections of 2016". I've only read eleven of their selections this year, but two - Kate Chopin's "A pair of silk stockings" (my review) and Willa Cather's "Enchanted bluff" (my review) - are in their Top Ten. … Continue reading Eudora Welty, A curtain of green (Review)
Georgia Blain: Births deaths marriages: True tales (Review)
Poignant is a word I actively avoid in my review posts, as it's such a review cliché, but sometimes a book really does call for it, and the late Georgia Blain's essay-collection-cum-memoir, Births deaths marriages, is such a book. In the last essay, she talks of her mother, broadcaster, activist and non-fiction writer, Anne Deveson, trying her … Continue reading Georgia Blain: Births deaths marriages: True tales (Review)
Books given and received for Christmas, in 2016
I did a "books given and received post" last Boxing Day, and decided to do it again, but after Boxing Day because this year Boxing Day coincided with Monday Musings, and I have another tradition for the last Monday Musings of the year. Anyhow, here goes with the books I gave and received this Christmas. There are not … Continue reading Books given and received for Christmas, in 2016
Whispering Gums 