December is when I start my round of regular end-of-year posts, and a new one I'm adding to the fold is the The Grattan Institute's annual Prime Minister's Summer Reading List. The institute is an Australian non-aligned, public policy think tank, which produces readable, reasoned reports on significant issues, like, most recently, the role of … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Prime Minister’s Summer Reading List, 2023
Novellas in November 2023: Week 5, New to my TBR
You will of course have realised that November is somewhat over, but in the blogosphere we are pretty flexible - at least I think we are - so I am going to do this final Novellas in November post more than a week into December. The final theme for the month is that we talk … Continue reading Novellas in November 2023: Week 5, New to my TBR
Monday musings on Australian literature: Henry Mayer Book Prize
This last week I have become aware, via two different paths, of the Henry Mayer Book Prize. I feel I've seen it referenced before, but it hasn't fully registered. I certainly haven't written about it before, so, now's the time. I'll start by introducing the person for whom the prize is named, Henry Mayer (1919-1991). … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Henry Mayer Book Prize
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)
ACT Book of the Year Award 2023 shortlist and winner
This year I attended, for the first time, the announcement of the ACT Book of the Year award, which was held at the Woden Public Library. For some reason our award doesn't get the media recognition or attention that it deserves. Sure, it is not one of the wealthiest literary prizes in the country, and … Continue reading ACT Book of the Year Award 2023 shortlist and winner
Nonfiction November 2023: Worldview Shapers AND New to my TBR
Once again, I am combining my Nonfiction November weeks because this month has been very busy personally as well as blog-wise.(I did Week 1, on its own, and then combined Weeks 2 and 3). Nonfiction November is hosted by several bloggers, each one managing one of the weeks. This year, Week 4 – Worldview Shapers … Continue reading Nonfiction November 2023: Worldview Shapers AND New to my TBR
Monday musings on Australian literature: on 1923: 7, Humour
With 1923 nearly over, I'm running out of time to share more of the thoughts and ideas I found regarding Australian literature in 1923 from Trove. This post, I thought to share some of the ideas expressed about humour in Australian literature. Humour wasn't always specifically mentioned in 1923 as being a feature of Australian … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: on 1923: 7, Humour
Novellas in November 2023: Week 4, The short and the long of it
This week's question is the Novella version of Nonfiction November's Book Pairings. It goes like this Pair a novella with a nonfiction book or novel that deals with similar themes or topics. I am doing several pairings with Jessica Au's novella Cold enough for snow (my review), because although it's a "little" book, it's so … Continue reading Novellas in November 2023: Week 4, The short and the long of it
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)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Your 7-year-old self
Ok, I admit it. This post's link to Australian literature is tenuous, but there is a link, even though it's not the subject of this post. The link is that the person who inspired this post, Ed Le Brocq, previously known as Emma Ayres, has written several books - memoirs, mostly - of which I've … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Your 7-year-old self
Whispering Gums 