Six degrees of separation, FROM The snow child TO …

Not the weather this month, except to say that Summer has started well. Instead, I'll just say that I hope you all have a beautiful December, sharing meaningful, nurturing times with the people who matter most to you. It's not always possible for us all, I know, with families and friends spread far and wide, … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM The snow child TO …

Monday musings on Australian literature: Prime Minister’s Summer Reading List

The Grattan Institute is an Australian non-aligned, public policy think tank that was established in 2008. Since 2009 it has published, at the end of the year, their Prime Minister's Summer Reading List. This list, as they wrote on the inaugural 2009 list, comprises "books and articles that the Prime Minister, or any Australian interested … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Prime Minister’s Summer Reading List

Heather Rose in conversation with Sally Pryor

As I've written before, Muse Canberra, a restaurant-cum-bookshop or vice versa, offers a wonderful program of book events, year after year. I don't get to many, but today I attended a conversation featuring Tasmanian author Heather Rose with local journalist Sally Pryor. The participants Heather Rose has written three children's books and five novels, of … Continue reading Heather Rose in conversation with Sally Pryor

Monday musings on Australian literature: Canberra’s children’s picture book creators

Who would have thought that my little capital city of Canberra would have such a rich children's picture book community, but over recent years I've been discovering just how much is going on here. So much so that I thought it might be a worthwhile topic for Brona's AusReadingMonth. There's no way I can be … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Canberra’s children’s picture book creators

Elizabeth von Arnim, Expiation (#BookReview #1929 Club)

I cannot remember when I last laughed out loud - a lot - when reading a book. The book that broke the drought is Elizabeth von Arnim's Expiation. Even in her darkest, grimmest novel, Vera (my review), Von Arnim managed to make me splutter several times, albeit ruefully. Expiation, though, caused no such qualms. I … Continue reading Elizabeth von Arnim, Expiation (#BookReview #1929 Club)

Nonfiction November 2022: Stranger than fiction

Week 3 of Nonfiction November (November 14-18) focuses on "all the great nonfiction books that almost don’t seem real. A sports biography involving overcoming massive obstacles, a profile on a bizarre scam, a look into the natural wonders in our world—basically, if it makes your jaw drop, you can highlight it for this week’s topic" … Continue reading Nonfiction November 2022: Stranger than fiction

Monday musings on Australian literature: on 20/40, a new publishing prize

We all like to see a new literary or publishing prize. That is, most of us do, because I do appreciate that prizes in the arts are problematic, and that some do not, for perfectly valid reasons, like them. However, for most, the positives outweigh the negatives. These positives include - in different combinations - … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: on 20/40, a new publishing prize

Elisa Shua Dusapin, Winter in Sokcho (#BookReview)

French Korean writer Elisa Shua Dusapin's award-winning debut novella, Winter in Sokcho, was published when she was just 22 years old. As the title conveys, it is set in Sokcho, a tourist town in the Republic of Korea near the border between the two Koreas. In fact, when the Korean peninsula was divided into two … Continue reading Elisa Shua Dusapin, Winter in Sokcho (#BookReview)