For newbies here, my annual Reading Highlights post is my answer to other bloggers' Top Reads posts. In other words, I don't do a ranked list of the books I consider my year's "best", but instead share my "highlights", which I define as those books and events that made my reading year worthwhile. I don't, … Continue reading Reading highlights for 2020
Craig Cormick and Harold Ludwick, On a barbarous coast (“BookReview)
Craig Cormick is a Canberra-based writer whom I've seen at various literary events around town, but not read until now, so I was especially glad when Allen & Unwin sent me this book to review. Titled On a barbarous coast, it was written collaboratively with Harold Ludwick, "a Bulgun Warra man whose traditional lands lie … Continue reading Craig Cormick and Harold Ludwick, On a barbarous coast (“BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers Challenge 2020
Once again I am devoting my last Monday Musings of the year to the Australian Women Writers Challenge*. Last year in my opening paragraph, I wrote that I loved the sound of 2020 - and I wished you all a wonderful year to come in whatever form you would like that to take. My, oh my, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers Challenge 2020
My reading group’s favourites for 2020
In what is becoming a tradition, my reading group once again voted for our favourites from our 2020 schedule. Given many of us like hearing about what other reading groups do, I'm sharing the results as I did last year. First, though, here is what we read in the order we read them (with links … Continue reading My reading group’s favourites for 2020
Monday Musings on Australian literature: ABR’s 2020 Books of the Year
The Australian Book Review (ABR) recently published its annual books of the year as selected by 34 of its contributing critics and reviewers, who include novelists, poets, historians and literary critics. Most are known to me, but there are a few newbies too. I know we discussed the pros and cons of lists in my … Continue reading Monday Musings on Australian literature: ABR’s 2020 Books of the Year
My life in books 2020
As I started reading other people's contributions, I said that I might play the "my life in books" meme - and I have not decided that I will! So, thanks to Lisa for bringing it to my attention and to Annabookbel for managing this fun meme. It's a simple meme, and goes like this: Using … Continue reading My life in books 2020
Sue Lovegrove and Adrienne Eberhard, The voice of water (#BookReview)
I had planned to post on this beautifully produced book, The voice of water, earlier in the year, but the events of the year threw me completely off track, and here I am at the end scrambling to finish off the posts I planned oh so many months ago. Created by Tasmanians, visual artist Sue … Continue reading Sue Lovegrove and Adrienne Eberhard, The voice of water (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Summer picks 2020
For a few years now, I've shared ABC book journalists' top Aussie reads of the year, but this year I'm doing something a little different. I'm sharing picks from three different sources. Most of these include non-Australian books, but I like to share them in a Monday Musings post and focus on the Aussie books … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Summer picks 2020
Carolyn Collins and Roy Eccleston, Trailblazers: 100 inspiring South Australian women (#BookReview)
South Australia, say the authors of the beautiful coffee-table book Trailblazers, "was an early leader in women's rights, so it's no surprise that it has produced an army of trailblazing, inspirational women". However, they continue, their stories are not well enough told or known, hence this book! As with any endeavour like this, it was … Continue reading Carolyn Collins and Roy Eccleston, Trailblazers: 100 inspiring South Australian women (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: New England Writers’ Centre
I thought I had finished my round-up of Australia's writers' centres with my post on the Australian Writers Centre, but then I came across a rather interesting - and active - regional one, and would like to share it with you (as well as document it here). It is the Armidale-based New England Writers Centre … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: New England Writers’ Centre
Whispering Gums 