It seems from my stats that people like my "new releases" post, so here is the 2020 version. As in previous years, my list is mostly drawn from the Sydney Morning Herald, and as it is a Monday musings on Australian literature post, it will be limited to Australian authors (listed alphabetically.) Do click on the … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Some New Releases in 2020
Book lists
Reading highlights for 2019
Regular readers will know that my Reading Highlights post is my answer to other bloggers' Top Reads posts. It does not contain a ranked list of the books I considered my "best" of the year, because I prefer to talk about "highlights", which I define as those books and events that made my reading year … Continue reading Reading highlights for 2019
Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers Challenge 2019
For some years now, I have devoted my last Monday Musings of the year to the Australian Women Writers Challenge* - and this year I am continuing that tradition! Sorry, if you hoped for something else. With the New Year - I love the sound of 2020 - just two days away, I wish all you … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers Challenge 2019
Books given and received for Christmas, in 2019 – sorta
Regular readers here will know that on my Boxing Day I usually publish a post on the books I gave and received for Christmas. However, this year I'm doing something different. I've just read a link that Paula (Book Jotter) posted in her latest Wind-up Post. It's from The Guardian and is about the challenges of book gift … Continue reading Books given and received for Christmas, in 2019 – sorta
My reading group’s top picks for 2019
In what is becoming a tradition, my reading group once again voted for our top picks from our 2019 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 … Continue reading My reading group’s top picks for 2019
Monday musings on Australian literature: ABC Bookshelf’s top Aussie reads 2019
The usual end of year listmania has begun, and I also like to join in, but with a focus on Aussie book lists. This year, I'm starting with the Aussie books subset of the books recommended on ABC's Bookshelf program. Recommenders, in addition to the show's presenters, Kate Evans and Cassie McCullough, were Stephen Romei, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: ABC Bookshelf’s top Aussie reads 2019
Monday musings on Australian literature: University of Canberra Book of the Year 2020
I wasn't necessarily planning to announce the University of Canberra's Book of the Year again this year, having written about it three times already - in 2012 when it was initiated, in 2014, when I checked to see how the program was going, and in 2018 to announce this year's book. However, next year's book … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: University of Canberra Book of the Year 2020
Non-fiction November 2019, Weeks 4 to 5
As for my first Nonfiction November post this year, I am concatenating my last two posts, and posting them in the middle of the two weeks. The meme is jointly hosted by Julz (Julz Reads) (Week 1), Sarah (Sarah’s Book Shelves) (Week 2), Katie (Doing Dewey) (Week 3), Leanne (ShelfAware) (Week 4) and Rennie (What's … Continue reading Non-fiction November 2019, Weeks 4 to 5
Four books that changed me
A couple of weeks ago author and blogger Angela Savage posted the contribution she's made to a column in The Age newspaper in which the columnist is asked to identify Four books that changed me. Savage, being a writer - her works include The dying beach (my review) and her latest novel Mother of Pearl (on … Continue reading Four books that changed me
ABR’s Top Twenty Aussie novels of the 21st Century
Ten years after publishing its first ABR readers fan poll, the Australian Book Review asked its readers again to nominate their best Australian novels, but to keep it to those published this century. In its intro to the resultant list, ABR says that Richard Flanagan’s novel The narrow road to the deep north emerged as the … Continue reading ABR’s Top Twenty Aussie novels of the 21st Century
Whispering Gums 