Broadly speaking, Singaporean author Balli Kaur Jaswal's third novel, Erotic stories for Punjabi widows, reminds me of Anita Heiss' choclit books like Paris dreaming (my review). By this I mean it presents as an escapist romcom genre novel but within it is some serious intent. In this case it relates to the oppression of women, … Continue reading Balli Kaur Jaswal, Erotic stories for Punjabi widows (#BookReview)
Chick lit
Anita Heiss, Paris dreaming (Review)
Late last year I wrote a post about the inaugural Canberra Readers' Festival. One of the speakers was indigenous Australian author, academic and activist, Anita Heiss. I wrote then that I bought one of her books. It was her fourth (I think) chick lit novel, Paris dreaming. This might surprise regular readers here, as chick … Continue reading Anita Heiss, Paris dreaming (Review)
Catherine McNamara, The divorced lady’s companion to living in Italy (Review)
What would you say to a cross between chick lit, those mature-women-finding-themselves travel memoirs (like, say, Mary Moody's Au revoir or Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love), and Alice in Wonderland? Such a fusion is how I'd describe Catherine McNamara's first novel, The divorced lady's companion to living in Italy. Intrigued? Then read on ... The plot is simple. Marilyn … Continue reading Catherine McNamara, The divorced lady’s companion to living in Italy (Review)
Toni Jordan, Fall girl
It's just as well I'm not one of those readers who likes to draw conclusions about writers' lives from their writing, because if I were I'd be seriously concerned about Toni Jordan. You see, her latest novel, Fall girl, is about a con-artist, a very experienced one in fact. And Jordan writes so convincingly you'd … Continue reading Toni Jordan, Fall girl
Toni Jordan, Addition
(SPOILERS: FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH) Looks like, feels like, is it? Chick lit, that is. Toni Jordan's first novel Addition has all the hallmarks of chick lit. The cover design with its line drawing of a female form invokes chick lit - albeit chick lit with an edge as the heels aren't quite high enough … Continue reading Toni Jordan, Addition
Whispering Gums 