A superior spectre may be Angela Meyer's first novel, but her already significant writing credentials, including being the author of the short/flash style fiction collection Captives (my review), and the editor of the anthology The great unknown (my review), ensure this is a confident debut. And it needed to be, because Meyer took big risks in this … Continue reading Angela Meyer, A superior spectre (#BookReview)
Historical fiction
Robyn Cadwallader, Book of colours (#BookReview)
What makes historical fiction worth reading for me is the exploration of universal ''truths". Fortunately, Robyn Cadwallader's second novel, Book of colours, does this, albeit I wish that some of the universals - gender inequity, class (meaning social and economic inequity), and fear of foreigners - were no longer universal! The book explores other more general universals, … Continue reading Robyn Cadwallader, Book of colours (#BookReview)
Jan Wallace Dickinson, The sweet hills of Florence (#BookReview)
There are several reasons why I enjoyed Jan Wallace Dickinson's historical novel The sweet hills of Florence, the first being Florence itself. I fell in love with Italy in Florence. Brunelleschi's dome, Giotto's belltower, the Uffizi and all the other gorgeous places of art and architecture, not to mention the food, combined to capture my heart. … Continue reading Jan Wallace Dickinson, The sweet hills of Florence (#BookReview)
Wendy Scarfe, The day they shot Edward (#BookReview)
There's something about novellas, about the way they can combine the tautness of the short story with the character development of a novel, and then hone in on an idea, undistracted by side-stories. This, in any case, is what Adelaide-writer Wendy Scarfe achieves in her book, The day they shot Edward. Like her previous novel, … Continue reading Wendy Scarfe, The day they shot Edward (#BookReview)
Eleanor Limprecht, The passengers (#BookReview)
The passengers is Eleanor Limprecht's third novel, but the second I've read, that being Long Bay (my review) based on the life of early twentieth century abortionist Rebecca Sinclair. The passengers is also a work of historical fiction, though not specifically based on one person's experience. Instead, it's about the Australian war brides who married … Continue reading Eleanor Limprecht, The passengers (#BookReview)
Robyn Cadwallader in conversation with Catherine Milne
It's some time since I last attended an author event, not because there haven't been any but because they've clashed with other commitments. I mean, why do organisations choose the same day of the week for events, like, say, Thursdays? Why don't they get together and agree to share them across all the week days? … Continue reading Robyn Cadwallader in conversation with Catherine Milne
Six degrees of separation, FROM Memoirs of a geisha TO …
Last month I complained about the start of autumn because although I love autumn, I hate winter. This month, another nail went in the warm-weather coffin, with the ending of daylight savings. Oh dear ... The good news for me, though, is that I have actually read April's starting book for the Six Degrees of … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM Memoirs of a geisha TO …
Stephen Orr, Incredible floridas (#BookReview)
The good thing about reviewing Stephen Orr's latest book Incredible floridas is that you know the end at the beginning, so there's no need to worry about spoilers. The end, the one that you read at the beginning that is, is that Hal, the 22-year-old son of artist Roland and his wife Ena, commits suicide. … Continue reading Stephen Orr, Incredible floridas (#BookReview)
Diana Blackwood, Chaconne (#BookReview)
Does a book set in the early 1980s qualify as historical fiction? Does a book about a twenty-something woman's romantic adventures, and search for direction, qualify as coming-of-age? The answer is probably yes to both. Certainly, it is within these parameters that it's appropriate to discuss Diana Blackwood's debut novel Chaconne. Chaconne, as you can … Continue reading Diana Blackwood, Chaconne (#BookReview)
Min Jin Lee, Pachinko (#BookReview)
If you are looking for a big, engrossing read that takes you into a little-known world, then I offer you Korean-American author Min Jin Lee's Pachinko. It tells a story about the Korean diaspora in Japan over a period of 80 years, and was my reading group's pick for August. There wasn't a bored person … Continue reading Min Jin Lee, Pachinko (#BookReview)
Whispering Gums 