What makes the perfect holiday read?
IT’S the time of year when everyone is preparing for their Christmas break, planning festive menus and get-togethers, and packing…
The big appeal of short stories
Can you think of a blockbuster book of short stories? No, me neither. In this form of writing, there is…
Remembrance of video stores past
There were many people who sighed in relief when the video shops shut down. My husband was one of them.…
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
I had been told that The Elegance of the Hedgehog would make me cry. For me, the ability to make…
To every book there is a season
In my late teens, the movie Reality Bites spoke to me. All of that teen angst, the heartfelt pronouncements and…
The Bodysurfers by Robert Drewe
There’s a strange sense of synchronicity when an event in the news closely aligns with a book that you are…
Shed the book shame and get back to enjoying reading
The Book Club on the ABC is polling Australia’s favourite books released in 2017. Wonderful, I thought. I’ll have a…
What kids really want to read
One thing teachers learn early on in their careers is that no child is alike. Each is an amalgam of…
Seeing the walkman, Salt ‘n’ Pepa and the Australian schoolyard through new eyes
Pop culture has a way of marking a generation. Those who spent their childhood and teen years listening to the…
I have mixed feelings about improved internet on my commute
One of the big frustrations of an hour-long commute to work is the poor internet reception on the train. Between…
