It’s possible to read a book badly, and I’ve just done it
Does the reader have a responsibility to read a book ‘well’? And what does that even mean? In the past,…
Good bye Hilary Mantel, and all of the books you might have written
I was shocked to hear last night that Hilary Mantel had died, aged 70. I had read and adored Mantel's…
What I love about bookish events … and Ann Cleeves!
It was in the middle of a busy week that I'd organised to meet some bookish friends at an author…
I find a prizewinning book harder to put down … does that make me a literary snob?
It is prize season in the Australian book industry, with Jennifer Down's Bodies of Light winning the Miles Franklin award…
Humour brings unexpected bliss to difficult themes
I've never made any secret of my love of a harrowing read. I love a book that leaves me feeling…
Why Sally Rooney’s latest left me a bit cold … and old
It’s hard to resist Sally Rooney’s books of youthful love, lust and friendship. Somehow, the 31-year-old writer perfectly captures a…
The joy of a film adaptation of a well-loved book
Today I went to the movies and watched Mothering Sunday, and it was fabulous. After having read Graham Swift's novella…
Cli-fi is a little too close to home right now
The best books reflect the times in which they were written. They capture the zeitgeist by addressing the social issues…
Reflection on BWF – do books make us think?
It was wonderful to listen to Lucy Treloar, Charlotte Wood and Jane Rawson discuss whether books can change a reader…
Makes You Think at Bendigo Writers’ Festival
This weekend I'm heading to the Bendigo Writers' Festival to attend the Makes You Think session. While the panelists might…
