Book Review: The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey
Any book that starts with a mother visiting her son in prison is bound to capture my attention and Amanda Lohrey’s novel was certainly promising. The book won the 2021…
Historical fiction is the ultimate 2-for-1
There is plenty to be learnt from fiction, where you can inhabit someone else’s reality for a time. But when a book is a work of historical fiction, it feels…
Book review: Still Life by Sarah Winman
I started Sarah Winman’s Still Life with extremely high expectations after hearing from friends and social media that it was a must-read. I had also heard that it was set…
Book review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library is a modern-day fable that tells the story of a young woman’s journey towards the discovery that her life is worthwhile, and in fact, beautiful.…
Books in which setting is character, plot and mood
Some books are all about character, while others depend on their plot. Then there is another type of book altogether in which the setting plays the role of both character…
I’ll read anything written by my favourite authors … even if it’s a book about footy
In my mind, my favourite writers are organised in a heirarchy of how desperately I will try to get my hands on their latest book. For instance, as soon as…
I wonder if Geek Love would have survived cancel culture
I have to admit that I felt more than a little uneasy reading Katherine Dunn’s cult classic, Geek Love … almost as if I needed to look over my shoulder.…
Book review: A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
I listened to A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler on audiobook and it I think I enjoyed it more in that format than I would have in hard…
The battle of the bookshelves
There are a lot of reasons to disagree at the moment. We can argue endlessly about the advantages and disadvantages of COVID lockdowns, whether to get vaccinated (YES!), and how…
Book review: Three Women by Lisa Taddeo
Can you enjoy a book that disturbs you and frighten you? Who am I kidding, I love a book that makes your stomach churn and your heart sink, and that's…
You can’t judge a book by its review
The last book I read was fabulous. Lisa Taddeo’s Three Women shocked me, and moved me, and changed me. When I finished it, I wanted to talk about it to…
Book review: The Plains by Gerald Murnane
It’s rare to encounter a book that is so far removed from anything else you have read. But that was exactly what happened when I picked up The Plains by…
Book review: Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
It took me a while to get to The Dictionary of Lost Words, after hearing rave reviews about it, and I have to say it was well worth the wait.…
Why I’m Stocking My Bookshelf with Books I’ve Already Read
I visited the charity shop earlier in the week and was thrilled to find Hilary Mantel’s Bring Up the Bodies, the second in the Wolf Hall trilogy, on the shelves…
Book review: The Good Turn by Dervla McTiernan
I have to admit that Cormac Reilly is REALLY growing on me. I think Dervla McTiernan might have found the perfect hero in her good cop at the centre of…
Book review: When Life Gives You Lemons by Fiona Gibson
The optimistic title of When Life Gives You Lemons sums up Fiona Gibson's book - it is sweet and positive and heart warming. I picked up this book when I…
Book review: Kokomo by Victoria Hannan
I have to admit that the first page got my attention, describing in vivid detail a full-frontal performance by the protagonist’s workmate. Victoria Hannan’s debut novel, Kokomo, is certainly easy…
I’m suffering from bookish FOMO
I’m about to start reading The Dictionary of Lost Words and I can’t get into it quickly enough. You see, I suffer from bookish FOMO. I hate hearing about a…
The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
I really don’t know what to make of this one. The Booker Prize winner for 2020, The Discomfort of Evening is set on a cattle farm, capturing the story of…
Maybe the Horse Will Talk by Elliot Perlman
Elliot Perlman’s Maybe the Horse Will Talk is entirely different from his other books I have read – Three Dollars and Seven Types of Ambiguity. This one was a romp…
Book review: The Confession by Jessie Burton
Jessie Burton’s The Confession is a book split into the past and the present – one set n the 1980s when a glamorous woman falls under the spell of successful…
Book review: Luster by Raven Leilani
Who could resist the pull of the red lips on the cover of Luster? And true to first impressions, the story intimate, pushing boundaries in love. But unfortunately, the boundaries…
My reading highlights of the first half of 2021
Like last year, when it took me months to plough through The Brothers Karamazov, this year my reading has been slowed down by another LONG read – this time it…
Should authors shut up and let their books do the talking?
Sometimes I really hate it when writers open their mouths. I was reminded of this recently when I heard that Naomi Wolf had been banned from Twitter for spouting outlandish…
More feel-good fiction for our fourth (and final?) lockdown
None of us thought we’d be here, did we? As Melbourne endures its fourth lockdown, we're all feeling a little jaded. We had hoped that the vaccine rollout would have…
Book review: Apeirogon by Colum McCann
Apeirogon is by no means a comfortable or enjoyable read. I didn’t find myself excitedly reaching for it or wanting to keep reading deep into the night. But the more…
I’ve had enough of the childish narrator … for now
Some of my favourite narrators are children. It can be incredibly moving to immerse yourself in the life of a child and once again see the world through innocent eyes.…
Book review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling
Harry and his friends really are growing up in the sixth instalment of the Harry Potter series. There is less mischief and a little more darkness in Harry Potter and…
Book recommendations for every reader
My brother has just jetted of on holiday in Darwin and before he left he asked for some book recommendations. He has been an occasional reader since school, but had…
Book review: Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
Queenie was one of the funniest books I’ve read in a long time. The book follows the sharp and hilarious title character, Queenie, after her boyfriend decides he wants a…
Book review: The Girl on the Page by John Purcell
If there’s one thing I like even better than books, it’s books about … books. John Purcell’s The Girl on the Page is delightfully obsessed with books – the different…
How would you be described in a book?
Writers can be brutal in their descriptions of their minor characters. While the protagonist is usually complex and multilayered, writers have the freedom to let loose when they describe the…
Book Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix begins dramatically, with Harry and his cousin being attacked by Dementors. Forced to use magic to defend them both, Harry is threatened…
Book review: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
It might be that I really, really want Harry to have someone watching over him like a parent might, but I think this is my favourite book of the Harry…
Book review: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
The adorable Dobby is more than slightly frustrating in the second instalment of JK Rowling's Harry Potter series. At the beginning of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, he…
Book review: The Scholar by Dervla McTiernan
I'm usually no fan of police procedurals or detective novels, but somehow Dervla McTiernan makes the topic of murder and the ensuing investigation completely moreish. I listened to The Scholar…
Is there a sweet spot between high literature and the beach read?
I have been reading Apeirogon by Colum McCann, a book that I heard widely praised by critics last year. I was intrigued to see what it was about. It turns…
Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
After the show was put on hold in Melbourne due to the coronavirus lockdowns, I felt incredibly fortunate to be among the first to see the reopened Harry Potter and…
Book review: The Place on Dalhousie by Melina Marchetta
I hadn’t read a book by Melina Marchetta since the gorgeous Looking for Alibrandi as a teenager, so I was curious to see what The Place on Dalhousie was like.…
Book review: Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks
Geraldine Brooks’ Caleb’s Crossing tells the story of Caleb Cheeshateaumauk, the first native American to graduate from Harvard College in 1665 through the eyes of his friend Bethia, the daughter…
Book review: A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
As Jodi Picoult’s modus operandi, A Spark of Light provides a fictional and engaging way of discussion a controversial topic. This time, it she tackles abortion by setting the story…
Book review: Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler
I swear this will be the last time a choose a book because of its title. I was seduced by the sound of Farewell, My Lovely and ended up with…
Book review: Beauty by Bri Lee
Bri Lee has followed up her brilliant Eggshell Skull with an eassy titled Beauty. While the two books are quite different, they are linked as they draw heavily on Lee’s experiences. Eggshell…
Book review: Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout
Despite her failings, there is something solid and reliable about Olive. I read the second of Elizabeth Strout's Olive books during one of Melbourne's lockdowns and it was comforting to…
Book review: Stone Sky Gold Mountain by Mirandi Riwoe
After reading Mirandi Riwoe’s haunting Fish Girl novella, I had high expectations of Stone Sky Gold Mountain. Set on the Queensland goldfields, this was a very different story, but did not disappoint. The story…
Book review: The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
I’m not sure if you can call an audiobook a page-turner, but that is how I would describe The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth. The Good Sister starts out as…
Book review: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Gosh, I loved this book. Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet imagines the home life of Shakespeare and the impact of the death of his son, Hamnet - a name that was interchangeable…
To read, or not to read – perhaps I’ll give Shakespeare a go
I have a confession to make. I've never really understood Shakespeare. I’ve been to quite a few plays written by the bard and most of the time, I’ve got no…
Bookstagram is the book club I didn’t know I needed
Social media has a bad name and has been criticised for everything from damaging users’ confidence to influencing US elections. The use of Instagram, in particular, is considered to be…
Cilka is a real-life hero who is too good to be true
In Cilka’s Journey, we are introduced to Cilka Klein, who first appeared in the bestselling The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Cilka survived the Nazi death camp after senior officers took a…
20 years later, Monkey Grip is not what it seemed
Sometimes, re-reading a beloved book can be a mean shock. That was the case when I picked up Monkey Grip, 20 years after first read and adored it while I…
Book review: The Lying Lives of Adults by Elena Ferrante
It has been too long between Ferrantes ... and beach holidays but this week I’ve been lucky enough to indulge in both. After reading The Brothers Karamazov over what seemed…
My literary hits and misses of 2020
Best read of 2020: Too Much Lip by Melissa Lucashenko This book was hilarious, moving and important, and I’m sure it will be one that sticks with me. I can’t…
My year of audiobooks
There’s no doubt about it, 2021 hasn’t been the best of years. But there have been positives – some have learnt to make sourdough, others have worked in trackies and…
Olive’s ordinariness is just the tonic for extraordinary times
I’ve been reading Elisabeth Strout's Olive, Again and in doing so have been reminded of how endearing the often grumpy, straight-talking, occasionally insensitive, Olive can be. The follow up to…
Book review: Akin by Emma Donoghue
Akin is a heart warming meditation about family, age and history. The story centres on a retired professor who is suddenly thrust into the position of guardian of a young…
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
I was initially worried that the audiobook format wouldn’t suit Bernadine Evaristo’s award winning Girl, Woman, Other, but how wrong I was. I loved walking along and listening to the…
Book review: Therese Raquin by Emile Zola
I was used to reading dark and grim books by Emile Zola set in poverty-stricken mining towns, and while Therese Raquin took place in beautiful Paris, it was just as…
Book review: Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler
It might have been the timing – I listened to Redhead by the Side of the Road when I was holidaying in country Victoria – but I found this book…
The true monsters of literature
When COVID-19 restrictions were removed and regional Victorians were allowed to leave their towns to travel, my family packed our bags and headed towards the sunshine. We rented a bnb…
