It is easy to lose sight of Helen Garner’s way with words as she writes about everyday objects and happenings. In Everywhere I Look, she writes with such apparent ease…

I loved reading Ann Patchett's Commonwealth, so I was looking forward to reading her most recent novel about families, and all of the complication and complexity of those relationships. At…

Before coronavirus, and even in the first few weeks of social isolation, we all had visions of the way we would tackle the coming apocalypse. We would be brave and…

Helen Garner had just been inducted into the Australian Book Industry Awards Hall of Fame and I was listening to the audiobook of Everywhere I Look, which I had borrowed…

Few books divide readers the way that Wuthering Heights does. I had no idea of the passionate love, and equally passionate dislike, that readers felt towards this book before reading…

The Nickel Boys was the first audiobook that I have read, and it did nothing to discourage me from enjoying books in this form in the future. Read by author…

Remind me to do my research before picking up what I think will be a relaxing romance – Wuthering Heights is a long, long, LONG way from being relaxing or…

At first glance, audiobooks appear to be a boon for the lazy. After all, why bother reading a book if you can get it read to you? No longer do…

Just like everyone else who has ever read one of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books, I am hooked. After reading four books in the series, I can say with confidence…

It’s hard not to feel a little trapped as a result of social isolation measures. No matter the size of our houses or flats, it is unsettling to have our…

So much for positivity in difficult and uncertain times – unpopular opinions posts have been popping up in my Facebook feed recently, listing things everyone else seems to like except…

I’ve been reading a lot about race lately, starting with The White Girl, then the fabulous Too Much Lip, and now Americanah. Each in its own way has been eye-opening…

The call to self-isolate was heeded with enthusiasm by many book lovers. If you ignore the terrible health, economic and social consequences of coronavirus, it would have been our time…

Thank goodness for books. While extended time in close proximity with spouses and children due to social distancing might be testing our sanity, at least we can retreat into a…

There has been a lot of chatter about big books since the release of Hilary Mantel’s hugely anticipated and physically huge book, The Mirror and the Light. The book concludes…

I started reading This is How We Change the Ending by Vikki Wakefield as it was longlisted for the Stella Prize, and I am trying to read at least a…

This book was so much fun. While the title might point to a more sinister book, My Sister, the Serial Killer is surprisingly funny and light, with a warm ending…

Don't worry, I know that it's too late in the day to review Harry Potter - a literary phenomenon like this is well and truly beyond being reviewed. But I…

Anyone who has watched The Handmaid’s Tale (which is pretty much everyone) will know that Margaret Atwood wrote the book it was based on in response to her concerns about…

I was watching a news report about all of the people stuck on cruise ships as a result of the outbreak of the coronavirus and while I was mainly sympathetic…

So far, February has been a month of blockbusters: first The Handmaid’s Tale, then Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and now The Testaments. And the best bit is that I…

I visited a farmers market in a small country Victorian town last weekend, and one of the stalls was selling a mobile featuring signs pointing to Hogwarts, Gryffindor, Slytherin ……

Humans have long wanted to read the minds of others, to know how and what they think. Who would have thought that Twitter would provide some kind of answer to…

How did Margaret Atwood know? In The Handmaid's Tale, there are so many themes and ideas that seemed prescient that while I was reading, I had to check when it…

Just when you were shaking your heads at the inexplicable behaviour of Americans, from their penchant for guns to the theatrics surrounding the current presidency, some heartening news has come…

Eggshell Skull is Bri Lee’s thoughtful and thought-provoking memoir of her time as a judge’s associate, and later, pursuing justice for her own childhood abuse.Both sections expose the weaknesses of…

There are bestsellers and prize winners, cult classics and must-reads. All of these are worth reading, and often for different reasons. They might entertain, enlighten, move or disturb the reader,…

In Bram Presser’s debut, The Book of Dirt, the search for what happened during the Holocuast is personal. Presser’s grandfather survived Auschwitz and Theresienstadt concentration camps, but spoke little of…

A lot can happen in 10 years. For me, there have been some big changes, including marriage and three kids, moving back to my hometown and getting my dream job…

Earlier this month I wrote about the 11 best books of 2019 for 10 Daily. However, there were also many books that I read this year that were not necessarily…

Part of the appeal of book shopping in op shops is the element of chance involved. One day, you might stumble on a pristine copy of the newish release you’ve…

There is no doubt that the title of this book is gorgeous, and that’s what attracted me to Ocean Vuong’s novel. The same poetry that is in the title also…

Espionage has hit the news this week, with a Chinese spy reportedly defecting to Australia. This might sound like the stuff of movies to some people, but I have barely…

If you’re looking for a feel-good beach read and stumble across Islands because of its summery title, you might be disappointed. Australian author Peggy Frew’s third novel, Islands, is a…

I think I’ve found my new favourite writer. I loved reading Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls and can’t wait to get my hands on more of his books – Naked…

I have always loved reading a family saga, whether it’s A Suitable Boy, set in India, or Thornbirds, in Australia, and so Pachinko was right up my alley. This one…

For many people, holidays are a time to catch up on reading. The existence of the 'beach read' category of books attests to this tendency. My husband swears he can…

Who doesn’t love a list of the best books of the year, the decade, or all time? These lists are a grounds for gushing agreement and fierce debate. A lot…

I thought I was going to struggle reading this one as I only had it as a one week loan from the local library, but ended up reading it in…

I might have been the last person on earth to have read Gone Girl, but I’m glad I finally got around to reading it. What a ride! Gillian Flynn’s bestseller…

The headline in The Washington Post read: “If you like despair and ‘Orange is the New Black’, You’ll Love The Mars Room’. After having loved The Mars Room, it made…

The usage of words can evolve as quickly as the typical relationship on Married at First Sight. Take the word ‘basic’. Those born in the ‘80s and earlier might remember…

Last year, it was ‘Lauren’ who came under fire for her approach to interior design, which included turning books around so their spines were not visible on a bookshelf to…

There is so much in Alice Munro’s short stories that it is hard to know where to start in reviewing Dear Life. I don’t usually read short stories as I…

I read Rachel Cusk’s acclaimed trilogy out of order – first Kudos, then Transit, then Outline. I’m not sure whether the trilogy would have been improved by reading it in…

It sounds macabre, but for some reason I feel attracted to books about the Holocaust. In recent years, I have read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale and The Book…

Since the death of American writer, Toni Morrison, this week, a chorus of writers and readers has paid tribute to the role her words played in their lives. Hailed by…

Is there anything more annoying than an invitation to a fancy dress party? All of the anticipation of a night out is lost with the words, “Dress up as your…

Black Rock White City is a difficult book to sum up, as there are so many themes and ideas at play. But I’ll do my best to do justice to…

Sometimes, reading can make you feel like people are living much bigger lives than your own. Lying in bed after a day in front of the computer and replying to…

I had no idea what to expect from Hot Milk, but as soon as I started reading, I was swept along by Deborah Levy's beautiful language. This is one of…

Buying books can get expensive when you have a tbr pile as high as mine. In fact, my collection of unread books is so large it is no longer a…

The books that change people I find it fascinating to hear people talk about the books that changed them. I want to know where they found words powerful enough to…

I read Tony Birch’s The White Girl in three days – once I started reading about grandmother, Odette, and her granddaughter, Sissy, I couldn’t put it down. The White Girl…

I came to The Witches of Eastwick as a big fan of John Updike. I had read Couples and the Rabbit series years ago, and loved his keen eye for…