Are audiobooks the lazy option?
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…
Book review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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…
Feeling trapped during the COVID-19 pandemic? Here are some novels of confinement
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…
Unpopular opinions are proving popular, especially when it comes to books
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…
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche
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.…
Struggling to read during these uncertain times? Here’s a way to get back to books
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.…
Books to get you through social distancing
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…
I like big books and I can not lie
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…
Book review: This is How We Change the Ending by Vikki Wakefield
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…
Book review: My Sister, the Serial Killer
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.…
Book review: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
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…
Margaret Atwood is annoyed, and this time it’s not about gender
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…
What Katy Did was romanticise the unromantic
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…
Book review: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
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…
Harry Potter has welcomed me into a club I never knew I wanted to join
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 ……
Twitter has got me wondering what you ‘see’ when you read
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…
Book review: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
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…
Americans back a winner … when it comes to libraries
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…
Book review: Eggshell Skull by Bri Lee
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…
What separates a good book from a great one?
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,…
Book Review: The Book of Dirt by Bram Presser
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…
Book review: Crudo by Olivia Laing
I had been looking forward to Olivia Laing’s Crudo after hearing a lot of hype around it in the past year or two. I finally bought it during a visit…
A decade is a long time in life and literature
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…
What I’ve Loved in 2019
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…
Let It Go: The books most likely to be given away
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…
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Yuong
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…
I spy a literary turn off
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…
Book Review: Islands by Peggy Frew
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…
Book Review: Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris
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…
What introverts love …. and hate
The Dirty Dancing soundtrack might not be an obvious source of controversial statements, but I felt a prickle of annoyance when I recently listened closely to the lyrics of one…
Notes on a nervous demographic
Books on anxiety are booming, according to a recent article in The Guardian. In 'This worried world: why anxiety memoirs are filling our shelves’, Brigid Delaney compares today’s deluge of…
Book review: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
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…
Book review: Lanny by Max Porter
I didn’t really know what to expect when I loaded Lanny onto my Kindle before a recent holiday. I’d read extremely enthusiastic reports about Max Porter’s novel, but didn’t know…
Stories are not in books but in the streets of Europe
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…
Emotions run high when it comes to books we love and hate
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…
Book review: The Rip by Mark Brandi
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…
Book review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
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…
Book review: The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner
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…
‘Basic’ is not so bad when it comes to books
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…
How not to arrange your bookcase
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…
Have you ever faced a bibliohazard?
Is there a word for that sense of panic you feel when you find yourself without a book? That time when you lie down on the beach and realise that you’ve…
Book review: Dear Life by Alice Munro
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…
Book review: Outline by Rachel Cusk
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…
Book review: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
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…
The response to Toni Morrison’s death shows the power of literature
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…
A bit of pain for parents is worth the gain in Book Week
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 by AS Patric
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…
There is a story in all lives, great and small
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…
Book review: Hot Milk by Deborah Levy
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…
My new favourite bookshop is the op shop
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…
Can fiction really change you?
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…
Book review: The White Girl by Tony Birch
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…
The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike
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…
Updike proves a little less palatable in the #MeToo era
I was thrilled to pick up a copy of John Updike’s Witches of Eastwick at an op shop recently. I hadn’t read a book by Updike in years, and had…
If only we knew each other the way we know our favourite book characters
I didn’t really think about Bob Hawke much before he died. I was a young child when he was prime minister, and I had an impression of him as a…
Book review: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Where the Crawdads Sing is a book that has been all over social media, so I was intrigued to have a read and see what everyone was talking about. The…
Enough of the plastic – McDonald’s should replace its Happy Meal toys with books
Lately, a visit to McDonald’s has been leaving a bad taste in my mouth, and it’s not due to the coffee. It is the plastic toys that are given away…
Book review: Hunger by Roxane Gay
After seeing Roxane Gay on the ABC’s Q&A program, I thought I knew what to expect with her memoir, Hunger. She is renowned as having a fierce intellect, and being…
An embarrassment of riches is a good problem to have when it comes to books and podcasts
Do you remember that feeling of freedom and possibility when you graduated from the children’s and young adult section of the library? Suddenly you had the choice of so many…
Book review: Autumn by Ali Smith
I might have come to Autumn a little uninformed, believing it to have been written by Zadie Smith, rather than its true author, Ali Smith. However, the aesthetic was right,…