Drawing a Line Under 2020 Reading – Part 1

These books deserve thorough reviews but I also really want to be done with 2020. So, for the sake of completeness, quick reviews of the books I read in November and December last year – Continue reading

My Best Books for 2020

I did away with ‘top tens’ a few years ago, and instead I finish the reading year with a recap of the books that are still speaking to me (less about four and five-star ratings, more about what has stuck). Continue reading

The Dressmakers Secret by Rosalie Ham

There’s always a risk with sequels, particularly when you love the bit that came first. And I enjoyed The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham – her signature blend of rural Australian noir, satire, and the lampooning of small-town politics was good fun. With Ham’s stories, there’s never any doubt as to who the ‘goodies’ and the ‘badies’ are – it’s the book equivalent of a pantomime, where you’re shouting “He’s behind you!”

The Dressmaker’s Secret follows Ham’s formula – there’s a bit of mystery and intrigue; and you know the villains will eventually get their comeuppance. Continue reading

The Top 50 from the Best Books of 2020 List of Lists

Presenting the 2020 Commonly-Agreed-by-the-People-Who-Publish-Best-of-2020-Book-Lists-Before-December-31 top 50 books. Continue reading

Best books of 2020 – a list of lists

It’s that time of the year when newspapers and magazines publish their ‘Best of 2020’ lists. These are the books that we would have been talking about around the water-cooler, had we not been working from home.

Lists usually begin appearing early November and keep going until the end of the year – I will keep adding as they are published.

The Best of 2020 According to #ALLTHELISTS will be coming soon – stay tuned! (See previous lists here). Continue reading

Some more quick reviews

I’ve struggled to write reviews for much of this year. I blame working from home. After a day of work, I have no desire to stay sitting at my desk. And so, I’ll continue to keep a record of what I’ve read with short reviews (these are very, very short). Continue reading