This post is actually more on the bookish side of the ledger this week… Continue reading
Tag Archives: Anne Enright
Book Prizes. I love them.
Once my husband said to me “You tweet about book prizes so much… it seems like there’s a prize every week…”
Which made me inexplicably peevish and I said “So what?” and “This is a problem for you how?” Continue reading
In the mood for Irish misery porn? Yes, always.
Last week, my Goodreads buddy, David, remarked on my reference to ‘Irish misery porn’ – I don’t think I coined that phrase (although a quick search suggests that the most frequent use of the phrase is on this blog…hmmm) but for the purposes of this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, I’ll claim it as my own.
Irish misery porn refers to those particular types of stories that involve bleak childhoods, mams full of woe (usually with husbands that spend the money on pints of Guinness rather than pints of milk) and relentless rain. I love them.
Nora Webster by Colm Tóibín
Do you ever feel like you’ve read a completely different book to everyone else, even though they had the same title? Such was the case with Nora Webster, by Colm Tóibín.
It’s true Irish misery porn (which I generally ‘enjoy’), and focuses on widow, Nora Webster. With four children and not enough money, Nora struggles to come to terms with her life, particularly in a small town full of well-meaning but stifling friends and acquaintances. Continue reading
The top 32 from the Best Books of 2015 List of Lists
Even more exciting (and wildly popular) than my 2014 List of Lists was my post on the Best of the Best. It was the books that appeared most frequently on all of the lists I listed. So before I have to write the words ‘best of the best’ and ‘list of lists’ again, here it is, the 2015 Commonly-Agreed-by-the-People-Who-Publish-Best-of-2015-Book-Lists-in-November top 32 books to add to your To-Be-Read stack. Continue reading
Finished the Summer Reading Challenge on a strong note
Today marks the end of the 20 Books of Summer reading challenge, hosted by Cathy at 746 Books. After a slow start, I romped it in with days to spare, although haven’t written detailed reviews of my final two books – Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller and Whiskey and Charlie by Annabel Smith. It was a strong finish. Continue reading
Bookish (and not so bookish) Thoughts
1. The Man Booker longlist was announced yesterday. I’ve only read one (and loved it), so GO ANNE ENRIGHT!
2. I started uni again this week. Which means I might occasionally have a whinge about studying… Although I have already looked at previous exams and there’s no formula sheet. Which means no maths. Which means YAY.
3. It’s so nice when the interwebs is used for good. Bookish good, even better. Continue reading
Two threes and one four
Three quick reviews – poor show, I know, but after my few weeks of crazy studying, my brain is having some quiet time (or as my eight-year-old said a few days ago, “Please stop filling my brain list with things I don’t need!” – not sure what a ‘brain list’ is but I like the sound of it). Continue reading
20 books of Summer (except that it’s Winter)
In light of my post about my Netgalley habit and the fact that after June 19th I’ll have oodles of reading time (because exams will be over), I’ve decided to join Cathy’s 20 Books of Summer reading challenge. Except that it’s winter here. And therein lies the really ace thing about reading – it’s suited to #ALLTHESEASONS. Yes, there’s nothing better than having sand in the crack of your paperback (you thought I was going to say something else, didn’t you?) but it’s equally lovely to burrow under the doona, warm and toasty, and kill an hour with a book. Continue reading
Top Ten Tuesday – TBR List
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new ‘top ten’ challenge is posted – anyone can join in. This week’s topic is Top Ten Books on My Summer TBR List. So although it’s not very summery in Melbourne at present (in fact, it’s darn cold), I still have a staggeringly long TBR list. Picking just ten will barely scrap the surface, but here it is: Continue reading