01. Melbourne Writers Festival program – an apt theme, given our uncertain times. In The Comfort Book, Matt Haig quotes film director Jean-Luc Godard who says a story should have a beginning, middle and end, but not necessarily in that order. Is it fair to say that we’re all craving classic narratives and conclusive endings, right now?! Continue reading
Proving that I don’t actually care about my never-really-shrinking-TBR-list is this list of new releases that are on my radar for 2021. Continue reading
Know My Name by Chanel Miller is almost impossible to review. It’s the same problem I always have when reviewing memoirs – who am I to comment on a person’s story? And Chanel Miller’s story – brutal, powerful and incredibly insightful – is one that I’m particularly wary about commenting on, because she has had more than enough scrutiny. And yet, she wrote this book. A book that invites thought and demands discussion. Continue reading
01. The bushfires burning out-of-control across vast areas of New South Wales and Queensland are unprecedented for this time of year and are of unprecedented intensity, yet still the politicians in power won’t mention the ‘c’ words… (image by photographer Martin Von Stoll). Continue reading
It’s Nonfiction November, this week hosted by Sarah’s Bookshelves. The task? Pair up a nonfiction book with a fiction title.
I have so much fun with this topic (past post, and here), and other bloggers’ book-pairings have resulted in a lot of books being added to my TBR sack.
When relationships get messy, the band does not get back together – Bright Lights, Dark Shadows: The Real Story of ABBA by Carl Magnus Palm and Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Continue reading
I was at a school information night tonight, surreptitiously looking at Twitter for the announcement of the 2019 Stella Prize longlist.
And as the books were announced I had to focus on VCE assessment and ‘good study habits’ rather than sending congratulations messages to lovely authors (go Jenny, you little ripper!); hitting my library’s online reservation system; and marking books on Goodreads… I’m home now and I’m ready to start reading. Continue reading
The Stella Prize 2019 longlist will be announced tonight.
The longlist is made up of twelve books, usually a mix of fiction and non-fiction, memoirs and short stories (all must have been published in 2018). Continue reading
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
Here’s my year in books (with thanks to the Goodreads record keeping tool): Continue reading
It’s time for Nonfiction November.
To be perfectly honest, I’m a fairly bad nonfiction reader – a little noncommittal… distracted… Continue reading