20 Books of Summer (except that it’s Winter)

Posted by Kate W in Stuff and Nonsense and tagged with Andrew Ridgeley, Ann Napolitano, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀̀, Chanel Miller, Craig Brown, Curtis Sittenfeld, Delia Owens, Elizabeth Strout, Evie Wyld, Faith Harper, Jenny Odell, Jess Hill, Kamila Shamsie, Kate Atkinson, Laura Freeman, Liz Moore, Maria Semple, Meg Mason, Naomi Wood, Pip Williams, reading challenge, Sigrid Nunez, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Tegan Bennett Daylight, Victoria Hannan May 31, 2020

Cathy at 746 Books is hosting the 20 Books of Summer reading challenge again this year. As Cathy states, it’s the most relaxed reading challenge you’ll participate in (swap books out, change your target, do whatever). Continue reading →

Still running out of time for reviews

Posted by Kate W in Fiction, Non-fiction and tagged with 2019, Bernardine Evaristo, Booker Prize, Elizabeth Strout, fiction, Karen Nimmo, Meg Wolitzer, nonfiction, Rose Tremain, Zadie Smith December 26, 2019

I’m determined to review everything I’ve read, even if it means a measly few words… Continue reading →

The Top 50 from the Best Books of 2019 List of Lists

Posted by Kate W in Stuff and Nonsense and tagged with 2019, Adrienne Brodeur, Ali Smith, Ann Patchett, Ben Lerner, Bernardine Evaristo, book list, Bryan Washington, Candice Carty-Williams, Carmen Machado, Casey Cep, Casey Mcquiston, Chanel Miller, Colson Whitehead, David Wallace-Wells, Deborah Levy, Elizabeth Gilbert, Elizabeth McCracken, Elizabeth Strout, Esme Wang, Helen Oyeyemi, Helen Phillips, Jacqueline Woodson, Jami Attenberg, Jason Greene, Jennifer Weiner, Jenny Odell, Jia Tolentino, Jodi Kantor, Julia Phillips, Karen Russell, Kevin Barry, Kevin Wilson, Kristen Arnett, Laila Lalami, Lauren Wilkinson, Leigh Bardugo, Lisa Taddeo, Lori Gottlieb, Lucy Ellmann, Margaret Atwood, Marlon James, Max Porter, Mira Jacob, Miriam Toews, Namwali Serpell, Nicole Dennis-Benn, Ocean Vuong, Olga Tokarczuk, Patrick Keefe, Rion Scott, Robert Macfarlane, Ronan Farrow, Saeed Jones, Sally Rooney, Sarah Broom, Sarah Moss, Stephen King, Susan Choi, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Tamsyn Muir, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Tea Obreht, Tony Chiang, Tressie Cottom, Valeria Luiselli, Yangsze Choo, Yoko Ogawa, Zadie Smith December 16, 2019

This is my annual community service to book-bloggers – a list of the books that appear most frequently on the 56 lists that I listed on Best Books of 2019 – A List of Lists. Continue reading →

Did You Ever Have A Family by Bill Clegg

Posted by Kate W in Fiction and tagged with 2019, American, Bill Clegg, book review, Elizabeth Strout, fiction, grief-lit, reading challenge, review July 9, 2019

Many years ago, a friend-of-a-friend lost her whole family in a terrible accident. To have a family one minute and lose them the next was incomprehensible. As my friend mentioned how this woman was doing in the months and years after the accident, I marvelled at how people endure the seemingly unendurable.

How do you recover from that? How would you even begin?

And this is the question at the heart of Bill Clegg’s novel, Did You Ever Have A Family. Continue reading →

I’m waiting for… 2019 edition

Posted by Kate W in Stuff and Nonsense and tagged with 2019, Angela Savage, Carrie Tiffany, Catherine Knepper, Christos Tsiolkas, Dani Shapiro, David Nicholls, Deborah Levy, Elizabeth Gilbert, Elizabeth McCracken, Elizabeth Strout, Elliot Perlman, Emily Nussbaum, Erin Somers, Halle Butler, Heather Rose, Heidi Diehl, Helen Oyeyemi, Ian McEwan, Jen Beagin, Jennifer Down, Leanne Shapton, Leslie Jamison, Lindsay Stern, Mary Laura Philpott, Maylis de Kerangal, Naja Marie Aidt, Nora McInerny, Polly Rosenwaike, Siri Hustvedt, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Tessa Hadley, TJ Stimson, Yara Zgheib January 14, 2019

Seems there’s lots of good reading to be done this year (have I ever started a year not thinking the same…? No). Continue reading →

Melbourne Writers Festival 2018 – the last few days

Posted by Kate W in Stuff and Nonsense and tagged with author talk, book group, Elizabeth Strout, Jessie Cole, Judy Atkinson, Majok Tulba, Mara Wilson, Melbourne, Melbourne Writers Festival, Nevo Zisin, Sarah Krasnostein September 6, 2018

The final few days of the 2018 Melbourne Writers Festival were brilliant. Continue reading →

Bookish (and not so bookish) Thoughts

Posted by Kate W in Stuff and Nonsense and tagged with Anita Brookner, Anne Enright, Book Week, Bookish (and not so bookish) Thoughts, Charlotte Wood, eighties, Elizabeth Strout, film, gin, Melbourne Writers Festival, movie, music, Raina Telgemeier, television August 21, 2018

01. I went to a couple of MEL NYC dinners last week. The winner was the Starward Distillery’s whiskey cocktails and ‘street food’ event. Cocktails were spectacular, food delicious and the venue was superb. Continue reading →

Quickly, before MWF

Posted by Kate W in Stuff and Nonsense and tagged with Anna Krien, author talk, Bri Lee, Deepanjana Pal, Elizabeth Strout, Judy Atkinson, Majok Tulba, Mara Wilson, Marwa Al-Sabouni, Melbourne Writers Festival, memoir, Nevo Zisin, Sarah Krasnostein, Tim Winton July 23, 2018

Where possible, I read the book before the author talk.

Which means I have a LOT of reading to do before the 2018 Melbourne Writers Festival. Here’s my list – Continue reading →

Melbourne Writers Festival 2018

Posted by Kate W in Stuff and Nonsense and tagged with 2018, author talk, Bri Lee, Elizabeth Strout, Jessie Cole, Krissy Kneen, Magda Szubanski, Mara Wilson, Marwa Al-Sabouni, Melbourne, Melbourne Writers Festival, Paul Kelly, Sarah Krasnostein, Tim Winton July 17, 2018

It’s Melbourne Writers Festival program launch day!

Having had to keep #ALLTHESECRETS for the last few months (I have had the privilege of being on the Audience Advocate committee this year), I was busting for tonight’s launch so that I could start talking events. The program is a ripper and I can’t tell you how much I love this year’s theme – ‘A matter of life and death’ (that’s Virginia Gay in the pic, launching the Festival).

Continue reading →

Sample Saturday – three from authors I’ve read before

Posted by Kate W in Stuff and Nonsense and tagged with Akhil Sharma, Elizabeth Strout, fiction, Jon Ronson, nonfiction, Sample Saturday, short story June 23, 2018

Sample Saturday is when I wade through the eleventy billion samples I have downloaded on my Kindle. I’m slowly chipping away and deciding whether it’s buy or bye.

This week all the books are from authors I’ve read (and enjoyed) previously – Continue reading →