Six Degrees of Separation – from The Empathy Exams to Eurovision!

Posted by Kate W in Stuff and Nonsense and tagged with 2024, Ann Patchett, Chris West, Eurovision, grief-lit, Jennifer Down, Leslie Jamison, Linda Bull, Melbourne, memoir, music, Myf Warhurst, nineties, Six Degrees of Separation, Sloane Crosley, Vika Bull February 3, 2024

It’s time for #6degrees. Start at the same place as other wonderful readers, add six books, and see where you end up.

This month I begin with the book that I ended my last #6degrees chain with – The Empathy Exams by Leslie Jamison. Continue reading →

Things That Are Making Me Happy This Week

Posted by Kate W in Stuff and Nonsense and tagged with 2022, author talk, Claire Thomas, COVID-19, film, German, Jennifer Down, longlist, Miles Franklin Award, Rick Morton, Sarah Krasnostein, television May 29, 2022

01. Eggs. I have the same breakfast every morning (one egg on a wholemeal English muffin). I usually get eggs from someone I know who has chooks. When the clocks change for daylight saving, her chooks go off the lay and I have to buy at the supermarket. Anyway, her chooks finally started laying again last week and the eggs are HUGE (pictured on left. On the right are the ‘large’ supermarket eggs). Continue reading →

The 2022 Stella Prize Longlist

Posted by Kate W in Stuff and Nonsense and tagged with 2022, Anita Heiss, Anwen Crawford, Australian, Chelsea Watego, Elfie Shiosaki, Eunice Andrada, graphic, Jennifer Down, Lee Lai, Lucy Van, Paige Clark, poetry, Randa Abdel-Fattah, SJ Norman, Stella Prize February 28, 2022

The 2022 Stella Prize longlist has been announced (and I picked four, continuing my marginal record): Continue reading →

My Best Books for 2021

Posted by Kate W in Stuff and Nonsense and tagged with 2021, book list, David Nicholls, Dolly Alderton, Donna Tartt, Douglas Stuart, Halle Butler, Helen Naylor, Jacinta Parsons, Jennifer Down, Kathleen MacMahon, Louise Milligan, Louise Nealon, Marieke Lucas Rijneveld, Patrick deWitt, Raynor Winn, Rebecca Giggs, Rose Tremain, Ruth Gilligan, Victoria Hannan December 31, 2021

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 →

Reading Challenges 2021

Posted by Kate W in Stuff and Nonsense and tagged with 2021, AWW, David Nicholls, David Sedaris, Dolly Alderton, Douglas Stuart, Georgina Young, Helen Naylor, Jennifer Down, Judy Atkinson, Kathleen MacMahon, Louise Milligan, Marieke Lucas Rijneveld, Patrick deWitt, Raynor Winn, reading challenge, Rebecca Giggs, Rose Tremain, Victoria Hannan December 28, 2021

It’s technically possible to squeeze in another couple of books before midnight on December 31, 2021 but unlikely, so I think I can safely draw a line under the reading challenges for the year.

I participated in six challenges this year – finished three; one is ongoing; and I failed two – (one miserably, one by a whisker). Continue reading →

Things that are making me happy this week

Posted by Kate W in Stuff and Nonsense and tagged with COVID-19, gin, Jennifer Down, Robyn Annear, television December 26, 2021

01. My Boxing Day tradition (above). Continue reading →

Sample Saturday – a dinner party, a murder, and campus-lit

Posted by Kate W in Fiction, Stuff and Nonsense and tagged with campus-lit, Diana Reid, Jennifer Down, Laura Elizabeth Woollett, Sample Saturday, Sarah Gilmartin, thriller November 27, 2021

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. Continue reading →

Things that are making me happy this week

Posted by Kate W in Stuff and Nonsense and tagged with book list, Bret Easton Ellis, COVID-19, Donna Tartt, gin, Jennifer Down, Jonathan Franzen October 17, 2021

01. Absolutely obsessed with the podcast Once Upon a Time at Bennington College (thanks to Jenny for the tip). Starting my re-read of The Secret History and Less Than Zero soon. In fact, there will probably be a whole Bennington reading project… Continue reading →

Things that are making me happy this week

Posted by Kate W in Stuff and Nonsense and tagged with Bri Lee, cooking, COVID-19, Douglas Stuart, German, Helen Garner, Jacinta Parsons, Jennifer Down, Luisa Weiss, Meg Mason, Melbourne Writers Festival, television August 1, 2021

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 →

Six Degrees of Separation – from Phosphorescence to Mothering Sunday

Posted by Kate W in Stuff and Nonsense and tagged with Booker Prize, Curtis Sittenfeld, Douglas Stuart, Favel Parrett, Graham Swift, Jennifer Down, Julia Baird, Patrick deWitt, Qing Li, Six Degrees of Separation March 6, 2021

It’s time for #6degrees. Start at the same place as other wonderful readers, add six books, and see where you end up. Continue reading →