I went into Lily King’s short story collection, Five Tuesdays in Winter, with high expectations – after all, Writers and Lovers was one of my favourites in 2020. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Lily King
Things that are making me happy this week
01. Should I be mildly concerned that Holy Sugar gave me some extra (unbelievably good) passionfruit sponge because I’m a ‘regular’…? No, not concerned, thrilled (in this week’s bakery edit – passionfruit sponge with lemon curd, pistachio and cream; apple, cinnamon and walnut fritters; Pepperberry s’mores). Continue reading
Things that are making me happy this week
01. We went to the Rain Room. It’s a strange and extraordinary experience. Continue reading
Things that are making me happy this week
01. My Yarra River walking project continues – this week a slice of Britain with enormous oaks and pear trees (planted in the 1850s) lining the River.
02. It was timely to come across magnificent oaks because my walking friend and I both have new acorn vases. 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 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
Ordinary People by Diana Evans
Ugh. There was not much I liked about Ordinary People by Diana Evans, despite it being one of the books that made my ‘end of year shopping list’. Continue reading
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
If there is one sub-genre of grief-lit that will have me sobbing more than any other, it’s the one where kids lose their mother. I know we’re in the middle of a paper-products crisis but man, did I burn through my quota of tissues reading Writers & Lovers by Lily King.
It’s 1997, and Casey, in her early-thirties, spends her days working on the novel that she’s been writing for six years; her nights waitressing at an upscale restaurant; and every single moment grieving her mother. Her mother’s sudden death prompts Casey to consider all aspects of her life – her enormous student debt; her failed relationships; and the fact that her artistic friends have all ditched creative pursuits for ‘real’ jobs.
I haven’t mentioned my mother at the restaurant yet. I don’t want to be the girl whose mother just died. Continue reading
I’m waiting for… 2020 edition
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 2020.
There’s nothing new on my list (other bloggers have posted curated lists of 2020 releases and there are loads of comprehensive lists floating around, such as SMH) – I’m posting it simply to have a record of books to follow-up during the year.
Two short(ish) reviews
I read two fantastic books in the middle of my manic assessment period at the end of first semester – Euphoria by Lily King and We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo. Both books featured strong, memorable characters, and both books were set in foreign countries (New Guinea and Zimbabwe respectively), each with a beautifully developed sense of place. Some thoughts on each – Continue reading