I nearly didn’t read this book. When I heard about the Nabokovian inspiration for it, I was immediately daunted. Confession: I have not read Nabokov. I understand his writing is sublime, and that may be the problem. I’m intimidated. Therefore, when I heard that Gail Jones’ A Guide to Berlin was named after one of Nabokov’s short stories and contained…
You know how the Chinese celebrate the lunar New Year? Well, I have a Writing New Year – and I’m celebrating it today! Why this actual day, you ask? Pretty simple. Today is the first day in nearly two months where I’ve had more than one hour of peace and quiet. Yes, the kids have gone back to school/kindy, meaning…
IN BRIEF:A short story collection which is rich with pathos and sparing with words. As a writer, Murray Middleton is wise beyond his years, and humble beyond his generation.
IN BRIEF:Both traumatising and uplifting, this is a truly extraordinary book about the beauty of friendship and the limits of its potential to ameliorate the life-long damage caused by an abusive childhood.
Teenagers are so hard to buy for. Right? Well, I might just have solved at least one of your gift shopping issues for this Christmas. ‘Clancy of the Undertow’ is a brilliant piece of contemporary realist fiction (ie set in the here and now) which would be perfect for any girl (or nuanced boy) aged 15+. You can read more…
READING: After struggling, really struggling to find something great to read, I discovered two highly enjoyable books – both by Australian authors. The first was The Near Miss, a work of contemporary fiction, set in Melbourne and revolving around a near-tragedy that ends up entwining the lives of three complete strangers. The marketing describes it as The Slap meets Love…
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about being the reading doldrums. I simply could not find a book that grabbed me. Then, I stumbled across The Near Miss. Oh, praise you reading-Gods. You always seem to deliver at the right time! The Near Miss was exactly what I was looking for – contemporary fiction, written by an Australian woman writer,…
If you end a book & think nothing could be improved-you’re a reader.
If you end a book & think everything could be improved-you’re a writer.
This was a tweet that came through on my feed last week and sparked an interesting conversation between several writers (including me), who largely disagreed.
READING: I am in the total reading doldrums at the moment. I can’t seem to be grabbed by anything! And I’ve tried. Really tried. I’ve tried some new literary things, some commercial ones, and I’ve even dipped my toe into some crime fiction. But nothing is doing it for me. I want to be captured. Entranced. Romanced. Hooked. Instead, I…
IN BRIEF:A book that takes an Austen-inspired approach to a small Queensland community, and finds poetry and profundity in everyday life.