Feb 21, 2026 | What Am I Reading?
I opened this book and could not put it down. IN A COMMON HOUR (Ultimo Press 2026) by Sita Walker is a remarkable novel that immediately connects readers to characters and setting, and explores themes of coming of age, education, class, racism, mental health,...
Feb 16, 2026 | What Am I Reading?
DEPARTMENT OF THE VANISHING (Transit Lounge 2026) won the Tasmanian Literary Award for author Johanna Bell. This book is an eclectic mix of form, content and issues; an unusual prose poem punctuated with photographs, redacted police interviews, scientific data,...
Feb 13, 2026 | What Am I Reading?
Superficially the story of one night of action-packed drama and suspense, THE CROSS THIEVES (Transit Lounge 2026) by Alan Fyfe is a deeply thoughtful exploration of issues such as food insecurity, homelessness, addiction, institutionalised abuse, violence, poverty and...
Feb 10, 2026 | What Am I Reading?
Ian Kemish’s debut fiction TWO ISLANDS (UQP 2026) is a fast-paced, emotionally charged thriller informed by his experience as a former Australian diplomat, particularly his work in the Balkans in the 1990’s. He combines this with an engrossing, evocative portrait of...
Feb 9, 2026 | What Am I Reading?
I’ve eaten fish eyes in Japan (would not recommend) but I don’t think I could ever do so again after reading this subtle family drama / horror novel THE EYES ARE THE BEST PART (Hachette 2024) by Monika Kim. The story begins in a chaotic but harmlessly pleasant enough...
Jan 14, 2026 | What Am I Reading?
Ashley Kalagian Blunt has done it again with her third psychological crime thriller LIKE FOLLOW DIE (Ultimo Press 2026) – she immerses the reader into a world of techno-crime and the dark spaces of the internet that frighten us all. If you enjoy a well-crafted...
