Nov 5, 2023 | What Am I Reading?
Ann Patchett is one of my favourite writers, both her fiction and her poignant essays. Her latest novel, however, Tom Lake (Bloomsbury Publishing 2023) missed the mark a little for me. This is not to say it is not an outstanding piece of writing – I don’t think...
Nov 3, 2023 | What Am I Reading?
Brisbane author Melissa Ashley has made a name for herself with novels that reimagine or rediscover the lives of women overlooked by history, giving these women a voice and a life supported by meticulous research and an attention to detail that breathes authenticity...
Oct 21, 2023 | What Am I Reading?
Wiradyuri author Anita Heiss has recently re-released her earlier works, and Manhattan Dreaming (Simon and Schuster 2010) has had a contemporary revision which maintains its relevance as a light-hearted romantic comedy combined with a powerful Koori protagonist forced...
Oct 21, 2023 | What Am I Reading?
I really enjoyed Allen C. Jones’ debut novel so what a delight to read his debut short story collection Big Weird Lonely Hearts (Midnight Sun Publishing 2023), available by pre-order now for release in November. My recent reading of George Saunders’ interpretation of...
Oct 16, 2023 | What Am I Reading?
Elizabeth Strout’s spare and detailed writing, her careful observations, her evocative descriptions, her layered characters and their authentic dialogue contribute to making her one of my very favourite authors. Lucy by the Sea (Penguin Random House 2022) follows the...
Oct 14, 2023 | What Am I Reading?
I was initially a bit intimidated to read George Saunders’ A Swim in a Pond in the Rain (Bloomsbury 2021), subtitled as it was: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading and Life. Good grief! What do I know about Russian writers? Very little....
