Mar 1, 2026 | What Am I Reading?
Ah, the sheer pleasure of reading humanity’s tragedy and joy in the perfect words of Sebastian Barry. His novel DAYS WITHOUT END (Faber and Faber 2016) is a glittering gem: a gritty and visceral war story, a tender and wise love story. The novel explores physical and...
Feb 25, 2026 | What Am I Reading?
ONE HUNDRED DAYS (Black Inc Books 2021) is a timeless classic by Alice Pung exploring complex mother/daughter relationships, generational trauma and expectations, belonging, betrayal, forgiveness and self-identity. Written with literary grace and beauty, Pung’s story...
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...
