Time for reflection on my reading for the month past, and I am happy to report that I did indeed get some reading done. My tallies in January and February were abysmal – so low I was a little embarrassed to report them – but I turned this around in March and managed to finish 14 books. I’m pleased with this, and also pleased with the big range of books that have filled my life – from quirky board books, to dark, but beautiful, novels. Here’s what I read:
Books for Children
Travels of an Extraordinary Hamster, by Astrid Desbordes and Pauline Martin (Gecko Press, 2015). A funny chapter book/graphic novel told entirely through illustrations and speech bubbles. Hamster is selfish, and yet somehow endearing and his adventures will entertain young readers.
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, by Judy Blume (Bodley Head, 1979). I love Judy Blume, and picked this book up in a second hand shop a while ago. The adventures of Peter, a fourth-grader whose biggest trouble in life is his little brother, Fudge.
Interned, by Pamela Rushby (Walker Books, 2022). Wonderful historical fiction set in and around the internment camps in rural Australian in WW1. Some tough subject matter, told with compassion and a gentle touch.
Everything You Want to See, by Kyle Hughes-Odgers (Fremantle Press, 2022). This is such a cute little offering, in board book format with rhyming text and whimsical illustrations, showing young readers the things they want to see. Sure to be a firm favourite with my grandies.
Wombat Can’t Sing, by Katie Stewart (Fremantle Press, 2022). A lovely picture book text about knowing one’s own strengths, and not trying to please everyone. As you can see from the cover, Wombat is gorgeously wrought.
The Last Light Horse, by Dianne Wolfer, illustrated by Brian Simmonds (Fremantle Press, 2022). The fourth and final instalment in the breathtaking Light series, this historical picture book focusses on the story of Sandy, the one light horse who was returned to Australia.
Answers to Brut, by Gillian Rubinstein (Omnibus/Puffin, 1998). An op-shop find. and a Rubinstein book I hadn’t heard of. When Kel finds Caspian’s bull terrier, Brut, he decides to borrow him for a little while. It isn’t right, but he has no idea just what adventure it will create for him, and for Caspian, when Brut goes missing and they have to try to rescue him.
The Echidna Near My Place, By Sue Whiting & Cate James (Walker Books, 2022). This adorable picture book made me smile even before I opened it. Look at the gorgeous cover! And the author is one of my amazing author friends, so I knew it would be good. Combines the story of a child and her Nana and their encounters with a local echidna, with facts about echidnas, in a satisfying blend – with stunning illustrations by a new-to-me illustrator.
The Wearing of the Green, by Claire Saxby (Walker Books, 2022). Another book by one of my closest author-buddies. Of course it is hard to be unbiased when you love the authors as much as I love Claire and Sue, but I do what I can. And Claire’s way with bringing historical fiction to life is wonderful. The story of an Irish orphan and her life in colonial Victoria. I was very late to bed the night I read this – I had to finish it before I could sleep.
Books for Adults
The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Arthur Conan Doyle. Continuing my listening of the audio collection, read by Stephen Fry. It’s been months since I started listening to the complete works, and I still have more to go, but I’m not sick of it yet.
The Gallerist, by Michael Levitt (Fremantle Press, 2022). Set in Perth, this is part mystery, part later-life romance, set in Australia’s art world, with the main character a gallerist who sets out to investigate the provenance of a painting.
After Darkness, by Christine Piper (Allen & Unwin, 2014). It wasn’t deliberate that I read two books about internees this month (see Interned, above), but it was interesting to see two stories, one from young people’s perspectives and one from an adult one. Tomakazu is a Japanese doctor who is interned in South Australia during WW2, but we also follow this backstory, gradually learning of his past in Japan. Well woven.
The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle. My second Sherlock for the month. Still three more go to have read The Definitive Collection. It’s a marathon, but I’m still enjoying it.-
The Silence of Water, by Sharron Booth (Fremantle Press, 2022). Not an easy read in places, because of its subject matter, but absorbing and beautifully written. A fictionalised story of a real man, Edwin Salt, a convict sent to Western Australia for the brutal murder of his wife and, importantly, the story of the impact of his actions on that wife, Mary Ann, and three generations of Salt’s family.
This brings my total for the year to 24. Still a way to go to reach my goal of 153 for the year – but there is indeed a lot of the year to go. Onwards and upwards.
What have you been reading?