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Sally Murphy, Australian author

What I Read in August

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August was bookmonth and so my reading time was more limited – but I still managed to get through eleven books. This is what I read:

Books for Children

  1. Cuckoo’s Flight, by Wendy Orr (Allen & Unwin, 2021). A wonderful complement to Orr’s two previous books set in the Bronze Age. Although each stands alone, I have enjoyed reading all three over the past few months and being immersed into the time period and into Orr’s beautiful writing.
  2. Great White Shark, by Claire Saxby & Cindy Lane (Walker Books 2021). I have been waiting for this picture book to come out for what seems forever. Written by by amazing friend Claire, one of Australia’s best writers of creative nonfiction of children (as well as other forms) and illustrated by another amazing friend Cindy, who is a debut illustrator but established artist, this book is as amazing as I expected. How’s that for an unbiased review? Okay, maybe a tiny bit biased, but heartfelt.
  3.  Mina and the Whole Wide World, by Sherryl Clark, with art by Briony Stewart (UQP, 2021). Always love a verse novel, and when it’s written by Sherryl Clark I know it will be brilliant.  This is a gentle story about belonging, friendship and family. the illustrations are gorgeous, too.
  4. Are You There, Buddha? by Pip Harry (Lothian, 2021) . Another verse novel, this time for a middle grade readership and exploring issues really important for this age group, including first periods, peer pressure, self identity and family. That sounds a lot, but it’s woven together in a lovely story.
  5. Leilong the Library Bus, by Julia Liu & Bei Lynn (Gecko Press, 2021). gecko press always produced quirky books that make me smile.  This one is no exception – about a dinosaur who desperately wants to go to the library with his human friends, but is just too big to go inside. It takes a manager changing their perspective to find a solution – Leilong becomes a library bus!
  6. The Elephant, by Peter Carnavas (UQP, 2017). This is one I’ve been meaning to read ever since it came out, and I finally got my hands on a copy this month, and read it in one sitting. Carnavas has a gentle and quirky way of both writing and illustrating, that means he handles some difficult topics really well, and in this, his first novel, he deals with grief and depression in a way accessible to children, and adults too. Lovely.
  7. Exit Through the Gift Shop, by Maryam Master, illustrated by Astrid Hicks (Pan, 2021). I loved this one. It deals with a really difficult topic – the narrator, Anahita, his dying of cancer – with a wonderful blend of humour and realism. Not an easy subject to deal with in a palatable way, but I think Master nails it.

Books for Young Adults

  1. The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne (Walker Books, 2021).  It took me a little while to get into this one, but that may have bene the busy week I was having. Set in a post apocalyptic future Britain, where lawlessness reigns, and nobody is safe from wild beasts, gangs and damaged people. Scarlett and Browne are an unlikely pair who travel across the country robbing banks and avoiding abduction, gradually finding they can rely on each other to escape almost every situation.

Books for Adults

  1. Find Us, by Benjamin Stevenson (Audible, 2020). This was an Audible original and a free download. As I’ve said in previous posts, I quite like the free extras that Audible offers, which exposes me to authors and genres I might not otherwise read. This is a psychological thriller, and a wee bit disturbing – but in a way that was well put together and had twists and turns that kept me guessing.
  2. Love Objects, by Emily Maguire (Allen & Unwin, 2021).  A complex, engaging story of family. Nic is a trivia-buff, cat-loving hoarder. Her niece Lena is her closest friend, but is struggling with issues of her own, including the fall out from a terrible betrayal by a rich boy classmate. When Nic is injured, their relationship is challenged and the family’s past troubles resurface. I really enjoyed the way Maguire balances some difficult topics with endearing characters.
  3. After Story, by Larissa Behrendt (UQP, 2021). This is the beautiful story of a mother and daughter travelling together and, though it isn’t planned that way, healing some of their old wounds. Della has never recovered from the abduction of one of her children. More recently, her partner has died. Her youngest daughter Jasmine takes her along on a trip to England to visit places connected with stories Della has never read, by authors she hasn’t heard of. Gradually, though, these places help her confront the past and find a path forward.
  4. The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig (Audible, 2020). I listened to this one on Audible – the free Member’s Extra download this month. The story of Nora who, lonely, unemployed and seemingly without hope, decides to take her own life. She finds herself  between life and death in a library where she confronts her regrets and has an opportunity to sample other versions of her life.  If she finds the perfect one, she is promised, she will be able to live out that life. An interesting take on a potentially grim topic.
  5. Playing With the Grown-Ups, by Sophie Dahl (Bloomsbury, 2007). I picked this one up on a charity table outside by local Coles and read it in a couple of days. It’s the story of teenager Kitty whose life is dominated by the whims of her artistic, but irresponsible, mother, who moves between rural England, America, and London, taking Kitty and her younger siblings along for the ride, and forcing Kitty to grow up much faster than she might like.

That brings my total for the year to 108 books, so far. What have you been reading?

What I Read in July

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I’m not sure where I found time to get through 16 books this crazy busy month, especially given only two were audiobooks. But when you have a good book on the go, you steal moments to read. So much goodness this month, and this brings to 97 books for the year.

Books for Children

  1. Swallow’s Dance, by Wendy Orr (Allen & Unwin, 2018).  I’m not sure why I hadn’t read Orr’s Bronze age books before, but having read Dragonfly Song in June, I searched out this one, too. I love the way she brings this period alive through strong girl characters overcoming big adversity.
  2. Everywhere Blue, by Joanne Rossmassler Fritz. Look at the amazing cover of this verse novel. Just stunning. And the book itself is excellent, too. The story of a family fractured by the disappearance of a son, and his sister particularly trying to make sense of everything.
  3. The Treehouse Joke Book 2, by Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton (Pan, 2021). Yes, i really did sit down and read a joke book for children cover to cover and yes I got quite a few laughs. This was sent to me as a review copy and was just the right thing to find in in TBR pile one wet miserable day.
  4. Mel and Shell, by Julia Lawrinson (Fremantle Press, 2021). Another review copy – this one isn’t out until September and I have been resisting reading it too early, but  the cover kept calling to me. Set in the 70s, with ABBA, horses, school camps, WAY79 (if you grew up in WA in the 70s you’ll know what this is) and Lawrinson’s typical deft touch with blending fun and issues including family, friendship and more. Love it!
  5. Bella and the Voyaging House, by Meg McKinlay (Fremantle Press, 2021).  And yes, another review copy. Always a pleasure to read Meg McKinlay’s writing. She is one of Australia’s finest writers for young people. This is a sequel to Bell and the Wandering House, but could also be read as a stand alone. Whimsy, adventure and loveliness. McKinlay also blogged at Aussiereviews this month about where her ideas come from.
  6. The Twilight Ghost, by Colin Thiele (Puffin, 2004). I picked this one up from a library discard sale a while ago. Part of the now defunct (and much-missed) Aussie Chomps series, and written by one our most loved authors, this ghost story adventure is set in rural Australia.
  7. When Days Tilt, by Karen Ginnane (Penguin, 2021).  Ooooh. I was very excited to get to read this, having waited impatiently for its release. I went to university with the author, and was excited to reconnect with her via twitter and realise she had her first book coming out. Anyway, that’s a bit beside the point because even if I didn’t know Karen, i would have adored this book. A fantasy set in Victorian London and an alternate world, where the city of Donlon is familiar yet very different.  It is beautifully crafted, and I’m now eagerly awaiting its sequel.

 

Books for Young Adults

  1. Echo in the Memory, by Cameron Nunn (Walker Books, 2021). Another from my review pile. Dual narratives – of a convict boy sent to work as a shepherd on a  remote property, and a contemporary teen sent live on  he same property with his grandparents after a family tragedy. Not always easy reading – it deals with some heavy topics, including suicide, family breakdown, the treatment of Aboriginal people by early settlers and more – but well done.

Books for Adults

  1. Her Last Holiday, by C.L. Taylor (Avon, 2021). Was given this by a friend and read it in two evenings. A well woven suspense story with the mystery of a disappearance at a self help retreat.
  2. Locust Summer, by David Allan-Petale (Fremantle Press, 2021). I enjoyed this one from my review pile – read over two evenings. I always love books set in Western Australia, because they take me places I’ve been. this one is set in the Wheatbelt, so felt very familiar.  A story of a family’s final harvest as they prepare to sell up, and face their pasts and their altered future.  David Allan-Petale also guest blogged over at Aussiereviews this month.
  3. The Other Side of Beautiful, by Kim Lock (Harper Collins, 2021).  Funny and heartwarming, and at times sad, I really enjoyed this road trip story. When Mercy blain’s house burns down it is not the worst thing happening in her life – and soon she is on the road, in a hastily bought van, travelling across the middle of the continent. I enjoyed this.
  4. Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray, by Anita Heiss (Simon & Schuster, 2021). My read of the month! This is beautiful, heartbreaking, and important. The story of Wagadhaany, forced to leave her family behind as an unpaid domestic to settler landowners. Her heart is broken by the knowledge she might never return to her country and her family and, while she finds love and friendship, her longing to go home is constant. Such a privilege to read  and to grow more understanding of something which is a terrible, unforgiveable,  part of Australia’s history – the treatment of our first peoples as slaves, the degradation of their land and so much more.

Non Fiction

  1. Working Class Boy, by Jimmy Barnes (Harper Collins, 2017).  . Have always loved Cold Chisel and Jimmy Barnes’ music, but probably wouldn’t have listened to or read this if I listened to this one if it didn’t show up on my  Audible account as one of their monthly  free downloads. I’m glad I did though – having Jimmy read/recount the story made the listening experience. And the story paints a really vivid picture of his childhood and youth, as well as giving an insight into life in Elizabeth and Adelaide.  I suspect I will end up buying the sequel, which deals with his adult life.

What have you been reading?

What I Read in June

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Another month down and we are halfway through 2021. Time flies! That means it’s time to take stock of what I read in June. I can report that after struggling to read in May, in June I got back on track and read 14 books, though some were picture books (I only include picture books in my total if it’s the first time I’ve read them, and if I take the time to really examine them). Some good ones here, but I think my favourite was Poems That Do not Sleep, because I am still thinking about it, long after I put it down. Isn’t that what poetry is supposed to do?

Books for Kids

  1. Our Home, Our Heartbeat, by Briggs, with illustrations by Kate Moon & Rachel Sarra. (Hardie Grant, 2020). How wonderful to come across this picture book adaption of Briggs’ song The Children Came Back. A celebration of Aboriginal legends from history, sport, music and more. A must have for every classroom and home.
  2.  Dragonfly Song, by Wendy Orr (Allen & Unwin, 2016).  I love Wendy Orr’s writing, so am not sure why it has taken me so long to get to this one, but I am really glad I finally picked it up. A mythic story set in the Bronze Age, with action,  twists and turns and featuring a resilient main character, Aissa.
  3. Common Wealth, by Gregg Dreise (Scholastic, 2021).
  4. Hello and Welcome, by Gregg Dreise (Penguin, 2021)
  5. My Culture and Me, by Gregg Dreise (Penguin, 2019) You might notice a theme emerging in my picture book reads this month. I went looking for the voices of  more First Nations poets because I felt there was a gap in my reading, and perhaps in publishing, too. I was heartened to find three books by Dreise, as well as the Briggs book above. Each very different, and all books that I will be sharing  with my  education students and recommending widely. 
  6.  Paws, by Kate Foster (Walker Books, 2021). A  charming story of friendship, dogs and coping with change. Max, the main character, lives with autism, and is trying to navigate the challenges of his final year of primary school, and his desire to make friends.
  7. Wednesday Weeks and the Tower of Shadows , by Denis Knight & Cristy Burne (Lothian, 2021).  This is the first in a series, and i am already looking forward to the second. Wednesday Weeks isn’t super keen on being a sorcerer’s apprentice but when her grandpa (the sorcerer) is kidnapped. Wednesday has to find a way to rescue him, along with the help of her best friend Alfie. Lots of magic and a satisfying mix of science too.
  8. A Boat of Stars, edited by Margaret Connolly & Natalie Jane Prior (ABC Books, 2018). Not my first read of this beautiful anthology, and I have dipped in and out of it many times,  but a great pleasure to take the time to reread from cover to cover. The world needs more beautiful poetry books – and Australia needs more such books produced by Australian creators.

Books for Young Adults

  1. The Gathering, by Isobelle Carmody (Puffin Books, 1993). I had read this last year, after picking it up in an op shop, but somehow it went back into my to be read pile, and so I read it again. This is a gripping young adult story, about how Nat, and a group of other seemingly misfit teens find the way to tackle the dark force which is taking over their school and their town.
  2. We Were Wolves, by Jason Cockcroft. I have to confess to not enjoying this one, which says nothing about the quality of the writing and more about the events of the book. It was grim at the start, grim in the middle and grim at the end. Although there were glimmers of hope, I wasn’t sure the boy (he didn’t even have a  name) was left any better off.

Books for Adults

  1. The Little Boat on Trusting Lane, by Mel Hall (Fremantle Press, 2021). The author of this one guest blogged on Aussiereviews earlier this month, inspiring me to pick up a read the book. I really enjoyed this book, though it’s hard to explain – it’s a gentle satire about religion, and new aged healing, and coping with pain. And, if you know Fremantle, the settings will resonate with you, as they did for me.
  2. The Emporium of Imagination, by Tabitha Bird. I raced off to buy this when I read an article about it in the paper in May, then had to wait a while to read it, because I was in the midst of grief and wondered if a book about grief was the best thing for me.  I needn’t have worried – yes, this book has its sadness, but it also uplifting and even in places humorous. I loved it.
  3. The Night Village, by Zoe Deleuil (Fremantle Press, 2021). From my review pile (and actually not released until August), I enjoyed this, reading it over two evenings. Dealing with the realties of early motherhood – the birth experience, the impact of sleeplessness, the isolation and so on, against the backdrop of an air of threat/mystery.

Non Fiction Books

  1. The Way of Integrity, by Martha Beck (Audible). I found this one through a recommendation on Audible, and really enjoyed the messages of this book, as well as the easy to listen to narration, by the author. Clear messages about being true to yourself – ie living in integrity – if you want to be truly happy.

Poetry

  1. Poems That Do not Sleep, by Hassan Al Nawwab (Fremantle Press, 2021). I picked this one late one evening from my to read pile, and then couldn’t go to bed until I had read  every poem. Easy to read, in their accessibility, but sometimes hard to digest because they deal with such real, difficult experiences. The poet is a former Iraqi soldier and refugee. the title should have been enough hint to me of their challenge, but I am very glad I read them, and will do so again.

 

That brings my total to the year to 81. Not bad when I consider just how busy I really am. What have you been reading lately? I’d love to hear.

April Reads

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Another month has ended, so it’s time for my monthly reading roundup. I managed only 12 books in April, but there were some beauties in that 12.

 

Books for Children

  1. Backyard Bugs, by Helen Milroy (Fremantle Press, 2021). This little picture book offering is lovely, and my two year old granddaughter seemed to agree. After I read her the simple rhyming text, she sat for a long time flipping through the pages and ‘reading’, emulating the lyrical feel and the names of the different minibeasts.  The illustrations are sumptuous.

2. Redback Mansion, by Lorraine Marwood (Five Islands Press, 2002). It’s been fifteen years since I reviewed this collection of poetry on Aussiereviews,  but love to dip in and out of it, as well as others of Marwood’s collections. This is the first time in a long while that I have read it cover to cover, and it didn’t disappoint. It’s a shame it is no longer in print for a new generation of readers, but luckily Marwood continues to produce new work, so there is still plenty out there to read.

3. Nobody’s Boy, by Dianne Bates (Celapene Press, 2012).  Another one I had read  before. I love to revisit verse novels, because not only are they my favourite form, but reading them is about really experiencing the characters’ perspectives. This is the story of Ron, who has been in foster care most of his life and craves a chance to live with his dad.

4. Fish Kid and the Turtle Torpedo, by Kylie Howarth (Walker Books, 2021). This is the third book in  excellent series for young readers, especially those who love marine life, swimming and adventure. Fish Kid (Bodhi) has a love of the ocean and has special powers which let him swim like a fish and even communicate with sea life. In this instalment he and his friend Emely rescue a sick turtle and even swim with dolphins.  Along the way readers learn lots of animal fact and conservation messages, but the story is foremost.

Books for Young Adults

  1. All Our Hidden Gifts, by Caroline O’Donoghue (Walker Books, 2021). This was sent to be by Walker Books, and took me a little while to get into, probably more because it was the first book I read for the month, and was busy, than because of the book itself. Maeve finds a set of tarot cards, discovers she has a knack for reading them, and then, to her horror, that she seems to have the power to make her former best friend disappear. What it might cost to get her back is too much. With magic and the occult, as well as explorations of gender diversity, religion and more, there is a lot going on here, which makes for an intriguing read.
  2.  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou (Audible Edition, 2014). I am so glad I chose to listen to this book, because it is read by Angelou herself, which adds so much to the reading experience. This is  the autobiography of her childhood, characterised by hardship, displacement, violence and racism – but is also a story filled with strength and the beauty of Angelou’s  writing.  I cried but I also smiled.  I’ve put it here in the young adult section because it is  suitable for young adults, but will equally appeal to adult readers.
  3. Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal, by Anna Whatley (Allen & Unwin, 2020).  I loved this own voices novel about a gutsy girl who tries hard to act ‘normal’ by following the rules drummed into her by therapists, parents and teachers over her lifetime, but with the laugh of her aunt and new friends learns not just to like herself but also to see her strengths and expect others to, too.  So glad this is is on the CBCA Children’s Book of the Year shortlist. 

Books for Adult Readers

  1. Everyday Madness, by Susan Midalia (Fremantle Press, 2021).  Susan recently guest blogged over at my review site, Aussiereviews, about her writing life and the story behind this book. I enjoyed the weaving of the different stories – that of  Bernard, newly unemployed, his wife Gloria, whose breakdown and caused a huge shift in their marriage, their daughter on law Meg, struggling to raise her daughter, study full time and navigate supporting the in laws her ex-husband seems to not take responsibility for, and her daughter Ella.
  2. The Cuckoo’s Cry, by Caroline Overington (Audible, 2020).  Set in Bondi during the first Covid 19 lockdown, this novella was an interesting free read, part family drama, part mystery.
  3. Life After Truth, by Cerdiwen Dovey (Audible, 2019). You can tell how much time I have spent int he car in any month by the number of Audible reads, especially the free reads. This was again part mystery (the US president’s son is murdered) and part soul-searching drama. The characters did have me interested, but I must admit I spent most of the book just gobsmacked at the utter privilege of  the Harvard world (the book is set during a 15 year reunion, on campus). It really just seems like another world.
  4.  The Last Bookshop, by Emma Young (Fremantle Press, 2021). Any book set in a bookshop is likely to engage me. Put that bookshop in Hay Street, Perth, and I am hooked. What I didn’t expect was to blubber helplessly while reading this. Loved it! Emma Young also guest blogged over on my Aussiereviews site here.

Nonfiction Books

  1. An Island Solution: Rottnest reveals our colonial secrets, by Eversley Ruth Mortlock (Gwelup Creative Life Writing Press, 20219). I picked this up in the Rottnest store when I was visiting Rottnest/Wadjemup earlier this year.  An insight into a chapter of Western Australian history which must be redressed: the incarceration, and inhumane treatment,  of Aboriginal men  from around the state on Rottnest Island.  Not an easy read, because of its subject matter, but important  for that reason.

These 12 books bring my total to 61 books read for the year to date., roughly one book every two days, if my maths is correct. What have you been reading lately?

February Reading

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I’m still adjusting to it being a new year, and yet two months are now over. This means it’s time to share my  reading list for February. I managed 19 books back in January and anticipated that I would get less read in February, because it is a busy month in my day job. And, although I was right, I was pleased that I still managed to get through 17 books as well as a lot of work-related reading and research.

10 of these were for children/younger readers but, as I say often, books for children are for adults, too – and I recommend everybody takes the time to read one of these books from time to time, to keep in touch with your inner child and to see the quality writing.

Anyway, here’ my list – mostly linked to an online bookseller to provide further deatiks, but do remember to support your local bookshop when you can.

Books for Children (and adults, too!)

  1.  Motormouth, by Sherryl Clark (Puffin, 2010). Not the first time I have read this one – or even the second. I really love Sherryl Clark’s verse novels, and love to dip back into them regularly. Motormouth is about friendship and grief, and telling lies.

2. When We Say Black Lives Matter, by Maxine Beneba Clarke (Lothian, 2020). This picture book took my breath away from the moment I saw it on the bookshop shelf. I knew of Clarke’s work for adults, but did not know she had written this, nor that she was also a talented illustrator. This book tells the child reader (but also readers of all ages) in clear, lyrical language exactly why we need to keep saying, singing, and  shouting that black lives matter.

3. Bindi, by Kirli Saunders, illustrated by Dub Leffner (Magabala Books, 2020). Another verse novel and a really lovely one. Winner of the Daisy Utemorrah Award, which aims to grow Indigenous writing for young readers, it is clear to see why this book was a winner, and why it is likely to be recognised with further awards. Exploring climate, bushfires and healing, and set in Gundungurra Country, a special feature is the use of Gundungurra words, which appear naturally in Bindi’s first person narration and, in context,  are easily accessible, but also supported by a glossary. A really special book and, since I read it, listed as Notable book in the CBCA Book of the Year Awards.

4.  A Different Dog, by Paul Jennings (Allen & Unwin, 2017).  I had missed this one when it came out in 2017, but read something last year that inspired me to track down a copy – and then, no longer sure where or what I read about it, it sat in my to be read pile until now.  I’m glad it finally made it’s way to the top of the pile. A fairly quick read about a boy, a dog and an adventure, but with typically Jennings’ style twists.

5. His Father’s Eyes, by Ali Cobby Eckermann (Oxford University Press, 2011). Continuing my trend of reading any Australian verse novels that I have, until now, neglected, I managed to track down a copy of this one, published as part of OUP’s ‘Yarning Strong’ series. I’m glad I did. It is beautifully crafted, telling the story of Declan, as he navigates his identity, the first year of highschool, and the challenging times his best mate is facing. At the same time, we learn of his father’s story of being stolen as a young child, and its long lasting impact.

6. Alice’s adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll  (Audible Edition). Not the first time I’ve read this one, either, but it’s always interesting to revisit a classic. A free download from Audible,  I liked the performance, by Jodie Comer, and the escapism of reading this after some serious (though very good) nonfiction reading.

7. Lullabies for Bedtime, by Katrina Germein, Phil Cummings, Susan Betts, Kerry Brown, Louise Pike, Mike Dumbleton, illustrated by Doris Chang (Little Book Press, 2017).  Very few books  of poetry for children are published in Australia (which is a very great shame), so whenever I hear of one, I buy it. Somehow I’d missed this, but a writer friend mentioned it recently, and now I own a copy. As the title suggest, this is a book of gentle rhymes suitable for bed time reading to young children. They are lyrical and soothing and a pleasure to read aloud, accompanied by similarly soothing illustrations.

8. Short, by Holly Goldberg Sloan (Scholastic, 2017). From my TBR pile, and I’m not sure how long it has been there, or how it got there. Julia is short, and not happy about that. When her size leads to her being cast as a munchkin in The Wizard of Oz, she is initially very reluctant. But as the summer progresses she finds not just her talents but also an eclectic group of friends. A tender read.

9.  Iceberg, by Claire Saxby & Jess Racklyeft (Allen & Unwin, 2021). There are not enough superlatives to explain how much I adore this picture book. Creative nonfiction, it follows the life cycle of an iceberg and all the life around it using poetic prose which sings to the reader and is accompanied by sumptuous illustrations, including a wordless fold out spread filled with sea life.  The author, Claire, is a friend, but this is not why I adore this perfect book so much.

10. Footprints on the Moon, by Lorraine Marwood (UQP, 2021).  My fifth and final verse novel for the month. It is always a treat to read Marwood’s work, and this is no exception. Set against the backdrop of the first moon landing and the impacts of the Vietnam War, and exploring family, friendship, grief, courage and more.

Books for Young Adults

  1. Sink, Drift or Swim, by Michelle Dennis Evans (Breath of Fresh Air Press, 2017) . A verse novel I  had not come across before.  Rina is navigating her first crush, and the impending arrival of a new sibling, but when her father invites her on a boating trip she knows she must go.  What follows is a terrifying twenty four hours where her father, and his Christian faith, are what gets her through.

2. Butterfly, by Sonya Hartnett (Penguin, 2009). I first read this only a year or so ago, and somehow it ended up back in my to be read pile. When I picked it up I decided it was there for a reason, and reread it. I love Hartnett’s work, and this one is no exception. Plum is an almost fourteen year old who has a lot going on as her birthday approaches – friendship problems, body image problems and strained family relationships too.  I’m not sure I ever come to like Plum, who is difficult throughout, but I do empathise with her and that is enough to make me want to know more.

 

Fiction for Adults

  1. Crush: Stories About Love (Midnight Sun, 2017). I bough this collection when it was newly out, and my copy is signed by one of the contributors, Vahri McKenzie who, incidentally, supervised by PhD. But, though I had dipped in and read Vahri’s story, and a couple of others, the book had then sat on on my TBR pile ever since. I’m glad I finally took it out and read it. These are not typical romance stories – they are, as the story suggests, all about crushes. Requited, unrequited, fleeting, long lasting. So much to like and to digest.
  2. The Pact, by Thomas Kenneally (Audible, 2020). An elderly, but healthy, couple making a suicide pact is an unusual premise for a book which is a pleasant read, but I really did enjoy getting to know this couple, and am still thinking about them.

Nonfiction

  1. Living on Stolen Land, by Ambelin Kwaymullina (Magabala Books, 2020). This is a book which every Australian should read and digest. Written in free verse the book is a manifesto. It explains the complexities of stolen land, of recognition of our first peoples, of education, of knowledge of connection to land, and, importantly of ways to use this understanding. the use of prose-poetry makes the text accessible and lyrical, meaning it could be read by children but is suitable for teens and adults.
  2. Chatter: The Voice in Our Head and How to Harness It, by Ethan Kross (Random House, 2021, also on Audible). I saw mention of Kross’s book somewhere in January, and knew immediately I needed to read this book. I listened to it on Audible as soon as it came out, and wasn’t disappointed. Kross unpacks why we have a voice in our head, and how it works against us. I also found the section on co-rumination really enlightening. I will listen to this one again, and will also be recommending it widely.
  3.  The Details, by Tegan Bennett Daylight (Simon & Schuster, 2020). This was recommended by a friend, a fellow reader. I’m glad.  This is a collection of essays, linked because they all relate to books and reading. A writer and academic, the author shares in some essays intimate insight into key moments in her life including the death of her mother, the births of her children and the subsequent impact on her health, and in other chapters, close looks at favourite authors including George Saunders and her friend  Georgia Blain.  Even when writing literary analysis, her personal connections and her deep love of reading and writing shine through.
  4. Animals Make Us Human, edited by Leah Kaminsky & Meg Keneally (Penguin, 2020). Another book that I heard about somewhere and had to have. Filled with gorgeous photography of the great diversity of Australian wildlife, and the stories of individual writer’s connection with them. Encounters with one animal, working to study or preserve a species, the awe seeing an animal in it’s natural habitat engenders – and, running throughout, the reminder that many species are threatened and the impact of climate change and the actions of humanity are to blame. Produced in response to the 2019/20 bushfires, and in support of conservation groups, this is both a delightful read and an important one.

February Total: 17 books

Year to date: 36 books