Scribe

May is over and June has begun, so it’s time to look back at what I read in the past month. It’s been a chaotic month, and I feel like I’ve hardly sat down, let alone read – but I actually managed to get through 24 books. Just shows what you can do when you snatch little pockets of each day to do what you love. Here’s what filled those pockets

Books for Kids

1. 1. What Snail Knows, by Kathryn Apel, illustrated by Mandy Foot (UQP, 2022). A really lovely verse novel about moving, friendship and family. Lucy and her Dad are always on the move, making it hard to make friends. But Lucy has Snail and, at her latest school, a human friend too. You can see my full review at Aussiereviews.
  2. Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie, by Julie Sternberg, illustrated by Matthew Cordell (Amulet Books, 2011).Another verse novel – I’ve been on a bit of a binge lately, reading as many as I can get my hands on. This one is a gentle story about facing change. When the narrator, Eleanor, hears that her beloved babysitter is moving away, she is devastated. But as she prepares for other changes, including the start of a new school year, Eleanor builds a relationship with her new sitter.
  3. 10.10 Poetry Anthology, edited and compiled by Bridget Magee. I won this book in a giveaway, which was particularly cool because I didn’t know I had entered it. It was a subscriber giveaway, drawn from subscriber’s the lovely Bridget’s Wee Words for Wee Ones Blog. All the poems are connected to the theme of ten – bot not all about the number ten. Instead there are poems about TEnderness, TENacity, TENsion and so on. Very clever. If you want a taste, you can hear one of Bridget’s own poems from the book here.
  4. Elmer Makes a Break, by Patrick Cook (Puffin, 1982). I rescued this from a library throw out trolley a few years ago, and it has been in my to read pile ever since. It was just the thing for a quick read on a cold May day. The humorous tale of a rat who wants an adventure, but gets more than he bargained for when he becomes a lab rat.
  5. Winnie-the-Pooh, by A. A. Milne. I listened to the audio of this on a long drive in the country, and it certainly made the drive even lovelier. I love Pooh and his friends, and this was just a lovely trip down memory lane, to hear the voices done for me as I followed the adventures.
  6. Birdie, by Eileen Spinelli (Eerdmans, 2019) Another verse novel fromt he U. S. Birdie is still dealing with the loss of her much loved Dad, so when her mother stars dating again, she is not impressed. She is more open to her grandmother having a new boyfriend. At the same time she needs to deal with changes in her friendships. A lovely gentle story about grief and relationships and growing up.
  7. When We Were Very Young, by A. A Milne. Having read Winnie-the-Pooh, I couldn’t resist also dipping in to the rest of my collection of Milne’s work. This was a favourite collection of poetry in my childhood, and I still adore it – it even inspired a Poetry Friday post this month – and has done before, too.
  8. The Ghost Locket, by Alison Rushby (Walker Books, 2022). I do love a ghost story, and really enjoyed this one, set in London, where eleven year old Lolli deals with a sinister ghost lurking in the historic house run by her beloved Aunt Elsie.
  9. Tasmanian Devil, by Claire Saxby & Max Hamilton (Walker Books, 2022). My friend Claire writes the most beautiful, lyrical nonfiction ever. Yes, I’m biased because she’s my friend, but it’s true – she brings nature to life in exquisite ways. This time it’s the tassie devil, and the illustrative work of Max Hamilton is simply gorgeous too.
  10. Eleanor, Elizabeth, by Libby Gleeson (Second Look Press, 2016). Reading Letters from Robin last month left me wanting to rediscover not just teh works of Robin Klein, but also some of my other favourites from the 80s and 90s. This lead me to reread this one, from Libby Gleeson, one of my favourite authors for young people. The story of Eleanor, who is unhappy about moving to the country, but finds comfort through connecting with her grandmother, whose diary she discovers and reads.
  11. Red, by Libby Gleeson (Allen & Unwin, 2012). And another Libby Gleeson book, this time set in Sydney following a massive natural disaster. Red wakes up with no memory of who she is or why she is there. Her new friend Peri, himself homeless even before the storm, helps her unravel her past and what it is she must do next.
  12. Spi-ku: A Clutter of Short verse on Eight Legs, by Leslie Bulion & Rebert Meganck (ill.) (Peachtree Publishing, 2021). I do not love spiders, but I did love learning more about them through this collection. Using a variety of poetic forms and accompanying nonfiction text, this is a fun way of exploring spider facts.
  13. Blubber, by Judy Blume (Athaneum, 1974). Another classic read. First published in 1974 but this was my first time reading. Still topical and accessible as a look at the impacts of bullying, and the pressures of peer groups.
  14. At the Pond, by David Elliott, illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford (Candlewick, 2022). So much poetry this month! This one is a picture book length collection, with each poem introducing a different pond-resident and, at the same time, moving through the day. The illustrations, with collage and paint, are just divine.
Books for Young Adults
1. 1. 1. The Black Flamingo, by Dean Atta (Hodder, 2019). Oh how I loved this book! Not only is it a verse novel, which (if you haven’t picked up on this) is my favourite genre, but it is is also just an amazing exploration of belonging, as Michael navigates his queer identity, his family dynamics, friendship and more.
    2. Roxy, by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman (Walker Books, 2021). What a ride! This book made me uncomfortable from the moment I realised it was being narrated by two prescription drugs – and yet this discomfort was the very point of the book, and kept me reading. The premise is that what humans know as drugs or opioids are really malevolent gods, and two of those drugs – Roxy and Addison – are competing to see which one can can produce a lethal result the fastest – playing with two siblings as their targets. Confronting but very clever.
    3. Finding Jupiter, by Kelis Rowe (Walker Books, 2022). I love receiving review copies and the way this takes me in such varied reading directions. Ray does not want a relationship, so when she meets Orion she is not ready for the attraction she feels. Orion is also resistant, but he feels pulled towards Ray in a way he can’t explain. Their romance is rocky, but it’s the tragic past that links their families that makes things tricky.
    4. Came Back to Show You I Could Fly, by Robin Klein (Text Classics, 2017). First published in 1987, this book was just beyond my own teen reading years, so I have only ever read it as an adult, but I remember thinking it amazing in the 90s when I first read it. This reread did not disappoint. The characters of ten year old Seymour, q naïve and lonely boy, and Angie, a drug addict, and the way they form an unlikely friendship is really compelling and beautifully rendered. I wish I could write like that!
Books for Adults
1. 1. 1. His Last Bow, by Arthur Conan Doyle. I started working my way through the complete collection of Sherlock Holmes stories last year, and this is the second last title. One to go. I am still enjoying the language and style, and (as I’ve said before) listening to them being read by Stephen Fry.
    2. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Simon & Schuster, 2021). This was recommended to me by one of my university students, who told me is one of the best books she’d ever read. High praise, and enough o make me curious. I really enjoyed this story – a glimpse at life behind the scenes in Hollywood’s glamour years, as well as an exploration of the challenges of being LGBTQI in this community, and of love in all its forms.
Nonfiction for Adults
1. 1. 1. Ten Steps to Nanette, by Hannah Gadsby (Wavesound, 2022). I love listening to audiobooks, because it helps me on long drives, and also when doing dull stuff like housework. But there are some books that I believe should be read on audio because of the value of the author’s voice – and this is one of them. Listening to Hannah Gadsby tell her story is an absolute privilege. Not always easy, because of the subject matter, but always riveting and heartfelt and very moving. Superb.
2. Let Go, by Hugh van Cuylenburg (Penguin, 2021). From the author of The Resilience Project, which I read twice last year, this one is a good complement, exploring the additional challenges to resilience which the pandemic, social media and more can throw up, and new insights into van Cylenburg’s own journey.

3. The Ballroom Murder, by Leigh Straw (Fremantle Press, 2022). The true story of a murder that happened in Perth in 1925, when a young woman, Audrey Jacob, shot dead her former fiancé – in he middle of a charity ball at Government House. Drawing from newspaper accounts, court records and other historical documents, this is an intriguing story. Mine was a review copy – the book is not released until August.
4. Fathoms: The World in the Whale, by Rebecca Giggs (Scribe, 2020). Youc an tell from the cover that this is a book about whales – but it is about so much more, too. Framed against an exploration of the whale and humans’ relationship to whales, this books is philosophical, sad, and hopeful in turn. beautiful reading.

This brings my total for the year to 68 books read so far – nearly half way to my goal which, I guess, means I’m on track.

That’s it from me, but I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading.

How did it get to be November already? Another month has just whizzed past, which means it’s time to look at what I read in October. Here goes:

Books for Younger Readers

My Brother Ben, by Peter Carnavas (UQP, 2021). I love Peter’s writing, and only recently read his first novel, so was pleased to spot the new one in my local bookshop. True to form, this is gentle and lovely, focussed on the bonds between brothers, especially in the face of challenges.
Wandi, by Favel Parrett (Lothian, 2021). I love animal stories, and what’s cuter than a baby dingo? Wandi is a rare alpine dingo, but when an eagle snatches him from his mountain home, a frightening adventure begins. Based on a true story, but told from the perspective of the dingo.
Listen to the Moon, by Michael Morpurgo (Harper Collins, 2015). I listened to this on audio, and it was a good one for that, with different readers for the viewpoints of Alfie, and Merry. Set in World War One, on the Scillie Islands, this is the story of a fishing family who find a girl alone on an uninhabited island and nurse her back to health, as well as the story of that girl, who they call Lucy, and how she came to be there.
The Family from One End Street, by Eve Garnett (Heinemann, 1952). This book, first published in 1937, was a favourite in my childhood and, now that I realise just how old it is, I wonder if perhaps my mum read it as a child, too. I am fairly sure that, like most o my childhood favourites, it was Mum who bought it for me. I hadn’t read it for a very long time, but wasn’t disappointed.
The Small Miracle, by Paul Gallico (Michael Joseph, 1951). I have had this little book for quite a while, and no idea how I came to own it – I suspect an op shop find. The story of an orphaned boy, his donkey, and his belief in St Francis of Assisi.

Books for Young Adults

We Are Inevitable, by Gayle Forman (Simon & Schuster, 2021). If I pick up any book set in a bookshop I just have to read it. This one is set in a failing bookshop, run by Aaron and his father who are struggling to keep themselves functioning following a terrible loss. I enjoyed the mix of humour, action and healing.
Beautiful Broken Things, by Sara Barnard (Macmillan, 2016). A story about friendship, and of living with the impact of trauma. Not a happily ever after story, but that’s what makes it believable, and there is plenty of hope.

Books for Adults

A Fairy Tale, by Jonas T. Bengtsson (Scribe, 2014). Hard to describe this one, which was a library discard which I picked up in a op shop. Set in Copenhagen in the 1980s, it is the story of a father and son who live an unorthodox life, moving from place to place with the father seemingly trying to escape his past. Told through the eyes of the boy – first as a child and later as a young man, this is a really intriguing story about fathers, sons and their bods.
Everyone in this Room Will Some Day be Dead, by Emily Austin (Atlantic Books, 2021). I seem to have read book after book this book around death and dying – murder mysteries, grief etc. Which is odd because I was looking for lighter reads. This one was a favourite. Gilda is a little obsessed with death and illness, but does not expect this to lead her on an amateur quest to solve an apparent murder. But not did she, as a gay atheist, expect to be hired as the receptionist at a local Catholic church. By turns sad, funny and intriguing.
Booked for Murder, by V .L. McDermid (Harper Collins, 1996). Another op shop purchase – this one a murder mystery. I bought it on the strength of the premise – an author who is murdered by the same device she has written in her as-yet forthcoming book. Quite a few twists, and I liked the protagonist.
Last Night, by Mhairi McFarlane (Harper Collins, 2021) And yes, another book that was not as light as I thought it would be – there’s grief, family secrets and more being dealt with, but there also light, feel good moments. I hadn’t read anything by McFarlane before, but will be looking out for more.
At Home With the Templetons, by Monica McInerney (Penguin, 2010). Another op shop purchase. Set between London and Australia, following a dysfunctional family who seemingly inherit a heritage home in Australia and set it up as a tourist attraction. Part family saga, part romance. Not heavy going, and thus just what I needed.