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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.