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Sally Murphy, Australian author

What I Read in January 2026

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January has come and gone, which means time to look back at what I read in the month. At this time every year I contemplate whether sharing my monthly reading is helpful to anyone other than me but this year I have realised it is helpful to ME and that is okay. Keeping a record of what I read, and keeping myself accountable by posting it on my website, is a small thing and if it helps anyone else along the way – with book choices, or knowing I read their book – that’s a good thing, too.

So, in January I read a total of five books – three for  children and two for adults, and here’s the list:

Children’s Books.

    1. Six Summers of Tash and LeopoldSix Summers of Tash and Leopold, by Danielle Binks (Lothian, 2024). Appropriate that the first title I read for the year had summer in the title. Gorgeous story of friendship, family and bravery in a range of forms.
    2. The BakehouseThe Bakehouse, by Joy Cowley (Gecko Press, 2015). Set in rural NZ during Word War 2, and telling the story of a boy who sets out to use a deserted bakehouse as a bunker – but instead finds a soldier sheltering within. Well woven.
    3. The GlimmeThe Glimme, by Emily Rodda & Marc McBride (Scholastic, 2019). I love this pairing of author and illustrator, and this hard cover offering with McBride’s divine illustrations is a delight.

 

 

Books for Adults

    1. Treasure Island (Puffin Clothbound Classics)Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson.  I wanted to read this after coming across an online piece somewhere about how Stevenson’s version of pirates in this book has shaped the tropes, stereotypes and beliefs of successive generations about pirates.  This led me to pick this up from my classic book shelf, and while I was surprised that I didn’t remember much of the detail (especially the amount of murder and killing throughout), I still enjoyed rediscovering this.
    2. The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking AboutThe Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins (Hay House, 2025). I’m a fan of the Mel Robbins Podcast and have bene meaning to read this one since it came out. I found it useful, with the appeal being the reminders and lessons about navigating relationships, other people’s opinions and more.

So that brings my total for 2026 so far to, unsurprisingly, 5 books. Like last year I am not setting a goal number, but I do have a goal this year to set aside more deliberate time and space for reading for pleasure. Goal achieved in January.

What have you been reading?

What I Read in July

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It’s a new month which means time to share what I read last month. July was cold, and a bit lazy – I took a week’s annual leave from my day job, and read a lot. And then I had Covid, with a week of enforced rest – and read a lot more. So I was not so surprised to realised I had managed 23 books in the month. And some good ones too!  Here’s what I got through:

Books for Kids

 

  1. Alex and the Alpacas Ride Again, by Kathryn Lefroy (Fremantle Press, 2022).  This is the sequel to Alex and the Alpacas Save the World, which I read when it was released, and has been rereleased so that new readers can enjoy them both.  It was great to get to see what happens next to Alex – who thought she’d saved the world (with some help from her grandpa and his alpacas) , but now discovers that the job was only half done. Set in Melbourne,  with plenty of action and a dash of humour, this is a gripping read.
  2. Zadie Ma and the dog who chased the moon, by Gabrielle Wang (Penguin,2022). Zadie’s life isn’t always easy – her father has shell shock from fighting in the war, and her mother seems to love Zadie’s little brother Teddy, but not Zadie. To escape, Zadie writes stories – but when she discovers that her stories have a way of coming true, she decides to write the story of a dog, in hopes she will end up owning that dog. Whimsical, and lovely.
  3. The Lost Child of Chernobyl, by Helen Bates (Otter Barry Books, 2021). This was in my to-read pile for a while, and I think must have been sent as a review copy. A graphic novel, inspired by the real events of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986. Although the child’s story is fictitious, the real events and the message of healing and of humankind’s impact on the world, is very real.
  4. Cat Problems, by Jory John, illustrated by Lane Smith (Walker Books, 2021). Another one from my review pile (can you tell I’ve been having a clean out?), this is a humorous tale of one cat’s day, which is filled with problems – moving sunbeams, noisy household machines, and even another cat who is ALWAYS in the way.
  5. The Way of Dog, by Zana Fraillon ((UQP, 2022). You know I love pretty much every verse novel ever, so it will be no surprise when I say how much I loved this offering. Written in the voice of the dog, Scruffity, there’s some humour but also lots of feelings, as Scruffity and the people he meets have some big life challenges.  I may have cried, but that’s also no surprise..
  6. August and Jones, by Pip Harry (Lothian, 2022). Jones isn’t happy about moving to the city, but August is happy when he is chosen as her buddy, to show her around the school. The two quickly become friends, and support each other through some really tough times. Pip Harry is an amazing writer, and this one’s another winner.
  7. Across the Risen Sea, by Bren Macdibble (Allen & Unwin, 2020). Not sure why I hadn’t read this book yet, given that Bren’s one of my favourite writers for middle grade, and an all round lovely person, too.  But I realised I didn’t have it, and bought a copy from a lovely bookshop in Dunsborough, and then read it in a day, because I couldn’t pout it down. Set is a post apocalyptic world, with two young friends drawn in drama and adventure involving dangerous trip across the inland sea which global warming has created, evading pirates, giant sharks and crocodiles, in a quest to save their peace-loving village. What’s not love?
  8. A Clue for Clara, by Lian Tanner (Allen & Unwin, 2020). I bought this after listening to Lian speak at the recent CBCA National Conference. She is a clever, funny speaker, and I was not at all surprised that this translates into her writing as well. Clara is a chicken who has decided she wants to be a detective, just like the one’s she has seen on the Boss’s television. But she’s a small scruffy chicken and not even the other chickens take her seriously – so how can she convince the humans? Fortunately she meets Olive, the daughter of the local policeman. Lots of fun and adventure ensue.
  9. Tilda, by Sue Whiting (Walker Books, 2022). I have been looking forward to this one for quite a while, since Sue told me the piece of her own family history which inspired the beginnings of Tilda’s story. So I was delighted to receive a review copy ahead of its September release, and read it in two sittings.  Set at the turn of the twentieth century in a fictional orphanage, where Tilda is left by her father when he goes to serve in the Boer War.  Tilda is mistreated by the dreadful Sister Agatha, and must use all her courage – and some resourceful friends – to survive. A wonderful read.
  10. Rita’s Revenge, by Lian Tanner (Allen & Unwin, 2022). Having adored Clara, I was delighted to see there was a sequel  and, of course, I had to read it. What’s funnier that a chicken detective? A duck out for revenge on that chicken!  Just like the first book, this is clever, funny and exciting in equal measure.
  11. Ella and the Useless Day, by Meg McKinlay & Karen Blair (Walker Books, 2002). Another review copy, and another one I have been waiting for excitedly. I wasn’t disappointed. Far from being useless, Ella’s day is very rewarding, as she and her dad clear out all the items clogging their house that they deem useless – and discover that these very items may indeed be useful for other people. Such a fun book, with a subtly lovely message.
  12. I am Susannah, by Libby Gleeson (Angus & Roberston, 1987). I’m really enjoying dipping into some of the Australian authors I deeply admire. Frist published in the 80s, this one still holds up . Susie’s best friend has moved away, and this devastates her. Now she is navigating issues of peer pressure, friendship and independence, with no one close who understands, least of all her mum.
  13. Miss Penny Dreadful & the Midnight Kittens, by Allison Rushby, with illustrations by Bronte Rose Marando (Walker Books, 2022). A fun new series, set in 1872, with the main character, Penny, finding herself travelling with her famous authoress aunt and caught up in the mystery of apparently bewitched  kittens. The ending hints at the next mystery, and I look forward to reading it.
  14. Dreaming by Starlight, by Siobhan Curham (Walker Books, 2022). A middle grade story about friendship and fitting in. The main character, Jazz, has moved to England from Australia and is having trouble settling down until her older cousin tells her about a secret club she used to run called the Midnight Dreamers (who featured in earlier books by the same author, although this one stands alone, too). Jazz follows the same steps and finds three new friends, each with their own set of challenges.

15. The Boy Who Met a Whale, by Nizrana Farook (Nosy Crow, 2021). I bought this on the basis of its amazing cover. and really enjoyed it – a blend of adventure, resilience, facing up to fears and more. And yes, there are whales!

16. Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief,  by Katrina Nannestad (ABC Books, 2021).  Another beautiful cover, and another beautiful book. Set  in Russia in 142 as a six year old Sasha is orphaned and finds himself travelling with the army, sheltering but also providing comfort and support to his new friends.

Fiction for Young Adults

  1. The Hidden Girl, by Louise Bassett (Walker Books, 2022). Another review copy. I enjoyed this debut novel , set in Melbourne and Indonesia. Mel has a chequered past at school but has tried to keep her head down at her new school. When she discovers a diary with a coded cry for help, she finds it increasingly difficult to stay out of trouble and do the right thing.

 

 

Fiction for Adults

  1. Cotillion, by Georgette Heyer (Heinemann, 1953). When my mother downsized late last year, I was gifted her collection of Heyer’s books, which I had loved in my late teens but not delved into since. I finally made time to read one – Cotillion. Regency romance, with an heiress who will only inherit if she marries one of her benefactor’s great nephews.  Amusing, and an easy read, just right for a cold winter evenings. I’ll be reading more, when I have time.
  2. The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle. It’s taken a while, but having finished this one I’ve now listened tot he entire collection of Sherlock Holmes books. Nice tor each the end because it’s an achievement, but will miss the writing and the voice of Stephen Fry, who has beenr eading them to me for months and months, in between other audiobooks.
  3. Benang, by Kim Scott (Fremantle Arts Centre Press, 1999). I hadn’t read this before, though had long meant to. Now I have I wonder why I took so long, but also how many rereadings the book will need before I have unravelled its complexity. There is a lot going on – and that confusion for the reader is deliberate, because the subject matter is complex, and deep and also the narrator’s unravelling of his family’s history is just as confusing for him. Harley is a Noongyar man who is trying to work through the truth of this fact, with the knowledge that his grandfather, a white man, believes he has ‘bred’ Harely to be the frist white Noongyar – ie that he has bred the Noongyar out of him. A disturbing premise, but not as disturbing as knowing that this work is rooted deeply in the history of Western Australia and colonial policies.

Poetry

  1. Adultolescence, by Gabbie Hanna (Simon & Schuster, 2017). I picked this one up because of its title, and enjoyed the sometimes irreverent, often funny and very real poetry it contained, dealing with love, life and adulthood in all its guises.

Nonfiction for Adults

  1. The Art of Storytelling: From Parents to Professionals, by Hannah B. Harvey (Audible, 2012).  I got a lot out of this. Aimed at those who want to tell stories – either professionally or more informally, I found that it had a lot to offer a writer as well and, because I use oral storytelling in my sessions, I picked up lots of tips there, too.
  2. Bedtime Story, by Chloe Hooper, illustrated by Anna Walker (Scribner, 2022). Oh gosh!  This is the most beautiful, heartbreakingly honest book. I cried in the first chapter, and several times afterwards. A letter from the author to her son as the family navigates a journey through i9llness. Hooper searches for a children’s book to help, and the book delves into children’s literature, and at he lives of children’s authors, along with issues of life, death, honesty and so much more. With stunning illustrations by the amazing Anna Walker, this is truly a beautiful book

That brings my total for the year (so far) to 104 books, creeping closer to my target of matching last year’s 153.  We’ll see – 49 more seems doable, but it’s been a year of busyness so we shall see.

 

What have you been reading?

What I Read in October

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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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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

  1. 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.
  2.  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.
  3.  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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

 

12 books, bringing my total for 2021 (to date) to 131. I am still hoping to get to 150 by the end of the year – 19 to go.

 

What have you been reading?

What I Read in September

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Another month over and another round up of what I’ve been reading. Eleven books this month – which isn’t bad in yet another hectic month.  Also another month of quite eclectic reading – ranging from a childhood favourite to really serious nonfiction, which made me cry as I got face to face with some of Australia’s terrible history. But these are books that need to be read, and I will be reading more such offerings.  In the meantime, here’s the list:

Books for Children (and Grown ups too!)

  1. Pax: Journey Home, by Sara Pennypacker (Harper Collins, 2021). I was so pleased to see this book on the shelves. I read it’s predecessor, Pax, when I was in Vietnam a few years ago – buying it because of its amazing cover (by illustrator Jon Klassen). It’s a book that stayed with me, so to find a sequel at long last  was exciting – and I wasn’t disappointed. During the war Peter had to release his pet fox, Pax, back into the wild and each struggled to adapt. Now, with the war over, Peter struggles with his new life and his guilt over letting Pax down. When they are reunited, it turns out they both can help each other.
  2. Nice Girls Don’t Play Footy, by Kathy Helidoniotis  (Scholastic, 2019). This one had been in my to read pile for quite some time, and the week of the AFL  grand final seemed a good  time to pick it up. A story of a girl learning to love footy – and trying to find a way to play it against the wishes of her family and friends.
  3. No Flying in the House, by Betty Brock (Scholastic, 1970). I adored this book when I was a child,. Funnily, I didn’t remember the story very well – only that there was a tiny talking dog, and a girl who discovers she can fly. But in spite of not remembering the specifics, the memory of wanting to hug the book, and loving it, and talking about with my sister, who loved it too, have made me hold onto the copy I picked up second hand when my own children were young. And, finally, I picked it up and reread it. And I loved it again, which was a relief.

Books for Young Adults

  1. The Boy From the Mish, by Gary Lonesborough (Allen & Unwin, 2021). A coming out and coming of age story.  Jackson lives on the ‘mish’ a community outside a rural coastal town. When his Aunty brings another boy to visit for the summer holidays, Jackson confronts the knowledge that he is gay, and realises that fighting and hiding who he really is, is not a way forward. A tender, genuine read.
  2. A Weekend With Oscar, by Robyn Bavati (Walker Books, 2021).  life’s already tough for Jamie, with the death of his dad earlier in the year, but when his mother doesn’t return from a week away and he is left trying to care for his younger brother Oscar, who has Down syndrome, it gets increasingly difficult – especially as asking for help will risk them being separated.
  3. When Rain Turns to Snow, by Jane Godwin (Lothian, 2020). I read this when it came out last year, and then picked it up this month  to recommend it to my uni students, and ended up rereading it over two nights. Lots of issues being explored here – family, adoption, online trolling and more – packaged in a story that makes it all palatable, so it isn’t issue-heavy.

Books for Adults

  1.  The Salt Madonna, by Catherine Noske (Picador, 2020). I purchased this at the Western Australia’s Premier’s Book Awards ceremony late last month.  It was one of the shortlisted books which I hadn’t read, and the cover called to me. The story of a teacher  returning to her island home to look after her dying mother, and confront her own past, as well as the struggling island community’s willingness to see miracles  where perhaps there are none. I do like Australian gothic, and this was done well.
  2. The Last Goodbye, Fiona Lucas (Harper Collins, 2021). I’m always interested in how other authors deal with topics of grief and loss, which is why I picked this one up. Anna is grieving her husband, killed in an accident, and rings his mobile number hoping to listen to his voice message. But someone answers – and soon she has a long distance friendship with Brody, who has a grief of his own.  Part romance, part story of acceptance with a satisfying resolution.

Poetry

  1. Animals With Human Voices, by Damen O’Brien (Recent Work Press, 2021). I bought this on the strength of its divine cover, which  is stunning, isn’t it? The poetry inside didn’t disappoint either. Poems about animals, but more about people, and the climate change, and truth, and all kinds of things really.

 

Non-Fiction

  1. Jandamarra and the Bunubu Resistance, by Banjo Woorunmurra & Howard Pedersen (Magabala Books, 1996).  I visited the West Kimberley this month, flying in and out of Broome, and, at the airport, looked for a book from Magabala Books, the local publisher. This one jumped out as me as I knew a little of Jandamarra’s story, but not enough. Not an easy book to read, and to be reminded of the terrible things colonialists did  in our northwest – and elsewhere – in the name of progress. It made me angry and sad and a little bit helpless – but the book was well written and well researched and I had no trouble believing that these things happened. It’s confronting to know I live on lands stolen and with a such a terrible history of slavery and genocide, which many Australians still have trouble accepting. So I didn’t find this easy but I did find it necessary, because it is important to know and to question so that hopefully we can somehow make our country better.
  2. The Hidden Life of Trees, by Peter Wohlleben (Bollinda, 2016). Having read this, I  will never look at trees in quite the same way. In spite of being (understandably, given that the author is German) focussed on European trees, I found this look at how trees communicate, make decisions and more fascinating. Listening on audio had an extra benefit – the reading (by Mike Grady) was lovely – almost like being read a soothing bedside story.

This brings my total for 2021 to 119. I wonder if I can crack the 150 by the end of the year?  Best get reading. What have you been reading?

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 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.

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