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Sally Murphy, Australian author

What I Read in January 2024

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The first month of 2024 has flown by and it’s time for my round up of what I read in January. I feel like I spent most of the month reading, so was surprised to realise I only finished 9 books – but that’s because a lot of my reading has been research – bits of books, war diaries, journal articles, archives and the like.  I have been researching for the book I am hoping to write during my current academic study leave. But, in between that fun, but sometimes heavy, reading, I have also managed the following nine books – an eclectic mix as always

Children’s Books

    1. Duck Boy Duck Boy , by Christobel Mattingley (Angus & Robertson, 1983). I hadn’t read a lot Mattingley’s work until last year, when I picked up several of her books at second hand book sales. It was almost like the universe kept putting her books in front of me to ensure I plugged this gap in my reading. I loved this one – with Adam, the youngest of three siblings staying on a farm, who proves to be not just resourceful but also compassionate and brave in helping a duckling family, the owner of the farm, Mrs perry, and even his older siblings.
    2. The Jetty, by Christobel Mattingley (Hodder & Staughton, 1978).  Another of Mattingley’s works, a gentle story of a boy who, amidst the grief of losing his fisherman father, has a complicated relationship with the jetty his town revolves around.
    3. Jack's IslandJack’s Island, by Norman Jorgensen (Fremantle Press, 2008). Not my first read of this adventures, social commentary and all round good story, but I enjoyed getting reacquainted with ack and his friends. Coincidentally, a new edition of this book with a stunning new cover is coming next month.
    4. Poetry Speaks to Children with CD (A Poetry Speaks Experience)Poetry Speaks to Children , edited by Elise Paschen (Sourcebooks, 2015). This absolute treasure became mine when I happened upon a free street library. It seems to be in brand new condition which is a shame because it suggests it wasn’t loved by its previous owner – but, rest assured, it will be long treasured by me. With poems from 95 poets, and an accompanying CD offering the opportunity to hear many of them read aloud by the poets, as well as sumptuous illustrations, this is amazing.
    5. Almost There and Almost NotAlmost There and Almost Not, by Linda Urban (Atheneum, 2021). I know I am not the only person who buys books sometimes just because of their covers. This divine cover is visually sumptuous and I had to pick it up, stroke it, hug it and then buy it. It’s a hard cover book with a dust jacket that is silky to touch and shimmery, with an amazing illustration by Charles Sentoso. And, because the designer deserves a mention, I went looking fin the credits and found that the designer was Debra Sfetsios-Conover. The story didn’t disappoint either – a beautiful tale of the friendship between California Poppy and the two ghosts she meets at her Great-Aunt’s house. As they help her heal, she, in turn, helps them.

 

Books for Adults

  1. Swallow the AirSwallow the Air, by Tara June Winch (UQP, 2006). How to describe this book? Breathtaking is the closest I can get to a book that is tender, shocking, sad, and beautiful, all in one very accessible tale of  a Koori girl’s quest to find identity and belonging following her mother’s death, and a childhood impacted by violence, poverty and lack. Melissa Lucashenko’s  discussion of the book here is really excellent.
  2. Frank, by Jordie Albiston (NLA Publishing, 2023). Although labelled a collection rather than a verse novel, this has the feel of the latter – and I adored it. Written using the redacted and reorganised journal entries of Frank Hurley, the photographic pioneer who travelled to Antarctica with both Mawson and Shackleton.  Sadly Albiston’s last work, as she passed away before it was published.
  3. Illuminate, by Margaret Gibson Simon & John Gibson (Border press, 2013). More poetry, this a delightful little collection that was a gift from the poet as part of the Poetry Friday Holiday Poetry Swap. I love the combination here – Margaret has responded in poetry to the beautiful pointillism images of her father.
  4. Year I Met My Brain: A travel companion for adults who have just found out they have ADHDYear I Met My Brain: A travel companion for adults who have just found out they have ADHD, by Matilda Boseley (Penguin, 2023). This was recommended to me by a fellow ADHD-er and, since it is a subject  pretty close to my heart I got the audio version and listened to it over my next two trips up and down to Perth. A really honest look at the author’s own experiences with ADHD both before and after diagnosis,  plus a look at the research and strategies for working with both the strengths and challenges of having an ADHD brain.

So, my total for 2024 so far is 9, with lots more reading ahead on my quest to read allll the books in the world (or maybe even all the books in my to-be-read cupboard).  I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading.

What I Read in December

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It’s the last day of December which means a wrap up of my reading for the month. I read 8 books, a number which surprised me because I spent lots of time with family this month, and also napped more, so still managing 8 books. was not a bad achievement. Here’s what I read.

Books for Children

    1. The Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann David Wyss. I’ve been enjoying listening to children’s classics through Audible – until I reached this one. I am sorry to report that,  while I knew my old favourites would be dated, and therefore would hold some values that just don’t hold up to contemporary life, this is the first one where I struggled to keep listening.  The idea of a family being shipwrecked and then having a survival adventure should allow me to overcome some of my concerns – but it didn’t. I won’t list them all here, but the attitudes to women and to ‘savages’ (who don’t even appear in the book) as well as mindless violence against animals (as opposed to hunting for survival)  mean that I wouldn’t recommend this book to a younger reader without a lot of room to discuss and interrogate.  This article is a critique of the film version, but still covers some of the same concerns I had.

Raggedy Ann Stories (Raggedy Ann)  2. Raggedy Ann Stories and Raggedy Andy Stories, by Johnny Gruelle (Audible). Another audio book of a classic, and much more enjoyable. Toys that come alive and have adventures is a far cry from the above, though, being written over a century ago, there are some aspects that are outdated.

3.  Mr Dumby’s Duck, by Colin Thiele, illustrated by Mark Wilson. Written by one of Australia’s best loved authors, and published in the same year he died, this is a cute little story about a man and his much-loved duck – who also proves very handy as a guard-duck. I rediscovered this one as I rearranged my bookshelves, and am glad.

4. Accidentally Kelly StreetAccidentally Kelly Street, by Briony Stewart with lyrics by Tim O’Connor (Affirm Press, 2022). I have been very excited about this picture book for a long time – knowing that Briony was working on it, and having adored this song since it was released. But I did not predict just how amazingly she has interpreted the song, depicting a family making a new start in Kelly Street. You have to see it for real to see why it took my breath away. Go and buy it, and share and discuss it.

5. Sea HorseSea Horse, by Bruce Pascoe (Magabala Books, 2015). This was my last read for the year and a good one to finish on. I have been consciously working to ensure I read more books by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, our first nations people, both to educate myself and to ensure I have a really diverse collection to share.  This is the story  of Jack, who, on a camping trip with his family, spots a sunken boat under the water, beginning an adventure with mystery and excitement.

 

Books for Adults

 

    1. Tell Me Lies, by J. P Pomare (audible, 2022)  This is the second book of this author I have listened to. Psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns.

To Teach: The Journey, in Comics2. To Teach: The Journey, in Comics by William Ayers and Ryan Alexander-Tanner (Teachers College Press, 2010). This was a gift from my boss – very appropriate given that we both work in the School of Education. Possibly the best book I’ve seen for teachers, and student-teachers – and it’s a comic! Just such a wonderful way to explore the highs and lows of teaching, but, more importantly, the importance of imaginative teaching. Love it!

3.The Wrong Sister The Wrong Sister, by Fiona Palmer (Hachette, 2022). I picked this one up purely because of the tile – having four sisters, the title tickled my fancy. Not my usual kind of read  but a good December read, with an exploration of family, trauma and romance, set in Western Australia’s north.

This brings my total for the year to 169, which is 16 more than 2021. On reflection, while I am happy with this total, my goal for 2023 will be not to read more, but to ensure I really enjoy reading – because I set myself a numerical goal, I did find myself sometimes feeling guilty if I did not get through ‘enough’ books, and had to remind myself that it wasn’t a race. So, we shall see how I go in 2023. I do have an enormous to read pile, and so many books I want to  read – so I may still reach a big number. But I am going to also give myself permission to put a book aside if I’m not enjoying it, or to read slowly  to really savour a good one.

 

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