2021 is the 10th year of the Australian Women Writers Challenge and the sixth year I’ve taken part. This year I’m planning to read at least 10 and review at least six books by Australian women writers – “Franklin” level. (To find out more about the levels, and to sign up yourself, head to Sign […]
book lists
Dark dystopian stories that feel like they might really happen (and soon)
It may seem counter intuitive to read dark stories in these dark times. Over the past year I’ve see-sawed between wanting to escape into light, fluffy, happy books, and needing the cleansing catharsis that near-future dystopian novels can bring. Here are four dark novels which I’ve really enjoyed. I hope you find one to add […]
14 of the best novels of 2019 that I plan to read in 2020
I read nearly 70 books in 2019 and still I feel like I missed out on so many great novels that kept shooting past my feed! Luckily I’ve saved them all to my Goodreads ‘Want to Read’ list. There are currently 269 books on that list so, unless I win the lottery and withdraw from […]
10 Fabulous Dystopian and Speculative Fiction Books
2019 has seen an absolutely bumper crop of dystopian, post-apocalyptic and other speculative fiction stories which don’t fit neatly into either category. With the real world as tumultuous as it is, I can’t help but wonder if it’s making science fiction authors’ jobs that bit harder to imagine a dark and scary “other” world. With […]
5 intriguing memoirs by Australian women writers
There have been some really fabulous memoirs written by Australian women published in the past few years. They lay bare the experience of being a woman in all its many forms. From feminism to racism, battling with body image and cultural identity, the stories I’ve read have been rich with insight and humour. The following […]
Dark post-apocalyptic novels that’ll have you stocking your bunker
I can’t really explain why I love post-apocalyptic novels and dystopian fiction so much. Maybe it’s because, deep down, I fear we humans won’t be able to pull it together in time to beat climate change. Rising sea levels, record-breaking weather events and increased toxicity are quickly becoming reality. It’s nice to think that fiction […]
