This book is utterly fascinating! Short bios about 16 extraordinary Australian writers going back to the 19th century – many of whom I’ve never heard of. There’s one woman who was a successful crime fiction writer – though of questionable talent – who conspired with her husband to blackmail her way to publication. Then there’s […]
non fiction
Review: 488 Rules for Life, by Kitty Flanagan
I read 488 Rules for Life, by Kitty Flanagan, straight after Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments. It definitely gave me the light relief and laugh detox I needed! I’m a long-time fan of Kitty Flanagan’s and love her brand of dry humour. 488 Rules For Life: The Thankless Art of Being Correct is quite literally that […]
Men at Work: why dads are missing out on time with their kids (and how to change it)
For decades women have fought to gain the autonomy and satisfaction that comes with being in the paid workforce. We’ve been knocking on the doors of businesses, demanding to be let in. We’ve successfully campaigned for affordable, quality childcare, smashed glass ceilings and gained seats at the management table. The problem is, the traffic between […]
Review: The Library Book, by Susan Orlean
The Library Book, by Susan Orlean, is simply wonderful. It made me want to go to my nearest library to sit and contemplate and just breathe in the bookish goodness. It’s ostensibly a non-fiction book about the 1986 fire which destroyed the Los Angeles public library, including over 400,000 books. Orlean weaves her story of […]
Review: Raising Readers – How to nurture a child’s love of books, by Megan Daley
Raising Readers, by Megan Daley, is the book I wish I’d been able to read before I had kids. Not because I need tips on how to interest my boys in books – they’re both voracious readers and my youngest takes books to bed as though they’re teddies – but because it would have helped […]
Review: The Revolution of Man, by Phil Barker
One woman is killed every week in Australia by her current or former partner. Every day in Australia six men are killed, by themselves. The number of men who die by suicide each year is double the national road toll. I say this not to try to convince you that male suicide is a more […]