2021 – A Reading Year in Review

The first days of the New Year are a time for reflection. We look back on the year that has been and look towards the year that has opened. We might take stock of the state of our health, family life and working prospects. We might identify some new life or career goals. Or perhaps …

Gaia Reading Challenge – Diary of a Young Naturalist

“I have the heart of a naturalist, the head of a would-be scientist, and bones of someone who is already wearied by the apathy and destruction wielded against the natural world.” Dara McAnulty,2020 From Goodreads... Diary of a Young Naturalist chronicles the turning of 15-year-old Dara McAnulty’s world. From spring and through a year in …

Reading in Dark Times

I don’t know about you, but I have been finding the last number of months to be quite challenging. The news is rather depressing. It’s probably always been depressing, but I, for one, am getting quite sick of the never-ending saga of Covid outbreaks, political stoushes and humanity’s general inability to be kind, tolerant and …

Up the Country – Miles Franklin

The winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award for 2021 was announced just a few days ago with the prize going to Amanda Lohrey for her novel The Labyrinth. I haven’t actually read any of the books on the shortlist, which is quite normal for me, as I generally tend to catch up with recommended …

#BookSnapSunday – Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence

I am finally picking up the series I started a few weeks ago about Australian Women’s History. March was dedicated to the contribution and experiences of women throughout history.  Generally the history of women has been ignored and neglected, so Women’s History Month is a chance to set the record straight. Of course, it has …

#BookSnapSunday – Modernism

We live in a world of persistent change, where the past is dead and the present is dying…and so to be modern is not only to live now, but to live now in a certain way…life is something we are constantly re-inventing.Malcolm Bradbury, 1971 After just over seven years the end is in sight. This …

#BookSnapSunday – the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov

The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’ But ‘That’s funny…’ Isaac Asimov This week’s book snap features books from the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov (1920-1992). One of the most well-known science fiction writers, Asimov wrote or edited more than 500 books. Many of them …

The White Tiger – Aravind Adiga

In any jungle, what is the rarest of animals - the creature that comes along only once in a generation? I thought about it and said: The white tiger. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga was first published in 2008 and won the Man Booker Prize for that year. Narrated by Balram, it is funny …

#BookSnapSunday – The Elegance of the Hedgehog

When something is bothering me, I seek refuge. No need to travel far; a trip to the realm of literary memory will suffice. For where can one find more noble distraction, more entertaining company, more delightful enchantment than in literature?  If you like a fast-paced, action-packed plot, then this book is probably not for you. …

#BookSnapSunday – The Weather Makers

What does climate change mean? How will global warming affect our lives? Is it the cause of wilder storms and more frequent drought? Are these events inevitable? Tim Flannery makes these urgent issues completely accessible. He tells the fascinating story of climate change spanning millions of years to help us understand the predicament we face. …