I’ve never read a book quite like Melissa Lucashenko’s Mullumbimby. With most books I read, there are aspects which will remind me of something else I’ve read, or make me think of another author I’ve read. And it could just be that because I’m still working my way through the millions of published books which…
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If a stranger were to follow you around for a day, how would they describe your life? Do you imagine a twenty-first century styled gossip columnist approach or could you, like author Carrie Tiffany, produce an account of people’s habits, whether good, bad, disturbing or tragic, with the same detached interest of a bird-watcher? Tiffany’s…
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Floundering is the debut novel of Melbourne writer Romy Ash, and is a powerful story of a tragic family reunion in an Australian outback setting. It is a tale of a loss of innocence as a wayward mother with no plan, direction or destination, seeks to reclaim her two children. Narrated by the younger brother,…
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I can only vaguely remember the first time I flew on a plane. I had just turned five, and I was flying to Darwin with my Mum and my brother. I remember being so excited about flying on a plane for the very first time, but that’s about it. I can’t remember anything of the…
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Reconstructing Amelia is a mystery thriller by new author, Kimberly McCreight. It opens with tragedy. High achiever, Amelia Baron, has thrown herself off the roof of her elite Brooklyn private school, Grace Hall, after being accused of plagiarising an assignment. Her mother, though, is convinced that Amelia did not take her own life (and didn’t…
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‘Dear fingernails…I’m sorry it took me so long to realise your cracks and peels were beautiful and alive. I’m still coming to realise that my cracks and imperfections are beautiful, too.’ This is an excerpt from Attention: People with Body Parts, a collection of words offered by various contributors to the project, now published in…
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The 2009 documentary The September Issue explored the creation of US Vogue’s biggest issue ever. The magazine’s creative director, Grace Coddington, was memorable as a measured counter to Anna Wintour, its enigmatic, ice queen editor. Sadly, the insight into Coddington’s character offered in Grace: A Memoir is far less endearing. The memoir was an opportunity to…
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Everybody knows that age-old cliché, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’. It’s a well-meaning expression. Yes, we should probably take a closer look at the book before deciding whether or not to read it. Yes, it’s better to get to know a person rather than forming opinions based on their appearance. And yes, Lizzy…
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Amity Gaige’s Schroder is a lyrical rollercoaster that follows the frenzied highs and ugly lows of a man driven by paternal love. It is a captivating, yet shocking, story of the dangers of miscommunications and untruths that we partake in to find belonging. Eric Schroder, a first-generation East German immigrant, is a lonely soul. He…
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Sonia Ocampo had the misfortune of being born on the wrong day. Now she’s her village’s local saint, and every day people come to her with their prayers or her blessing. The constant weight of her people’s hopes and wishes is dragging her down, and she longs for something more for herself and her impoverished…
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Last week, Penguin Books Australia launched the ‘Pink Popular Penguins‘ to raise money for breast cancer research. One dollar from the sale of each of the hot pink editions goes towards the McGrath Foundation. The McGrath Foundation aims to provide McGrath Breast Care Nurses in communities around Australia, while raising awareness of the risk of breast cancer in young…
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Orlando Bloom is a sexy beast. This is scrawled in blue ink on the autograph page of my grade eight yearbook. At 13, that was only the beginning of a long obsession that my best friend and I had with ‘Orli’; we were dedicated fangirls. It seems fangirling is an essential part of growing up…
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I’ve mentioned before that I love books with quirky titles, and of course Pierre Szalowski’s Fish Change Direction in Cold Weather is no exception. But what is even better than a book with a quirky title, is a book with a quirky title which actually resonates within the context of the whole story. Szalowski manages…
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I not only shamelessly judge books by their covers, but by their titles, too. I’m forever drawn to quirky titles, and What the Raven Saw by Samantha-Ellen Bound, was one of the most intriguing titles I’d read in a while. Add to that the beautiful cover artwork, and I couldn’t wait to rip open the…
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