Murder on the Ballarat Train – Book Review Author: Kerry Greenwood Genre: Cosy mystery, mystery, Australia My rating: ★★★★☆ Release Date: Published 1st March, 2010 by Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd Format: Audio, 10 pages What did I think? With all respect to Kerry Greenwood, I admit it feels weird to rate this a four after…
Dark Emu – Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident? by Bruce Pascoe
Dark Emu – Book Review Author: Bruce Pascoe Genre: Non-fiction, history, Australian, Indigenous, anthropology, environment, race My rating: ★★★★★ Release Date: Published 1st February, 2017 by ABC Audio Format: Audiobook What did I think? Dark Emu is a fabulous book. I wish I had borrowed the hard copy rather than audio because, though the audio…
The Bodysurfers by Robert Drewe
The Bodysurfers – Book Review Author: Robert Drewe Genre: Short stories, Australia, classic My rating: ★★★☆☆ Release Date: Published 29th June, 2009 by Penguin Group (Australia) Format: Paperback, 168 pages What did I think? Drewe’s short story collection was printed in the eighties and I could tell. It reminded me in style and characters of…
The Story of More by Hope Jahren
The Story of More – Book Review Author: Hope Jahren Genre: Environment, science, climate change My rating: ★★★★☆ Release Date: Published 5th March, 2020 by Fleet Format: Kindle, 224 pages What did I think? Hope Jahren’s ‘The Story of More’ has its place amongst books on the environment, vital in this current climate. Jahren uses…
Butcherbird song <3
Someone sent me this video (by Adrena Forrest) today. Argh! Who cares that it’s from six years ago – I had to share it. Butcher birds can be quite personable and adorable creatures. I’ve had a baby one visiting me for the last two months and singing his heart out. I whistle back sometimes and…
Siren by Tara Moss
Siren – Book Review Author: Tara Moss Genre: Mystery, thriller, Aussie My rating: ★★★★★ Release Date: Published 28th June, 2011 by Bolinda Publishing Format: Audiobook, 11 hours, 31 minutes Yes, I’m back. You’d think that Covid-19 would give me more time to read (and write) but instead it upset my routine. Oh well, no harm,…
If I Had Your Face – A contemporary tale from South Korea
If I Had Your Face – Book Review Author: Frances Cha Genre: Contemporary, women’s fiction My rating: ★★★★★ Release Date: Published 21st April, 2020 by Penguin Books, UK (Viking) Format: Kindle, 272 pages What did I think? Frances Cha’s debut novel introduces you to the lives of five women in modern day Seoul with their…
Below Deck by Sophie Hardcastle – a painful, beautiful journey
Below Deck – Book Review Author: Sophie Hardcastle Genre: Literary, trauma, consent My rating: ★★★★★ Release Date: Published 3rd March, 2020 by Allen & Unwin Format: Paperback, 296 pages What did I think? Hardcastle’s Below Deck has gone straight to my all-time favourites shelf. I’d be lying, though, if I didn’t say that it was…
Roanoke Ridge – a mystery involving bigfoot
Roanoke Ridge – Book Review Author: J.J. Dupuis Genre: Mystery, paranormal, fantasy My rating: ★★★★☆ Release Date: Published 7th March, 2020 by Dundurn Format: Kindle, 208 pages What did I think? Roanoke Ridge is a paranormal mystery just over 200 pages. Paranormal because it’s about tracking bigfoot. Yes, the mythical hairy man-creature aka sasquatch. Plenty…
No One Is Too Small To Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg
No One Is Too Small To Make a Difference – Book Review Author: Greta Thunberg Genre: Non-fiction, speeches My rating: ★★★★★ Release Date: Published 12th November, 2019 by Penguin Books Format: Paperback, 122 pages What did I think? A little book containing eleven of Thunberg’s speeches from 2018 and 2019. A tremendously important read. A…
The Animals in That Country – Must Read.
The Animals in That Country – Book Review Author: Laura Jean McKay Genre: Australian, contemporary, literary fiction, speculative fiction My rating: ★★★★★ Release Date: March 31st 2020 by Scribe Publications Format: Paperback, 288 pages What did I think? I’m not going to lie. McKay’s The Animals in That Country is an odd one. Odd, yet…
The Secrets of Strangers – what a story!
The Secrets of Strangers – Book Review Author: Charity Norman Genre: My rating: ★★★★★ Release Date: Published 3rd March, 2020 by Allen & Unwin Format: Paperback, 352 pages What did I think? I have given Norman’s The Secrets of Strangers five stars – it probably would have been a 4.5 if there were such a…
Death in the Ladies Goddess Club – A fabulous 1930s mystery set in Sydney
Death in the Ladies Goddess Club – Book Review Author: Julian Leatherdale Genre: Mystery, Australian My rating: ★★★★☆ Release Date: Expected 3rd March, 2020 by Allen & Unwin Format: Paperback, 400 pages What did I think? Death in the Ladies Goddess Club is a complex murder mystery set in Kings Cross in the 1930s. Leatherdale’s…
No Friend But the Mountains – quick notes
No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison – Quick notes Author: Behrouz Boochani Genre: Memoir, non-fiction, australia My rating: ★★★★☆ Release Date: Published July 1st 2019 by Bolinda/Macmillan Australia Format: Audiobook, 13 hours and 1 minute #My apologies for messing up the publishing and format details in the version I sent out! What…
Dr Wangari Maathai Plants a Forest – A children’s book I can thoroughly recommend
Dr Wangari Maathai Plants a Forest – Book Review Author: Rebel Girls Genre: Middle grade children My rating: ★★★★★ Release Date: Expected 25th February, 2020 by Rebel Girls Format: Kindle, 128 pages What did I think? I requested this middle grade children’s book through Net Galley because I’m already a fan of the great things…
The Dharma of Fashion: A Buddhist Approach to Our Life with Clothes
The Dharma of Fashion: A Buddhist Approach to Our Life with Clothes – Book Review Author: Otto Von Busch Genre: My rating: ★★★☆☆ Release Date: 28th February, 2020 by Schiffer Publishing Format: Kindle ebook What did I think? It seems I don’t have too much of a problem or addiction to fashion. To be honest,…
Waste Not – A handy look at ways to reduce
Waste Not – ‘not quite’ a Book Review Author: Erin Rhoads Genre: Non-fiction, environment, waste free My rating: ★★★★☆ Release Date: Published 1st July, 2018 by Hardie Grant Books Format: Paperback, 272 pages What did I think? I would recommend this book for those interested in using less plastic and/or cutting down on waste in…
Three Apples Fell from the Sky – a fable
Three Apples Fell from the Sky – Book Review Author: Narine Abgaryan Genre: Fiction, fable My rating: ★★★★☆ Expected Release Date: 5th March, 2020 by Oneworld Publications Format: Kindle, 256 pages What did I think? Author, Narine Abgaryan, gave me plenty to enjoy in this fable detailing the difficulties facing Maran, a small mountain village…
Gotta Get Theroux This – Louis Theroux talks about his TV career
Gotta Get Theroux This: My Life and Strange Times on Television – Book Review Author: Louis Theroux Genre: Memoir, audiobook My rating: ★★★★☆ Release Date: Published 19th September, 2019 by Macmillan Format: Audio book, 13 hours, 12 minutes What did I think? I listened to the audio book which was, naturally, narrated by Louis. It…
The Institute by Stephen King – Now I see why he’s so popular!
The Institute – Book Review Author: Stephen King Genre: Horror, thriller, mystery My rating: ★★★★☆ Release Date: Published 10th September, 2019 by Hodder & Stoughton Format: Hard back, 485 pages What did I think? This was my aha moment regarding Stephen King. I hadn’t placed him in the writers I didn’t like category—not at all—but…