Book Review: Shy, by Sian Prior
“Shy. It’s such a shy word; a timid little word that begs to remain unnoticed. Only three letters long and it begins with an exhortation to silence: ‘shhh’.” Sian Prior is accomplished. She’s a journalist and broadcaster, a...
Letters to the End of Love, by Yvette Walker
I was prompted to read this exquisite debut novel after it won the WA Premier’s Emerging Writers Award. I was further inspired after meeting its author, the warm and wise Yvette Walker, at a small gathering she held to celebrate her...
When the Night Comes, by Favel Parrett
‘When the Night Comes’ is Favel Parrett’s second novel, following the success of ‘Past the Shallows’, which was short-listed for the Miles Franklin in 2012, and which I glowingly reviewed here. The story is told by two first person...
Fairway to Heaven, by Lily Malone
I hosted my first ever guest author on the blog last Friday, Lily Malone, and what a lovely guest she was! (You can read her interview here.) We talked about her novel, ‘Fairway to Heaven’. It would be years, decades even, since I read...
Hey, I Have a Guest in the Attic …
I’m very proud to introduce my first guest author to the attic: Lily Malone, author of His Brand of Beautiful (Escape Publishing, 2013), The Goodbye Ride (2013), and Fairway to Heaven (2014). Lily lives in Margaret River with her husband and two young sons....
Lost and Found, by Brooke Davis
This novel hit the bookstores with a bang and much has already been written about it, so I won’t repeat too much of the story. In a nutshell, it’s about seven-year-old Millie Bird, whose mother has abandoned her in a department store following the death of...
Gilgamesh by Joan London
I’ve just finished ‘Gilgamesh’ by Joan London. This novel was shortlisted for the 2002 Miles Franklin Award and longlisted for the Orange Prize and the Dublin Impac. It’s also been published in Europe, the UK, and the USA. The title of the book...
Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett
Wow! I can’t write a review of this novel in my usual way so this is more of a ‘reflection’. That’s because of the emotions this story stirred. As a reader, I was completely captivated. And heartbroken. I forgot I was a writer. I only wish...