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The Hand of Fatima, by Ildefonso Falcones, translated by Nick Caistor
The Hand of Fatima is a sprawling historical novel, set in 17th century Spain when the Christians had defeated the Moors. Nearly 900 pages long, it’s a blockbuster, successor to Falcones’ European...
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Calypso Summer, by Jared Thomas
Calypso Summer is a YA title which was published under the auspices of the black&write! Indigenous Writing and Editing Project sponsored by the State Library of Queensland. As it says on the...
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Rift Breaker, by Tristan Michael Savage
It’s been so long since I’ve read any SF, I’ve almost forgotten how to read it. Rift Breaker, by award-winning indigenous author Tristan Michael Savage, is a high action space adventure that will...
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The Marriage Game, by Alison Weir
The Marriage Game is an entertaining light choice for a travel day. Based on the life of the Virgin Queen Elizabeth, it’s the story of the endless shenanigans concerning her marriage, and of her love...
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Meet an Aussie Author: Jared Thomas
Dr Jared Thomas is a Nukunu man from the Southern Flinders Ranges and author of Calypso Summer which I reviewed a short while ago for Indigenous Literature Week / NAIDOC Week 2014. His profile at...
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Mona, by Dan Selberg, translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles, Guest review by...
Where would I be without Karenlee Thompson to help me out when the pile of books for review grows so big it won’t fit in the drawer? Yes, in my home library they have their very own designated drawer...
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Deeper Water, by Jessie Cole
Something rather odd happened when I finished reading Jessie Cole’s second novel last night. Usually when I finish reading a book, I close the covers, and mull over it for a while. I give it time to...
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A Stairway to Paradise, by Madeleine St John
A Stairway to Paradise (1999) was the fourth and final novel of Madeleine St John (1941-2006), the first Australian woman to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize (with The Essence of the Thing, see my...
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The Ark, by Annabel Smith
Up front, I have to admit that I would never have read this most interesting book if not for the fact that Annabel Smith is one of my favourite authors. Firstly, I don’t like reading eBooks, and...
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The Almond Picker, by Simonetta Agnello Hornby, translated by Alastair McEwen
I wasn’t wildly enthusiastic about this book. I was intrigued at first, then became confused by the huge cast of characters and was tempted to abandon it – but found my interest reignited when the...
View ArticleA Treacherous Country, by K.M. Kruimink (2020 Vogel Winner)
A Treacherous Country is this year’s winner of the Vogel Award for an unpublished manuscript, and it’s a promising debut for its author K M (Kate) Kruimink. This is the blurb: Gabriel Fox, the young...
View ArticleThe Glass-Blowers, by Daphne du Maurier
This week is #DDMReadingWeek hosted by Heaven Ali and I needed very little encouragement to dig out some titles by Daphne Du Maurier (1907-1989) from the TBR. I read the Cornish novels Rebecca (1938),...
View ArticleRise and Shine, by Patrick Allington
Back in 2010 when this blog was still very young, I reviewed Patrick Allington’s first book, Figurehead which had been longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award. It remains in my memory as an...
View ArticleNo Small Shame, by Christine Bell
It’s just a coincidence, but Theresa Smith has just published an author talk with Sandie Docker that discusses ‘the power of feel-good-fiction’, and today I finished reading a book that fits into that...
View ArticleOn a Barbarous Coast, by Craig Cormick and Harold Ludwick
In the lead-up to #IndigLitWeek 2020 in July, here’s a most unusual novel to pique your interest! On a Barbarous Coast is a collaborative work of speculative fiction. It tells an alternative history...
View ArticleCatching Teller Crow, by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina
I do love a bit of synchronicity! The very day before I read Catching Teller Crow, by collaborative writing duo Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina, I stumbled on a Tweet from the Sydney...
View ArticleBenevolence, by Julie Janson
Somehow, I missed the publication of Julie Janson’s first novel Crocodile Hotel (2015), reviewed here by Alison Broinowski, and I would have missed this second novel too if not for the Facebook group...
View ArticleThe Matriarch, (The Mahana Family #1) by Witi Ihimaera
The thorny issue of dealing with the contested past is very much with us at the moment, and colonised peoples all over the world are delving into their stories of the past with fresh perspectives....
View ArticleThe Siege of Krishnapur, by J G Farrell, winner of the Booker Prize in 1973
Reviews From the Archive An occasional series, cross-posting my reviews from The Complete Booker. To see my progress with completing the Complete Booker Challenge, see here. The Siege of Krishnapur, by...
View ArticleA Kindness Cup, by Thea Astley
The title of A Kindness Cup is ironic. It alludes to the New year’s Eve tradition of raising a glass (i.e. a cup o’ kindness’) while singing Auld Lang Syne. The words ‘We’ll take a cup of kindness...
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