Australian actor and prolific author William McInnes, typifies so much of what is good about Australia, the straight-forward, community-minded Australia of his parents. His latest book, Holidays, … [Read more...]
Book Review: NIGHTINGALE by Fiona McIntosh
Ever more relevant with the centenary of the Gallipoli Landings coming up next year, Fiona McIntosh's latest novel sweeps the reader back to World War I and to Turkey, where, in May 1915, British … [Read more...]
Book Review: An Inconvenient Genocide by Geoffrey Robertson
Eminent Human Rights Lawyer Geoffrey Robertson QC, now living in London with his wife, Australian-born author Kathy Lette, was recently back in his home town Sydney to promote his latest book, An … [Read more...]
Book Review: The Lion Rampant by Blanche d’Alpuget
Novelist and Biographer Blanche d'Alpuget's latest novel, “The Lion Rampant” (the second book in her Lion quartet), brings alive the intriguing world of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. It is a … [Read more...]
Book Review: Breast Cancer – A journey from fear to empowerment by Cath Filby
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the sea of pink everywhere attests to the impact that this devastating disease has had upon society, affecting not only the sufferers but their carers and … [Read more...]
Alexander McCall Smith talks about his journey as a writer
Much-loved author of the popular series The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Alexander 'Sandy' McCall Smith is currently on tour in Australia to publicise his latest novel, The Forever Girl. I caught … [Read more...]
Book Review: The Forever Girl by Alexander McCall Smith
The Forever Girl is a stand-alone novel set in The Caymans, Scotland, Melbourne and Singapore. Its locations are exotic and include McCall Smith's beloved Edinburgh, its theme of love everlasting, … [Read more...]
Book Review: “Monkey Business” by Kathryn Ledson
One year from her debut novel Rough Diamond, Kathryn Ledson has followed up with an equally exciting sequel, Monkey Business. Erica Jewell is back doing what she does best – saving the day and saving … [Read more...]
Book Review: Rough Diamond by Kathryn Ledson
This is a terrific first novel by Kathryn Ledson that women everywhere are going to find hard not to love. ROUGH DIAMOND has all the ingredients for an irresistibly entertaining read...a likeable … [Read more...]
Book Review: “An Unknown Sky: and other stories” by Susan Midalia
This second collection of short stories by Susan Midalia is perspicacious, pertinent and irresistibly entertaining. There are seventeen stories capturing an everyday moment or event, each inspiring a … [Read more...]
Book Review: Drink, Smoke, Pass Out by Judith Lucy
In her first book, “The Lucy Family Alphabet”, comedian Judith Lucy deals with the outstanding issues that she had with her parents. In this one, she chronicles her descent into alcohol-fuelled … [Read more...]
Book Review: The Golden Land by Di Morrissey
The Golden Land by Di Morrissey interweaves the beauty and troubled political turmoil of Burma, its culture and people, with the life of Natalie living on the Gold Coast in Queensland. This is a … [Read more...]
Book Review: PILGRIMAGE by Jacinta Halloran
People react in various ways to the diagnosis of a terminal illness. In this novel, Celeste and Nathalie are two very different half-sisters whose mother develops Motor Neurone Disease. Their mother … [Read more...]
Book Review: In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner
This is undoubtedly a very fine novel, bearing witness to one of the most appallingly cruel periods of history in living memory. Authentic and crafted with language as delicate as woven gossamer, it … [Read more...]
Book Review: You Don’t Want To Know by Lisa Jackson
You Don't Want To Know by Lisa Jackson is a gripping mystery thriller that holds the reader's attention from the first page to the very last. The story centres around Ava Garrison, wealthy, … [Read more...]
Book Review: The Unfinished Journals of Elizabeth D by Nichole Bernier
The Unfinished Journals of Elizabeth D is a haunting story of bereavement, friendship and the pain of its loss, beautifully and skilfully told by Nichole Bernier. Sometimes women share an affinity, a … [Read more...]
Book Review: THE BELOVED by Annah Faulkner
Bertie is the “Beloved” of the title. Set in the 1950's to early sixties, beginning in Melbourne, with interludes in Sydney and then moving on to Port Moresby, the novel follows Bertie's development … [Read more...]
Book Review: The Daughters of Mars by Tom Keneally
Tom Keneally has drawn an epic tribute to the enormous and often less-acknowledged contributions of women during World War I. In this, his latest novel, seen from the point of view of the nurses who … [Read more...]
‘A Life I did Not Want’ a personal experience of depression
Depression is not a modern-day illness. It has existed as long as written history and probably for as long as humans were conscious of how they felt. Even from the time of Hippocrates, it was a … [Read more...]
Book Review: The Art of Meditation by Matthieu Ricard
This is the follow-up book to “The Art of Happiness”, written by the same author. Meditation is, according to this book, the “inner transformation through training the mind.” It is a challenging and … [Read more...]
Book Review: The Art of Happiness by Matthieu Ricard
Most of us might see being happy as a matter of luck, chance, or situation, perhaps something that can be “found”. Happiness is often confused with pleasure, joy or being in love. The English … [Read more...]
Book Review: Australians (Volume 2) Eureka to the Diggers by Thomas Keneally
Those with a strong arm and capacious handbag capable of carrying this weighty book will reap the rewards of an interesting read about the people who made Australia the wonderful country it is. This … [Read more...]
Book Review: Maeve Binchy’s Treasury
[rating: 4] “Treasury” is an apt description of this wonderful collection of over 40 short stories. Each of the stories is a real gem, unique and beautiful. Some are as subtle as aquamarines, or … [Read more...]
Book Review: Chelsea Mansions: A Brock and Kolla Mystery by Barry Maitland
[rating: 4.5] This is an extremely well-crafted novel, one that will enthral and convert even the most reluctant of crime fiction readers. The arrival of an elderly American tourist in London … [Read more...]
Book Review: The Opal Desert by Di Morrisey
[rating: 4] Di Morrisey immerses the reader in the world of the Australian Outback: raw, powerful, harsh and supremely beautiful. Highly recommended. In the land of the Opal hunters, there is so much … [Read more...]
Book Review: The Plantation by Di Morrissey
[rating: 4] An extraordinary family secret links a seemingly ordinary Australian family to an exotic plantation in Malaysia. This story spans three generations of political upheaval and change in … [Read more...]
Book Review: Last Chance Cafe by Liz Byrski
The novel by Australian author Liz Byrski is set against a diverse backdrop. There is the legacy of The Push movement in Sydney contrasted with a pilgrimage walking the Camino de Santiago de … [Read more...]
Book Review: Searching for Women Who Drink Whiskey by Miranda Kennedy
[rating: 4] I was captivated by Miranda Kennedy’s account of her time in India, her experiences as a “feringhee”- a foreigner, and more significantly, as a woman on her own, living the life of a local … [Read more...]
