Author: joylawn

Book advocate. Joy Lawn is a freelance book reviewer and book judge specialising in literary fiction and children's and YA literature. She has recently judged the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, Qld Literary Awards - Fiction & Non-Fiction Book Award (chair), IBBY Australia Honour Books for Writing & Illustration, and has judged the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, Russell Prize for Humour Writing, CBCA, Davitt Women's Crime Book awards & Aurealis Awards. Joy loves moderating sessions at Writers’ Festivals, including Brisbane, Byron, Sydney & Central Coast, reviews theatre & books for ArtsHub, books for Books + Publishing & writes the editorial and feature articles for Magpies magazine. Joy promotes Australian literature here and overseas. 'A great book compels you to reread your own soul.' — Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North

All You Can Be by Angela Casabene, ill. Michelle Conn

All You Can Be by Angela Casabene, illustrated by Michelle Conn Published by Affirm Press Angela Casabene shares why she wrote her lovely, affirming picture book, All You Can Be, at PaperbarkWords blog I have often said this about my two girls: My first born is like an extension of my soul. And although I […]

The Crying Room by Gretchen Shirm

The Crying Room by Gretchen Shirm Author Interview at PaperbarkWords Gretchen Shirm is a writer’s writer. Her new novel The Crying Room is a masterclass in writing. It’s an immersive story about women (mainly) and their relationships but it’s inimitable quality, in my opinion, is the writing, which adeptly moves from introspection to pathos, pain […]

DEEP IN THE FOREST by Erina Reddan

Deep in the Forest by Erina Reddan Author Interview for Joy in Books at PaperbarkWords “I know I’ve spent too much time lost in the river runs of these pages, making notes on the last things to be done before the binding. The moment when all the words, the ideas, the song of it come […]

Clever, Funny, Thinking Picture Books

Picture Book Reviews by Joy in Books at Paperbark Words blog Books published by ABC Books, HarperCollins Australia & Working Title Press 2023 has produced a really great stash of picture books from ABC Books, Working Title Press and HarperCollins, as well as the reissue of some of the latter’s contemporary classics. The following books should be bought, borrowed […]

The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet by Jaclyn Moriarty

The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet by Jaclyn Moriarty (Allen & Unwin) “ ‘And what is this world?’ I asked. ‘It’s called the Kingdoms and Empires. It’s like our world, only more old-fashioned. Plus they have magic. The main thing to remember is that Shadow Mages are good and Spellbinders can bind Shadow Magic. Genies […]

Christmas Books

Christmas Collectables First, some Classic Christmas Books … Like many book lovers, I have a special collection of treasured Christmas books gathered over the years. Many are works of art. I’m talking here about seasonal books that are specifically designed about Christmas (not general books that could be given as Christmas gifts). Some timeless highlights […]

Open Your Heart to Country wins PM Children’s Literature Award

Jessica Au & Cold Enough for Snow

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead & Wendy Mass

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead & Wendy Mass ‘ “All of life is a mystery, in a way. And that makes every single one of us a detective.” … Evan sat there for a few seconds, looking at his desk. He was trying to solve a mystery, he realized: the mystery of the little […]

Borderland by Graham Akhurst

Borderland by Graham Akhurst Borderland by Graham Akhurst (UWA Publishing $22.99) “I thought of songlines and creation story pathways. I wondered what ancient knowledges, Laws, and songs lay across that land. ‘And this is where they will be mining?’ I asked”. (Borderland) It seems as though everyone is reading Graham Akhurst’s debut Borderland, an atmospheric YA […]