Fleur Ferris and Seven Days

Fleur Ferris, Seven Days & other books “It blows my mind to think what we do today matters – not just to us, but to those who come after us, to those who aren’t even born yet. It can impact someone one hundred years from now.” (Seven Days) All of Fleur Ferris’ novels (published Penguin […]

Let’s Never Speak of This Again by Megan Williams

Let’s Never Speak of This Again by Megan Williams Winner of the Text Prize (Published by Text) HONOUR BOOK CBCA 2024 Book of the Year: Older Readers Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2024 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2024 Notable Books Guest author post by Megan Williams about Let’s Never Speak of This Again for […]

Meet Me at the Moon Tree by Shivaun Plozza

Meet Me at the Moon Tree by Shivaun Plozza Guest author post by Shivaun Plozza about Meet Me at the Moon Tree Thank you for your superb body of work for YA and middle-grade, Shivaun and for writing so beautifully about Meet Me at the Moon Tree (published University of Queensland Press) for Joy in […]

5 Writers 5 Minutes

5 Writers 5 Minutes Guest author post by Lian Tanner on behalf of the Ubers, the Uber-Talented Crit Group for Joy in Books at PaperbarkWords blog Lian Tanner writes Two years ago, in the middle of the Covid lockdowns, I received an intriguing email from author Deborah Abela. ‘I’ve wanted to be in a critique […]

The Raven’s Song by Zana Fraillon & Bren MacDibble

The Raven’s Song by Zana Fraillon & Bren MacDibble Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 Notable Books The Raven’s Song by Zana Fraillon & Bren MacDibble (published by Allen & Unwin) The Raven’s Song is shortlisted and is an Honour Book in the CBCA 2023 Book of the Year […]

Last-Place Lin by Wai Chim, illustrated by Freda Chiu

Last-Place Lin by Wai Chim, illustrated by Freda Chiu Published by Allen & Unwin “Last-Place Lin. Last-Place Lin. Last-Place Lin. At first, I say the words in my head, then I chant them. My feet match the rhythm.” (Last-Place Lin) Author Interview with Wai Chim Thank you for speaking about Last-Place Lin with Joy in […]

Hello Twigs by Andrew McDonald & Ben Wood

Hello Twigs by Andrew McDonald & Ben Wood “Nature stuff is TREASURE!” (Hello Twigs: Let’s Find Treasure) The new Hello Twigs series of lively, humorous graphic novels for children has great appeal because of its familiar and yet unpredictable stories based around four friends (the familiar) who are twigs (the unexpected) who all have an […]

Completely Normal (and Other Lies) by Biffy James

Completely Normal (and Other Lies) by Biffy James (published Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing) Completely Normal (and Other Lies) is shortlisted in the CBCA 2023 Book of the Year Older Readers category. Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 Notable Books “The jealousy I felt was familiar and comforting, so I […]

NIGHT LIGHTS by Sarah Epstein

NIGHT LIGHTS by Sarah Epstein Sarah Epstein is the awarded author of YA thrillers Small Spaces, Deep Water and now Night Lights. *********** Night Lights is another gripping read and is shortlisted in the 2023 Davitt Sisters in Crime awards. It is also a finalist in the Aurealis awards. Thank you for speaking to Joy […]

Honey and the Valley of Horses by Wendy Orr

Honey and the Valley of Horses by Wendy Orr (published by Allen & Unwin) Wendy is the acclaimed author of many books for different age-groups throughout childhood to young adult. Personal favourites are her Ancient Crete trilogy: Dragonfly Song (winner of a Prime Minister’s Literary Award – of which I was a judge!), Swallow’s Dance […]