The Old Fire by Elisa Shua Dusapin

The Old Fire by Elisa Shua Dusapin (Scribe Publications) I was transfixed while reading Elisa Shua Dusapin’s new literary novel, The Old Fire. Translated from the French by Aneesa Abbas Higgins, the author disrupts what seems to be a cosy, country atmosphere with discordant layers between sisters, who haven’t seen each other for years, waiting […]

The Season for Flying Saucers by Brendan Colley

The Season for Flying Saucers by Brendan Colley (Transit Lounge) Brendan Colley writes about the inspiration behind The Season for Flying Saucers, his artful, left-field novel for adults, for Joy in Books at Paperbark Words blog. In 2014 I was playing around with some narrative poetry, like I usually do as a warm-up before I […]

Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet

Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet Published by Penguin Random House Beth is Dead is Little Women on steroids. Based on Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, Katie Bernet’s debut YA/adult novel reads like the best fanfiction. Told from the viewpoint of each of the four March sisters in the past and present, it is addictive. […]

Departure(s) by Julian Barnes

Departure(s) by Julian Barnes Published by Jonathan Cape, an imprint of Vintage, Penguin Random House Julian Barnes is the eminent English author who won the 2011 Booker Prize for his novel The Sense of an Ending. He is a ‘hybrid’ author, whose books range from the fictional Flaubert’s Parrot and The Only Story to non-fiction, […]

Super-Frog Saves Tokyo by Haruki Murakami

Super-Frog Saves Tokyo by Haruki Murakami Translated from the Japanese by Jay Rubin Illustrated by Seb Agresti, illustrated and designed by Suzanne Dean Published by Harvill, Penguin Random House Illustrated Short Story for adults Book review by Joy Lawn (Joy in Books) at Paperbark Words blog “Katagiri found a giant frog waiting for him in his apartment […]

Crimson Velvet Heart by Carmel Bird

Crimson Velvet Heart by Carmel Bird Transit Lounge Crimson Velvet Heart is the twelfth novel from the accomplished Australian writer Carmel Bird. It revivifies the dynasty and descendants of Louis XIV in 17th century Versailles. The following extract for PaperbarkWords blog is from the start of novel: A Child Is Born in Savoy from Crimson […]

Legacy by Chris Hammer

Legacy by Chris Hammer Allen & Unwin In Legacy, Chris Hammer is back to his Scrublands best. Martin Scarsdale returns in an explosive mystery adventure where he is under personal attack. The setting straddles the Queensland and NSW border and is an atmospheric highlight. Diverted floodwaters creeping south form a stark contrast to the searing […]

The Great Undoing by Sharlene Allsopp

The Great Undoing by Sharlene Allsopp (Ultimo Press) “…there are other forms of history. There are songs and laments – poetry. There are ancient songlines. There is continued existence. There is thriving where there was once only surviving. I drew a deep breath as I walked on that silent country, thinking these thoughts, searching for […]

Gail Jones, Hannah Kent, Sophie Laguna & Book Reviews for ArtsHub

My book reviews for ArtsHub The Name of the Sister by Gail Jones (Text Publishing) https://www.artshub.com.au/news/reviews/book-review-the-name-of-the-sister-gail-jones-2801217/ My other book reviews for ArtsHub Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent Hannah Kent’s new book is Always Home, Always Homesick. It a memoir about her time living in Iceland and the writing of Burial Rites. (Pan Macmillan […]

Saturation by William Lane

Saturation by William Lane Saturation by William Lane (Transit Lounge) is a gripping, easy-to-read dystopia for adults that explores issues of climate and other anxieties. On writing Saturation by William Lane It seems every second person wrote a novel during the Covid lockdowns. Saturation is one of these novels. The Covid crisis, along with the […]