Reviewed by Ian Hamilton The body count by the end of this murder mystery is very modest: one dead man (although there are three fatalities if you count Horace the prize-winning bull and Frank the corgi). We are placed in a small rural town with the delightful name of Myddle. It is located on the
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Love Unedited is the work of Caro Llewellyn, an Australian business executive, artistic director, festival manager and nonfiction writer. Her publications include the 2020 Stella Prize-shortlisted memoir Diving into Glass, which explores her father’s experiences with polio, her own multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis and the realities of living with a disability.
Reviewed by Antonella Townsend Three Wild Dogs – and the Truth – a memoir about the life and times of the dearly departed Reuben and Archer; concluding chapters are dedicated to Frosty who is still living the dream. The dream is having a loving, no-matter-what-happens, loyal carer, some might say owner, but I’m not sure
Reviewed by Richard Tutin Stories tell us much about a nation’s identity. Having been passed down in oral or written forms, they help shape both where a nation has come from and where it is going. The challenge is often to have these stories in a permanent form, so they are not forgotten. There have
Reviewed by E.B. Heath We have two minds. One thinks, the other knows. Forrest Hayes Steve Biddulph has revolutionized the left-brain (analytical and verbal) vs. right-brain (creative, emotional and non-verbal) paradigm by asserting that it is more accurately described as left mind, right mind, so giving some credence to the well-worn saying regarding indecision –
Reviewed by Rod McLary Dorothy Porter is one of Australia’s most esteemed poets who received, among many other awards, the Christopher Brennan Award for a lifetime achievement in poetry. Dorothy – or Dod as she was affectionately called by her family – was ‘fuelled by a lusty human humour and a generously sharp-tongued spirit’ [Michael
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve The oral history of the Yolngu people of East Arnhem Land is reimagined in a fascinating telling of the times before Cook, in the late 17th century. The authors combined to produce a book that is a vibrant depiction of life in this area of which so little is known of
Reviewed by Rod McLary In her latest book, Maryrose Cuskelly takes a critical look at how a comfortable self-regarding middle-class community responds to the intrusion into their domain by a group of rough sleepers. In The Campers, the author explores the impact of homelessness and the presence of rough sleepers on a community and, however
Reviewed by Norrie Sanders In ancient times – before 1995 – one way to find a soulmate was a blind date. In that year, the first on-line dating service began and quickly evolved into the opposite of blind dating. Bios and pics mean that within milliseconds, you can know all about a person, sufficient to
Reviewed by Rod McLary F Scott Fitzgerald – in his 1924 short story The Rich Boy – wrote ‘Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me’. Robert Lukins’ new book is essentially about one very rich family – the Gulch family – and they are one very different
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve This is a beautiful book, in both the illustrations which feature the natural wonders of the objects washed up by the tide, and the unfolding way the facts are revealed. The format is large, the illustrations have the softness of watercolour and the fold-out pages engage a young listener, readily. The
Reviewed by E.B. Heath Money, like faith, is a product of the human imagination. David McWilliams In his latest book, Money, David McWilliams advances the theory that the invention of money and consequent financial innovations have caused technological and social progress. He guides readers from the Ishango Bone to cryptocurrency, to make his point that
Reviewed by Norrie Sanders Some people die, then live again. This book is about them. Not so much about their “near death experience” but about how they died, how they were revived and how it affected them long term. Dr Matt Morgan, an intensive care doctor, has assembled a small cast of people who have
Reviewed by Ian Lipke No doubt every reviewer in the land has commented on the unusual spelling of the word ‘ascendency’. I would ask that MUP check the spelling. This book is essentially a collection of papers written by experts in various aspects of Robert Menzies’s life and career. Each chapter breathes authenticity so that
Reviewed by Richard Tutin How often have we thought that it would be great to go on an adventure? In asking this question I refer to the desire to travel to far flung places where few have gone before us. We could say that there aren’t many places left in the world where this can