Reviewed by Ian Lipke Imagine a nineteenth-century artist whose pet wombat slept on his dinner table or a twentieth-century scientist tasked with a top-secret mission to deliver a platypus to Winston Churchill at the height of World War II. Unusual, fascinating, inspiring and mostly unknown anecdotes from the story of the Australian bush fill much
Reviewed by Rod McLary Madeline Miller’s Galatea is a re-telling of the Greek myth in which the king Pygmalion has fallen in love with a statue he made with his own hands. In answer to his prayers, the goddess Aphrodite brought the statue Galatea to life and she and Pygmalion married. Subsequently, they have a
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Milk, two sugars and a dead body… A Spoonful of Murder is the first novel by primary school deputy head, J. M. Hall. He had previously written plays for theatre and radio across the UK. His full-time job, no doubt, gave him many models on whom to base his three retired
Reviewed by Richard Tutin Having flown between Australia and the United States a couple of times has made me very aware of the sheer size of the Pacific Ocean. Sixteen hours flying nonstop is a long time to be in the air, but it has to be done. The ocean that laps both our shores
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve Melbourne in 2030 has changed into a city which many had predicted earlier in the century. Climate extremes, war, poverty and loneliness bring intense heat, frequent torrential rain, abandoned buildings; and, to the north, Indonesia in the grip of civil war. No longer does it qualify as “the world’s most liveable
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve Delving into Adam Courtenay’s latest book, which explores aspects of the life in the fledgling colony at Sydney Cove, poses a fascinating question. How did a society that at almost all levels was “three sheets to the wind” form the foundation to the thriving nation of today, which seriously takes part
Reviewed by E.B. Heath The linguistic agility of some writers has the effect of organising the mind – much like a librarian applying the Dewey Decimal system to a pile of dusty books – Professor Grayling is one such writer. He makes light work for the reader despite the dense subject matter concerning significant threats
Reviewed by Rod McLary It is a common trope in stories about families that the matriarch or patriarch is on his/her death bed and the family gathers around and all the unresolved tensions and undisclosed secrets are exposed for good or bad. Think of Patrick White’s The Eye of the Storm and what flows from
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Travis Devine is identified in David Baldacci’s latest thriller as The 6:20 Man for the simple reason that each morning he catches the 6:20 train to work. The service is a popular one, not least for men who are treated each morning to the sight of a beautiful young woman in
Miles Franklin Literary Award Today, the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, alongside award trustee Perpetual, announced the 2022 Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist featuring five exceptional titles. The announcement was broadcast nationally. The 2022 Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist is: The Other Half of You by Michael Mohammed Ahmad (Hachette Australia) Scary Monsters by Michelle de Kretser (Allen & Unwin) Bodies of
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Ned Manning is a writer, actor and teacher. He is well known for his teaching memoir, Playground Duty which has become required reading for anyone interested in the real world of teaching. He has written over twenty plays many of which have been performed in schools around Australia. Painting the Light
Reviewed by Ian Lipke This is a most unusual book. It investigates the lives of two influential American writers, Herman Melville and Lewis Mumford, within a specific context. In effect, it purports to become a double portrait of two of America’s most influential writers that reveals the surprising connections between them—and their uncanny relevance to
Reviewed by Richard Tutin Books about war tend to focus on battles and those who were in the thick of fighting them. Kate Thompson’s novel The Little Wartime Library is therefore refreshing because it focuses on those who are left at home trying to live their lives as best they can. In this case, it
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Comparisons drawn between John le Carre’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Fourth Man are to be expected but have little substance. The books belong to different genres and were written for two very different audiences. However, this rarely stops exciting comparisons being made, because here in real life is the
Reviewed by Gail McDonald The Lessons is the second novel by John Purcell with his debut novel The Girl on the Page being acclaimed as a best seller. John Purcell is an Australian author whose novels also include The Secret Lives of Emma. He is also the Director of Books at Booktopia and Angus &