2020 has been an interesting year, to say the least. It has made a lot of us rethink our goals, our relationships, and our personal boundaries. But just because we are all thinking about these things, doesn’t mean we know what we need or should be doing for ourselves and the people we love. I … Continue reading
Category Archives: Book Reviews
Reading Race in “The White Girl”: A review of Tony Birch’s novel
I didn’t always enjoy audiobooks, but in recent years I have been loving them. I tend to stick to nonfiction books, but I do occasionally go for some fiction when I listen. I had seen Tony Birch’s latest novel in a few book shops and every time I would go in, I would pick it … Continue reading
Four Shakespearean-Era Tributes Hidden in Maggie O’Farrell’s Award Winning “Hamnet”
Maggie O’Farrell won the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2020 for Hamnet and if you have read her novel, it is easy to see why. It is not easy to take on a literary great like William Shakespeare, yet O’Farrell does so with grace. The story of Hamnet is gripping as it chronicles Shakespeare’s career … Continue reading
“Nonbinary”: Exploring gender and identity
Literature – the writing and telling of stories – has always been a way for marginalised groups to express themselves in ways that mainstream culture would not allow. It allows cis people, like myself, the opportunity to hear from and support nonbinary and trans voices. It allows nonbinary and trans voices to connect and find … Continue reading
A Review of “Such A Fun Age”: talking about white fragility in literature
I loved Such A Fun Age. This book was so easy to read. It had me laughing and cringing from beginning to end. It has been a while since I couldn’t put a book down, and this book was definitely that — un-put-down-able. The book offers up so many interesting discussion points but I wanted … Continue reading
A Review of “Adults” by Emma Jane Unsworth: on- and offline life
This book has all the trappings of contemporary adult living from social media and phone obsessions including the ways in which life online complicates our relationships, especially female friendships. The characters are generally dreadful in their own special ways, but there was something about them that also made them real, accessible, and relatable. The novel … Continue reading
Brexit Literature: a complete review of Jonathan Coe’s “The Rotters’ Club” trilogy including “Middle England”
This post as been a long time coming and I am so glad to be able to finally review all three of Jonathan Coe’s novels from his accidental trilogy, The Rotters’ Club. When his novel Middle England was published in 2018 it received worldwide literary praise. Despite it popularity many readers didn’t know that it … Continue reading
‘Literary ghettos’: how do we make sure diverse authors are included in mainstream publishing?
I am drawing today’s discussion inspiration from author Nesrine Malik and her amazing book (seriously, go read it now!) We Need New Stories. In her chapter entitled “The Myth of the Reliable Narrator”, Malik brings up the question if and how we should judge authors by their writing. More specifically, are authors allowed to write … Continue reading
Review of Lionel Shriver’s new novel “The Motion of the Body through Space”: political correctness and exercise culture
Lionel Shriver’s novel, The Motion of the Body Through Space, came out when Australia was in a strict lockdown and it seemed like a no-brainer for me to pick this one up. I have enjoyed Shriver’s writing in the past, one of my favourite books from her is The Mandibles. Shriver has not been without … Continue reading
A review of Susan Fowler’s memoir “Whistle Blower”: dealing with discrimination at work
I picked this memoir because I wanted to read and learn more about other women’s experiences with workplace discrimination. It is something I have personally experienced, and to be honest, it took years for me to come to terms with everything that happened. In reading Susan Fowler’s memoir, I felt, for the first time, truly … Continue reading
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