I received Bae Suah’s novel as an Easter present. Considering we are all in lock-down at the moment, I welcomed a new book to read. I am a fan of Korean literature and was delighted to find out that Deborah Smith, the translator of Han Kang’s works, had worked on Suah’s translation into English. Suah … Continue reading
5 Things I Learnt About Life Thanks to Catherine Gray’s Book “The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary”
We find ourselves in weird times. Many of us have lost jobs. Others are trying to work from home while trying to look after children and family. Uncertainty is common place and it can be extremely easy to let that overwhelm you. Since Australia went into various stages of lock down I have fluctuated between … Continue reading
Repeating Lies Until They are True: a review of “Strange Magic” by Syd Moore
Strange Magic by Syd Moore is a great escapist read if you are looking for something light in these overwhelming times. I picked up this copy in Zurich, and I was drawn to the cover and the prospect of a witchy tale. The plot centres on Rosie Strange who has just inherited her grandfather’s “Essex … Continue reading
“Pigs In Heaven”: A review of Barbara Kingsolver’s novel
I am a major Barbara Kingsolver fan. I first came to her literature in high school when my English class had to read Poisonwood Bible, which is one of my favourite books when it comes to the plot as well as the characterisation and narrative techniques. When I found Pigs In Heaven, which I feel … Continue reading
"Paris Savages" Review: how do we write about uncomfortable history?
Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links. Clicking through for additional information or to make a purchase may result in a small commission. I picked up a copy of Paris Savages when I was in Hobart, Tasmania this February. Thinking about how easy it was to fly there and how care-free we were is a … Continue reading
5 Ways to stay sane when you work from home
Are you new member of the home office club? Well first of all, welcome. So nice to meet. Thanks for signing up! Humans are social beings and community is extremely important, however, when you work from home it can feel difficult to create boundaries between your work and home life – especially since they are … Continue reading
“Sanctuary Somewhere”: a review of Brenna Dimmig’s poetry cycle on immigration
Brenna Dimmig’s poetry collection Sanctuary Somewhere is centred on undocumented immigration experiences in the U.S. Her two main characters, Osmel and Leslie experience the U.S. differently based on their immigration statuses. Despite being siblings, Leslie is legal because she is born in the U.S. but her brother, Osmel, and her mother are undocumented. The fear … Continue reading
A Review of “The Dead Wife’s Handbook”: Moving through grief with the aid of fiction
I bought this book in the first few months after arriving in Switzerland at the giant English bookshop, that used to be located on the Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich. I was so intrigued by the idea of a dead person narrating a book. The dead couldn’t talk. I tried to read the first chapter of the … Continue reading
The Heart and the Home: the meaning of place in Ann Patchett’s “The Dutch House”
This last week has been filled with a lot of joy and a lot of sadness. I spent the beginning of the week exploring Tasmania which was so breathtaking. And then the end of the week was spent mourning loss after loss. That is just how life goes sometimes. Rather than keep to my usual … Continue reading
“Twelve Unending Summers”: the importance of immigrant stories
When I first got this book, the controversy that surrounds the novel American Dirt and immigrant stories had not yet come to the surface. Yet, the conflict surrounding Jeanine Cummins’ novel is not really anything new. Since before post-colonialist studies became stronger in academia, and since immigrant and marginalised voices started talking about their experiences … Continue reading
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