he pandemic has changed a lot of things for many people around the world. People are making sourdough, running, reading, and other at-home hobbies like knitting and crochet. Before I started knitting two years ago, the idea of making a jumper (or sweater for my North American readers) felt out of my reach. I honestly didn’t think that I would ever be able to do it. But here we are, two-ish years after I started knitting. I made a jumper. Continue reading
Tag Archives: reviews
A Review of Sally Vickers’ “The Gardener”: A novel about siblings, small country towns, and the power of gardening
After many twists and turns, two adult sisters, Margot and Halcyon also known as Hassie, find themselves living together in a rundown Jacobian house in Hope Wenlock – a small village in the Welsh marshes. The two sisters seem to be completely different. And their relationship is civil but also very cold at the beginning of the novel. The sisters, almost unbeknownst to themselves, want to reconnect. They just don’t know how to do it. Continue reading
A Review of Donal Ryan’s “Strange Flowers”: race and sexuality in 1970s Ireland
This novel is about all the things that families don’t say to each other. It explores the things that are left unsaid, and how that can shape ideas of identity, family, love, and home. Continue reading
A Review of “Every Day is Gertie Day” by Helen Meany
Instead of trying to look after the old, the poor, and the young – we are arguing over elf ears. Continue reading
A Review of Tabitha Carvan’s “This Is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch”: unapologetically loving things
Carvan’s book is about motherhood and the changes it brings with it. It is (despite what the title suggests) also a little about her love of Benedict Cumberbatch. And it is about losing yourself and then finding a way back to yourself by exploring and embracing the things that bring you joy. Continue reading
“The Island of Missing Trees” by Elif Shafak: Intergenerational trauma and healing through writing
Shafak’s novel has a simple premise, love. And it might seem like a cliche, but it just works for this beautiful story. Defne, a Turkish woman, and Kostas, a Greek man, fall in love at the peak of the conflict in Cyrpus in 1974. Their love is helped along by a beautiful mixed Turkish and Greek couple Yusuf and Yiorgos and a little tavern called “The Happy Fig”. Continue reading
Exploring Australia’s Colonial History: A review of “Devotion” by Hannah Kent
Devotion is an Australian colonial saga. It chronicles the Prussian and German immigrants who travelled to Australia, specifically to South Australia, in the 1800s. It is about love, loss, religious persecution, and the Australian landscape. Continue reading
5 Great Books About Mental Health – because therapy isn’t cheap!
We are in the third year of a pandemic. Everyone is going through something right now. Some people are doing better than others, and how well someone is doing right now can be affected by a lot of things. Money, job and housing security, intimate relationships, friendships and support safety nets differ from person to person. Continue reading
Book Review of “Wild Souls” by Emma Marris: Rethinking nature conservation and the wild
This article may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the link, it might mean that I can make a small commission. This helps keep my blog alive. Emma Marris’ book Wild Souls was an easy read for me at the beginning of 2022. I saw it in the nonfiction section at my … Continue reading
“Dálvi”: A Review of Laura Galloway’s memoir of living in the arctic tundra
This post contains affiliate links. By clicking on the link and making a purchase, I can make a very small commission. It is a vital way of keeping my small blog alive. It has been a while since I wrote any reviews or posted articles here. It has been a rough couple of months, I … Continue reading
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