“The Island of Missing Trees” by Elif Shafak: Intergenerational trauma and healing through writing
Book Reviews / historical / The Latest / Turkish

“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

5 Great Books About Mental Health – because therapy isn’t cheap!
Book Reviews / nonfiction / The Latest

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
American / Book Reviews / nonfiction / Opinion Pieces / The Latest

Book Review of “Wild Souls” by Emma Marris: Rethinking nature conservation and the wild


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 local book store and I was intrigued by the cover. I have been reading a lot of books about nature, the wild, conservation, and human relationships with the non-human world. … Continue reading

“A Lonely Girl Is a Dangerous Thing”: book review of Jessie Tu’s Debut Novel
Australian / Book Reviews / The Latest

“A Lonely Girl Is a Dangerous Thing”: book review of Jessie Tu’s Debut Novel


Since moving back to Australia, I have tried to read more literature from Australian authors. Getting books in English was already one challenge, and then getting Australian authors was another issue. In saying that, I have been enjoying reading more Aussie books and there is so much talent here! I was drawn to Jessie Tu’s … Continue reading

Who Is Allowed Access to Education?: What Bri Lee’s “Who Gets To Be Smart” and Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Klara And the Sun” can tell us about equitable education
Australian / Book Reviews / British / nonfiction / Opinion Pieces / study / The Latest

Who Is Allowed Access to Education?: What Bri Lee’s “Who Gets To Be Smart” and Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Klara And the Sun” can tell us about equitable education


What does a nonfiction social commentary book from Australian writer Bri Lee have to do with a dystopian futuristic novel from Japanese-British author Kazuo Ishiguro? The short answer – A lot.
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The Endless Pursuit of Chasing Your Dreams: A book review of William Boyd’s “Trio”
Book Reviews / British / Scottish / The Latest

The Endless Pursuit of Chasing Your Dreams: A book review of William Boyd’s “Trio”


Trio by William Boyd has been one of those books that has grown on me. It has been months since I read it, and sometimes I review things straight away and other times I like to wait. Trio has fallen in the latter camp. The book is centred on three characters – Anny, Talbot, and … Continue reading