As Australia readies itself for the jingoism of ANZAC day, I thought it a good time to read Rachel Bin Salleh’s new picture book, Alfred’s War to my kids. It’s a powerful story that redresses some of the unbalanced national mythology around Australians’ contributions to World War One.
Heidi Catherine has done it again! The Truthseeker, her second book in The Soulweaver series, continues to explore the realm of kindred spirits and how love can endure, and even blossom over time. From the opening chapter The Truthseeker, I was captivated by the relatable characters, the hugely imaginative settings and the pivotal notion that love can transcend time and place.
In my chat with Heidi, we talk about the toils of creative writing, how it feels to kill off your characters and what it’s like to have “made it” as an author.
When a very good friend in Glasgow texted me especially but urgently to recommend a book, I took note. “This needs to be on your shortlist”, Susan wrote, “I’m half way through. Great book… sad and hilarious”. Susan was right: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman is beautifully sad and touchingly hilarious. It’s also compelling and heartwarming. What’s more, it works brilliantly as an audiobook.
Sometimes when I’m at the library, a book will literally leap from the shelf into my arms and shout ‘take me home with you!’ Not always, just sometimes.
So it was with The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell. One minute the book was sitting on the shelf, the next it was in my custody, despite having no previous inclination to read it. The randomness of this book coming home with me meant I had no expectations for it. Low expectations + a pretty good book = delighted reader.
Muriel Spark has been one of those literary icons that has for a while been orbiting the periphery of my brain, but until recently I knew only two concrete things about her: that she wrote The Prime of Miss Brodie and that she was Scottish. Thankfully there are lots of well-read people out there who want to expand the minds of people like me – and to do this they’re capitalising on the fact that this year Muriel would have turned 100.
As a way of raising the profile of Dame Muriel, Scotland is celebrating this centenary with its #murielspark100 fiesta, as is Heavenali with her #readingmuriel2018 event. It was Madamebibliophile‘s review of The Driver’s Seat in particular that propelled me to read this novella …. and wow, what a book.
