A first for the blog this week - a review of an e-book. I'm still trying to come to terms with the concept of reading "books" online. I'm a traditional girl who loves the paper, the print, the page turning but I'm trying to "get with the times" and come around to the convenience and ease of copious amounts of books loaded onto an … [Read more...]
Reading This Week – Love & Hunger – Thoughts on the Gift Of Food – Charlotte Wood
Every month I take part in the Book Club on ABC Mid North Coast, which means I have books selected for me to read. It's like a literary lottery, you never know what you are going to get. You often find yourself reading books you wouldn't normally choose for yourself. This month we discussed Love and Hunger by Charlotte Wood. Given I'm not much of … [Read more...]
Reading This Week – Silent Fear by Katherine Howell
I love a good crime novel, mystery or thriller. The obsession began with Enid Blyton's Secret Seven, moved through Agatha Christie and into Patricia Cornwell, PD James, Ruth Rendell. If I'm left to my own devices to choose a book to curl up with on a rainy day I wade straight into the murky world of corpses with secrets, fascinating forensics and … [Read more...]
Reading this Week – Unbearable Lightness – A Story of Loss and Gain – Portia de Rossi
As the mother of two daughters Unbearable Lightness scares the hell out of me. Unbearable Lightness is an intense account of Portia de Rossi's battle with anorexia and bulimia and it takes you deep into a dark place. The book provides a rare and intimate look into the mind of a beautiful, intelligent girl who simply could not see what she was … [Read more...]
The Hunger Games
Decision making is a constant feature of parenting. From conception onwards you are asked to make decisions that could impact on child. Sad to say that doesn't taper off as they become older. Up until three weeks ago I had never heard of The Hunger Games then a friend lent Hippie Child a copy of the book by Suzanne Collins. The pair tried to … [Read more...]
Reading This Week – Watercolours – Adrienne Ferreira
A gifted child, a quirky family, an inexperienced teacher, a mysterious death all jumbled together in a small, country town that's the essence of Watercolours. This is the debut novel for Adrienne Ferreira and in it she creates an engaging story with a group of likeable characters. Watercolours is a gentle book which meanders through the everyday … [Read more...]
Reading this Week – The Testimony – Halina Wagowska
As time passes The Holocaust of World War II moves further into the pages of history. The tragedies and atrocities are at risk of becoming facts, figures and statistics on a page taught to disinterested students who would rather be at the beach than in a stuffy classroom. Eighty-one-year-old human rights activist Halina Wagowska counters this with … [Read more...]
Joy of Books
I first saw this delightful video over at My Intelligent Life it makes me smile. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKVcQnyEIT8 … [Read more...]
Top Pick of Parenting Books
When I knew I was pregnant I went seeking advice in a plethora of parenting/pregnancy books. I read everything that was published at the time. Many of them set up impossible standards that even then I knew I was going to struggle with, others spoke down to me, while yet more espoused beliefs that I didn't feel comfortable with (and often in a very … [Read more...]
Reading This Week – The Happiest Refugee – Anh Do
In Australia there is a long-running debate on what to do about asylum seekers. In particular, the people who pay money to people smugglers to take to the open sea in a bid to seek refuge in Australia. It's a political hot-potato, with the issue whipped into a frenzy by a variety of shock-jocks and media commentators. It's a complex and emotive … [Read more...]
