I really enjoyed this one! I need to return this copy to the Library but would really like to own my own copy. It would make a lovely gift for anyone who loves reading and travel. Generally, I think readers are travellers anyway. We are always going someplace else! I enjoyed reading about books I‘ve already read and I‘ve learnt lots about the ones I haven‘t. 5 stars!!

I really enjoyed this one! It had some Olive Ketteridge vibes. I loved the way the story unfolded. Lots of tragedies and complicated relationships. I loved the fictional letters written by real authors dotted throughout the book. And the ‘what are you reading?‘ questions and answers at the end of some of the letters. What we read at different parts of our lives is all part of living a life well lived!

I really really enjoyed this one! I think I liked it more than Lincoln Highway which I also really enjoyed. I think anyone interested in the Russian revolution and it‘s aftermath will find this interesting. It‘s was clever, funny and poignant. Highly recommend this one.

I often get inspired to travel to places I read about in novels. When I saw this book in the public library catalogue I thought it would be interesting. And probably inspire me to keep travelling. Books covered include The Odyssey, Frankenstein, Heart of Darkness. Grapes of Wrath, A Suitable Boy, Exit West and The Lincoln Highway and lots more. I‘m looking forward to diving in and seeing where this book takes me!

This book was amazing. I didn‘t want to put it down. One of the best depictions of the experience of homelessness I‘ve ever read. Raw, honest and extremely clever. I loved the artwork that is included, I loved the storyline, the characters and the way the book flowed almost literally along with the Brisbane River. I loved Boy Swallows Universe but wasn‘t so enthralled with his next book. This one will keep me reading his books from now on.

Predictable, easy, light read. A grandmother and granddaughter switch places for a few months. One moves to London and the other moves to the Yorkshire Dales. Fun and light.

Another book from the public Library. If you‘ve ever been to Melbourne or lived there, you‘ll enjoy this book. I felt like I was walking around the streets of Fitzroy. It is mostly set in a fictional pub called the Cherrywood with its dark history and surreal occurrences. Without giving too much away, the Faraway Tree is referenced. It also reminded me of a cross between ‘Playing Beattie Bow‘ and ‘Howl‘s moving Castle‘. Intrigued? Read on!

I‘m so excited to receive this exquisite book as a gift! So special! Every day of the year has a few paragraphs of women‘s diaries over the years. From Virginia Woolf to Emily Brontë to Alice Walker to Beatrice Webb to Oprah Winfrey and many more. A great snapshot of amazing women‘s lives. I plan to read each entry every day for the next year. Let‘s see how I go! Today‘s entries are from Queen Victoria and Julia Newberry (Aged 17) in 1871

Wow! What a ride this one turned out to be! I‘ve read one of her books before so I was expecting the climate change angle. But not the suspense that had my heart racing at the end! Great storyline, great characters, great everything. A clever way to shine a light on what the ramifications of climate change could mean for all of us

I really enjoy the Harry Hole series. Although I found the ‘scientific‘ explanations behind this story very far fetched. I‘m thinking I may have thought the same about the last one too. However I will continue to read them as they always keep me interested and turning the pages. I always find myself making extra time to read these books as I‘m always keen to find out who did it!

I found this one on my bookshelf. I had forgotten I‘d bought it! What a great treasure to find! Loved it! So good to revisit Olive. I love her and her honesty. Such a great character warts and all. I love Elizabeth Strout‘s writing and how the books gel together. The last lines in particular were wonderful.

I quite liked this one. Reminded me a bit of a ‘rough around the edges‘ Liane Moriarty but in a good way. Set in a rowing club on the Tamar River in Tasmania. It‘s the story of a group of parents, supporters and rowers and the different personalities and how they interact. Both funny and quite serious topics are covered eg toxic masculinity, elitism. There‘s a mystery is to be solved and it kept me engaged. A good lightish read.

Loved, loved, loved this! Beautifully written book about the history of a patch of land in Massachusetts. From its evolution from prehistoric woods to modern times and all of the people, plants and animals that inhabited the land over time. Such a wonderful read. I picked this up from the library but want to buy my own copy now to keep and treasure.

I found this really interesting. The novel starts in Germany in the 800s where Agnes is born to an English priest and a pagan. Her childhood is spent listening to men of the cloth discussing God. In order for her to expand on her knowledge and live as a scholar she lives her life disguised as a man. Well written. Good read

This was a good page turner. Interesting plot and characters. A good light-ish read. I loved the Mrs Dalloway and Jane Eyre references

I really loved this! What a great author His characters are wonderful. His books always make me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time His writing is uplifting despite the serious topics he touches on. I was chuffed to read the passage about ‘his brain being like classmates doing a group assignment‘ This is a reference to a very funny speech Backman made on procrastination at a conference. It‘s on YouTube. Look it up. You won‘t be disappointed

This was good but I think I‘ve read too many fictionalised stories about actual historical figures. I think I prefer books that are ‘loosely based‘ on real life characters or real events. Using people‘s actual names and their ‘ thoughts‘ doesn‘t sit right with me. I just wasn‘t in the right mood to read this.

Time for a classic. Funny, quirky and clever. I loved it! I just found the 1986 movie on SBS On Demand. Such a wonderful, superb cast with characters exactly as I imagined them.

This was an ok light read. But I didn‘t love it. I borrowed it from the public library because I saw it had lots of good reviews and is on the best seller lists. These 2 factors don‘t always necessarily make these books a ‘pick‘ for me 😂 But I needed something light after reading ‘A Little Life‘ and it ticked that box

I‘d put off reading this book for years. I knew it would be tough but it was relentlessly grim. The main character, Jude, experiences so much brutality that it‘s difficult to read. I respect what the author has written but it was an exceptionally tough read.

A great find from the ‘Little Free Library‘ around the corner from my house. Such a wonderful author. There are always passages and lines in her books that I went to highlight and treasure but never do as I‘m compelled to keep reading! A story of Peri, who lives in Istanbul with her family but is pulled back into memories of her student days in Oxford. Of an enigmatic professor and his influence on 3 students and questions on religion and God.

I‘ve put off reading this book for years. This copy was given to me by someone who said she buys this book at secondhand stores whenever she sees it and hands it out to people to read. I couldn‘t say no upon hearing that. I‘m glad I finally read it as distressing as the murder at the beginning is. It‘s really a book about grief and families. A really good read.

Having read ‘The Pilot‘s Wife‘ and other books by this author years ago, I couldn‘t resist grabbing this one from the ‘Little Free Library‘ in my neighbourhood. Great read set in the early 1900s in the fictional coastal town of Fortune‘s Rocks. The book starts in 1899 when Olympia Biddeford is 15 and living a privileged life. An older man enters her life and a scandal ensues. Well written characters and setting.

I think if I‘d read this in my 30s it would have had more of an impact on me. I‘m in my 50s now (like the author) and I kind of think people in their 50s naturally get to the ‘Let Them‘ phase. And it‘s great! Luckily I‘m one of those people who didn‘t really need this advice….I‘m living it already. Hooray to getting older! Letting things go can be very rewarding and cathartic. If you‘re not there yet it is truly something to look forward to!

Wow! This book was amazing! Had me 100% hooked. I love Tim Winton but I was reluctant to read this one because I thought it might be too depressing. I‘m sooo glad I did read it! Set in a futuristic Australia where climate change has wreaked havoc and humanity is adapting in order to survive. Gritty and frightening the main character tells his life story to a suspicious stranger in order to survive. Well worth reading.

Wow! This book was great! A dystopian future where people of ‘higher‘ social standing live in eco cities. Two sisters have lost each other. One is stranded on an island and the other is in an eco city. It takes a while to work out what is really going on but all becomes startlingly clear. Great writing, great characters and a sad commentary on climate change. A really good read.

This was not what I was expecting. It was even better! I thought this was a straightforward fantasy but no it was a fast paced, action packed YA adventure. Lots of hunting for treasure and fighting off baddies. A good teen read.

Another ‘impulsive borrow‘ from the Library 😊This was a good read. Seemed to be well researched which is always a plus. A Danish professor goes to Berlin in 1943 to help police find a serial killer. Lots of twists and turns.

I wasn‘t sure about this one to start with. I couldn‘t work out what all the fuss was about. But then the more I read the more I liked the characters. Short sharp chapters kept me on the edge of my seat! And the story completely sucked me in. Glad I picked this one up.

This was interesting. Lots of common sense advice. Some good recipes as well. But I‘m personally still not ready to try intermittent fasting. Has anyone else found this helps with menopausal symptoms?

I‘m really glad I picked this up at the public library. I hadn‘t intended to borrow or read it but happy I did. A new series by Richard Osmsn with great new characters, fast paced, interesting storylines with lots of laughter along the way. Recommend this one!

This was a great read! It brought back so much of Huck Finn that I‘d forgotten and loved. This is so well done. A retelling from Jim‘s perspective. It would be a great text for teachers to teach alongside Huck Finn. I hope somewhere in the world someone is still teaching Huck Finn. Both of these books are such important pieces of literature and a snapshot of an era that shouldn‘t be forgotten. Still very relevant today.

I really struggled with this one. I felt it dragged and I lost interest. And then half way through someone told me that she is now writing book 4 and 5 of the series. I won‘t be reading on. Sadly, not for me.

A debut YA novel written by a friend of someone I know. Interesting concept based around 2 school friends, Claire & Suzannah, who work in a cafe in Launceston, Tasmania. Claire meets Jerome who is immortal however he loses his memory whenever he falls asleep & therefore stays awake for days on end. He inevitably disappears one day leaving Claire. Suzannah heads to Melbourne and as subtitled the novel becomes a ‘love letter to two cities‘.

Easy read with a good storyline. Tempe gets called to Washington DC to help identify human remains from a house fire. The story has the usual twists and turns of a Kathy Reichs novel and doesn‘t disappoint. Her books are never boring.

Wow! Apparently I started this book in June 2021. It is now February 2025 and I‘ve finally finished reading all 1150 pages! It‘s taken me as long to read it as it took Rebecca West to write it! An amazing, epic read that I was happy to dip into, savour, leave and return to over 4 years. The author at one point says that her book is so long probably no one will ever read it. She was wrong. Completed in 1941 and still being reprinted says it all.

Thomas Keneally is one of those prolific Australian authors that rarely disappoints. His novels are often based on real historical events and people. This one is about one of the two sons of Charles Dickens who settled in Australia. Written beautifully and captures the characters and late 1860s Australia perfectly. And obviously lots of references about the life Charles Dickens and his works. Interesting and a good read

This was a bit of a step back in time for me. Things are slowly changing but the sexism and double standards portrayed in this book were very real to me 30 years ago. The frustrations of being mistreated, patronised and overlooked as a woman screams loud and clear from this book. Cleverly written. This book was a birthday gift from my son. I‘m very proud to have raised a son who is not like some of the men in this book.

Happy New Year! Well it‘s been a great start to 2025! I started this book yesterday(last year) and finished it today (this year)! Not the greatest book I‘ve ever read but it did the trick and kept me entertained. A child of a tv personality is taken from her daycare without her parents‘ knowledge. The investigation and ensuing media circus uncovers many secrets

My last book for 2024! Not sure what to say about this one. A classic situation where something born out of good intentions (Microfinance loans to the poor) gets twisted and manipulated into a profit making machine which seems to only benefit the rich. This is a simplistic overview of the author‘s contention. The lure of money will always attract vultures and the morally corrupt wherever you are in the world. Disappointing but true.

Another secondhand book purchase. You are always guaranteed something light and easy to read with a Jane Green book. I just didn‘t think this was one of her best.

This one was definitely a ‘pick‘ for me! Fascinating, and informative this book kept me riveted. I learnt so much that I had no idea about. For example ‘data labourers‘. The people who painstakingly go through images for AI and are paid a pittance. The author shows the impact of AI around the world. A great read that I got from the library but I feel like I need my own copy as I‘ll keep going back to it. It is a scary glimpse into our future.

This is a really important book that all parents and educators should read. It shows how the epidemic of mental illness stems directly from our shift from ‘play based‘ to ‘phone based‘ childhoods. The data and evidence in this book is truly mind blowing. I had not heard the term ‘sociogenic illnesses‘ before but it makes total sense to me and something I‘ve long suspected is happening. It‘s not all doom and gloom. There are solutions. Read it!

I bought this book in a second hand store months ago for $3. I bought it for my husband and only because the title reminded me of a late friend of his who used to say ‘It‘s too late to go home early now‘. I didn‘t expect to ever read it but I did and really enjoyed it! A very witty, funny and sometimes brutal account of being a music journalist in Australia and UK in the early 90s. Interesting stories for anyone around for Blur vs Oasis era.

This is a great YA/teen read! Someone recommended it to me about 10 years ago and I finally got around to reading it! I remember them saying it was one of the scariest books they‘d read. It is very creepy and scary. Kept my anxiety levels high but worth reading.

I liked this book. Amanda Montell‘s writing is always interesting and insightful. I will definitely read more of her books

YUM! This book covers all the basics of pasta making and much more. Includes simple Napoli sauce and Ragu recipes but lots of fancy recipes too. Lots of great tips. And an interesting story of how the restaurant ‘Tipo 00‘ came to be. Reading it has made me hungry!

I think I‘ve read too many books on menopause. A friend has told me to stop as they get me down! 😊 This one is helpful, if you live in the USA, as it refers to what tests and treatments are available through insurance. I thankfully live in a country with a decent tax payer funded/subsidised health care system and don‘t have to worry. Menopause is hard enough without having to worry about exorbitant costs associated with getting basic care.

This was a good read. Louise Candlish is great at creating morally corrupt characters. None of them are likeable and it makes for interesting reading!

I usually just pick up a Jo Nesbo whenever I feel like it. I haven‘t read every book in the Harry Hole series. But I‘ve read books 11 and 12 in the last couple weeks and I‘m so glad I did! Wow! What a ride this one was! Nesbo is so clever and writes the best murder mystery thrillers. His books always keep me enthralled