Category Archives: Book Reviews

Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Posted on 10/02/2013 by

SPOILERS: In this review, I discuss things that aren’t revealed until almost the end of the book. Consider yourself warned. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about young people’s fiction, and whether we have a responsibility to police what’s being … Continue reading →

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Review: Wheat Belly

Posted on 16/01/2013 by

I generally make a habit of not reviewing self-help, motivation, health or diet type books, lest I draw attention to my hideous addiction to the idea of bettering myself. But after reading a friend’s blog post admitting that she’s addicted … Continue reading →

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Review: Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore

Posted on 29/12/2012 by

Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore lives up to its name: it is run by Mr Penumbra, it is open 24-hours, and it does sell some books… But Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is also much more than the name on its front … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, reading, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 42 Comments

Review: Street To Street, by Brian Castro

Posted on 15/11/2012 by

Brian Castro’s latest work, Street to Street, is based on the life of Australian poet, Christopher Brennan. No, not quite – it’s more about the life of Brennan’s biographer, Brendan Costa, and the ways that this man’s life paralleled with Brennan’s. … Continue reading →

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The Memory of Salt Review

Posted on 06/09/2012 by

Alice Melike Ulgezer’s debut novel, The Memory of Salt, is organic, human, and above all, authentic. The story is about Ali and her Turkish father (Baba/Ahmet) and Australian mother (Mac). Baba’s life is ruled by mental illness and religion. Mac’s life … Continue reading →

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Review: The Summer Without Men, by Siri Hustvedt

Posted on 20/06/2012 by

Having been cheated on, poet Mia retreats first to “temporary psychosis”, and then to the small town of Bonden. This is where her mother lives in a retirement home, and where Mia comes to know and love the small community’s … Continue reading →

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Review: The Amazing Adventures of Diet Girl, by Shauna Reid

Posted on 09/06/2012 by

The Amazing Adventures of Diet Girl is exactly what it sounds like. Shauna Reid finds herself standing under a pair of size 26 cottontails and thinks, “Shit. They don’t get any bigger than 26.” This is where her adventures begin. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Un-follow-up-able

Posted on 10/02/2012 by

I finished reading Jay McInerney’s Bright Lights, Big City. It’s so… Just so. I was grabbed from the very first sentence. I like a good opening line, but I don’t remember ever being struck as hard as I was by … Continue reading →

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Review: Flying With Paper Wings, by Sandy Jeffs

Posted on 06/02/2012 by

Sandy Jeffs’ autobiography, Flying With Paper Wings: Reflections on living with madness is an enlightening memoir and exploration of the experience of schizophrenia. Sandy Jeffs takes readers through her diagnosis and early experiences, through hospitalizations, and her later life negotiations with … Continue reading →

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Review: After the Snow, by S.D Crockett

Posted on 01/02/2012 by

Check out that cover artwork. It’s pretty nice, huh? Unfortunately I’ve been seeing an alternative cover floating around that’s nowhere near as pretty, but here’s hoping that we get this pretty thing in Australia. After the Snow by S.D Crockett is … Continue reading →

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