book editor, bibliophile + word nerd
I’m one of those bibliophiles who have to purchase a book without the movie cover. The alternative seems tacky. Not sure why I feel this way as over the years I have enjoyed many of the movies that have stemmed from books—Pride and Prejudice, The Great Gatsby, Life of Pi, and so on… There have ...
The Stella Prize, which celebrates the contribution to literature made by Australian women, has announced its 2016 Stella Prize longlist. The prize was awarded for the first time three years ago and has now become a highly anticipated and much-loved literary award. The prize is worth $50,000 and includes both fiction and nonfiction books. This year there ...
The shortlists for the 2015 Ned Kelly Awards for crime writing have been announced by The Australian Crime Writers Association (ACWA). There are some great reads on the lists, including Sweet One by Peter Docker. I was privileged to be at the launch of Peter’s book when he resided in Broome. Good luck to all ...
So glad I finally had a chance to read Hannah Kent's haunting story set in Iceland, far from the shores and climate of Australia where the author lives. Burial Rites is based on a true story and tells of Agnes Magnusdottir's plight as she waits to be executed for her part in the murder of ...
I loved The Rosie Project but this sequel was, well, a sequel. When the first is so wonderful, the second has so many expectations to live up to. I appreciate that Graeme Simsion is a wonderfully clever writer but I just didn't warm to Don's wife Rosie in this book. And although she was pregnant, ...
What a hoot! Marble Bar is the wonderful sequel to Heist, which you can read about here. Can't wait for the third instalment but when I spoke to the author Robert Schofield he said it might be a wee while as he is completing the trilogy as part of his PhD in Creative Writing. Get ...
I am not an avid crime reader but I am really pleased to see West Australian (WA) authors currently doing so well in this genre. I have just finished Heist by Perth-based crime writer Robert Schofield and really enjoyed escaping into the Goldfields in outback WA, where the story kicks off. I met Robert last year when Heist was launched ...
Five ★★★★★ for this brilliant debut novel by West Australian author and bookseller Brooke Davis. This book has everything: unforgettable quirky characters, big issues, wise words and a cracking road-cum-train trip across the harsh Australian landscape. At the heart of Lost and Found is seven-year-old Millie Bird who realises everything around her is dying. She starts ...
Congrats to Broome-based author Peter Docker on the launch of his new book Sweet One on Wednesday 23 July. The book is published by Fremantle Press. Here is a taster: When a senior Aboriginal war veteran dies horribly at the hands of state government authorities, Izzy, a journalist and daughter of a war veteran herself, flies ...
Red Dirt Talking won the T.A.G. Hungerford Award and was long-listed for the Miles Franklin. These awards are well-deserved. I didn't find this an easy book to read. The sense of place is spot on given that the book is set through the build-up in the north-west of Western Australia. I live in the space and ...
Picked by my "boys" book club cause that's how it is. Loved the references to Melbourne as I was visiting the city when reading the book. I'm not a huge AFL fan but use to be as a child and teen so I could relate to the hype around Jason's (main character) world. It was ...
Sometimes when it comes to reading I join the party fashionably late. It has taken me a while to get around to reading Mateship With Birds but I think it has been well worth it and I am so glad I did. Last year, author Carrie Tiffany was the inaugural winner of The Stella Prize, a ...
I am an Australian freelance editor, proofreader and blogger with extensive experience working with books, magazines, newspapers, websites, social media and academic journals.
