Joke of the week: I have two this week, a literary one and a parenting one! It just feels like a week where we all need an extra joke to chuckle at! ~~~ A much talked about topic within our household is Zeus's weight. He's our 7 year old husky who got very fat at … Continue reading The Week That Was…
Month: Jul 2020
Book Review: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Wolf Hall... About the Book: Winner of the Man Booker Prize Shortlisted for the Orange Prize Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award England, the 1520s. Henry VIII is on the throne, but has no heir. Cardinal Wolsey is his chief advisor, charged with securing the divorce the pope refuses to grant. Into this atmosphere of … Continue reading Book Review: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Book Review: The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
The Pull of the Stars... About the Book: In an Ireland doubly ravaged by war and disease, Nurse Julia Power works at an understaffed hospital in the city centre, where expectant mothers who have come down with an unfamiliar Flu are quarantined together. Into Julia's regimented world step two outsiders: Doctor Kathleen Lynn, on the … Continue reading Book Review: The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
Sunday Splendour – Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser
Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser... About the Book: Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland is a cultural phenomenon. First published in 1865, it has never been out of print and has been translated into 170 languages. But why does it have such enduring and universal appeal for both adults and children? This book explores the global impact … Continue reading Sunday Splendour – Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser
The Week That Was…
Something that has me jumping for joy this week is finding out that Melbourne Writers Festival is digital for 2020, meaning that at long last, I can go! And there are quite a few sessions I've marked to attend, it's looking quite fabulous in terms of variety and topics of interest. The program is now … Continue reading The Week That Was…
Book Review: The Wild Laughter by Caoilinn Hughes
The Wild Laughter... About the Book: It's 2008, and the Celtic Tiger has left devastation in its wake. For Hart and Cormac life continues as normal - at least at first. But when their father falls ill, the boys face a devastating choice. Their family, and their community, are in crisis, and there's nothing more … Continue reading Book Review: The Wild Laughter by Caoilinn Hughes
Behind the Pen with Jules Van Mil
The fashionista in me is delighted to welcome Jules Van Mil to Behind the Pen. Jules is about to release her first book, a gorgeous middle-grade fiction called, Gemma Riley and the Fashion Fiasco. When did you start writing and what was the catalyst? I've always loved writing. Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I … Continue reading Behind the Pen with Jules Van Mil
The Week That Was…
Three things that have made me happy this week are these two new pairs of shoes and this organic red wine. For years I haven't been able to drink red wine as I'd have an allergic reaction to it (itching inside my throat, flushed and mottled face and neck that also itched) but it was … Continue reading The Week That Was…
Book Review: Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski
Swimming in the Dark... About the Book: Poland, 1980. Anxious, disillusioned Ludwik Glowacki, soon to graduate university, has been sent along with the rest of his class to an agricultural camp. Here he meets Janusz - and together, they spend a dreamlike summer swimming in secluded lakes, reading forbidden books - and falling in love. … Continue reading Book Review: Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski
Book Review: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Hamnet... About the Book: On a summer’s day in 1596, a young girl in Stratford-upon-Avon takes to her bed with a fever. Her twin brother, Hamnet, searches everywhere for help. Why is nobody at home? Their mother, Agnes, is over a mile away, in the garden where she grows medicinal herbs. Their father is working … Continue reading Book Review: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Theresa Smith Writes 