when your mother is a tree

“And her face vanished in the crown of leaves that spread across the summer sky.”

Molly and Pim and the Millions of Stars by Martine Murray (Text Publishing, 2015) was shortlisted for last year’s CBCA Book of The Year Younger Readers. I borrowed it from the library back then. I love Martine Murray’s whimsical illustrations, but somehow Molly and Pim went back to the library without being read. It took me until now to borrow the audio book and read the story this time round. My recurring refrain – why did it take me so long??

Sister Heart

“Somewhere
behind the wind
at the back of the sea
is my country”

I finally read the wonderfully lyrical Sister Heart by Sally Morgan (Fremantle Press, 2015). More verse novel love and deserving of all the award love. But the judges are confused: shortlisted for the CBCA Book of The Year Younger Readers 2016 and longlisted for the (YA) Inky Award 2016. I’m not confused, just heart drowned

“lost
lost
lost
in my saltwater tears”

the flywheel

The Flywheel by Erin Gough (Hardie Grant Egmont, 2015) was shortlisted for the CBCA Book of The Year Older Readers 2016 and longlisted for the Inky Award 2016. Did it made the Inky longlist due to cameos from the Marx Brothers?

“Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.”

waiting for…

Note: this is slightly spoilery. if that bothers you, read until you get to the dog, then stop. Dogs always sidetrack me.

“Everything in Mobius stretched to reach the light: we built our houses on stilts, our trees grew tall and spindly, our shadows were long.”

When you’re stuck between yesterday and tomorrow, where is there to go? Inbetween Days by Vikki Wakefield (Text Publishing, 2015) was shortlisted for the CBCA Book of The Year Older Readers 2016 and longlisted for the Inky Award 2016. I’m hopeful of winning all round!

indigenous perspectives

Freedom Ride by Sue Lawson (Black Dog Books, 2015) made the Shortlist for CBCA Book of The Year for Older Readers. I enjoyed Freedom Ride but I had some issues with Sue Lawson’s narrative choices and wanted to discuss them separately to my review of the book.

predicting the future with monsters

I like to pick holes in the CBCA Book of The Year for Older Readers. When I worked in libraries, every year I seethed against the judge’s “poor” choices but I’ve slacked off the last couple of years. Now’s the time to get back into my mid year apoplexies.

As an erratic reader who rarely reads all the titles on the Shortlist, let alone the Notables, I have no right to opinionate, but that never stops me.

select all. delete

Note: this is somewhat spoilery. And my keyboard didn’t have quite the right diacritics so apologies for mangling Vân Uóc’s beautiful name.

“If you survived then you were all right; no – lucky. What problems? You’re alive! She wanted more than survival. She wanted beauty; she wanted love; she wanted abundance.”

When abundance falls in your lap in the form of “the heart of one very hot dickhead,” is it true love or something else entirely?

pausing at the edge

I knew what I was getting into when I read The Pause by John Larkin. Ok, I only borrowed it from the library because it was long-listed for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year for Older Readers 2016. After reading the blurb, I momentarily considered sending it right back, instead I stepped into the void, knowing full well the consequences of my folly.

If, like me, reading about suicide is triggering, you might want to turn back now and never pick up The Pause. Or you could forge ahead and see if you come out the other side. I did!

Freedom Ride

I don’t know why I’ve never read Sue Lawson. I remember her books from when I worked in libraries, and I never tried any because I thought historical fiction is boring.

“Do you really think…?” I searched for the right words. “Will it work? Blacks and whites together?”
“Can’t see why not, and I reckon it’s past time we tried.”

I was so wrong! My book group did Freedom Ride this week and Sue Lawson’s writing is a feast of delicacies. I know why it was long-listed for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year for Older Readers 2016.