Children’s fantasy book series about a quest to recover gems I really loved this author as a kid and have a vivid memory of reading the first four books in the “Rowan of Rin” series when I had to stay in bed after catching glandular fever when I was 11 years old. This series came out after I had already started high school, so it was a bit young for me, but I recall it being very popular and my partner had a few books in his collection. While helping him to complete it, I found some fantastic editions at the Lifeline Bookfair that have 3D holographic covers. I decided it was finally time to re ..read more

Ghost story about four English sisters Although “Howl’s Moving Castle” is a real favourite of mine (the inspiration for the Studio Ghibli adaptation), I haven’t read much of her other work. At the 2022 Conflux, I was browsing through a little secondhand book stall in the convention market and the author’s name caught my eye. When I was looking for books to add to my Short Stack Reading Challenge, this one looked as good as any. Photo is of “The Time of the Ghost” by Diana Wynne Jones. The paperback book is resting among a jumbled collection of paintbrushes, sheet music, used dishes, a soft toy ..read more

Transcript of a debate on religion between Christopher Hitchens and Tony Blair Many years ago, when I was still studying law at university, I did a legal internship course. The course convener and I became quite friendly and from time to time he would send me articles and things he thought might interest me. Some years after the course, he gave me this book. It hadn’t really captured my interest; while I enjoy debating I am not especially interested in British politics or religion, and this book must have been sitting on my shelf for over a decade. However, last year, when I was doing my Short ..read more

Fictionella about woodcutting and ancient trees Some years back I heard about a project inspired by a found rock board with missing rocks. When I first heard of the project, I bought one of the books. Later, visiting the Melbourne Art Book Fair, I was thrilled to meet the A Published Event team behind the project and to add another book to my collection. Photo is of “Petrified Wood” by Therese Keogh. The paperback book is resting on the edge of a wizened, grey tree stump. The cover is white with an abstract red shape on it which is a silhouette of a piece of petrified wood. “Petrified Wood” by ..read more

Graphic novel adaptation of middle grade sci-fi series Animorphs The novelty of my favourite series as a ten year old being adapted into graphic novels has not yet worn off, and I eagerly ordered the next one for my Short Stack Reading Challenge. Photo is of “Animorphs the Graphic Novel: The Encounter” by K. A. Applegate and Michael Grant, and adapted by Chris Grine. The paperback book is standing in front of a gnarled tree trunk. Behind it is a small lake with trees and mountains reflected in the water. There is a white feather in the foreground. The cover is of a young blonde kid falling bac ..read more

Epic fantasy and science fiction graphic novel series After quite a long hiatus, this series is back! If you haven’t read it before, my review of Volume 1 is here. I was quite excited to read it for my Short Stack Reading Challenge and ordered myself a copy to arrive just in time. Photo is of “Saga Volume Ten” by Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan. The paperback book is resting on a black cymbal among other parts of an electronic drum kit. The backdrop is a colourful artwork with digital elements. The cover is of a brown-skinned woman with blonde hair, a white man with koala ears and a bionic ..read more

Satirical novel about jealousy, plagiarism and Own Voices in the publishing industry I know this author from her fantasy series which I first read some years back. She has recently made a stir in the book world with her foray into literary fiction, and I picked this book as my next gardening audiobook to read. By sheer coincidence, my sister bought me a paperback edition for Christmas thinking it would be the kind of thing I would like. She was correct, and it meant that I was able to take a photo rather than just share the audiobook cover. Photo is of “Yellowface” by Rebecca F. Kuang. The pap ..read more

Collection of fantasy short stories and a novella This was a set book for my fantasy book club. I hadn’t heard of this author before so I was keen to dip my toes into her work. Image is of “The Tangleroot Palace & other stories” by Marjorie Liu. The eBook cover is of a gnarled tree and roots with no leaves save on only two small twigs against a midnight blue background. “The Tangleroot Palace & other stories” by Marjorie Liu is a collection of six speculative fiction short stories and a novella. Sympathy for the Bones examines the witch-apprentice dynamic and how much those who raise u ..read more

Second novel in the Italian historical fiction series the “Neapolitan Novels” I can’t believe it, but it has been over six years since I read the first book in this series. I remember being engaged but not enthralled, and even though I had the other books in the series on my shelf, I hadn’t gotten around to reading the next one. I recently saw that the very faithful TV adaptation was available to stream on SBS on Demand. Inspired, I decided to watch a few episodes of the first season, and pick up the second book which is the basis of the second season. Photo is of “The Story of a New Name” by ..read more

Celebrity autobiography about TV fame, drug addiction and mental health There have been a lot of celebrity biographies coming out recently, and I’ve listened to Jennette McCurdy‘s and Prince Harry‘s as audiobooks. When I saw that this one had been published, I was pretty interested. Just about everyone has watched the TV show “Friends” (enjoy the now retro Blu-ray trailer!), and the character Chandler was one of the most iconic of the series. When actor Matthew Perry died recently, almost a year after it was published, and it came up on my recommended list, I picked it as my next audiobook. Im ..read more