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Fresh From the Mind
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A MAN CALLED OVE: FREDRIK BACKMAN
GENRE: CONTEMPORARY FICTION EXPLORING THEMES OF MEMORY, GRIEF LOVE AND LOYALTY This book, originally written in Swedish, could be set in any town where people live in housing estates. It’s about a 59-year-old curmudgeon (I’ve always wanted to use that word) who lives in a housing estate and hates deviation from routine and people who…
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THE CRIMSON THREAD: KATE FORSYTH
GENRE: HISTORICAL FICTION About a quarter to midnight on New Year’s Eve, I finished reading this tapestry of myth, mystery, fantasy and historical events by Kate Forsyth. Other books of Forsyth’s, such as Bitter Greens, are also based on fairytales Her superpowers include meticulous research (adds authenticity), attention to detail and what editors call ‘head-hopping’. I…
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THE BURNT COUNTRY: JOY RHOADES
GENRE: HISTORICAL FICTION My friend, Margie, gave me this fabulous book when I was leaving Ivanhoe. It is the story of Kate, a grazier somewhere in the New England, after World War II. The poor bitch has to deal with every bloody prejudice you can imagine: Her husband wants a divorce so he can marry…
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Weekend Away: Maryborough, Queensland
Photo queens Park, Maryborough. (L Kelly) There’s so much to explore, enjoy and absorb…
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Thoughts on storytelling in the age of ‘Social’ Media
This week, I used AI to generate a photo of myself in Piaget’s study.…
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The Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology, Caboolture QLD
You may, when watching the news in February, have heard about the theft of…
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Just musing on manuscript rejection:
Publishers are looking for certain genres to fill their quotas. They demand authors and…
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Taking the Tokyo Subway
This is the statue of Hachiko, Japan’s equivalent of Scotland’s Greyfriars Bobby (photo copyright…
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Five Mystical Things About Rosslyn Chapel, Scotland
It added to the depth of the experience that no-one was allowed to take…
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The Power of Storytelling: Turning Inner Struggles into Character Arcs
Writers love to write plot twists; we revel in the next jolt of excitement.…
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There ain’t no cure for the Summertime Blues
I hate the story summer tells, and the way I never seem to belong…
