Welcome to Litsy!

Thank you so much Sue for this wonderful surprise in the mail! ♥️♥️ This sounds right up my alley and I‘m looking forward to reading it.

Last Thursday I couldn‘t get to work as the trains were down. It‘s never happened in my 20 years at my current job. I made it a treat myself day. First stop was the local Little Free Library. I also visited St Paul‘s Thrift Shop Stockton and Starter Stories, the yummy sourdough bakery there where I spent $60 on treats! My tummy was sore the next day after dieting for so long for my showgirl performance. It was a shame it was windy and rainy.

#Leaves ??

#Falling ༄˖°.?☕️.ೃ࿔*:･

#BookNerd ???

#firstlinefridays #churchlibrarysummer

I‘ve been aware of Australian novelist Toni Jordan since she came to a Perth writers festival many years ago, but have only now read one of her books.
Think I can once again blame @Rissreadswithcats for seeing this second hand copy and telling me I should buy it 😄. I enjoyed it. I was able to suspend judgement about some of the unlikely plot points and roll with it. More great #ozfiction, this time set in 1980s Brisbane.

And finally, the NBA longlist for fiction has arrived! I have to say, I‘m fascinated by this list. Though I‘m a bit annoyed that fully half aren‘t out yet (and 3 won‘t be out until November), I‘m delighted that some of the “expected” books (like Audition) aren‘t here. I like the surprise and the continued NBA habit of including small press books (there are 2). I haven‘t read a single one of these and can‘t wait to dig in!

Somehow despite living in Australia for over a decade I was not familiar with this book. I was recently on a short trip and managed to finish the book I‘d brought along on the first night, so ducked to an op shop and found this. What a fantastic find. Interesting from a colonial history, and near history (written in 1968) perspective. Important, gripping, bloody.

A mother, her two daughters, and an ex-husband of one of the daughters are struggling: one coping with an end of life issue and the others dealing with an infidelity and a reckoning. I appreciated the writing and, honestly, I related strongly with all the characters. There should have been a ‘bad guy‘ but I found myself able to empathize with all of them. Not sure who decided this cover though. Thanks to @Jeg and @Centique for the recommendation.

Australia is a buggy, mysterious, heat-tortured land in this story of a boy returned to the white european world after healing and growing up with an aboriginal clan. The writing and character studies are brilliant. That said, the ending felt rushed and unsatisfying.