Welcome to Litsy!

I was in the mood for some Garner, having been lucky enough to see her speak followed by Tim Winton speaking about her at a conference to honour her and her work a couple of months ago.
This 1992 novel is one of only a few of her books left for me to read. It‘s really three separate but interlinked stories.
As always her writing is exquisite. Although she is an Australian national treasure, she is only now being read more globally. #ozfiction

A romcom that riffs on Much Ado About Nothing with particular reference to Kenneth Branagh‘s film version (probably my least favourite of all the versions I‘ve seen, but that‘s just me). There‘s more depth to the central character here than is usually the case in this kind of book. A good light read. #ozfiction

If I‘d read this as a Kindle Unlimited romance I would have thought it was decently written, amusing and an enjoyable romcom, but as a full priced book from the general fiction section it left a lot to be desired. Which just goes to show how much impact my expectations have on my reading experiences. A very low pick. #ozfiction

An effective portrait of a disintegrating relationship. At about the half way mark I was disappointed that it seemed to be heading in an all too obvious direction but it turned out that was just a step on the way to something more interesting. A good read. #ozfiction

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.

Loved this #ozfiction about two half-sisters Matilda & Lara. Matilda works in a groovy Sydney restaurant. Lara is a successful model. Their lives are very different, but they share a traumatic history.
Matilda, the narrator, is 10-years older than Lara & has ‘looked after‘ her whilst not really looking after herself.
Matilda‘s compartmentalised life gets disrupted when Lara comes to visit & her absent father re-enters their lives. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A woman seeks justice for modern and historic sexual harassment/assault in her workplaces. A worthy topic & decently written, but I think a novel‘s theme should emerge from the story & characters rather than dictate them as it does here. Read for my IRL book group. #ozfiction
It is set in Perth - might be of interest @Jeg @MrsMalaprop @Rissreadswithcats

Finished reading this palate cleanser loaned to me by a friend. I have heard about Jock Serong as an Australian author, but not read one of his books before now. Decent #ozfiction with two intertwined timelines and some magical realism thrown in.

What a stunning piece of autofiction this is! Family, friendship, grief & the slow recovery from a serious mental health crisis are beautifully & sensitively rendered in this sad, funny and artfully written book. Thank you @MrsMalaprop for putting it on my radar. I loved it. #ozfiction

Emphasis on the dirt! The author makes no attempt to sanitise the experience of a Tongan family living on a pittance in Sydney‘s outer suburbs to help support their relations in Tonga. A fascinating insight into Tongan culture but, for me at least, not an enjoyable read. A low pick. #ozfiction