Oh! The characters' lives are emotionally devastating but there is beauty in the details, and this is written beautifully, nonetheless. The ending was also BEAUTIFUL. This novel made me want to go out and read all of Rose Tremain's writing (and ask her what she did with my vocabulary). JUST. BEAUTIFUL.

When you're so excited you forget to take a photo until the credits are rolling. After an ending I'm always a little BIG BIT DEVASTATED that JK's characters are not real people that I can't Googlestalk in real life: Minerva, Molly Weasley, Cormoran, Robyn, and now Queenie and Jacob (a couple where excellent writing and excellent casting meet 😍)Also, JK's exploration of the sister relationship (Porpentina and Queenie) is beautiful.

This novel seems deceptively simple (albeit about horrible abuses of children). Events are described in a matter-of-fact way and often after the event), and I was going to rate it a so-so ... and then BAM, the last couple of chapters really smacked me between the eyes. So much hope ... so much reality.

Would Abbott have been as big a tool without Credlin, his Chief of Staff? Is it fair to blame a woman no matter how horrendous, when he is such a Tool? Are they both just tools? Did they have an affair, or was it just an infatuation that should have been an affair so they could have got on with running the country less toolishly? Who cares? Not me. Maybe I should've read this at the time he was PM, now that the whole country's in the dustbin 😕

I think I was expecting too much of this (all those comparisons to The Fault In Our Stars, and Eleanor and Park). I read 154 pages and although I would recommend this as #YAlit to a teenager, the characters did not grab me the same way as an adult as Green and Rowell's teenagers. I read the author's note and agree with her about everything (she didn't say it was as great as Green or Rowell!)

Is it cultural appropriation for a white woman to write from a black women's perspective? Picoult goes to great pains to justify her choice of narrator. The women she interviewed to research first-hand accounts of passive, daily racism experienced by thousands informs this novel (whether it is the dearth of black faces on birthday cards, leading couples in romantic films, or the glib 'I don't even see colour,' ...) ... review continued in comments

There are some hairstyles that are repeated and reinvented throughout history (1940s Victory Roll, anyone?), but there are others you only see in photos from a certain era, never to be repeated. Happy birthday anyway, Louisa May Alcott. I'd like to see fashionista Amy try to pull this off. #lazyphotochallenge

Happy birthday CS Lewis. 👸🏼🦁❄️🚪🚂🛤#lazyphotochallenge

Happy birthday to the oh-so-poetic Jandy Nelson. Reviewers have described her characters as so alive 'they glow in the dark' and able to 'fly into your heart'. True. This book, and The Sky Is Everywhere, are colourful, joyful, and intense even when the characters are in despair. Nelson's imagery is gorgeous. #lazyphotochallenge #ya #yalit

I've always loved an underdog who sticks it to oppressor 😀a happy belated 😳birthday to Frances Hodgson Burnett for the 24th November. #lazyphotochallenge

So, I picked up my favourite #anneofgreengables book at a secondhand book market yesterday (my own copy was loaned years ago, never to return 😱), and I realised that despite the many adaptations of the first few books in the Anne series, Rilla has NEVER. BEEN. ADAPTED. Whaaaat, producers? It is the. Best. One. Mini-series, feature film, I'M. NOT. FUSSY. GET TO IT, AND ADDRESS THIS TRAVESTTTTYYYYYYYY 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

I didn't agree all conclusions but this was an excellent read. It made me turn a microscope on my life experiences, and the ridiculous things that females may feel shame or guilt for that are not their fault but caused by years of entrenched patriarchy. So MANY double standards abound. I agreed with Ford's point about being proactive, and that it's not enough for men to just be 'not violent', although I don‘t think reciprocal anger is the answer.

This book!, again!!, is one of two that have been my most worthwhile reads to process a year that has been world-wide crappy elections and votes. Maybe somebody had to come back in their time machine and ensure Trump and Turnbull and Brexit prevailed bc the alternatives would have been the catalyst for so much worse? Maybe we're destined to not know? Or maybe this is just the bargaining stage of the 5 Stages Of Grief. Who knows? 🤔🤔🗽🕰

#happybirthday Lisa Genova. A professor of linguistics is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's Disease and struggles to articulate her experiences, as her husband avoids the reality of Alice's rapid decline (as Alice's high intellectual capacity causes her to create, perhaps unwittingly, inventive compensatory measures, by the time of diagnosis there is already significant deterioration). Genova blends brain science and empathy seamlessly 😢

How easy would it be, if a bunch of sexist men were in power, to reduce women's freedoms one law at a time ... no credit cards, no bank accounts, no property, no birth control, no right to vote ... oh, WAIT. 😱😳 The issues in this novel are timeless, but in no way preachy. Offred's first person narrative is spell-binding, and her story no less relevant today 😡I LOVE MARGARET ATWOOD. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KWEEN 👑#lazyphotochallenge

I find Liane Moriarty's books fun. They're light, and you can inhale them quickly, but they're long enough to be satisfying. I loved the characters in this one but I wanted the mystery to reveal itself sooner. In some of her other novels, Moriarty's characters make me want to throw the book across the room. but that's usually before she delivers a particularly biting character assessment herself, so maybe she feels the same 😳#lazyphotochallenge

Back when the best girls were always strong and adventurous. Pippi Longstocking! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️. #happybirthday Astrid Lindgren. #lazyphotochallenge

"As women demanded access to power, the power structure used the beauty myth materially to undermine women's advancement." Every. Time. Someone. Mentioned. Hillary's. Clothes. Or. Hair. ?. Happy??birthday??Naomi Wolf. So many good bookish fighters born this week ?Bring on 2020. #lazyphotochallenge

"I myself feel that our country ... might as well have been invaded by Martians and body snatchers. Sometimes I wish it had been. What has happened instead is that it was taken over by means of the sleaziest, low-comedy, Keystone-cops ..." As @KilgoreTrout wrote yesterday, I would love to know Vonnegut's thoughts if he was still alive, but I'm also glad he isn't alive to see what's happening #lazyphotochallenge Happy ??birthday Kurt. #soitgoes

Happy Birthday Neil Gaiman. This quote seems more appropriate today than ever. #lazyphotochallenge

Oh, Stevens! "I can't even say I made my own mistakes. Really - one has to ask oneself - where is the dignity in that?" This #happybirthday homage is for Ishiguro, who explores what happens when you're an English butler who devotes your life to a cause, and you never stop to question it. A book to make everyone think about their life choices. So good, so bittersweet, so poignant. My favourite novel of Ishiguro's. #lazyphotochallenge

When I was first thinking about how to pay tribute to Helen Garner's birthday, I wondered if I could emulate any aspects of her semi-autobiographical novels. I decided against moving into a share house with my daughter and falling in love with a heroin addict. Nevertheless, this 1977 #australianclassic is worth a read. For the Aussies amongst you, yes this is a photo of Noni from Playschool, who played Nora in the 1982 film adaptation 😀.

Some writers write to create worlds, others write to seek the truth. Garner is one of the latter, and one of my favourite writers. A young law student makes a bizarre plan to murder her boyfriend after a dinner party. Garner questions how this can happen, silent bystanders, her own / our need to need to find the truth and explores why, sometimes, the truth can never be known. #lazyphotochallenge #australianlit #happybirthday Helen Garner.

When I made my list of November birthdays for the #lazyphotochallenge I hadn't planned to slam my first writer ? but these books (Man and Boy was the first and based on his real experiences of single fatherhood) haven't stood the test of time. They're formulaic and the observations a little trite. However, the line "I once read somewhere that, in any relationship, the one who cares the least is the one with all the power," HAS given me pause.

Excellent essays, from a diverse range of women. There is everyone from Pussy Riot to British politicians, barristers, social activists and writers. These two paragraphs are from Alice Stride's essay. The first paragraph alone has provided several hours of discussion and debate among my Year 12s. #diversebooks #teachersoflitsy

Good morning Littens! Why, that book looks really good on you. It really complements your ... brain. Who is up for the #lazyphotochallenge ? These writers are all November babies. What better way to celebrate the hours of bookish goodness they have given us than posting your favourite quote/ book on their special day? Photos of the writer's hometown/haunts/inspirations are also welcome (just don't get arrested for stalking). No need to post daily!

The oppression, village politics and expectations that these two intelligent, rebellious, strong women had to constantly throw themselves up against affected me viscerally: I took many breaks from reading initially as their lives seemed exhausting and overwhelming. Then, I tore through the last 150 pages so fast I rushed out to buy the third in Ferrante's quartet. Draining and captivating in equal measure: what a book! #booktober #bestofoctober

#Halloween so I'm reading about Australian politics, A TRUE HORROR STORY. The book on the bottom also has a very apt title given the monkeys who are running our country. #halloweenreads #booktober #freedomofspeech

Um, so this ghost may exhibit some vampiric qualities (Ghost has no reflection) but the illustrations are adorable and the overarching message about friendship holds true even for adults. Friendships may be intangible but are no less real 😍😢. A great Christmas present for the little people in your life. #booktober #supernaturalbeings #picturebook

We're not the height of originality, but we were not going to let the students have all the dressing-up fun during book week. It's too bad the photo was cropped, Trelawney was more like Trelawney than Trelawney. Really. #HarryPotter #booktober #characterIddressupas #teachersoflitsy

Um, maybe not your traditional entrant in #creepycovers, but I used to hide this disturbing number at the back of my shelf. If the cat is helping the dog, why is she staring ahead so psychopathically? Why is the dog so furrowed-browish and sly-looking? What is that yellow liquid? And who names a pet with such advanced skills Bimbo? #booktober #creepycovers #EnidBlyton

I may, or may not, have had my three children several years apart so that each time one comes of age - by which I mean they are introduced to Harry Potter (sadly, as I am from a long line of muggles, our family is still waiting to receive our first Hogwarts's acceptance letter) - the next child in line is just a little too young to join us. Alas. This way I will need to read, and reread, and reread. Such a shame. #booktober #rereads #harrypotter

According to Guinness World Records, this is the world's biggest book (it was unveiled by the Mshahed International Group) and is entitled 'This the prophet Mohamed.' #guinnessworldrecord #llikebigbooks #nolikereallybig #ginormous #booktober #armache. It's in Dubai. Has anyone seen it?

Can long-distance love work? I loved this collection when I was younger, but now the voices seem limited - who are these people with oodles of time and no children or other responsibilities? Yes, some of them have careers, but there's not the sense that this is a key issue. Then again, the young Australian 20 to 30-somethings had to cope with long-distance love without social media. A nice snapshot in time, I suppose. #booktober #wishicouldbethere

I loved teaching this one. There is so much pain in this novel but there is also so much truth, and so many of my teenage reluctant readers were drawn in and inspired to read beyond this text. #booktober #favegraphicnovel #reluctantreaders

Bechdel's childhood was not unlike Wednesday Adams's, and this memoir raises interesting questions about whether we only see connections and the bigger picture in adulthood, or whether we simply get better at creating meaning where there is none.Bechdel is unflinching in examining the often unintended influences of her parents. I'm a recent convert to the #graphicnovel but I really enjoyed this #favegraphicnovel #booktober #bechdeltest #queerbooks

There are refugee stories as well as #immigrantstories between these covers, but all together? Wow. There are many hardships and humiliations, but also narrators finding their first loves ❤️. There is self-deprecation and humour and heart-break. There are essays about those painful teenage years by writers, painters and politicians. I work these stories into the curriculum whenever I can 💕. #booktober

What are microbes? Are my microbes better than your microbes? What about fats, dairy, fruit and alcohol and microbes? Can we blame our microbes? Microbes, microbes, microbes, microbes. It's not your fault, it's your microbes. #booktober #readingsnacks #microbes This book also comes with an excellent dedication: "To my family and other microbes."

This is perhaps an unorthodox choice for #unforgettablewomen but as the mother of two sons myself, Klebold's story crushed me. She and her husband were engaged and loving parents. They knew the names of their son's friends and met their parents, they were interested in his choices and were involved in his community and yet their beloved child committed the most horrific of crimes. Review continued in comments...

Slartibartfast. How did I not think of this one earlier? #booktober #bestcharactername #solongandthanksforallthefish

Oh, the scourges of our consumerist society! Elton nails it 😍 Caitlin Happymeal, Barbieheart, True Faith, Princess Lovebud, Sandra Dee, KitKat. #bestcharactername #booktober

Sibyll and Minerva 😢 #booktober #favoritefriendships #favouritefriendships

When your #brilliantfriend has a brilliant river with a brilliant platypus by which to read books 😀. We have 36 years of friendship and have known each other since childhood, as have Lila and Elena, but there is also a third friend to our circle. So far, thankfully, our story is quite different ... #favouritefriendships #favoritefriendships #booktober #ferrantefever #ferranteforever

I've only read the first story, but the last few paragraphs? Wow. It is now the yard stick by which I secretly judge all others, which is completely fair given they have no chance to defend themselves 😂. I should really read the other stories, given the first had such an effect on me. #booktober #shortstories

"Do you want my recipe for disaster?" What happens when your wildly successful brother turns out to be a criminal tool, and your mediocre self has to pick up the pieces of his family as your own life wobbles? Two brothers, modern times, US, satirical, dark, funny ? #booktober #greatfirstlines

I read everything this woman writes (well, that is published. I'm not a stalker. Although, fortunately for her fans, some of her journal entries were published this year in Everwhere I Look 😍). This is a 'novel' but details the frustrations Helen faces when caring for her terminally-ill friend. Coincidentally, Garner also did this in real-life. This book won three awards 💕#booktober #awardwinning #aussieauthors #australianlit

Gah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YA or no, I think I was EVEN MORE horrified after reading this than The Handmaid's Tale. If 'The Bachelor'was a life-long contest, school might be a little like this. I inhaled it. 😱😱😱 #booktober #bookssetinschools #YAlit

Re-reading one of my #feelgoodbooks. Thanks @DebinHawaii for the reminder 😀. If I had to have a sidekick in real life, I could do worse than Eve's Mother Francis. #bestsidekick #booktober #maevebinchy #nunswithattitude. Also, there is worse pain than pairing it with the hubby's leftover birthday cheesecake #bestfoodsidekick 😂

#Booktober Well, I couldn't go past mentioning this #longtitle 😍 The one where we meet Tonks 😀 #hufflepuff #hufflepuffsunite #imahufflepuffandimokay 🤔🌲🌿🌳🌻🌼#jkrowling #harrypotter

So, there is a moment early in this book where Miranda insists you do a forward roll to startle the person beside you. Let's just say, maybe, that I did it. Let's just say that maybe I destroyed my neck in the process. I did not destroy the physiotherapist, who happily gave me a billl. Should you read it? I don't know, I was in too much pain to finish. Miranda, my husband was not startled, he did not even wake up! I will send you the bill ...