The Children’s Book Council of Australia has announced its awards shortlist for 2014.
ParraPods – Episode 2 – Dr Xanthe Mallett
ParraPods number 2!
Parramatta City Library – Podcasts
Listen to our second episode, Dr Xanthe Mallett celebrating Internation Women’s Day Parramatta City Library.
Click on the picture below to listen on Soundcloud.
Stay tuned for many more fun and interesting pod casts from ParraPods.
The Miles Franklin Literary Award Longlist 2014
Every year, we readers wait for our Aussie’s most prestigious literary award – Miles Franklin Award. As the most of those writers we’re familiar with, some of them might be relatively new, like Fiona McFarlane and her debut The night guest. However they’re all good Aussie writers. This year’s longlist has been announced recently. As for the winner, well, you can make up your own mind. Continue reading
Last Thursday Book Group
Folly by Alan Titchmarsh
Group Comments
- Though it was a bit slow in the beginning – a little boring. Glad it had a happy ending.
- The outline of the story was good, but found it hard to understand the finer details of the story, a little confusing.
- Thought it was a good book because it was British, but thought it was a little odd because the characters were still estranged after almost 50 years.
- Found the book quite interesting once the story unfolded. It was a story about lost chances and consequences.
- Liked the story so far – hasn’t finished the book.
WE WOULD RECOMMEND THE BOOK
Alan Walker Village Book Group
In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
Group Comments
A well-attended meeting of 12 members ensured there were a variety of opinions on most questions, but there was general agreement that the book was enjoyable and amusing. Some found it ‘shallow’.
Not many could name our Prime Ministers from Federation on, let alone the recent Prime Ministers of many other countries.
The group accepted the comment ’30,000 years of ocean-going seacraft’, citing Heyerdal’s Kon Tiki expedition as an example.
We felt that reading this book could have influenced how visitors (and we ourselves) experienced Australia, and agreed it does add to your enjoyment of a place you are visiting.
One member whose husband’s profession took them around Australia in three-monthly moves was most definite that you can’t properly experience a country by just touring. This was a rather superficial look at Australia. Bryson’s comments on Uluru were instanced.
We thought Bryson himself relied too heavily on his researchers, whom he himself reported as being sometimes varied in their facts.