WWW Wednesday: 30 April 2025

 WWW Wednesday is a meme that is hosted by Taking on a World of Words. It's a very simple premise of sharing with others The Three Ws:

What are you currently reading? 

What did you recently finish reading? 

What do you think you’ll read next?

What am I currently reading?

Just today I started The Tea Ladies by Amanda Hampson:

"They keep everyone's secrets, until there's a murder...

Sydney, 1965 — After a chance encounter with a stranger, tea ladies Hazel, Betty and Irene become accidental sleuths, stumbling into a world of ruthless crooks and racketeers in search of a young woman believed to be in danger.

In the meantime, Hazel's job at Empire Fashionwear is in jeopardy. The firm has turned out the same frocks and blouses for the past twenty years, and when the mini-skirt bursts onto the scene, it rocks the rag trade to its foundations. War breaks out between departments and it falls to Hazel, the quiet diplomat, to broker peace and save the firm.

When there is a murder in the building, the tea ladies draw on their wider network and put themselves in danger as they piece together clues that connect the murder to a nearby arson and a kidnapping. But if there's one thing tea ladies can handle, it's hot water."

I'm 3 chapters in, but so far so good.

My insomnia read is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. My insomnia read is what I read to get through my long sleepless nights.

What did you recently finish reading?

Most recently I finished reading Green Dot by Madeleine Gray. I suppose you would call this contemporary romance fiction, which isn't my usual choice, but I am seeing the author speak at the Sydney Writers Festival and so I wanted to read her book. I am so glad that I did. I really enjoyed it. The setting is around my hood so I could literally picture the places being spoken about and the protagonist has a very strong voice. 

What do you think you'll read next?

I have preordered the next book in the Ill-Mannered Ladies series, and Hannah Kent's memoir and they are both being released on 30 April. I think I will read one of them - I want to prioritise the Hannah Kent memoir because, again, I am seeing her speak at the Sydney Writers' Festival soon, but I did love the Ill-Mannered Ladies a lot. Time will show which I read for. 

What about you?

Prize Winners

There are some book prizes where I find myself most drawn to the books that appear on literary prize shortlists and winners’ lists. These are often the novels that stay with me long after reading because they are bold, layered, and beautifully written. So, I’ve decided to start keeping track. Here I have listed the winners of the book prizes that I am most drawn to, and I’ll be bolding the books I have read, asterix-ing the books I own but haven't read, and updating the lists as I read through them.

Please share any recommendations with me of books below that you have read and enjoyed. 

You can click on the links below to be taken to the prize.

The Booker Prize

The Miles Franklin Award

Booker Prize

The Booker Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the English-speaking world. Awarded annually to the best original novel written in English and published in the UK or Ireland, it celebrates outstanding fiction that pushes boundaries and sparks conversation. The shortlist is often a reliable source of exceptional reading.

2024 Orbital by Samantha Harvey

2023 Prophet Song by Paul Lynch

2022 The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilka

2021 The Promise by Damon Galgut

2020 Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

2019 The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

2018 Milkman by Anna Burns

2017 Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders*

2016 The Sellout by Paul Beatty

2015 A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James

2014 The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan*

2013 The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

2012 Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel

2011 The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

2010 The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson*

2009 Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel*

2008 The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

2007 The Gathering by Anne Enright

2006 The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

2005 The Sea by John Banville*

2004 The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst 

2003 Vernon God Little DBC Pierre

2002 Life of Pi by Yann Martel

2001 The True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey

2000 The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

1999 Disgrace by JM Coetzee

1998 Amsterdam by Ian McEwan

1997 The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

1996 Last Orders by Graham Swift

1995 The Ghost Oad by Pat Barker 

1994 How Late It Was, How Late by James Kelman

1993 Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle*

1992 The English Patient by Michael Odaatje* / Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth

1991 The Famished Road by Ben Okri

1990 Possession: A Romance by AS Byatt*

1989 The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro*

1988 Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey

1987 Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively 

1986 The Old Devils by Kingsley Amis

1985 The Bone People by Keri Hulme

1984 Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner

1983 Life and Times of Michael K by JM Coetzee

1982 Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally

1980 Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

1979 Rites of Passage by William Golding

1978 The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch*

1977 Staying On by Paul Scott

1976 Saville by Savid Storey

1975 Dust and Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

1974 The Conservationist by Nadine Gordimer / Holiday by Stanley Middleton

1973 The Siege of Krishnapur by JG Farrell

1972 G by John Berger

1971 In a Free State by VS Naipaul

1970 Troubles by JG Farrell (The Lost Man Booker)

1970 The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens

1969 Something to Answer For by PH Newby

The Miles Franklin Award

Established through the will of My Brilliant Career author Stella Maria Miles Franklin, the Miles Franklin Literary Award is Australia’s most esteemed literary prize. It is awarded each year to a novel of the highest literary merit that presents “Australian life in any of its phases,” and it regularly showcases the depth and diversity of Australian storytelling.

2024 Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright

2023 Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran

2022 Bodies of Light by Jennifer Down

2021 The Labrinth by Amanda Lohrey

2020 The Yield by Tara June Winch

2019 Too Much Lip by Melissa Lucashenko

2018 The Life to Come by Michelle de Kretser

2017 Extinctions by Josephine Wilson

2016 Black Rock White City by AS Patric

2015 The Eye of the Sheep by Sofie Laguna

2014 All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld

2013 Questions of Travel Michelle de Kretser

2012 All That I Am by Anna Funder

2011 That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott

2010 Truth by Peter Temple

2009 Breath by Tim Winton*

2008 The Time We Have Taken by Steven Carroll

2007 Carpentaria by Alexis Wright

2006 The Ballad of Desmond Kale by Roger McDonald 

2005 The White Earth by Andrew McGahan

2004 The Great Fire by Shirly Hazzard

2003 Journey to the Stone Country by Alex Miller

2002 Dirt Music by Tim Winton

2001 Dark Palace by Frank Moorhouse

2000 Drylands by Thea Astley / Benang by Kim Scott 

1999 Eucalyptus by Murray Bail

1998 Jack Maggs by Peter Carey

1997 The Glade Within the Grove by David Foster

1996 Highways to a War by Christopher Koch

1995 The Hand That Signed the Paper by Helen Demidenko

1994 The Grisly Wife by Rodney Hall

1993 The Ancestor Game by Alex Miller

1992 Cloudstreet by Tim Burton

1991 The Great World by David Malouf

1990 Oceana Fine by Tom Flood

1989 Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey

1988 No award - date change for award

1987 Dancing on Coral by Glenda Adams

1986 The Well by Elizabeth Jolley

1985 The Doubleman by Christopher Koch

1984 Shallows by Tim Winton

1983 No award

1982 Just Relations by Rodney Hall

1981 Bliss by Peter Carey

1980 The Impersonators by Jessica Anderson

1979 A Woman of the Future by David Ireland

1978 Tirra Lirra by the River by Jessica Anderson*

1977 Swords and Crowns and Rings by Ruth Park

1976 The Glass Canoe by David Ireland

1975 Poor Fellow My Country by Xavier Herbert

1974 The Mango Tree by Ronald McKie

1973 No award

1972 The Acolyte by Thea Astley

1971 The Unknown Industrial Prisoner by David Ireland

1970 A Horse in the Air by Dal Stivens

1969 Clean Straw for Nothing by George Johnston*

1968 Three Cheers for the Paraclete by Thomas Keneally

1967 Bring Larks and Heroes by Thomas Keneally

1966 Trap by Peter Mathers

1965 The Slow Natives by Thea Astley

1964 My Brother Jack by George Johnston

1963 Careful, He Might Hear You by Sumner Locke Elliott

1962 The Well Dressed Explorer by Thea Astley / The Cupboard Under the Stairs by George Turner

1961 Riders in the Chariot by Patrick White

1960 The Irishman by Elizabeth O'Connor

1959 The Big Fellow by Vance Palmer

1958 To the Islands by Randolph Stow

1957 Voss by Patrick White*

Lifeline Bookfair Haul April 2025

I love a good book fair. While these days I tend to read more eBooks on my Kobo than I do real books, there is still something so satisfying about the feel of a nice used book. I love the idea that not only is there a story contained in the book, but the book itself also has its own story. Where has it been? What has it seen?

I'm also pretty keen to get my kids reading as much as they can. Although they won't always get everything they ask for, they know I will rarely say no to a book. My son in particular loves reading and is currently right into science fiction and fantasy. Anything with dragons is pretty much guaranteed to be a hit. Who doesn't love a dragon?

So, last weekend off we all went together to the Lifeline Bookfair, which raises money for Lifeline through the sale of mostly second-hand books. My daughter raided the stationary section, so if anyone wondered why that looked so empty - look to her. I was a little taken aback when she held up an address book and asked, "what's this?". Well, back in the old days.......

We went on the last day and the choices weren't as good as I've seen in the past which meant that we could keep the haul to 2 bags. In addition to the books in the photo above I also found two vegan cookbooks which I am pretty excited about, one called Plantifully Lean which I have often wished I could purchase but I've never found in Australia. 

I'm sure I have read The White Tiger before, but I didn't think that I owned a copy. I was also pretty happy to come across the third book in the Inspector Singh mystery series. Although I haven't read the second in the series, I did enjoy the first (reviewed here) and I figure with cosy fiction I will probably be able to figure it out. I bought Becky because that's my name and so of course I had to, and Jane Harper's books are great books for when you are looking for something easy but engaging. 

I was actually the most excited to grab a copy of Foxspell by Gillian Rubinstein. I loved this book as a child and have often thought about it since but could never remember the title or author. I just remembered the book about the boy who became a fix and the feeling of loving it and wishing that I could become a fox too. I can't wait to re-read this one as an adult.

Do you love a book fair?

Vale Kerry Greenwood

Vale Kerry Greenwood (1954 - 2025)

It was with a very heavy heart that I read yesterday about the passing of Kerry Greenwood. Her Phryne Fisher books have been some of my favourite books since I started reading them. I’ve read and re-read all of them, and many of the Corinna Chapman books too. I love Phryne Fisher. She is bold and an unapologetically feminist character: intelligent, independent, sensual, and always deeply committed to justice. Watching her come to life on screen in Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears only deepened my love for her, and I recommend the books and the series to everyone I can.

Kerry Greenwood herself was someone I always admired. I felt that we had things in common - both of us lawyers, both legal aid lawyers, both drawn to that work because of a commitment to social justice. She struck me as so authentic and grounded. Years ago, I emailed her (I found her address in the back of one of her books!) to ask if I could interview her for a blog I was guest writing for. To my amazement, she replied - she was gracious, generous, and kind to someone she'd never met. The interview has long since disappeared into the internet ether (although here is my post about it), but I’ve never forgotten her warmth, humour, and willingness to engage.

She gave so much. Vale, Kerry. And thank you.

Some links:

Wit, charm and heart: novelist Kerry Greenwood, creator of Phryne Fisher, was a true original

Kerry Greenwood, Australian author of Phryne Fisher murder mysteries, dies aged 70 | Australia news | The Guardian

Kerry Greenwood: Australian author remembered - ABC listen

2024: A year of female voices – a reflection on gender in my reading

As I reviewed my list of books read in 2024, I couldn't help but notice an interesting trend: the majority of books I read were written by female authors. Of the 41 books, 20 were by unique female authors, while only 7 were written by men. 8 of the female authors were also Australian. This wasn’t something I intentionally set out to achieve, but looking back, it feels like a reflection of my desire to support and amplify female voices. It’s also a bit of an anomaly compared to the previous years, where the gender balance of my reading was much more even or tipped in favour of male authors. This shift has made me reflect on the state of female representation in the writing industry.

Female authors face unique challenges when it comes to getting published and having their work recognised. While women make up a significant portion of the literary world, studies consistently show that books written by women are underrepresented, particularly in genres traditionally dominated by male authors. Historically, male authors have tended to be considered for and awarded major literary prizes at higher rates than their female counterparts for example. This disparity is a result of historical biases, societal expectations, and even subtle biases in the publishing process, all of which make it harder for female authors to break through. The gender imbalance in publishing has led to fewer opportunities for female authors to gain the same visibility and recognition as their male counterparts, despite their contributions being just as significant and diverse. 

In response to this imbalance, initiatives like the Stella Prize have emerged. Established in 2013, the Stella Prize is an Australian literary award that celebrates the writing of women and non-binary authors across all genres. Its creation was a direct reaction to the underrepresentation of female writers in major awards, notably the Miles Franklin Award.

So, as I look back on my reading habits this year, I feel good about supporting women in literature, but I also acknowledge the broader systemic challenges that many female authors still face in their careers.

The authors

Agatha Christie - many

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - We Should All be Feminists

Elizabeth Coleman - A Routine Infidelity (Australian)

Sulari Gentill - The Rowland Sinclair series (Australian)

Anna Funder - Stasiland (Australian)

Holly Jackson - Good Girl's Guide to Murder

Azako Yuzuki - Butter

Barbara Kingsolver - The Bean Trees

Geraldine Brooks - March

Hannah Kent - Devotion (Australian)

Jane Harper - The Exiles, The Survivors (Australian)

Suzanne Collins - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Dervla Tiernan - The Murder Rules 

Brenda Jagger - Flint and Roses

Rebecca Huang - Yellowface (Australian)

Lisa Jewell - Then She Was Gone

Stephanie Bishop - The Anniversary (Australian)

Jean M Auel - Valley of Horses

Amy Taylor - Search History (Australian)

Jill Duggar - Counting the Cost

Six Degrees of Separation (Apr): From Knife to Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

The meme is hosted by Books are My Favourite Best and is described thus: On the first Saturday of every month, a book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six other books to form a chain. Readers and bloggers are invited to join in by creating their own ‘chain’ leading from the selected book. Each person’s chain will look completely different. It doesn’t matter what the connection is or where it takes you – just take us on the journey with you.

This is only the third time I have completed Six Degrees, but for me the journey through these reading experiences has actually been a little emotional for me - definitely a testament to the power of fiction, arising from a non-fiction starting point.

This month the journey starts with Knife by Salman Rushdie, described by Penguin Books Australia as "a moving, life-affirming memoir about survival and the power of love to heal...". Knife is a memoir that explores the aftermath of the attempt on Rushdie's life in 2022. I've not read this book. In fact, I haven't read very many memoirs at all, although I know many people who read a lot of them.

I have read two other books by Salman Rushdie – with Midnight's Children being the stand-out for me. I remember at the time that I read it feeling as though it was one of the best books I had ever read, although it's been many years since I visited it, and the feeling has faded. It falls into the category of magical realism and is the story of Indian independence which is explored through the storytelling of Saleem – who, as a young boy, discovers that he has the power of telepathy and can communicate with other children born close to midnight on the date that India gains its independence. Thinking about this story now makes me think that I might like to re-read it this year.

There is something about magical realism that I love, and it takes me to The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. The Time Traveler's Wife is the love story of Henry and Clare. Henry's rare genetic condition means that he involuntarily time travels, and his time traveling takes him to the past where he befriends a young girl called Clare – who eventually becomes his wife. When I first read this book, I cried like a baby. I think I have still cried in several re-readings since. There is something about it that is just so poignant – the human experiences of the characters as they live their lives together in as normal a way as possible. It's since been made into a movie and a TV series, both of which I've enjoyed but of course can't match the book. I have reviewed it here.

Other books I have cried in. The first one that comes to mind is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, an Australian author. This is still to this day one of my very favourite books. We came close to naming our son Rudy after one of the main characters in this story, that is narrated by Death and explores the German experience of WW2 through the eyes of the young Liesel and her family's attempt to save the life of a Jewish friend. I finished this book on a train and cried and cried. You can read my review here. 

Another book I cried uncontrollably in was We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. If you've read the book, you can probably already understand the part that I mean. I remember being home alone and completely distraught and calling my husband for comfort. I could barely speak, and he thought something was very wrong until I could get out that it was the book that upset me so much. Any book that can evoke that kind of emotion is clearly worth a read. You can read my review here.

At first, I couldn't quite figure out why, but the next book that came to my mind was Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward. Salvage the Bones provides the reader with a heart-wrenching snapshot of family life in a poverty-stricken area of New Orleans in the days leading up to and including Hurricane Katrina. It's told from the perspective of a young teenage girl, who is experiencing her own personal hurricane when Katrina hits. What connects these two books for me is the theme of motherhood. Although each tells very different stories, they both explore motherhood in a deeply real way—truly demonstrating the complexities of what motherhood is and means—to both the mother and the child.

When I revisited my review of Salvage the Bones, I described it as an assault on my emotions—another aspect in keeping with both my experience of The Book Thief and We Need to Talk About Kevin.

Finally, Salvage the Bones has brought me to another Australian book, this time a young adult novel—Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey. They are both coming-of-age novels in their own way, both set in marginalised communities (one in modern-day New Orleans and the other in a small rural town in 1960s Australia), and both are narrated by teens experiencing their own personal upheaval. Both deal with important themes: social injustice, race, and identity. And Ward and Silvey give voice to characters who are vulnerable and overlooked in real life—and do so in an authentic and moving way.