I blink and we’re already well into another month – and I’m late, again. First, a tiny bit of writing news. Recently, I was a shortlistee in the Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Writing (NPCW) in both the local nonfiction and local fiction categories. The winners can be viewed here, as can a pdf of the 2020 anthology. Definitely worth a look and my congratulations to everyone.
I began the young adult award-winning Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina a long time ago but had to return it to the library before I got very far through. This time I had the audiobook version read by Miranda Tapsell and once I started I raced through it in about a day, I think. Compelling, impressive, moving. Fantastic.
Sister Heart by Sally Morgan is a highly decorated (as you can see from its cover stickered with many awards wins) middle-grade verse novel and was assigned to Riley to read for school. I jumped on the opportunity to read it as soon as he was done and once I finished I went to him with tears in my eyes.
“Oh, Riley…” I said, holding it up to show to him.
“I know, mum. I know.”
I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so what I will say it it’s another very high recommendation.
Finally, The Color Purple by Alice Walker (another book I listened to on audiobook, read by Walker herself). I’ve never seen the movie, and I was completely transfixed with the life stories of sisters Celie and Nettie, separated at an early age but always connected in spirit, always determined to share their experiences through letters and give strength to one another. Amazing.
What are you reading this month?
