The hub of home-grown inspirational women
Spinifex Press has released a revolutionary book that challenges our preconceptions about the past. Invisible Women Of Prehistory by Judy Foster and Marlene Derlet, argues that three million years of peace, a period when women’s status in society was much higher than it is now, preceded the last six thousand years of war during which men have come to hold power over women. We often think of history as a linear development in which we are … [Read more...]
[rating:4.5] Cat and Fiddle is a witty tale of appearance and deception. Mrs Begum and her husband Dr Choudhury have moved to a small English village so he can advise on the restoration of nearby Bourne Abbey. Mrs Begum is fixated on marrying off her three children and engages the help of the manipulative matchmaker, Mrs Guri. But it won’t be easy. Even the youngest, Shunduri, who is the most compliant and least “damaged” of the three … [Read more...]
This is a terrific first novel by Kathryn Ledson that women everywhere are going to find hard not to love. ROUGH DIAMOND has all the ingredients for an irresistibly entertaining read...a likeable heroine who helps save Melbourne and Sydney from terror attacks whilst caring for her demanding cat, shopping for clothes and shoes as well as emotionally ridding herself of her troublesome ex-husband! All this takes place under the auspices of the … [Read more...]
This second collection of short stories by Susan Midalia is perspicacious, pertinent and irresistibly entertaining. There are seventeen stories capturing an everyday moment or event, each inspiring a greater consciousness and consideration of other people and their feelings. The charm of Midalia's short stories is that the glimpse they provide into ordinary people's lives make them universally applicable and so extraordinarily moving. As the … [Read more...]
Over three million people across the world were moved and inspired by Shaun Miller’s farewell message on YouTube. Shaun had undergone two heart transplants and spent most of his life in hospital, only to be diagnosed with chronic heart rejection shortly after his seventeenth birthday. In the face of this heartache, Shaun had one message for the world, and that was to “stay positive.” Released after his death, Shaun Miller's autobiography … [Read more...]
Congratulations! The time has come to get out there and get yourself a new job. With everything else going on in your life it might seem a bit daunting. Lots of people tell me that they get nervous prior to an interview because they don’t know what to expect. So plan, prepare and practice some of your answers to the obvious questions and you’ll be likely to nail that job you covet! Here are a few simple tips to help you on your way in … [Read more...]
It's easy to find yourself in credit card debt after the silly season, it seems no matter how well intentioned we are over the holiday period, with all the presents, vacations and extra social time available the budget just gets blown. But, it's a new year and just because your credit card has copped a work out, does not mean that you can't get back on track, and quickly, for the year ahead. First things first, plan ahead! … [Read more...]
New Year is a time for fresh starts making decluttering a very popular holiday activity. MaryAnne Bennie, author of From Stuffed to Sorted shares her top five most common excuses people use to hold on to excess clutter and some clever tips to turn them around. 1. You think you need everyone in your household to support your decluttering efforts. While it can be lonely being the organising warrior of the household, you may well have to go … [Read more...]
Many families in our neighborhoods are suffering through their first holiday season without a loved one. Four years ago, I had my first dreadful holiday without my son, Mikey. He ended his own life on the November 10, 2008, after suffering a delusional episode. I’ve spoken to dozens of suffering families while bringing Mikey’s story to the community. I see the anguished eyes of other grieving parents, beseeching me to give them some magic … [Read more...]
In her first book, “The Lucy Family Alphabet”, comedian Judith Lucy deals with the outstanding issues that she had with her parents. In this one, she chronicles her descent into alcohol-fuelled despair where she loses control of her life. This is a period of hazy blackouts and wasted opportunities that comprise the lost years of her youth. Even in this day and age, it is still difficult enough to be a woman in many professions, let … [Read more...]
Author of Mattress Actress, Annika Cleeve (not her real name), claims to be a former sex worker and international call girl who put herself through university. But the math just doesn't add up. This was suppose to be an article about a 'tell-all book' written by a former sex worker who went to university and married the man of her dreams. I was thinking along the lines of a 'Pretty Woman' story angle. But I get suspicious of anyone who gives … [Read more...]
The Golden Land by Di Morrissey interweaves the beauty and troubled political turmoil of Burma, its culture and people, with the life of Natalie living on the Gold Coast in Queensland. This is a beautiful story of resolution and putting right the past to heal the present, of the role of women in rebuilding a devastated country and the richness of Australia's diverse society. The novel spans from the Burma of 1885, beginning with Natalie's … [Read more...]
When figs are in season—or if you are lucky enough to have a tree, this is the way to use some up. Akin to the rose-patterned strawberry tart in the placing of the figs, the result is spectacular, and—like all tarts—make the ideal dessert because they are finished and ready before dinner, allowing you precious time with your guests. The following recipe for Fresh Fig and Walnut Tart is an extract from A lifetime of cooking, teaching and … [Read more...]
This recipe for Cheese Souffle is an extract from A lifetime of cooking, teaching and writing from The French Kitchen by Diane Holuigue. Much more than a recipe book, the best-selling author of The French Kitchen, Diane Holuigue, seeks to demystify the art of cooking, explaining the logic behind the technique. Combining the concepts of classical French cooking from Diane Holuigue’s best-selling title The French Kitchen (first published in … [Read more...]
People react in various ways to the diagnosis of a terminal illness. In this novel, Celeste and Nathalie are two very different half-sisters whose mother develops Motor Neurone Disease. Their mother is convinced that a miracle will cure her of this progressively incapacitating illness and plans a pilgrimage in the belief that she will be healed through doing so. Celeste, a doctor, is sceptical about the wisdom of allowing anyone as sick as … [Read more...]
[rating:4] After returning from her summer holiday in Queenscliff, Phryne Fisher finds herself caught up in yet another mystery that will delight fans of the elegant cocktail-sipping sleuth. Pretty blond girls are going missing — including some who are pregnant and had been incarcerated in the Magdalen laundry in Abbotsford — adding a baffling twist to a complex series of events that takes the reader on a journey through inner-city slums, … [Read more...]
Brisbane schoolteacher Karen Tyrrell will never forget that fateful morning in February 2003 when student Allie Broadhurst (not her real name) walked into her classroom with her parents. “I withdrew into silent panic, breaking out into a cold sweat,” Karen said. “They (the Broadhursts) had made false accusations and complaints against teachers and our school. Nobody wanted to teach this girl anymore or her elder brother.” The … [Read more...]
This is undoubtedly a very fine novel, bearing witness to one of the most appallingly cruel periods of history in living memory. Authentic and crafted with language as delicate as woven gossamer, it is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a mother's love for her daughter. In the Shadow of the Banyan is a breathtaking novel of exquisite lyrical beauty, based on the author's own life and experience, as seen through the eyes of … [Read more...]
You don’t have to look far beyond our shores to hear some extraordinary voices. Voices like Kate Forsyth, Anita Heiss, Melina Marchetta, Kate Grenville, Margo Lanagan, Nikki Gemmell, Isobelle Carmody, Fiona McIntosh, Randa Abdel-Fatah, Nicole Murphy and other Australian women writers. In the big wide world of books and bestsellers, Australian women are certainly up there with the best of them and they are paving the way for new and emerging … [Read more...]
You Don't Want To Know by Lisa Jackson is a gripping mystery thriller that holds the reader's attention from the first page to the very last. The story centres around Ava Garrison, wealthy, supposedly mentally unstable, living on a private island surrounded by family and staff. Two years ago, her baby son disappeared and her mental disintegration began soon after. Hazy recollections plague Ava's present and she is desperate to find out … [Read more...]
Harlequin Australia, the leading publisher of romance and women's fiction has announced the launch of its very own digital-first imprint, Harlequin Escape. Harlequin Escape was created to unearth new Australian writing talent and aspiring authors can submit their manuscript online to the publisher. By creating a website where authors can openly and easily submit their work online, Harlequin Australia are opening up publishing opportunities to … [Read more...]
The Unfinished Journals of Elizabeth D is a haunting story of bereavement, friendship and the pain of its loss, beautifully and skilfully told by Nichole Bernier. Sometimes women share an affinity, a support network with each other that men often find mystifying and difficult to understand. Kate and Elizabeth were such friends, enjoying a closeness that left a huge void in Kate's life when Elizabeth was killed in an air crash. Elizabeth's … [Read more...]
Bertie is the “Beloved” of the title. Set in the 1950's to early sixties, beginning in Melbourne, with interludes in Sydney and then moving on to Port Moresby, the novel follows Bertie's development from child to teenager. Aged six, she falls victim to polio which changes her future forever, the handicap and disfigurement affecting her young life profoundly. Her strong-willed mother is determined to ensure that Bertie will live a … [Read more...]
Tom Keneally has drawn an epic tribute to the enormous and often less-acknowledged contributions of women during World War I. In this, his latest novel, seen from the point of view of the nurses who coped with the resulting horrors of battle; no graphic detail is spared in the suffering endured, as well as witnessed, by them. We are swept from rural Victoria to Melbourne, Cairo, Sydney, London, Paris and Lemnos to the Dardanelles and the … [Read more...]
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone the publisher Bloomsbury is launching a competition to find the biggest HARRY POTTER fan in Australia and New Zealand. Bloomsbury is inviting fans to write a letter of no more than 50 words explaining why they love HARRY POTTER. The publisher is looking for the most creative, clever and entertaining reasons and while the word limit is set to a … [Read more...]
[rating:3] Poor plain bookish Mary Bennet, caught halfway between pretty Jane, clever Lizzy and silly Lydia and her shadow Kitty. She is a dim presence in Pride and Prejudice, a foil for the brightness of the others. Mary Bennet is her story and, as such, it is a fascinating alternative look at a much-loved tale. But it goes well beyond the boundaries of Austen’s work with an ending that offers an unexpected surprise for Australian … [Read more...]
[rating: 4.5] Many is the time I look at my digital babies (aged 11 and 9) and marvel at the completely different planet they live on. I marvel at the complete divergence between their childhood and my own, despite, like many parents, spending considerable time ensuring they have as much of a 'real life' existence as possible (as opposed to the virtual one they are living via laptops, iPads, and various game platforms). Yes, digital babies … [Read more...]
[rating: 4] Having watched the irrepressible Anita Heiss navigate the social media arena with pomp, opinion and savvy this past 18 months, I grew increasingly intrigued over her (at the time) upcoming memoir release, with its though-provoking title - Am I Black Enough for You? Absolutely admire a woman of her convictions, me, and also admire a woman who is gutsy enough to tell it like it is, especially when that woman is informed, educated and … [Read more...]
AWO's senior editor Tania McCartney has been a busy bee, releasing two books in the past two months. Her latest release - Beijing Tai Tai: Life, laughter and motherhood in China's capital - has been stacked on the shelves just in time for Mother's Day and is at once both an hilarious and moving account of her time in China with her young family. 'I feel like everyone should know about Beijing Tai Tai . . . it's the Eat Pray Love for mothers . … [Read more...]
WATCHING THE WAR FROM NEW YORK Extract from Helena Rubinstein, The Woman Who Invented Beauty by Michele Fitoussi, published by HarperCollins April 2012. Princess Gourielli-Tchkonia opened her eyes, stretched slowly and glanced at the travel clock on her bedside table. It showed 6.30 a.m., as it did every morning. She sat up in bed, leaning back against the pillows. A uniformed maid entered the room, carrying a silver tray with half … [Read more...]
[rating: 5] When I first took Bitter Greens in hand, I immediately assigned this brick-like tome to the ‘too long to read’ review pile. Before doing so, however, I briefly flipped open the first pages for a peek, as I am almost always tempted to do. Fast forward two weeks later, I was agonisingly eking out each and every word in the final pages of this beautiful book, wishing it was thrice the size. I’m not kidding. I want more. … [Read more...]
[rating: 4] It's all out there. The fads and opinion, the facts and myth relating to food. We've all been party and privy to it. And many of us have been both intrigued and confused by it. Conflicting media reports, misconceptions, scares and other hoo-ha have no doubt prompted author and nutritionist Nicole Senior to set the record straight. And indeed she does in Food Myths. Do you need to be a vegetarian for optimum health? Is thin … [Read more...]
Since its inception in 2009 boutique publisher Twelfth Planet Press (TPP) has been a strong advocate for local writers working in the speculative fiction genre and of female writers in particular. In addition to a number of full-length collections and novella projects from local women writers, TPP has also embarked upon a particularly ambitious project titled the “Twelve Planets”. The project will comprise of a series of short story … [Read more...]
Though they span all manner of genres, styles and approaches, literary prizes, book reviews and media coverage of literature too often have one thing in common: the under representation of female authors. When writer and reviewer Elizabeth Lhuede realised that despite her best intentions her awareness of local female authors was lacking, she decided to make 2012 a year of reading and reviewing local female authors. “I have my favourite … [Read more...]
[rating: 3.5] I may have left the 'young' version of the fashionista world a few years ago now, but that sure as Prada doesn't stop me from appreciating the young chicky babes doing the fashion scene so well. The recent movie and television awards season was a sheer bonanza in stylish eye candy for me. I may not be able to carry off an Hervé Léger bandage dress any more (not that I ever could) but I can absolutely stand in rapt appreciation at … [Read more...]
[rating: 5] Lush in setting, restrained but ultimately satisfying in emotion, this book takes readers from the hunger and poverty of 1930s Madrid to the whitewashed streets of Morocco, then on to the opulence of fashionable life during World War Two Spain and Portugal. First published in Spain as El Tiempo entre Costuras (The Time Between Seams) in 2009, and now translated into English, this book has been widely praised, sold bucket-loads, … [Read more...]
Kay Schubach is a brave woman. It can't be easy to publicly admit that you were in love with a man the media has labeled a 'play boy' and a 'love rat'. But Kay is in very good company. In addition to a long list of intelligent professional women, Sydney playboy Simon Lowe (aka. Monteiro) has also dated Hollywood actress Barbara Hershey - a part of her life I'm sure Ms Hershey would rather forget. In a recent telephone interview with the … [Read more...]
[rating: 4] That crafty minx is back, this time with a fashionista theme, following hot on the coat tails of her memoir A Life in Frocks. A self-confessed flea market and charity shop-scourer, it's no surprise Kelly's latest book has a belts, baubles and a chic ensemble feel - her adoration for fashion is palpable, and coupled with her enormously successful crafting expertise, customising fabulous vintage finds is a more than logical step in the … [Read more...]
[rating: 4] Great title. But also a fraught title. Goodness knows, weight loss is one of the hottest and most controversial topics in the Western world and will do doubt remain that way for many generations to come. Alas - it's often the 'lose weight quickly' promises that continue to fail those in search of the fat-loss grail. Fat-shedding fads have come and they have gone. Then they've come back again - pretty much like those unwanted … [Read more...]
[rating: 4] If home is where the heart is, this beautiful book is a home-lover's dream destination. Subtitled Evolution of the Australian Dream, an illustrated review of housing in Australia, anyone with a love of housing, town planning, architecture or even history, will warmly appreciate its content. Penned by Philip Cox, one of Australia's best known architects, Philip Graus, who has been involved in housing for over 25 years, and Bob … [Read more...]