Welcome to Litsy!

I read “The Restless Dolly Maunder” last year when it was on The Women‘s Prize for Fiction Longlist and I loved that book. Ever since I wanted to read more by Granville. I thought this sounded interesting, but it was not for me.

I‘m not sure if it‘s the wrong time, the translation or that‘s it due back at the library, but I read 20p maybe andI wasn‘t gripped.

I‘ll see if I try anything else by her in the future

William Thornhill makes a mistake and is shipped to Australia. He and his fellow settlers face up to life on colonised land, as slowly those indigenous to the land push back against them. There‘s a terrible sense of the inevitable, a deep frustration towards the settlers ignorance, a foreboding of what we know must come to pass. I found this incredibly well told and the tension mounts perfectly but to a really awful ending; you can‘t look away.

After being sentenced to death for stealing wood, William‘s sentence is commuted to banishment to Australia. His wife is permitted to join them and we see their world turn upside down as they try to make their way in this new place. And while we definitely see the abhorrent way the Aboriginals are treated by the white Europeans, I wanted more of a character arc along these lines for William. A low pick for me.

Finally got the first book finished for #ReadingOceania2024 @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB This one has been on my shelf for years and covers #Australia, following a family who are transported to Australia for theft and covers their early years there. Overall enjoyable but at times found it a chore to read.

#ReadAway2024 @DieaReader @Ghabi4Roses

I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new. Don‘t judge me - I have a lot of books. Join in if you want!

#ABookADay2023

Heartbreaking. Even though I knew how it would end, every step of the way I was willing things to be different.

I wanted a good solid novel, nothing tricksy or "groundbreaking", to keep me emotionally invested, with characters I could root for. It delivered! Will gets on the wrong side of the law and transported to the other side of the world. He and his wife Sal "take up" (i.e take) land. Cue the inevitable culture clash between white settlers and aboriginal people. The bonus book, KG's story of researching and writing the tale is a ripping yarn in itself.

I‘m trying to keep my mini vacation photos book related - so please enjoy this author portrait I found in The National Portrait Gallery (tbh, I didn‘t even realise 🇦🇺 had a Portrait Gallery but worth the trip if you find yourself in Canberra)

🖼 Kate Grenville by Jenny Sages, 2013, encaustic and oil on board.

The setting is the Hawkesbury River - where this book and its sequel, Sarah Thornhill, are set.

Good historical fiction, exploring many themes, but most importantly colonial exploitation.
Thanks Sally 😘
#booked2021 #setinaustralia

Fabulous book about Australia past. Entertaining and informative

Maybe I should give up on waiting for the sun to shine on London and dip into some fictional summer!

https://crimereads.com/australian-gothic-literature/

This was a recent book of the month in our book club. I hadn‘t read anything by the author before - but it is a brilliant historical novel & I highly recommend it.

#winterwonderland #icanseethesuninlatedecember
I immediately thought about the experience of those people sentenced to be transported to Australia for their crimes and the idea of seasons turned upside down must have been disconcerting - that and all the other ignominies they suffered - this is a brilliant book which i loved and bizarrely the only by kate Grenville i have read - a timely reminder to read some more soon.

Just home from the second excellent meeting of my new book club Reading between the wines in my neighbouring apartment building. This was tonight‘s book. I took this picture as I deposited my finished copy in my building‘s book exchange and unknowingly picked up our next pick. Our hostess with the mostess made us Jamaican Jerk which was delicious. Our next meeting will be at our local pub, the Custom‘s House Hotel at happy hour of course.

Enjoyed

This quote really got me thinking about colonialism and a nation as a collectively accepted concept.
What about those who don‘t accept the idea superimposed on a place? #aussielit

Amazing play directed by Neil Armfield and staged in a quarry. True, devastating and superb. No photos in the auditorium so this is us pre-show. 👏🏼

Grenville writes quite nicely. Nothing new in the plot though. Sort of reasonable, if not a brief, brushed over history of the treatment of Indigenous Australians; reasonable in that it at least acknowledges that many who came as convicts or pioneers did kill, violate and abuse the traditional custodians of Australia. But I tend to agree with the above article. #24in48 12.5 hrs in. #LitsyAtoZ S. Now to cook dinner whilst reading a book.

Starting to feel a little "vertiginous" myself. ♥️ finding words in books that I have forgotten about. I love the sound of this one Verrr, tijjj in erss. Even sounds swirling and lurching.

The quote in Fahrenheit 451 about the second great thing about books being the leisure to mull over them has powerful meaning for me right now, but I will plod on. It is a luxury to devote time, so much time to reading. ???

I'm not normally one for historical fiction, but I love this book ❤️❤️❤️❤️