February reads
Books read, bookish events attended + what I watched: A Disappearing Act | Unbranded | Always Home, Always Homesick | The Name of the Sister | How to Dress for Old Age | Lyrebird | Gravity Let Me Go
I read a lot over February with a slight and unintentional tilt to crime and thriller (four out of seven books), two memoirs and a First Nations classic. I’m moving more slowly through my non fiction reads but they are thick with post-it notes. My ereader is sadly neglected as I keep forgetting that it exists! I am away at my first retreat for the year and didn’t even think to bring it with me…
If you have an ereader, did you struggle to remember its existence initially? Send me you tips on how to remember to take it with me when I go anywhere.
Books
Books read
A Disappearing Act by Jo Dixon
The premise of A Disappearing Act asks: How well do we really know our closest friends? This psychological thriller is about four old friends who all have kept secrets from each other. Set in Tasmania, the friends gather at the request of one of them, Marnie. When she goes missing, they begin to divulge their secrets, mostly.
Packed with twists and turns, this book kept me guessing what happened to Marnie and where she was. A fun and interesting read that kept me up too late in the night!
I read a physical copy of the book
Unbranded by Herb Wharton
Unbranded is a First Nations classic, recently republished by UQP (originally published in 1992). Based on Wharton’s long years droving on inland Australian stock routes, it’s a novel of friendship and brotherhood, told with authenticity and quiet power. I loved listening to it as it took me straight back to the year my family spent ten months camping around Australia, much of it in remote areas.
I borrowed this audiobook from the library and listened via the Bolinda app.
Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent
Hannah Kent’s memoir gives the context of becoming an author and how she found the story for Burial Rites. It’s beautifully written (like anything she writes) and shows how she has such a deep connection with Iceland and Agnes (the protagonist in Burial Rites). Someone asked me the other day whether it could be read as a standalone book, and my answer was yes, but it is even better if you have read her debut novel. It’s a book full of heart.
I own a physical copy of the book.
The Name of the Sister by Gail Jones
The Name of the Sister moves between the contrasting landscapes of Sydney and Broken Hill. An unknown woman stumbles onto an outback road and is unable to speak. Angie, a freelance journo becomes obsessed with the case and with all the people claiming this woman, while her marriage is falling apart. A great rural thriller.
I borrowed this audiobook from the library and listened via the Bolinda app.
How to Dress for Old Age by David Carlin and Peta Murray
This is not a fashion guide. I need to say this because I have recommended it to many people who look at me curiously as though I’m suggesting that they need some sartorial advice. I’m neighbours with Peta, ever the snappy dresser, and was delighted to attend her packed out book launch at Readings, and then read her collaborative memoir. Writing a memoir with another author is an amazing thing to pull off, and they have done it well. Their stories are deftly woven and their voices blend perfectly while never leading the reader confused about whose story they are reading. The book explores what it means to get older while Murray and Carlin navigate their careers (they have worked together) and their parents’ aging. I am sure so many people will relate to this book that weaves memory, anecdote reflection, and asks what it takes to live a meaningful life all the way to the finish line. It’s told with vulnerability and packed with humour.
I own a physical copy of the book.
Lyrebird by Jane Caro
A gripping crime novel set in New South Wales. Jess, a lyrebird expert, is in the bush when she hears a woman screaming. She runs toward it while recording it, thinking she’s witnessing a murder only to find a lyrebird mimicking a woman’s scream. She takes the video recording to the police telling them that a woman has been murdered. Twenty years later, a woman’s bones are found in the same place, reopening the cold case that had been dismissed too easily by the police. Retired cop Megan is brought back in on the case that she was in charge of. I listened to this audiobook and was looking for more times to listen as I was drawn into this twisty-turny tale which covers human trafficking, sex trade, classism and more. This was my first Jane Caro book and I really enjoyed it.
I borrowed this audiobook from my library via the Bolinda App
Gravity Let Me Go by Trent Dalton
Electric, messy, funny, tender and bursting with heart. Trent Dalton writes with fearless energy, sweeping me into Noah’s chaos, ambition and fierce devotion to his family. I listened to this book feverishly. The collision of crime, humour and raw emotional honesty makes the story feel unpredictable (chaotic?) yet deeply human, and beneath the wit and wildness lies a powerful meditation on marriage, fatherhood and the cost of storytelling. It’s unapologetically big and heartfelt, the kind of novel that made me laugh, ache and reflect all at once .
I borrowed this audiobook from my library via the Bolinda App
Current reads
This One Wild and Precious Life: A Hopeful Path Forward in a Fractured World by Sarah Wilson
I keep forgetting that I’m reading this as I’m not used to having an ereader, so I haven’t made much progress with it.
I’ve reading this on my ereader
Why We Play by Joanna Fortune
The title says it all. Why We Play is a reminder of the importance of play, something I’m always looking to weave more consciously into my work and creativity. I’m about half way through and am really enjoying the play exercises and the theory behind them and am madly taking notes and adding sticky notes to pages.
I am reading my physical copy of the book.
Cautionary Tales for Excitable Girls by Anne Casey-Hardy
I cracked this open last night and lost the battle with my tired eyes and brain. I can’t wait to sink into this book
I am reading my physical copy of the book
Departure(s) by Julian Barnes
This is downloaded ready for my drive home from my retreat.
I borrowed this audiobook from my library via the Bolinda App
Bookish events attended
How to Dress for Old Age book launch at Readings, Carlton
I’ve been a bit sluggish with getting to bookish events, but it was great to get to Peta Murray and David Carlin’s launch of How to Dress for Old Age (mentioned above). Readings, Carlton was packed with Melbourne literati. It was introduced by hilarious performance artist Robin Laurie who showed us all the things one needs in old age – bib, shoe horn, stain remover, etc. Then Murray and Carlin were in conversation with Sophie Cunningham who drew out wonderful moments from the book and asked them about the collaborative approach to writing.
What I’ve watched
… because it is all a part of storytelling and I love stories!
Series
Emily in Paris
I know it’s not a work of art, but we’re still watching it. It’s a salve for those evenings when we’re a little brain dead. Although maybe it contributes to the deadening…
Watching on Netflix
Dog Park
This teleseries on ABC is a great one for people who are exploring diverse communities, etc for their storytelling. As a writer, I’m enjoying how it shows character growth through small, everyday interactions and how the dog park becomes a stage for revealing human quirks, vulnerabilities, and connections. It’s warm, funny, and quietly insightful — a perfect mix of humour and heart that makes you appreciate how setting and ensemble can shape a story.
Watching LIVE (who knew that we could still do this…) on ABC
Industry
We’re still watching Industry. It’s one of those teleseries that draws you in, like Succession, despite the characters behaving awfully. I want it to end/never end.
Watching on HBO
Films
The Wife
The premise of The Wife is a male author is set to receive the Nobel Prize for his literature contribution and his wife comes with him to the ceremony. There’s a sense of unease between them from the start of the movie, and the tension grows although the reason why is withheld from the watcher (as it should). It falls into that growing category of novels, biographies and films righting the version of men being lauded as the heroes. I enjoyed it even though I’d guessed what the story was early on, but M did not.
Watched on Netflix
The Outsider
After recently finishing The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan, I found The Outsider especially compelling. Set in post-war Japan, the film follows an American ex-soldier who becomes entangled with the yakuza, exploring themes of loyalty, identity, cultural dislocation and the lingering psychological scars of war.
Like Flanagan’s novel, it reflects on how conflict reshapes men and leaves them searching for belonging in morally complex worlds. It’s slow and atmospheric rather than action-driven, but its brooding tone and focus on honour and survival make it a thoughtful companion piece to the novel’s themes.
Watched on Netflix
We Lived in Time
This romantic drama was a random pick and was such a beautiful story that M even loved. It’s a nonlinear story that explores a decade-long relationship through three distinct, jumbled timelines: falling in love after a car accident, navigating a cancer diagnosis and raising a daughter. The film is a heart-wrenching, sentimental exploration of cherishing life's limited, precious moments. Grab the tissue box.
Watched on HBO
Over to you
What did you read or watch over February? What’s up next for you to read or watch?
Until next time, happy reading
x Meg
I have no idea you fit in so much reading! I’m currently doing a slow re-read of the Creative Act by Rick Ruben. (On your recommendation)I read it on the retreat, came home and bought a copy. I decided it needs to be re-read & contemplated so I’m reading it in small bites sized chunks.