2023-03-15 05:03
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan *In January 2022 I attended the Doll House: Miniature Worlds of Wonder exhibition at Como House in Melbourne which featured over 40 dollhouses from the 1890s… Read More
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Carpe Librum Blog
carpelibrum.net
This is an Australian book blog containing book reviews, giveaways and author interviews.
2023-03-08 04:38
Apologies are complex. A well-worded apology can soothe hurt feelings, save a failing relationship or repair one, while a bad apology can exacerbate the situation or end up causing further i… Read More
2023-03-05 05:32
I was on holiday recently and put the word out to see if there were any fellow Aussie reviewers who'd like to do a buddy read for The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It's always fu… Read More
2023-03-03 13:07
My first impression after reading On Writing - A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King, is just how hard the author has worked to get where he is today. Many readers know Stephen King was rais… Read More
2023-02-27 04:45
I didn't get on with Moby Dick at University. I was far more interested in reading The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett at the time and found Herman Melville's writing to be inaccessible… Read More
2023-02-23 05:57
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow is a young adult urban fantasy novel about adventure, stories, portals, travel and change. I knew I was going to be in safe hands very ear… Read More
2023-02-08 05:44
I enjoyed The Remains of the Day, the story of an ageing butler reminiscing about serving Lord Darlington between WWI and WWII, while Klara and the Sun was an interesting… Read More
2023-02-06 07:47
Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway last week to win 1 of 2 signed copies of Confluence by Gemma Chilton. It's true, Gemma is from Southern Tasmania and everyone answered correctly. E… Read More
2023-02-02 04:22
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *Snake Island by Ben Hobson was a ripper read in August 2019 and it made it onto my Top 5 Books of 2019 list. I had the pleasure of interviewing the auth… Read More
2023-01-30 05:33
I absolutely love everything about the musical production The Phantom of the Opera: the gothic setting; the music; the operas within an opera and of course the cleverly constructed and often… Read More
2023-01-27 03:26
IntroGemma Chilton is an Australian journalist and editor based in southern Tasmania and she's giving Carpe Librum readers the chance to win 1 of 2 signed copies of her debut novel Conf… Read More
2023-01-20 03:40
* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury *I know it's early days yet, but it's just possible that The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell has gone straight from being one of my most highly anticipated rea… Read More
2023-01-16 04:15
I was sorry to learn that the Aussie Author Reading Challenge came to a close at the end of 2022 after 13 years. I'd like to thank Jo from Booklover Book Reviews for her time and generosity… Read More
2023-01-14 12:28
Set in a bitterly cold winter in a small medieval village in Russia, The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden is full of Russian fairytales and folktales. The villagers have been maki… Read More
2023-01-11 04:53
* Copy courtesy of Scribe Publications *I'm a blogger, reviewer, editor, proofreader, sole trader and sometimes lone ranger, so you could say I'm the target audience for Copywrong to Copywri… Read More
2023-01-10 05:29
In 2022 I read a total of 75 books and as always, it's difficult to curate a Top 5 list. Over the course of the year, a total of 19 books were 5 star reads for me in a nice healthy mix… Read More
2023-01-06 05:40
Dr Michael Mosley is very easy to listen to and I've watched quite a few of his documentaries, however surprisingly, this is my first time reading any of his - many - books. Just One Thing … Read More
2023-01-04 05:33
I still remember the joy of having pen pals as a teenager, and the premise of I Will Always Write Back - How One Letter Changed Two Lives by Caitlin Alifirenka, Martin Ganda and Liz Welch ap… Read More
2023-01-01 05:12
Happy New Year! Historical fiction remained one of my favourite genres last year and I enjoyed participating in the Historical Fiction Challenge 2022 hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader.I… Read More
2022-12-31 04:45
Paul Cleave is a bestselling kiwi author from New Zealand and Collecting Cooper is my first time reading any of his books. In 2012, Paul Cleave hit my radar and at the time, the blurb for Co… Read More
2022-12-30 12:10
This is my 11th year participating in the Aussie Author Reading Challenge hosted by Jo from Booklover Book Reviews and I'm proud to say I successfully completed the 2022 challenge… Read More
2022-12-17 01:45
I've always loved stargazing, and Dark Skies - A Practical Guide to Astrotourism by Valerie Stimac and Lonely Planet was given to me by my husband for Christmas in 2020. Given some of t… Read More
2022-12-15 05:29
I read 25 non fiction books in 2022 and it was the third year in a row participating in the Nonfiction Reader Challenge. The challenge is hosted by fellow Aussie book blogger Shelleyrae at B… Read More
2022-12-13 03:51
Am I putting you to sleep with the number of books and audiobooks I review on the topic of sleep? I sincerely hope not, but I might need to acknowledge that this has become a comfort topic… Read More
2022-12-07 05:25
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *My favourite fictional cannibal Timothy Blake is back in the fourth instalment of the Blake series that began with Hangman, and continued on with Hunter… Read More
2022-11-30 05:31
Published in 2014, The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon has been on my virtual 'maybe' list for several years; okay I'll admit it, 8 years. During this time, the author has published severa… Read More
2022-11-25 05:08
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *Dawnlands by Philippa Gregory is the third book in the Fairmile series that began in 2019 with Tidelands (Book 1) and follows straight on after the e… Read More
2022-11-18 02:24
* Copy courtesy of Text Publishing *The Way It Is Now by Garry Disher is set on the Mornington Peninsula an hour out of Melbourne, and our protagonist Charlie Deravin is staying at his famil… Read More
2022-11-10 06:35
* Copy courtesy of Penguin Random House *The Journey: Big Panda and Tiny Dragon is a charming book written and illustrated by the talented artist James Norbury. It's the sequel to the intern… Read More
2022-11-07 05:52
Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World's Most Infamous Items by J.W. Ocker was a mildly entertaining and interesting book, the kind of which is soon forgotten, but enjoyed whi… Read More
2022-11-03 05:17
* Copy courtesy of Text Publishing *Reading Limberlost by Robbie Arnott was an ethereal experience. Inspired by the real life experiences of the author's Grandfather, Robbie Arnott has attem… Read More
2022-10-29 06:03
* Copy courtesy of Text Publishing *There's no carnival in this story. No circus either. No carnivals, circuses, fairs or fetes. Now, onto the book. The Carnival is Over by Greg Woodland is… Read More
2022-10-26 05:31
Insomnia by Marina Benjamin is presented as a memoir, but it could be better described as a collection of vignettes exploring the topic of sleep and the author's insomnia.A slim read, journa… Read More
2022-10-24 03:41
I enjoyed listening to At Home: A Short History of Private Life at the beginning of the year and decided to seek out more of Bill Bryson's work. The Body: A Guide for Occupants, written and… Read More
2022-10-20 04:40
* Copy courtesy of Scribe Publications *Old Vintage Melbourne 1960-1990 by Chris Macheras is the sequel to Old Vintage Melbourne and is for all those who enjoy studying urban photographs of… Read More
2022-10-16 05:09
Children's books that celebrate a love of reading will get me every time, and I couldn't resist purchasing a copy of Yours In Books by Julie Falatko. Our main character is Owl T. Fencepost a… Read More
2022-10-12 04:42
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *Runt by Craig Silvey was a sheer delight to read, it felt like 'coming home.' Forget his earlier books Honeybee and Jasper Jones, Runt is completely dif… Read More
2022-10-08 05:25
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *Charlie Reade is a terrific kid! Charlie's Mum died when he was ten and his Dad became an alcoholic, forcing Charlie to learn how to take care of himse… Read More
2022-10-03 04:49
It's time for another classic, and this time... it was The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham. Published 71 years ago in 1951, The Day of the Triffids is a science fiction novel set in Engl… Read More
2022-09-26 07:12
Amaze-a-loo! A Lifetime of Impossible Days by Tabitha Bird is my second novel from this talented Australian author, but it was published two years before The Emporium of Imagination roc… Read More
2022-09-16 06:31
* Copy courtesy of Hachette *Sublime, just sublime! The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell is one of my most highly anticipated releases for 2022, especially after her previous novel Hamn… Read More
2022-09-09 06:48
Reading the blurb for The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge and finding out the main character Martha can tell things about a person just by touching their clothes, I was immediately sold. D… Read More
2022-08-31 04:40
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *The impact time has on people, buildings and the environment is a constant theme in my reading, and Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall is based on the t… Read More
2022-08-29 05:36
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *I absolutely adored the rich setting of The It Girl by Ruth Ware in the fictional campus college of Pelham College at Oxford University. Having… Read More
2022-08-24 04:47
This was dreadful. Originally published in 1936, How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie remains one of the most popular self help books in print and one of the best-selli… Read More
2022-08-18 03:58
* Copy courtesy of Transit Lounge *Hydra by Melbourne based author Adriane Howell is set on the Victorian peninsula in an area I was once quite familiar with. Our main character Anja is an a… Read More
2022-08-15 05:07
Thanks to all of those who entered my giveaway last week to win a print copy of Framed by Australian author John M. Green. You all answered correctly, that JJ spied what she believes to… Read More
2022-08-14 07:24
* Copy courtesy of Harper Collins *Set in Florence, The Brightest Star by Emma Harcourt starts in 1479 with the birth of Leonarda Lunetta (Luna) Fusili. Luna is born with a misshapen leg and… Read More
2022-08-09 05:33
Thanks to all of the Outsiders (AViVA fans) who entered my giveaway last week to win 1 of 2 signed double packs of Self/Less and Relentless by Australian author and artist AViVA. Relent… Read More
2022-08-08 07:03
* Copy courtesy of Scribe Publications *I'm fascinated by the topic of sleep and never tire of talking about sleep, sleep habits, dreams and the science of sleep. Saved by the Siesta - The G… Read More
2022-08-05 06:06
* Copy courtesy of Pantera Press *IntroAustralian author John M. Green is no stranger to Carpe Librum. I interviewed John back in 2012 after reading and reviewing The Nowhere Man and Born to… Read More
2022-08-04 06:49
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *Princess Diana is one of the most famous women in my living memory and her legacy continues today, more than a quarter of a century after her death. Th… Read More
2022-08-01 04:48
IntroIt gives me great pleasure to welcome AViVA to Carpe Librum today! An internationally successful YA author, musician and fellow Australian, AViVA joins me today to celebrate the upcomin… Read More
2022-07-30 07:34
Keen to put an end to a newly formed self-sabotaging habit, I listened to the audiobook of Atomic Habits by James Clear. Despite being advertised quite heavily on GoodReads these last few we… Read More
2022-07-27 05:40
* Copy courtesy of Penguin Random House Australia *The Night Ship by Jess Kidd is an historical fiction novel about the Batavia. Nine year old girl Mayken is aboard the flagship Batavia, bui… Read More
2022-07-25 05:21
Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway last week to win 1 of 5 signed print copies of Once Upon A Camino by Matthew S. Wilson. This was an international giveaway so we had heaps of entri… Read More
2022-07-21 06:57
* Copy courtesy of Scribe Publications *Originally published in 2016 this is a re-release of Westography by Warren Kirk with the addition of new photographs from this Melbourne based photogr… Read More
2022-07-15 03:44
* Copy courtesy of the author *Nine years ago, I interviewed Melbourne based author Matthew S. Wilson about reading, writing and his debut novel at the time, The Devil's In The Detail… Read More
2022-07-13 05:45
I don't know what I just read. Reasons She Goes to the Woods by Deborah Kay Davies is presented in a series of vignettes and is about a girl called Pearl. Each right hand page (in my copy) i… Read More
2022-07-09 06:24
I love biscuits and every time I opened this book I wanted to eat one. The Biscuit Book - The History of a Very British Indulgence by Lizzie Collingham is naturally full of biscuits, sponge… Read More
2022-07-05 05:40
* Copy courtesy of Penguin Random House *It feels like an abundance of historical fiction set in WWII has been published in the last 5 years and I'm close to reaching my saturation point, bu… Read More
2022-06-29 06:35
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster & Reading, Writing and Riesling *In 2014 I read Eugenia, A True Story of Adversity, Tragedy, Crime and Courage by Mark Tedeschi QC and it was so g… Read More
2022-06-26 06:49
After reading Death of a Typographer and interviewing the author Nick Gadd last year, he mentioned that his interest in typography grew out of his friendship with Stephen Banham. Stephen Ban… Read More
2022-06-24 06:40
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *I've read and reviewed all three of Chris Hammer's novels in the Martin Scarsden series (Scrublands, Silver and Trust) so it was refreshing to read a ne… Read More
2022-06-21 05:30
Thanks to everyone who entered my book giveaway last week to win 1 of 5 print copies of Black River by Australian author Matthew Spencer. Black River is set during a long, burning summer in… Read More
2022-06-17 06:19
The Killer Across the Table is written by retired FBI Special Agent and Criminal Profiler John E. Douglas and narrated by Jonathan Groff. During his distinguished career, John Douglas interv… Read More
2022-06-14 05:24
* Copy courtesy of Harper Collins *I was hooked by page 2 of this Australian crime thriller Unforgiven by Sarah Barrie. Lexi Winter is a tough, kick ass character with the skills of a hacker… Read More
2022-06-10 05:24
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *INTROToday I'm giving away 5 print copies of Black River by Australian author Matthew Spencer thanks to the generous folk over at Allen & Unwin. The… Read More
2022-06-08 05:42
* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury *I was here purely for the octopus. But wait, let me back up a little. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt isn't my usual fare. It's an uplifting, fa… Read More
2022-06-06 06:24
Thanks to those who entered my children's book giveaway last week to win a copy of children's picture book Blobfish by Olaf Falafel. And it's true, Blobfish loves telling jokes!Entries close… Read More
2022-06-03 05:41
* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan *In 1518, hundreds of people from Strasbourg started dancing uncontrollably without resting, sometimes for days on end. It was a medieval dancing plague wher… Read More
2022-05-30 06:51
I walk past the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM) in Melbourne almost every other day, and I never stop wondering what goes on in there. With the Coroner's Court of Victoria on… Read More
2022-05-27 05:14
* Copy courtesy of Walker Books Australia *IntroIt's been a while since I've reviewed a children's picture book, but I just couldn't resist Blobfish, just look at his cute little face!BlurbA… Read More
2022-05-26 07:34
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *Elizabeth of York - The Last White Rose is my sixth book by Alison Weir, and astonishingly (or not) they've all been five star reads.... including this… Read More
2022-05-22 09:30
I was nervous about reading this. On the one hand, I was an early reader of The Martian and it turned out to be one of my favourite reads that year (2014). Then there was Artemis, the most d… Read More
2022-05-11 04:50
The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter sounds right up my alley. Dark and subversive versions of fairy tales and legends told in the gothic tradition? Sign me up! I was so con… Read More
2022-05-06 02:56
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *The Swift and the Harrier by Minette Walters was such a joy to read. Expertly researched and wonderfully written, the book opens in Dorset in 1642 and f… Read More
2022-04-29 06:14
After reviewing a book about death, I thought my reading schedule could do with a little lightening up and what's the opposite of death? Life of course, but also sex!Listening to the audiobo… Read More
2022-04-27 06:10
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *It's almost a year ago since I read The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward and gave it 3 stars in my review, so I was a little surprised to… Read More
2022-04-26 04:50
Thanks to everyone who entered last week's giveaway to win one of two print copies of The Winter Dress by Lauren Chater. Everyone answered correctly and the 17th century silk dress that insp… Read More
2022-04-23 08:02
* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury *Death is an interesting topic and one we will all eventually come to know first hand. It's a taboo topic in some circles, and too painful to discuss in others… Read More
2022-04-20 05:42
Continuing with the theme of self discovery and personal reflection and exploration, it was time to return to the great Australian psychologist and social researcher Hugh Mackay for some mor… Read More
2022-04-18 05:57
IntroI trust you've been enjoying the Easter break and spending time with loved ones, and I hope you found some time for a little reading as well. I love adding to your growing TBR piles, so… Read More
2022-04-13 05:29
In Killfile by Christopher Farnsworth, the main character can read minds and after a career in the military and the CIA is now a private consultant to the very rich. What could possibly go w… Read More
2022-04-11 06:12
* Courtesy of the author and Quikmark Media *IntroSpeeches are made around the world every day, however some speeches resonate with us long after they were made and have brought about g… Read More
2022-04-09 07:10
The Enneagram of Personality, or Enneagram (pronounced enn-ee-uh-gram) has been around for centuries and is a model containing nine interconnected personality types. Each of the personality… Read More
2022-04-06 16:19
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *IntroLauren Chater is a talented Australian author and it's an absolute pleasure to be part of the digital blog tour celebrating the release of her l… Read More
2022-04-04 05:27
* Copy courtesy of Penguin Random House *Absolutely brilliant! And to use the words of Jane Harper when interviewing Aussie author Benjamin Stevenson for Dymocks recently, "What a triumph!!"… Read More
2022-03-30 04:38
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *The Language of Food by Annabel Abbs was a sublime read containing tantalising descriptions of food, and life below stairs during 1800s England. The… Read More
2022-03-24 04:36
* Copy courtesy of the author *Do you ever just feel like reading a book about a cult? It's been a while since I last visited a cult behind the safety of a well written narrative, but Austra… Read More
2022-03-22 05:12
Like sleep, smell has interested me for as long as I can remember. I've always had a keen sense of smell and I set out to learn more about the process of olfaction when I started listening t… Read More
2022-03-18 03:16
* Copy courtesy of Text Publishing *Robyn's career as a school teacher ended 10 years ago and she's now the Caretaker on Finch Island, located off the coast of Queensland. One of Robyn's cli… Read More
2022-03-16 04:43
Having enjoyed Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh in January 2016, I keenly followed her work only to learn the author withdrew from public life (and the world) after a series of devastatin… Read More
2022-03-15 04:09
Thanks to everyone who congratulated me on my involvement with Look - It's Your Book! by Anna Featherstone. This is a self help book for non fiction writers looking to self publish in Austra… Read More
2022-03-09 23:09
Being a fan of true crime documentaries myself, the premise for Greenlight by Benjamin Stevenson held immediate appeal. Jack is the creator of a true crime docuseries and succeeds in achievi… Read More
2022-03-04 04:47
IntroI'm still on a high after the successful release of Look - It's Your Book! by Australian author Anna Featherstone last week. In case you missed it with everything else going on in the w… Read More
2022-03-03 05:09
* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury *The first page of this book completely blew me away and I'm convinced it was written purely and exclusively with me in mind! I loved it so much I insisted on r… Read More
2022-02-24 05:36
It's been 11 years since I read and enjoyed The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer. At the time I found it illuminating, fascinating, shocking and at times even funny… Read More
2022-02-22 03:35
Today I'm celebrating the release of Look - It's Your Book! by Anna Featherstone. This is a special day in the Carpe Librum calendar, not just because it's 22/2/22, but because I contributed… Read More
2022-02-21 03:58
Thanks to all of the readers who entered my giveaway last week to win one of three print copies of The Gosling Girl by Jacqueline Roy with their answer of: Monster? Murderer? Child? Vic… Read More
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