From the Lighthouse

Comfort Texts for a Brave New World

The world is in a very strange place right now, and we're in need of serious distraction. Jimmy, Kirstin and Stephanie take you through their favourite comfort books, television shows, movies and podcasts.

Interview with Diana Plater on her first novel, Whale Rock

Diana Plater, professional travel writer, journalist, and now novelist, discusses her first novel, Whale Rock, a sensuous exploration of mothering and loss and what it means to be a middle-aged woman in multi-cultural Sydney.

 

Credit for the pic of Diana: Sylvia Karschies.

Whale Rock by Diana Plater is available at:

https://themoshshop.com.au/collections/new-releases/products/whale-rock-by-diana-plater; 

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/924932

https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07NYHWNTR

https://books.apple.com/us/book/whale-rock/id1454032970

Jenna Guillaume's What I Like About Me: A Daggy Caravan Park Romance

Jenna Guillaume's debut novel, What I Like About Me, is a YA romantic comedy set at that most Australian of settings: the daggy caravan park. This week, Stephanie is joined by Jenna to discuss romance, body positivity, beauty pageants, Twitter, Dirty Dancing, and why all dresses should have pockets.

 

Jenna's Twitter account is @JennaGuillaume and her novel What I Like About Me is available at all good bookshops now. 

Best Books of 2018 (re-uploaded)

This week, Stephanie, Michelle and Jimmy finally gather to talk about their favourite books (and film!) of 2018. Jimmy talks crime movies, Michelle talks about her love of deep, depressing books, and Stephanie cheats wildly.

Meredith Lake's The Bible in Australia: A fascinating history of the part the Bible played in shaping Australia

Meredith Lake, award-winning historian, traces the impact of the Bible on Australian culture, from Tony Abbott's misuse of the Bible to discredit the science of climate change to the distinctively Australian irreverence for authority that saw the coining of the expressions 'bible-basher' and 'wowser'. Join Michelle Hamadache as she interviews Meredith Lake about the complex ways the Bible and its reception has shaped Australian literature, language and politics.

Adam Courtenay's The Ship that Never Was

Part colonial history, part biography of James Porter, a convict transported to Van Diemen's Land under the rule of the tyrannical Governor Arthur, The Ship that Never War is a story of human tenacity and ingenuity in the face of unimaginably harsh conditions. Join Michelle Hamadache as she talks with Adam Courtenay about the incredible but true story of a group of convicts who stole a brand new ship from Macquarie Harbour and sailed it all the way to Chile.

For more info and some bonus materials, visit our website at: https://www.fromthelighthouse.org

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: or The Golden State Killer's Walk into the Light

If you follow true crime news, you'll know that the Golden State Killer was recently arrested, over forty years after his crime spree began. This week, Jimmy and Stephanie discuss the book that many people believe was responsible for renewed interest in this case: Michelle McNamara's posthumously published I'll Be Gone in the Dark. 

Medicine, Literature, Interceptionality, and Literary Gate-Keeping: An Interview with Michelle Cahill

This week, Stephanie and Michelle interview Michelle Cahill, writer and managing director of the literary journal Mascara. In this wide-ranging discussion, they talk about the intersection of medicine and literature, interceptionality, and literary gate-keeping.

For more info visit our website at: https://www.fromthelighthouse.org

The Women's Prize for Fiction 2018 Longlist Show

The longlist for the Women's Prize was released on March 8, International Women's Day. This week, Stephanie and Michelle discuss the longlist: the books they've read, the books they want to read, and the snubs. 

For more info visit our website at: https://www.fromthelighthouse.org

Best Books of 2017

What were your best books of 2017? This week, Stephanie and Michelle contemplate their year in reading.

For more info visit our website at: https://www.fromthelighthouse.org/