This week it is more a case of On My Windowsill. Lithops,a genus of succulent plants in the ice plant family Aizoaceae, are native to southern Africa. They are commonly know as stone plants or living stones. Lithops were discovered in 1811 by botanist John Burchell when he picked up what he thought was a … Continue reading In My Garden – Lithops
One Minute Book Review – Nutshell by Ian McEwan
Nutshell by Ian McEwan is a tale of murder and deceit told by an unborn child near to term. This is no ordinary child - he is well read and erudite with a strong grasp of world politics, his understanding drawn, no doubt, from his mother’s avid podcast listening. He has an understanding of familial … Continue reading One Minute Book Review – Nutshell by Ian McEwan
Revision, revision, revision
I regard writing as in some ways like sculpting with clay. In sculpting the starting point is a design and an armature (the framework on which a clay sculpture is moulded), with writing most of us begin with a general idea of the story we want to tell and the arc it will follow even … Continue reading Revision, revision, revision
One Minute Book Review – Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
I have resisted reading this book for a very long time. Workmates have raved about it, swooning over Jamie Fraser, but those who know me best warned me away from it – ‘You won’t like it – too many things for you to criticize’. Although I do have a nose for historical inaccuracy, I don’t … Continue reading One Minute Book Review – Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
In My Garden – The Apricot Tree
The apricot tree is a deciduous fruit bearing tree of the genus Prunus. It is grown in all parts of the world and is thought to have originated in Armenia; however, it may also to have been grown in ancient India. A medium sized multi-branched tree, it has a dense spreading canopy. It grows well … Continue reading In My Garden – The Apricot Tree
My Reading – February 2017
Wild Island by Jennifer Livett The Forgotten Highlander by Alister Urquhart Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Save
One Minute Book Review – The Forgotten Highlander by Alastair Urquhart
This week something slightly longer than a one minute review. The Forgotten Highlander. My Incredible Story of Survival During the War in the Far East is a memoir by Alistair Urquhart (1919-2016). It touches on Urquhart's childhood and post-war life but concentrates on the period in which he was a Prisoner of War of the … Continue reading One Minute Book Review – The Forgotten Highlander by Alastair Urquhart
In My Garden – Crepe Myrtle
The crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) is a hardy multi-stemmed deciduous tree, native to eastern Asia. It is well suited to most parts of Australia as, once established, it is drought tolerant. It can grow up to 8 metres in height, will thrive despite brutal pruning, and provides a distinctive display through most of the year. … Continue reading In My Garden – Crepe Myrtle
One Minute Book Review – Wild Island by Jennifer Livett
Wild Island by Jennifer Livett is set, for the greater part, in Van Diemen’s Land in the 1830s, a time when, although it was primarily penal settlement, some were beginning to envisage a different future for the colony. The story is told through dual narratives, in the third person concentrating on Charles Booth, the Commandant … Continue reading One Minute Book Review – Wild Island by Jennifer Livett
Language in Historical Fiction
I suppose I am getting ahead of myself blogging about the way I write historical fiction when I have nothing published yet, so these are as much the thoughts of a reader as a writer. While the details of place, and manners and customs play a large part in creating the historical world, the style … Continue reading Language in Historical Fiction
