It’s a Fall Freebie at That Artsy Reader Girl this week, or a Spring Freebie for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere… so here are some spring-themed literary quotes. Read more
Quote of the Day – Kindness
“Do you know what people really want? Everyone, I mean. Everybody in the world is thinking: I wish there was just one other person I could really talk to, who could really understand me, who’d be kind to me. That’s what people really want, if they’re telling the truth.”
— Doris Lessing, The Golden Notebook
Practical Magic – Film Review
With the new sequel out, I checked out the original 1998 brew of family drama, horror, comedy and romance about two witchy sisters, and enjoyed it far more than expected.
MSO: Organ Gala @ Melbourne Town Hall (09/2026)
I might have wished for a little bit more of the Grand Organ, but this anniversary concert celebrating 120 years of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra was still quite special.
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton – Book Review
It’s been a while since I read classic literature, and this elegant novel about personal desires clashing against societal expectations in 1870s New York was a treat.
Melbourne International Film Festival 2026 – Bitter Christmas, Rose
I saw a few films at this year’s MIFF and these were my favourites: the latest from Pedro Almodóvar and a striking gender-bending period drama with fabulous Sandra Hüller.
Top Ten Tuesday – Bookish Places I’ve Visited
I always love a travel topic, and this week at That Artsy Reader Girl is all about cool bookish places.
Quote of the Day – Athena
If you were a nerdy bookish teen girl obsessed with Greek mythology, there’s a good chance Athena was your favourite goddess. She was certainly mine. Athena is the bright-eyed goddess of wisdom, handicrafts and war (strategic warfare rather than pure bloodlust). This quote comes from Aeschylus’ tragedy The Eumenides, where Athena represents the reason and modern rule of law as opposed to raw revenge.
The Love That Remains – Film Review
My pick from this year’s Nordic Film Festival was a bittersweet drama about a fractured family, both earthy and strange, unfolding against the haunting Icelandic landscape.
New Music 08/2026 – Rosalía, Cate Le Bon
