A little bit of background📃 I spotted Borderlines in an eclectic, indie bookshop in Melbourne that I discovered on a work trip. The Book Grocer has a store presence but seems to do most of its trade online. I bought Borderlines at the same time as the brilliant, A bookshop of one's own. Borderlines is part travelogue, part history, and part exploration of the oddities of border towns in Europe. I was on board from the get go! Borderlines: A history of Europe in 29 borders |

A little bit of background📃 I had seen all the buzz for Lea Ypi's memoir of her life in Albania as the country transitioned from communism to democracy. My fascination with Eastern Europe and life behind the Iron Curtain continues, so I eagerly jumped into Free. Free: Coming of age at the end of history | Published October 2021 | Read June 2026 The author✏️ Lea Ypi (born 1979) is an Albanian academic and author. She grew up in both communist and post-communist Albania, her

A little bit of background📃 A friend recommended Wifedom to me. I have since read another of Anna Funder's books, Stasiland: Stories from behind the Berlin Wall. I had no idea about the story of George Orwell's first wife, Eileen O'Shaughnessy, which I guess is the whole point of Funder's book, that Eileen is completely invisible from Orwell's life and work. I will say right up front that if you love George Orwell's writing and want to preserve a certain image of him, then d

A little bit of background📃 A friend recommended another of Anna Funder's books to me and that led me to Stasiland. It didn't take much convincing for me to add the book to my library, though. I have always had a fascination with all things Eastern Europe, life behind the Iron Curtain, and particularly the short history of East Germany. I was in Berlin in 1996, only a few years after the Wall came down. That experience left a huge impact on me. I'd recently read Katja Hoyer'

A little bit of background📃 I am a Europhile at heart and at this point in my life, I appreciate that I have the time to read voraciously and return to my love of history. I am interested in the people who came before me, how our world has evolved, and how languages, religions, nationalities and cultures came to be. I am still looking for that elusive book that provides me with a proper understanding of Europe's history. Is there such a thing? A short history of Europe: From

A little bit of background📃 I found A bookshop of one's own in an eclectic, indie bookshop in Melbourne that I discovered on a work trip. The Book Grocer has a store presence but seems to do most of its trade online. The cover of A bookshop of one's own drew me as soon as I saw the book on the shelf on a cold Melbourne winter's day. A memoir of a bunch of bad ass lesbians opening an independent bookstore in London? I'm in! A bookshop of one's own | Published February 2024 |

A little bit of background📃 I returned to Wellington, the place of my birth, in November 2025. This was a homecoming of sorts, as I hadn't been back to my homeland for ten years and not to Wellington since I was a teenager. I wanted to come back to Australia with a book for my personal library on the history of my homeland. Browsing in a reputable and comprehensive bookshop in Wellington, Gordon McLauchlan's book was the only one of the sort I could find. A short history of

A little bit of background📃 I've always been incredibly fascinated by Russian and Soviet history. I picked up The Romanovs at the Lifeline Bookfest in 2025 but it took me almost a year to get around to reading it as it's a huge book. I wondered how even in 650+ pages a book could provide a comprehensive account of such an important dynasty. Did it succeed? Read on for my review. The Romanovs 1613-1918 | Published January 2016 | Read May 2026 The author✏️ Simon Sebag Montefio

A little bit of background📃 Matt Haig (born 1975) is an English author and journalist. I have followed him on Instagram for some years now, and I find myself nodding on the regular at his posts about life, politics, and humanity. His values align with mine and I admire that he uses his platform for good. He is open about his mental health struggles and these struggles form the basis of his books. While Matt has written both fiction and non-fiction for children and adults, he

A little bit of background📃 I must confess to never having read anything much about the incredible scientist, Marie Skłodowska-Curie. The subtitle of the book on display at the library suggested a focus on the pathway that Mme Skłodowska-Curie forged for female scientists. I was still keen to start somewhere to better understand one of the most notable female scientists of all time. The elements of Marie Curie: How the glow of radium lit a path for women in science | Publish

A little bit of background📃 The whole concept of Unruly had me from the get-go. A comedian's take on history? Cool. A journey through the history of England's kings and queens? Also cool. Did the book live up to my expectations? Read on for my thoughts. Unruly: The ridiculous history of England's kings and queens | Published September 2023 | Read May 2025 The author✏️ David Mitchell (born 1974) is a British comedian, actor and writer. He has numerous comedy television cred

A little bit of background📃 Jojo Moyes is one of my go-to authors when I am looking for a break from my usual dark and disturbing reads. Sure, her books are predictable and a little schmaltzy, but they are absolutely a comfort read for me. You can check out my review of the Jojo historical fiction titles I've read, her first book, Night music, and my favourite book to date, Someone else's shoes. I bloody love that book! We all live here | Published February 2025 | Read May 2

A little bit of background📃 Naomi Klein has only recently come into my orbit, largely for her criticisms of Israel's recent actions in Gaza. I'd heard something of her activism and finally had the chance to read three of her books, The shock doctrine, Doppelganger, and No is not enough. I learnt so much from these books so I urge you to give them a go. I have nothing but respect for Naomi Klein now, and I can't wait to read the rest of her work. She is clever, insightful, se

A little bit of background📃 History, politics, culture, sociology and social anthropology are totally my jam, but I am yet to find a single book that gives me a broad yet comprehensive overview of the history of humankind. I am not sure such a book even exists. I picked up the two books in this review at my local library, hoping for some insights from the similar approaches to being human and how we have grown and changed as a species. The species than changed itself: How

A little bit of background📃 I waited over six months for a copy of The Nazi mind after putting it on hold at my local library. The 2025 publication is clearly in demand! I was looking forward to reading the book, not only because of the long wait but because of its claimed psychological perspective on the heinous crimes the Nazis committed. Did the book live up to my expectations? Read my review to find out... The Nazi mind: Twelve warnings from history | Published May 2025

A little bit of background📃 The historian in me made a beeline for the history section at the 2025 Brisbane Lifeline bookfest. This post reviews some of the titles I picked up that day, sparking my interested in the three quite different perspectives on war that the books explore. Read on for my thoughts on the three books that I read in the weeks following the bookfest. Empires of the dead | Published September 2013 The author✏️ David Crane read History and English at Oxf

A little bit of background📃 I readily admit that I had no idea about A little history of the world before purchasing it to add to my library of history texts. I was looking for something that would give me a general overview of the history of humankind - a big ask, I know - and this book looked like it would fit the bill. I'm kind of glad I didn't know its backstory before reading it, as the book is well...quirky..... Read on for my review. A little history of the world | Pu

A little bit of background📃 My local library has a shelf near the check-out area that always seems to have a random collection of interesting books on display. It's like one of the librarians has wandered about the place, picking up books on a tapestry of subjects. I've found quite a few fascinating reads on that shelf! I know little of Mongolian history so I was keen to give Emperor of the seas a go. Emperor of the seas: Kublai Khan and the making of China | Published Janua

A little bit of background📃 War and the soul is another of the books I found at the 2025 Brisbane Lifeline bookfest. The book sale is a goldmine of works on all manner of subjects. I made a beeline for the history, politics and culture section and was immediately drawn to Edward Tick's book about veteran post-traumatic stress disorder. As a social historian, I have long been fascinated by the human impact of war. War and the soul: Healing our nation's veterans from post-trau

A little bit of background📃 I spotted Incest and influence at the Brisbane annual Lifeline bookfest in 2025. I am a social historian at heart, so the subject matter and the book's title were enough to make me add the book to my basket. I have to admit, though, that the book is not what I was expecting. Read on for my review... Incest and influence: The private life of bourgeois England | Published January 2009 | Read July 2025 The author✏️ Professor Adam Kuper is a social an