Amazon

First Amazon Review of ‘Glass Walls’

~ Libby Sommer ~ 2 Comments

Editors Meenakshi Bharat and Sharon Rundle at launch of Glass Walls

First review on Amazon of GLASS WALLS, published by Orient BlackSwan, stories of tolerance and intolerance from the Indian sub-continent and Australia edited by Meenakshi Bharat and Sharon Rundle (pictured). Thrilled to see my short story HENRY received a special mention. GLASS WALLS was launched recently at the Australian Short Story Festival in Melbourne. Have a read of Punekar’s review:

“This collection of stories tackles a wide variety of subjects and is categorised into Family, Race, Gender, Religion and so on and that is why I enjoyed the book. One could pick and choose a story to read depending on one’s mood. I specifically liked the stories on Family and Gender. The stories on race brought out the dichotomy that exists in all of us, as mentioned in the introduction to the book. Right thinking people are determined not to be biased and want to do the right thing but the subconscious mind often has another agenda. The rational aspect of the personality loses out in certain circumstances. This is brought out in the stories on family too, particularly the story titled “The Wedding Gift”. Another story I liked was the one titled “Henry”. We behave in the most irrational ways but we are not bad people, not really, just human. All the stories are not equally good, but all of them touch something inside your heart.” – Punekar

GLASS WALLS is available from Indian publisher Orient BlackSwan.

Release of my new collection

~ Libby Sommer ~ 7 Comments

 

painting of girl lying on beach in torquoise bikini reading a book

My new book STORIES FROM BONDI, a collection of stories set mostly in Bondi, is now available for pre-order. Target US are even advertising it! Don’t know how that happened. The book will be released as a paperback on 13 September but can be purchased as Kindle Edition from Amazon and as an eBook from Booktopia and other online sites now. As a paperback it can be ordered from bookstores, online and from the publisher, Ginninderra Press.

And here’s my author page on Amazon. Click the link. Feeling pretty proud. I think my four books look fabulous together, if I may say so myself 🙂

 

 

 

You Can Read Forever on a Kindle

~ Libby Sommer ~ 11 Comments

kindle technology amazon tablet

I never thought I’d prefer reading on a Kindle to reading a real book. It’s just that it’s so quick and easy to keep downloading to Kindle, and the books are not expensive. If you finish a novel at 10pm and are desperate to read the next book in the series, as I was with the Elena Ferrante novels, it takes mere seconds to have a new story in your hands.

At the moment I’m reading Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. Fabulous. Highly recommended.

Dymocks says about Sapiens,

​What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us Sapiens? This bestselling history of our species challenges everything we know about being human.

Planet Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it. Us.

We are the most advanced and most destructive animals ever to have lived. What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us Sapiens?

In this bold and provocative book, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here and where we’re going.

Sapiens is a thrilling account of humankind’s extraordinary history – from the Stone Age to the Silicon Age – and our journey from insignificant apes to rulers of the world

‘It tackles the biggest questions of history and of the modern world, and it is written in unforgettably vivid language. You will love it!’ Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Germs and Steel

Amazon says about Sapiens:

A Summer Reading Pick for President Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg

From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution—a #1 international bestseller—that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.”

One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us?

Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas.

Dr. Harari also compels us to look ahead, because over the last few decades humans have begun to bend laws of natural selection that have governed life for the past four billion years. We are acquiring the ability to design not only the world around us, but also ourselves. Where is this leading us, and what do we want to become?

A terrific book. I think reading is one of the best way to relax, especially during this crazy holiday period.

For tips on writing process, check out my posts  Writing Tip: Use Your Obsessions and Writing Is Like Becoming a Sushi Chef.  And to make sure not to miss anything from Libby Sommer Author you can follow me on Facebook or Instagram.

Cover Reveal

~ Libby Sommer ~ 7 Comments

a grey-suited man and a woman in a red fringed dress, red shoes and fishnet stockings, are in a tango stance, her leg wrapped around him.

Woohoo. Here’s the cover of ‘The Usual Story’ – a delicately fragmented story of memory, intrigue and passion. The book will be released on 25 July. Much excitement.

The cover image shows the fabulous legs of tango dancers and teachers Mimi and Teddy from ‘A Little Buenos Aires‘.  Mimi and Teddy, who run regular tango workshops and milongas, very kindly let me use their photo.

“Tango is a dance of passion. It draws partners into an intimate relationship. Sofia loves to tango but, as she dances, she is confronted by society’s infatuation with the young and the beautiful.”

Pre-release copies available from publisher Ginninderra Press or you can order a copy from your favourite bricks and mortar bookseller, online retailers or on Kindle, etc.

I’m so excited about ‘The Usual Story‘, a prequel to ‘The Crystal Ballroom.  And thrilled my books are out in the world where people can read them.

If you’d like to write a review of the book on Amazon or Goodreads it would be fantastic.

Counting down to launch.

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