It is TBR Challenge time again and I am only a week late. This month’s theme is Change of Plans. My choice this month was to read an early 21st century Sarah Morgan novel. She has been a favourite author who used to be an auto-read for me until she moved away from romance fiction to women’s fiction. Sarah Morgan wrote one of my favourite ever Harlequin/Mills & Boon novels Playing by the Greek’s Rules so I was interested to read an earlier iteration of its theme: a gazillionaire power-broking Greek male protagonist, a much poorer though determined (feisty???) English female protagonist, settings that go between an Anglosphere country and a (sometimes made-up) Greek island, dysfunctional family backstories, and the power of lurrrrrve to overcome all the money-mongering, maniacal, master-manipulated machinations by the mercurial and macho main-man (I am LOLing at my stupid alliteration).
Did I approach this novel with a jaded, exhausted soul? Yes, I did. Did the storytelling carry me away, wiping the cynicism far from my heart? Wellll…read on, my friends. You will find out. And turn away if you don’t want any spoilers (seriously, it is a 20 year old book – it’s perfectly fine to reveal all at this point).
Sarah Morgan’s The Greek’s Blackmailed Wife
“Zander Volakis is a ruthless tycoon who’s used to getting all he desires. Now, in order to secure the Greek island resort he’s always wanted, he needs an image change—fast!
The only person who can help him is the woman who betrayed him five years ago: his wife, Lauranne O’Neill. But Lauranne refuses to work with Zander again. He ruined her life once and he has the power to do it again. The sexual chemistry between them might be sizzling, but Lauranne knows that to play with Zander is to play with fire. As for Zander, her refusal to help leaves him with only one option…”
So I am going to cheat here and I am going to use two (yes two!) TBR challenge themes for the one book. WILD! Has this ever been done before? I don’t know but maybe SuperWendy will know. Am I breaking the TBR rules??? I don’t know but also I am throwing caution to the wind. Because when it comes down to it, the book I read had sooooo much going on, has two distinct parts to it, that it deserves two themes.
MAJOR SPOILER ALERT, MAJOR CONTENT ALERT, MAJOR BLUE LANGUAGE ALERT! I am going to be discussing disturbing and upsetting details including abuse being part of the backstory for one of the characters. And I am giving away MANY plot details so just don’t read further if this is on your TBR.
The Book:Swept Away by Beth O’Leary
The Blurb: Lost at sea . . . with your one-night stand
Lexi is looking for no-strings-attached fun with a stranger. She deserves one night for herself, doesn’t she? Zeke is looking for love. But for one night with a woman like Lexi, he’ll break his rules. Sparks fly at the pub, one passionate kiss leads to another and they end up stumbling home to the marina together. The next morning, hungover and shaken by an amazing night together, Lexi is more than ready for Zeke to leave. There’s just one small problem . . . the houseboat they stayed on has been swept out to sea. As their supplies start to run dangerously low, and the waves pick up, Zeke and Lexi soon realise there’s much more on the line than their new relationship. How long can they really survive on a drifting houseboat in the North Sea? Will search and rescue find them? And who will they be if they both make it back to dry land?
This novel is written in two parts. There is the lost at sea section and then there is the back on land section. Each of these sections are quite distinct from each other.
I am behind on my TBR challenge for this year so I am going to try to write several posts over the next few days to play catch up. This post is actually on the topic for August. And a BIG SPOILER ALERT! should you be planning on reading this book.
Reading Note 92: August 20 – Do the Hustle
Promise me Sunshine by Cara Bastone
The blurb: Lenny’s a bit of a mess at the moment. Her best friend, Lou, recently passed away after a battle with cancer, and her death has left Lenny feeling completely lost. She’s avoiding her concerned parents, the apartment she shared with Lou, and the list of things she’s supposed to do to help her live again. The only thing she can do is temporary babysitting gigs, and luckily, she just landed a great one, helping overworked, single mom Reese and her precocious daughter, Ainsley. It’s not perfect: Ainsley’s uncle, Miles, always seems to be around, and is kind of… a huge jerk. But if Lenny acts like she has it all together, maybe no one will notice she’s falling apart.
Miles sees right through her though. Turns out, he knows a lot about grief and, surprisingly, he offers her a proposition. He’ll help her complete everything on her “live again” list if she’ll help him connect with Ainsley and overcome his complicated relationship with Reese. Lenny doubts anything can fill the Lou has left behind, but she begins to spend more time with Miles, Lenny is surprised to discover that, sometimes, losing everything is only the first step to finding yourself, and love, again.
It has become a terrible habit of mine to blog only a few times a year, and most often, just to catch up on Wendy the Super Librarian’s TBR Challenge. And just like clockwork, I am doing it again. A full admission that I am just matching books I read to the themes. Few of them were actually read in the month I have listed them under.
Reading Note 87: February 19 – Previously, In Romance…
Any Trope but You by Victoria Lavine. This was so fun and cheeky. A burnt-out cynical yet successful romance author Margot Bradley is outed on social media as a fake by her angry fans so she travels to Alaska to escape the criticism and to try to write a book in a new genre. In Alaska she meets Dr Forrest Wakefield who ridiculously encompasses every romance trope. Margot eventually discovers that tropes are too surface level and people can be complex beyond the stereotype.
My favourite line in the book is “Cradled against his warm chest, I am a woman transformed. Never again will anyone catch Margot Bradley scoffing at a trope. If I were wearing a bodice, I’d rip it myself”.
Reading Note 86: I first heard of Koraly Dimitriadis in the early-2010s when I came across her Twitter discussions. I looked up her books and saw them described as “portraits of life”, “ghosts of the old country”, “emotional self-examination” and at that time, I just couldn’t engage, purely based on my own personal situation where I was overwhelmed with life demands that I couldn’t bear reading someone else’s take filled with gritty reality.
However, it is more than a decade later, the Greek-Australian Writers’ Festival is hosting Koraly Dimitriadis, and though I can’t really say that I am not busy, I am certainly not as overwhelmed by life’s demands as I used to be (the amazing liberation of no longer tending to the physical and emotional needs of teenagers while also working and studying)! So during the semester break, I sat down with Dimitriadis’s collection of short-stories The Mother Must Die and it had this deep, clawing impact upon me.
The opening story “They Put Me in my Grave” was an amalgam of so many Greek mothers’ voices I have encountered in my life, including my own mum. The mother in the story grieving the shame that is brought upon her life by her daughter divorcing her husband, refusing to acknowledge her daughter’s pain. The mother looking back at the betrothal remembering the couple’s “Promise” to her to stay together echoed my own mother telling my Anglo boyfriend (and now husband of nearly 30 years) that “it is better you kill me than shame my family with divorce”. In that first page, I felt ill at reading further but also damned if I didn’t as the writing was compelling.
Every short story is a telling of modern-day Australia where there is a negotiation of cultural expectations, personal grief and lost dreams. Of the 15 stories, the ones that stood out to me were “They Put Me in my Grave”, “Theo and Haroula”, the devastating “Smelly Francesco”, and “The Bridal Wars” where Tasha belligerently casts her vote following her father’s preferences, on the eve of finally becoming self-aware through her viewing a documentary on Fast Fashion, regretting her vote and seeing life and wedding processions through an ethical fashion lens – a lazy Saturday night watching TV changing Tasha’s life trajectory.
I absolutely loved this book which was felt so close to so many people I knew, including myself, but also so distanced from my own life. It was like a sliding door to a life I somehow avoided. Dimitriadis’s writing style mirrors so many Greek-Australian writers like Peter Polites and Will Kostakis who occasionally inject a local Greeklish (or is it Greenglish???) vernacular which makes each story accessible and personal.
The fashion industry is killing the planet but I really need that new designer handbag… Her daughter is divorcing and she’s going to die because of it… The mother must be medicated… I’m in Australia but I just want to be in Cyprus… She’s never had an orgasm and still lives with her parents…Anything my boys want they get… He’s got a whole bank of chicks on his phone… Ever since I came to this country I been in bed… Until her children can get her the new drug for the MND, she will dream of her village in Greece…Conquests are about scoring the chicks, but he’s never going to turn out like his nonno… They never talked about what her uncle did again… The money made him go mad… My mummy is sad, she keeps talking about ‘court and custody’, but I’m going to take the potion and make everything better…
Broken people trying to make their way back to hope. Stories of identity, divorce, sexuality, parenting, domestic violence, and the working-class migrant experience. Bestselling poet Koraly Dimitriadis’s debut collection will transport you into the minds of disenfranchised characters, troubled men, children who live in two homes, andwomen trying to break free.
With the Greek-Australian Writers’ Festival https://greekfestivalofsydney.com.au/…/greek-australian… being held this Sunday, I thought I would post about some of the sessions that we are running this year. I have read many of the books which are being presented this year.
Reading Note 85: We will be launching Shelley Dark’s Hydra in Winter on Sunday. This is such a wonderful and delightful read. Part genealogical study, part history, another part memoir and writing guide. I loved how Shelley Dark expresses her every day, researching her family’s first ancestor in Australia, Ghikas Voulgaris. Voulgaris was a Greek-Hydriot sailor turned pirate captured off the coast of Malta, and sent to 7 years in the colony of New South Wales in the early 19th century. Voulgaris leaves Hydra as a young man during the Greek War of Independence (1821-1829), yet he never returns to Greece, staying in the colony of New South Wales for the rest of his life despite receiving a pardon and free repatriation after he had served his time.
I love the Argo-Saronic islands of Greece and have visited Hydra many times while visiting my aunt on the nearby island of Poros. Poros itself gets a brief visit from Dark on her way to Hyrda which in winter transforms back to a tourist-free haven with a long-time literary tradition.
In Hydra in Winter, Dark sets off for her husband’s ancestral island in search of the story of Ghikas Voulgaris, one of seven Hydriot pirates captured and sent to Australia as convicts in the early 1800s. What begins as a historical quest also becomes a lesson in slow travel—walking Hydra’s hills, delighting in Greek seafood and wine, and meeting the relaxed and ever-hospitable locals. Her sojourn on Hydra later sparked a much longer research journey, taking her to Malta, Portsmouth, the Kew Archives in London, and Ireland to further investigate the pirate for her historical novel about the pirate, Son of Hydra, due for publication in 2025. In conversation with Festival Director Dr Helen Vatsikopoulos.
The Greek-Australian Writers’ Festival returns for its 4th year. Some time last year, I volunteered to help out at the festival, and due to some other short-term work I was conducting at the time, ended up as the Deputy Director of the Festival. Over the next day or so, I will be posting some reviews of the authors and their books who will be presented at the festival.
For those of you who live in close vicinity to Sydney, come to Little Bay on Sunday for a day of reading and writing centring on Greek-Australian perspectives as well as Australian stories with Greek themes. We have 12 authors and 3 book launches. Tickets include lunch so book ahead! https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1347314
Calling all bookworms! The much anticipated “Greek-Australian Writers’ Festival” is coming to Sydney on April 27th!
Prepare for a day filled with incredible authors, exciting book launches, and thought-provoking discussions, all centered around the power of Greek storytelling.
So many incredible authors, so little time! Entry tickets are selling fast! Secure your entry spot (https://www.trybooking.com/CYRBU) & check out the parallel sessions and book launches scheduled for 2025!
10:00 AM: THE MOTHER MUST DIE by Koraly Dimitriadis & DELPHI by Karen Martin
11:00 AM: MATIA by EmilyTsokos Purtill & WE COULD BE SOMETHING by Will Kostakis
12:00 PM: book launch of “PATRIMONIES: ESSAYS ON GENERATIONAL THINKING” by George Kouvaros.
2:00 PM: JOHN BERGER AND ME by Nikos Papastergiadis
3:00 PM: book launch of “HYDRA IN WINTER” by Shelley Dark.
4:00 PM: THE DOPAMINE BRAIN by Dr Anastasia Hronis & PHOTOGRAPHY books (THE HEART OF GIVING by Effy Alexakis, GLIMPSES OF THE SILK ROAD by Marios Kalyvas & Aretha Zygouri, ART ON THE WALL by Eirini Alligiannis)
Director & Founder Dr Helen Vatsikopoulos and Deputy Director Dr Vassiliki Veros, will be engaging with acclaimed authors and esteemed academics to present, discuss, and offer unique insights into the rich tapestry of Greek narratives.
Don’t miss this opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of Greek-Australian literature!
Parallel sessions, book launches, author talks & book signings!
I missed the deadline on the 15th of January first TBR for the year, not because of busy-ness but because I had yet to read a book in 2025 by that date (let alone a book that aligned with the January topic of New Year, Who Dis? But then on Monday, I started reading a book in the morning and I finished it by night time because it was fun and lovely. And I can’t remember when I last did that with a full-length novel.
Reading Note 84:
Christmas Is All Around by Martha Waters
The blurb… A former child star learns that holiday magic can come from a change in perspective in this charming and hilarious holiday rom-com, perfect for fans of Love, Actually and The Holiday A little holiday magic can change everything . . . Charlotte hates the holidays. As a former child actress, she starred in a Christmas movie, whose fans won’t let her move on. When a piece revealing that her reluctance nixed plans for a reboot, she flees to London to spend the festive season with her sister. But the ghosts of Christmas past follow her when she visits Eden Priory, one of the filming locations. When she’s accidentally left behind, she’s forced to accept a ride back to London from Graham, the son of the owners. Their family business – and the funds to keep their historic house running – relies on holiday cheer, and Graham knows seasons greetings from a certain star would bring in more visitors.
Now an illustrator, Charlotte accepts a commission illustrating iconic holiday movie scenes in London and its environs for Eden Priory, with Graham offering to escort her. But as Charlotte’s chaotic family holiday goes awry, she begins spending more time with Graham. Charlotte may not love a Christmas romance . . . but what if she has one of her own?
As the blurb states, Charlotte Lane is a former child star who has chosen a non-acting career as an adult, much to the dismay of her parents and lots of fans. Her one and only acting gig became a cult hit Christmas movie tritely called Christmas, Truly (that seems to have overundertones of Love, Actually). Charlotte hated the experience and is a crochety and utter bah-humbug over the whole Christmas commodification and love/romance celebration. She hates the Christmas movies, she can’t stand her own popular-culture status that perpetuates the love, she certainly has mum-and-dad-didn’t-love-each-other issues around this date. So, in general, she just hates Christmas revelry and joy.
Happy New Year to you all! I hope you saw in the new year in the way you had planned. Loud and raucous or quiet and calm.
In 2024, I had a much better reading year than the previous years even though I read fewer books. I was gifted a Kobo for my birthday in September, yet I totally slowed down my reading from October onwards so I haven’t really taken advantage of it yet. But I have a month free from uni teaching so I hope to start my reading year as soon as I finish this blog post. As for 2024, if I had to pick only one book I read it would be Roger Deakin’s Waterlog. But thankfully, I get to choose a lot of books. So here are my stats:
I had 21 five star books. Here is a selection of the one’s which stood out for me:
Best of the Fiction books:
Overnight Inheritance by Rachel Bailey
Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday (Reading Note 75)
Marry Me, Juliet trilogy (yep – all 3 books were 5 stars) by Jodi McAlister (Reading Note 74 for Here for the Right Reasons)
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone (Reading Note 82)
Some Kind of Wonderful by Sarah Morgan (Reading Note 79)
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
Best of the Non-Fiction books:
Courting: An Intimate History of Love and the Law by Alecia Simmonds
Waterlog: A Swimmer’s Journey Through Britain by Roger Deakin
Orwell’s Roses by Rebecca Solnit
Walking with Sam: A Father, A Son and 500 miles across Spain by Andrew McCarthy
All About Love by bell hooks
Best of the Picture Books
Aaron Slater, Illustrator by Andrea Beaty
Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
I Just Ate My Friend by Heidi McKinnon
The Best of non-book reading
As an advocate for reading being understood beyond the traditional published book, it would be remiss of me to not discuss some of my favourite non-book reading. I have favourite investigative journalists, organisations, academics and other writers who I follow across several platforms.
Rebecca Solnit – on Facebook and Bluesky
Ronni Salt – has moved to Bluesky so I can finally ditch my X
Shannon Mattern – on Bluesky (and various websites)
The Daily Aus – my favourite new service on Instagram
Inner West Plant People – a gardening site on Facebook focused on the Inner West of Sydney. Urban gardening tips with occasional humour. The most wholesome of community FB.
Academic Reading
The AI Atlas by Kate Crawford – an ethnographic examination on the impacts of AI. I am only 3 chapters into this book. It is gripping and interesting. A must read.
I continue to be delighted by TikTok creators. I completely avoid Booktok but I adore so many different subcultures (like chihuahua tok). My current favourites are:
The Happy Urbanist and Strong Towns
Bimbo University
Elena Charalampoudi (who has given me so many laughs – Greek female comedian)
Caleb Simpson (whose book was great but falls short of the beauty of his Tiktoks)
Chef Reactions
Wil Stracke – Australian unionist extraordinaire!
Other great creators:
Alexei Toliopoulos – film reviewer with the Betoota, on Tiktok, on websites and other places
Apartment Therapy – I’d also like to tip my metaphorical cap to Apartment Therapy whose website I followed many decades ago, whose books I bought, whose digital feeds I follow as they continue to delight with their home interiors coverage, crossing over to visual based platforms such as instagram and tiktok and youtube so well. So reflexive which is what all great creator collectives have to be in our current digital broadcast and publishing environment.
Letterboxd – I love the website, I love the tiktoks. The Goodreads equivalent for watching (not reading). I love the Letterboxd tiktok stream where they interview various stars on the red carpet or at interview/promos asking them for their favourite 4 films. I am so taken by responses and how so many people name childhood favourites. We so often dismiss the impact of children’s content, yet the films and TV shows we watch growing up shape us as much as books do. I have been so engaged by Letterboxd content that I finally got my own account (Shallowreader of course). I tried to add as many movies as I could possibly remember watching and it is telling that there are less than 1000 movies for me. I am much more likely to read a book for entertainment.
2025 planning like a fool….
My plan for 2025 is to continue to read whatever comes my way and hopefully I will be motivated enough to blog more than a handful of times a year. I will again attempt to take part in SuperWendy’s TBR Challenge. I will continue to watch all the reruns of shows that give me comfort. Maybe along the way, I will start posting more on BlueSky which at this point is like a re-creation of ye olde Twitter except this time around, I don’t have the energy to write or connect much. Yet. Maybe that will change. If not, I am still happy.
I feel that the second quadrant of the century is starting at a low point so I really hope that we are in the gutter looking up to the stars and that our trajectory is upwards and uplifting. Wishing you all a safe and calm 2025 with lots of love, food and entertainment.
Entry tickets are selling fast! Secure your entry spot (
Parallel sessions, book launches, author talks & book signings!
Sunday, April 27, 9 AM – 6 PM
Prince Henry Centre, Little Bay
$15 + booking fee
Book your spot now: 
Shallowreader 