1. I’ve had a spectacularly shitty week. Nothing major, just lots of little things that have added up to one big pile of poo.
2. Thank goodness the next week will bring lots of this:
3. I posted what I think is my longest review ever. I don’t expect you to read it because I ramble like a lunatic but just know that Rush Oh! by Shirley Barrett is one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time (and redefines historical fiction).
4. I was chatting with Jenny* about why Rush Oh! made such a big impression on me and told her that it was partly because when I was quite little (maybe five or six) my dad visited the last whaling station in Australia (at Cheynes Beach, WA and it would have been around 1977). He took some incredible, horrifying photos of whales being stripped of their blubber. I only saw those photos once or twice but they are absolutely burnt on my brain. This afternoon I asked him if he still had the pictures and he dug them out – they were exactly as I remembered (frightening).
5. Charlotte Wood’s The Natural Way of Things won the Indie Book of the Year 2016. Hooray! Next stop the Stella.
6. Although I’ve missed the gin and tonic marshmallows (IKR?!), I’m sure there will be other equally stupendous treats coming my way from the Marshmallow Club.
7. Seriously though, a marshmallow club… who knew being a grown-up would be so much fun?
8. I don’t really love anything much about winter. Except the footy. The Blues didn’t open with a win but it was the best game we’ve lost in years.
9. I’ve started S2 of Serial. Twitter told me “It’s not as good as S1…”. Twitter is wrong – I’m engrossed.
10. Have I ever mentioned how much I love capsicum? (Husband once said to me “Do you think we could have a meal without capsicum?”**) Anyway, this red pepper pesto.
Bookish Thoughts is hosted by Christine at Bookishly Boisterous. Pop over and say hi.
* literally IRL chatting! Yay! There was cake involved!
**no