This time last year, I was feeling really worn out as a result of Melbourne’s COVID situation (little did I know how much more was ahead). I certainly wasn’t doing much reading, despite having oodles of time on my hands.
This year, I was supposed to be at Ningaloo Reef, diving, and snorkeling with the whale sharks, before heading to Perth tomorrow. We cancelled the trip a few weeks ago because Melbourne was in another lockdown, and Western Australia have been firm on keeping their borders closed until states have weeks of zero cases. I appreciate the irony that right now, Melbourne is the place to be, given that the bulk of Australia is in lockdown – had we been in Western Australia, we’d be stuck in a hotel room.
2021 so far…
I’ve read 48 books. Highlights – Shuggie Bain, The Butchers, The Discomfort of Evening, Nothing But Blue Sky, Loner, Fathoms, and Kokomo.
My reading challenges are going well (again, stark contrast to last year’s efforts) –
- Australian Women Writers Challenge – complete (pledged 10 books, have read 18).
- What’s In a Name – six categories, completed five.
- Memoir Reading Challenge – complete (pledged five books, read ten).
- Nonfiction Reader – halfway through the 12 categories.
- Around the World in 80 Books – read six (pledged 10 this year).
- Mount TBR – read 17 toward my goal of 48 (this is always my toughest challenge!).
And lastly, because I can’t say ‘halfway’ without this earworm… (you’re welcome).
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Sorry about your cancelled trip, Kate. I lost count of how many we did that to last year. Counting myself lucky to have made it to London in May. Pleased to see The Butchers and Shuggie listed as two of your highlights. Favourites for me, too.
I also think back to the timing of our big family trip to Europe in 2019 – so lucky that we were able to do it.
I’ve still to get to Shuggie Bain but it’s in a few of these types of posts. I hope the rest of the year is wonderful for you
Thank you, and to you 🙂
Fingers crossed that the border is impenetrable until NSW gets things under control!
I agree. I know Vic had taken a position on NOT closing borders but… but… feels unfair to have last year undone by NSW decisions this year.
So sorry you haven’t been able to do that trip. But you are right, nobody knew how much more was in store for us and I think that probably was a good thing. Me, I miss my sons terrible but with them in different countries …
Well, anyway, another blogger did a Mid Year Book Freakout Tag the other day and I was happy to copy it. It was nice to reminisce what I’d been doing. Well, what have we been doing? Certainly not as much as we would have hoped to with all that free time.
My reading challenges are all also going well, so I added another one: Paris in July post.
Happy Reading!
Good on you for adding a reading challenge mid-year!
Such a shame about your trip Kate, but I like that you see the irony. Jane Austen would be proud!
I haven’t read any of your highlights, but Shuggie Bain is coming up soon.
48 books is a great achievement from where I’m sitting. Perhaps I need to comment less and read more! Anyhow, I love the challenges you are doing even if I don’t do any except AWW.
How do you define your TBR, btw? For me it’s a book I’ve had on my shelves or piles for more than a year. Most years I only manage to read a couple.
Briefly disappointed but not devastated – it will happen one day, and right now I feel grateful to have been vaccinated, and to have my family safely in one place.
Shuggie is my favourite kind of book – heartbreaking and some moments of joy and humour (don’t be put off by the first, very confronting chapter).
My Mount TBR is defined by books that I bought in 2020 or before (and honestly, so many great books in that stack… why do we keep buying more?!).
My son was coming to Perth from NT for the school holidays. And now he’s stuck in lockdown in Alice Springs, because a FIFO miner spent 6 hours in AS airport. Just hurry up Scott and buy some more bloody vaccine!
So frustrating to have to bear the brunt of high level incompetence…
That was a lucky decision though how disappointing you missed out on the trip. 48 books is very impressive – I should stop wasting time playing stupid games like Candy Crush and just read….