01. Have just returned from four days house-boating on the Gippsland Lakes. Very thankful that my boat-driving son was there with us to take charge and navigate the various inlets and rivers. Enjoyed walks along the Ninety Mile Beach and through the tea tree forest that separates the coast and the Lakes. Continue reading
It’s time for #6degrees. Start at the same place as other wonderful readers, add six books, and see where you end up. Continue reading
Presenting the 2023 Commonly-Agreed-by-the-People-Who-Publish-Best-of-2023-Book-Lists-Before-December-31 top 55 books.
(This is my annual community service to book-bloggers – a list of the books that appear most frequently on the 49 lists that I listed on Best Books of 2023 – A List of Lists – enjoy!). Continue reading
I don’t think where I read Big Swiss by Jen Beagin (by the pool in Fiji) was a contributing factor to how much I enjoyed it (which was a lot). But it did assist in reading the entire book in two sittings.
I’m not sure who to recommend this book to, because when I describe it to people, it sounds really weird. My summary has basically been – it’s about a middle-aged woman, Greta, who kind of drops out of life and goes to live in a town like Daylesford… or Byron Bay… but in America, and she transcribes counselling sessions for the town sex therapist, and because it’s a small town there’s effectively no confidentiality, and so she recognises peoples’ voices from the tapes. Continue reading
Just to be clear, in the past, I’ve never had two tropical island holidays within one year (or even two, three, four or five years!) and I’m unlikely to be so lucky again… but 2023 has delivered ten days in Hawaii and a week in Fiji. Continue reading
Cathy at 746 Books is hosting the 20 Books of Summer reading challenge again this year. As Cathy explains, it’s the most relaxed reading challenge you’ll participate in (swap books out, change your target, do whatever). The challenge is straightforward – read twenty books between June 1st and September 1st. Continue reading
Proving that I don’t actually care about my never-really-shrinking-TBR-list is this list of new releases that are on my radar for 2023. Continue reading
Here’s my year in books (with thanks to the Goodreads record keeping tool): Continue reading
Is there such thing as a literary poo joke…?
Jen Beagin’s Vacuum in the Dark opens with Mona, a twenty-six-year-old house cleaner, accidentally washing her hands with a poo, mistaking it for a ‘fancy hippie soap.’ She immediately refers to her imaginary friend, Terry Gross, for advice. Terry suggests breathing through her mouth and repeat rinsing.
“The shits are real, Terry,” Mona said. “They have heft. They engage all the senses.”
“Start keeping a record of some kind,” Terry suggested, as Mona finished vacuuming. “Indicate the time of day, the location, plus a brief description, and maybe include a drawing.” Continue reading
Seems there’s lots of good reading to be done this year (have I ever started a year not thinking the same…? No). Continue reading