01. Finally saw The Buoys live (at Midsumma Festival) – they were brilliant. Especially loved the bit when someone yelled to the guitarist, “Will you join my book club, Hilary?” – absolutely knew I was with my people 😀 Continue reading
Tag Archives: Shirley Barrett
Things That Are Making Me Happy This Week
01. I did a group forest therapy session this week (and dragged a friend along with me) – lots of mindfulness and tree-hugging, but my favourite bit was the time spent creating an ‘artwork’ from things found on the ground. I noticed afterwards, how wholly absorbed I was in the task of arranging the leaves I’d collected. Truly therapeutic. Continue reading
Nonfiction November – Book Pairings
It’s Nonfiction November, this week hosted by Doing Dewey. The task? Pair up a nonfiction book with a fiction title.
Relationships that play out at the local swimming pool – The Memory Pool by Therese Spruhan and Monkey Grip by Helen Garner.
March Rewind
It seems I read all the very best books in March – some of my all-time-favourites are in this rewind. Continue reading
My Best Books for 2016
A ‘classic’ was defined by Italian author Italo Calvino as “…a book that’s never finished saying what it has to say.”
Now, I’m not claiming that the books I truly loved this year are ‘classics’, however, I’m borrowing Calvino’s definition to guide my list of top picks for 2016. This year, I’m paying less attention to five-star ratings and more attention to the books that are still speaking to me. Continue reading
Reading Challenges 2016
Every year I vaguely think about dropping reading challenges and instead becoming a truly free-range reader. But then I find myself signing up (mostly because I like a list and I like a reason to look through lists).
I participated in five reading challenges this year and completed all of them – granted, three were of the ‘free-range’ variety. Continue reading
Six Degrees of Separation – from Revolutionary Road to Rush Oh!
It’s time for #6Degrees, the easiest and, without question, most fun book meme (because there aren’t any rules). Join in! Link Up!
We begin this month’s chain with the Richard Yates classic, Revolutionary Road. I love Yates – he’s so goddamn depressing but he gets to the nitty-gritty of feelings. Although books brimming with feelings don’t always make the best movies, Revolutionary Road is an exception. The 2008 movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, is brilliant. Continue reading
Top Books for Book Groups that Like Wine and Whining
Okay, today’s Top Ten topic is supposed to be serious – suggestions for book groups that are crazy for memoirs or going through a science-fiction phase or whatever whatever… I love my book group deeply. We’ve been together for 17 years and, to be honest, reading the book is optional. However, we are consistent when it comes to laughing, having a wine (and sometimes a whine). Continue reading
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times – read these books
I’m as tight as all-get-out when it comes to handing out five stars. Do I even have enough (after four and a half years of blogging) to put together a list of ten? Just.
It’s Top Ten Tuesday and the topic is ‘Ten of My Most Recent Five Star Reads’ (there’s no legitimate reason for the gratuitous Paul Newman pic, I just felt like it).
So, in case you missed me banging on about these books the first time, here are my most recent winners – Continue reading
Bookish (and not so bookish) Thoughts
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). Continue reading