2019: Tasmania has been on fire. More fires in NSW. Nearly 60% of Queensland is drought declared. Except for Townsville. Townsville has been under water. Almost a year of rain in a week. Many many cattle have died in the mud. It feels apocalyptic. January is supposed to be one of our wettest months. Thunderstorms … Continue reading My Garden Makes Me Sad
Writer, gardener, booklover
#6 degrees – Its ALL about Chuck
It is the first Saturday of the month and time for 6 degrees of separation as hosted by Kate at Books Are My Best and Favourite. A book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six other books to make a chain. This month's chosen book is Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club. Oh my, Chuck … Continue reading #6 degrees – Its ALL about Chuck
Pocket Bookclub votes again
Unable to break with tradition, the Pocket Bookclub had our end-of-year do at Cormorant Bay Cafe Sadly, the cafe will be closing next month. SEQ Water will not renew the lease. I can't begin to explain what this means to our local community. But this is a post about books, not meeting places. As usual, … Continue reading Pocket Bookclub votes again
# 6 degrees to bad boys
A day late on Sunday but here I am participating in #6degrees hosted by Kate at booksaremybestandfavourite We begin this month with the French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles. I have never done this before, but whatever, it's hot and its Sunday so I googled "books similar to... " it's a thing right? For when … Continue reading # 6 degrees to bad boys
Contemplating New Beginnings
I get quite contemplative at New Years. I find myself considering the failures and joys of the previous year and planning and enthusing about the potential of the following year which seems full of fresh possibilities and new beginnings. New Years has come to symbolise parties, fireworks and perhaps hangovers. But January, the month in … Continue reading Contemplating New Beginnings
6 Degrees from a Dickens Christmas to a home in Toyland
It's #6 degrees time (well its Sunday not Saturday but yesterday was otherwise engaged). Time to link six books in a chain starting with: Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol, surely one of the most often retold stories. Also, Wikipedia tells me, responsible for popularising the phrase Merry Christmas. So, there you go. Merry Christmas. One … Continue reading 6 Degrees from a Dickens Christmas to a home in Toyland
Six Degrees of Separation from Vanity to Solitude
It's first Saturday of the month and time for #6degrees hosted by Kate at booksaremybestandfavourite. You can play too. Vanity Fair is one of these books you have to stop and think. It's really famous. Have I read it or do I think I have read it because it is so famous? The answer is that no … Continue reading Six Degrees of Separation from Vanity to Solitude
# 6 degrees from Rebellious Boys to Naughty Girls
It's time for s #6degrees hosted by Kate at booksaremybestandfavourite. "The Outsiders," by SE Hinton is one of those books people read in English class. Is that right? Not me. I read it long, long ago because I wanted to, not because I had to. The first book I remember being 'set' for English was Alan Marshall's autobiography … Continue reading # 6 degrees from Rebellious Boys to Naughty Girls
“I left the baby on the bus and now I’m going to fall into a delirious fever”
Pocket Bookclub is not enamoured with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or the monster in the book. This a story we retell and reimagine over and over. In fact, Frankenstein is 200 years old this year. It has captured our collective cultural imagination but the source just did not stand up for us. Let's start with who … Continue reading “I left the baby on the bus and now I’m going to fall into a delirious fever”
Two Books, One Story
There have been tears at my desk. The apparently easy migration from wordpress.com to self hosted wordpress.org has been fraught. Every step has been a drama. I don't know why. As the result, I have two Pocket Bookclub events to write about. Tim Winton's, The Shepherd's Hut and Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton. Lucky … Continue reading Two Books, One Story