Monday, December 30, 2019
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Friday, December 27, 2019
Currently...
Right now I am:
~ loving the slow space between Christmas and the new year.
~ thankful for the use of a swimming pool for a few days.
~ inspired by new digital scrapbooking supplies.
~ savouring Christmas Ham.
~ reading a really good book- Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
~ swooning over water.
~ enjoying some cooler days.
~ feeling antsy- uncharacteristically I don't yet have my word for 2020.
~ counting down the last days of the year.
~ tasting Cherry Liqueur Chocolates- my personal Christmas tradition since forever.
~ wondering about a Gratitude project for 2020
~ making Scrapbook pages... I want to hit 300 pages made for the year... though I have a photobook I can't blog that probably pushes that up to 330-ish.
~ wishing for a bit more energy- I feel SO tired.
~ hoping for a better decade then the one we're about to say goodbye too.
~ glad for my boys and the girl- good people, weird people, lovely people.
~ listening to Billie Eilish- saw her on Carpool Karaoke and thought she was just lovely and so cool- brought the CD- I am very happy and it kind of matches the mood I didn't quite realise I was carrying.
~ relieved by a recent conversation. Not quite free of the guilt and stress I was carrying- but feeling a little lighter.
~ seeing things a little more clearly- unexpected things, I'm glad.
~ dreaming of travel, birds, and flowers- adventure!
~ thinking, always thinking. Mostly about future plans- OLW, CDF's and 2020 projects.
~ anticipating the new year.
~ going to take it easy a bit longer.
~ feeding my creative and book-loving heart.
~ grateful for family.
~in awe of nature, bush fires, and resilient people.
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Monday, December 23, 2019
Best Reads of 2019
So far I've read 153 books this year. You can see them all on my Good Reads. I am hoping to hit 156 before the year closes. Here's a round-up of my favourites...
I read some really good Sci-fi this year in amongst my faves are...
Walkaway by Cory Doctorow There's a lot of dystopian stuff around and a lot of it is the same... terrible thing happens, people are arseholes, people fight to survive... I feel like this is a really different take on that and it goes somewhere completely different. *****
The City Where We Once Lived by Eric Barnes I could say the exact same thing about this one as I did the last one... and it goes somewhere completely different too. ****
Middlegame by Seanan McGuire. I'm not quite sure why this one stuck with me- but it really did and when I reflect back on it I can still feel the tension it created. ****
The Test by Sylvain Neuvel I got totally suckered by this one. Did not see the twist coming- the tension was great- it's very topical as well. ****
To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers. Just read this, this week- what I really liked about it was the author's ability to describe the undescribable- I guess that's the skill of a good sci-fi writer- because they are dreaming up things we never dreamt of and have no foundation for. ****
The Subjects by Sarah Hopkins. This one was an interesting concept- another dystopia I guess- but on a smaller weirder more pharmaceutical scale. ****
Best Fiction Reads:
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens I think that I loved this because I loved Kya and wanted to take care of her... I'm always one for wanting to bring the sad kids home and give them the cuddles they need. It's beautifully written, and it's a lovely and at times difficult story. *****
The Lost Child by Suzanne McCourt. Loved the characters, loved the writing and loved the nostalgic feeling of days past. ****
Lanny by Max Porter. Dead Papa Toothwort is awake. He is listening... I am not sure exactly why I loved this so... but I did. It just stuck with me. I liked Lanny and the art teacher and Lanny's Mum. I loved the scene where she had the confrontation with the neighbour lady- it was brilliantly written and a great observation of how people see things so differently. Weird story, great story.
*****
The Red Shoe by Ursula Dubosarsky. This book is YA- but I don't think it needs to be. I read a few of Dubosarsky's books this year and they were all very enjoyable. This one looks at a certain period of Australia's history while all the while looking at the life of a family through the eyes of one of it's children. I liked the girls, the dodgy family dynamics and of course the nostalgic feeling of the 50's. It also had some real newspaper pieces from the time- which added some extra interest. *****
The Rip by Mark Brandi. I read this and Mark Brandi's other book Wimmera this year and both were excellent but this was my favourite- I was obviously quite attached to the main character because I am still quite miffed by the fact that when her name was revealed at the end it felt all wrong to me. :-) This book is a thriller but it's so much more- and if it helps you to view people living rough through a better lens then that's a bonus as well. Just the right balance of good moments, tension and suspense. *****
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. This took some hard consistent effort to get into- and I kind of felt like I needed a notepad to keep track of all the characters in the first 100 or so pages. But once I got through that first chunk I felt well rewarded with this mystery- come ghost story- come historical novel set in New Zealand. At 800+ pages it definitely won't be for everyone though... approach with caution. *****
Best Mystery/Crime/Thriller...
The Lost Man by Jane Harper. Jane Harper's first two novels had the same main character- a cop. But this one is different and I think I liked it more because of that. I loved the setting, the family dynamics and the emotions that ran through the story because Jane writes these things so well. I didn't expect the ending- and that's always a good recommendation for a thriller. *****
Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham One of my favourite books from one of my favourite thriller writers. I love the character of Evie Cormac and was excited to hear Robotham say that she will return in future books. *****
Eeny Meeny by M.J. Arlidge. MJ Arlidge was a new discovery for me this year and I read at least 8 of her books. This first one was to my mind the best and I think over the course of the series- it's all around the same police officer- Helen Grace- it just got too outlandish and far-reaching. But this one was definitely great- enough so to keep me going to see if it happened again. *****
Scrublands by Chris Hammer This book didn't finish as strong as I would have hoped but still it was very good and one particular scene sticks in my mind. :-) Looking forward to reading Hammer's second novel Silver soon. ****
True Crime:
Bowraville by Dan Box I listened to the podcast for this before I read the book. It was really interesting to see how Dan Box found himself moving from Journalist to activist almost- definitely supporter. Also interesting just to see once again how poor Australia is when it come to it's treatment of it's indigenous people- still. ****
Best YA... just pretend your still a young adult and read them anyway...
Looking for Alaska by John Green I went through a John Green phase this year and also really enjoyed An Abundance of Katherines. He write consisitently good novels for teens and young adults that speak to relationships and struggle and life. *****
Alchemy by Margaret Mahy I've been a HUGE Margaret Mahy fan since I was read The Witch in the Cherry Tree as a preschooler. I love practically all of her YA stuff and this one is classic Mahy- relationships and magic. *****
Wilder Girls by Rory Power. This is another dystopian sort of storyline. I liked it because it was something a bit different and there were enough twists to keep it interesting. ****
Best self-help...
It's Not Always Depression: A New Theory of Listening to Your Body, Discovering Core Emotions and Reconnecting with Your Authentic Self by Hilary Jacobs Hendel I read this book early on in the year and I think I'll have to go back a read it again because I remember it made a hell of a lot of sense to me and 'felt right'. *****
Stop Doing That Sh*t: End Self-Sabotage and Demand Your Life Back by Gary John Bishop This one I would describe similarly- where Hendel's book looks at Core emotions this one helps uncover your core beliefs and the impact they have on the way you move through your life. ****
Best Memoir...
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey. This was an unexpected find. The author had a chronic illness and was mostly bedridden for a long period of time. One of her friends brought in some plants from outside and inadvertently a snail... who knew snails could be so interesting. It's a slow read but thoughtful. ****
My Name is Why by Lemn Sissay. This is one of those books that drives you crazy because the story of his life is so needlessly shite- and you just wanna jump back in time and whack some people upside the head while simultaneously loving him properly. Lemn Sissay is a wonderful poet among other things who was raised in the UK foster care system. I listened to him speak about this book- he's an amazingly passionate and courageous guy. *****
An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination by Elizabeth McCracken This book is about the journey of a woman whose first child was stillborn. I am for obvious reasons drawn to these books- it's interesting to see how other people walked the same path. Her experience was different from mine but I think it's a good read and would be helpful in building some understanding around what is often a taboo topic. ****
Other five-star reads this year...
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton
The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily by Laura Creedle (YA)
The Last Dingo Summer by Jackie French (YA)
Choose Wonder Over Worry: Move Beyond Fear and Doubt to Unlock Your Full Potential by Amber Rae (Self-help)
Other four-star reads of note...
Wearing Paper Dresses by Anne Brinsden
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson (Memoir)
Wimmera by Mark Brandi
The Erratics by Vicki Laveau-Harvie (Memoir)
Once and Then both by Morris Gleitzman (YA)
Call Me Evie by J.P. Pomare
I read some really good Sci-fi this year in amongst my faves are...
Walkaway by Cory Doctorow There's a lot of dystopian stuff around and a lot of it is the same... terrible thing happens, people are arseholes, people fight to survive... I feel like this is a really different take on that and it goes somewhere completely different. *****
The City Where We Once Lived by Eric Barnes I could say the exact same thing about this one as I did the last one... and it goes somewhere completely different too. ****
Middlegame by Seanan McGuire. I'm not quite sure why this one stuck with me- but it really did and when I reflect back on it I can still feel the tension it created. ****
The Test by Sylvain Neuvel I got totally suckered by this one. Did not see the twist coming- the tension was great- it's very topical as well. ****
To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers. Just read this, this week- what I really liked about it was the author's ability to describe the undescribable- I guess that's the skill of a good sci-fi writer- because they are dreaming up things we never dreamt of and have no foundation for. ****
The Subjects by Sarah Hopkins. This one was an interesting concept- another dystopia I guess- but on a smaller weirder more pharmaceutical scale. ****
Best Fiction Reads:
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens I think that I loved this because I loved Kya and wanted to take care of her... I'm always one for wanting to bring the sad kids home and give them the cuddles they need. It's beautifully written, and it's a lovely and at times difficult story. *****
The Lost Child by Suzanne McCourt. Loved the characters, loved the writing and loved the nostalgic feeling of days past. ****
Lanny by Max Porter. Dead Papa Toothwort is awake. He is listening... I am not sure exactly why I loved this so... but I did. It just stuck with me. I liked Lanny and the art teacher and Lanny's Mum. I loved the scene where she had the confrontation with the neighbour lady- it was brilliantly written and a great observation of how people see things so differently. Weird story, great story.
*****
The Red Shoe by Ursula Dubosarsky. This book is YA- but I don't think it needs to be. I read a few of Dubosarsky's books this year and they were all very enjoyable. This one looks at a certain period of Australia's history while all the while looking at the life of a family through the eyes of one of it's children. I liked the girls, the dodgy family dynamics and of course the nostalgic feeling of the 50's. It also had some real newspaper pieces from the time- which added some extra interest. *****
The Rip by Mark Brandi. I read this and Mark Brandi's other book Wimmera this year and both were excellent but this was my favourite- I was obviously quite attached to the main character because I am still quite miffed by the fact that when her name was revealed at the end it felt all wrong to me. :-) This book is a thriller but it's so much more- and if it helps you to view people living rough through a better lens then that's a bonus as well. Just the right balance of good moments, tension and suspense. *****
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. This took some hard consistent effort to get into- and I kind of felt like I needed a notepad to keep track of all the characters in the first 100 or so pages. But once I got through that first chunk I felt well rewarded with this mystery- come ghost story- come historical novel set in New Zealand. At 800+ pages it definitely won't be for everyone though... approach with caution. *****
Best Mystery/Crime/Thriller...
The Lost Man by Jane Harper. Jane Harper's first two novels had the same main character- a cop. But this one is different and I think I liked it more because of that. I loved the setting, the family dynamics and the emotions that ran through the story because Jane writes these things so well. I didn't expect the ending- and that's always a good recommendation for a thriller. *****
Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham One of my favourite books from one of my favourite thriller writers. I love the character of Evie Cormac and was excited to hear Robotham say that she will return in future books. *****
Eeny Meeny by M.J. Arlidge. MJ Arlidge was a new discovery for me this year and I read at least 8 of her books. This first one was to my mind the best and I think over the course of the series- it's all around the same police officer- Helen Grace- it just got too outlandish and far-reaching. But this one was definitely great- enough so to keep me going to see if it happened again. *****
Scrublands by Chris Hammer This book didn't finish as strong as I would have hoped but still it was very good and one particular scene sticks in my mind. :-) Looking forward to reading Hammer's second novel Silver soon. ****
True Crime:
Bowraville by Dan Box I listened to the podcast for this before I read the book. It was really interesting to see how Dan Box found himself moving from Journalist to activist almost- definitely supporter. Also interesting just to see once again how poor Australia is when it come to it's treatment of it's indigenous people- still. ****
Best YA... just pretend your still a young adult and read them anyway...
Looking for Alaska by John Green I went through a John Green phase this year and also really enjoyed An Abundance of Katherines. He write consisitently good novels for teens and young adults that speak to relationships and struggle and life. *****
Alchemy by Margaret Mahy I've been a HUGE Margaret Mahy fan since I was read The Witch in the Cherry Tree as a preschooler. I love practically all of her YA stuff and this one is classic Mahy- relationships and magic. *****
Wilder Girls by Rory Power. This is another dystopian sort of storyline. I liked it because it was something a bit different and there were enough twists to keep it interesting. ****
Best self-help...
It's Not Always Depression: A New Theory of Listening to Your Body, Discovering Core Emotions and Reconnecting with Your Authentic Self by Hilary Jacobs Hendel I read this book early on in the year and I think I'll have to go back a read it again because I remember it made a hell of a lot of sense to me and 'felt right'. *****
Stop Doing That Sh*t: End Self-Sabotage and Demand Your Life Back by Gary John Bishop This one I would describe similarly- where Hendel's book looks at Core emotions this one helps uncover your core beliefs and the impact they have on the way you move through your life. ****
Best Memoir...
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey. This was an unexpected find. The author had a chronic illness and was mostly bedridden for a long period of time. One of her friends brought in some plants from outside and inadvertently a snail... who knew snails could be so interesting. It's a slow read but thoughtful. ****
My Name is Why by Lemn Sissay. This is one of those books that drives you crazy because the story of his life is so needlessly shite- and you just wanna jump back in time and whack some people upside the head while simultaneously loving him properly. Lemn Sissay is a wonderful poet among other things who was raised in the UK foster care system. I listened to him speak about this book- he's an amazingly passionate and courageous guy. *****
An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination by Elizabeth McCracken This book is about the journey of a woman whose first child was stillborn. I am for obvious reasons drawn to these books- it's interesting to see how other people walked the same path. Her experience was different from mine but I think it's a good read and would be helpful in building some understanding around what is often a taboo topic. ****
Other five-star reads this year...
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton
The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily by Laura Creedle (YA)
The Last Dingo Summer by Jackie French (YA)
Choose Wonder Over Worry: Move Beyond Fear and Doubt to Unlock Your Full Potential by Amber Rae (Self-help)
Other four-star reads of note...
Wearing Paper Dresses by Anne Brinsden
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson (Memoir)
Wimmera by Mark Brandi
The Erratics by Vicki Laveau-Harvie (Memoir)
Once and Then both by Morris Gleitzman (YA)
Call Me Evie by J.P. Pomare
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Friday, December 20, 2019
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Monday, December 16, 2019
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Friday, December 13, 2019
Thursday, December 12, 2019
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