Back from the wilderness?

Well it's January 2 nd, and I am sitting in my new kitchen thinking about the year ahead. I have had in my mind that I should revive my blog, and actually write about what I'm reading. So here goes.

Sometime in the last year I started using a Nook. It was a present from my son, and although I took quite a long time to start using it now I LOVE it.

The best part for me is having a lot of books with me all the time. I used it when I travelled to the US recently, and since I have been home I have been immersing myself in the Tom Thorne series by Mark Billingham. I was given the first three of these by a work colleague, and enjoyed and have just raced on from one to the other. I am just about to read the most recent. Tom Thorne is the usual grumpy loner, with a a conscience and a liking for C & W music. But likable, with a dark sense of humor. The plots are fast paced, and the other characters are written with depth. It's been quite a while since I read five or six books by the same author, and I am finding it perfect holiday reading.

And just in case you wondered about the grandchildren - now I have FOUR. Here is a photo of Bram drumming at the library. He is the fair haired one in the front row.

Happy 2012 to my readers - if I have any.

Pixelated Mushroom - Craft Blog: Free crochet TARDIS pattern

Pixelated Mushroom - Craft Blog: Free crochet TARDIS pattern

Season's Greetings to All

Photo of flowering red gum by Georgie Sharp from Flickr

Best wishes to my friends far and near for a wonderful holiday season.

I'm missing the snow a little, and envious of my friends in Maine who have had TWO snow days already this winter. In a somewhat bizarre turn of the weather in Melbourne the weather bureau is saying it might snow here this weekend. Melbourne is suffering through a terrible drought, but it has been raining for the last two days. What a wonderful gift for everyone!

I don't have a lot of time to read at the moment, but am enjoying a nightly chapter or so of The Memory Room by Christopher Koch, one of my all time favourite writers. It's a busy time for a casual librarian - lots of other people taking time off.

I will be having Christmas dinner in my back garden with family and friends, and of course The Sainted Grandson, who has taken to looking at presents and saying hopefully 'train?'. I hope Santa has a train in his sack for Abraham William and I hope whoever brings your presents, that you get at least one great book!

What I've been reading #3

In the last weeks I have read some truly wonderful books!
Away by Amy Bloom was recommended by my good friend Ellen, who is in Maine. She and I worked together and have a very similar taste in books. I always trust her recommendations, and she has lead me to some wonderful authors. Away is the story of Lillian Leyb, who immigrates to The United States from Russia in the 1920s. Lillian fears her daughter Sophie was killed during a pogrom but finds out she is still alive and so sets off to find her. Lillian is an engaging heroine, determined to do whatever she has to to make her way. It is well written, funny, and not as sad as one might think.

It reminded me of another book I read on Ellen's recommendation The Law of Dreams by Peter Behrens. This is another immigrant story, this time Irish and told by Fergus O'Brien. Fergus relates his story as he is driven off his family's small holding by the potato famine, and travels to Dublin, Montreal and Boston. Behrens is a wonderful and poetic writer and I will be looking out for more books by him.



souvlaki from avlyx, via flickr.

I love reading mysteries of most varieties and have read two wonderful ones recently. Nice Try by Shane Moloney is the third in the Murray Whelan series. It felt a bit like a souvlaki to me - immensely satisfying in a slightly guilty way. It is very funny, and being set in my part of the world even more interesting to me.

I went to hear Ian Rankin on his recent book tour, and he was saying that a number of well known authors are living in Edinburgh now. He mentioned that Kate Atkinson is writing mysteries, and he recommended them. I read One Good Turn and can endorse it with enthusiasm. Great characters and lots about the Edinburgh Festival from a somewhat sardonic view. And the plot twist that is revealed on the last page was a kicker!

Why I'm not Reading

I haven't been reading much lately, too much going on. And I have been watching a bit of TV. I am loving Rain Shadow, on the ABC. It's finished now, but maybe it will return. The scenery is beautiful and the story line interesting. It presents country Australia struggling with drought, and the performances are wonderful.

One piece of technology I have come to love is the hard disc video recorder, I can set it to record programs I want to watch, and then watch when I have time. This of course results in more TV watching than I should do.

#24 I haven't Stopped Learning!

I have very fond memories of visiting the Botanic Gardens with my mother as a child, and then of taking the boys when they were little. So one recent Sunday morning, Grammy & Grandad took Bram. It turns out you aren't allowed to feed the ducks any more, but it is still a lot of fun.

I uploaded these photos into Picasa and then published them directly into my blog from there. It's taken me an hour - but I'm very pleased with myself for doing it!

I often get inspiration from my colleagues - Chellie suggested visiting the swans. Thanks Chellie, we all had a great time.

More on podcasts

AND I can get podcasts of The Book Show. I love listening to the radio but I often miss out on my favourite show. Now I can just download them, and listen whenever I want to.