Family Christmas yesterday. A scorcher of a day 40 degrees.🌞🌞. We are op shop givers so some are new and some op shop. A couple I might not read. My TBR bookshelf is overflowing.

It‘s a cool Sunday morning set to be a 41* scorcher and we are having our family Xmas get together.
Probably would never have bought this book , found it in a LFL. Lots of truths about middle age women , their lives in a male dominated world. An entertaining and enlightening read. Could hear Kathy‘s voice in my head. A good summer read .Relatable.

Almost a so so. I do like this series but I‘m not too sure with this one if I was meant to work it out so easily. The clues were very clear to me. Disappointing really. Have now read a few crime books set on an island only accessible by car at low tide.

Standing in my partners room which is full to overflowing with books and bits and bobs, I spied this book. It‘s a graphic novel. Decided to give the graphic format another go. This was ok. The drawings were well done and easy to follow. The story interesting. Another quiet woman almost lost to history. Have you heard of her?
Interior designer who ended up designing homes. Interesting personal life. French 1920s +.

Excellent. A best read for me. So good I‘m going to get my own copy. Set in the 80s and forward it reminds us what is was like to be queer then. Characters are very real and the narrator/ narrators bring to life the feelings of living then. The novel has been optioned by Sony so I look forward to see this on the screen someday.
It is certainly a celebration of queer life warts and all. Loved it. One of my top reads for this year. ❤️

Glad I gave her another go. This was her first book and I have really enjoyed it. The characters are very real. Looking forward to reading more with the detective Cormac.

A library visit to pick up tagged book and look what else I found.

Finished in the wonderful cool of the morning with just the sound of birds in the background. I love Elly's books especially her Dr Galloway series. I think this is a stand alone but I'm not sure. The characters could make the basis of a new series. A cosy mystery if there is such a thing. ⭐⭐⭐

The plot ended up ok. However once again I found it way too long. I skipped read most of it . I want to like her books but I‘m not there yet. I have a couple of her Comac the detective series to read. So we shall see. She is a best seller in the US. She has won awards. This book just won one as an audio book. So maybe it‘s one of those things, she is not “ my cup of tea”.

A delightful reread for me. I read it first in paperback in the 70s. That book fell apart and this edition was given to me in the 80s. I believe Rita Mae has just turned 80. Amazing woman. I‘ve also, over the years enjoyed her cosy mysteries featuring a cat. Things have changed since she wrote this book but we still have a way to go .

Even though it‘s from 2010 much of it is still relevant. He always brings a smile to my face with many LOL moments.

Found one in a little library and one in a book shop. Written 24 years apart and both authors living here in Western Australia. My mini book haul today. 😊.

Clever.
Another book that jumps between now and then . I sometimes find it hard to follow when a story does this but this was just fine.

Well that‘s a week I won‘t get back! Heard a good review, saw it in the library and despite my dislike of door stopper books , I decided to give it a go. It got me in , lovely writing. Middle put me right off , little punctuation , started to speed read, needed to know the ending. What a disappointment. 🤷🏻‍♂️.

Just got these to add to my ever expanding TBR shelf. And what am I currently reading—- library books. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Finally got around to reading this book. Amazing. It‘s my most outstanding read so far for this year. Australian it may be but the themes are applicable to many places, the world really. I learnt a lot about the Tamils. As a child we immigrated to Australia and we stopped in Ceylon. After the noise , smells and rush of India, the previous stop, it was pure bliss and peace for my 9 year old self.

Well that was a depressing read on a depressing day. As I wanted to read her fiction this was the easiest one to get. About 60s Hollywood , hope it‘s not like that now. However the writing is super good. Not a word wasted. A couple of times my mind wandered and I had to read the passage again. Each word important. Don‘t think I could speed read. Someday I might try another of her fiction . But not just now.

A book of some of her articles. Dating from 1968. Very interesting. Fantastic writing. Now I‘m reading one of her fiction books. Late to her writing but glad I‘ve got to it.

I love poetry and it‘s been a while since I have read any. I sat and read this from cover to cover. Just beautiful. That someone can put words together like she does. I‘m left with such a calm feeling. Glad I picked this up this lovely afternoon. ❤️

I love Rebus. This didn‘t disappoint. However I had a hard time keeping track of who was who. But it was okay, it all worked out in the end and I understood it all. Loved the ending. 😊. The last sentence.

I'm a late comer to her writing. The Year of Magical Thinking sat on my TBR shelf for years. So much grief in such a short time. Beautiful writing. I have a book coming that was published just before she died. It's past pieces she wrote. Amazing woman.

I did a speed read of this as it felt like I‘d read it before or possibly watched something. So it was predictable for me. Read it through to end to see how it was resolved . Clever.

I love that often the right book happens along just when I need it. A recent diagnosis of dementia in someone close and this book appears. I highly recommend it to everyone. You can also find her on YouTube. This book is a keeper and I will be reading it again. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Delightful. Not a book I would usually read but saw book shop on the cover and Scottish Highlands in the blurb.
It was a simple plot with my favourite type of ending. Well written , easy to read. Left me feeling uplifted. If I happen upon another of her books I‘ll definitely read it. I found this one in a Little Free Library.

Disappointing.

Picked this up recently for $2. I enjoyed the read . Beautifully written. I was hoping that she had written more but discovered no more novels by her. I do hope it isn‘t her first and only. The story carried me along and I could see and feel the landscape and the characters were very real too. I‘m not surprised it was on the short list.

This took a bit of effort for this old brain. It alternates between 2 time lines with a 3rd starting it off. However it finally came together with a satisfying conclusion. Definitely TV series material. I‘ve read all his books as they have appeared. I guess that makes me a fan. 😊.

I‘m not going to finish this. The writing is amazing and the descriptions just wonderful. However I find myself really having to concentrate to read it. Set me wondering if these great authors of fine literature will get read in the future. I heard that at an uni in the US literature students couldn‘t even read a whole book. So used to just reading a chapter to critique from high school. Never a whole book. 🤷🏻‍♂️. 🥲

This is an earlier book by this Aussie author. I've now read several of his books. As with his others he takes events/ situations and using fiction spins a story that makes you think.
"5 days,3 unexploded bombs,and every truth of your life turned into a lie. What would you do?"

We have a collection of picture books and I'm rereading some. I just love these, the illustrations are wonderful. Tagged book has no words. Glad we have grandkids to share them with. Published 2001 and 2006.

A reread of a classic kid‘s picture book published in 1961. If only the worlds leaders would read it .
Beautifully written and illustrated a gentle reminder of the beauty and peace in the world.
. “At height of Cold War , a young couple produced a new kind of book for children .
It confronts the folly of war and the threat to the environment.”

The best parts for me were where the past was revisited as I had just read her first book. In this book Scout, Jean Louise is an adult returning to Maycombe which I suspect is based on the town Monroeville where Harper was born. She often reminisces about the past . 50s attitudes explored and many passages reminded me of some of what is happening and being said right now. Can‘t help but wonder what Harper would have thought about today.

Surprised I had never read this. Wanted to read it before I read her second one. What a great story. I can see why it has lasted. So many home truths that are universal. I think I got an inkling into what Harper herself was like. I also believe Dill was based on her lifelong friend Truman Capote. I‘ll keep this and read it again.

Every adult should read this. Beautifully simple but so true.

Finished this morning on a chilly wet overcast day. I did enjoy it. He has a way with words and I love his observations of people. So many home truths in the book around raising children. Joe is a character I love. I‘m a late starter with these books so have a bit of catching up to do. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

A delight . Simple and as one review said, naive. I enjoyed being reminded of the lessons he discovers about finding happiness. Published in 2011 , I see there was a movie in 2014.

Very so- so . I only read it because it was recent and was an op shop find. The best part was a little snail drawing that was creeping along the bottom of some pages. For me it was not ‘ an all consuming thriller “ .

Another perfect day for reading outside . Lucky yet again to find this in an op shop for $2. Published in 2011 , it took me to a country town in West Aust and to Sydney and around the Quay with the Opera House and the Bridge. It follows 4very different characters who visit the Quay , their thoughts , their stories . The writing is superb. 🤞I find more of her earlier works.

Picked this up at the library because it looked different. Again it‘s one of those books which to me ,most of it was very obvious and I wasn‘t sure if it was meant to be obvious. I liked the main character 13 year old Ava. I learnt a lot about bones, forensic science and decaying bodies. Yes it was a bit gruesome in parts. Mixed feelings about it really. You might love it.

Another lovely spring day here and it‘s a holiday for the Kings Birthday. Another exquisite story from this author who was born and raised in West Australia but now lives on the east coast.
It‘s 1992 and Helen is at Cambridge doing a doctorate on Joseph Conrad. His story is Intertwined with hers.
I learnt a lot about Joseph Conrad in a most interesting way. If you liked her other books I think you will enjoy this.

I really like Elly‘s books. However haven‘t read any short stories in a long while. I‘ve always thought that there is a real art to writing a good one. She nailed it in some of these. Some not so much. A nice interlude before her next novel and I got to keep up with my favourite characters Ruth, Nelson and Kate.

A mystery that had twists and turns but didn‘t do it for me. Almost bailed.

The book we were supposed to get in 2004 at the Edinburgh Book Festival. We saw Doris and she spoke but was unable to sign said book because they hadn‘t arrived! We got another signed. One about cats.
Grandmothers contains 4 short novels . Only one is about Grandmothers, the first. I enjoyed it ,but a bit confronting. The others are all completely different. The 2nd was ok. The others not so much.
I‘m surprised I haven‘t read more of her .

Normally large books with small print put me off but I was determined to give this a go. Published in 1962 I can see why it would have been widely read then. The more I read her and find out about her the more I admire her. It felt like this was auto fiction. It was like reading several books in one. I read the preface last. She had written that in 1971 and though long was very insightful. A woman before her time. 👏👏

Enjoying the Spring sunshine. Another perfect story from Evie. I love how her writing flows and I enjoyed that it had such a strong Australian connection. Lots of echoes in this story. The land , the people, the past. Even an echo of a ghost. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. @LapReader

When all the books I‘ve requested come at once. Can‘t wait to get started. But where to begin. ? The Doris Lessing are the only hard copies left in our library system. Most of the rest of hers only ebooks now.

Another wonderful op shop find. Written in 1986 after a visit to Pakistan and the Afghan refugee camps there. It was when the Russians were invading Afghanistan. I learnt a lot . Not only about the history but about the author. Before the invasion Afghanistan was on its way to becoming a modern country with a bright future where girls were educated, the various groups got along and the countryside was not the desert it became with the invasion. 👇

So nice to be back with Jackson and Reggie. I forget that Jackson Is ageing. Do hope he doesn‘t retire anytime soon. I enjoyed this adventure . Lots of words I hadn‘t seen in a long time . Some I had to look up . Good for the brain. Love that she uses these wonderful words. I got a bit bogged down in the middle but kept on and was pleased I did.

Note to self, remember you don‘t like psychological thrillers. Not my thing.

Clever. Twists and turns to the last page. Such a prolific author across all age groups and genres. Even movie and tv scripts. I enjoy his writing.