Travellin' Penguin

I set up the first wheel a week or so again in a bit of a hurry thinking I could get through ten Kindle books. Then I looked at my shelves with many unread books and thought, “What am I doing Kindles for?” It’s not like they are going anywhere and I am trying to move on more physical books. I also just don’t want to read novels. I have different collections of books. Reference, fiction, non fiction, quite a few photography coffee table type books of photos I keep meaning to study. You get the gist. And as I don’t know the future of my vision I should read the books on my shelves while I can still see the print.

So I discarded the Kindles. I mean, after all, they will just sit in cyberspace and aren’t bothering anyone. I can still read one at a time, at bus stops, waiting rooms, etc.

Jinjer at the Intrepid Angelino put me on to this. I really enjoy the projects she does. She got the idea from a Tik Toker, Jake Throws Books. He reads hours at a time spinning his wheel.

For those that missed my last post the idea of this is to list ten books on a random wheel. Spin the thing and whatever name of book it lands on you sit down and read it for one hour. Spin again and read the next random pick. I am having great fun setting it up, now I just have to start reading. It will hopefully be a way to clear off some of the fiction and non fiction books I will only read once. My special books will remain. Photography and reference. I should also be able to remember what is happening when I end up spinning all the books at once.

So here is the new list of books.

The Only Way Home by Liz Byron. In March of 2014 Liz set off from Cooktown with her two donkey companions, Grace and Charley on a challenge to walk 2500 kms of the Bicentennial National trail over 9 months. She is aged 61.

I need to find out where this trail goes. The blurb doesn’t say much. (Non-fiction) I will hold my drink bottle while I read this.

2. The Penguin Book of Classical Mythes by Jenny March. It could be about the Minotaur trapped in the Cretan labyrinth or the 12 labours of Heracles or Zeus, this looks like a fun hour to spend. Might need an unusual drink to sip like a kombucha or a Tassie made trendy juice. It looks quite intellectual. (Reference? Non fiction?-surely not.)

3.The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain. I have several books by this author and I keep hearing how good he is. ( Yes, Kaggsy). I need to read this and it doesn’t look very long. So should be able to polish it right off and continue to his other works.

It’s about bookseller Laurent Letellier who comes across an abandoned handbag on a Parisian street, and feels impelled to return it to its owner….but….he needs to find that person.

Maybe a bit of sparkling and a croissant with this one.

4. These next two books I picked up because I love the illustrations on the cover. They are really gorgeous and I have looked at them on the shelf for quite awhile. Garden Like A Nonno the Italian Art of growing your own food. The other is Nonna Knows Best, The Italian art of living well. Both by Jaclyn Crupi. If the wheel spin lands on these I can choose which one to read for that hour or maybe each for half an hour. After my hour I might want to go out for pizza…and I’ll certainly need a sunhat.

5. The next spin might land on this lovely book I’ve wanted to read for ages: The Diary of a young naturalist by Dara McAnulty. This book chronicles the turning of Dara’s world, from spring to summer to winter on his home patch, at school in the wild and in his head. It has all kinds of animals and birds and flowers in it and just looks really fun. Might need to go on a picnic to read this. Some where in the bush. Oops I forgot, it’s winter. I’ll take a coat.

6. This spin will feature a lovely illustrated travel book.

A Suitcase and a Spatula by Tort Haschka. This book promises a mini break to join Sydney born food and travel writer, blogger and intrepid gourmet, Tori, on her globe trotting adventures in food. It is full of colourful illustrations and recipes from all over the world. I might even find the energy to whip up one of them and share the photos with you. I’ll need nibbles reading this book as it is all about food!

7. Longer time followers know I love travel writing. This one should be interesting. Walking the gobi by Helen Thayer. This is touted as a 1600 mile trek across a desert of hope and despair. I might have to sit outdoors to read this as it sounds very hot and we’re in winter, as I keep saying and the cool air might feel great.

8. The last pick is probably the most serious of the group of books. Richard Flanagan’s latest book Heresies. It is completely Australian and quite a bit Tasmanian, as is he. Essays, speeches and articles from the past about important issues within Australian. Everything from indigenous issues to environmental and political. I think an hour at a time of this book will be enough. I might not need food with this book but a large bottle of something. It will rile me up and I might throw my shoe once I get into the political side of things.

9. And 10. I have pretty free will with these two book choices. Number nine will be spending an hour with any photography book that is full of stories related to large glossy photos. Many photographers have their favourites and it is important to study the images of the professionals. One can learn so much as each page is analysed for light and shadow, structures, landscape or little tiny insects or funny people on the streets. This will be fun and hopefully inspires me to try some of the techniques.

10. This will relate to any reference book I have sitting on a shelf gathering dust. I have a whole set of the books 1001 Books you should read, ideas you should know about, paintings you should see, albums you should listen to, movies you should watch.I’ll sit down with my cup of tea or coffee and have an hour of perusing. I also have several reference books about literature of the United States and Australia, including First Nations writing.

After my hour or two is finished it will then be time to listen to my book club read while working on puzzles or quickly read the next randomly chosen Penguin anniversary book. So now we’ll crack on and see how we go.

Sorry for the length of this but I wanted it all written down and I’m having so much organising it all. Stay tuned.

So I discarded the Kindles. I mean, after all, they will just sit in cyberspace and aren’t bothering anyone. I can still read one at a time, at bus stops, waiting rooms, etc.

Jinjer at the Intrepid Angelino put me on to this. I really enjoy the projects she does. She got the idea from a Tik Toker, Jake Throws Books. He reads hours at a time spinning his wheel.

So here is the new list of books.

The Only Way Home by Liz Byron. In March of 2014 Liz set off from Cooktown with her two donkey companions, Grace and Charley on a challenge to walk 2500 kms of the Bicentennial National trail over 9 months. She is aged 61.

I need to find out where this trail goes. The blurb doesn’t say much. (Non-fiction) I will hold my drink bottle while I read this.

It’s about bookseller Laurent Letellier who comes across an abandoned handbag on a Parisian street, and feels impelled to return it to its owner….but….he needs to find that person.

Maybe a bit of sparkling and a croissant with this one.

6. This spin will feature a lovely illustrated travel book.

Sorry for the length of this but I wanted it all written down and I’m having so much organising it all. Stay tuned.

First pick today are the Italian Nonno and Nonna books. Let’s get started.

This past week was pretty busy. You know what they say. It’s either feast or famine.. whoever “they” are. Some weeks are jam packed with stuff to do and other weeks have nothing happening at all.

I did get some reading done. our book group met and discussed A Month in the Country. Not a lot of conflicting views as everyone liked the book. But we did spend a lot of time discussing the period of the 1920s, people returning from the great war. We liked the characters. There was plenty to talk about in our hour’s time. It is such a visual book. I also learned there is a film on You Tube one of our members watched and told us about. I must look it up as they evidently show the church fresco the main protagonist was working on.

Then my friend and I went to a Nepalese restaurant for a meal. Her teenage son came along and it was nice to see him. Our book group meets from 6 to 7 pm so getting a meal afterwards rounds out a nice evening.

I had an appointment with the eye surgeon and so far the extra drops seem to be working but I have to go back again in three months. Glaucoma is a nuisance. If you haven’t had your eyes checked in awhile I’d suggest it as glaucoma is silent and it can cause blindness.

**Photo by Fullers Book shop staff. One of Richard’s quotes.**

Another friend of mine and I also attended the Theatre Royal that was absolutely jammed with people for a conversation between Richard Flanagan, 2014Booker Prize winning author and Independent MP Peter George. The occasion was the launch of his latest book Heresies. The place was electric between these two popular Tasmanians. The event just about sold out. The book is a collection of speeches, essays and articles about what is relevant to Australia recently. Richard spoke of many of the interviews he did with people as he compiled everything and the banter between the two men was humorous. It was a really good event. Lots of fun.

Then yesterday we briefly attended a memorial for one of our friends who sadly passed away. It was a lovely farewell to someone Mr P especially spent a lot of time with helping out on their farm. It was lovely to see the family members who had come from New South Wales and Germany. This past month has just been sad with the passing of two friends and our old cat. I’m looking forward to warmer weather in spring and longer days one Daylight Savings Time gets here.

I began my book challenges but it was a slow start. I have tead one hour from spinning the wheel and will start hour 2 on a different book once I finish writing this. The random Penguin book that was picked from the box set of English Journeys. It is a lovely little book called Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard. The title is also the title of one of the poems in the collection by Thomas Gray. The book is a collection of poetry by various authors including John Keats, Alexander Pope, William Wordsworth and others.

I’m not a big reader of poetry but I enjoyed travelling through this little book.

Our photo club also met last weekend on the Hobart waterfront and we enjoyed a sunny winter’s day looking for abstraction in photography. I’ll include a couple of what I found.

I hope everyone has a good week coming up and you get to do something you enjoy. I’m looking forward to quieter days.