Category: Fiction

We have had a sunny week in Hobart. I’ve been out a few times and I have noticed the days are getting longer. There are also some daffodils popping up around the place. I never mind the chilliness of our winters as we only have snow on the higher peaks around us but I don’t like the early dark.

I like a few comfort books thrown into the mix. Between reading photography magazines, journaling, creating a commonplace book and going to my exercise classes the days pass quickly.

I also took some things to auction that have been tucked away in drawers and cupboards. I had a set of four 30 year old Le Cruset pans that don’t work on our induction stove top as they are not magnetic. I understand the new ones are but I don’t need them. They sold at auction for over $500 which floored me. I also had some old jewelry that went at auction as well.

The book I tucked myself away with for a couple of evenings was Bookish by Lucy Mangan.

Good Reads explains it as:

From exploring the stacks as a student, to finding her feet as a bookseller-turned-journalist, falling for a fellow bookworm in an independent bookshop, escaping the doldrums of new motherhood and finally building a (book) room of her own, Bookish is the story of a life spent falling in love with reading. Bookworm author Lucy Mangan chronicles her years of buying, borrowing and hoarding everything from well-worn literary classics to steamy bonkbusters, gripping thrillers, young adult novels and other not-so-guilty pleasures.

Brimming with literary insights, wry observations and stellar recommendations, this book is an ode to the bookish places – from local libraries to bookstores big and small – and the stories that make us who we are.

I really liked her reference to book snobs. We all know one. The one that goes tut, tut when she (usually), hears about you reading a book by James Patterson or Jacqui Collins. We all need variety in our life so they just need to back off. I have enjoyed this book and it has been lovely to share with a hot chocolate and polar fleece robe on an early dark, winter’s night.

I also finished reading a book last week called Bliss(ters) by Gail Francis. The book chronicled her hike on the Pacific Crest trail from Mexico to Canada. It was an interesting book but not he most exciting travel book I’ve read. I did enjoy hearing her talk about all the friends and other people she met along the trail. Some were quite funny and certainly had varied habits.

A Little Surprise

I am sharing a photo that was posted up on the Fullers Book shop Facebook page this week. This is a sketch of the shop from 1928! It was given to them this past week by a member of the community. The shop has been open now for 105 consecutive years. Just amazing.

So- what else is new?

Pickles is continuing to settle into our household though she remains in her room. We have opened the door though. She is under supervision as the dogs have met her. Peanny is sweet about it and even gave Pickles a quick kiss on the nose without getting slapped. Ollie, being a Jack Russell will take a bit more watching. He is curious but very boisterous and I imagine he will be the first household member to get the claws, besides me.

I finally got a quick photo of her. Once Ollie worked out he couldn’t chase her, he left the room with one of her toys.

To wrap up: I have not forgotten my photography and I will be back soon with some photos of Bruny Island. The Japan photography workshop is coming up end of October but more on that later.

Closer to home I walked past the Hobart Geographica shop the other day. They have many beautiful travel books and maps and these two books were in the window. I would really like to read them as I love travel writing so much.

These look very inviting. Well, I guess that brings this to the end of another week. I hope all of you have a good week and see you next week!

Bye for now …🌻❤️🌻

“He who this book tears or steals, God send him the black sickness of hell.”

These people did not mess around with the theft of a book all these years ago. I found this curse in a little book I picked up not long ago called: Book Curses by Eleanor Baker. I have to say though I do own a few books I feel this way about. I imagine my bookish friends do also.

This book is full of very disturbing quotes found in literature from over the years.

The blurb on the back states:

Have you ever wanted to protect your books from forgetful borrowers, merciless page-folders or outright thieves? Perhaps you have even wished harm on those that have damaged your books, but would you threaten them with hellfire, hanging or the plague?

This book contains a collection of some of the most ferocious and humorous book curses ever inscribed. Here you will find an engaging introduction to the history and development of the book curse and perhaps some inspiration to pen a few of your own.

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My book of the week.

I finished an interesting book that was recommended by a friend who enjoyed it. The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer. This is a book I would probably not have picked up but it isn’t exceedingly long and the topic is a bit different to what I normally read. Clover lives in New York City and she is a death doula. A death doula (a term I was not familiar with) is someone who spends a dying person’s last days with them. Clover had difficulty getting over the death of her grandfather who raised her after a boating accident killed her parents when young. She was travelling in Cambodia when he died and she felt bad he had died alone. She sits with people who are alone and have no family or friends anymore.

One night she meets a young man named Sebastian at a death cafe. These cafes have popped up around the place, including one I heard about here in Hobart.

People gather over a coffee and discuss death. Sebastian’s beloved grandmother is dying. She had been a successful photographer in her past and there was an old love interest that also popped up. Clover begins visiting his grandmother as Sebastian’s family were a family that definitely wouldn’t discuss death and Sebastian felt the need to talk about it. Therefore the death cafe visits. Clover becomes friends with the woman and from there a mystery develops. More characters enter the picture and the story branches out from there in a few different directions. I really enjoyed this book. It sounds morbid but I did not find that at all. I really cared about the characters and think I will remember them for a long time. It has a lot of uplifting discussions as well as a few around dying.

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Another week of life here. This week was a very busy week. If you read my last post you will know about our friend and neighbours cat. Pickles, who we have, so far, agreed to adopt. For those who have not read last week’s post, our friend has gone into palliative care.

Over the course of Monday and Tuesday we went to the house and caught Pickles and set her up in a spare room. I had to get a big litter tray the dogs can’t get into and picked up some of her things from the house that had her scent on it. I also checked with my veterinarian friend and googled how to transfer an adult cat to two adult cats that we own. We don’t want fights and spraying all over the house.

Pickles has lived indoors as do ours and only ever known one person. She was quite terrified. The first few days did involve band aids.

The vet suggested using a Feliway diffuser that will calm her. It seems to work. After almost a week she is letting me pet her as long as I don’t make any sudden moves. She has a nice big boxed in bed she retreats to. The goal will be to get her out of it of her own accord. Baby steps.

Our vet friend has told us to keep her isolated in her own room for 3 weeks. Next week we will begin exchanging scents from our cats to her and vice versa. We will use Feliway spray on everyone. Humans can’t smell it but cats can. Our vet uses it in her kennels at the practice. The next step after that will be putting our 2 dogs and 2 cats in a separate room and let Pickles explore the house by herself. Hopefully we will continue to make progress. I don’t have a photo of her yet but hopefully soon.

In the meantime I have visited the hospital several times over the week to visit her owner and let her know Pickles is okay and to let her know we will give her a good home. It is all very sad as our friend doesn’t have much time left. She is also quite alone as family aren’t coming from the mainland.

Of all the times I could have read a book about a death doula. The Dalai Lama says when one needs to learn something a teacher will appear. I have always believed this as it has been true for me several times in my life.

But it is not all gloom and doom. On Thursday I spent a lovely lunch at a popular pub with 12 friends from my senior group. Then in the evening three of us saw the Jane Austen play Emma that was excellent. I also had coffee with a friend one morning and we talked about everything life related and then watching a couple of hilarious comedians on Instagram! I believe one needs to create a balance when sad events happen because laughter seems to blot out tears. I am journaling this week too. Thoughts in one journal and fun things in my junk journal.

That brings you up to date on another week so stay tuned. Keep that balance in your life too. Sometimes you need to work at it.

Stay sane🌻🌻🌻

Always look for the unique and beauty in the world.

photo PS Parks (travellinpenguin)

This has been a hectic few days. The good news is I finished Australian Robbie Arnott’s latest book Dusk and really loved it.

What’s it about? Let’s see how Chat GPT explains it:

“Dusk” is Robbie Arnott’s fourth novel (published October 8, 2024 by Pan Macmillan), weaving myth, nature, and the human condition into a compelling Tasmanian-set thriller. 

🌄 Setting & Plot

Tasmanian Highlands: The story unfolds amid the island’s wild, high-elevation terrain—boulder-strewn, snow-swept, haunted by ancient bones—emphasising the raw connection between humans and the natural world.  The Hunt for Dusk: A South American puma, introduced to curb feral deer, has gone rogue—attacking sheep and humans. In response, graziers place a bounty on the animal they’ve named Dusk.  The Renshaw Twins: Iris and Floyd, hardened siblings from a troubled past, decide to hunt the puma for the reward. Accompanied by a mysterious outsider, Patrick Lees, they venture into lethal terrain. 

🔍 Themes & Style

Predator vs. Prey: Arnott unpacks this duality across species and humans alike—hunting becomes a metaphor for greed, survival, and moral ambiguity.  Nature’s Majesty & Violence: Expect gorgeously vivid prose (“rock and water… mirror tarns”, currawongs with “fierce yellow eyes”), painting the landscape as simultaneously enchanting and unforgiving.  Mythical & Gothic Elements: From enigmatic fossil bones to whispered Aboriginal histories, it blends myth and mystery into ecological realism—occasionally unsettling in how it handles Indigenous presence.  Sibling Bonds & Redemption: Central to the novel is Iris and Floyd’s fierce, caring connection. Though orphans of violence, their mutual love offers a path to healing and redemption. 

I listened to it on Audible and the narrator was Zoe Carides who I believe used to act on some tv programs several years ago. She does a very good job. (note:She actually had a role in the film Death in Brunswick.)

I just liked everything about this book. The characters and landscape are stand outs. There is a twist or two I didn’t see coming though probably should have. Our book group will be discussing it in August.

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On the other hand we have some personal stuff going on that has been sad. A friend and neighbour of 36 years has just been taken into Palliative care at the hospital. We knew this would happen but it is tricky as her two sisters live on the mainland and I’m not sure how close they are. There are a few eye rolling moments when it comes up. But the problem is Pickles. Pickles is her beautiful cat the two of us picked up at Ten Lives Cat Centre about 3 yrs ago after her previous cat died. Pickles is a beautiful indoor cat who is still home as no one is available to care for her at the moment.

So we are taking care of her as long as she is in the house. But the dilemma is her future.

Though I’ve not seen her as she runs and hides under the bed when we enter the house. Being an indoor cat she is not used to many people coming over. She hid when the ambos came the other day and I think she is still hiding. I need to go over there with a torch (flashlight).

She is eating well though as her dish is always empty. And we keep her litter clean.

Our friend loves this cat and we promised her she would be cared for but by whom? My veterinarian friend is Pickles’ (I never know where the apostrophe goes when a word ends in s.) vet so we will discuss it this next week. I can’t give her away as we don’t know how long our friend will be in hospital or if she may yet spend time in her home again. We can’t board her. We can’t bring her to our home as we have two dogs and two adult cats. We might create a storm if we introduce an adult cat into the fold. So I guess for now we just keep caring for her in her own home. Stay tuned. 🤔

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I haven’t done any photography though I see our photo club is taking a winter excursion up to the Central Highlands on Tuesday. There has been snow up there recently but I think it is clear now. I have not decided if I will go but it would probably do me good to get out with a group of friends and take photos. It is a beautiful area.

This coming week a couple of other friends and I are seeing Jane Austen’s story Emma at the theatre. That should be fun. I always love live theatre.

So for now, we are going one day at a time and staying in the present moment. Outside of worrying about Pickles and waiting to see if the severe weather warning of rain and high winds eventuates later today we are all fine.

Mental health plan for this coming week:

• Start a new book 📕📖📗
• Exercise 🧘🏼‍♀️🤽🏼‍♂️🤸🏽‍♀️
• Journal 📓🖍️🖊️
• Take a load of unwanted things from a cleanup to auction and get some cash then buy a coffee with a friend. 💲☕️☕️

Have a good week.