I’ve had a mega busy week with books read and outdoor photography. I’ll start with the books.
BOOKS
First up is:
Childhood: The biography of a place by Harry Crews. It is a compelling memoir that delves into the author’s early life in rural Georgia during the Great Depression. Born in a one-room sharecropper’s cabin, Crews offers a vivid portrayal of the hardships and resilience of Southern life, (America), interweaving personal memories with tales from his community. The narrative captures the essence of a bygone era, highlighting themes of poverty, illness, and the indomitable human spirit.
This memoir is lauded for its raw and unfiltered storytelling, providing readers with an intimate glimpse into the formative years of one of America’s notable writers. The New Yorker has described it as “one of the finest memoirs ever written,” underscoring its significance in American literature.
Recommend it? Yes. I loved it. When younger I read many books that took place in the American south but haven’t for many years now.
2. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. Loved it. New York city in the mid 20th century. It was published in 2011. Set against the backdrop of 1938 New York City, the story follows 25-year-old Katey Kontent, a sharp and ambitious woman navigating the city’s social strata. After a chance encounter with the charming banker Tinker Grey on New Year’s Eve, Katey’s life intertwines with Manhattan’s elite, leading her through a transformative year filled with love, ambition, and self-discovery.
Towles’s narrative captures the essence of the late 1930s, highlighting themes of class, fate, and the pursuit of the American dream.
Recommended? Yes. I enjoy stories of NYC during this time period. I enjoyed the characters and the elite lifestyle is very similar to those in the Great Gatsby. The time frame was fun.
Next is our May book club read. Australian author Charlotte Wood’s Stone Yard Devotional. I read this when it first came out but it didn’t sink in. The mood was wrong. This time I really enjoyed it.
The unnamed narrator, once an endangered‑species conservation specialist in Sydney, finds herself hollowed out by the looming climate crisis. In despair, she leaves her career—and her husband—to retreat to a remote convent on the Monaro Plains in New South Wales. Initially adrift in the rhythms of monastic life, she gradually participates in daily duties. Her solitude is disrupted by two “visitations”: the arrival of Sister Jenny’s exhumed body (murdered in Thailand) escorted by Helen Parry—a childhood schoolmate turned prominent nun and activist—and a catastrophic mouse plague that overruns the convent, forcing the nuns to summon an excavator to bury the vermin.
Recommend? If mice don’t bother you then yes. I really enjoyed the quiet days following the daily life of the convent life. Throw in an old murder and all the thousands of mice I kept turning pages.
Last but not least I cannot recommend this book by Barbara Kingsolver enough. Demon Copperhead. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 2023. It is a modern version of Dicken’s David Copperfield.
Demon Copperhead follows Damon Fields—nicknamed “Demon Copperhead” for his shock of red hair and fiery spirit—born to a teenage single mother in a trailer park in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. After his mother’s untimely death, Demon endures a series of foster homes, each more punishing than the last. Along the way, he forms a lifelong bond with fellow orphan “Maggot” Peggot, discovers solace in school sports, and confronts the opioid epidemic that ravages his community. Narrated in Demon’s own wry, resilient voice, the novel is both a coming‑of‑age tale and a searing social commentary.
Recommend? Yes! It is one of the best books I have read in a very long time. I loved it.
As you can see three of the four books are based in America. I wanted to relive in America during a time before people heard about D Trump. I have very fond memories of living in the “old” America. It seemed a much simpler time but no doubt that isn’t true. We just didn’t have the net. The current America is not mine and I want little part of it. These books were a joy and I felt as though I had time travelled.
Now I’m back living my current life in Tasmania, I will tell you about what photography has been happening too.
PHOTOGRAPHY
A couple weeks ago three of us were invited to go to a Pony Club south of here to photograph the young people with their horses. I can only share a couple of horse photos with you as we are not allowed to share any faces on social media. The photos have been provided though for the kids.
It was an extremely bright sunny day, right smack in the middle of the day. The worst time of day and weather to get good photos. The light was blinding with little shade. But we had fun. Having had horses when I was younger I just loved being around them again and being able to stroke their lovely heads.
I also did a Derwent Valley day trip for fall colours but that will come later.
Extra-extra.
We had a Fullers event this past month and also an evening at the Theatre Royal to see the musical play, Come From Away. It is the story of the 200 airplanes that had to land in Newfoundland during the 9/11 terrorist attack on America’s World Trade centre when America closed all air space across the country. We really enjoyed the story and the Theatre Royal in Hobart is always a fun time in such a beautiful building.
There is more but I have rambled long enough. Let me know if you have enjoyed this play or any of the books I mentioned.
Coming up this next week….a local book crawl. Here’s the article from the paper with the owners of four local book stores participating in this event. (You’ll need to tap photo to enlarge enough to read)
I hope everyone has had an enjoyable Easter with friends and/or family.
Travellin' Penguin 