Tom Gauld gets it! 🍎

I‘m noticing Howl‘s alternative names for Sophie so much more in the audio version. They‘re both actually kind of insane - I love them so much.

This one made me giggle because it‘s so silly (obviously had to share immediately)

Little Miss “I‘ll just accession this oversized order of large print titles and then go home” to Little Miss “if I have to watch every title buffer before I can accession it there might be loud screaming” to Little Miss “I can take this photo because everything has taken so long that I‘m the last one here”

Still thinking about this book - this quote in particular

This was one of my most anticipated books for the year and my library hold arrived while I was in the midst of a deep reading slump… but I‘m so glad I kept reading, even if it did take me way longer than it should have.

It‘s such an interesting premise and most of the time it really delivers and definitely makes you think about humanity, the general state of the world and the power of community bonds, greed and unethical science.

Well my initial thoughts run along the lines of “eww”, “whyyyyyyy?” and “who asked for this?”

Was Amazon giving Elrond the haircut of a business man not enough? THIS IS WHY WE CAN‘T HAVE NICE THINGS - either reboot the original movie or better yet move on to literally any other fantasy book series - there are so many to choose from.

Finding badges/pins on the tea room table isn‘t quite as good as finding cake… but that‘s ok! Since I quite like pins!

Ahh yes, Tessa Bailey is renowned for her crime books… and absolutely nothing else 👀 #genrestickerfail

2 days into my working week and I haven‘t listened to any of this book. Which is unfortunate because that‘s really all I want to do.

🎨: Mochipong

I‘ve been in a bit of a slump lately so I‘ve retreated back to my stash of ✨all time favourites✨ - I‘m going the audio route for the first time & it‘s been an absolute delight, Kristen Atherton is killing it with character voices. I love this book so much. I‘m genuinely almost looking forward to going to work in the morning so that I can keep listening 😝

Back on the 🎧 and having a much better time *despite* finding Mae‘s head in the sand approach to dealing with the fact that her future plans and Hank‘s future plans might not completely align rather irritating. Kind of feel like they are heading for a break up (but not a permanent one). The murder mystery was excellent as always, Mae‘s knowledge of designer handbags came in useful.

Excited to say I‘ve reached the halfway point of this series!

They‘re all incredibly important and relevant to me actually…

How many tabs do you currently have open? I need to know 🤣

This is going to be random but :

1. She‘s a mystery to me / Roy Orbison (written by Bono and released posthumously)
2. Call Me / Blondie (we listened to a lot of Blondie when I was a kid, Mum is a huge fan)
3. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go / Wham

#tlt #threelistthursday

It‘s not from the 80s but Aqua sings Back to the 80s - and it lists all the things they loved about the decade.

I‘ve had All The Birds In The Sky sitting on my bookshelf for years, waiting to be read - but of course this ends up being my first CJA. A delightful short read, follows Marisol, who survived the apocalypse accidentally (she was cleaning a rich guys house at the time and found the panic room) as she ventures outside after many years to find herself all alone… in a devastated world with a genie lamp. Her approach to setting things right is unique.

Was fascinating how differently I felt about Shoiji Morimoto at different parts of this. I went from genuinely curious to is this guy for real? 1st time reading a memoir where it‘s the concept that‘s the hook rather than being someone that I already admire. He‘s at no point trying to paint himself in the best light (he goes out of his way to let you know that he‘s not driven by altruism but at the same time, only charges train fare for his time)

I‘ve taken over large print editing duties while a colleague is on leave… and there is just so much of it 🫣

Today was tour Labassa Mansion day! Was a bit chilly - my Mum was like - I couldn‘t live in a house this cold 😂 which I thought was funny. It would have been absolutely stunning in its day - sadly no original furniture is there (some from the time period) and parts are in desperate need of repair - I‘m so glad to have been. Really looking forward to getting my hands on the tagged book about the people who lived there over the years.

In my defence, I was left unsupervised.

I‘m attempting to get home without resorting to a rail replacement bus… I‘m not generally known for my sense of direction so this could be interesting (especially since I decided against bringing my handbag with the battery pack in it.. a bold choice for someone with an aging iPhone)

Bribing myself with snacks. Only an hour and a half to go… it‘s somehow managed to be worse than expected as the builders have really spread out… into areas that impede our ability to work (it‘s almost like the library should have been closed for a day or two!)

My library is undergoing building work & it was decided that the “minimal service disruption” route was best - which means that the circulation desk is now in the middle of a construction site… & we‘ve lost access to fairly vital parts like… the returns desk.

I very much wasn‘t having a good time 20 minutes into my desk shift. & I‘m working this weekend. & the works are expected to last 2 months (& that‘s if the new sorter arrives on time) 🙃🤡

I‘m a 90s kid… #tlt #threelistthursday

1. The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (1988) I had this on 📼 and it was in high rotation. I think about the running away song every time I have a bad day at work…

2. Neverending Story (1984) ✨

3. Labyrinth (1986) - I first saw this in the 2010‘s at the Astor Theatre - what a movie! why were his pants so tight?

What are yours?

This short story packs a punch! It‘s been loitering on my “short audiobook” shelf - and I decided to listen to it to finish up my work day and 👀

Hello book friends in my phone 👋

I‘ve taken indecisiveness to the next level and have stalled on deciding what to read next for a good week now (some of that time was taken up with seeing family and a lovely road trip) I‘m back to work tomorrow and I should at least decide what audiobook I‘m starting…

Was in a 2nd hand bookstore in Echuca & found a whole bunch of old romance novels that are set in the early days of Colonial Australia. They‘d have to be pretty unreadable in 2024? Surely?

Was not expecting EV to stand for Edward Vivian - or that he served in both world wars. His Wikipedia page claims that he has been called “Australia‘s greatest historical novelist” 👀

I‘m so curious about them now, I‘m having didn‘t buy the book remorse!

I love this cover, those beautiful shades of purple and that creepy looking eyeball.

I loved the premise but overall I just didn‘t find it particularly creepy or compelling. It felt like being dropped halfway into a story, where past events (death of a child) played into current events without having the emotional connection to the characters to really feel any kind of way about it.

I‘m sorry, a pigeon shifter?

So many other birds exist and they went with a pigeon.

Excuse me while I go and read some GR reviews.

UPDATE : there are no reviews on Goodreads or Amazon 😔

This book was incredible - it‘s a very simple premise, it‘s also an Instagram account and I had an amazing time reading through and admiring all the homes!

I‘m also off to explore the National Trust property - Labassa - that was featured next month - so expect more house photos towards the end of April.

(The caption of this photo reads : some see well-behaved ivy, some see Saturday Night Fever)

♥️😍♥️

It‘s a legal requirement to include at least one The Castle (1997) reference in all books about Australian homes.

If you aren‘t a local - The Castle is one of THE best Australian films of all time - it‘s incredibly quotable film and features a young Eric Bana in a small but memorable role (he‘s the kickboxing obsessed son in law)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118826/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Obsessed with the fence

Not the Clifton Hill Macca‘s getting included in a book called “other people‘s HOMES”

Did a quick google and after I‘d finished laughing about google‘s claim that it‘s a place that “serves vegetarian dishes” 🍟 I read that this originally opened in 1938 as the “United Kingdom Hotel” (a pub) and was converted into a MacDonald‘s in 1988. Its heritage listed - and is considered to be one the thirteen most beautiful MacDonalds in the world.

The bookshelves would go in easier here @Ruthiella

East Linfield, New South Wales

Another pink beauty

I‘m a native Victorian, I ask for potato cakes, I hope for the best getting off trams, and I‘d never heard of Labassa or considered that Australia would have had film stars from the Silent era.

The next open house is in April and I‘m jotting it down in my diary!

https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/places/labassa/

This pale yellow is such a happy colour! You‘d beam every time you got home! 💛

I‘m quite partial to a bit of pink

Finally one that I could admire in person, I don‘t think Sunshine is that far away from me 🤔

Another beauty from New South Wales

Built in 1939, LOOK AT THAT CASTELLATED ROOFLINE 😍 I would love to live in a round apartment.

This is the Chatsbury building in Elizabeth Bay, NSW

I love this so much- but am also concerned about how secure those pot plants are? 🪴

I‘m reading this, stretched out on my bed in front of a sunny window…

There‘s a song that my Mum absolutely hated when I was a teen - City High‘s ‘What Would You Do?‘ which I was reminded of while reading this - it‘s easy to think you‘d make different choices when you haven‘t actually had to face them & this novella really showcased that helpless feeling of being trapped in a situation that seems inescapable.

It also opens with a murdered courtesan coming back to life & becoming a vigilante but she‘s not the MC.

#TLT #ThreeListThursday

Most of my rereads come in the form of me being delusional about my ability to finish series by rereading so as to be able to “catch up” to where I was and then (in theory) finish the series.

Favourite standalone rereads :
1. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
2. The Island & The Ring by Laura C Stevenson
3. Howls Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

The highlight of this week was seeing Aqua (yes, the band from the 90‘s who sang Barbie Girl) in concert with my Mum and little sister (representing the big 3 of generations - Boomer, Millennial & Gen Z) and we had such a good time. Last time they came out, we saw them at the Palais Theatre and this time they almost sold out Margaret Court Arena.

and it‘s home time…

Busy day in the office, cutting out cameras 📷

(I got to use the laminator!! 🥰)

My mum texted me “full moon ⚠️” this morning & today was certainly A DAY for particularly odd library patron behaviour, unexpected additions to lost property (how do you misplace the world?) & well meaning but 🙄 suggestions from a manual handling instructor (had we thought about ordering our shelving trolleys by book weight? Genuinely think he thought I was joking when I said we put them in alphabetical order)!

At least it‘s a short week? 🤭😬

1. Family lunch, then road tripping with some friends - all the way across the border into NSW - only to cross immediately back over to visit Cactus Country… & maybe jump on a paddle steamer in Echuca
2. I‘ve been disappointed that a couple of promising looking fantasy books were series starters & not standalones (I took them back to the library unread)
3. I can remember lots - but this is the famous 5 adventure that I daydreamed about the most

Had a delightful surprise parcel arrive all the way from 🇨🇦- thanks @LeahBergen ! I definitely had an Anne phase but never really thought to explore her other works.

I opened this parcel at my grandparents and the moose poo bookmark really tickled my Nana - she‘s probably still giggling (she‘s so cute). Love that the label on the back reassures that the bookmark is odourless 🤣

❤️🤍❤️

I‘ve previously only listened to the exploits of Mae West and the Laundry Club - and after reading this one, I can see that audio is the best way to enjoy this long running series. It really felt like reading a rough draft, there was so many continuity errors (there‘s always a few but this was glaring). I‘m glad to have seen Mae get some answers, and closure about what happened to her family all those years ago (intentionally lit house fire).

I‘d happily swap smashed avo for owning a little green home 💚

Couldn‘t resist picking up this book of quirky Australian suburban homes from the library. Really looking forward to reading through it (and posting pics of my favourites)