Monday, July 27, 2020

This week...

I'm reading....

This week I have been listening to the The Switch by Beth O'Leary. Normally I listen to all my books via Audible but this book is one that I am listening to via Netgalley's new app. It actually has two narrators, the younger of which is Daisy Edgar-Jones who starred in Normal People, which I listened to and watched the adaptation a couple of months ago. So far, I am enjoying the performance and the story. I am about half way through so depending on how much listening time I find this week I might finish it, or maybe not.

I am also making progress with Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook by Celia Rees. It is a little challenging though. I got this book as a PDF which means I could read it on my laptop (my least favourite way to read) or on my phone (my second least favourite way to read) and so I am reading it on my Kindle, which is a challenge, but I am getting used to the random interjections of publisher and author names! I am really enjoy this

One book that I am reading on my phone is The Spanish Promise by Karen Swan. It is one that I have borrowed from my library so I need to get on with that before the loan expires. It is interesting that I am reading this book so soon after listening to The Moon Sister by Lucinda Riley, because they both are at least partially set during the Spanish Civil War. I don't think I have ever read a book in that setting before so it is curious that I am reading two so close together.

I'm watching...


After watching the Masterchef Australia finale this week, we had to go in search of something else to watch. Luckily, one of my friends alerted me to the fact that there was a new version of Bake Off available on Foxtel this week. We have previously watched Great British Bake Off, Bake Off: The Professionals, The Great Australian Bake Off, The Great Kiwi Bake Off, and now The Great Canadian Baking Show. Thank goodness. How would we survive without some kind of baking show to watch.
The show that we didn't know that we needed but really did is a show called The Repair Shop. This week we have watched 9 episodes. This definitely falls in the category of a feel good show. The idea is that people bring a loved family treasure to The Repair Shop where specialist artisans then do what they need in order to bring these beloved treasures back to life. Quite often these items have significant emotional value to the owners, and so there are lovely scenes. I particularly love the scenes where people have old toys restored to working order and you can see their joy and their desire to play with the items!

In Life

Two weeks into our period of lockdown, our COVID-19 numbers still seem to go up. As I mentioned last week, our numbers are still very low compared to other countries, but they are the highest numbers since the pandemic began. Thursday also marked the start of the mandatory wearing of masks whenever we leave the house. Today was the first time I had gone out in public. My sister made us some masks which was great. I did find it a bit tricky given that my glasses kept fogging up, and it was uncomfortable, but we do what we have to do in order to try to stay safe and well and keep those around us safe and well too.

In my Top Ten Tuesday post last week I mentioned a number of authors that I have seen over the years at Melbourne Writers Festival. On Wednesday, this year's online program was announced and I have booked a couple of sessions. I will have another look at the program and see if there are any other sessions that I might attend!

The big blog related news this week is that I started a Facebook page for my blog. If you are interested in following, then you can find my page here. My plan is to share blog post links, but also I will share baking and book related posts.





I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date

21 comments:

  1. We have to wear masks in shops etc and I too suffer from the steaming glasses problem. I find the ones that have a bendy piece of metal over the nose area best, though sometimes I squash it too hard and it digs in!

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    Replies
    1. Digging in sounds painful too Louise! Oh well, we have to do what we have to do right?

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  2. I saw a great tip that dr’s use if you have glasses using Micropore tape ... google for the image ;)

    Wishing you a great reading week, stay safe down there!

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  3. Another steamed up glasses person here!

    Love The Repair Shop. Currently enjoying Celebrity Masterchef in the UK, wondering if they'll be able to make the professional one for November/December. Just followed you on FB.

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    1. I like Celebrity Masterchef but we don't watch it very often.

      Thanks for following Cath!

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  4. Yes, steamed up glasses! I only wear the masks outside the apartment, and since our second lockdown, that doesn't happen often! I haven't left the residential community since March 11, and back then I was going all over the place with Lyft drivers. Normal days.

    Now we also have to wear them if someone comes into our apartments to clean or do other tasks.

    I can't wait to get my copy of The Switch. Glad you are enjoying it.

    Thanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.

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    Replies
    1. I have only left a few times Laurel-Rain. The less the better as far as I am concerned!

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  5. We need to wear masks in public now too. I'm glad I'm not alone in the "foggy glasses" sweepstakes. It has been so humid here that the fog problem is worse than usual. The Repair Shop sounds like a wonderful show. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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    1. I am glad that it is winter here Kathy. Hopefully we won't be wearing masks when it starts to get hot.

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  6. Take care, I didn't think of glasses fogging up, so hope we don't ever have to think of masks, although was thinking of making a couple in case. NZ can only stay free for so long the way people talk about economics! I am enjoying The Switch too but not as far in as yourself.

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    1. It will be interesting to see what happens once New Zealand does begin to open up, which it has to eventually right?

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  7. i love that show The Repair Shop. they are such brilliant craftsmen and women!

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  8. I've been meaning to read one of Laura Florand's books for a long time! I've read a lot more books set in London than in Paris, so I guess that makes me an Anglophile instead of a Francophile. I haven't visited either city yet!

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    1. I am quite happy to read books set in London too but really is is the Paris one that call me most. Maybe because I lived in London for a while.

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  9. Oops, I thought that comment was going on your Top Ten Tuesday post. Sorry about that!

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  10. Our COVID numbers seem to be a bit better in my area this week but I'm just hoping people don't think now they don't have to worry. The Celia Rees book looks interesting. Can't wait to hear more about it!

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