This week

I'm reading

Halloween isn't really a huge thing here, although the stores certainly try to convince us it is. I did, however read a couple of books which were perfect for the Halloween season.

Firstly, I finished Grim Tidings by B K Borison which features a romance between a Reaper (as in grim) and a Guardian Angel. I have now read all 8 of this author's books. Now I just have to wait until each new book comes out.

On Saturday I read Strange Pictures by Uketsu. Apparently Uketsu is a social media sensation in Japan. The only time he appears in public he wears a mask. No one knows his true identity, and his books are quite unusual in that they are crime/horror novels where pictures help solve unsolved crimes. I don't read a lot of horror but it was sufficiently intriguing enough for me to both enjoy it and request the next book from the library.

Speaking of Japanese books, I reread The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai in a single day as well. I am hosting Cook the Books this time, and this is the book that I chose for everyone to read, and to find something inspiring to cook! I don't reread a lot, but this was just so comforting. I am very tempted to reread the second and third books again too! 

The other book I finished reading this week was a Short History of Longans by Mirandi Riwoe. I have thoroughly enjoyed everything I have read by her, so I went a bit crazy and ordered in both books that I haven't yet read by her published under this name, and one of her books previously published under a different name. Thank goodness for the inter-library loan system.

Finally, I started listening to Bad in Bed by Ali Hazelwood which so far I am loving! Maybe she will be the next author that I work my way through the backlist for.

Time to look back at my reading for October!

I read 13 books in October, with a good mix of reading for blog tours/challenges and serious and fun books. 

I rated 4 books 4.5 starts but there was only one that I gave 5 stars to and that was A Far-Flung Life by M L Stedman

Books let our imaginations travel where our feet cannot - Nora Nguyen

Every month I also like to look at where I travelled through the pages of the books I read! Here's where I travelled in October

United States

Baltimore - Business Casual, Grim Tidings

Massachusetts - Practical Magic

Asia

Japan - Pachinko, Strange Pictures

Europe 

UK - The Slow Cooker Supper Club, The Twenty Dates, The Christmas Rift, The Last Christmas, The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion Vol 1, The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion Vol 2, 

Australia

Western Australia - A Far Flung Life

Queensland - A Short History of Longans

I'm watching

This weekend we finally finished watching the fourth season of Ted Lasso! I didn't love one of the new characters but I did get very emotional in the last couple of episodes! Bring on the next season.

Life


It was our 7th wedding anniversary on Sunday, which we celebrated by doing something called Rail and Sail. We caught the ferry from Melbourne to Geelong, then we caught a steam train back to Melbourne.

In the time we had in Geelong we went to the National Crime Museum at the old Geelong Gaol. I only found out that this existed a few months ago. It was very interesting, including a lot about Ned Kelly, Australia's most infamous bushranger. We then went to a pub around the corner for lunch where there was a band setting up. If we didn't have to catch the train back we would have settled in for the afternoon as it looked like it could have been fun.

We did have to laugh though. It was clearly a locals bar. We were waiting for some food when an older lady came up to us and said "I haven't seen you here before". She had been coming to this same pub since 1997. Apparently, we stood out as out of towners!

The picture up the top is of some painted bollards which are all along the waterfront at Geelong. There are about a hundred of them scattered across a few kilometres and they tell about the history and characters of Geelong. I really enjoy wandering along and looking at them whenever we go down there, although we only had the opportunity to see a couple of them this time. 

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: A Touch of Magic!
The French Christmas Market by Gillian Harvey
Weekend Cooking: Brown Rice Salmon Bowl with Asian Greens
Festive Treats....so far!
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: November Links



I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date, Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and the Good Book and a Cup of Tea link up hosted at Boondock Ramblings