I'm reading...
In the last week I managed to finish three books. The first one I finished Secrets of Saffron Hall which I mentioned last week. After finishing that I was really looking for something really fun and engrossing to get lost in, and so Matilda Next Door by Kelly Hunter fit the bill perfectly.
Kelly Hunter is one of those authors who I know that I can pick up at any time and will love. There's just something about her writing. The other reason why this is such a comfortable read is that this is the first book in the third quartet of books set in the small fictional town of Wirralong. Each book in the quartet is written by a different author, but Kelly Hunter has written one of the books in each of the quartets. Because this is the ninth book set in the town there are many familiar characters and land marks, but there was a part that was also set in London. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I might have tempted fate by jumping straight into the next book in the series, Maeve's Baby by Fiona Macarthur. The weird thing is that I have no recollection of pre-ordering this book but it was already on my Kindle, but it was already there, so I must have done. This book unfortunately didn't work quite as well for me, but that's okay. The next two book in the quartet are out later this month and you can guarantee I will be returning to Wirralong then.
The I started reading The Last Charm by Ella Allbright. I love the concept, which is that it tells the story of two young friends through the charms on a charm bracelet. So far, I am enjoying it, so hopefully I will continue to do so.
I also finished listening to The Roommate by Dervla McTiernan and started listening to Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown.
I'm watching...
Our quest to watch all the feel good shows continues with Anh's Brush with Fame. Anh Do is an Australian artist/author/comedian/so many other things. The premise of his show is that he invites a celebrity to come into his art studio and he talks to them about their lives while he paints their portrait.
His style of painting is quite unusual but very effective. He has even been nominated for the Archibald Prize, which is Australia's most prestigious portrait prize. He uses trowels and knifes to slather paint on and then he uses his fingers, and other small tools to finish off. Some times I am blown away by the painting. Other times not so much. I am always impressed with the stories that he manages to get out of his guests, often emotional and often funny.
The other thing that we started watching this week is Umbrella Academy. My son suggested that we watch it not long ago. I did mention to the team at work that we were going to start it but I was told that it wasn't my kind of thing. I am pleased to say that I am proving him wrong.
Life
We took a day off on Friday to give ourselves a three day weekend which was needed because work has been very intense. One day back in the office today and I am already feeling the strain.
I spent most of the weekend attending Melbourne Writers Festival (you can read my
wrap up here) so I did enjoy getting to indulge in all things bookish. I am going to be continuing to indulge by attending a few session at Edinburgh Writers Festival, although I probably won't do write ups for those. This morning I listened to Hilary Mantel talk about her final book in the Cromwell trilogy, Mirror and the Light which was a very interesting conversation.
We also did some cooking and we started a new jigsaw puzzle (I say we, but really it is my lovely husband). It is actually a picture of us at Top of the Rock in New York. My husband is cursing me a little bit because apparently doing an arty angle is fine for putting a photo on Instagram but it doesn't translate particularly well into a jigsaw.
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