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Lovely haul matey! I have meditations on my shelf to read too (though a different translation I believe)

Gifts from your cats 😍

A recent unexpected (by me) fun place to find good and/or fun books is the bookshelf at my local dollar store. One favorite find from there is “Hannah’s War”, by Jan Eliasberg. It is a story that sheds “light on the story of Dr. Lise Meitner, the woman who discovered nuclear fission and has been erased…from history.” To me it reads like a story that is built from sound historical research, and also offers a possible (plausible?) answer to an unanswered question, “Why did the Germans never develop an atomic bomb?” Quotes are from the author’s notes.

Excellent use of the DNF! Well done!

🎉 I enjoyed this one (and no just the shoutout 😘). I always love it when you don't like a book 😂

love this video

hi

Your hauls are always so varied!

Yep, Gregory Day seems to write novels that don't have the hooks that make them compulsive reading. Takes more concentration that I usually have available. I was loving The Bell of the World at times but I just had to keep forcing myself to pick it up, so I dnf too. It's the second of his I've dnf and the one I read all the way through was a bit of a struggle. Too many other books that I want to read. I need to go back to some others that were shortlisted this year but it will be after I've read some other new releases that I'm more interested in and the Booker longlist. Happy Reading.

I did think of you as soon as I heard the Miles Franklin announcement! I hate DNFing a book but the relief when you finally decide to do it is so good

I rarely buy new books .Always love charity shop mooching in the UK . I pick up second hand paperbacks for 50p and hardback normally a £1 . Also use library really to try and support them as much as possible . You picked up some great books

Ooooh that copy of Persuasion is absolutely beautiful 😍😍 I really need to read something by Isabel Allende, every time someone mentions one of her books they always sound like just the kind of thing I might like.

Those painted editions 😍 The Canterbury Tales has long been on my "should read that one day" mental list.

Making great progress towards your goals!

I am nearly done with your Sirens challenge! I keep borrowing library books for Library Lorelai and not having time to read them 😅 but I still have heaps of time

I love these vids. Such a snapshot of our individual tastes (mines sci-fi heavy 😂). I actually want to read soldier sailor for the motherhood themes, but recently just dragged myself out of a Handmaid's Tale slump... Took me nearly a month to read it so not going for those heavy themes for a while. Hopefully a favourite author can get you out of it.

That's a really good mid-year wrap-up and we agree on Dolly Maunder. I'm not interested in Solider Sailor and you've confirmed that I've made the right decision there 🙂 Reading slumps are the pits, I had one that lasted for most of June, My Friends by Hisham Matar got me out of it, great book. I think I might have completed your challenge except for the ebook, I tend to either read the paper copy or the audiobook, so probably won't do that one. Happy Reading 🙂

I love buying second hand!! I pay no more than $10 for a book used!!

Your holiday hauls are always so epic!

I can’t wait to hear if you like Love & Virtue. I read it in January 2022 and did indeed give it 5 ⭐️. I also have Prima Facie on my TBR; it sounds heavy but really interesting!

excellent haul!

Hi Kelly. Yes it is the same character. I enjoyed Greek Lessons. Prima Facie is an incredible book and is also a play.

Love Shaun Tan, I have a few of his too, and a couple of pins of some of his characters from Book Week. Sarah Waters is compulsive reading but I think I've only read The Little Stranger of those 3, I've seen the dramatisation of The Night Watch, it's excellent. I've done some rare all nighters with her books, be warned not to start at bedtime, lol. Love and Virtue is an interesting novel, not really my thing but covers some topics really well. Han Kang is an interesting writer but not read Greek Lessons yet. I really need to read Home Fires, bought it secondhand ages ago. The Lebs is brilliant, I read it when it was listed for the Miles Franklin and really enjoyed it. Came away with a lot from it. I really need to read more of his. Middlesex is on a lot of best book lists, most recently on the New York Times best books of the 21st Century, but I haven't read it yet. Always lovely to see lovely Bronte books. Happy Reading.

Very cool! Happy to learn about this award :)

The waves were definitely the Saturday arvo vibes I didn't know I needed 😍 I'm glad you liked Psalm!

Loved the wave sounds, it was very relaxing. Enter Ghost and Doppelganger are both unread on my shelf, I really need to get to them soon.

Thanks Kelly. Heartstopper is so heart warming. I just requested you as a friend. Hi from NSW

We should have 'sick' days at least once a month to catch up on reading (and vlog it 😅)

I just started The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies - my cover has the ladies facing each other. Both covers are beautiful! So far, it's a fun ride - just what i needed ! I've been going through a lot and this type of book is perfect. Plus, I prefer books that have the romance as secondary because romance is not my thing. I hope to find more books like it ! :) p.s. the Stanley Tucci book was amazing. I didn't think I would love it as much as i did.

I did not know Chanel Miller had written another book! I will be on the look out for that!

When you pulled out Psykhe I was 😍 at the cover, it would be an instabuy for me as well!

That's a fun haul. I'm keen to read Kate's latest, have two of her early ones on my shelves and I've decided to try to get to those before I read Psykhe. Kate's lovely, I've met her a couple of times, once at The National Gallery when she was talking about The Pre-Raphaelites (at the Love & Desire exhib) Gail Jones is a brilliant writer, she made me very keen to read Joseph Conrad after reading "One Another". I really enjoyed North Woods, it has an American epic feel to it and it's a bit ghostly. With all the talk about "James" by Percival Everett at the moment, I've been meaning to get a copy of Huck Finn too. Future me will get around to it. I've been on a bit of a opshop haul myself. Yesterday it was halfprice and picked up 7 books for $14 plus a few for my 2 year old grandson. Shared it on Insta. My new books haul included "The book that shall not be named again" so promise I won't talk about it...until it wins the Miles Franklin... which I've now Jinxed by writing that 😀 Happy Reading 😀

I love seeing Western Lane getting the love. It was such a beautiful book.

So impressed you finished that huge book!

Pretty sure that what Alexis Wright wrote was intentional, if anything she probably fought to keep it in that form. I don't think it was a lack of editing. Praiseworthy is on most major prize lists for good reason. However, it isn't for everyone. She's also not just an indigenous author, she's a Professor in Creative Writing at The University of Western Sydney and she holds a PhD from MIT amongst other academic accolades. I'm sure that you're not alone in your appraisal of the book but I think it will continue to do well in the prize lists for good reason and will prove to be a landmark novel. Sometimes we're just not ready for a body of work when we read it.

FORTY MINUTES?? #blessed 😂

I loved the Seasonal Quartet, especially Autumn.

Oh, lucky you did stick with Praiseworthy then 😅 two birds one massive stone

I know you are reserved about Praiseworthy but it is a masterpiece IMHO, (another but) but her work does take effort. Her work lends itself to oral storytelling, I found that the audiobook helped me. Bob The Bookerer, another booktuber, recently read it and brilliantly reviewed it, I'd recommend listening to what he says about it. I'm also going to try to read the longlist, but my library still doesn't have Wall nor Hospital. I'm reluctant to buy any of the books unless I'm going to reread them. I probably will buy Praiseworthy or pick it up secondhand. I've only read 3 so far, including Praiseworthy, Edenglassie and Stoneyard Devotional. I'll pick up Angela O'Keeffe's next, I loved her Night Blue a couple of years ago. Happy Reading

Great summary of the long list. Edenglassie is so worth reading!

The Housekeeper and the Professor is such a heartwarming book. Very diverse haul!

I think the film of the surgeon of Crowethorne is called The Professor and the Madman (2019) really enjoyed it. Some great books there, a couple are sitting on my shelves unread too. Happy Reading.

Xanthe 🥰

loved this video!!

I always listen at 1.5x but I have been known to bump it up depending on the narrator. The highest I can go is 2.5x. Hope your back is better!

Oof we have both been in the wars (metaphorically). Hope you're doing better now.

I listen at up to 3x but usually at 2.5x The ADHD is strong here. VERY frustrated with platforms that don't go over 2x - looking at you IndyReads! I DNFd Praiseworthy. I bought it on audio and think it needs to be read off the page and I cannot sit still for that long.

I’m a solid 1.7 but my sister in law can listen at double speed 🤯

Thanks you've confirmed my decision not to read Soldier Sailor. I'm still thinking about listening to the audiobook of Feast. I thought the audiobook of Body Friend was quite good. Can't get my hands on Hospital, my library hasn't purchased it, I think I can wait on that one. I have Graft on reserve and looking forward to it. Happy Reading 🙂

I love it when you don't vibe with a book, your criticism is always considered and great to listen to 😅