Karen Comer

Collecting Stories

The Stella longlist 2022

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Earlier this week, I attended the announcement of the Stella Prize longlist on behalf of Springfield, one of Stella’s sponsors. Wonderful night for the 10th Stella Prize, a prize awarded annually to Australian women and non-binary writers – the descriptions of each of the 12 longlisted books made me want to read them all.

The five judges – Melissa Lucashenko, Cate Kennedy, Sisonke Mismang, Declan Fry and Oliver Reeson – discussed the books, an impressive list which included seven debut authors and five First Nations writers. The longlist consisted of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, short stories and a graphic novel – surely something for everyone!

The 2022 Stella longlist:

  • Coming of age in the war on terror by Randa Abdel-Fattah – non-fiction
  • Take care by Eunice Andrada – poetry
  • Dropbear by Evelyn Araluen – poetry
  • She is haunted by Paige Clark – short stories
  • No document by Anwen Crawford – non-fiction
  • Bodies of light by Jennifer Down – novel
  • Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray by Anita Heiss – novel
  • Stone fruit by Lee Lai – graphic novel
  • Permafrost by SJ Norman – short fiction
  • Homecoming by Elfie Shiosaki – poetry and prose
  • The open by Lucy Van – poetry
  • Another day in the colony by Chelsea Watego – non-fiction

I hope you find something from this wonderful list to read over the next few months!

Researching domestic abuse

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Domestic abuse is not an easy topic to write about or research. I’ve almost finished reading Jess Hill’s See what you made me do, the 2020 Stella prize winning non-fiction book about domestic abuse. I’ve also almost finished watching the Netflix series Maid, about a young American woman who ends up homeless with her two-year-old daughter, running out of options to find a home. I’ve been talking with a friend who works for a centre supporting women and children who have experienced domestic abuse.

There’s a small thread of domestic abuse in my young adult verse novel – I’m rewriting it now. The thread is only small, no more than 2,000 words over a few sections but it is so, so, so important that I write it based on research. Even though my thread involves minor characters and their story is entirely fictionalised, I don’t want to misrepresent the women and children who face domestic abuse.

Even though the Netflix series is fiction and Hill’s book is non-fiction, even though the Netflix series is American and Hill’s book is Australian, there are startling similarities. Did you know that it usually takes a woman seven attempts to leave her abusive partner?

I usually read a non-fiction chapter in the morning, and I’ve been watching Maid at night – it’s a grim way to bookend my days. But it’s important not to turn away from these realities, to bear witness to what so many women and children experience.

If I were to take away one thing from my research, it’s that – as Hill explains in her introduction – domestic violence is not an inclusive enough term. The emotional and financial aspects of coercion need to be included as well so domestic abuse rather than domestic violence is a more accurate term.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can call 1800RESPECT or 1800 737 732.

A beautiful question

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I recently finished reading Sarah Wilson’s This one wild and precious life, a book on climate change and activism. Her title comes from Mary Oliver’s poem, The summer day, which asks us to question what we will do to make the most of our brief, wonderful life.

Wilson’s book is full of a range of sources from conversations with the Dalai Lama, interviews with Bill McKibben, phone calls with Sister Joan Chittister, books from James Hollis. Her book alone could give you a reading list for a year, and she has many resources on her website here. She also wove in personal stories and accounts of her hikes through different parts of the world.

It would take me quite a few blog posts to discuss her ideas, so I’ll focus on just one. She quotes David Whyte, the Irish poet, who asks – but what is the most beautiful question here?

‘I’ve heard David explain that asking the more beautiful question (invariably the courageous one) delivers us the answer we seek. A question can often be laced with blame or rage. (‘Why did he do that to me?’ ‘Why won’t she just learn to recycle properly?’) But when we dig a few layers deeper to the more delicate, beautiful question (‘What need in me is not being met?’ ‘How can I better connect with this person?’), we find ourselves going to a kinder, more considered place in ourselves and each other.‘

Wilson also frames it this way later in the book when she quotes Jungian psychologist James Hollis who suggests asking:

‘by way of a technique for living a true life: ‘Does this choice enlarge or diminish?’ Now that is a beautiful question. Hollis added that in most circumstances, when we ask this question, we should know the answer immediately. We do, don’t we, when we’re brave enough to put things through this simple lens.

What is the most beautiful question you could ask yourself right now? Will your next choice enlarge or diminish?

Cassandra speaks – book review

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Cassandra speaks, Elizabeth Lesser

The context in which we read books is important. My reading this week has reflected the state of affairs in Australia for the past month. The book is Cassandra speaks, When women are the storytellers, the human story changes by Elizabeth Lesser, published in late 2020.

Lesser, the founder of the Omega institute in New York, is an author who also organises retreats and conferences on topics ranging from women and power, mindfulness, health, sustainability and creativity.

This is a book about stories – the stories a culture tells, and how those stories become the culture. It’s about the stories we still blindly cling to, and the ones that cling to us: the origin tales, the guiding myths, the religious parables, the stories passed down through the centuries about women and men, power and war, sex and love, and the values by which we live.

Elizabeth Lesser

She wrote this book when reflecting on the stories of women such as Eve, Pandora and Cassandra. Of course, you will have heard of Eve, the woman charged with eating the apple which forever changed the course of human nature and Pandora, whose curiosity let evil spirits out of the box. Do you know Cassandra’s story? She was a princess from Troy, and both Zeus and his son Apollo were in love with her. Apollo gave her the gift of seeing into the future. But when she refused his advances, Apollo cursed her – she would remain clairvoyant but would never be believed. In vain, Cassandra tried to warn her people of the fall of Troy and other devastations but she was mocked and disbelieved.

See any parallels with current events?

Lesser invites us as women to speak with courage and confidence about the things that matter to us. She encourages women to be the storytellers, rather than seen through the lens of the male perspective.

This is not a new idea – female characters have been seen through the eyes of male writers for centuries. Hello, Shakespeare, Dickens, Tolstoy. Virginia Woolf, one of the earliest feminists, wondered about Shakespeare’s fictional sister in a series of lectures, published as A room of one’s own. How would this sister, Judith, have written her poetry had she been given the same opportunities as her brother?

Lesser’s book is equal parts practical and observational. She talks of her own experience – she was a single mother of two small boys, and is now remarried, with a stepson, ‘three daughters-in-love’ and a few grandchildren. She tells stories of her parents, her work as both a midwife and then a conference founder and author.

This is not a book that denigrates men – it is fair and open and non-judgemental.

Lesser offers practical suggestions for moving past our own biases towards the ‘other’, incorporating mindful practices and gathering the courage to make our voices heard.

I imagine that even if you were to read this book in a few months, a few years, it will still be relevant. Sadly. Change is slow, but it is a grassroots movement, as seen around our cities this week.

I hope my copy of Cassandra speaks will become dog-eared as I pass it around to both the women and men in my circle.

‘The practice’ by Seth Godin – review

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Really, I could just copy out quote after quote of goodness from this book by Seth Godin – The practice, Shipping creative work – but I’ll try and summarise for you instead.

Writers write. Runners run. Establish your identity by doing your work.

Seth Godin is an American best-selling author who has written 19 books on creativity, marketing, ideas, change and leadership. This book focuses, as the title implies, on getting your creative work out there. Your creative work might be dance, fine art, business proposals, a small business idea, a book or many other possibilities.

We fail and then we edit and then we do it again.

Many other luminaries have discussed the idea of showing up to your art. It’s not a matter of waiting for the muse to show up – you show up to your art and you treat it like work.

My husband is a cyclist and he has a t-shirt which reads – the harder I work, the luckier I get. Sport, art, Yr 9 maths – showing up regularly improves your chance at success, whether that’s a better race time, an art gallery show or a B plus for your maths test.

The practice is divided into eight chapters, which are further divided into 219 brief sections. Very easy to pick up and read in bite-size chunks, especially with Godin’s accessible language.

1. This is a practice.

2. It has a purpose.

3. I desire to create change.

4. The change is for someone specific.

5. How can I do it better?

6. Can I persist long enough to do it again?

7. Repeat.

We don’t ship because we’re creative. We’re creative because we ship.

According to Godin, shipping your work is a sign of trust, a generous act and an indication of your professionalism. There’s no certainty, but there’s no certainty in anything, really.

So go practise!

Dear readers, it’s been a while

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Dear readers, it’s been a while since I last posted. My website updated itself in December and there were problems that seemed insurmountable because it was December and there were work deadlines and Christmas deadlines and general December busyness.

Thank you to the lovely Nic from Planning with Kids who helped me with the technical side of my blog as well as giving me a big pep talk for continuing on!

There is news to catch up on!

Reading

I’ve been reading a lovely pile of books – my usual mix of fiction, non-fiction, children, young adult and poetry. Standout books include Seth Godin’s The practice (non-fiction), Cate Kennedy’s The taste of river water (poetry), The forty rules of love by Elif Shafak (novel) and The girl who became a tree by Joseph Coelho (young adult). Reviews for some of these books coming!

Editing

I have a mix of projects at the moment which makes my editing life varied and exciting. I’ve almost finished editing a fabulously detailed family history of six generations dating back to Scotland in the 1850s, I’ve proofread a book about wills which has prompted me to have conversations with family members, I’m about to start reading an exciting crime novel for a general reader’s report and I edited a wonderfully lyrical essay on nature.

Writing

My first middle-grade verse novel is under submission so I’ve been researching for my young adult verse novel. I’ve almost finished this now, so I’m ready to look at the structure of the first draft. Are my key scenes in the right places? Do they match up with my research? Do my two main characters meet up at the right moment?

Facilitating

I’m now the facilitator for the online Springfield writers’ group. This is a talented, oh so talented group of women who are writing poems, essays, novels, short stories, memoirs, non-fiction. We meet once a week to discuss two writers’ work and the creative collaboration in this group is a tangible thing.

Creating

Apart from creating a weekly menu of lunches and dinners and snacks which lately have NOT been as creative as my other pursuits, I’ve been teaching myself to weave. Last year during the lockdowns, I found quilting and sewing to be an antidote to the news cycle. I have a beautiful weaving kit and I am making a random, unplanned small weaving in soft dusky pinks, creams and burgundies.

Tutoring

I am constantly telling my children how lucky they are to have me as a mother but it’s only when I cook their favourite meal or help them with an English essay that they truly appreciate me! Mr 17 is in year 12 this year and we have already spent some time together talking through his first SAC. I also read through a few of his mates’ pieces – one of them named a character Karen. I am not sure whether to take it as a compliment or an insult – the character was rather annoying!

Your news …

Please tell me what you have been reading, writing or creating – I’d love to know.

TGIF

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Each week always starts off fresh with five days of possibility before the weekend, and then all of a sudden, it’s Friday and some of the possibilities haven’t quite eventuated!

Brene Brown, author, research professor and Ted talk speaker, sends out a weekly email entitled TGIF. But the TGIF stands for Trust, Gratitude, Inspiration and Fun.

This is my version for today.

Trust – I’ve delivered three writing workshops in the last fortnight – one for a school holiday program and two for a school. It always astounds me the level of trust children, parents and teachers place in me, even though in some cases they haven’t met me before the workshop.

As Brene says – Trust is earned in the smallest of moments. It is earned not through heroic deeds, or even highly visible actions, but through paying attention, listening, and gestures of genuine care and connection.

I love the tiny moments, too, where a student is brave enough to show me something they’ve written at home or will come up with a creative idea and want to share it with me quietly.

Gratitude – there is so much to be grateful for – Miss 13 is starting to feel better and brighter after a few months of illness, the pile of books waiting to be read, my new boots (!), English Breakfast tea in bed, warmer weather (soon, surely!), longer daylight hours, interesting work on my desk, lovely intimate conversations with friends, green leaves on the birches outside my study window, a fluffy puppy with heaps of energy …

Inspiration – I’ve recently read two new-release non-fiction books. Everything is figureoutable by Marie Foleo is full of everything you need to solve all the problems from non-connecting flights to starting up a new business to finding special care for an ill relative. It’s creative, inspirational and practical. And it’s my new mantra.

Super attractor by Gabrielle Bernstein is almost a spiritual counterpart to Marie’s book – she believes you can attract everything you need. It’s full of a strong sense of possibility, of flow with God/the Universe/Spirit/Source. I’ve been enjoying the accompanying meditations.

I’m also really inspired by my husband, Brett, and the 40-odd cyclists who are riding this weekend to raise funds for ovarian cancer. As many of you know, our dear friend Leane was diagnosed with ovarian cancer almost three years ago and is a shining light for raising awareness and funds for an early detection test. If you’d like to donate to support Brett, please go to this link.

Fun – I’ve had fun catching up with friends for lunch or walks or bookclub. I’ve also enjoyed crafting again – I spend so much creative time in my own head that I had forgotten how much I need a creative project to make with my hands. Miss 13 received a beautiful craft kit and I may have/did take over completely. The flowers are made of gorgeous linen and a tulle-like fabric and as they don’t require much concentration, flower crafting has become the perfect mindful and fun activity for me. I think a couple of them might make it to a hair clip for a spring racing look!

Let me know your TGIF or your Friday news in the comments!

Three interesting female characters – three interesting books

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What makes an interesting female character? How do writers create a character who is relatable, but also unique and memorable? How do writers create a book that readers will pass on to their friends and will feature in every bookclub across the country?

I’ve recently read three adult books about three different female protagonists by women writers in three different countries which have all amazed me with their insightful writing, beautiful language but mainly the strong voices of the characters. All books had themes of connection, loneliness and healing.

  • Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman.

This debut novel is written in first person from the perspective of Eleanor Oliphant. And as you can infer from the justification word ‘completely’ in the title, she’s not so fine after all. She’s a twenty-nine year-old woman living alone in Glasgow, working as a finance clerk. Her weekdays and weekends run with monotonous certainty until she comes into contact with three men – a singer she falls in love with who doesn’t know of her existence, Sammy, an older man who has an accident in the street and Raymond, the new IT guy at work. In Eleanor’s words:

A philosophical question: if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? And if a woman who’s wholly alone occasionally talks to a pot plant, is she certifiable? I’m confident that it is perfectly normal to talk to oneself occasionally. It’s not as though I’m expecting a reply. I’m fully aware that Polly is a houseplant.

In an interview, Honeyman said that she ‘tried to ensure that Eleanor was never self-pitying, so that there was space for the reader to draw their own conclusions and, hopefully, to empathise with her.’ I think she succeeded!

  • The trauma cleaner by Sarah Krasnostein.

A non-fiction title, this book has a larger than life character with Sandra Pankhurst. She was born Peter, a baby boy adopted by a couple who had a daughter but no sons and couldn’t have any more children. They did go on to have two sons, and Peter suffered from his violent father. Peter left home, married and had two sons of his own. But in his thirties, he slowly transitions into Sandra. Sandra had many jobs, including drag queen, sex worker and business owner. It is her job as a trauma cleaner, someone who cleans up accidents, sorts out hoarding issues and deals with death scenes, that is perhaps her most interesting job. Krasnostein has written a moving and empathetic account of Sandra’s life. It took her about four years of following Sandra to her clients to uncover most of the details of Sandra’s life – there are many gaps as Sandra admits the drugs she took may have affected her memory. There is a graphic account of a rape scene which may be difficult to read. This extract comes from a visit to Marilyn, a hoarder –

‘You’ve got bugs on your bed,’ Sandra says matter-of-factly.

‘They don’t seem to do any harm,’ Marilyn answers, and turns to the pile of mail that Sandra has prepared for her to sort through. ‘I’ve got mail here I haven’t bothered to open.’

Having cleared more space on the bed, Sandra now finds another silk kaftan creased against the bedspread. She tries to smooth the deep wrinkles out with her palm, reunited it with its belt, arranges it on a hanger and swoops it back into the closet. 

Krasnostein writes that ‘the opposite of trauma is not the absence of trauma. The opposite of trauma is order, proportion; it is everything in its place.’

 

  • Radiant shimmering light by Sarah Selecky

A gentle satire, this novel set in Canada and the US lightly mocks the social media world where every turmeric latte is photographed in the best light and newsletters are sent out to reflect the glossy surface, rather than the banal or the debris of real life. Lillian Quick, forty-years-old, is a struggling artist who paints pet aura portraits. She connects with her long-lost cousin, Eleven, who is a gifted speaker and entrepreneur in women’s empowerment circles. All of a sudden, Lilian’s life changes – she’s earning money, she’s part of a team, she’s being supported to be her best self in her own empowerment journey. But is it real and will it last?

Selecky balances the gentle fun of the perfect-yourself, open-yourself-to-possibilities, you-are-beautiful-as-you-are culture with razor-sharp insightfulness and empathy. I found myself laughing and hoping and caring all in the same sentence. The newsletters, texts and social media posts scattered throughout the book both advance Lilian’s story and act as a wise social commentary.

I close my eyes and imagine warm light radiating out of me. I picture the woman this ticket belongs to. It helps to be specific: she is wearing a black coat, a wool scarf, and velvet gloves. I send out my light and connect to the morphogenetic field using my heart energy. I picture her walking to meet me halfway. She is thrilled. This is a wish come true for her.

In an interview with PRISM International, Selecky says: ‘We live online now. We stare into the face of a screen more than we look into other human faces. We do everything through our phone – everything. I wanted to create the visceral experience of what it means to live online. The constant connection/disconnection, and what that feels like in the human body. That’s what this story is about—connection.’

Selecky runs an online writing school – she acknowledges the irony of encouraging writers to disconnect to discover their writing voice through an online writing school! I have completed one of her courses – she taught me about the importance of having a relationship with writing, rather than looking at it as a tool or a business or something separate from yourself.

I loved Eleanor’s fall from her routined life into a messy heap on the floor, then her slow rebuilding into a better version of herself, but always, always, her strong, quirky self, untarnished by the culture around her. I admired Sandra’s strength and her meticulous attention to detail and her ability to talk to anyone. I loved Lilian’s innocent observations and her struggle to balance the digital world with the real world.  Three strong, memorable characters from three fascinating books – happy reading!

Raising our children, raising ourselves – book review

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I’ve been to two Mother’s Day masses already this week and I have another one later today. Can you see my halo?

I’ll absolutely take the flowers and chocolates, and the hugs that go with them. But I’ll also take the reflections as well.

The first time I read Naomi Aldort’s book, Raising our children, raising ourselves, I baulked. Really? You have to be that amazing to bring up kids? You have to be that patient, sacrificing, understanding, forgiving _________ Fill in the blanks with your choice of adjective.

But her words resonated with me enough to challenge me to read it a second time. And this time, I started following some of her suggestions. I even typed up some of her most useful ideas – and I’m glad I did because I lent her book to a kinder mum three years ago and I haven’t got it back!

Aldort, who is a sought-after American public speaker on non-violent communication and family matters, believes the struggle between parents and their children is because parents are attached to their old way of seeing things or disciplining their children. She reminds parents that:

when you have the courage to stop defending the way you are, or the way your parents raised you, you can open up to the possibility that you are much greater and more magnificent and capable than you thought you were.

My husband and I often remind each other to SALVE – Aldort’s acronym. She has a little video where she explains this.

S – Self-investigation. Your child is a mirror of you and will reflect what is going on for you. Aldort suggests taking a moment – however long – to check in with yourself before responding to your child.

A – Attention – back on the child. Focus on your child and what their need is. If you have cleared your mind and checked in with yourself first, you are able to truly see your child as they are.

L – Listen – to what your child is telling you or trying to articulate.

V – Validate – acknowledge to them they are going through a tough situation, no matter what the circumstance. ‘You don’t want to pack up.’ ‘You want to stay up late.’ ‘You’re disappointed you lost your basketball match.’ ‘You think it’s not fair your sister had the bigger slice of cake.’ Be careful not to exaggerate or to blame.

E – Empower – your child to come up with a solution or to manage their feelings. ‘Next time, what are you going to do?’ ‘I believe you are capable of working this out with your sister.’ This is about trusting your child to resolve their own emotional response and to handle the situation.

We don’t always manage to remember to SALVE our way through all situations, big or small, but when we do, it does help. My husband even uses it on me sometimes – I know, it’s difficult to be the one to think of everything, I don’t know how you do it!

As Mother’s Day approaches this weekend, I hope all mothers can see the beauty of their own parenting style, see their children in all their authenticity, and connect with their families.

My week in books

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toy clothesline clothespin sunset time in autumn

How many books have you read, skimmed, touched, discussed, borrowed or bought this week? I decided I would tally up mine!

Read

  • The secret scriptures by Sebastian Barry – this was my bookclub book and and it was my turn to host. Half of our bookclub had read it, half had started it. We all agreed it was a very slow start. It’s a dual narrative with both sections written in first person. Roseanne is a one-hundred-year-old woman who has been a patient at a mental hospital in Ireland for many, many years. Dr Grene is her psychiatrist. I enjoyed Roseanne’s story more because she was the more interesting character with a strong voice. When I read Dr Grene’s sections, I had to remind myself that his story was current – his tone was quite formal for a contemporary voice.
  • Becoming a writer by Dorothea Brande – this book was published in the 1930s, but is still relevant today, despite the 1930s tone. I reread this book because the writer discusses the two personalities of the author – the rational or conscious side and the dreamy or unconscious part. I’m interested in this at the moment because I’m trying to balance writing a logical outline for my book so I can see where the problems lie, as well as use my subconscious to solve the problems. Wish me luck!
  • When the teddy bears came by Martin Waddell – this is a gorgeous picture book which is a perfect present for a toddler about to become a big sister or brother. I put all my kids’ much-loved soft toys in the washing machine yesterday – 34 degrees! – and hung them on the line to dry by their ears or tails. They looked both bedraggled and comical, and the lines of teddies and penguins and dogs reminded me of Waddell’s book, with its collection of teddy bears.
  • The last painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith – I have only started this book but am really enjoying it so far.

Skimmed

  • Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi – I’m doing a cooking class next weekend with a friend, based on Ottolenghi’s recipes. I didn’t know much about him at all so I borrowed my friend’s cookbooks. We are having caramelised fennel and roasted eggplant with lamb mince for dinner this week – yum!
  • Information is beautiful by David McCandless – my kind brother gave me this book – I did cook him a decent dinner and agreed to be interviewed for his business! Its pages show different ways to present information, trends and statistics from different types of fish, carbon usage and the connection between facial hair and the number of people one has killed! It’s a visually stunning book – would be an asset to any marketing department. I have only flicked through it but can already see how I’ll use it as a resource for inspiration, marketing and storytelling.

Touched

  • One by Sarah Crossan – my friend Tess, a remarkable young woman, is going to start a bookclub with some university friends and wanted some recommendations for books on feminism, female empowerment and gender roles. So this section is for Tess, as I went through my bookshelves for options for her. One is a young adult fiction book about conjoined twins – definitely empowering.
  • The poisonwood bible by Barbara Kingsolver – four sisters who leave the US with their parents to live in the Congo. Different directions, different choices by the sisters in this novel.
  • All that I am by Anna Funder – set in Germany during the Second World War, this is a fictional account of two female cousins who work against Hitler. Chilling.
  • Speaking out and The fictional woman by Tara Moss – two non-fiction books by an Australian model, author and activist. Powerful reading.
  • The wife drought by Annabel Crabbe – this book covers the same old ground about the division of duties at work and home between men and women. A fiery read.
  • Motherhood and creativity, the divided heart by Rachel Power – a series of interviews with creative women who are also mothers. While the emphasis is on creative careers, many of the stories can also be applied to the business world.

Discussed

  • The beast’s garden by Kate Forsyth – I lent my copy to one of the lovely baristas at my local cafe because she is an avid reader. She’s just started it, so I’m looking forward to hearing what she thinks of it when she’s read a little bit more.
  • Zen habits by Leo Babuto – I also lent my copy of this book to another lovely barista at the same cafe because he wanted to stop procrastinating and this book has fabulous tips for creating habits to do the things that you want to do but just can’t. However, he has been procrastinating reading it so we haven’t had any conversations about it yet!

Browsed

  • Big magic by Elizabeth Gilbert – I love this book, and pulled it out to flip through because I wanted some tips and tricks on how to be more creative. Will probably end up reading this one cover to cover again.
  • Zakka compiled by Rashida Coleman-Hale – Miss 10 and I are on a sewing project roll at the moment – we made lavender sachets in the holidays. I have found a little project in this book we could sew. Now to choose the fabric from my stash – blue flowers or blue butterflies?

Borrowed

  • Goodbye stranger by Rebecca Stead – my friend Renee suggested I read this as apparently Stead’s style and subject matter is similar to what I’m working on with my book. Just borrowed it yesterday from the library so I’m looking forward to a good middle-grade fiction read.
  • Anansi boys by Neil Gaiman – because he’s Neil Gaiman and this book happened to be lying by itself on the library shelf. Need I say more?
  • Fabric pictures by Janet Bolton – love a beautifully photographed craft book and the cover had me at hello!

Bought

  • Zero! I have a Christmas book voucher which is begging to be spent but I am trying to hold off for a little while longer.

I hope you have had an equally bookish week with fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks, children’s fiction – let me know about your week in books, please.