One of the best gifts I've ever received is a voucher for the Wheeler Centre. "The Wheeler Centre?" you ask. It's a hub dedicated to books, ideas and writing, where writers and their audience can connect. Just must sort of place.
The voucher was a regift - my friend's daughter received it from her work, she gave it to her mum, and her Mum passed it on to me - for which I will be eternally grateful.
What nobody tells you is that writers are great people who tell fantastic stories and can talk underwater with a mouth full of marbles. The Wheeler Centre regularly puts authors in conversation with other writers, who sit down and chew the fat, normally about the author's new book and the themes within.
Every time I come away from these sessions absolutely blown away, not only by the ideas, but the generosity extended by the authors. Most times I'll come away from with a book as well. I mean, it would be rude not to. Besides, it's not hoarding if it's books.
So, this last week, I ended up using the last of this voucher. Last Tuesday was the talk at the Town Hall with Magda Szubanski. Last Thursday was the launch of Carrie Tiffany's new book, The Lady with the Dog, in conversation with Helen Garner. Last night I got to see Andrew O'Hagan talk with Marieke Hardy about his new book, On Friendship - a series of essays on the subject.
What gets me is how generous these writers are. They delve into their own lives, their ideas and their processes. They provoke thoughts and emotions. They inspire and entertain. They make me feel like I can write a book too.
I've already written about Magda Szubanski's wonderful session at the Town Hall. She is a true legend and icon.
Carrie Tiffany is an old teacher of mine. Her writing is amazing. Like Claire Keegan, the Irish writer, she writes small books with a huge impact. Being in the same room as Helen Garner is also very special. They launched the book with the snap of a Scotch Finger biscuit. Very Carrie. Very cool. It's always good to connect with other writers.
Andrew O'Hagan is a Scottish writer from great Glasgow. I could sit and listen to him for hours. His latest book, On Friendship, is a collection of essays on the greater theme of friendship. O'Hagan appears to be a man very skilled at friendship. He spoke of many friends, of how making people feel seen, of holding presence, of being there, and friendship's ability to morph, grow and disappear is unique to all friendships as one of the wonders of the world. It was a wonderful talk.
I bought a copy of his last novel, Caledonian Road. I've read a couple of his books - Mayflies, which looks at the end of a special friendship, is a great, thought-provoking read. As he was doing a signing, I popped up. May as well say hello, and thanks for his wonderful work.
"It's lovely, to meet you," he said as he held out a hand.
"And you, though we have met before."
"Yes, you were here at a writer's festival 25-years-ago. I was volunteering and I drove you from the hotel down to the venue. You were texting Zadie Smith. You're one of my best author stories." (This goes down with being stuck in traffic with David Malouf and saying to Graeme Blundell that my father would be very pleased I got to drive around Alvin Purple.)
O'Hagan exudes the air of the incredibly decent man.
The curse of our block has struck this side of the driveway.
It came as a text message from my downstairs neighbour yesterday morning. It appears someone finally looked into the faint gas smell you'd occasionally detect in the stairwell.
"Hey Pand, they've shut off the hot water. It seems whoever did the recent repairs botched it and we're lucky the whole thing didn't blow up."
Joy.
When you think about it, we're spoiled. Generations, eons even, have done without hot water. I know that my grandparents would have had to manually heat water daily for bathing and other household jobs.
We've just gone soft. I've gone soft. The hot water in this flat has always been good and reliable. There was no notice that the hot water service might blow up the units.
Regardless, it's been over 24 hours since we've had hot water in the flat. I've got very good at boiling the kettle. The dicky bird bath, as my mother used to call it, has become my best friend.
Thankfully, it's not too cold at the moment. Filling up the bathroom sink with hot water, give yourself a sponge bath, when quickly rinse off with the cold before giving yourself a wipe over with the last of the warm water. It's not ideal, but it does the job.
There's always a shower at the gym.
I might be able to bum a shower off friends.
We've just received the following from the body corporate:
So, there's nine flats without hot water. Mine is one of them.
Speaking to the downstairs neighbour, it once this has all passed the committee, this probably isn't going to happen until sometime next week.
I just have to remind myself that I'm lucky to be off work, I have an active gym membership, understanding friends and a working kettle. Also, as a tenant, I don't have to pay for this.
I tell myself it's a first world problem. But an annoying one, for somebody who normally showers twice a day.
I am part-Virgo, therefore, my life revolves around lists. I'm also ADHD, which means if it doesn't make the list, there is a good chance the activity will fall into the ether, never to be seen again, and even then, it might not get done.
The lists have different ranks of importance.
There's my daily must-do list which is in place while I'm between jobs:
An hour of exercise
An hour of job hunting
An hour of cleaning / spring cleaning / household chores
And an hour of writing
It means things fall into a routine and I feel like I've accomplished something.
With the cleaning there's the ten things rule - can I list ten things that I've done, or put away, or sorted out. It's amazing how much can get done this way (I'm on thing number five at the moment).
I've got list of things that need to be done at the temple. While I'm off and we're between cleaners, I may as well get paid for doing the job - it's well overdue - and it's a big job:
Bathroom floors (upstairs and down)
Clean the toilets (5 in all)
Clean the sinks in the bathrooms
Dust all the surfaces in the bathrooms
The kitchen floor
The kitchen surfaces.
Mop the stairs.
Mop out the dining rooms.
All surfaces in the dining room
Hoover the temple (downstairs)
Dust all of the seats in the temple (and there are lots of them)
Hoover the temple (downstairs)
Dust all of the seats in the temple (and there are lots of them)
Hoover the office.
Dust the office.
And I know I've forgotten something - however, being fizzy of brain, I've not got to this yet, mainly because the procrastination that comes from my brain asking:
Where do I start?
Do I maybe do certain rooms at a time?
What am I going to listen to while cleaning?
Is my bluetooth speaker charged up?
What if somebody is trying to get me?
Should I do this in one day or spread it over a couple (there is not rush)
What about parking?
Will this blow up my hoover?
Does this mean I can get something from the bakery down the road?
And how do I stop the side quests which might have me sitting in the office doing ritual?
Putting all of this down has helped a lot. I've done the job hunting today, I'm seeing Cleo the trainer tonight and I've done a heap of washing and ironing, so I'm well down the list. I've also:
Contacted the estate agent about the roaches
Rage-baited the cat
Read some of my novel (while rage baiting the cat)
Whined about the fact the hot water has been turned off and having to take a dicky bird bath
Interviewing is hard enough. Interviewing for a computer screen is diabolical.
As a part of my daily looking for work effort today had me firing off an email to a contact a friend had provided, sent in a couple of applications to jobs that seemed half suitable and procrastinated about this online video interview.
Yes, this is my scatter gun approach to finding work, but you never know when your CV might get in front of the right person giving you an opening into the right job.
But I procrastinated about the video interview. I took down the recycling. I went for a long walk. I read my book. I did some crochet. And I avoided the looming 9 p.m. deadline for this interview. I'd only had three passive-aggressive emails to do the bloody thing.
(Okay, I'll admit, I'm not overly enamoured with the company - but this is good for the interviewing skills).
I finally got back from my walk, I showered, brushed out my hair, put on a bra and sat down in front of the computer.
Sure, I get why some companies want to do their preliminary interviews this way - stock questions, you get to do what I call the 'two-headed check" making sure that whoever is in front of them is basically presentable. However, it's very impersonal. You're introduced to the process by an AI generated talking head, then you get on with the questions - on which you're given between one and three minutes to answer. You also get to chance to review and re-record, if necessary.
If I'm honest, it's probably not the job for me - mainly the sector is one I've not worked for - not that this stops me for applying. At the end of the day, it's an experience and if I get through to the next round, we'll see what happens.
Regardless, this isn't my favourite way of interviewing. It's incredibly impersonal. You can't ask questions. You don't build a rapport with the people you have to win over. Sorry, it's not for me.
Anyway, onwards I say. I'll be working soon. The right thing will come along. All will be well.
I keep reminding myself that I've only been 'between jobs' since Wednesday evening.
Strangely, I'm looking forward to a bit of time off work. My contract ended on Wednesday, so I'm officially between jobs. A job will come, and come soon, so it's best I enjoy the downtime - not that my downtime looks quiet and boring - I have too much to do, if I'm being honest.
2. What do you wish you had more time for?
I want to make more time to dedicate to finishing these bloody novels. I must stop procrastinating about this.
3. What would like to do less?
Procrastinate.
4. What do you spend too much money on?
Stupid shit on the internet. As I'm keeping a tight rein on what I'm spending at the moment, it's taking every fibre of my being to stop the dopamine spending. I'm doing pretty well. Long may it continue.
5. What childhood wish never came true?
I always wanted to meet Prince Charming and get married. I've not achieved either, but that's led to an interesting life. You have to see this as a good thing.
6. What did you do to celebrate your last birthday?
Ah, nothing. We had book group at the pub the night before, and on the day of my birthday, I had a very quiet day at work, then got tortured by my trainer at the gym in the evening. I wanted a quiet one, so it was fine.
7. What drives you nuts?
Here's a list:
Tinnitus
When you run out of milk in the evening and there's not enough left for your morning coffee.
Loopy people who sit next to you on the tram (I'm a loopy person magnet)
Negative people
Overly critical people
People who are rude to service staff
People who drive and don't use their indicators
Slow walkers
Should I go on?
8. What keeps you sane?
Friends, books, movies, long walks, my cat, exercise, talking, my psychologist, limiting alcohol - among other things
9. What historic date is etched in your memory?
More a time, the first three months of 2011 were pretty awful. There was the big Christchurch earthquake, Cyclone Yasi, the Japanese earthquake - big global events which were on the telly and were hard to watch - especially as I was home waiting to find a job. I had to stop watching the news.
16 December 2015 was the day my niece passed away from leukaemia. That was just tragic.
10. What one thing would make your life immeasurably better?
Possibly a GLP-1 that isn't expensive and doesn't make your hair fall out, but that's not going to happen.
There could be an extra day in the week, with an extra two hours in the day that I could put aside for reading and writing.
1) I did not get a good sleep last night - no idea why.
2) I love my podiatrist. The fact that I have a podiatrist is a bit scary, but I only see her once a year for a 'clean up'. Regardless, she's better than the dentist.
3) I met an old colleague for a catch up to discuss a possible role. We were there for an hour and a half. it was lovely to reconnect.
4) Being the swat that I am, I dropped off my spent coffee pods at the Nescafe shop in town. I feel virtuous.
5) I went to go for a write in the library only to find my iPad was out of juice and no charging cable was to hand.
6) A lovely massage was later today. I'm going back to the practice next week to see the acupuncturist to try and get rid of a small but irritating issue.
7) And now the massage has left me a big puddle, so I'm going to go to bed.
September was a good reading month. Technically, I've read ten books, but two of those books I'll class as half books because technically I had about 30 pages to read and they were finished in the next month. So, I'll be giving my quick review of Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason and leaving my review of Whistler, which I finished this morning, until next month. Thankfully, nothing was too disappointing this month. Anyway, here we go.
1) Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason - Paper - 3.5 Stars
I loved Meg Mason's Sorrow and Bliss when it came out a few years ago, so I was hoping to feel the same about this. But I didn't.
The blurb from the Harper Collins website describes the book as such:
"Sophie Pattison is such a lovely person. Warm, kind, amazingly positive. She works as a freelance sound technician for literary festivals. She is a massive reader and was recently forced to move house. She is bracingly lonely.* So much so, the absence of others feels like a physical weight, if that makes sense. But then Sophie discovers an author through work and comes to adore her. Her books, interviews and podcasts, her wisdom and brilliance, her beautiful words. It's like solace and company. It's almost like love. And Sophie would love to meet her, although she never will, obviously. The author would never come to her festival. She's too famous for that. Too brilliant, too beautiful. And in a way, thank goodness, because that would change everything. Sophie's entire life.
But ... what if she did?"
I didn't connect with this until later in the book. It was nearly a did not finish, but I wanted to find out about "The Author" and what happened there, and ultimately, I'm glad I stuck around, but, this was all a bit name-droppy and niche. If, like me, you do go to a lot if literary events and author talks, or ever have volunteered at a literary festival, you'll get it. Many won't. It started out a bit pretentious, but it did get better.
2) Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - Audio - 3.75 Stars
This is not my favourite Austen - I'm a lover of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. This one is okay - but not my favourite. You do have to like the plucky Fanny Price, who is sent off to live with her better off cousins, giving her access to a better education, manners and the hoi-polloi, and Austen's biting wit is all through this. But it doesn't have the emotional clout of some of her other books. I also feel sorry for the fact that all a women perceived to be good for is getting married. You can also see that she's going to end up with the lovely Edmund, her cousin... the second half was better than the first.
Frances Barber's narration was sound. No other notes.
3) Lost Lambs by Madelaine Cash - Paper - 3.75 Stars
This one held out a lot of promise but let me down a little at the end. A book about dysfunctional families and communities and the characters that live in them. Part family drama, part light thriller this first novel by Madelaine Cash truly is laugh-out-loud funny in places, and the voice is superb. It really appealed to my warped, dark sense of humour.
The Penguin website describes it as such:
"For the three Flynn daughters, it’s been disastrous since their parents opened up their marriage. Abigail, the eldest, is dating an ex-soldier several years her senior nicknamed ‘War Crimes Wes’. Louise, the middle child, maintains a secret correspondence with an online terrorist. And the brilliant youngest, Harper, is being sent to a wilderness reform camp due to her insistence that someone – or something – is monitoring the town’s citizens.
Casting a shadow across their lives is Paul Alabaster, a nefarious local billionaire. Rumours of corruption circulate, but no one dares dig too deep. No one except Harper, whose obsession with Alabaster’s machinations sends the family hurtling into a criminal conspiracy – one that may just, finally, bring them closer together."
This is a romp. I loved the fact that the family, though deeply ga-ga, were all there for each other. It's not perfect, but there are some very great things about it as well. The errant g - which I will say nothing more about, is one of those stylistic choices which will have you scratching your head.
I'd love to find somebody to discuss this with. It's not perfect, but it is cool.
4) The Peacock Emporium by Jo Jo Moyes - Audio - 4 Stars
"In the sixties, Athene Forster was the most glamorous girl of her generation. Nicknamed the Last Deb, she was also beautiful, spoiled, and out of control. When she agreed to marry the gorgeous young heir Douglas Fairley-Hulme, her parents breathed a sigh of relief. But within two years, rumors had begun to circulate about Athene's affair with a young salesman.
Thirty-five years later, Suzanna Peacock is struggling with her notorious mother's legacy. The only place Suzanna finds comfort is in The Peacock Emporium, the beautiful coffee bar and shop she opens that soon enchants her little town. There she makes perhaps the first real friends of her life, including Alejandro, a male midwife, escaping his own ghosts in Argentina.
The specter of her mother still haunts Suzanna. But only by confronting both her family and her innermost self, will she finally reckon with the past--and discover that the key to her history, and her happiness, may have been in front of her all along."
I like Jo Jo Moyes' writing, and really enjoy her historical fiction, because yes, the sixties are now classed as historical fiction. I also remember liking her Ship of Brides - that was really well done.
As audiobooks go, this was good car fodder. Once you get a handle of the large gaggle of characters and the split timelines, it really comes together. You feel for Suzanna, the first daughter of an upper class family, stuck in a loveless marriage and the situation she's put in. You do love Alejandro and the collection of characters that commune in the shop.
Is this the best book in the world - no, but its still a good read that slots nicely between heavier are more literary reads. A good Mum book, if you get my drift.
5) Nesting by Roisin O'Donnell - Paper - 5 Stars
This was a standout audiobook for me last year, and it was a standout read again this year. This was our September reads for book group. It was just as good the second time around.
"On a bright spring afternoon in Dublin, Ciara Fay makes a split-second decision that will change her life. Grabbing an armful of clothes from the washing line, Ciara straps her two young daughters into her car and drives away. Head spinning, all she knows for certain is that home is no longer safe.
It was meant to be an escape. But with dwindling savings, no job, and her family across the sea, Ciara finds herself adrift, facing a broken housing system and the voice of her own demons. As summer passes and winter closes in, she must navigate raising her children in a hotel room, searching for a new home and dealing with her husband Ryan's relentless campaign to get her to come back.
Because leaving is one thing, but staying away is another."
This is a quick read, but oh, so effective. This reads like a thriller, but displays the plight of those fleeing domestic violence with a clarity like no other.
This is essential reading.
Also, if you get a chance, listen to it on audiobook. Louisa Harland's narration is impeccable.
6) The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde - Audiobook - 5 Stars
I've read this six or seven times. I noted that Russell Tovey was reading this for Audible. He's fantastic and I delved into Wilde's little book of a Faustian promise and a magical picture locked in an attic again.
No notes - it's still superb.
On a side note, the one-woman play of the book is coming back to Melbourne next year. If you didn't make it the first-time round, DO IT. Nikki Sheilds is fantastic, as is this interpretation of the book.
7) The Things That Matter Most by Gabbie Stroud - Paper - 4 stars
The Readings website describes the plot like this:
"The staff of St Margaret's Primary School are hanging by a thread. There's serious litigation pending, the school is due for registration, and a powerful parent named Janet Bellevue has a lot to say about everything. As teachers they're trying to remain professional, as people they're fast unravelling.
There's Tyson, first year out of uni and nervous as hell, Derek the Assistant Principal who's dropped the ball on administration, Bev from the office who's confronting a serious diagnosis, and Sally-Ann who's desperate for a child of her own.
Thank goodness for kids like Lionel Merrick. Lionel is the student who steals your heart and makes the whole teaching gig worthwhile: he's cheerful, likeable and helpful - and devoted to his little sister Lacey. But Lionel has a secret of his own. As his future slides from vulnerable to dangerous, will someone from St Margaret's realise before it's too late?
As secrets threaten to be exposed and working demands increase, each staff member begins to lose sight of the things that matter most."
This was enjoyable - and shone a light on school communities and life in a country town. The characters are relatable. If you've got kids in school, or if you're a teacher, you will understand. I really liked the relationships shown in this. It's not a hard read and comes recommended.
8) Frankie by Graham Norton - Audio - 4 Stars
Who knew Graham Norton from the telly was such a good writer? This small novel about a woman from a small town out of Cork making her way in the world is very enjoyable.
The Readings website describes the plot as such:
"Frankie Howe was never quite sure enough of herself to take centre stage - after all, life had already judged her harshly. Now in her eighties, she finds it easier to forget the life that came before.
Then Damian, a young Irish carer, arrives at her London flat to keep an eye on her as she recovers from a fall. A memory is sparked, and the past crackles into life as Damian listens to the story Frankie has kept stored away all these years.
From post-war Ireland to the dazzling art scene of 1960s New York, Frankie shares a world in which friendships and chance encounters collide. A place where life blazes with an intensity that can't last but will perhaps live on in other ways and in other people."
This was a wonderful listen - made even better by Graham Norton narrating the book. It's very enjoyable.
9) Our Noble Selves by Kate Atkinson - Audio - 4 Stars
Kate Atkinson is fast becoming a favourite author of mine, and this, her latest book is wonderful. This historical novel with a backbone of a mystery keeps you on your toes. It also looks at some of the barking mad history that is the 1951 Festival of Britain. Immaculately research and wonderfully written, if you like your historical novels on unusual topics, this should fit the bill. I also love the pathos she gives her character. Harry Flynn is a marvel - seriously.
10) Sipsworth by Simon van Booy - Audio - 4 stars
This charming small book is about a woman, a mouse and the power of community.
Goodreads provides the following information:
"Over the course of a single week, a woman who is ready to die discovers an unexpected reason to live.
Following the deaths of her husband and son, Helen Cartwright returns to the English village of her childhood after living abroad for six decades. Her only wish is to die quickly and without fuss.
Helen retreats into her home on Westminster Crescent, becoming a creature of routine and habit. Then, one cold autumn night, a chance encounter with an abandoned pet mouse on the street outside her house sets Helen on a surprising journey of friendship.
Sipsworth is a reminder that there can be second chances. No matter what we have planned for ourselves, sometimes the world has plans of its own. Simon Van Booy’s lyrical storytelling is a delight even as it will fill your heart."
This is only 220 pages long (or five hours of audio book listening). It's a charming, heartfelt novel that looks at aging, dying, memory and building community. It's got some lovely messages in and a touch of British bonkers-ness that I love so much. This is great for a quick read. Sure, it's a little twee, but if you can suspend judgement, it's worth it.
As I finished Ann Patchett's Whistler this morning, that will be reviewed with my October books.
