First book of the year
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Every year Sheila from Bookjourney asks us to share our first book of the year. I am usually still deciding what that book might be come 1 January, so I am always too late to share it with her, but here it is this year! And I have to say, it's a good one!
Also, note that shiny new Kindle Scribe! Yes, I am very excited that my husband got me one for Christmas!
I'm reading
I was very determined to finished Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang in 2024, as I really didn't want to carry it forward into 2025. Fair to say I didn't love it, but I read it for Cook the Books and it did provide plenty of inspiration for food to make. Expect that post in the next couple of weeks!
Whilst I started There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak my first book, I ended up then picking up A Love Like No Other by Kate Frost for a blog tour this week.
I then started The Chibineko Kitchen by Yuta Takahashi which was a delight! I read this for Japanese Literature Challenge and my own version of January in Japan!
In other news, I decides to restart again at Storygraph for my 2025 reads. If you are on Storygraph, look me up! You can find me there as Margreads. I am also on Instagram as Intrepidreaderandbaker!
I'm watching
We really have only been watching bits and pieces. For example, we watched the Last Night of the Proms, and the Russell Crowe version of Robin Hood
Life
We finished our South Australian road trip, coming home via Adelaide and Mount Gambier! I am planning to do a post about all the big things, silos and art we saw along the way but for now here is the Big Lobster in Kingston SE and the Blue Lake in Mount Gambier.
One of the highlights was wandering around the Botanical Gardens in Adelaide seeing the 16 piece of art that are currently on show by famous artist Dale Chihuly. We really enjoyed the display. It would have been great to see it at night where it is all illuminated but we couldn't make the dates work!
After we got home we have been doing a lot around the house in terms of cleaning out the pantry and things like that, but not much more. The last couple of days in particular have been hot, hot, hot!
After we got home we have been doing a lot around the house in terms of cleaning out the pantry and things like that, but not much more. The last couple of days in particular have been hot, hot, hot!
Posts from the last week
Countdown to 2025: Day 29 and 30
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: January links
Weekend Cooking: What I Baked in My Kitchen in December
Six Degrees of Separation: Orbital to The Secret Daughter of Venice
I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date and Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz
I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date and Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz
We are home to the Big Oyster though it’s very neglected these days.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a great reading week
You can be sure we will be taking a look at that if we ever pass your way.
DeleteHave a great week!
Those are some awesome statutes!
ReplyDeleteI will be sharing some more shortly as well!
DeleteThat lobster is downright creepy to me, but I love the squiggly sea urchin thingy. lol
ReplyDeleteWe have a big koala that everyone else loves. I just think it is as scary as!
DeleteGreat photos! They all look like interesting things to see on a road trip. Your books sound interesting too. I have trouble with "first books of the year" because I tend to read ahead. I wanted Bonded in Death by J. D. Robb to be the first book I read even though the review won't be posted until late in January, but I had a few pages left of the thriller I was reading and had to finish it to make sure everything turned out well. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteI find that there is plenty to see when you go travelling!
DeleteThat Dale Chihuly art is gorgeous. I hope it's a traveling exhibit and that it will come to Houston some time.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your new Kindle Scribe!
Thank you! I was very pleased with the scribe. I was still debating about waiting for a colour paperwhite but now I don't need to!
DeleteAnd the Chihuly art was really great! I really enjoyed our afternoon strolling around looking at it!
Those statues are amazing! Even though you were not that impressed with I decided to give it a go. There are so many holds on it that I will have forgotten why I wanted to read in in the first place. Happy reading in 2025.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new Kindle Scribe. I got mine a few months ago and still getting used to it. What do you think of reading on something that size? It's bigger than what I'm used to, but it's good. I'm thinking of trying Storygraph. I really haven't used it yet. Enjoy your books!
ReplyDelete