The book recommendation edition.
The secret lives of the outback milliners, a seaside mystery, the underground drama of the art world, an intrepid club, left-handed booksellers....
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Happy Sunday!
Autumn (Fall) is here! The mornings are much cooler. Blessed be!
On my walks, the skies are so clear. The morning sun warms my skin when it reaches me through the bush scrub.
The light breeze that moves through the leaves and ripples the water in the billabong is like a welcome friend.
My heart is so light when I experience all these elements at the beginning of Autumn. It’s my favorite season in this part of Australia.
I wanted to share this experience with you in the short clips below.
The bird song was magnificent during this time, it’s like the birds are also grateful for the beginning of Autumn!
There’s a peach tree outside the window I look out upon as I work.
It’s such a blessing to have the shade during summer with its generous bright green leaves. Now it’s ever so slowly dropping yellow leaves and it’ll be lovely to witness the change of color.
This week… We’re doing something a little different.
It’s still a collection of my favorite things, but it has a theme: book recommendations! As you know, I love listening to audiobooks while I craft.
So, as inspired by
’s monthly reading lists, I thought I’d share books I’ve enjoyed hearing recently.In case you missed it.
What To Knit Next: Relive Life's Small Pleasures
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What To Crochet Next: Creative Textures All-round
Fiber Friday: Yarn Tastings
Here are last week’s top recommendations.
Joanna Goddard has an excellent tip for making the weekend last far longer!
I love the illustrations by Madalina Andronic, a Romanian living in Italy.
The fascinating history of Venetian Velvet, and how it’s made.
In this week’s issue.
Journey to the secret lives of the outback milliners in late 19th century Australia, and solve a mystery in a picturesque seaside town.
Delve into the underground drama of the 80s art world.
Join the intrepid members of a club who solve murders on Thursdays, and uncover the life of a woman living in the earliest days of Sydney, Australia.
Plus, booksellers as the unlikely keepers of a secret world….
(Disclosure: Any purchases made through links may earn me a commission.)
The Milliner Of Bendigo by Darry Fraser
My Mama (maternal grandmother) was an excellent seamstress, who also made her own hats. I still have her wooden hat block. The story of Evie Emerson a milliner who works in Bendigo in 1898 is a wonderful period drama.
It depicts outback landscapes and the mighty Murray River I’m very familiar with. Bendigo (in Victoria, Australia) is a place I’ve been to many times.
I adore Evie’s “pluck” and courage. She faces adversity being a 30-year-old single woman. There’s mystery and intrigue and the storyline has a cracking pace!
I loved one character: Lucinda, Evie’s boss, is also a milliner and runs a business.
Lucinda is experiencing menopause and often reflects on what’s happening to her in equal amounts of humor and seriousness.
She talks about the ludicrous so-called “cures” and the difficulties women have when they don’t share what happens during different life stages with each other.
Secrets Under The Sun by Nadia Marks
Set in Cyprus, in a small seaside town, it starts with the reunion of three people who grew up together, attending the funeral of their beloved Katerina, a woman who was like a mother to them.
Before Katerina's funeral, her dear friend reveals family secrets Katerina had only given permission to share after her death.
It’s a very engaging story.
Some of the plot was a little too obvious but each of the character’s stories were well written and engaging. It spoke to my travel-loving heart!
A Woman’s Work by Victoria Purman
Set in 1956 postwar Melbourne, the story is about two women attempting to win a cooking competition for the well-loved magazine Woman’s Weekly.
I’ve made many recipes from their cookbooks!
The stories of Ivy and Kathleen are often heart-wrenching, but by the end of the book, there’s been so much change for the better for both of them.
The recipes that won some of the prizes were a sign of the times. Cheese and Gherkin scones were a big success!
My Mama was a cheese scone making champion, but I never saw gherkins in hers! I imagine they’d be quite tasty.
The Artist’s Secret by Alexandra Joel
A mystery set in the late 80s in Australia and New York.
The main character, Wren Summers, has so much going on! She’s a young woman trying to establish a career in the art world.
A good story with plenty of intrigue and drama.
More hand-selected book recommendations for paid members below!
Thursday Murder Club Series by Richard Osman
I’ve listened to all four books and they’re absolutely fabulous! The four main characters who live in a retirement village are people I’d love to know.
Their “club” is involved in sleuthing and solving murders.
There are such twists and turns and unexpected elements of surprise in the plots. Each book leads to the other and they’re gripping!
The depiction of the difficulties older people face is written so eloquently. The four find meaning in their lives and have such wisdom and the ability to share it.
They’re definitely not “invisible,” which is often the experience of older people in our society.
I adored these books and can’t wait for the next one!
Room Made Of Leaves by Kate Grenville
A story about Elizabeth MacArthur, the wife of a notorious wool baron in the earliest days of what’s now know as Sydney, Australia. It’s written by the author as though she’d found and published Elizabeth’s secret memoir.
Elizabeth’s early life was hard and her married life even harder.
Her intelligence and business acumen is incredible in a time when women weren’t given any credit for either.
Kate Grenville’s writing is wonderful and the story is so engaging.
The Left-Handed Book Sellers Of London by Garth Nix
My son recommended this young adult fantasy book.
I found the storyline fast paced and full of magic. The fact that what you’d consider an unlikely group of people (booksellers) keeping the balance between the world of magic and the world of humans in balance is unexpected.
I enjoyed the protagonist Susan’s journey into a secret world. Magic turned her life upside down, but gave her strength and understanding into her family’s past.
Did something catch your eye? What have you been reading recently? Or, what’s a book you’re looking forward to reading?
Press reply or leave a comment with your thoughts.
P.S. When we were living in Guanajuato, Mexico, in 2019, our friend (who’s friend worked at the University), took us on a tour of Bibliotheca Armando Olivares.
It’s a beautiful archive of old, illustrated manuscripts in Spanish, Latin, French, and Indigenous languages. I thought I’d show you a few photos.
There’s something magic about seeing beautiful libraries.
These books sound wonderful! I've been very into Australian books (and TV) recently so I will definitely be checking a few of these out. Thanks for the recommendations!
I absolutely love The Thursday Murder Club books! I remember they had a quiz to see which character you are more like, and I was a Joyce! 😊