What I have been reading

I have reluctantly finished Dark Mirror by Barry Maitland. I have read all Barry Maitland's books (eleven) and I must admit that it is like sitting down with an old friend and catching up on news when I read a book in the Kolla and Brock series. I guessed the murderer well before the end but it did not matter as I was in no hurry to leave my guests.

I also finished a true crime book, Blood Brother by Robin Bowles. Earlier this year I went to the Supreme Court in Sydney with my daughter to sit in on a murder trial - just to see what it was like. Based on one morning's evidence we thought it was likely Jeffrey Gillham was guilty, despite getting away with it for fifteen years. The book filled in a few gaps but it was by no means comprehensive and I was disappointed to see the name of a well known police officer misspelt.

We are definitely in for a dry spell

My faithful old dryer (is 8 years old?) finally gave up on Thursday. It went through the motions, ie spun the clothes around and blew out air, but it was cold air and nothing dried. I went shopping for a new dryer yesterday and today it arrived. The delivery man struggled carrying it down the stairs but when I asked if he was okay he assured me it was light (for a macho man maybe).

Dryers don't come in boxes anymore, just packaging (cardboard, wood and foam) and then wrapped in strong plastic.

It is big!

I usually only need the dryer for towels when it is raining, and we go through a lot of them. There are only 2 of us in the house but each day we use 4 towels, one hand towel, one bathmat, 3 face washers and 1 teatowel.

After I had peeled the layers off and moved it into its new home I realised that it was not the dryer I intended buying. Oh well, a dryer is a dryer. It will do the job.

Now I need to wait for the rain. The newspaper reports that El Nino has arrived and we are in for a lengthy dry spell. Of course it won't rain - I have a big clothes dryer ready for action.

Sharing my book buying/reading tastes

It is ten days into July and naturally my purchases outnumber the books I have read this month. I have bought nine books - and have read just three - nearly four. I started the month reading an unbelievable thriller, Bombproof by Michael Robotham, followed by a kiddie's book, Just Macbeth by Andy Griffiths, then the latest from a favourite series, Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich and I have nearly finished a chick lit, Vintage Alice by Jessica Adams.

Vintage Alice is annoying me but I am determined to finish it as it is on the list for July for the new book club I have joined. I have no empathy or sympathy for the main character. She is so silly - I think she deserves all that has happened. I am sure it will all turn out happy at the end and her dreams will magically materialise but not through any effort of Alice.

That leaves on my list (excluding the hundreds bought previous to July and waiting patiently to be read): Wesley by Stacey O'Brien; First Family by David Baldacci; Dark Mirror by Barry Maitland; Blue Paws by Matt McCredie; and today's purchases: Swimsuit by James Patterson and Blood Brother by Robin Bowles.

As today is a day off work (a legal one - a flex day) I hope to catch up on some reading, when I tear myself away from the computer.

Fallen Off the Wagon

The photo of the books in my header shows a selection of my bookshelf and the ones with the blue spots mark the unread books. There are hundreds of them! I moved house two months ago and the removalist struggled to lift all the boxes of books and because I felt bad I decided to stop buying books for two months, May and June. Now it is July, I have been book shopping twice and have seven new books to add to the shelves (and decorate with blue dots!). Seven books and it is only the 4 July.... It would have better to restrict myself to buying 2 books a month instead of stopping altogether. Now I am like an alcoholic. Once I have the taste/pleasure of buying books, I cannot stop.

I have read one of my new purchases - a children's book called Just Macbeth by Andy Griffiths. It was a lot of fun, and a quick read. Now my children are grown up I don't really have a good excuse to buy children's books but every now and then I can't resist.

Bombproof

After a couple of false starts I finally found a book that I could not put down: Bombproof by Michael Robotham. The plot was a great idea, based on recent events. There is a train blown up and naturally it is assumed it is a terrorist attack, a suicide bomber. But what if it was just a bumbling ex con in the wrong place at the wrong time? The story went from one disaster to another but it all fell apart at the end. Fell apart for me as the reader that is. The ending was far too happy, too contrived and thoroughly unbelievable. This book was a special giveaway as part of the Book Alive campaign in Australia in August 2008. That should give a clue about how far behind I am with my reading. My bookshelves are full of unread books!