Hello, my name is Fleur, and I’m a bookaholic

True story!

And buying books and reading them are two completely different hobbies!

I buy books, and then I don’t read them.

I buy books, then I do read them.

I buy audiobooks and start, then stop.

I buy audiobooks and start and finish.

I borrow from the library and don’t read the book.

I borrow from the library and read the book!

How often do you read the books you buy? My to-be-read pile has its own postcode! Since I came back from the Annabel Crabb retreat, I’ve been pushing myself to read in different genres. Annabel suggested this for brain exercise. Being fifty-two and having trouble remembering my own kids’ names at the moment, I’m happy to give my brain as much exercise as it can take! Hopefully it will get fit and start to remember everything I need it to, plus more and get rid of the concentration problems I’m having.

Anyway, what I’ve read recently that I’ve loved and are completely outside what I would normally read:

• How to End a Story by Helen Garner - I hadn’t read Helen before, but I loved this. Her economy with words is genius.

• Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason - I hadn’t heard of Meg until I listened to an interview with her and the storyline intrigued me. It’s a soft, gentle story coupled with some strong feelings that I really related to.

• Whistler by Ann Patchett - I’m late to the Ann Patchett party. I enjoy her interviews more than her books, but I’m in the minority.

• Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey - I started this a few months ago and put it down. Not because it was bad; it’s not, it’s really good. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind for it. I’m starting it again tonight. I’ve watched lots of Matthew’s short videos on life and how he sees it, and I resonate with his beliefs, so I know I’ll love it when I get back into it.

Oh, and just an update on Shadow… she’s fine!