Well, it’s been a pretty tumultuous week in the US with reverberations felt around the world. Although the US election was pretty hard to avoid – eclipsing all of our boring political meanderings here in Australia – I think we weren’t really ready for what eventuated and how it would impact those of us outside of the US. Policy-wise (of course) there will ultimately be repercussions, but I suspect the message delivered by many voters affected most of the world’s population as much as anything.

We’ve had similar messages (fallout) here in Australia from the disenfranchised, whose fear feeds whatever the populists are spruiking. It’s scary (and I find myself aghast at some seemingly sane people) but I guess it’s also a wake-up call of sorts.

But enough about the frivolities that are world order and peace. Onward and upward. Let’s talk about books and reading!

What I read

I felt like I had a quiet reading week… mainly (again) because I was behind in my reviewing so put my reading on hold until I start to catch up.

Having said that I managed to read Something to Say by Frankie Magazine; and While You Were Sleeping by Kathryn Croft – both as planned.

I also read Janet Evanovich’s Turbo Twenty-Three… the latest in the Stephanie Plum series.

And I’ve started working through Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way.

 

What I wrote

I reviewed a few books:

No Man’s Land by David Baldacci – the fourth instalment of the consistently solid series featuring military investigator John Puller
Something to Say by Frankie Magazine – a collection of articles and stories from 12years of the popular Aussie magazine
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron – the re-publication of the bible for creative types, over twenty years after it was first released.

And then there was the usual navel-gazing type post… pondering, if: How we do anything is how we do everything.

What I did

I hopefully had my final work trip for the year. And even more happily my position has been made into a permanent one – something that’s a relief now I again have a mortgage.

I had my mother staying for a few days as she had eye cataract surgery. It wasn’t a big deal and I’m hoping it means she can enjoy reading and watching TV again without having to squint or close one eye!

As she would SO not be a fan of Luke Cage, I put that on hold and we started watching The Crown on Netflix as a stack of my friends have been raving about it.

And I ticked off some boring stuff around my house: I ordered a new security screen door; has security sensor lights replaced; had someone come and tidy up my gardens and trim back some bamboo and bougainvillea; and have organised a cleaner to come on a semi-regular basis and deal with my floors and bathrooms. I am however, still waiting on airconditioning peeps to come out and give me some quotes – and it’s been hot so I’m waiting impatiently.

What I plan to do

I received five new reads last week, including a couple I’ve already featured.

And this week… I’m hoping to get into a routine on the work / reading / blogging / life front.

I’ve had a few slack weeks in terms of exercise in particular and need to rectify that. I signed the last month of my gym membership over to a friend who was keen to try the place. I wasn’t using it enough and felt very guilty about that fact. My longer-term plan is to walk and do yoga and I rejoined a local yoga studio and went to a class last Monday. I’m hoping I get my walking motivation back soon as my efforts to lose weight and get fitter and healthier feel like they have stalled a little of late.

And that’s about it for me. Did you get up to anything exciting in the last week?

As usual I’m linking up with Caffeinated Book Reviewer; and The Book Date for ‘It’s Monday!’