Mundane Chapters

Profiles in Hope, John Brogden | Book 88, July 2025 Before I get into this, I want to acknowledge that this is a heavy post. I know we can’t always control what we see online, and reading about suicide can bring up strong feelings. Personally, I don’t believe a “trigger warning” fixes the impact — it can sometimes feel like a bandaid rather than real support. If you choose to keep reading, please take care of yourself in whatever way you need. ASIST Training It’s been a week since I stepped into the training room for ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training). Last week,  Profiles in Hope  by John Brogden finally arrived at the library for me after weeks on the waitlist — a strange but fitting coincidence. ASIST was two intense days focused on one of the most important (and toughest) topics: suicide. In Australia in 2023, our population was 29,946,369. That same year, 3,214 people died by suicide (as determined by a coroner), and 1,347,318 people had thoughts of suic...

Patting the Shark, Tim Baker | Book 84, June 2025 I picked up  Patting the Shark  by Tim Baker because I’m in the middle of making my own lifestyle changes and wanted to learn from someone who has faced immense challenges head-on. Tim’s career as a surf writer and journalist is extraordinary. I imagine it comes with its fair share of high stress too. This book has been on my radar for a while now. I keep starting it and putting it down, but with it due back to the library on Wednesday (and a jam-packed week ahead), I finally carved out time this weekend to read. Between a two-day course (Monday–Tuesday), working nearly 20 hours across those days (not including travel), and my son’s interschool carnival on Monday, my reading capacity is definitely limited. And let’s not forget it’s the final week before the school holidays (thankfully!). The book’s subtitle,  A surfer’s journey to living well with cancer  immediately drew me in. I’m looking for ways to make healthier ...

Milkshakes for Marleigh, Kate Fisher | Book 69, June 2025 Mum (aka Zebra) and I went on a little weekday date to visit Kate at Dymocks Hay Street for the  Milkshakes for Marleigh  book signing. We’ve made a habit of turning adventures into something more—like the time, back in maybe 2023, we took a selfie with the life-sized zebra in the furniture shop window in what is now Beaufort Street Books. Coffee followed, as it always does. Zebra—my preferred name for Mum on anything to do with the kids—is a retired aged care worker and Assistant in Nursing (AIN), most recently working in the ICU at Midland. So when I said,  “Mum, we must go—it’s a pink zebra, blood donations, a bookstore, and coffee at Dome after” , she was on board immediately. (Side note: Dome Hay Street is closed.) The last book signing I attended at Dymocks Hay Street was Julia Gillard’s. The line stretched up the street. I’m fairly sure the store was still family-run then. Crazy coincidence—while Mum and I w...

Painting Portraits of Everyone I’ve Ever Dated, Joseph Earp | Book 66, June 2025 “The easiest way to speak without actually having to say anything.” The long weekend—and that sneaky mid-week public holiday—threw me off completely. The school’s pre-set sirens rang out across the day, and for a moment, I was convinced I should be at work. Outside, it was wet and cold. I’d planned to take the kids down to the port to photograph a shipping container docking, but honestly, the motivation wasn’t there. Instead, we stayed in. We tackled a paint-by-numbers I picked up in Claremont earlier in the week, and I managed to bring in the washing just before the rain returned—small domestic victories. Later, Snapfish reminded me to “buy something or we’ll delete your photos.” So I went digging through old uploads. There were shots from a night out in my twenties, blurry with flash and joy; a surfing lesson I once booked a week off work for; the last gig my late cousin’s band ever played; and a night w...

The Feminist EarthMother PartyGirl, Joni Page | Book 54, May 2025 I first found Joni on Instagram — one of those lucky scrolls that actually leads somewhere good — and with my recent focus on local authors (I’ve just read Andrea Thompson and Andrew HC McDonald), it was a no-brainer to order in Joni’s debut novel. It’s officially my eighth book for May and the fourth in a row released in 2025. Who even am I? This weekend the kids and I are heading to an event with my mum, stepdad, my partner, his two kids, and potentially my mother-in-law. It’s rare to get everyone together, and I’m genuinely excited. In more exciting news — my back is feeling normal!!! Which means I can finally start using the rowing machine. Let’s ignore how many times I’ve stubbed my toes on door frames this week pacing around the house with a book in one hand, subsequently my foot in the other. Reading while mobile: good for the mind, bad for the barefoot. On the domestic front, my Afterpay is the only thing getting...

The Montegiallo School of Swearing, Andrew HC McDonald | Book 52, May 2025 Ahhh, this was the first book launch I’ve attended in years – and I stumbled into it almost by chance. I’d seen a promo for The Montegiallo School of Swearing, checked my calendar, and somehow, the stars aligned. A solo outing while the kids were visiting family? Absolutely yes. I picked up my copy of the book from Boffins in the City the day before, during a wander to the Art Gallery. The team at Boffins pointed out it was signed by the author – a small but exciting detail. The event itself was held at the State Library, and before I even walked in, I overheard a man outside grumbling, “thirty-five dollars,” like the price was outrageous. But once inside, that comment sat with me – especially after hearing from Andrew HC McDonald himself. He spent two full years on this book: 38 days of solid writing, 15 drafts before submitting it to a publisher, and another 18 months in editing. That “thirty-five dollars”? Ab...