And the rains came

As forecast, we had good gentle rains and I was able to finish off a few books. 

I have shown you this one before.  The Floosie gave it to me.  I have now read it cover to cover and am much wiser in preparing my garden for wildlife, though I'm not expecting to be rushed by echidna, quolls and bandicoots.  It is such an engagingly written book that it's like going on a garden tour with a friend.  The photos and detailed information are amazing.  Best of all, a wild-life friendly garden is the perfect reason for leaving the garden to its own devices.  But I have to plant a lot more small and prickly shrubs for the wrens and finches.  The plants don't have to be endemic, or even Australian natives, but I think that is what I'll plant.  Still keep the fruit trees and vegie gardens.

I came across designer Axel Vervoordt via his castle featured in Desire to Inspire , which is my daily read.  I got this book from the library and lingered over every page.  I love his design philosophy and came to understand my own ideas better.  He lives in, and designs for, a different stratosphere where money is obviously no object and ancient artefacts can be casually thrown (actually, artfully placed) around a room, but I agree with his tenet that it's about finding the right place for things.  As far as I can see, this is the only book of his which the library has - sadly.

Sandrine sent me a heavy, cubic parcel which I was sure contained a Christmas pudding.  In fact it held 3 books of which this is one, and a very mysterious one.  Called The Bidders by John Baxter, apparently an Australian writer now living (possibly dead) in Paris.  It is a very strange story.  Turns out to be a love story but I think is really just a vehicle for him to show off his knowledge of the dodgy tricks of the art and auction world.

This one I'm still reading.  Having dabbled in some Tasmanian history research, I'm stunned at how the researchers, admittedly academics, have discovered and pulled together so many sources.

Still reading this one too.  Naturally I thought it would be about life in New York, which it is, but particularly the gay scene in the 1960s and 70s.  Who knew.  Golly gosh.