Books...

Since retiring I have 'rediscovered' reading for pleasure. Mostly I borrow books from the library and although I try to read from a variety of genres, my absolute favourite is Crime/Detective fiction. But it's getting harder to find books in the library on the shelves or trolleys as other people have obviously 'beaten me to them'! I do use the 'Hold' facility of course but still like to check the shelves just in case an unread book by a favourite author is there! 

I had noticed this Sue Grafton book a little while back but wasn't really keen on borrowing it as it was short stories...not a favourite genre of mine! (I can be quite intractable at times!!! Lol) 

But eventually I did borrow it and loved it! The first part of the book is a series of short stories featuring the PI, Kinsey Milhone, written over a number of years. I found that I didn't mind the brevity of each story after all. But it was the second part of the book that really got me in. These personal 'stories' were written after Ms Grafton's mother died. Some are written in first person, others in third person, which was a very effective literary device. 

We learn that both Sue Grafton's parents were alcoholics...her dad was a 'functioning alcoholic'. He was a crime writer too, but he was also a lawyer with his own law firm. Sadly, her mother was not so able to cope...she was unable to look after her 2 daughters and lay on the sofa all day. Grafton's writing showed the rawness of the hurts that she suffered as she watched her mother's health continue to decline. She wrote of the times her mother was admitted to hospital for treatment. After weeks n hospital her mother would be the happy vibrant woman she had once been...but it never lasted. 

Her parents' marriage did not survive so the Sue took on the role of mother to her mother. Now writing this down for this post I realise how 'heavy' the second part of the book was, but I'm glad I read it. And I was so lucky that also on the shelf that day was another of Sue Grafton's novels and it was one I hadn't read :-). I enjoyed it too. 

I realised that due to the relative scarcity of my favourite authors on the library shelves, I needed to find some new ones. Friends gave me some suggestions but none of those were on the shelves, so I 'Googled' crime writers. Armed with this list, I have since discovered Cath Staincliffe, who also wrote 'Blue Murder' TV series and also the Scott and Bailey TV series. The books I borrowed feature a female PI, Sal Kilkenny. 

I also rediscovered Susan Hill and her Simon Serrailer character. And at the moment I'm reading another author new to me, Deborah Crombie. 

Do you have a favourite author? Are there any other 'Crime fiction' aficionados out there? :-)

Blogging Workshop Part 2....

Continuing on from my last post, now just a little more about the enjoyable 2 hours I spent at New Farm Library yesterday.
The purpose of the workshop was an introduction to blogging and Jean used her laptop connected to the library's data projector to demonstrate various features and to assist in explanations. The fact that Jean is 'self taught' to a certain extent, made her presentation very effective...'she has been there and done that' just as most of the participants hoped to do. Jean showed for example, how to start the blog, how to set up the components, how to do a layout, add links and photos and discussed tags.

Now I've been a blogger for a few years now, but I use 'Blogger' so I was really interested in learning about Wordpress which Jean uses. We had a very interesting group of people there, and the interaction was marvellous. And even though I consider myself to have experience with blogging, I realised I had learned a number of new things yesterday as well as meeting Jean and the others there. So...

• I learned all about the features of Wordpress and the systems capabilities. Naturally I found similarities, but also differences.
• I met a Brisbane author Ryll Paul, who came along to learn more about blogging. Ryll has published a book of memoirs of growing up in Brisbane 1950-1970s 'Pebbles in the Road', as well as a recently published children's book, 'Friends of the Flood'.

Rhyll Paul; a lovely lady...

• I found out that Jean has another blog which focuses on retirement.
• Met a lovely librarian who works at New Farm library, who introduced Jean at the beginning of the workshop and who loves reading blogs.
• Another participant, Wayne Paul,  draws the most wonderfully funny cartoons and now he has become inspired by yesterday's workshop, to start a blog where he can showcase his work. The link will take you to his website which features his recently published book of cartoons. 

Rhyll's husband who came along to 'support his wife' is explaining to the room 'his lightbulb moment' ...he had never thought of it before but he decided to start his own blog!!

• I met another participant who runs book clubs and I think drinking and eating are involved as well as books in these clubs :-)
• I discovered that our council libraries don't just run storytelling sessions for children or author talks, I picked up a booklet which has the most amazing list of events and sessions throughout the year. I'm now planning to go to a session later this month at my local library to learn about uploading eBooks from the library. And that is just a start...:-)

So now some views of Brisbane as we made our way home via Toowong (we had mail for one of the girls)...we went via the city so we could use the riverside expressway.

This sculpture was on the footpath on Wharf St where it meets Ann St...

Looking across Ann St, from Wharf St

On Ann St coming up to the Edward St intersection. The old Peoples Palace is now a backpackers.... On the right out of sight is Central Station...

Moving through that intersection now...

Still Ann St...King George Square is coming up on the left...the iconic City Hall is dwarfed by the other buildings (when I was very young, it was the tallest building in the city)

Crossing George St soon...ready to get on the On ramp...

The old Grovener Hotel on the right...for a time it was a McDonalds...

We're on Milton rd now. The walkway links Lang Park...oh all right! ...provides a link between  Suncorp Stadium and Milton Station. In the distance there are 4 Xs...that's the Brewery 

One view of the football stadium...