I am not a writer, I am a reader.

Stop me if you have heard this before.

 Now that is an apology commonly given to friends, who can be relied on to kindly say nothing or just nod,  nah it‘s ok.  Yes, they have heard it before.

My small swim group enjoy après swim coffee at the outdoor pool kiosk. They check the froth on their coffee of choice as they dry off in the sun.  No longer is the choice of coffee Instant or percolated.  

We mostly talk about the latest books we have read. Surprisingly we found this a common ground for informal conversation. We sit together, l.5 m apart, half damp, half dry with messy hair. 

Once, with a Piccolo in hand, for some reason I airily said “I am not a writer, I am a reader”.  This actually was a quote.  I said so, this is a quote.

A moment of truth, i.e. silence, it was like I pressed mute.  Quiet moments are revealing, so then for self-respect, I blurted “I read it in a book”.  To add a context, I asked if anyone knew David Duchovny that actor from X files.  I added “He is also an author.”

Nope.  No reaction just polite coffee sipping.  I wanted to reveal my discovery that in Duchovny’s book, the names of the heroine Emer and her sweetheart Conn draw on Irish folk heroes.  New York has a large immigrant population including many Irish and school teacher Emer had mused that migrants bring their Gods with them. 

However, maybe this is too serious a subject for pool side chatter. I dug deep and excavated my ego again holding my piccolo for emotional support. The pastries arrived and I sipped and saved the moment.

Previously I had mentioned blogging, confessing to my mediocre attempt at a book blog.  Again, my moment of self-promotion was abandoned.   I have admitted to not knowing how to publicise this digital book blog much less know how to get comments.  I note that one must tell people that they can freely comment, even anonymously with a nickname. 

 I know I need to tidy the blogging format.   I actually started the darn thing simply to remember all the books I read in that Covid year, 2020, and think of it like a diary.  Restrictions linger and I read on.

 The convenience of a free online read through the state library was a joy to discover. I could select, read or return unfinished books without a conscience.  I intended to try a variety of genres.    The Library App provides, fortunately,  a detailed list of books borrowed.

But 500 beckons.  If I have sparked your interest let me share one of the many worthy literary quotes from the heroine in Miss Subways.  The author clearly knew his poets and writers and Emer muses,

…that billy shakespeare, he got everywhere first,

He seduced language first after Chaucer bought her a few drinks. 

(GLENDA BOWEN, PUBLISHED Weekend Australian Review 'This Reading Life' 2022.)

 

 GREECE by Peter Feinnes .  

A THING OF BEAUTY.

Feinnes is a travel writer.  Our guide on this trip through Greece takes us along with every local God, myth and their place in history.  The author carries with him a guide book on Greek mythology.

But this travelogue through a country of fascinating ancient history is finally a treatise on the environment and human carelessness.The gods may not survive us. 

However the good news is, as Feinnes observes, that in areas of Greece where goats no longer roam and have eaten anything they chose, trees are growing again.  As the Gods of nature intended, seeds are sprouting and growing where they have the opportunity. 

 Imagine Greece green again.  It may just be the God or Goddess of Hope that Feinnes was searching for.

MORROCO by Laurence Osborn. 

THE FORGIVEN.

Where do I start?

THE FORGIVEN by Laurence Osborn is definitely not a travelogue. 

It is peopled with Europeans, a mysterious Yank and a variety of Moroccan tribal folk,silent servants to the very rich.  A pair of rich colonial types are hosts for the most indulgent party indeed.  We find ourselves on the  almost inevitable journey through the heat and sparseness of desert country and ancient traditions.  All guests are seen as just temporary invaders.  

I got very engrossed in this dramatic book - enough to make me peruse a map.  In  my reading experience, I have not encountered such party offerings as all or any drugs, booze etc available. All this with the local boys and servants available to serve.  Anything goes.  

The stylish hosts are a striking contrast to the stoic humble citizens of the isolated Moroccan region.  The storyline has a party guest involved in an accident which brings us to consider honour, revenge, justice for the poor.  Made into a film, this book is equally gripping.

FILMS. OUT OF AFRICA. BABETTE’S FEAST.

ABOUT AN AUTHOR VIA A FILM.  

Sometimes cinema encourages us to read a book.

Danish author Karen Blixen aka Isak Dinesen.. 

Quote… will they know a song of me, will they remember the colour of a dress I had on …

OUT OF AFRICA.

I have never forgotten when actor Meryl Streep concluded the African film adventure with those words.

FILMS FROM HER BOOKS. Out of Africa and Babettes Feast.

I SAW THE FILMS FIRST.  

Cinema or tv provide the opportunity for a revisit. We recently watched on SBS world the wonderful story  of a French chef Babette who cooked a special French dinner in a quiet Danish country village. She cooked partly for herself, but mainly expressing gratitude to the Danish people in the modest community where she had found refuge in difficult times. She later won a lottery worth 10,000 French francs and used it all to pay for the ingredients for the magnificent French style feast she proudly cooked for them, and herself.  A quite delectable expressive film.  Memorable.

Influenced by the film, I ONCE cooked for my family small quails presented in a bread loaf, with heads popping out. My teenage daughters were horrified.  One vowed never to talk to me again, one promptly left the table.   

 WHY DID I WRITE A BOOK BLOG?

https://glendabowen.blogspot.com

Because of Covid 19.

In 2020 I began using online library service Libby to find books, read and return,  without leaving home.  I later discovered I could read a list of my borrowing as it was sometimes difficult to remember book titles. I can read on my phone, my iPad or computer.  How easy was it!

Next I wondered what Blogs entailed.   I found an opportunity of a free google blogspot and decided to try it out.  After all, unless I publish openly people won’t find me. So it was a personal exploration. Much like my art is. 

After practice I found that I could best assess the recent book with a few lines or paragraphs. I am not interested in doing a full book review, rather a brief outline of my reaction to the book.