Cardmaking challenge, Week 2

I struggled a bit with week 2 as we went away for a few days and I sort of lost my mojo. Happy with most of the below but it highlights to me how many more supplies I still need!

June 8 – Make a card using no less than 3 buttons



June 9 – Make a card using glitter




June 10 – Make a card in a shape that is not square or rectangle




June 11 – Make a card using the colours pink and orange




June 12 – Make a card that features some chipboard




June 13 – Make a card with lots of distressing




June 14 – Make a card using paint somewhere

Book: Rosalee Station

Summary: Sarah Clarke's dream is to experience life in the real outback. When her boyfriend Brad offers her a job with him on Rosalee Station, she can't believe her luck. But within days of arriving, her relationship is in tatters, and the dream is fast losing its lustre.

Sarah stays on to prove herself in the unforgiving land, earning the admiration of Matt, the station owners' son. Beneath the wide outback skies, the pair are irresistibly drawn to each other, until a stolen kiss leads to disaster. Sarah leaves Rosalee, convinced she'll never see Matt again – but fate has a way of intervening . . .


Loved this. Only criticism is that there is ALOT of Aussie slang - much of which I don't know. Otherwise awesome outback romance! Love that this genre has grown so much the last few years.

Long weekend, Day 3

Whenever we stay with our friends (or vice versa) the board game challenge is on. I absolutely love board games but we only play a few times a year with these friends. Generally we play Cluedo, cards and most importantly Monopoly! The winner reigns supreme! This weekend consisted of lots of cards: spit; gerzunk and canasta. Then Boogle and multiple games of Monopoly. Can't wait for my boys to grow a little bigger so we can sit down to good old fashioned family fun!

Long weekend, Day 2

The next day we headed further afield - 20 minutes to Walkerville. This beach is a gorgeous spot which overlooks Wilsom's Prom. The beach has lots of rocks and caves to explore and is much more secluded and the waves are MUCH smaller. Adam had more fun splashing about and playing here than at the BIG BEACH!

Long weekend, Day 1

On Thursday afternoon we headed off to the beach for three lovely nights. We stayed with friends down at Venus Bay in South Gippsland. We are so lucky to be able to head down to this gorgeous location a few times each year. Adam was VERY excited to go to the beach but like at Xmas it takes him a few days to warm up to it. We had been there about 2 minutes before he was waving and saying "good-bye" to the water. He slowly progressed the next day at Walkerville...

Book: How to make a bird

Summary: Mannie is escaping - from small town life, from family mysteries, from grief, from her fragile former self; she's heading for the city in search of an elusive 'something' to make herself feel right.

A good teen novel about finding ones self. I enjoyed as she was from the country in a place not too far from here so I always enjoy reading about places I know.

Off to the beach soon for the long weekend so posts may not be forthcoming dependant on internet access!

Library Storytimes...

I worked back in public libraries when I was 18-21 on the service desk and in tech services so I kind of got what storytime was about - sort of...

In reality it hasn't really been embedded into me what a fantastic asset they are until I had my own kids. We go to Rhyme time every Friday to see Sam (fantastic girl - does a brilliant job). Over the past few months I have really seen Adam blossom and each week he now picks up more actions to the rhymes etc. I also love the special storytimes that we take part in.

In Library and Information week we went along for the National Simultaneous Storytime session to hear Phoebe's Feathers being read by the local Mayor. Adam hardly listened and was more interested in the toys but it was still lovely to be part of the event.

Today we went to the library and the Gruffalo came to visit. Adam is probably a little small for some of these sessions but I still get a kick out of taking him. At least he got to "draw" afterwards - one of his favourite things.

We've also been for Easter where we made a bonnet and a basket and got chocolate eggs. We've also go when authors come to read their own work. All in all a fantastic service offered but one I probably gave little kudos to until I started using it! Thanks to all the brilliant staff at CHRLC.

Cardmaking challenge, Week 1

This month I am a glutton for punishment. I am taking part in a "Make a card everyday of June" challenge too, care of Scrap Everything. Each week we are given a brief on what to make - the rest is only limited by your imagination. For instance, this week was:

June 1 – Make a square shaped card for a male




June 2 – Make a sympathy card




June 3 – Make a card using the colours blue and brown




June 4 – Make a card using at least 3 different ribbons




June 5 – Make a card using die cuts




June 6 – Make a card using flowers




June 7 – Make a card using the colours red, black and white




All in all I'm pretty happy with how most of them turned out. I'm still just a newbie to cardmaking so I look at others work and think WOW, AMAZING. But in reality, who cares! I'm loving participating and that's the main thing! More cards in a week!

Personal Learning Network

Some recent blogs such as Tania and Kate (and others that I fail to remember at this point) have been discussing the benefit of their Personal Learning Networks (PLN's). You can catch me on Twitter @gemmas1980 however I'm not a big tweeter - more of a silent observer. I'm more of a face-to-face girl and have immensely enjoyed that last few days catching up with my lovely library girls!

As I am currently on maternity leave I'm not as often in touch with those who I regularly called on for help with library related issues. On Sunday I caught up with Michelle (local), Laura (Melbourne) and Sherrill (Geelong) who travelled to Ballarat for lunch. It was great to catch up on library news and just to discuss life over wine. Something I have missed immensely the last few months.

Today I travelled to a kids indoor play centre in Hopper's Crossing to catch up with Tania (who is also on maternity leave) and Jill who is just starting back in the library world after having time off to be a mum. We chatted about libraries, life and motherhood! A fantastic time where the two toddlers could play and we could chat. Rather different to the dinners and library events where we normal meet.

To me these PLN's are invaluable. Though I benefit from networks such as Twitter, nothing beats the face-to-face interaction for me!

Book: Bark Cutters

Summary: Sarah Gordon knows what she wants: the family homestead, Wangallon. When it comes to working the homestead she’s a natural but as a woman, it’s not her birthright. Even when her beloved brother, Cameron James, first born and heir, is killed in a tragic accident, nobody looks to Sarah to inherit. Instead her grandfather passes management to the one man she truly loves. Feeling betrayed she runs away to Sydney to try to put Wangallon, behind her, but it’s in her blood. She is constantly drawn back to Wangallon but when will she finally admit that it’s not just Wangallon she longs for but the station’s manager, Anthony.

Loved this one. Was a bit more in depth than some of the other rural romances I like to read. Have the sequel at home. Just so little time and so many books...

Clunes Booktown 2011

Once again I was lucky enough to head out to the picturesque town of Clunes located only 15 minutes from my door. Booktown is held annually and consists of thousands of rare and second hand books, writers talks and street performances. This year I only bought about 10 books which was pretty good for me. I was however lucky enough to catch a couple of writers talks and my notes from these are below:

Writing Family, Peter Rose, Anne Deveson, Tara June Winch

AD - Wrote it 2 years after his death
PR - About brother who became a quadriplegic, written 1 year after his death (Brother, Uncles, Fathers all played for Collingwood, Father coached them)
ALL - Started from tragedies and deaths
AD - Help came from the most unlikely of places - the plumber!
PR - Sometimes books are over dramatised to draw in readers. Lots of woe. Not always that bad though. Hard to write memoir due to repercussions etc. But don't baulk at it, write it. Very liberating.
TJW - Characters are an amalgamation of the traits of different family members/friends.
AD/PR - People approached them thinking they were experts on schizophrenia/quadriplegia etc. as they had written about them in their books. Also having mental illness/disability in the family soon highlights those friends that are loyal.

Bob Hawke, Biography
I was lucky enough to hear Bob Hawke speak this year, last year it was Malcolm Fraser. Just so fantastic the array and calibre of guests they are drawing. Anyway, here's a bit of what Bob had to say, such a character:

Thinks Tony Abott is potentially dangerous as a future PM.
Good leadership is: capacity/willingness to listen; intelligence; readiness to take risks.
Doesn't think any international leaders stand out as fantastic. All are good - but not great.
A lot of politics is charades. No genuine debate if you already have the numbers.
No such thing as free education - it's who pays? Hence introduction of schemes like HECS.
In reflection he thinks his performance as PM was overall "pretty bloody good". But in hindsight could obviously improve in some areas.
Enabling people to make judgements on knowledge - biography/autobiography.
Today's big issues - climate change; economy; indigenous disadvantage.

Just had the most brilliant time there. Well worth going to!

Book: North Star

Summary: Since her divorce a year ago, Kate Thurston feels like she's lurched from one disaster to another. Her teenage daughter, Georgia, seems to have morphed into a monster overnight, and her son Liam breaks her heart with his sad brown eyes.
When Kate receives news that her grandfather has bequeathed her North Star, the vast property that has been in her family for generations, it feels like the perfect opportunity to flee the hectic pace of city life for a calmer rural existence.
As soon as she arrives at North Star, however, Kate realises she's going to need every ounce of determination to restore the rundown homestead to its former glory and fulfil her dream of turning it into a bush retreat. And as for the farm, well it's in utter disarray. As she starts to make headway with the homestead's restoration, and falls for a local bloke, Kate finally feels like life is going right for her. Then her ex-husband comes to town and triggers a series of events that will change her life forever ...

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED. Awesome trashy country romance! Can't wait for more from this author!

Book: Dark Country

Summary: Most people in the small town of Dungirri have considered Morgan ‘Gil’ Gillespie a murderer for eighteen years, so he expects no welcome on his return. What he doesn’t expect is the discovery of a woman’s tortured body in the boot of his car, and new accusations of murder. Wearied by too many deaths and doubting her own skills, local police sergeant Kris Matthews isn’t sure whether Gil is a decent man wronged by life, or a brutal criminal she should be locking up. But she does know that he is not guilty of this murder – because she is his alibi . . .

Between organised crime, police corruption, and the hatred of a town, Gil has nowhere to hide. He needs to work out who’s behind the murder before his enemies realise that the one thing more punishing than putting him back in prison would be to harm the few people he cares about. Kris is determined to help him, but will their search for the truth make her the next target?


The first book, As Darkness Falls (review below) was great. This one was a little slower to get into. Still loved it though and am looking forward to more from this author.

Blog Everyday of June

As my blogging is somewhat sporadic I thought I'd attempt the Blog Every Day of June Challenge. The official hashtag for this event is #blogjune

So for those who don't know me a little bit of info...

I live in Ballarat in regional Victoria and work as a medical librarian. I am currently on maternity leave playing mum to 4 month old Luke and my beautiful 2 year old boy Adam. Back to work later in the year though...

I live on about 5 acres just out of town with my hubby, kids and dogs and love the space we have to roam.

In my spare time (yeah right!) I love to sleep, read, cook, scrapbook and make cards. Am actually participating in a make 30 cards challenge also this month!

So what can you expect from me this month.... Book reviews, library/literary event reviews and who knows what else! That's as far as I've thought ahead!

The Big Read, at Ballarat Library

On Sunday April 10th, Adam, Luke and I headed to our local library for the Big Read. We heard a story-teller, looked at some books then sat down to read. I pulled out Adam's new Thomas the Tank book which he received on the day and the lollipop in the bag to actually make him sit still. We read for about 1o minutes before he got bored (pretty good) and it goes without saying that his new book now has several sticky pages!! Was a great morning though and was a pity we had to leave as he'd have done the crafty things all day. Oh, there were Chinese dragons who were VERY loud. He only liked them from a distance...

Book: Eliza's Gift

Summary: When Abigail Durant inherits a cottage from her friend, the world famous knitting guru Eliza Carpenter, she's sees it as her chance to start anew after the terrifying end of her last relationship. Only problem is, the cottage is slap-bang in the middle of a sheep ranch owned by Cade MacArthur, Eliza's tall, dark and infuriating nephew. Cade's a man's man, a cowboy through and through, and he's none too pleased there's now a young - albeit very pretty - woman living on his property. And that's before she tells him she plans to turn her new home into a knitting shop a With battlelines drawn, city girl and cowboy go head to head. But soon, with the sexual chemistry fizzing between them, both start to question the real nature of Eliza's gift...

Awesome cowboy romance! Makes me want to take up knitting. Just a lovely trashy country chick lit book. Loved it!

Tuesday Night Bookgroup: Breath

Summary: In the first part of the book, the narrator, Bruce Pike, recounts his boyhood friendship with Ivan "Loonie" Loon. As young boys, Pikelet and Loonie dare each other to perform dangerous stunts in the local river. When they become teenagers, they take up surfing and meet a former professional surfer named Sando, who leads them to new levels of recklessness. The novel explores the boys' youthful urge to seek out the farthest limits of courage, endurance and sanity in an attempt to escape the ordinariness of their lives. The second half of Breath is concerned with the disintegration of Pikelet's friendship with Sando and Loonie and his developing relationship with Sando's American wife Eva.

I liked this book alot but I didn't love it. It just lacked... something for me. Not sure what though. Also thought it was quite similar to Dirt Music in places. Worth reading though, it is a Miles Franklin winner after all!

Book: Mr Darcy Broke my Heart

Summary: Recently unemployed Claire Prescott heads to England to give a paper for her sister at a Jane Austen seminar. Not an Austen scholar by any means, Claire feels out of place at Oxford among the learned Austenites until she’s approached by elderly Harriet Dalrymple, who claims to be in possession of a partial manuscript of First Impressions, an early version of Pride and Prejudice. When she shows Claire the manuscript bit by bit, Claire is surprised to find a very different love story for Elizabeth Bennet unfolding on the page. Claire is questioning her own relationship with her stable but sports-obsessed boyfriend, Neil, while engaging in a serious flirtation with James, a handsome, inscrutable publisher. When Claire presents her sister’s paper and finds some startling parallels to her own life in it, she realizes she has some serious reevaluating to do.

An Austen spin off. Was ok, didn't quite hit all the marks for me but a nice chick lit story none the less!

Monday Night Bookgroup: The Closers

Summary: After three years out of the LAPD, Harry Bosch returns, to find the department a different place from the one he left. A new Police Chief has been brought over from New York to give the place a thorough clean up from top to bottom. Working with his former partner, Kiz Rider, Harry is assigned to the department's Open-Unsolved Unit, working on the thousands of cold cases that haunt the LAPD's files. These detectives are the Closers — they put a shovel in the dirt and turn over the past. By applying new techniques to old evidence they aim to unearth some hidden killers and bring them to justice, for "a city that forgets its murder victims is a city lost." Harry and Kiz are given a politically sensitive case when a DNA match connects a white supremacist to the 1988 murder of Rebecca Verloren, a sixteen-year-old girl. Becky was of mixed race, and the case appears to have a racial angle. This was LA before the riots and Rodney King; the city was a powder keg waiting for a match. The detectives who worked the case all those years ago seem to have done a decent job, but something doesn't fit.

Loved this book. Will definitely be ready more Harry Bosch novels!

Book: As Darkness Falls

Summary: Haunted by her failures, Detective Isabelle O’Connell is recalled to duty by DCI Alec Goddard to investigate the abduction of yet another child from her home town. They have only days to find the girl alive, with few clues, a town full of suspects, and a vast wilderness to search. It soon becomes a game of cat and mouse, with Bella firmly in the killer’s sights. For Bella, this case is already personal; for Alec, his best intentions to keep it purely professional soon dissolve, and his anguish over Bella’s safety moves beyond the concern for a colleague. Their mutual attraction leaves them both vulnerable to their private nightmares – nightmares the killer ruthlessly exploits.

Loved it. Similar to the Aussie rural romance ones but with a bit of crime thrown in. Easy enjoyable read!

Monday Night Bookgroup: Alchemist

Summary: The tale of Santiago, a shepherd boy, who dreams of seeing the world, is compelling in its own right, but gains resonance through the many lessons Santiago learns during his adventures. He journeys from Spain to Morocco in search of worldly success, and eventually to Egypt, where a fateful encounter with an alchemist brings him at last to self-understanding and spiritual enlightenment.

One of those tales that is meant to touch you spiritually but just didn't do it for me (or anyone else in bookgroup either!)

Book: Place of Safety

Summary: The rape of a young asylum seeker plunges family care lawyer Lilly Valentine into the toughest case of her life. 14-year-old Anna lives in Hounds Place, a hostel in Bedfordshire for youngsters seeking refuge from the atrocities being carried out in their homelands. A chance meeting with three public schoolboys ends in her being horrifically assaulted. When Artan, Anna's friend and a fellow asylum seeker, approaches Lilly about seeking justice through the courts she warns him that the law may not be on their side. Who will believe the words of an asylum seeker over the account of three privileged English boys? Despite this, Lilly is loath to get involved. After all, she is supposed to be putting her family and work commitments first. But Lilly quickly lives to regret that decision when Artan and Anna turn up at a school armed with guns, determined to take matters into their own hands. The day turns to tragedy and Anna is arrested.Wracked with guilt, Lilly is compelled to take on Anna's case despite the objections of her boyfriend Jack, boss, and most importantly, her own son Sam - a pupil at the school. Her decision to defend Anna attracts a huge backlash from the press and the community. And when local racist groups pick up on the story, Lilly's family and friends become a target. Can Lilly follow her conscience and defend Anna - or is this case just too close to home?

Was a good read. A bit slow in places but I'll give this author another shot.

Book: Not Buying It

Summary: Other than phenomenal willpower and maxed-out credit cards, what does it take to simply stop purchasing for 12 months? Levine took the plunge and found it irritating, exhilarating, thought provoking, and humiliating among many other conflicting emotions. What's an inexpensive substitute for Q-tips? How to best gift a soon-to-be college graduate without spending any money? How to avoid the consumption seduction that lurks in every corner? Levine chronicles her feelings in this almost-weekly diary of the year of nonpurchasing. Many of her points are intentionally provocative; for instance, not buying makes her feel vulnerable and having to ask for help...

This book was ok but was quite intellectual in points and discussed economic theory etc. Not really what I was after but still a decent read.

Book: Heart of Gold

Summary: CJ Wishart is a hardworking country girl with a heart of gold but a life that can be tough. Her job as a wool classer is back-breaking, her family life is a disaster and, after a string of dating debacles, she's put men in the too-hard basket. When strong, handsome Lindsay arrives on the scene as their new shearer, CJ can't help but take notice. They have an undeniable spark, but can she handle the complications and potential heartbreak of falling in love? With help from her friend and an endearing old farmer, CJ learns that when you stay true to yourself and open your heart, anything is possible.

LOVE LOVE LOVE! I adore these books and just can't get enough. Trashy outback romance but with the Aussie flavour and shearing shed! Bliss!

Tuesday Night Bookgroup: Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

Summary: This book tracks the lives of two teens, childhood friends who have been sent to a small Chinese village for "re-education" during Mao's Cultural Revolution. Sons of doctors and dentists, their days are now spent muscling buckets of excrement up the mountainside and mining coal. But the boys receive a bit of a reprieve when the villagers discover their talents as storytellers; they are sent on monthly treks to town, tasked with watching a movie and relating it in detail on their return. It is here that they encounter the little seamstress, whom Luo falls for instantly. When, through a series of comic and clever tricks and favors, the boys acquire a suitcase full of forbidden Western literature, Luo decides to "re-educate" the ignorant girl whom he hopes will become his intellectual match.

I liked the book but it was all a bit of fairy-tale type nonsense for me and I wasn't too keen on the open ending... Pleased to have read it though.

Tuesday Night Bookgroup: Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Summary: January 1946 - London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb. As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is.

Oh what a gorgeous book. I loved this. So beautiful, highly recommend reading.

Book: One Red Paperclip

Summary: Kyle MacDonald had a paperclip. One red paperclip, a dream, and a resume to write. And bills to pay. Oh, and a very patient girlfriend who was paying the rent while he was once again “between jobs.” Kyle wanted to be able to provide for himself and his girlfriend, Dominique. He wanted to own his own home. He wanted something bigger than a paperclip. So he put an ad on Craigslist, the popular classifieds website, with the intention of trading that paperclip for something better. A girl in Vancouver offered him a fish pen in exchange for his paperclip. He traded the fish pen for a doorknob and the doorknob for a camping stove. Before long he had traded the camping stove for a generator for a neon sign. Not long after that, avid snow-globe collector and television star Corbin Bernsen and the small Canadian town of Kipling were involved, and Kyle was on to bigger and better things.

In One Red Paperclip, Kyle takes you on a journey around the globe as he moves from paperclip holder to homeowner in just fourteen trades. With plenty of irreverent and insightful anecdotes and practical tips on how you can find your own paperclip and realize your dreams, he proves it’s possible to succeed in life and achieve your dreams on your own terms. Quirky and inspirational, this story of a regular guy and a small, red, now-legendary paperclip will have you looking at your office supplies-and your life-in a whole new way.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. It isn't the best written or anything but it just grabbed me from the start and I was hooked. Highly recommend!

Monday Night Bookgroup: An Orphans Escape

My Saturday Bookgroup has now switched to Monday nights - so much easier with kids!

Summary: It was Christmas 1940 when brothers Billy six, Bobby, four, and Frank, not yet three, became wards of the state. They spent twelve hard years inside the Ballarat Orphan Asylum, suffering cruelty, deprivation and humiliation at the hands of their carers in the emotional wasteland of state care. But Frank Golding and his brothers were not orphans at all; the state had deemed their parents unworthy of raising them due to an 'irregular domestic situation.' Golding and his brothers constantly wondered 'Where are our parents? Why won't they come to rescue us?' The questions itched like scabs. Fifty years later, Golding learned of his parent's desperate battle to regain custody of their sons despite bureaucratic bungling and autocratic indifference.

I only persevered with this book because it was for bookgroup and it was about Ballarat so I could visualize all the places etc. Otherwise it was a very dry read.

Book: Under the Duvet

Summary: Bursting with her hilarious observations – on life, in-laws, weight loss and parties; her love of shoes and her LTFs (Long-Term Friends); the horrors of estate agents and lost luggage; and how she once had an office Christmas party that involved roasting two sheep on a spit, Moroccan style – it's the perfect bedtime companion, and will have you wincing with recognition or roaring with laughter.

Brilliant collection of short stories, articles etc. Some obviously better than other but I really enjoyed these!

Book: Great Australian Girls

Summary: Whether it's swimming the fastest 100 metres in the world, flying a plane or starring on stage, anything is possible if you dare. Great Australian Girls tells remarkable stories of over 20 determined women-many of whom began to achieve extraordinary things while still girls. This fascinating collection of stories ranging from convict to contemporary times will convince you that girls can do anything!

A nice interesting read. Some good stories, others just ok.

Book: The Associate

Summary: Kyle McAvoy, a callow Yale Law School student, dreams of a public service gig on graduation, until shadowy figures blackmail him with a videotape that could revive a five-year-old rape accusation. Instead of helping those in need, McAvoy accepts a position at a huge Wall Street firm, Scully & Pershing, whose clients include a military contractor enmeshed in a $800 billion lawsuit concerning a newly-designed aircraft. McAvoy can avoid exposure of his past if he feeds his new masters inside information on the case.

A classic Grisham. Loved it!

New Addition

I have definitely been very quiet of late but that may only be online, not in real life. In reality I have read LOTS of books which I will post later, but most importantly we had a new addition to the family!



Meet LUKE PETER SIEMENSMA. Born January 27th at 3:33pm at the Ballarat Base. A gorgeous brother for Adam. I ended up having an emergency caesarean after a nasty labour but all is forgotten now (almost)! He is such a beautiful boy and am loving having sometime at home with my two boys.

Book: Love in the Age of Drought

First book for 2011. OK, half was read in 2010 but it counts as a 2011 book in my mind...

Summary: When Fiona Collins meets Stuart Higgins at a conference in Melbourne, she isn't looking for a relationship, let alone the upheaval of falling for an eco-aware cotton farmer from South-East Queensland. But then life never goes quite according to plan… When Stuart sends Fiona a pair of crusty old boots and a declaration of his feelings just sixteen days into their relationship, it's the start of a love story that endures - in spite of distance, the strain of Stuart's farm entering its fourth year of drought, and Fiona's own issues with commitment. Something's got to give and eventually Fiona puts everything on the line - her career, her Sydney life, her future - and moves to Stuart's farm. Nearest township? Jandowae, population 750.

I enjoyed this book. Not super fab but still good. Love that old romantic farmer story... Very different sort of couple though!

2010 Books in Review

WOW! I read 34 books. I am so proud of myself. What a big year. Anyway, a quick overview of what I read:

Teenage, 11 books (10 of which were the amazing Tomorrow series!)
Chick Lit, 6 books
Crime, 3 books
General Fiction, 6 books
Non-fiction, 8 books

Hmm, any surprises? Not really.... Disappointed that I read very few of my bookgroup ones though. But you know, I always go into the next year saying that'll change! LOL. Plus, I will be home more in 2011 (with 2 small kids mind you) but hopefully that'll help. Would love to conquer the 52 books again. Only time will tell...

Book: Skipping Christmas

Summary: Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded malls, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That’s just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they’ll skip the holiday altogether. Theirs will be the only house on Hemlock Street without a rooftop Frosty; they won’t be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash; they aren’t even going to have a tree. They won’t need one, because come December 25 they’re setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But, as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences–and isn’t half as easy as they’d imagined.

Loved this book. Was a quick read but just perfect considering Christmas is only a week or so away. Highly recommended...

Book: The making of me

Summary: Tegan Wagner, 14, thought she was going to a party with friends. Instead, she found herself trapped in a house with a group of older boys she had never met before. She was gang raped that night by three brothers. What followed forms the basis of Tegan Wagner's riveting story as she struggled to cope with the fallout from that horrific night – the betrayal of friends, the school yard scrutiny, the psychological scars and the eventual descent into drugs and self harm as a way of dealing with the trauma of the rapes.

But eventually she found the courage and determination to pick herself up and speak out about what had happened to her. After three frustrating years her case finally came to trial and she faced the brothers in court. She withstood the anxiety and pressure of the legal process and then, in one further act of bravery, unveiled her identity to the media in order to encourage other victims of rape to report the crime and not hide away in shame.

A great quick read. So sad to hear how our legal system works at times. What a brave girl. Brilliant.

Book: Head over heels

Summary: At the age of nineteen, a young farmer, Sam Bailey, became a quadriplegic after a freak car accident. After years of struggle, he learned how to resume his life as a farmer, running a sheep and cattle property in north-west New South Wales. Then he met and fell in love with Jenny Black, an ABC Rural journalist, proposed to her on air, and the rest is history.

A great story. Both Sam and Jenny are remarkable people. really inspirational read. Loved it!

Night Bookgroup: Never Say Die

Summary: It was a cruel twist of fate: in November 2006 Chris O′Brien, one of the country′s leading head and neck cancer surgeons, was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive and almost inevitably lethal form of brain cancer. As he knew, few sufferers survive past 12 months. Nevertheless, he was determined to beat the odds.

I really enjoyed this book and got through it in a few days but it wasn't the best autobiography ever. There was too much about childhood etc. rather than focusing on the cancer which was what I was more interested in. Brilliant man though, pity he is no longer with us.

Health Libraries Inc Conference

On Friday October 22^nd I headed to Melbourne’s RACV Club for the 7^th Health Libraries Inc. Conference. It was great to catch up face-to-face with lots of people as I haven’t really made it to many events since I left work last time to have my first bub. Here are my notes from the day…

TROVE : Alison Delit

1 million registered users.

Thousands of volunteers.

20-30 new releases this year.

Wikipedia, Flickr, YouTube search “on the side” – no control.

Should we:

Bulk upload our A-Z journals?

Share old photos on Picture Australia?

Training and Support for Remote Library Users : Jane Ryan

They use WebEx.

Cost, scalability, functionality all things to consider.

DimDim & Yumya – both free but limited.

Should we:

Citrix (which IT may implement here…)

Otherwise who do IT/GRAHnet use? If at all?

KOHA : Marion Steele & Heather Walker

Free open source LMS.

Available in multiple languages.

41 in Australia using – 33 health/medical. Includes ABS and soon to be NT Health.

Appealing features: low cost; web based; simple interface; independence from IT; support; ease/speed of implementation.

Trade offs: some of the above; bugs; authority files incorrect.

ENDNOTE : Jenny Ward

Purchased per PC – approx $500 each.

On shared network drive.

There are free reference management systems available.

Reusable Learning Objects : Sharee Crocker

RLO is information literacy by any other name ie. Electronic; multimedia etc. For instance video clips on YouTube on how to search Deakin Library Catalogue etc.

Captivate and Camtasia are the 2 products they use to “shoot” the clip.

Need Flash; Quicktime; Adobe Reader; MP4: Windows Media Player etc. also…

Library instruction with Screencast Software : Jann Small

Jing – free program. Felt Camtasia was too complex.

Screencasting – same as RLO ie. Information literacy by another means.

These are to be seen as complimentary to face-to-face, not as the main alternative.

Jing can be viewed in web browser, don’t need media players/programs.

5 minutes recording time.

Book: Broken

This sort of followed on from the Ladykiller but you could have read it out of order if you wanted to (unless you remember EVERYTHING you read in a book). Again it was great trashy crime.

Summary: Leading an investigation into the neglect and abandonment of a number of young Grantley children throws DI Kate Burrows into contact with the most vile and repugnant of criminals. As a mother herself, Kate finds their crimes almost incomprehensible. And with the case becoming ever more sinister, she knows she needs to find answers quickly.

Book: Ladykiller

Back into my crime spree. hadn't read a Martina Cole for ages and she is just as good as I remember. This was fairly predictable etc. but still a great trashy read!

Summary: George Markham has a nasty little hobby, one that erupts into an orgy of viscous sexual depravity. Patrick Kelly is a hard man. His one soft spot is his daughter, and when she falls victim to the Grantley Ripper, Kelly wants revenge. The DI in charge of the case is Kate Burrows. She feels for Kelly but her growing involvement with a known villain is putting her career at risk... As the forces of law and order and London’s underworld converge in a huge manhunt, Kate fears she’ll lose everything she’s ever cared about... to the ladykiller.

Baby news

The reason I actually read the last book was because we are expecting baby number 2! I am about 22-23weeks at the minute so am due in late January 2011. We are very excited and we are sure that Adam will be an amazing big brother. We don't know what we are having but we have affectionately called it Gertrude - or Gertie for short (was the worst name we could think of to go with Frank who turned into an Adam!)

Travelling along OK now thanks to some amazing tablets otherwise the morning sickness has been UNBEARABLE! Have been completely exhausted so hopefully my second wind kicks in soon! No photo to post this time but will be sure to let you know of any developments...

Book: From here to maternity

Summary: Emma and James have waited ages for one to turn up, then two come along at once. Not twins – but an adopted Russian tot called Yuri, and an as yet unnamed bump already wreaking its special brand of havoc. Not only are Emma and James overwhelmed by the crying, the crankiness, the fitful sleeping, the fussy feeding – and that's just the new mother . . .

An new Irish chick lit author to love. I enjoyed this book. It wasn't amazing but gave me a few laughs and tears in all the right places!

Book: Billie Jo

Summary: Terry - the lucky villain with a heart of gold - is riding for a fall. Michelle - the wife he hates and is plotting to leave - knows something is afoot, but not quite what. Billie Jo - their adored only daughter - loathes her parents quarrelling and her mother drinking, but will she understand when Terry tells her the truth: that he is planning to marry his pregnant secretary? Jade - a cut above the rest - waits patiently for the day when she and Terry can live peacefully together on his ill-gotten gains. But fate is about to deal a terrible hand and change everything in a way which Terry has not planned at all, leaving Billie Jo's protected world in tatters...

Really enjoyed this book. They said she is meant to be like Martina Cole and though good, not a patch on her. Will keep reading her books though but may duck into another Martina first!

Book: Big sky

When i was a teen I was obsessed with Dolly fiction and this is today's alternative:

Summary: When her dad breaks his leg, Skye has to lead the muster on her family's cattle station in the Kimberley. She's never been the boss on a muster before and her job gets harder with the surprise arrival of her high-maintenance fashionista best friend from boarding school. On the upside there is the very handsome Dan, a young jackaroo. But while Skye is a great horse rider and a seasoned cattle wrangler, she's ill-equipped to handle the human element and in this beautiful yet harsh country, jealousy, hot-tempers and inexperience may cost her more than she could have imagined. It will certainly be a cattle muster Skye will never forget...

Oh, a sweet teen read. We were so innocent back then...

Book: Travelling tales

Collection of the author's favourite travelling stories. Charles Wooley is a reporter on '60 Minutes' and the 'Sunday Program' and his reporting style is reflected in these adventures which include a trip in the back of a WW11 Lancaster bomber with a couple of septuagenarian venturers, riding the perilous seas in the Sydney -Hobart yacht race, close encounters with voodoo in west Africa and experimenting with an alternative lifestyle in Nimbin. Not a bad read, one you can dip in and out of. Makes me see that I have so many adventures ahead of me!

Book: Behind the bestsellers

This is a collection of 50 fascinating stories about the lives, loves and literature that inspired the world’s greatest books. There is a small chapter on each book such as Pride and Prejudice (of course), Peter Pan, Jaws, DaVinci Code and Harry Potter and each chapter attempts to delve behind the scenes. For instance I never knew that as a young child, Charles Dickens was forced to work in a rat infested factory as his father served a prison sentence. I really enjoyed this collection as it helped me to learn more about where each novel originated. The only problem is that now I have added another 20 books to my TBR pile!

Book: Balanda - My year in Arnhem land

This is the story of the year Mary Ellen Jordan spent living and working in Maningrida, an Aboriginal community in Australia's Far North. I actually quite enjoyed the book though she is no fantastic author. It was refreshing to look at the way she saw the culture and community she became a part of rather than what we always see and hear on TV. Not sure if I could survive a year away from all my creature comforts!

Uni: Business Economics & Competitive Analysis

So the first half of 2010 has been busy. I did two subjects at uni and received Distinctions in both (so happy as Business Economics was horrible!) That now leaves me with 7 down and 5 to go before finishing my MBA. It may take a few years though but am sure I will get there in the end!