READING
All the birds singing by Evie Wyld
My book club just read this novel which was haunting, heartbreaking and fascinating all at once. The female protagonist Jack is a fiercely strong shearer, yet is fleeing from something untoward in her past. There’s something mysteriously killing her sheep, and it seems there could be a link to her troubled past. As the story progresses with one strand propelling forward, the other backpedalling, it all becomes clearer. I loved the split narrative and the way everything unravelled, though the story’s structure divided our book club’s opinions. I was clearly in the love camp with this one, for the story but also the simple yet powerfully evocative language and vivid sense of place Wyld conjured.
EATING
All the things at Paesanella, Marrickville
Cheese and charcuterie lovers should head straight to Paesanella’s Marrickville emporium and up the cafe lift to cheese heaven. Along with aisles of packaged Italian delights, a deli counter and fridges stocked with cheese (including Paesanella’s famous homemade ricotta and buffalo mozzerella), there’s also a glass-encased cheese room for ogling, smelling and sampling. New weekend haunt sorted.
DOING
Stand up paddleboarding
After a quick lesson post-paddle board hire at Rose Bay surf club on a recent pale grey early morning, I was soon skimming over the surface of crystal clear water, with rays visible on the ocean floor, schools of fish darting around and gardens of seaweed underneath. This was the perfect place and time to learn, with calm water and not too many people or boats around at 7am. Paddle boarding feels like a full body workout, yet is also quite calming, and is something I’ll definitely seek out on future beach breaks.