Books | Liz Ledden

Picture book love: The important things

Liz / July 29, 2015 / No Comments

The important things, written and illustrated by Peter Carnavas, New Frontier Publishing, 2010

The important things is the tale of Christopher and his mother, who are navigating the world together after the boy’s father has disappeared from their lives. Their sadness is depicted in their slumped bodies in front of a photograph featuring a faded image of the father positioned between the mother and the boy. When the mother decides they should take the father’s belongings to a second-hand store, she is mystified when they begin reappearing at home. This nostalgic tale uses a mix of sepia tones and bright colour for mood and emphasis, and suggests that what’s insignificant to some can have powerful meaning for others.

Picture book love: The tiger who came to tea

Liz / July 19, 2015 / Comments Off

Picture book love is a series of short picture book reviews, spanning old favourites on high rotation in our house, to newer releases/future classics.

The Tiger who came to tea by Judith Kerr (William Collins Sons & Co Ltd., 1968)

One day, young Sophie is visited by a tiger who eats and drinks everything in her house. Sophie and her parents are left with nothing, so head out to a café for dinner. They buy groceries in case the tiger returns, ‘But he never did’. The tiger could be seen as threatening, however this is countered by his impeccable manners and affection with Sophie. Sophie appears a trusting character, implied by illustrations of her offering cakes to the tiger, and clutching a tin of tiger food anticipating his return. The imagination and innocence of childhood is portrayed in this timeless classic that remains in print almost fifty years after publication.

More: Judith Kerr and the story behind The tiger who came to tea

Snapshots 27.2.15

Liz / February 27, 2015 / No Comments

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.

Weekend wanderings: Rosebery + Zetland

Liz / May 16, 2014 / No Comments

Coveting all the kids things at Koskela

Our latest weekend wander was around Sydney’s post-industrial (and still a bit industrial) inner southeast. Rosebery and Zetland (just south of Redfern) are home to some fantastic finds, from off the radar factory outlet stores to cool cafes and furniture designers. In a matter of metres you can shop for discounted Zimmermann clothes, then lunch at the latest outpost of Newtown’s famed Black Star Pastry (everything here is good, but we tried and loved the roast pork banh mi and the brownies – heavenly!).

Rosebery’s Black Star Pastry – bakery heaven

There’s more deliciousness on offer in Koskela’s inhouse cafe, Kitchen by Mike, in a huge warehouse conversion right next to Black Star. Koskela itself features an amazing edit of homewares, furniture, books and textiles by talented Australian designers, plus rotating art exhibits. Right now the colourful works of Melbourne artist Miranda Skoczek are brightening Koskela’s immense space (showing ’til 25 May – go!).

Miranda Skoczek’s vibrant paintings at Koskela

There’s also much to love and covet in the kids’ corner at Koskela, from the old school lockers to the wooden toys and colourful cushions. There’s a well-curated selection of picture books, featuring most of the CBCA 2014 shortlist and lots of crafty kid wares.

Koskela’s picture book edit

Venturing to next-door suburb Zetland, we also visited small contemporary art gallery Sullivan + Strumpf to see an exhibition by Japanese artist Hiromi Tango featuring installations bursting with colour – a 3D, abstract reflection of the inner self. It’s also on for a few more weeks and there’s an interesting group exhibition on the second level too, which we lost ourselves in for a while.

One of Hiromi Tango’s captivatingly colourful installations

This is but the tip of the Rosebery/Zetland iceberg – definitely an area of Sydney worth unearthing for food, coffee, art and shopping finds, design inspiration and repeat pastry-fests.

Where to wander:

Black Star Pastry: 85-113 Dunning Ave (cnr. Hayes Rd), Rosebery
Koskela/Kitchen by Mike: 1/85 Dunning Ave, Rosebery
Sullivan + Strumpf: 799 Elizabeth St, Zetland
Zimmermann Outlet: 2E Hayes Rd, Rosebery

Diary of a NaNoWriMo newbie – Part 3 (the aftermath)

Liz / December 5, 2013 / 2 Comments

The dust has settled on the month-long novel writing-fest that is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) – and… I finished!! The first couple of weeks weren’t too bad, but by week three I was stalling a little. If there’s one thing I learnt from participating in NaNo, it’s that consistency is key, and a little bit each and every day soon adds up to a lot. And if you stick to the doable word count each day without skipping a few, you won’t have any 7000 word days to get through (can I sleep now?!).

As for what my book is about – it’s a fictional foray into expatland in Southeast Asia, with the 20-something protagonist torn between life in Newtown with her ever-serious boyfriend, surrounded by friends who are starting to ‘settle down’, or heeding the call of a life of adventure, travel, exciting job prospects and potential new love against the backdrops of Thailand and Cambodia. I’m thinking it’s the literary lovechild of Emily Barr’s Backpack and Emily Maguire’s Fishing for Tigers(!) And that it also needs much, much work if it’s ever going to be seen by anybody at all…

Overall I loved the NaNoWriMo experience, as torturous as it felt at times. If you’re thinking of doing it next year, I would say go for it. It ultimately helps you develop a writing habit, and prove to yourself that you’re capable of churning out lengthy work, even if it’s not of the greatest quality – and a 1500 word essay or story will never seem daunting ever again.

Did you attempt NaNo? Here’s a few tips now it’s over:

– 7 things to do when NaNoWriMo is over

– 5 tips for NaNoWriMo: The post NaNo re-entry process

– 6 step program for life after NaNo

And finally, all is not lost on the ‘all things produced during NaNo are destined for the scrapheap’ idea. Here are 8 bestsellers started during National Novel Writing Month.