Hello, friend! Hope you’ve had a great week!
Not sure if you noticed, but Halloween haunted us on Thursday! Do you dress up and do the whole “Hello stranger, here is a chocolate treat” dance when your neighbours knock on your door on Halloween?
Living in Australia, I’m never sure if we’re going to get ‘the knock’. One of my greatest fears is having people I hardly know feel slightly disappointed in me - so I’m always scared someone will come by and ask for a Mars Bar. Well not ‘always’ … just on Halloween.
Now that the goblins and ghosties are sated for another year, it must be time to seriously start thinking about the magical old man that demands cookies and milk in December! Don’t count the sleeps til Christmas, it will just stress you out.
But do start making cookies … and port-soak a sultana or two.
Fishbird Catch of the Week
We post twice a week on Fishbird Central. This week’s catch included:
9 Books to Read in November 2024 - Monthly TBR
I love picking books for a new monthly TBR! Carefully selecting titles that have been clamouring for attention, and putting them on my book cart. In this post, I choose 9 books to prioritise reading in November. What would your first pick be? If you’re not able, or not inclined to read all of them along with me - why not just grab a copy of the Fishbird Book Club pick this month “Outback” by Patricia Wolf! This Aussie thriller is Book One in the DS Walker series, and promises to be an edge-of-your-seat read!
Check out the latest post here - 9 Books to Read in November - Monthly TBR!
Santa Claus Book List - Christmas Ninja!
We know we’re getting to the pointy end of the year, which means naughty/nice lists and postage back and forth to the North Pole. In order to ingratiate yourself with Saint Nick and win a few elf-points this year, why not join us on our Santa Claus Book List Reading Challenge. We’ve picked 10 books with titles that spell out the name ‘Santa Claus’ so we can festive-ninja our way into Santa’s heart. Pretty sure that’s how it works.
Check out the latest post here - Santa Claus Book List - Christmas Ninja!
Wooing Santa With a Christmas Chicken
I’ve been missing making time for daily art, so have given myself homework of doing art each day in November! Everyone knows that nothing makes a hobby more fun than making it into homework!
Some of you may be waiting to see another sketch for my ‘100 Sketchy Faces Challenge’ - and bless you. However, I regret to inform you that whenever I sit down to sketch lately, a chicken pops out instead.
But really, what says ‘Christmas’ more than a chicken? Nothing, am I right?! (don’t answer that).
So to use up all these chickens, I’ve begun listing some new Christmas related chicken greeting cards on my Redbubble shopfront. Please feel free to head over and do some early festive shopping if the mood takes you. Tell your friends! I hear they love chickens too!
Quick Fire Wrap Up
Currently Reading: ‘The Secret of Crickley Hall’ by James Herbert. Crickley Hall is an unusually large house on the outskirts of the village at the bottom of Devil's Cleave, and is the stuff of local legend. Old houses do make sounds … and it's constantly cold. And even though they shut the cellar door every night, it's always open again in morning … but I’m sure everything is fine.
Currently Watching: Nothing special - which is a boring answer, I know. I sat down to choose something from one of our 843 streaming platforms last night, and got choice paralysis. When that happens I default back to watching people read books on the internet, or do their grocery shopping. Soothing.
Currently Wondering: If I really should have counted all the books I physically own. It’s a lot. New goal unlocked - read the stack down to 50 books. I’ll see you all in 2 years.
Wishes for the Week
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead, friend!
The sun is shining, and I have it on good authority that it’s shining for you! Take yourself out for a nice lunch today, pat a tree and celebrate how wonderful you are. There’s only one you - and you’re doing a really good job at it!
Stay cool, punks.
‘Behind every living room couch, exists approximately 253 unread books. And an empty Mars Bar wrapper.’ - Jane Goodall (probably)
Jen x