Clearing up the review books

I currently have only 7 books waiting for review from NetGalley. They were all given to me as eBooks in exchange for honest reviews. My NetGalley ratio is 94 percent - for those of you who do not use NetGalley, they recommend keeping your ratio of books received to books read above 80 percent. So I'm doing fine, but of those 7 books there are 4 that I should have reviewed already, and I've been a bit stuck. None of them are my usual fiction, they are a variety of non fiction and one example of "why did I request this when I knew I would have to review it" situations.

So here are my reviews, in publication date order:

The Shortest History of Democracy by John Keane.

The Shortest History series is the opposite of the Object Lessons Series. Objects Lessons takes a very narrow topic and, in a very short book, drills down into it often including an element of memoir or gonzo journalism. The Shortest History series cover really large topics, in relatively short volumes. In this case short is 277 pages. I really struggled to engage with this book, but I don't know if it was the broadness of the topic, my attention span this winter, or that the review book was only available through the NetGalley app - not able to be read on Kindle. I would not have requested it if I have realised that, since I really don't read well on my tablet. Which is all to say that I didn't finish it, but I don't really think it's the book's fault.

Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 8

I read erotica, but I don't really want to talk about it. Why did I request this book? Because I wanted to read it. In private, if you know what I mean. Did I enjoy it? Yes, some stories more than others. That's what I like about these types of anthologies - variety, discovering new authors and having some fun. But I still don't want to talk about it on the internet.

Nourishing Vegan Everyday by Amy Lanza

I'm not vegan, but I would like to eat less meat. This book is beautifully presented and has a range of dishes for breakfast, lunch dinner and celebrations. It's straightforward enough, some of the ideas are inspiring, and some I have come across before. This book is a good resource.

Fit Nation, by Natalie Petrezella

I first came across Natalie through a podcast she did about the Chippendales, and then I followed her on Instagram and signed up for her mailing list, so i was thrilled to receive an Advanced reader Copy of this book, and it did not disappoint. Petrezela approaches her topic with a gender, class and privilege at the forefront of her research. This book is accesable, sympathetic and most of all - interesting.

Now I'm all caught up. I have three more books (two novels and one Object Lesson) outstanding from NetGalley. hopefully I will find some more review books, because I do enjoy being a reviewer.

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Linky Wednesday - the one with the pause

In meditation it's said that the pause between the in breath and the out breath is a gap, a space to rest. Well, I'm in that in-between space for reading, listening and knitting. This is a random photo of a highlight of my week - I filled up my lolly jar. These are just supermarket party mix. During the lockdowns, we sources a great pick-and-mix delivery service, but at some point they started sending from the UK, which is a bit silly. Rachey messaged me a new one she found, and I impulsed purchased a kilo of mixed lollies, and then she sent me a link to the biggest lolly shop in Melbourne, which also delivers sweets by the kilogram, so i think I'm sorted for the rest of the year! In reading I've just finished The Beckoning Lady by Margery Allingham . It's the second last book in the Summer of Mystery, and I have to admit, having now read nine Margery Allingham books, that they are OK. I wouldn't have read them if they were not connected to this club, but on...

Geogradiant MKAL Part 1 - that was unexpected (spoilers)

Stephen West released the first MKAL clue on Thursday night. I started knitting it without looking at spoilers. When I got up on Friday he had sent through an "alternative" clue one. I then went and had a look at the spoiler thread to try to work out what was going on. Which was that some people thought the pattern looked like a "German hate symbol". I knit on anyway, since I was half-way through. Then he took down the original clue, replacing it with a mitred square in garter stitch. The Ravelry forums and Instagram are a complete shit-show, even though Rav is being moderated. It's been a bit disheartening, having something that is usually quite light and fun weighed down with all this. I admire Stephen's quick and sensitive response to this drama. I also feel that anything can look like anything if you squint. To me this looks like a Celtic knot. I think mine is pretty, and I'll knit on through all crises.

Unravelled Wednesday - the one where it's ordinary

This week I finished my first book for the 2025 When Are You Reading? Challenge , which was The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker , which covered the pre 1200 time period. I loved it, it's a retelling of the siege of Troy from a feminist perspective. I haven't worked out what I'm reading for the 1200-1399 time period. Suggestions are welcome. I'm currently reading Central Station by Lavie Tidhar , which is science fiction set in a future Tel-Aviv. It's good, but there are loads of characters and I'm not overly invested. Although at least I'm having no problems telling the characters apart, they are very district. I just don't overly care what happens to them. I'm listening to a NetGalley review copy of Mona Acts Out by Mischa Berlinski , which is the story of a woman unravelling. It's very different from Mischa's other books, but quite compelling. I'm not sure what's next, probably something from Kobo-Plus, perhaps Regrets...

What I made, by Sharon

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