quiet paws.

There are so many benefits to shopping at charity opportunity shops. Firstly, of course is being able to contribute direct monetary assistance to the charities and humanitarian organisations that these shops support. Secondly, these stores are the ultimate in fashionable and practicable recycling. All too often we seem to throw away perfectly good items in the rubbish – I think it is much better to pass them on to another potential user – whether that person be someone in need, or someone like me who would happily pay for your unwanted goods at a charity store. Lastly, there are some amazing bargains to be found – you can be lucky enough to pick up something very special, or at the very least pick up something with a bit of character.

I picked up this great pair of black Melissa Stilettos designed by the Campana Brothers with an original retail price of $110 for the bargain price of $15. I know some of you may think, ’secondhand shoes…gross!’ But being plastic designer shoes I figure they wouldn’t have had too much chance to absorb any grossness, and in any case these look just like new. They have turned out to be one of my MOST comfortable pairs of heels.

I always feel badly for orphaned or neglected books, particularly when those books are of a pretty good quality. I sifted my way through the bargain book table and came away with this interesting mix of books (some of which I’ve read before, some of which I’m yet to read). Honestly how could anyone say no to 3 books for $1?

My most expensive recent charity purchase was this privacy screen (an item I’ve been wanting for a very long time) for $75. Most of the three panel screens I’ve seen for retail sale are quite expensive and are of questionable quality. This one has a really interesting design (which you unfortunately can’t see in this photo) and has the added bonus of being four panels. With a change of fabric and a coat of paint I think it will be just perfect.

I can’t wait to see what treasures I’ll uncover at my next visit!

Presented in no particular order of significance or importance, here are books sixteen to twenty on my bookshelf of inspiration:

1. Pleasure by Nikki Gemmell - This is a beautiful book with a gorgeous layout, containing thought-provoking words and stories which are from the heart and yet bluntly delivered. There is much loveliness to enjoy here, and like a very close friend it is able to deliver that which you most need to hear, whether that is what you wanted to hear or not. 
2. Familiar Studies by RL Stevenson - I love the small presentation of this book, the fact that it is second-hand and holds such appeal in its knocked about hard cover and age-stained pages. Collections of essays take up quite a lot of space on my bookshelves as I find them the most interesting way to learn more about admired authors or to think more on a particular topic. Here Stevenson speaks of Victor Hugo’s romances, discusses Robert Burns and shares thoughts on Thoreau’s character and opinions.
3. Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote - Probably the most recent addition to my ‘books of inspiration’, this was the first Truman Capote book I’ve read and it really opened my eyes to his talent (and has since led me to open more of his books). I love how he creates flawed characters which you can’t help but love, or at the very least, characters you want to know more of. Without this book I would not know of ‘the mean reds’ as opposed to suffering from ‘the blues’ and that would be a very great shame indeed. 
4. How To Be Idle  by Tom Hodgkinson - Contrary to the thoughts of many, being idle does not necessarily mean being lazy. This book describes itself as being a ‘manifesto for living’, and I wholeheartedly concur. Hodgkinson presents the ways in which we can reclaim our right to take control of our lives against the demands and busyness of  modern society. While this is at times a funny book, I resent the fact that it is often presented for sale in the ‘humour’ section of bookstores as it actually presents serious ideas and philosophies. 
5. Out of Sight by Elmore Leonard - This was the first Elmore Leonard book that I read and I have to say that I’ve been hooked ever since. His writing is clipped and succinct and yet he still manages to say so much. This is the story of Deputy US Marshal Karen Sisco and her relationship with bank robber Jack Foley, and was later adapted for the screen in a film featuring Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney. Set against disturbing insights to the seedier, crime-filled side of the streets, I am in complete awe of Leonard’s ability to build chemistry between unlikely characters. Sexy, fascinating and completely absorbing, there is little more to ask for in a really great story.

Presented in no particular order of significance or importance, here are books eleven to fifteen on my bookshelf of inspiration:

1. The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald - I first encountered this book at high school for an English assignment, and have pretty much loved it and Fitzgerald ever since. Gatsby, Daisy and Nick illuminated the world of the ‘roaring twenties’ for me. Fitzgerald presents these characters in an ultimately tragic story which lurks beneath the surface of all the glitz and glamour. Forever more I have found myself believing in the green light.
2. The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton - Again this is another that I haven’t read through in completeness (yet), but it’s one that I read from on the odd occasion. I am a very big reader of Alain de Botton and I absolutely adore his friendly, conversational writing tone and the way he cleverly delivers philosophical ideas in an entertaining (and pop culture friendly) way. This book contains input from a range of famous ‘travellers’  such as Flaubert, Wordsworth, Van Gogh and Ruskin who were inspired by travel. While I haven’t travelled too much yet, I hope to soon and I find this book inspires just for being what it is.
3. Walden by Henry David Thoreau - I have spoken on the site about my love of this book, time and time again and probably at much length, but I really can’t help myself. This is a soulmate book. I connect with this book in so many different ways, and often reflect on Thoreau’s thoughtful words. If there was one book to carry with me always, this would be it. I love it so, and as we know, ‘true love lasts a lifetime’. 
4. The Music of Chance by Paul Auster - This is a strange, wonderful, completely fantastic book which I’m still thinking about a couple of years after I first read it. The characters are slightly ‘off’ and the situations they find themselves in are almost unbelievable, and yet Auster’s words make anything possible. 
5. Footsteps: Adventures of a Romantic Biographer by Richard Holmes - As mentioned earlier in my book listing, I love a good outdoorsy walking adventure with a literary cast, and this book is no exception. Holmes retraces the steps of Robert Louis Stevenson’s journey through the Cevennes. Holmes is a wonderful biographer, he has an ear for an entertaining story and is adept at connecting the present with the past, bringing a cast of real-life characters expertly to life. This is wonderful, wonderful stuff and inspires as much with its words as with its content.

Presented in no particular order of significance or importance, here are books six to ten on my bookshelf of inspiration:

1. Page after Page by Heather Sellers - There are countless writing guides available, but often they leave me feeling a little flat and more likely not to write than before I started reading them. Not this book though. I recognised much of myself amongst these pages and more importantly feel like I have actually gained something from reading it. A book to turn to from time to time for some positive feedback or a gentle push.
2. Flaubert’s Parrot by Julian Barnes - This is a multi-layered book which has it turning from a literary biography, to an analysis of language, to a story of obsession, to a thrilling mystery and a thoughtful examination of the meaning of fiction. This is a real adventure of a read which had me moving from here to there, before I even had a chance to think about where I was going. A legendary storyteller.
3. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf - This is a day-in-the-life-of tale to end all day-in-the-life-of tales. Woolf is elegant and perfectly balanced in her use of stream-of-consciousness storytelling technique. This story is warm and real. It feels like it was ever so simple to put down on paper the thoughts which run through a person’s head on any given day … when of course it is anything but.
4. After Dark by Haruki Murakami - This book drifts between and across reality and through to another dream world. I love the use of a ‘real-time’ timeline, with events unfolding from late one evening. As ever with any Murakami tale, there is an eclectic mix of strange and wonderful characters who each have a direct or indirect role to play in eachother’s lives. Like Auster, Murakami messes up my brain in a really, really good way. I never know whether I ever really understand where he’s taken me in his stories, but that seems strangely less important than going on the journey.
5. The Princess Bride by William Goldman - Who can go past the tale of Buttercup and Westley? Well certainly not me. A classic book which is often described as having everything (and it’s probably true). Where else will you find fencing, fighting, kidnapping, romance, true love, giants, beautiful women, beautiful men, pain, death, resurrection, passion and revenge (to mention just a few of the themes)? Wonderfully funny and charming writing combined with an irresistible tale. 

Presented in no particular order of significance or importance, here are books one to five on my bookshelf of inspiration:

1. Possession by AS Byatt - I love the blending, contrast and overlap between historical and modern fiction. The story moves quickly and as it does the two main characters unravel clues and embark on a great literary adventure to unlock the mysteries of the past. The romance between the two modern characters grows, as the secret relationship between the two lovers of the past is brought to light. This book is a great demonstration of the successful intersection of plotlines across time. A lot of people hated the film adaptation of this book, but I thought it had its charms.
2. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion - Death and the nature of grief are topics that I often reflect on. We all love and unfortunately we all have to face the loss of those we love. Too often grief is treated as something people are expected to just ‘deal with’ and that they should ‘move on’ with their life. This is a powerful book which deals with the reality of life and the tragedy which is found within it. 
3. A Scandalous Life by Mary S Lovell - The story of Jane Digby in the hands of Mary Lovell had me completely absorbed and utterly enchanted. The book leaves me satisfied and yet hungry to know more of Jane and her entirely extraordinary and wondrous life. A heartbreaking, inspiring, romantic and fascinating tale.
4. The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster - A master of building worlds within worlds and stories within stories, this volume clearly demonstrates his incredible talent. The stories collected here springboard from traditional detective stories into something more wonderful and more indefinable. He creates linkages and connections to people, places and plots which in theory should not be possible. What can I say? Paul Auster messes with my head and I love it.
5. An Inland Voyage by RL Stevenson - I haven’t actually read this book through in completeness (yet), but I often flick through the pages and read a passage here and there. Stevenson has a wonderfully ‘real’ way of writing that puts you in the moment along with him. I’m also a complete sucker for walking adventures with a literary bent, so this tale has me donning my metaphorical hiking shoes. Also something tickles me about the idea of undertaking ‘an inland voyage’ … going on a voyage of one’s self.

So I have a lot of books, probably too many. I’m currently in the process of trying to cull the collection of any unnecessary, never-turned-to books … a process which has been an interesting experience to say the least. As part of all this book sorting, I’ve been moving books around between bookcases and re-connecting with books which have some sort of significance.

In an effort to gain daily inspiration, I’ve cleaned off the shelf above my computer and put together a gathering of special books which I could never, would never … ever … ever, get rid of.

So here they are (in no particular order of relevance) … Over the coming days I’ll discuss the reasons why these particular books are important to me and why they have earned their place in my bookshelf ‘hall of fame’.

In ‘People of the Book’ Geraldine Brooks speaks to the reader through the experiences of Dr Hanna Heath, an Australian expert in the conservation of medieval manuscripts. Receiving a phone call in the early hours of the morning, Hanna finds out that not only has the ancient Hebrew prayer book, the Sarajevo Haggadah reappeared, but also that she has been recommended for the restoration job.

Created in medieval Spain, the Haggadah was prized as much for its beauty as for its unusual inclusion of lavish illustrations at a time when Jewish belief was strongly against the making of images. Its unexpected survival across the centuries and the fact that no conservator had handled the manuscript for a century, raises so many fascinating questions that Hanna cannot resist the call to answer them. In this way a literary mystery is born, stretching throughout the world and across time.

After introducing Hanna to us in Sydney in 1996 at the time of the Haggadah’s recovery, Brooks whisks the reader away to Sarajevo. Here we uncover more about the techniques of book conservation, the dramatic and violent history of the Jewish culture, current European conflicts, and gain insight into Hanna’s often strained relationship with her mother. This is an ambitious amount of ground to cover in the introductory chapters, and at times the push to bring the reader up to speed on all these things threatens to overtake the overall pace of the plot. While we learn about Hanna through her internal dialogue, her interactions with others, and the obvious dedication she applies to her work, it takes some time to really get comfortable with her character. She does become more believable as the story moves forward, and perhaps just like the methods used to authenticate and restore a book, the process of unlocking hidden secrets cannot be rushed.

From here the plot unfolds in interesting fashion, with Brooks travelling us backwards in time to the birth of the Haggadah, with regular visits back to Hanna’s analysis in 1996. From Sarajevo in 1940, to Vienna in1894 and 1609, to Tarragona in 1492, until we arrive at the start of all things, Seville in 1480, the reader is immersed in the dramatic and often tragic lives of those who are touched by the book. The only difficulty with this movement backwards and forwards through geographical locations and different periods throughout history is that it can be difficult to keep track of where you are in relation to the prior period and to remember the interactions and linkages between characters which often stretch across the ages.

Brooks immerses us so completely in the lives of those who have a role in protecting and in making the Haggadah that it is frustrating to be cut off from them at the end of each chapter. Perhaps this is just reader greed, but it is always a bittersweet position to be left wanting more, especially given the intervening gaps that Brooks deliberately leaves in the life of the book. Just like those who came before, even Hanna’s personal story is impacted by her work with the book. As she works to solve the mystery of the Haggadah by unlocking the clues left by its previous handlers, she finds her own life is served with equal measures of drama and joy.

This is a wonderfully ambitious and completely captivating novel. Geraldine Brooks is most obviously a highly skilled author, capable of enticing the reader with a swirling, heady fragrance of words that envelopes and enfolds as we enter the rich world she creates. ‘People of the Book’ reminds us that beauty and art have the ability to transcend cultural differences, survive the violent passage of human history, and connect us all across the wide divide of time.

With the end of 2007 and the start of 2008 I thought it appropriate to reflect on some of the last things that I did in 2007. So without further ado…the last:

CD I Purchased – Rain on Lens (Smog)

Movie I Watched – The Darjeeling Limited

Dinner – Curry Lentil Pie and Roast Potatoes

Breakfast – Buttered Raisin Toast and Soy Flat White (in a mug)

Book I Purchased – Heart is A Lonely Hunter (Carson McCullers)

Book I Finished Reading – One Hundred Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)

DVD I Purchased – Marie Antoinette

Live Music Event I Went to – Nick Cave (Solo) and Grinderman

Chocolate Bar – Fry’s Turkish Delight

Beauty can sometimes be found in complexity, in intricate twists and turns, and hidden messages. In rarer, yet often more stunning fashion, true beauty can be found without so much effort…It simply exists. It shines in an indescribable way and with an unconcerned sense of self.

It is in looking at the true essence of something that we can learn so much about the world and our place within it. As the layers peel away to reveal the delicate inner core, there is a real sense of connection with something fundamental, something real.

Art in all its forms can reveal something pure and unashamedly unique, whether that be in print, image, dance or song. Elmore Leonard does this with words, Bill Callahan does this with song and Andrew Zuckerman does this with photography.

A recent addition to my ever expanding collection of photographic books is Andrew Zuckerman’s sublime ‘Creature’. Often animal photography swings between extremes – from sickly sweet and painstakingly posed, to stock standard portraiture that lacks in style and substance. Thankfully Zuckerman is a freakishly talented artist with the ability to transcend all such problems.

With each animal shot against a startling white background, the uncluttered, unpretentious photographs allow the viewer to enter into a visual dialogue and peer through a hidden window into the creature world. In inviting us into their world, Zuckerman lets the animals simply speak for themselves.

With his collection of subjects ranging from lions, to bears, elephants and leopards, this book is a visual feast for all animal lovers. The detail and clarity captured by Zuckerman is startling and inspirational, leaving the eyes hungry for more. He is everything I would ever want to be as a photographer.

If clean lines and pared back photographic imagery is your thing, then Creature is the book for you. Aside from Creature, Zuckerman does a lot of other pretty amazing things with his photography, so some time spent at his website is well worth the visit.

The music of chance does not always sing with clear voice or charm us with an obvious melody. It is however impossible to resist its call or deny the impact that random events and chance encounters have on our lives. Paul Auster is a master at dealing in the mystery and intrigue associated with ‘cause and effect’ connections. He speaks to readers with clear voice and crisply formed prose that flow in thrilling fashion.

In ‘The Music of Chance’ unbeknownst to the main character Jim Nashe, we become silent witnesses to a significant turning point in his life. With him we experience the strongest feelings of a life lived without constraint or permanency, but also discover how quickly this freedom can slip away.

Authors like Auster who have the capacity to raise questions beyond the immediate words on the page, are a rare and wondrous breed. Even now some time after reading ‘The Music of Chance’, many questions still come to mind:

What is freedom? Who should we trust? What do we cling to in the darkest hours? Should we always hope for a better future?

Auster is equally compelling and challenging, working his unique magic with words in a style that immediately grabs attention. He plays with shifting timelines and his characters perceptions of self and identity. Through Auster’s deft hand we are reminded that a series of singular events may not of themselves be of much consequence. Rather, it is the timing of these events in relation to eachother that can push an individual to the brink.

An unexpected windfall…
However unfortunate the circumstances, a financial inheritance is generally viewed as a blessing, and on the surface the same goes for Jim Nashe. With his financial gain he is able to buy the illusion of freedom, setting himself on a directionless course as he searches for something to make meaning of himself and his life in this world.

So there is Nashe – just a man, his car and a truckload of cash…surely life cannot be more free of attachment or responsibility? Of course if you rest too long in any place, the world of social connections threatens to pull you back into the fold of normalcy. As tempting as a return to stability sometimes appears to Nashe, for him it is not to be. Nashe has no choice but to react to the whim of a universe which appreciates the irony of unsynchronised events.

A roadside encounter…
Without constant positive attention money will not last forever. With Nashe’s funds dwindling to alarming levels a crisis point is fast approaching. A palpable sense of dreadful desperation lingers in the air. In one last hurrah Nashe finds himself winding through country back roads bound ultimately for New York. While driving he notices a man walking beside the road and sensing the man is in trouble, stops to offer him a lift. It is in this way that Jim Nashe meets a young man who has seen better days, Jack Pozzi.

A hopeful pact…
For different reasons the men are both driven by the need for money, seeing it as the way to reach the life they want to be living. Being the sharp poker player that he is, Pozzi just happens to have a big poker game on his horizon, the only problem being that he no longer has enough cash to deal in. Lucky for him that fate had him cross paths with Nashe, a man looking to turn his shrinking inheritance around.

Agreeing to become partners and split the winnings, Nashe and Pozzi set off to the biggest game of their lives, against a couple of ‘just-begging-to-be-fleeced’ billionaires, Flower and Stone. The future of Nashe and Pozzi hangs in the balance and will be decided by a simple game of cards…fiction does not get more nail biting than this.

As in all his works Auster places his characters under the microscope, exposing their flaws and strengths in sometimes gritty detail. However like a stranger met in life, the full picture is never revealed; certainly things left unsaid are just as much part of the Paul Auster experience as those which are written. With ‘The Music of Chance’ Auster presents a voyeuristic thrill ride that will leave readers gasping for breath at times, but certainly asking for more.