The Man Who Ate Lincoln Road

New Zealand journalist Steve Braunias can make a cabbage sound exciting just by looking at it and writing about what he sees. 

The New Zealand Herald journalist turns up at events - not often to cover the hard news angle of the story or the verdict of a court case. He's generally there to watch and write about everything else that's happening around him - eg how many times the lady in row three of the court public gallery sneezed and what she did while sneezing. 

And in his new book The Man Who Ate Lincoln Road he takes a similar approach.

In 2016 Braunias, a West Auckland resident, approached the New Zealand Herald and pitched the idea of going to and eating at all of the then 55 food joints on West Auckland's Lincoln Road and writing about his experiences each week. 

So this book is a collection of the pieces published in the New Zealand Herald but also includes some extra chapters as well as some great gems in the form of footnotes, albeit in tiny font, previously not published.

Braunias talks about the food he orders, the price of it and ranks each food joint.  He talks to other diners, sometimes the owners of the respective food joints and gives a bit of a social commentary on Lincoln Road - a road that most New Zealand cities and towns have.

If you like Braunias' other books, then you will love this book. However, be warned - you may feel like a hamburger and chips or some fried chicken after reading it.

Lucy's Book - A Delightful Book Journey

Beautiful illustrations - check, brilliant story - check, great message - check.
This book has to be at the top of any child's Must Read Book List. They say you can't judge a book by its cover. Well with this book you can.

When I pleaded with my husband to allow me to buy this book, he shook his head as to why a woman in her 40s, who doesn't have offspring, would want this book in her collection. My justification for the purchase was "Just look at that beautiful cover". My husband just shook his head again.

Along with the cover, every page is beautifully illustrated and there's lots to look at.

It is a wonderful story of Lucy and a book she loans from the library. The story follows the adventures of the book and its many readers but ultimately comes back to Lucy's love of this particular book. There is joy, sadness and a message around the importance of libraries and the lengths some will go to, to get their favourite book.

The book is written by author Natalie Jane Prior and illustrated by Cheryl Orsini, both Australians. Prior has a great little website too. Check it out at www.nataliejaneprior.com.

Can You Tolerate This?

When I first saw this book Can You Tolerate This? I will admit the cover didn't inspire me much. To be honest all I kept thinking of was that Friends episode when Joey appears at the door with a turkey on his head. Weird I know but that's all I kept thinking about.

I didn't buy the book but then people started talking about it. The guy in the bookshop talked about it, other book reviewers were writing about it and the author Ashleigh Young won $230,000 for writing it. So I thought it must be good. It is.

The book features a collection of 21 personal essays by the 33-year-old Wellington author and editor at Victoria University Press.

One of the essays/short stories features the unusual-looking jacket on the cover. It's a long piece but gives a great insight into the author's family. I won't give away any more spoilers.

I learnt more about Katherine Mansfield's childhood home in Wellington - a place Young managed for a year. I loved her piece about spending time at an unveiling and her observations while there. I never thought I'd get much out of reading about her visit to the chiropractor but that piece stopped me in my tracks.

Recommended reading and if you want more after reading this, Ashleigh Young has a great blog at www.eyelashroaming.com.

My Fave Fictional Character

I used to hate the question - who is your favourite fictional character from a book? It was probably because I didn't used to read much fiction and the only answer I could come up with was Tigger from Winnie the Pooh fame.

But now I have an answer, I don't mind the question.  My favourite fictional character from a book is Marie Sharp - a character created by Newspaper Agony Aunt aka English writer Virginia Ironside. I stumbled across Virginia Ironside's books while browsing the fiction shelves at our local library in Rotorua where I live.

Virginia Ironside has now written four books starring Marie Sharp - an older version perhaps of Bridget Jones, which on reflection, is actually also another fave fictional character. Virgina Ironside's books include No, I Don't Want to Join a Book Club, No, I Don't Need Reading Glasses, Yes, I Can Manage, Thank You and her latest No Thanks! I'm Quite Happy Standing which was released last year.

I've read all four, the first three courtesy of the library and the fourth I ordered from Amazon almost as soon as it left the printers.

The books take Marie Sharp through her 60s. She lives alone, well she has boarders and an ex-husband and a grandson who visits. Each book is written in diary format and covers a year in Marie Sharp's life. In No Thanks! I'm Quite Happy Standing Marie is 69, has to deal with a new lodger/boarder, her home being burgled, a sick cat and work out how to use her new purchase - an iPhone.

She also learns to cope with her grandson not wanting to stay as often now he's growing up and she takes a trip to India. On every page, there is something to laugh about. I keep checking the Internet, ever hopeful there will be a fifth book of tales from the life of Marie Sharp to read about. Highly recommended reading!

A Room Full of Words

"Hi, is that Ruth? I'm Abbey, I'm just calling up about the Rotorua Scrabble Club. Are you guys meeting tomorrow?"
"Hi Abbey, yes it's on tomorrow. Are you thinking about coming along?"
"Yeah I am. I love Scrabble and I've often thought about heading along but I've always been working."
"When you arrive you will be given a list of 2-letter words and a list of 3-letter words. If you join up we will give you other lists [containing bigger words with 4 letters or more]."
"Okay thanks, I will see you tomorrow"
"See you Abbey, look forward to seeing you there.''
That was my introduction to the Rotorua Scrabble Club. Ruth sounded nice and I thought I may as well go along. I love Scrabble.
So this morning I got up on time and had breakfast. I was thinking I don't want to go. What happens if I lose? I'm nervous. I used to be a journalist and was quite content to rock up anywhere (mostly) and chat to people but for some reason I was nervous. I guess it's that fear of meeting new people. No I'm going to do this. I'd been to an arts gathering the night before where I didn't really know anyone and no one ate me.
I drove to Parksyde, a venue built in Rotorua originally for the older generation but I know for a fact that people of all ages actually meet there. I arrive at 8.55am. Scrabble starts at 9am. There doesn't seem to be anyone around. Maybe I'll leave and no one will notice. I ask a man where the Scrabblers are as he points to a room at the other end of the complex. A lady follows me. "Are you going to Scrabble?''
"Ahh yes I am."
She points in the direction of the other Scrabblers. There are about 18 or so there and Scrabble Boards, each set up on small Lazy Susans - a round table which spins.  I scan the room and recognise one or two faces. A warm and caring looking lady looks at me and smiles. "Are you Abbey?" "Are you Ruth?'' we almost say in unison.
After some pleasantries, they pair me up with Val - she is a relief teacher. I recognise her surname from my years as a journo. We talk briefly but then it's all eyes down and time for play. Yes I lose but this lady is an English teacher who plays Scrabble A LOT! Oh well.
It's 10am - morning tea time and we all wander to another room - the cafe part of Parksyde.
We sit at two long tables. I meet a lady from Paengaroa who comes over every week for Scrabble and she asks me what I do. I give my usual line "I'm in between jobs at the moment". We chat and she is very encouraging. So are the other ladies around her. It's very relaxed and no one's trying to brag about themselves. It's like "this is me, you can take me or leave me but I'm happy with me''.
The lady from Paengaroa looks at her watch. "We better be getting back to Scrabble''. I play two more games - one against a lady whose name I can't remember and a lady called Wendy who congratulates me on pronouncing her surname correctly. As the morning draws closer to the end - midday, Ruth, who I've watched as she played two games simultaneously, sits down next to me.
"What did you think of today?" she asks.
"Yeah it was great. I lost all three games but never mind"
"Do you think you will come back next week?''
"Yeah as long as I don't have a job.''
"Great, see you next week then,'' says Ruth. We all should be thankful for people in our communities like Ruth.
I'm looking forward to seeing her again next Thursday and getting those lists of bigger words.


  

What I learnt from The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen

This has to be my favourite book of 2016. It has to be one of my favourite books of all time to be fair. It's funny, thought provoking and it made me want to be part of the Old But Not Dead Club. Well, it at least made retirement homes more appealing.

If I have the group of friends that Hendrik has when I'm at his age and I get to do some of the fun stuff his club does I think I will be content.

At first glance I thought this was a true story - a memoir of an old man living in a retirement home in Holland. It is not. It is a fictional tale of a year in the life of Hendrik Groen, about the hum drum of life in a retirement home but also about how he goes about making life more exciting for himself and others around him, setting up the Old But Not Dead Club and organising regular outings with other residents.

The book is written in diary format. I laughed. I cried and I reflected on what life could be like as an older person in a retirement home.

I am so looking forward to the second book when Hendrik is 85. I've seen the Dutch version of the book but the English translation is not out for a few months yet.