Anniversary of my father's death

Sunday 28 June is the second anniversary of my father's death.

This is one of my favourite photos of him taken when he was in the Australian Air Force in WWII.

Knitting

Occasionally especially in winter I like to knit. Two years ago on 28 June 2007 my darling father died as the result of a massive heart attack. My mother was not well and was in hospital for about 4 months after Dad's death. I used to visit her nearly every day and started knitting beanies while sitting with her. Eventually Mum even knitted 2 beanies. I gave one of these to my beautiful niece, Helen, who was a wonderful support. I kept the other one for myself as a memento of something that Mum made.

I have since made XX beanies and these will be sent to Knitting for Brisbane's Needy. This group make and distribute knitted and other items to charities who give them to people in Brisbane who need these things. This group have made and distributed 22 000 items since 2006.

My favourite books

I have enjoyed Kate Morton's books. Kate is an author from Paddington, Brisbane, who has received world recognition for her first novel, Shifting fog. I preferred her 2nd novel Forgotten garden. I particularly enjoyed reading about Paddington in Brisbane but loved the tale also. This novel won the General Fiction Book of the Year at the Australian Book Industry Awards 2009. Sh is currently working on her new novel The Distant Hours, which is set in world war two England and will be published in 2010.

I do not usually like Gothic books but The shadow of the wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon is one of the most captivating books that I have read. I was browsing in Dymocks bookshop and a woman who was also browsing told me that this was the best book she had ever read. I picked it up and thought that I'd give it a go. I think I liked it because it was about books - especially the "cemetry of forgotten books".

I am about to begin his latest, The angels game.

Another novel that I enjoyed was the Thirteenth tale by Diane Setterfield.

In recent times I have read the Persimmon Tree by Bryce Courtenay and A singular hostage by Thalassa Ali.

I am now reading The gang of four by Liz Byrski.

I have just purchased the Book lover's journal which I will be using to keep a record of really really good books that I have read. What a fantastic idea!

I have recently discovered Robyn Lee Burrows and Australian author whose novels I have really enjoyed.