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Tales from the Farm in Tasmania

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Month: November 2018

The Break by Marian Keyes

Marian Keyes versus Colm Toibin

November 22, 2018

 I’ve read a lot of literary fiction and commercial fiction in my reading life, and there’s a constant narrative in my head about the relative merits of the two, and whether there should even be a distinction. I’ve just read Marian Keyes’ latest novel The Break and wrote a review of it for Goodreads, and … More Marian Keyes versus Colm Toibin

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The Hot Seat at City Park Radio Launceston with Fiona Stocker and Chris Sayer

The Hot Seat on City Park Launceston

November 15, 2018

If I have one goal in life it’s to appear on the legendary BBC Radio 4 program Desert Island Discs. For fifty years, the Beeb has been casting celebs and other notables away to a hypothetical desert island, on a weekly basis. As aids to survival, they must choose the eight music tracks they will … More The Hot Seat on City Park Launceston

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Want to read more by Fiona Stocker?

Buy the heart-warming and hilarious travel book set in Tasmania, Apple Island Wife – available in paperback and e-book.

Apple Island Wife - Slow Living in Tasmania, by Fiona Stocker, in paperback and ebook.

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“Compulsive reading for anyone who has ever thought they are not living the life they should!”

Steven Lamb, River Cottage

“Fiona Stocker is funny. Very funny. She also has an eye for the telling little details. I just loved this book.” 

Pip Courtney, ABC Landline

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Start the week tidily, that’s my motto. (No it’s not). . . . . Tidy desk or messy desk, what sort of creative type are you? . . . . . #whereiwrite #atmydesk #desksetup #writersdesk #amwriting #aussiebookstagrammer #writersofinstagram #writerlife #writers_den_ #writerlife #authorsofinstagram #authorlife #tidyup
Do you write in books? Reading this copy of Susan Hill’s book Howard’s End Is On The Landing, a book about books and reading, I came across this page with thus line drawing of a dog. Very bizarre. I wondered if the person’s dog was sitting in front of them and they wanted to capture it, and this page was the only paper they had to hand without getting up and disturbing the dog. ✏️ . . . Earlier in the book, Hill says she often writes notes in margins. I’ve done that, and I’ve also done word counts of chapters or short stories and scribbled ‘100’ ‘200’ and so on in pencil. But only in my own books!! This was a library book!! What’s your view on this? Is it part of the life of a paperback and a casual documenting of a moment in time? Or shameless defacing? . . . . . #readallthebooks #bookgeek #alwaysreading #readersofinstagram #bookphoto #readinglife #bookstagram #bookworm #booksbooksbooks #authorsofinstagram #authorlife #writersofig #ilovebooks #bookworm #openbook #books #read #aussiebookstagrammer #bookrecommendations #bookdiscussion #susanhill #onmydesk #writersdesk #booksaboutbooks #literature #nonfiction #nonfictionbooks #igreaders #librarybooks
Charlie is conserving energy for the weekend. Very wise. 🐈 Mine will include a boat trip, a market stall, a picnic by the river, a teenager’s party (thank god I’m just dropping off not attending) And writing a letter to someone who has lost a loved one. . . . . . #curlupwithagoodbook #wordsofcomfort #catswhoread #catsofinsta #readingcat #readingcompanion #aquietstyle #aquietplace #capturequiet #lovetoread #bookloversofinstagram #bibliophilelife #booksinbed #bookworms #alwaysreading #readersofinstagram #bookphoto #bookaholic #bookaddicts #warmandcozy #readmorebooks #readingspot
Sunday was a fun day. I went on an Instameet, my second (I went on my first a couple of years ago in order to find out what an Instameet was) This one was a top day out in the company of some photographers, influencers and content creators, during which we were hosted at two wineries, a brewery and an alpaca farm in my valley, a tourism hotspot. And I got to be a bona fide member of the digital economy for a day 😁 Oh, the hardship 🍷🍓💐☕️ I took my camera and snapped away happily, changing the settings and making like I knew what I was doing. The resulting shots proved only that I made the right choice in being a writer rather than a photographer. The equipment is simpler. ✏️ Lucky for me Lucy Bradshaw from ‘The Sea Is For Me Photography’ was right behind me, photographing my book looking quite at home in this Domescape at Swinging Gate Winery. We all agreed, we could have lived there quite happily. Check out Lucy Bradshaw’s crystal clear and sensational pics over at @theseaisformephotography for more of the day. . . . 📖 What’s the best view from a reading spot you’ve found on your travels? . . . . . #readingspot #reading #readingisfundamental #tranquility #readingnook #alwaysreading #readersofinstagram #aussiebookstagrammer #bookstagram #cozy #cozyvibes #armchairtravel #roomwithaview #readingwithaview #bookphoto #readinglife #authorsofinstagram #openbook #hyggestyle #getoutside #slowliving #readmorebooks #readabook #tassiegram #tasmanianliving #holidayreads
This is the kind of book that feels like a real discovery. Erudite, engaging, and with insights into a whole other world you knew nothing about beforehand. 📔 Jon Day writes about his developing love of the ancient tradition of pigeon fancying and racing. But as with the best books of this ilk, there’s so much more to it than that. He extrapolates the theme of ‘homing’ to look at what ‘home’ means, why it’s important, how our sense of home develops and why we return to home. 📔 The chapters alternate between learned research and history, personal accounts of setting up home and family with his wife, and stages in the race from Thurso, the northernmost point in the UK from which races start. These chapters I especially relished as they become an epic adventure and you’re willing the pigeons on and flying with them over the North Sea. 📔 I loved this book so much I bought a copy for my husband for Christmas (that’s another way of saying I bought a copy for myself) and wrote a letter to the author about it. Still haven’t sent it, not sure whether to go ahead. It’s an idea I like, harking back to the old days of snail mail and fan mail, and I for one would love a paper letter to appear in my letter box. On the other hand it might just seem weird and a bit intense. So, undecided. The book though, I can heartily recommend. 📔 I first heard of it on the BBC podcast A Good Read, which it’s my only life goal to appear on (that or Desert Island Discs, not fussy), and which I can also heartily recommend for hundreds of great book recommendations and discussions by people you might have heard of and others you will enjoy getting to know 😊 . . . . . #jonday #homing #homingpigeons #bookreview #bookrecommendation #britlit #ukwriters #readallthebooks #bookgeek #alwaysreading #readersofinstagram #bookphoto #readinglife #bookstagram #bookworm #booksbooksbooks #whattoread #bookishlife #bookworm #coffee #coffeeandbooks #cozyliving #books #armchairtravel #read #aussiebookstagrammer #bookishfeature #bookster
Often I find myself halfway through some delicious plate before realising I meant to take a pic of it. Perhaps it seems a bit tragic, photographing your food before you eat it, but good food can be both memorable and beautiful. 😋 But it’s a curious thing. When you’re out with a group of food bloggers, photographers and influencers, everybody photographs first and dines second. There were so many lenses pointed at the food on my tour of the local wine region last Sunday, you could almost see the raspberries blushing!! 🍓 These were tiny Lamingtons, soft as marshmallows, and chocolate mousse topped with delicate edible flowers and crushed hazelnuts. Made by chef Danielle of @hubertanddan 💐 We were at the end of the day at beautiful historic estate Waterton Hall which is just up the road from me. The tiny picturesque boathouse and deck on the riverfront there is every reader’s dream, an idyllic place to sit in tranquility with a book 📖 . . . . . #aussiebookstagrammer #bookstagrammer #booksandfood #openbook #booknookstagram #bookgeek #alwaysreading #readersofinstagram #bookphoto #bookalicious #readinglife #bookstagram #bookworm #booksbooksbooks #authorsofinstagram #authorlife #writersofig #writerwednesday #bookworm #tasfoodiequarter #book #booklover #booknerd #bookish #bookaddict #bookcommunity #booklife #bookaholic #bookpost #armchairtravel #uktraveller

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Email: appleislandwife@gmail.com

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Apple Island Wife is written by Fiona Stocker. Read more at www.fionastocker.com

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