The Week in Review
What I’ve Written
Sunday: Family Lies Chapter 8: Henry
Emily learns a new, even more horrible, part of her family history.
Monday: Group Meeting Chapter 5: Wednesday Morning
I didn’t get a new story written for today: here’s something I prepared earlier.
Tuesday: Designer
The strange tale of Adelaide, who wanted something more.
Wednesday: Old Toys
A poem in praise of the old toys we carry with us.
Thursday: Dragon
A mysterious artefact appears is with a museum exhibit, where it doesn’t belong.
Friday: Bald
Princess has a bald patch!
Saturday: Family Lies Chapter 9: Detectives?
Emily seeks help to unravel a mystery.
A Blast from the Past
February 2022: Tangled Web
Scientists develop an amazing new fibre.
What I’ve Read
That’s Not What Chivalry is, but OK by Dr Eleanor Janega (Going Medieval) There’s a modern idea that chivalry was about good behaviour, particularly good behaviour by men toward women. Medieval historian Dr Janega, explains it had nothing to do with women at all. It was about managing the behaviour of knights – rich, heavily armed thugs, who had to be kept under control. Codes of chivalry were about things like only killing people in war, not in your own neighbourhood. It was about the knight’s place in respect to their employer, king and the church. The codes didn’t mention women at all. People have sometimes conflated chivalry with the rules of courtly love, which said things like: don’t have sex with your boss’s wife, but it’s OK to assault peasant women. Charming stuff.
We Need to Talk about Extremism and its Links to Christian Fundamentalism by Josh Roose (The Guardian) Full disclosure here, I have a masters degree in theology and was a Christian minister before lupus forced me to retire early. There was a time when I, and I’m sure many other Christians, thought fundamentalists were just the “fruitcake fringe” of the church, and pretty much ignored them. Now, I’m very aware of the incidents Roose looks at in his article. When I see headlines including the word “Christian” I find I’m feeling the same way I’m sure many Muslims feel when they see stories about the actions of extremist fundamentalists of their faith. I’m simultaneously horrified, terrified, embarrassed, and ashamed. I can’t reconcile all of this hatred, and the spite aimed at vulnerable people, with the gospel call to love neighbour, and care for the weak, poor, and vulnerable. Roose doesn’t give us any options to deal with this, just to be aware of the horrors committed by people claiming to be Christian.
3 AM short story by Shane Blackheart (Writing by Moonlight) As short stories go, it’s a long one, but if you love gothic horror, it’s a great read. A recently bereaved witch moves to a new home, hoping to leave the horror of her partner’s death behind her, only to discover a new horror.
Beauty poem by Dawn Maree Millar (Dawn Maree Writes) Sometimes seemingly-simple things are actually very difficult. A beautiful piece of art might be only a few lines, but not everyone could make those lines.
Still a bit light on the reading list this week. I’m slowly getting back to normal after sending the grandchild home. (It takes a while for me to recover, especially since our last day involved a whole day out at the zoo. It’s one of those life lessons for chronic illness that everything takes energy and big things take a long recovery time, but some things are worth it.)
If I read it and I like it, or find it interesting, it goes in here. I try to only include one item from any single author in a week (even if I loved a number of things they published), because otherwise the list would get over-long.
I don’t do paid reviews, but I do accept recommendations, and even review copies of books, so if you’d particularly like me to review something, tell me about it.
A Look at a Book
The Wallaby Detectives and the Tomato Sauce Mystery
Maggie from Maggie’s Pie Shop is in a flap! The tomato sauce delivery has not arrived. This is a job for the world’s smartest detectives.
Reviews for The Wallaby Detectives and the Tomato Sauce Mystery
Fabulous fun book! The kids loved it, and it made me a bit homesick for Aus myself, with the Wallaby tales. When’s the next one out? – Patricia (Lulu)
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Iris Carden, Author 