Proper page-turner

Publisher blurb:

EVERYTHING IN THIS BOOK HAPPENED...

At 17, Anna Broinowski is precocious, naive and convinced she knows how the world works. But O-Week at Sydney University changes that. She's suddenly in a hyper-masculine caste system, where future captains of industry terrorise freshers and invade dorms in naked, screaming packs. 

Nothing is what she thought it'd be...until Anna finds her people. New dreams are made. Playing violin, auditioning for NIDA, losing her virginity. Then Peisley, a gentle giant, talks of a hitchhiking trip up north. And, after agreeing on three rules - never split up, remain platonic, accept every lift that gets them closer to Darwin - Anna decides to go.

Hitchhiking the highways leads her into a dystopian dustbowl, where outsiders must adapt or perish, and women teeter on an existential knife edge. In this flyblown asylum, love and danger collide with the toxic misogyny in the guts of the Australian soul. Anna will learn that the line between victim and survivor can be as cruel as luck and as random as a shiny blue Datsun on a red dirt road.

1729

COMIC COVER OF THE WEEK

To be honest, I don't think I would read this book, but I do rate the cover. Busily pretty, mixing bold lines and watercolours, realism and abstract patterns, it's unmistakably the work of David Mack. CM and I chatted to him at a convention once. Seemed a nice chap.

SONG OF THE WEEK

"Shiver" by Death Bells (Australia). Have seen them labelled as a few different styles. Whatever, Trevor. Personally, I reckon you could slip this into a set at an indie club OR a goth club.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qydrFvbIFNc

BEST FLICK I SAW IN THE PAST WEEK

"Department Q: Boundless" (2024). Sixth adaptation of a series of popular Danish crime novels. They recast the trio of leads for #5 onwards. I prefer the original actors, without *disliking* their replacements.

In summary... An island community, a strange traffic fatality that ruined a career (look closely at the poster!), an Osiris-worshipping New Age cult, suspicious characters, old police rivalries, and our heroes being caught up in death, destruction and a ferry-load of personal trauma.

Nostril-Adamus

Well, I picked that like a crusty nose. Final standings in the Australian Open (golf) were:

1st - Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Denmark

2nd - Cameron Smith, Australia

3rd - Si Woo Kim, South Korea

Fair enough, "picked" is a stretch. Still, it was *almost* the perfect outcome for this viewer. 

Last three items sold/given away online

= Pool-cleaning equipment

= Collection of horse books and mags formerly belonging to sister EM

= Wooden desk (with drawers)

--

We did a session of "Gloomhaven" yesternight. Instead of controlling the monsters, I took over the Human Sawbones for a bloke who was absent. I did OK and the quest was successful. We must be nearing the end of the campaign. It's possible we will then move on to this:

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/342900/earthborne-rangers

Last three sports spectated

1. Australian Open (golf) - on now! Rooting for the locals first and foremostly, but I'm fine if a Korean or Dane does well.

2. WBBL (cricket) - my Lady Sixers won. Casual 50 runs and three wickets from our X-factor captain Ash Gardner. Finals in sight...

3. NBL (basketball) - my Kings lost. Prior to the game, they showed a stat on how the Breakers keep squandering leads. Not this time, curse our luck.

--

While out'n'about earlier, I was passed by a ute with a bumper sticker that said, "MR WANKER." Why in holy heckfire would you stick that on your vehicle???

Last three TTRPG products purchased

* "Dragonbane" GM screen

* "Dragonbane Bestiary"

* "Dragonbane - Path Of Glory" module.

Already owned the core rulebook and starter set. Love this modern update of the classic Swedish alternative to "D&D". Streamlined, fun and the gameworld just has a strong, consistent feel to it.

May have also backed a related Kickstarter. More like wallet-bane!

Last three correct answers given...

...while playing along with "University Challenge":

Whitney, Hitchcock, auteur.

Only got eight right this morning, compared to a healthy 21 last week.

As any pub-trivia aficionado will tell you, sometimes the questions just fall into your areas of knowledge. Then there are occasions when you sit scratching your noggin, silently promising to study harder.

For a while (six months?), I researched and wrote a weekly trivia quiz for a magazine. That was a real pleasure. I'm proud to say that no reader ever disputed an answer, which was my greatest fear.

Last three results in "Race For The Galaxy"

Win, loss, loss.

--

The Japan Cup was just won by a foreign horse for the first time in 20 years - and at record pace. Well done to all associated with the Irish-bred, French-trained Calandagan. But fix your gaze instead on the grey that ditches its jockey at the outset, Admire Terra. As one poster jokes, "It timed its race to perfection." Absolutely refuses to accept defeat!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5sUW79JlQo