The crumbs of 2024
Looking back over a very intense and busy year.
And so here we are, at the end of another year. I’d say ‘don’t they go by fast’, but this one has been an oddity for sure. There have definitely been moments where I’ve felt like time was flying, and many other moments where I just wish time would hurry along.
Pretty much everyone I’ve talked to seems to have had a strange year. Or a big year. Do you feel the same?
December is obviously a busy time for all, so I won’t make this into an epic in the style of Homer or the sort. Just a tiny bit of reflection and well wishes.
What was cooking in December
No cooking for this month to be honest, as I’ve been on the go – from a retreat for my course on nature connection and now across the world.
I’m writing to you from the United Kingdom, where I’ve been travelling around for a couple of weeks. I’m currently in Manchester, after spending a few days in sunny Cornwall. Ate the most delicious things in this delightful coastal county; more on that early next year.
Next on to London for probably some weird activities, delicious plates of food and hopefully at least one glass of mulled wine in a cosy pub. The UK does December well.
Here are some sights and thoughts below from a trip in the summertime last year.
What was booking in December
Books read
Long plane and train journeys gifted the opportunity for some quality reading time.
Didion & Babitz by Lili Anolik
What an interestingly gossipy little book this is, exploring the ‘friendship’ or ‘frenemy-ship’ more like of two literary figures of last century. I felt like it leaned quite heavily into being more of a biopic about Eve Babitz – the author is a self-proclaimed fan girl who had a close relationship with Babitz and has previously written a book about her. It’s probably not the fairest depiction of Didion, but maybe gets close to the core of a woman who was as much of an enigma as she was literary legend. And also, now inevitably wish to read Babitz’s entire back catalogue.
The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop
This is the memoir of Kelly Bishop, who played snarky matriarch Emily Gilmore on the show. The Tony award-winning actor has had a pretty fascinating life, starting out as a dancer and ending up as a television star. It’s an interesting insight into the life of someone who isn’t name-in-the-headlines famous, but has consistently worked in show biz throughout their entire life.
Aesthetica by Allie Rowbottom
This was a somewhat uncomfortable novel to read. It’s split between the past and present day in the life of an influencer – up and coming as a young 19 year old living in LA, and now 35, looking to reverse the effects that years of plastic surgery have wreaked upon her body, through a service known as Aesthetica. A dark reckoning looms on the eve of her surgery, when a journalist reaches out for a comment on her former manager/boyfriend, now turned woke family man and survivalist influencer, who followed any means necessary for their ‘shared’ success.
Australian Gospel: A Family Saga by Lech Blaine
I’d almost unfortunately penned my wrap up of best books of the year before reading Lech Blaine’s newest novel; a shame, as it certainly would have made the list. Blaine was the only biological child in a family of six children, with three of his siblings the offspring of the Shelleys, removed from them as infants. He traces the history and entanglement of these two families – his own working class parents and the evangelical Shelleys, who will make it their life’s mission to get their children back.
The Valley by Chris Hammer
And ending with the newest offering from a master of Australian noir. This is told from the perspective of Detective Constable Nell Buchanan, who along with her partner Ivan Lucic, is summoned to ‘The Valley’; a remote town where a local entrepreneur has been controversially murdered. As they dig deeper into the crime at hand, they’ll uncover an emotionally fraught investigation that will tear apart everything Nell believes she knows about her own familial history.
Currently reading and listening to:
From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keogh (audio book)
Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum (eBook)
Books bought
Rootbound: Rewilding a Life by Alice Vincent (eBook)
She’s Always Hungry by Eliza Clark (hard copy)
Wintering by Katherine May (hard copy)
By the River: Essays from the Water’s Edge by Daunt Books (hard copy)
Two years of What’s Cooking
The end of the year also marks the two year anniversary of this newsletter! I was curious to see what would happen when this newsletter expanded from fortnightly to weekly, from free to having paid editions.
For one thing, I probably just ended up putting a tiny bit more stress on myself; these posts are rarely short and sweet, and there have been a few mornings of mad typing before work, aiming for an 8am deadline.
I’ve composed this newsletter in two different rentals (and very soon, a third house), in airports, on planes, trains, trams and even a boat. How intrepid.
It’s also meandered off in a completely different direction to what I intended – here I was, wanting to have a stab at food writing and have inevitably ended up writing about books, wellness rubbish and nature connection. Oh well.
Yet, I enjoy the array of different topics I get to write about, and hope you do too. Ultimately, this newsletter is about trying to have a nice time amidst the chaos of modernity. Very curious to see how things evolve next year.
Most popular posts from 2024
Have had quite a few new subscribers of late, so here are some of the most popular posts of the last year.
Noting older posts are archived after three months, and so are available to paid subscribers only. If you’re interested in having a gander, please consider upgrading your subscription.
Good to know there are plenty of other tea fanatics out there. I heavily dislike coffee and am team tea all the way. Here’s a few of my daily routines.
Essentially a rant on the importance of cultivating and maintaining hobbies that are completely separate from earning an income.
Diarised reflections from a multi-day hike in Australia’s less than forgiving Outback.
My favourite posts from 2024
Some reflections on a five day phone detox at a nature retreat earlier this year – also a popular post and so proof we’d all love to live a life far more separate from our devices.
A slightly daring ‘slow food’ experiment that thankfully didn’t end in tears.
Some thoughts on diarising and tips on getting started.
Thanks to everyone who read, liked, commented on and shared this publication over the last few months. It’s high near impossible to ‘make it’ as a writer these days – I am so grateful that people are maybe enjoying and even paying for my work.
Over and out for 2024. I’ll be taking the Christmas break off to move house (yes, again) and I’m sure people want a break from emails. I’ll be back in your inbox 9 January, 2025.
Wishing you a safe and splendid holiday season, no matter how you celebrate.
Stay well, well-read and especially well-fed.
-Celine
Other crumbs of the year:
Most links in this missive will take you to YourBookstore.io. This very handy website allows you to shop and support independent Australian bookstores. Give your local some love, or request a copy from your nearest library.
Two happy years of enjoying your newsletter! Bring on 2025!
Beautiful recs! And I can't wait to hear about what you've seen/eaten/done in the UK. And thank you for everything you've put out this year - it's been the biggest pleasure reading along each week!