The crumbs of August, 2024
Welcome to a new iteration of the monthly 'bumper editions'.
Hello! I’m Celine and I write about books, food, and surviving life in the city, with a wild heart. Subscribe for free posts like this one, or join the community for other exclusive writing. Either way, thanks for your support!
You might have noticed I quietly cancelled this newsletter’s monthly ‘bumper editions’. My thinking is that less content, in our days of over-saturation of information, is probably healthier for everyone.
Yet, I’m still keen to carve out a little space each month for a mish-mash of topics – recipes, book and movie recommendations, links to fun and meaningful things across the interwebs.
Hence the launch of this new monthly edition, which I’m going to call ‘the crumbs’.
I’m writing this ahead of the end of the month. As it hits your inbox, I’ll be deep in the Northern Territory, walking the Jatbula Trail and trying to re-balance my Vitamin D levels after a Melbourne winter. Seems like another good opportunity to keep the phone buried in the backpack for another five days.
I’ll be sending out some field notes in the next couple of weeks – and perhaps this is also a good opportunity to explore walking 20k steps a day, after three months of a 15k experiment conducted early this year… We’ll see!
And today is the last day to get 20% off an annual subscription. It will certainly warm the lump of coal that resides where my heart once was.
What’s cooking in August
It’s been a bit of a weird one for eating these last few weeks – a busy month led to an erratic dinner schedule, with a fair bit of snacky eating and some eating out.
I did however, revisit Atlas Weekly’s meal kits (see previous review). Their shtick is that each week, you ‘travel’ to different parts of the world, and this week’s was Japan. Three delicious meals were sent through – miso roast chicken, Japanese beef barbecue and okonomiyaki (a savoury veggie pancake). All were straightforward to put together and delicious. I don’t think I’ll ever be a regular meal kit participant, but I really don’t mind dipping in here and there, when the brain’s efforts need to be diverted elsewhere.
What’s watching in August: MIFF
The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) has just wrapped. It’s one of the oldest film festivals in the world and every year, I manage to completely forget about it until it’s too late to book anything, or I just can’t be bothered. Interesting motivations coming from someone who studied film at a tertiary level.
But – not this year! Managed to make it to three different films and have penned some thoughts below, in case you wish to catch them for yourself.
Every Little Thing (2023) – what an emotional yet heartwarming film this is! This documentary centres on Terry Masear, who has been looking after injured hummingbirds in Los Angeles since 2008. The film features beautiful macro shots of hummingbirds, as we follow the journey of a few of Terry’s inpatients, learning how something so small and precious struggles to coexist with humanity. Nary a dry eye in the cinema once finished.
Cuckoo (2024) – Hunter Schafer plays a 17 year old girl who is forced to move with her father and his ‘new’ family to a remote resort in the German Alps. Things quickly go awry, as she find herself in increasingly bizarre situations. Not sure about this one, as it oscillated between trying to be serious and leaning into some serious B-grade horror vibes. Don’t sit on the fence, just commit one way or another, y’know?
Lake Mungo (2008) – another horror film, this time set in small town northwestern Victoria, right here in Oz. This is a mockumentary, focusing on a family grieving the death of their teenage daughter. Strange sightings indicate that her ghost may well be haunting the family, and the film has a series of chilling reveals. I consider myself fairly well-plugged into the Australian film scene, but had never heard of Lake Mungo. It’s multi-layered - scary at times, for sure, but an interesting study too into the vastness of grief. One worth tracking down and watching, if you can.
What’s Booking in August
Here are some top-notch books I read this August.
Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
What would you do if you knew exactly when and how you were going to die? On a routine flight between Sydney and Hobart, a woman stands upon on a plane, seemingly in a trance. She points to each passenger and predicts the age they will be when they die, and exactly how. Slightly chilling stuff, told with Moriarty’s trademark insight into the human psyche and pithy humour. I devoured Here One Moment in a day.
Long Island Compromise by Taffy Bodesser-Akner
After the success of Fleishman is in Trouble, Bodesser-Akner’s follow up novel has big shoes to fill. What follows is an interesting exploration of the knock-on effects of inter-generational trauma, and the trappings of wealth. Carl Fletcher is kidnapped, brutalised and held hostage for five days in 1980. PTSD is not a thing at the time and he is told to simply get over it. Yet this event will reverberate down the years, affecting each member of the family.
Woo Woo by Ella Baxter
One of the more delightfully deranged books I’ve read this year, Woo Woo follows conceptual artist Sabine, who is days away from opening her next exhibition. Sabine is visited by the ghost of artist Carole Schneemann and too, is being stalked by someone she refers to as The Rembrandt Man. This book was inspired by Ella Baxter’s own experience with a stalker; it’s an amazing act of taking back power in a helpless situation.
One thing all three of these books have in common? They’re funny. I love a funny book and if you do too, then you’ll love these.
In case you missed it
This is what was published on What’s Cooking this August.
Okay, the first of this two-part (so far) series technically went out late July. Paid, but includes a free guided meditation for all readers.
Some musings on tea as a ritual, and some tea recommendations. Tea > coffee any day.
Cozzie livs is hitting most people hard, but it’s still possible to enjoy some of the nicer things in life, with a switch of mindset. Exploring a little book that gives some tips and recommendations in this area
Ahead of conducting a multi-day hike, I had to cycle through some of my favourite walking books of all time.
Some stray links
Eat Sleep Wild shared some of their recipes for homemade dehydrated backpacking meals. I don’t have a dehydrator, but is it ever tempting…
I’m feeling desperate for both broth and veg and am keen to try out this recipe for kimchi jjigae before the weather heats up.
Really enjoyed this podcast chat In Haste conducted with poet and author Amy Key. Still think about that memoir a lot.
And lastly, life lately
Am excited to read several new releases in the next couple of months – Emily Maguire’s Rapture, Gillian Anderson’s Want and much like everyone else in the world, Intermezzo.
Had a great time exploring Darwin for the first time since 2013. It’s such a strange city, in a very good way. Here’s a quick culinary guide to the place.
Just generally enjoying the vibes of spring descending upon the southern hemisphere. Blooms are bloomin’ and everything smells completely divine. I am especially excited by the arrival of jasmine.
Thanks for dropping by!
‘Til then, stay well and well-fed.
-Celine
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That hummingbird gif is hypnotic. I should really get out to Darwin, I really don't know what to expect from it. Hopefully we'll hear all about it and other parts of the NT over the coming weeks!
So looking forward to reading the latest Liane Moriarty book! And to your photos of Darwin and the Jatbula Trail!