vivdunstan

Catching up with this, and another 6 titles finished since my last post:

( earlier titles )
1. Colostle Complete Edition by Nich Angell
2. Wild Card: Let the Tarot Tell Your Story by Jen Cownie and Fiona Lensvelt
3. Insomniacs After School volume 5 (manga) by Makoto Ojiro
4. Doctor Who: The Ruby's Curse by Alex Kingston and Jacqueline Rayner
5. Notebook by Tom Cox
6. Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono

Of the new ones the Colostle solo RPG/journalling game was fun, but not something I decided I'd want to play. An original fantasy setting, with solo gaming mechanics, based on random tables.

The Tarot book was fantastic, and really got me feeling more confident about doing self readings.

I continue to *adore* the Insomniacs After School manga series, which is being slowly but steadily published in English translation.

The Doctor Who book was somewhat fun, and a new tale about River Song. But it ultimately felt a slog to read through, and was overly muddled. I'm guessing Jacqueline Rayner wrote most of it, though Alex Kingston had some input too, and got top billing.

Tom Cox's Notebook is a varied hodge podge of often amusing rambling thoughts. I loved it! I had backed the digital edition, but not read it yet. I ordered a signed paperback from Tom a few weeks ago. He has lots of his books after the collapse of Unbound (who owe him thousands of pounds) and is selling them on.

And we read Kiki's Delivery Service - the original novel the Studio Ghibli film is based on - for my book club. I've not seen the film yet. A very young read, but still charming.

I just blogged about how I use my Hobonichi Cousin paper journal. More freeform than many folks. May be of interest!

I’m going to be trying keeping a Hobonichi planner / life book throughout 2024 and have been experimenting re the approach I’ll take. Intending to use it for a mix of keeping track of things to do in a week (list on Monday pages) and done (on Friday pages) as well as musings on days, books read etc.

This could all be done digitally instead, but I really like relaxing with a handwritten journal or planner, fountain pen in hand. It should also be nice to have as a record at the end of the year. I’ll be using an A5 Hobonichi Cousin plus a dedicated EF nib TWSBI pen.

I have a Day Free A6 2023 Hobonichi to experiment in over the coming months. But will be starting properly on 1st January. I’m already really pleased with how the fountain pen I’ve got for this writes on the extremely thin Tomoe River paper. No bleed through of ink or pressure marks transfer as I write.