So, as the song says, these are a few of my favourite things. Though, in fact, I've stolen this idea from other LoveCats who've posted recently about their favourite things. :)
1. Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
We're coming into the colder months now, so this is the very last batch of ice cream until next summer. Made with very special chocolate powder that was a gift from Cate Ellink (who is another of my favourite things!).
2. Lunch with Friends
I love catching up with friends. This is a recent lunch with the gorgeous Dana Mitchell. Note that we even had pens and paper to talk writing!
3. Wildlife in my Back Yard
We have wallabies, brush turkeys, snakes, spiders, possums, and all sorts of critters and I love them all visiting (except maybe the poisonous varieties of the snakes and spiders). I'm not sure if you'll be able to see this python in the tree - it was quite high up. He was beautiful!
4. A tie between Movies and Jane Austen's Books
So a movie *about* Jane Austen's books? Yes, please. This movie had such a fun premise and was played so over the top that I smiled and giggled all the way through.
5. Finding a New Favourite Author
Amanda Ashby gave me An Accidental Goddess when she was clearing out her bookcase (don't you love it when friends do that?). I'd never read a Linnea Sinclair book before, but I can promise you this won't be the last! In fact, I feel a good glom coming on...
So tell me, have you found a new favourite author lately who you want to glom? Or do you have a favourite person to go out to lunch with? Or tell me some of your favourite things - I'd love to hear!
1. Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
We're coming into the colder months now, so this is the very last batch of ice cream until next summer. Made with very special chocolate powder that was a gift from Cate Ellink (who is another of my favourite things!).
2. Lunch with Friends
I love catching up with friends. This is a recent lunch with the gorgeous Dana Mitchell. Note that we even had pens and paper to talk writing!
3. Wildlife in my Back Yard
We have wallabies, brush turkeys, snakes, spiders, possums, and all sorts of critters and I love them all visiting (except maybe the poisonous varieties of the snakes and spiders). I'm not sure if you'll be able to see this python in the tree - it was quite high up. He was beautiful!
4. A tie between Movies and Jane Austen's Books
So a movie *about* Jane Austen's books? Yes, please. This movie had such a fun premise and was played so over the top that I smiled and giggled all the way through.
5. Finding a New Favourite Author
Amanda Ashby gave me An Accidental Goddess when she was clearing out her bookcase (don't you love it when friends do that?). I'd never read a Linnea Sinclair book before, but I can promise you this won't be the last! In fact, I feel a good glom coming on...
So tell me, have you found a new favourite author lately who you want to glom? Or do you have a favourite person to go out to lunch with? Or tell me some of your favourite things - I'd love to hear!
I love your favourite things, Rachel! And I can answer in the affirmative to both of your questions. New author I'd like to explore in a lot more depth is Kristan Higgins. I recently read and loved "Somebody to Love." And one of my favourite people to have coffee with is Annie West as we talk non-stop about writing and reading and all sorts of good things…and it was fabulous to do lunch and coffee with both Annie AND Amy Andrews in Sydney the weekend before last. Funnily enough, there's another LoveCat I adore getting together with for tea and shortbread at the RWAust conference. Wonder who that could be… ;-)
ReplyDeleteOh, and my other favourite thing at the moment is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Oh, dear lord, am just watching that series like there's no tomorrow. :-)
Buffy! You know how much I love that show. There might even be Buffy discussion during that tea and shortbread interlude at the conference. :)
DeleteI've never read a Kristen Higgins book, but I have one here that I should try. Thanks for the prompt!
Michelle - We are re-watching Buffy from the beginning with our 15 year old daughter. She loves it too.. Finished Season one and are 4 episodes into Season 2. I watched every episode when it originally aired, but that was a while ago. I am enjoying t now!
DeleteOh, Tammy, I'm having a ball with it. :-) I'm on the final season now…and I may go back to watch season 1 again once I'm finished to remind myself of the character arcs. :-)
DeleteTammy, I think it's fabulous that you can share your love with your daughter! I'm itching to start watching from the beginning again now too...
DeleteRachel and Michelle. I really loved Buffy and Angel. Then, I switched to Buffy and Spike. I really want to see if I stay on Team Angel this time. I do love Spike though.
DeleteI am definitely Team Spike, Tammy, but I'll be interested to see how you feel this time around. I have to admit, other than his hotness, I never really understood the appeal of Angel. Maybe I'll find it on my first or second re-watch. ;-)
DeleteI'm definitely Team Spike as well. Angel was cute, in that first love kinda way. Spike challenges her and they have all that chemistry. :)
DeleteOne of many new-to-me authors I'm loving is Pamela Fryer. I read a Christmas book by her and it was enough to make me want to read much more.
ReplyDeleteOooh, I love a new author rec, Claire - thanks! I've just looked her up and she might be a bit scary for me (I'm such a fraidy cat!) but the book looks interesting. The Christmas story looks more my speed - I might try to track it down.
DeleteI loved reading about all of your favourite things, Rachel, but I most especially loved the look of that chocolate icecream! We do one which is nothing but caramelised condensed milk and cream and it looks nearly as good. I would share some of my favourite things with you but think I might steal that for my next post :)
ReplyDeleteBarb, we have you to thank for the ice cream - remember when you visited and we had that ice cream maker sitting there that we'd never used? It was you who showed us how to use it and it's barely been out of use ever since!
DeleteOooh, caramelised condensed milk and cream? If you use that in your next post please include amounts in the recipe. I think I'll need to try it!
lol, Rach - love this blog. Love that you included a picture of a snake and call him beautiful.
ReplyDeleteShudder......reaches for brown paper bag....
My favourites? In my recent RITA reads there was a book by Tracey Brogan called Hold On To My Heart - I loved it and would definitely read more from this author.
I'm having lunch with my sister and brother on Wednesday - 2 of my fav people.
And I've just discovered Rookie Blue - a US cop show thing - which I'm glomming on at the moment. Half way through the first season and am loving the great dialogue, well drawn characters and all those hot men in uniforms :-)
Amy, he wasn't just any old snake - he's a python. Love them. :)
DeleteWill follow up your Rita read. You know, I was *so* disappointed when the Ritas were announced that two books I'd judged and given perfect scores to weren't finalists. The other judges must have seen them differently to me.
Sibling lunch - very cool!
Hi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteOh, I love your favourite things and I like very much that I'm included - not just the wicked chocolate powder! :) THANKS! Your icecream does look very delish!
One of my favourite things is the long lunch. I like going with anyone who can chat easily, be relaxed, and enjoy food. That rules out Mr E (who thinks grabbing a meat pie and eating it between shops is a lunch out), but includes lots of others I know!
Thanks,
Cate/Cath xo
Cath/Cate, the ice cream certainly was delish. Sadly, it's all gone now. We'll start soon with the winter desserts - sticky date puddings, chocolate fondants, butterscotch pudding. Happy sigh. :)
DeleteYour Mr E makes me laugh! Dana and I are only a two hour flight away if you want a lunch date. ;)
Rachel - how terrific. That chocolate ice cream looks brilliant! I can imagine you eating it while reading a newly found author and glancing out at the backyard wildlife. That will keep you busy.
ReplyDeleteAnnie, what a great idea to try and combine as many as I can! I think you may have just set me a new challenge...
Delete:)
Rachel
ReplyDeleteI do love having lunch with my romance reader friends which we do once a month they are so much fun and we often have wonderful Authors come sometimes as well :)
There have been many new to me authors that I have read lately way too many to list
Have Fun
Helen
Helen, those lunches sound awesome! I wish I lived closer.
DeleteDon't you love it when you find so many new to me authors? It's like a birthday present. :)
Great post, Rachel! It's fun to learn about other people's favourite things! That chocolate ice cream looks wonderful! And we're expecting a very warm day down here today so it would go down a treat about 3pm this afternoon!
ReplyDeleteAnd now I've got a movie and a new author to look out for!
Sharon, next time you visit, I promise to make a batch of ice cream. :) Hope your day isn't too warm - we're having some lovely rain after a very dry summer.
DeleteRachel, I am so holding you to this promise!
DeleteWe got to 31 today - where's my autumn?! Enjoy your lovely rain!
Sharon, I think we made it to about 27 today - nice autumn weather. 31 seems a bit steep at this time of year!
DeleteI promise on the ice cream front - you can even choose the flavour!
Great post, Rachel! You've all got me wishing I'd watched Buffy- never seen an episode- perhaps I need to start!
ReplyDeleteMy son and I have recently discovered the series New Girl- which we LOVE- it's so funny and quirky. As for books- my RITA pile was very disappointing, I didn't have anything new that I loved so I'm sticking to my old favorites at the moment.
And I absolutely LOVE spending time with my writer friends- long lunches, weekends away- whatever we can manage- that time is so precious.
Louisa, Buffy is probably my favourite TV show of all time. Certainly worth giving it a go!
ReplyDeleteI had some disappointing books in my Rita pile too, but there were two I gave full marks to - lovely variety. :)