jillballau
jottings, journeys, joy
Thursday, January 15, 2026
20 Something Snaps -Traipsing through the Trees
Thursday, January 1, 2026
Celebrating 2026
To our friends near and far
Best Wishes for a Happy and Successful 2026
This year we took to the high seas to celebrate the New Year with fellow cruisers and crew on one of our favourite ships. We had a fabulous evening with music, dancing, canapes and a never ending supply of bubbly.
Friday, December 5, 2025
Keeping up
Although I recently spent six weeks overseas I managed to keep up with the Goodreads Reading Challenge in October and November. I know that I will manage to reach my goal of 100 books read in 2025.
Following are images of covers of the books I managed to read in those two months:Thursday, October 2, 2025
A Lean Three Months
As we travelled for two of the last three months my reading suffered. Somehow, even though I didn't read much, I am still on track to reach my goal of 100 books read in 2025 in the Goodreads Reading Challenge.
![]() |
| My Current Goodreads Tally |
Following are images of covers of the books I managed to read.
I really enjoyed The Bookseller, I have become quite fond of Detective D.S. Cross and look forward to reading the couple in the series that I haven't yet read.
As we prepare for a trip to the Galapagos I read Darwin and the Beagle for background knowledge. I was expecting something dry but was surprised to find it easy to read (and most informative).
Although I only read Orbital a few weeks ago and gave it four stars at the time I cannot remember any detail. Guess it didn't make an impression on me. I found Daughters of the Bamboo Grove a fascinating story that held my interest right up to the last page.
With another holiday looming I am hoping I can keep on track with my reading.























































