Who was it a while ago that got snippy when I said that weather forecasting out here was a joke... The bom currently says it's 18 degrees here. It's 34.

So far Xmas this year has been board games and laughter, nights spent with himself at fire grounds, a report of a fire that ended up with an abusive dickhead going off at good people for no reason, and a car full of pigeons (they were rescued in time) going up in flames.

Latest AustCrime newsletter is on it's way to subscribers. Also available here: www.austcrimefiction.org/simplenews-n... Lots of upcoming releases, as well as older books now listed on the site. #BookSky ⚡📚💙 #CrimeFiction #AusCrime #YeahNoir

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12... Thank goodness Melbourne has all these fancy new train stations and road tunnels. If the rest of the state burns to the ground it's our fault for not paying for the infrastructure needed to do the job nobody gets paid to do

Fire situation really kicking off all around now - fast running / burning hot. Things near Charlton right now are really worrying. Pity we can't chuck that fancy new railway station at it, looks like we'll have to stick with old failing equipment & bugger all water.

Here's @ronnisalt. "Don't look back in anger" theshot.net.au/uncategorize...

Vale Jean Bedford newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/tributes-to-... @newtownbooks.bsky.social #BookSky ⚡📚💙 #CrimeFiction #AusCrime #Books #Reviews

Very saddened to hear of the death of writer and editor Jean Bedford. As noted below, there will be a tribute to Jean posted next week, but in the meantime I remember her for how pivotal her work was in both the novels and the anthologies that she edited.

The current read in these parts is not quite what it seems, and yet it's a lot more than you could expect. (I'm really enjoying this). www.austcrimefiction.org/posts/quintu... #AusCrime #CrimeFiction #AmReading #BookSky ⚡📚💙

Well I think we all know now that Howard only fought for gun control after Port Arthur because somebody told him it would buy him votes. Never had a conscience, never was a leader.

REVIEW: On the Edge by Kate Horan @HarlequinAus #read #book #review #bookreview #fiction #crime #mystery #thriller #AussieAuthor #cloakdaggerchal #readingchallenge #OntheEdge bookdout.wordpress.com/2025/12/11/r...

I remember the night we heard of what happened at Port Arthur and now last night. Finding it very hard to comprehend, but mostly am thinking of everyone affected and all who ran towards the unimaginable.

Small biccies I'm aware but next year will be the first year in many many many of them that we won't be watching #Eurovison

It's December and that means #adventcalendar time. Our fav for many years has gone out of business so White Possum alternative obtained. Will post a catch-up on the two first #gin samples

Today's #review is the 6th Fiji Islands Mystery novel - Death of a Diplomat by B.M. Allsopp tinyl.co/432m Perfect excuse to start this engaging series back a few books to get a flavour for who all these people are. #BookSky ⚡📚💙 #CrimeFiction #AusCrime #YeahNoir

Today's #review book is The Mushroom Tapes by Helen Garner, Sarah Krasnostein and Chloe Hooper. tinyl.co/42ec It's True Crime in that it's about a trial that happened, but it's a lot more than that. #TrueCrime #Australia #BookSky ⚡📚💙

Yesterday was the second attempt at an internal and close up personal examination of Miss Lillie's personal parts (the first attempt aborted when she rammed out the wall at the end of the shed and ran for the hills a week ago). Much construction (reconstruction) work later and we went again.

Pretty on brand for Barnaby Joyce to start seeing someone else and end up quitting a long term relationship to be with them.

They are calling strike teams into this one now. It's big, and it's still bloody November in case anyone needs a reminder that this drought is not over.

Whoever decided to turn this heat on in November can sod off into the sun.

One of these is not like the others

You can opt out of gambling and booze ads via link below bsky.app/profile/sbsr...

Some #YeahNoir Reviews today: A House Built on Sand, Tina Shaw: tinyl.co/3zHG Ōkiwi Brown, Cristina Sanders: tinyl.co/3zHH The Mires, Tina Makereti: tinyl.co/3zHJ Different, yet there's something about the threads in all of these that resonates. #BookSky ⚡📚💙 #CrimeFiction

The dogs got a new bed, big enough for the 4 of them. Or one grumpy cat.

Latest AustCrime that was sent out to subscribers yesterday - listing new / upcoming releases and recent acquisitions and a summary of reviews. And a Nick Cave mention. tinyl.co/3xha #BookSky ⚡📚💙 #CrimeFiction #AusCrime

Today's review is the excellent Softly Calls the Devil by Chris Blake (who has hidden form in writing excellent novels) tinyl.co/3xNh Told in a brisk, no nonsense tone that is richly interlaced with laconic humour & compelling observation, this delivers. #BookSky ⚡📚💙 #CrimeFiction #YeahNoir

Upside: Shirley the Aussie Terrier is a bit better & the Blue Tongue Lizards are about. Downside: the pig might need another round of drugs or an ultrasound, a couple of very worrying fires in the Mallee already, & himself nearly stood on a large brown snake in the yard yesterday. Hate. Summer.

This little butter wouldn't melt face frightened the living daylights out of us yesterday when she got violently ill very suddenly. Severe gallbladder infection that looked for all the world like a bile duct rupture or liver tumour. Thank the dog for vets!

Yesterday we listened to a multi agency rescue on Arapiles that included HEMS to winch them out. But yeah, defy the voluntary ban. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

This week's reading updates start out with: #Review Pacific Heights by S.R. White (an author I'm badly behind with) tinyl.co/3sWM and #AmReading Softly Calls the Devil by Chris Blake. At least I'm not too far behind with this one tinyl.co/3sWK #BookSky ⚡📚💙 #CrimeFiction #AusCrime #YeahNoir

ICYMI this week's reviews: Karen Chisholm on Garry Disher's latest Hirsch crime novel, MIschance Creek Braham Dabscheck on Graeme Turner's dissection of the crisis in Australian universities, Broken Find them at newtownreviewofbooks.com.au @austcrimefiction.org #AustralianAuthors #BookSky 💙 📚

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne... Some of us are happy with change, have worked in IT for 40+ years & don't live in the sodding city, so the unnamed farmer in this article nails it. Whoever came up with this layout needs to find out a bit about their bloody use cases. The thing indeed sucks.

For anyone else who is struggling with the appalling new #bom website...

Welcome to the enshittification of the Internet number 10000+ What moron at the BOM decided that the new combined radar was acceptable???? And with all that bullshit around the edges so you can't see it on a small screen. Nearly bloody unusable.

#AmReading from this morning because this lobbed into my library app overnight and everything else just vanished from view: www.austcrimefiction.org/book/my-inne... #CrimeFiction #Germany #BookSky ⚡📚💙

Another brilliant, clever book from the master of the art of rural noir #BookSky 💙 📚⚡ #AusCrime

@gordunc44.bsky.social thought we'd both get this one ...

There's a lot of stuff to LOATHE Scott Morrison over but Christine Holgate / AusPost has got to be right up towards the top of the list. The enshittification of that organisation since her loss (and the concomitant improvement in Team Global Express / Toll since her joining them) is marked. 1/6

Total Fire Ban declared for Mallee region #cfa #tfb #fireban #summer #Mallee #fires #TotalFireBan #fireseason

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10... OF COURSE THE NUMBERS have gone up with an exemption for operational members. (And the exemption is paltry if you're a large operator). In other news the sky is blue and it still hasn't bloody rained in this Victoria????

Linda Reynolds is doing such a good job at restoring that reputation that she reckons somebody she should have been supporting destroyed.

Publishing January 2026... In a dying world, it asks the most urgent question of all: what if there's still time? #TheHope the searing finale to Paul E. Hardisty's critically acclaimed #ClimateEmergency trilogy - an absolute MUST-READ! 🌎 bit.ly/48mRk0m #BookSky #Books #CliFi #ClimateChange

🇳🇿 The Inspiration 🔍 R.W.R. McDonald spills the tea on his heartwarming, hilarious & unhinged mystery #TheNancys and the Case of the Missing Necklace! Nancy Drew had NOTHING on this trio… 🔍✨ Out this November! 📚 bit.ly/4mHDbiE #BookSky#MysteryBooks #Books

Today's slightly lukewarm review of The Hidden by Bryan Brown tinyl.co/3oqT The style was there, the subject matter didn't hit the mark for this reader. Another from the YMMV pile I suspect #BookSky ⚡📚💙 #CrimeFiction #AusCrime

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10... On the one hand, somebody noticed and commented, on the other... this is very light on and doesn't address the external pressures that force people away. Or to stay. Or to come back. And it's not all about bloody football and netball.

Annoying machines? So annoying. But what gives Guardian Readers the pip? www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Today's Reviews: The bittersweet Murder in the Cathedral by Kerry Greenwood: tinyl.co/3oJ2 and the rural noir Dust by Michael Brissenden tinyl.co/3oJ3 Very VERY different novels - loved both of them. #BookSky ⚡📚💙 #CrimeFiction #AusCrime

I guess we'll all just have to start using these fancy new train tunnels and stations.... oh wait. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

Yeah but Melbourne's got a fancy new station. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

There's still time to get your entry in to win this great swag of books – entries close midnight tonight, Tuesday 7 October 2025.