Discover Your Next Great Read: Book Recommendations from Ashleigh Bridget

There are few things as satisfying as the feeling of finishing a great book. It’s an odd mix of adoration and sorrow. I find myself sad, that I will never again be able to read that book for the first time, and adoration for the pleasure I found within its pages. Getting lost in a great non-fiction book is as good as a holiday for me; whether it’s romance, mystery or historical fiction, I just want to feel transported from my current reality, into someone else’s.

I don't have as much time to read as I used to and more and more I appreciate great book recommendations - because no one has time for a half-hearted read! Anyway, this will be my ongoing list of books that I've loved whole-heartedly. Here is my reading list and hopefully within it you can discover your next great read.

"Daisy Jones & The Six" by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This book will have you diving head first into the heady world of 1970s rock and roll. Following the rise and fall of a fictional rock band, it is full of all the things you would expect, love, lust, drugs, parties, music and life on the road. The characters in this book are fabulous, and the story is told through a series of interviews with them. It’s a great read and I’m SO EXCITED for the movie to come out.

"Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens

Imagine if I didn’t include this one. I DEVOURED this book in 12 hours. It’s the first book I recommend to everyone and it was first recommend to me by my doctor.

Set in the marshes of North Carolina, this beautifully written coming-of-age story follows a young girl who grows up alone in the wild after her family abandons her. I found myself completely lost in the most breathtaking description of nature and human experience. It’s deeply emotional and and full of mystery and wonder, this book will stay with you long after you finish the last page and I cannot recommend it enough. "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens is a must-read.

"Eggshell Skull" by Bri Lee

Recommended to me by a lawyer, I finished this book with my mouth on the floor. This is the kind of text that should be mandatory reading in senior school - both for its informative nature of how the Australian legal system, and because no other book has made me feel more empathetic and aware of the inequality that exists around me.

Eggshell skull, named after a legal doctrine in common law, is a powerful and thought-provoking memoir by Bri Lee. This book follows the authors journey as a young lawyer in the Australian legal system, where she discovers firsthand the flaws and biases that exist. Lee's personal experiences with sexual assault and harassment add an emotional dimension to what is undoubtedly a compelling exploration of justice and inequality. This is not the lightest read, but it’s definitely worth reading.

"The Paper Palace" by Miranda Cowley Heller

I cannot believe I almost did not finish this book. We were travelling through Tasmania when I first opened it up, I read a few paragraphs and then I gave up. It just wasn’t doing it for me. Thankfully, a lovely follower popped into my DM’s and implored me to give it a second chance and I AM SO GLAD I DID!

It’s gripping, it’s dynamically written, there are complicated relationships, there are secrets and betrayals. It’s set over the course of a single day on a family vacation, teetering back and forth between past and present the book is entirely written in the voice of the main character Elle - who is an interesting, flawed and very likeable human. “The Paper Palace” by Miiranda Crowly Heller is another great read, and even though I found it hard to get into, I promise that it’s worthwhile finishing.

"I Give My Marriage a Year" by Holly Wainwright

I almost didn’t read this book because I love Holly Wainwright so much that I could not bare the thought of being disappointed in her novel. In hindsight I had nothing to worry about, because of course it was going to be great.

I’ve do not think I’ve read any other book that explore the middle of a marriage like this one does. The main characters Lou and Josh are in the ‘muck’ of their life; young kids, mortgage, the shine has worn off, and the relationship is in crisis. The story is nuanced, the characters are complex and relatable, the writing is witty and there is a rainbow of emotions, but what I loved most is the constant reflection of, ‘is this enough’.

It’s a great read and my only complaint is the cover! If you are reading this in public people will think it’s a self help book and you’re on the brink of a break up!

"The Soulmate" by Sally Hepworth

I HAVEN’T FINISHED THIS BOOK YET! I’m currently in the middle of it, but I’ve misplaced it while moving rooms around to get our floors done. I know it is somewhere in the never ending piles and boxes that make up our spare room but IF YOU HAVE A COPY WILL YOU PLEASE LEND IT TO ME! (sorry for yelling)

I am half way through this and it’s shaping up to be up there in my top 3 favourites (pending the ending of course)
Also, can Sally do any wrong? I’ll report back once I get my hands on it again xxx

And so it begins

Our renovation is well underway and it has been a busy and very hectic few weeks of making lots of decisions fast and living in absolute chaos as we move boxes and suitcases from room to room. Trying to stay out of the way of the tradesmen and trying to stay sane while we live in a house where nothing has a permanent home.

The first few weeks we had the property wecleaned, ripped up carpets, we (my Dad) put ply on the old kitchen benches and I painted the kitchen cabinetry to make the space useable for a few months. We (mostly James) spent 3 weeks pulling up lino and masonite from the kitchen floor and we are still removing the staples now! Did I mention we cleaned? 

We then had a few of weeks living in the space until the builders started. This wasn’t originally in the plan but it actually turned out to be a bit of a blessing. By living in the hose we were able to really get to the know the property, the light, the nuances and it definitely helped us hone in and finalise the vision for our home. 

Two months into home ownership the builders arrived and everything happened so fast! Working wall by wall they demoed the old rotting weatherboards, installed our new windows and doors, and then re-clad with James Hardie Linea Boards. While this was going on the electricians arrived, plumbers popped in and delivery trucks kept arriving with different bits and pieces for the place.

We are using Brahman builders and we’ve honestly been so stoked with them. The timber doors and windows on the front and back of the house are from Colonial Warehouse in Brisbane and they were a dream to work with, answering all our questions very promptly and providing advice on how to get what we wanted in the shortest amount of time. A little shout out has to go to Pacman in Proserpine too. They’ve given us great prices on all the James Hardie products coming in cheaper than Bunnings.

Okay, that is all for now!

Big love,

Ashleigh x

We Bought a Cottage

After spending a month in Tasmania for the second edition of The Rambler Co, James and I fell in love with the shacks we had been staying at - little weatherboard cottages with timber floors, colonial style French doors and antique furniture, they were divine. So when a little farmhouse popped up back at home in the Whitsundays we were quick to jump on it!

It was listed on a Tuesday, on Wednesday my parents viewed it with us via FaceTime, that night we put an offer in by contract and on Thursday morning it was accepted. Talk about a whirlwind decision! The following few months weren’t quite as smooth, but finally we settled on the 4th of January 2022. HOMEOWNERS!

We have a long way to go until it’s the cute, post-war, farmhouse cottage of our dreams but our Pinterest boards are full and we are both itching to get started. The following photos are from the day we were handed the keys. Everything in it was left by the previous owner.

Watch this space,
Ashleigh xx

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Heart Island, on the Great Barrier Reef

Heart Island on the Great Barrier Reef is Australia’s boutique holiday you’ve been dreaming about. The Journey to the Heart tour by Hamilton Island Air is a complete reef experience incorporating scenic flights, exclusive luxury, snorkelling within the sandy shallows of Hardy Reef Lagoon and a glass bottom boat tour around the national treasure, the iconic Heart Reef.

Pro tip: get a crew of six and privately book the pontoon!

Hazel & Folk on Bedarra Island

You set the tone of a holiday through the clothes that you wear. Summer days in cotton and linen, floating on sea breezes, falling off the shoulder, skimming around your ankles. Hazel & Folk on Bedarra Island only added to the dream.

A xx

An Autumn Afternoon

An afternoon of sun drenched laughter dripping off the barbeque tongs

We snuck down a little four-wheel-drive track at Cape Gloucester to find our own patch of sand for a barbecue set up and swim. The picnic languished into the low light of the afternoon which soon transformed into the sun melting behind the curtain of the sea.

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