Rachael Bettiens
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rachaelbettiens.bsky.social
Rachael Bettiens
@rachaelbettiens.bsky.social
340 followers 370 following 45 posts
Naarm-based bookslinger. Your friendly neighbourhood book rep. A real mixed bag. Here to talk books, sports, birds, whatever.
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rachaelbettiens.bsky.social
All the years I lived in Sydney, nobody told me about Wendy Whitley's Secret Garden. It felt really precious to spend time here today.
A lush garden, with a partial view to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Beautiful flowers alongside a pathway
February 8, 2025 at 7:48 AM
rachaelbettiens.bsky.social
I just loved Jane Rawson's upcoming Human/Nature. I can't wait for it to be out [April] so I can discuss it with others! It spoke to my cynical yet hopeful heart ❤️‍🩹🦜🌿
A picture of a book called 'Human/Nature sat on a bed of hedge.
January 30, 2025 at 12:02 AM
rachaelbettiens.bsky.social
Had a delightful time on Literati Glitterati today. Started the new year as I plan on continuing it, talking books and birds! A joy to be in the @3rrrfm.bsky.social studios and talking on community radio.

Can't wait to talk about more books centring the natural world over the next two weeks! 🐦🌳🌊
A picture of a brunette woman in a eucalyptus print dress sitting in front of a lush plant wall and holding a stack of books about birds!
January 1, 2025 at 5:33 AM
rachaelbettiens.bsky.social
This is your yearly PSA to use your library, friends!

Assessing my 2024 reading habits, 64 out of 78 books read this year [so far, lol] were either physical books or audiobooks borrowed from my local libraries. Saved myself a whopping $1910.27 🥳
An image of D.W. from the 90's TV show Arthur holding out a library card.
December 30, 2024 at 5:15 AM
rachaelbettiens.bsky.social
After over five hours doing the full Christmas shop today (hosting my family on Boxing Day), am now ready to curl up with a beverage and a book for the next 24 hours.
A coupe cocktail glass sits on top of Margaret Fulton's Christmas cookbook. A bookcase, some wrapped presents, and a tiny Christmas tree, decorated with felt dinosaurs, is in the background.
December 23, 2024 at 7:43 AM
rachaelbettiens.bsky.social
It's been making me stop and look at trees in a way I haven't before. I started noticing birds a few years ago. This is now my tree awakening. Also, it's making me very excited for his new anthology, On This Ground, coming v soon too.
The cover of the book On This Ground: Best Australian Nature Writing, edited by Dave Witty. The cover is white, with a single Red-tailed black cockatoo feather in the centre of the cover.
December 5, 2024 at 6:53 AM
rachaelbettiens.bsky.social
Have been dipping into Dave Witty's What The Trees See today after seeing him at Mountain Festival this morning. Gosh, it's phenomenal. Yes, I'm Googling tree images as I go as I'm a tree n00b, but the way First Nations culture and history is respectfully woven into this nature writing too... wow.
A book called What The Trees See by Dave Witty is on a floral bedspread. The book cover shows the bark of a tree.
November 24, 2024 at 11:39 AM
rachaelbettiens.bsky.social
Had such a wonderful morning at Mountain Festival in Macedon today. Robbie Arnott talking Dusk, and Dave Witty and Sophie Cunningham talking trees. Heartening to listen to authors in discussion about writing the natural world with such passion and care.
Author Robbie Arnott is reading from his book Dusk on stage with facilitator Kemi Nekvapil sat listening. Sat on a stage is facilitator Millie Ross in discussion with authors Dave Witty and Sophie Cunningham. Millie has just gifted the authors each with a tree sapling.
November 24, 2024 at 10:40 AM
rachaelbettiens.bsky.social
Okay, so I have three library books, and I was going to read the openings of each before deciding which one to start for the weekend... pick up the first one, and it just hands down wins.
Text in a book: Chapter One You are about to begin reading a new book, and to be honest, you are a little tense. The beginning of a novel is like a first date. You hope from the first lines an urgent magic will take hold, and you will sink into the story like a hot bath, giving yourself over entirely. But this hope is tempered by the expectation that, in reality, you are about to have to learn a bunch of people's names and follow along politely like you are attending the baby shower of a woman you hardly know. And that's fine, goodness knows you've fallen in love with books that didn't grab you in the first paragraph. But that doesn't stop you from wishing they would, from wishing they would come right up to you in the dark of your mind and kiss you ob the throat. A purple covered book called Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe. On the cover a blonde woman is lying stomach down on a pink couch looking sad with her laptop on the floor.
November 22, 2024 at 5:19 AM
rachaelbettiens.bsky.social
Amplify Bookstore isn't here on BlueSky yet, but they've opened a store near Queen Vic Markets, and my gosh, it's so glorious to go into a physical space curated with BIPOC voices. They've got an entire shelf of Palestinian authored works too.

Yes, I went in for work, but yes, I bought books.
A poster board in a beautiful bookstore with the text "Find yourself on the page". Two books held up next to each other: Erasure by Percival Everett, and Against The Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa.
November 22, 2024 at 4:52 AM
rachaelbettiens.bsky.social
Have been in a post-holiday reading slump, but pre-holiday me put The Horse on reserve at the library, and sometimes the answer is 'now for something completely different'. After a weekend dedicated to music and the discussion of the meaning of it, this is what I needed.
An image of the book The Horse by Willy Vlautin, held in front of bookshelves. The text from the opening of the book: 'The only way to get through school is to disappear into a song. Just hum it to yourself and you'll be okay. If you hate hate being home, hate it here, just disappear into a song. It works, man, I'm telling you it really works.' - A fifteen-year-old friend of my brother's talking to me in my mom's house when I was eleven.
November 21, 2024 at 1:36 AM
rachaelbettiens.bsky.social
It's that most wonderful time of year - a new @birdmichael.bsky.social calendar drops and I get to harass Steina into a photoshoot.
A cat next to a calendar titled 2025 Birds of Australia. The cat is looking at the bird on the cover, looking unenthused. Cat is next to calendar, looking bored at camera. It appears cat isn't fussed on the calendar, for she has no need for knowing dates.
November 21, 2024 at 1:18 AM