Dirt Music's Poetic Rhythm

After running out of books in Tasmania, (which is a pretty bad situation to be in, considering the price of books over here) a friend/neighbor/my boss lent me a load of Australian books. (I figured whilst in Australia read about it. 

Tim Winton's Dirt music has got to be one of the best books i've read in a while. It takes a while for a POM to get the gist, as its full of Australian slang, you have to kind of go with the flow for a while otherwise you start questioning how good of a reader you actually are, as i only understood 60 percent of the words. Winton writes with a poetic flare, very descriptive and throws the English grammar book out the window! ('not one speech mark!')

The book follows Georgie who is a middle aged train wreck, jobless loveless and pointless! I started off not liking the character, she is just drinking herself into a whole whilst her fisherman boyfriend spends endless hours at sea. But as the story develops you learn about her past and the character she is. Running along side this character is Luther Fox, a outcast from society as a bushman artist. Obviously the characters fall in love (kind of!) but it's not quite as predictable as that.

Logging on - what a laugh. They should have called it stepping off. When Georgie sat down before the terminal she was gone in her seat, like a pensioner at the pokies, gone for all money. Into that welter of useless information night after night to confront people and notions she could do without. She didn't know why she bothered except that it ate time. Still, you had to admit that it was nice to be without a body for a while; there was an addictive thrill in being of no age, no gender, with no past. It was an infinite sequence of opening portals, of menus and corridors that let you into brief, painless encounters, where what passed for life was a listless kind of browsing. World without consequence, amen. And in it she felt light as an angel. Besides, it kept her off the sauce

A lot of questions are left unanswered, i took the ending to be totally different from my friends, it is highly annoying as you don't really know how it ends, but i guess that's what makes a good book.

Nicely Does It

This is what i call a nice book, easy to read, plods long quite nicely with you guessed it a happy ending! To be honest i was pleasantly suprised, the characters are well developed and there's enough action to keep you engrossed. After reading plenty of James Patterson which can tend to give you nightmares its nice to read a book which sends you to sleep peacefully. 

The plot follows two Irish orphans who are sent to Australia with a convent of nun's and upon arrival they are separated and sent to work as maids in Victoria. The book is set in the 1800's and it's hard to picture them in a horse and cart as opposed to a Ute. The book's OK, Nice, but it certainly isn't a recommendation unfortunately. 

So Much For That - by Lionel Shriver

"So Much For That"
by Lionel Shriver

This book certainly makes you think about life and never putting off until tomorrow what you can do today!

Shep Knacker has $1 million in the bank and whats to start living his dream of "The after live" and move to a small island off the coast of Tanzania, when his wife aged 51 (same age as me) drops the bombshell that she has cancer and needs his health insurance, which soon runs out and they then need to start using his "Dream Money" each chapter starts with his bank balance, makes you grateful for the NHS here in the UK.

Also gets you thinking about whether or not you would even carry on with the treatment if faced with the same situation. Doctors are very good at offering hope (especially in the US where it has a value on it). The book also looks at how people treat you, close friends and family not visiting, and when they do avoiding talking to you about your illness.

Not sure who I feel the most sorry for Shep who has to be every thing to everybody and all he wants to do is start living his "after live" or Glynis who knows deep down she is going to die and has to maybe start believing in the "After Live".

Sounds a depressing read but it isn't its funny and entertaining which just goes to prove what a good writer Lionel Shriver is I have been a fan since I read "We need to talk about Kevin"

To Holt or Not to Holt?

I recently came across several Tom Holt books in my father in law's study. None of them have been read, however he says he bought them as someone highly recommended Holt's Novels. Now normally i'm the sort of person who has to finish a book however i just couldn't get into this one - Nothing but blue Skies. Usually i'm a bit of a realist and i tend not to go for sci-fi or fantasy, much to Dan's horror as he claims i need more escapism in my life. So it was no suprise that when the book started with a scene involving an estate agent who also happened to be a chinese dragon, the book didn't last long and i soon moved on.

I'd be interested to know if anyone has read any Tom Holt's novels? Are they worth the perseverance or do they lay unread on many book selves.

Barnie the Cutest Dog?

My boyfriend Daniel with Barnie, soaking up some Ray's at our current home in Tasmania, Australia

Black Like Me

I recently bought this book from a second hand book sale in Tasie, costing less than a dollar. I am always fascinated by older books especially one's that are different to what i usually read.
The book by John Howard Griffin was first published in 1961, and it follows John's journey as he experiences what it what like to be a black person in America's deep south. The book is a personal diary of John's 6 week encounter from changing the colour of his skin, to the effects it has on his family once the truth is revealed. It gets pretty heavy going in some parts but its defiantly worth a read. Certainly opens you eyes to what went on.

Three years later the book was made into a film featuring James Whitmore, i've attached the trailer below.

Black Like Me: A Novel by John Howard Griffin

Multiple Authors

As i described above the aim of the blog is to enable people to discuss the book they are currently reading as well as commenting on other people's posts. With Blogger you are able to have multiple bloggers (if each person creates there own account) If you are interested in writing you own post on 'Mrs Butlers Slow Reading Class' let me know, and i'll send you an author invitation.

amz_et24@hotmail.com

The more authors the better the blog will become.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Official Trailer [HD]

Millennium Triolgy

Steig Larsson's Millennium Triolgy has got to be the best series of books i have read in a long time. The Swedish author's series has taken the world by storm! When i went on holiday in August, no exaggeration but 60% of people around the pool were reading one of these books, we may have all been reading them in different languages, but nobody could but it down. The books are as follows: (and yes you do have to read them in the right order!)

1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
2. The Girl who played with Fire
3. The Girl who kicked the hornet's Nest.

The books follow several main characters including Lisbeth Slander who is a distinguished computer hacker constantly on the wrong side of the law. I sympathized with her, however other people i have spoke to couldn't stand her. Michael Blomkvist is a magazine reporter who throughout the series seems to be sleeping with someone. When you start reading the book you have to preserver for the first 50 pages, the swedish names are a little hard to get you mouth around but it's not like you have to say them out loud.

I thought the second book is the best, as the third gets a little heavy into the Swedish police systems, but they're all very gripping. Certainly worth a read.

I recently watched the Swedish film, The girl with a dragon Tattoo, its a pretty good remake of the book, but its definitely not something you can watch with your parents. In parts it's pretty difficult to watch do to the graphic abusive scenes, but it all helps to build the characters and to understand their past. The next film has recently come out at the pictures, so i'll be off to see that pretty soon.

I'd love to hear what you thought of the books/film!

Please Mrs Butler

Please Mrs Butler

The first book I remember reading along with the infamous Biff, Chip and Kipper series (if your under 30 you'll know what I'm on about) is Please Mrs Butler by Allan Ahlberg. 

The book is filled with school playground poems which every child can relate too. Hours of fun were spent with my mum reading Mrs Butler's Slow Reading Class (well at least ten minutes as the aim is to read the poem as slow as possible!) 

I don't know anyone else who has every read this book, the amount of times i've made a joke about being in Mr's Butlers class and no one has a clue what i'm on about! Surely there are people who love this book as much as i  do, i still have my copy, and am looking forward to the day i can share it with my children. I used to read lots of poems as a child, however i haven't continued to as an adult. Perhaps a poetry book will be my next purchase.

I can't believe people are willing to sell their copy of Please Mrs Butler for a penny! Never mind this is a classic children's book, but really is it honestly worth the effort of selling it for a penny?