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