Good Books read!

[think positive]

^

Who's it about?

I've lost count of how many books I've read this year, averaging about 1 a week. Finished off all the Matthew Reilly Jack West series, again, back over a few of his others, read Matt Preston's memoir (quite liked it), now I'm going through Luc Longley's account of his first championship with the Bulls.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/532 ... n-on-earth

[stui magpie]

^

Cheers, I'll look into it. I'm picking up autobiographies from op shops lately. Knocked over Luc Longley's account of his first championship with the Bulls, and yesterday picked up Dennis Lillee's autobiography from an op shop in Toc. Half way through it, very good read.

When I run out, I've got Steven Hawkins "A brief history of time" to go back to.

[Prometheus]

This is a great read:

438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea
by Jonathan Franklin

Based on the TRUE story:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/ ... ok-extract

[stui magpie]

Currently working my way back through Wilbur Smith's ancient Egypt series. Haven't read them for years, IIRC he started losing the plot somewhere around the book I'm currently on, see how it goes.

I also picked up Kokoda by Peter Fitsimons, not a bloke I'm enamoured of but something I wanted to read about. We commemorate ANZAC day when a bunch of guileless kids got sent to their deaths by clueless Pommy generals, we don't celebrate the work the Aussies did in Tobruk enough, but Kokoda really put the Aussie spirit on show. This wasn't a battle for a hill in Europe, this was to meet and stop the Japanese advancing to Australia. Some serious efforts happening there.

[stui magpie]

I just finished another book by the bandannad boofhead, Peter Fitsimmons, Ned Kelly.

Bloody good read. I've read a fair bit about Ned over the years, there's a family connection (to a small degree ) but this book is very good. Extremely well researched and well written. If you're interested in the subject, well worth a read. Ned was a hell of a man, well deserving of his Folk Hero status IMHO.

Just started reading a book called Soldier Boy, a story about the youngest ANZAC. A boy named Jim Martin, born and raised in Tocumwal before the family moved to Melbourne when he was 5 or 6. There's a plaque on the wall of the building his parents used to run a boarding house in. Joined the army at 14 (lied about his age) died in Gallipoli before his 15th birthday from Typhoid.

[Culprit]

Read the Jack Reacher Novel - The Secret Flying to Canada and it was a great read and one of the best of the Jack Reacher series. Yes, I have read them all.

[stui magpie]

Currently about half way through Bob Rose's biography, "A dignified Life" by Steven Strevens. Bloody good read, very detailed but you feel like you're actually watching it all unfold.

[stui magpie]

I've read an F load of books this year. Currently reading Bram Stoker's Dracula, the original 1897 version.

Fascinating read so far, but hard work. It's not a traditional novel as we know it now, but it's composed of a sequence of diary entries and letters from the main cast. Very different.

Also interesting how the Original Dracula doesn't match the modern version with the black slicked back hair, prominent widows peak and clean shaven. This original Dracula had long grey hair and a grey moustache, similar to pictures of his rumoured inspiration Vlad the Impaler.

[stui magpie]

So I'm finished the Dracula book. What a fkn brilliant read. Written in 1897 it must have caused a stir then (amongst those who could read) and it sets the blueprint for every vampire book, movie or TV series in the century since then. Pretty much every single contrivance you've seen in anything involving a Vampire, is there.

It took me a while to get used to the language and the cadence but once I did I was hooked. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[SLORT]

^If you're looking for a laugh and a bit of violence (grim-dark fantasy) try some of the First Law series of books by Joe Abercrombie. I'm re-reading "A Little Hatred" at the moment. Has some really memorable moments.