(no subject)
I don't read much non-fiction but a book caught my eye the other day on Australian history (doubly rare since I'm normally more interested in British history). I picked it up today when I finally finished Perfume and had nothing to read at work. So far it's freakin awesome. I had to tell somebody since no one I know in real life reads non-fiction so sorry to gush to you guys (who probably don't care either) but it really is brilliant. It has inspired me to read a few other Aussie history titles.
Any Australian sick of the poor aussie battler political spin on our penal history, anyone who is actually interested in how our rough origins shaped a hard cultural underbelly that still persists today? Read John Birmingham's Leviathan: An Unauthorised Biography of Sydney. You may know his less serious books such as He Died With a Felafel in His Hand or Dopeland but THIS is the one that you must read. It really puts our history into perspective in such an interesting way that it makes you wonder why the consensus is to make our history as dry and uninteresting as possible.
I'll use this opportunity to post somewhat of a list. I'm buying so many books these days that I have no idea what I should read next. I noticed a lot of people doing annual 100 lists and decided to put mine up as a work in progress so I don't buy anything else until I've read what I've bought. What a brilliant and original concept, no?
Feel free to rec some for me or tell me if you liked any of these books should it strike your fancy!
Key--
Read
Unread
To Be Purchased
1) "The Subtle Knife" - Philip Pullman (Literature - Children's)
2) "The Amber Spyglass" - Philip Pullman (Literature - Children's)
3) "Perfume" - Patrick Suskind (Literature - International)
4) "Leviathon" - John Birmingham (History- Australia)
5) "The Summer Tree" - Guy Gavriel Kay (Literature - Sci Fi/Fantasy)
6) "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" - Dave Eggers (Non-Fiction Biography)
7) "The God Delusion" - Richard Dawkins (Non-Ficiton - Religion/Science)
8) "The Time Traveler's Wife" - Audrey Niffeneger (Literature - International)
9) "The Wandering Fire" - Guy Gavriel Kay (Sci Fi/Fantasy)
10) "The Floating Brothel" - Sian Rees (History - Australia)
11) "The Shifting Fog" - Kate Morton (Literature - International)
12) "Eucalyptus" by Murray Bail (Literature - Australia)
13) "The Darkest Road" - Guy Gavriel Kay (Sci Fi/Fantasy)
14) "Anna Karenina" - Leo Tolstoy (Literature - International)
15) "Vodka Doesn't Freeze" - (Literature - Australia/Crime)
16) "The Autumn Castle" - Kim Wilkins (Literature - Australia/Sci Fi/Fantasy)
17) "Gould's Book of Fish" - Richard Flanagan (Literature - International)
18) "In Arcadia" - Ben Okri (Literature - International)
19) "Shantaram" - Gregory David Roberts (History/True Crime - Australia)
20) "American Gods" - Neil Gaiman (Sci Fi/Fantasy)
21) "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" - Mitch Albom (Literature - International)
22) "Suite Francaise" - Irene Nemirovsky
23) "The Empress's New Lingerie" - Hillary Rollins (Literature -Erotica - 9780307238788)
24) "Hood" by Stephen R. Lawhead (Children's/Teen)
25) "The Fatal Shore" - Robert Hughes (History - Australia)
26) "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time" - Mark Haddon
27) "The Book Thief" - Markus Zusak (Literature - Australia)
28) "Grimms Grimmest" - Brothers Grimm (Anthology - International Literature - 0811850463)
29) "Scarlet" by Stephen R. Lawhead (Children's/Teen)
30) "The Lovely Bones" - Alice Sebold (Literature - International)
31) "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (Literature - International)
32) "Love and Death" - Patrick Suskind
33) "The Broken Shore" - Peter Temple (Literature - Australian)
34) "Peter Pan" - J.M. Barrie (Children's Fiction)
35) "Rangers Apprentice" - John Flanagan (Children's Fiction)
36) "The Cursed Towers" - Kate Forsyth (International - Fantasy)
37) "The Pool of Two Moons" - Kate Forsyth (International - Fantasy)
38) "Dragonclaw" - Kate Forsyth (Internatonal - Fantasy)
39) "The Fathomless Caves" - Kate Forsyth (International - Fantasy)
40) "The Skull of the World" - Kate Forsytn (International - Fantasy)
41) "The Forbidden Land" - Kate Forsyth (International - Fantasy)
42) "Courtesans" - Susan Griffin (History - European)
43) "Snow Falling on Cedars" - David Guterson (International - Literature)
44) "A Spot of Bother" - Mark Haddon (International - Literature)
45) "The Dreadful Judgement" - Neil Hanson (History - London Fire)
46) "Nonviolence" - Mark Kurlansky (History - International)
47) "The Witch of Cologne" - Tobsha Learner (Australian Fiction - Fantasy)
48) "The Call of the Wild" - Jack London (Biography)
49) "What the Dickens" - Gregory Maguire (Children's Fiction)
50) "Wicked" - Gregory Maguire (Adult Fiction - International)
51) "The Border Trilogy" - Cormac McCarthy (Literature - International)
52) "Twilight" - Stephanie Meyer (Literature - Children's/Teen)
53) "New Moon" - Stephanie Meyer (Literature - Children's/Teen)
54) "Eclipse" - Stephanie Meyer (Literature - Children's/Teen)
55) "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick (Literature - Children's)
56) "Uglies" - Scott Westerfield (Literature - Children's/Teen)
57) "Pretties" - Scott Westerfield (Literature - Children's/Teen)
58) "Specials" - Scott Westerfield (Literature - Children's/Teen)
59) "Extras" - Scott Westerfield (Literature - Children's/Teen)
60) "Peeps" - Scott Westerfield (Literature - Children's/Teen)
61) "Tuck" - Stephen Lawhead (Literature - Children's/Teen)
Any Australian sick of the poor aussie battler political spin on our penal history, anyone who is actually interested in how our rough origins shaped a hard cultural underbelly that still persists today? Read John Birmingham's Leviathan: An Unauthorised Biography of Sydney. You may know his less serious books such as He Died With a Felafel in His Hand or Dopeland but THIS is the one that you must read. It really puts our history into perspective in such an interesting way that it makes you wonder why the consensus is to make our history as dry and uninteresting as possible.
I'll use this opportunity to post somewhat of a list. I'm buying so many books these days that I have no idea what I should read next. I noticed a lot of people doing annual 100 lists and decided to put mine up as a work in progress so I don't buy anything else until I've read what I've bought. What a brilliant and original concept, no?
Feel free to rec some for me or tell me if you liked any of these books should it strike your fancy!
Key--
Read
Unread
To Be Purchased
1) "The Subtle Knife" - Philip Pullman (Literature - Children's)
2) "The Amber Spyglass" - Philip Pullman (Literature - Children's)
3) "Perfume" - Patrick Suskind (Literature - International)
4) "Leviathon" - John Birmingham (History- Australia)
5) "The Summer Tree" - Guy Gavriel Kay (Literature - Sci Fi/Fantasy)
6) "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" - Dave Eggers (Non-Fiction Biography)
7) "The God Delusion" - Richard Dawkins (Non-Ficiton - Religion/Science)
8) "The Time Traveler's Wife" - Audrey Niffeneger (Literature - International)
9) "The Wandering Fire" - Guy Gavriel Kay (Sci Fi/Fantasy)
10) "The Floating Brothel" - Sian Rees (History - Australia)
11) "The Shifting Fog" - Kate Morton (Literature - International)
12) "Eucalyptus" by Murray Bail (Literature - Australia)
13) "The Darkest Road" - Guy Gavriel Kay (Sci Fi/Fantasy)
14) "Anna Karenina" - Leo Tolstoy (Literature - International)
15) "Vodka Doesn't Freeze" - (Literature - Australia/Crime)
16) "The Autumn Castle" - Kim Wilkins (Literature - Australia/Sci Fi/Fantasy)
17) "Gould's Book of Fish" - Richard Flanagan (Literature - International)
18) "In Arcadia" - Ben Okri (Literature - International)
19) "Shantaram" - Gregory David Roberts (History/True Crime - Australia)
20) "American Gods" - Neil Gaiman (Sci Fi/Fantasy)
21) "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" - Mitch Albom (Literature - International)
22) "Suite Francaise" - Irene Nemirovsky
23) "The Empress's New Lingerie" - Hillary Rollins (Literature -Erotica - 9780307238788)
24) "Hood" by Stephen R. Lawhead (Children's/Teen)
25) "The Fatal Shore" - Robert Hughes (History - Australia)
26) "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time" - Mark Haddon
27) "The Book Thief" - Markus Zusak (Literature - Australia)
28) "Grimms Grimmest" - Brothers Grimm (Anthology - International Literature - 0811850463)
29) "Scarlet" by Stephen R. Lawhead (Children's/Teen)
30) "The Lovely Bones" - Alice Sebold (Literature - International)
31) "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (Literature - International)
32) "Love and Death" - Patrick Suskind
33) "The Broken Shore" - Peter Temple (Literature - Australian)
34) "Peter Pan" - J.M. Barrie (Children's Fiction)
35) "Rangers Apprentice" - John Flanagan (Children's Fiction)
36) "The Cursed Towers" - Kate Forsyth (International - Fantasy)
37) "The Pool of Two Moons" - Kate Forsyth (International - Fantasy)
38) "Dragonclaw" - Kate Forsyth (Internatonal - Fantasy)
39) "The Fathomless Caves" - Kate Forsyth (International - Fantasy)
40) "The Skull of the World" - Kate Forsytn (International - Fantasy)
41) "The Forbidden Land" - Kate Forsyth (International - Fantasy)
42) "Courtesans" - Susan Griffin (History - European)
43) "Snow Falling on Cedars" - David Guterson (International - Literature)
44) "A Spot of Bother" - Mark Haddon (International - Literature)
45) "The Dreadful Judgement" - Neil Hanson (History - London Fire)
46) "Nonviolence" - Mark Kurlansky (History - International)
47) "The Witch of Cologne" - Tobsha Learner (Australian Fiction - Fantasy)
48) "The Call of the Wild" - Jack London (Biography)
49) "What the Dickens" - Gregory Maguire (Children's Fiction)
50) "Wicked" - Gregory Maguire (Adult Fiction - International)
51) "The Border Trilogy" - Cormac McCarthy (Literature - International)
52) "Twilight" - Stephanie Meyer (Literature - Children's/Teen)
53) "New Moon" - Stephanie Meyer (Literature - Children's/Teen)
54) "Eclipse" - Stephanie Meyer (Literature - Children's/Teen)
55) "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick (Literature - Children's)
56) "Uglies" - Scott Westerfield (Literature - Children's/Teen)
57) "Pretties" - Scott Westerfield (Literature - Children's/Teen)
58) "Specials" - Scott Westerfield (Literature - Children's/Teen)
59) "Extras" - Scott Westerfield (Literature - Children's/Teen)
60) "Peeps" - Scott Westerfield (Literature - Children's/Teen)
61) "Tuck" - Stephen Lawhead (Literature - Children's/Teen)