The only good thing about being sick is that when I haven't been sleeping I've been reading and as a result there is no longer a to be read pile. Hmm, I may have to - shock, horror - buy some more books.
I'm going to list some of the books I've read over the last month or so - those I particularly liked, found most interesting or thought worth another read during - here. There were others, of course, but those I wouldn't be recommending to anyone.
The books are listed in no particular order and as you can see I'm a very fast and very eclectic reader.
The books are listed in no particular order and as you can see I'm a very fast and very eclectic reader.
Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe - about pre-colonial Aboriginal culture and agriculture in Australia using information written by the colonists. Should be required reading for all Australians.
The whole (all nine books) of The Emperor's Edge series by Lindsay Buroker. A melding of magic and steam punk with a falsely accused woman who likes to tidy joined by an assassin with a hidden agenda. What's not to like?
Silo by Douglas McMaster. A chef who set out to out to change the way food is wasted. Some interesting ideas although I don't always agree with him.
Women's Work - The First 20,000 Years by Elizabeth Wayland Barber An investigation into the part women have played in humanity's development using archaeological evidence to follow the development of traditional women's work and skills like spinning and weaving.
The Serpent's Shadow by Daniel Braum. Dan and I went to Clarion South together. He writes a good horror story.
Bligh - Master Mariner by Rob Mundle. A biography of William Bligh (he of the Bounty mutiny and later the deposed Governor of New South Wales). I already knew quite a lot about Bligh - enough to be aware that most of the Bounty mutineers' complaints were largely unjustified as were those claimed to be justification for his being deposed by the Rum Corps during the Rum Rebellion in New South Wales largely due to a smear campaign conducted by the family of Fletcher Christian, the leader of the mutineers, and officers of the Rum Corps. The details of the extraordinary feat of sailing Bligh achieved when he and his loyal followers were put overboard in a small boat during the mutiny was inspiring. As well the book fills in his earlier life and showed how highly regarded he was in naval and maritime circles.
Bad Power by Deborah Biancotti. A collection of short stories about people with 'powers'. I liked it a lot.
The Biggest Estate on Earth: how Aborigines made Australia by Bill Gammage and the winner of the Victorian Premier's Prize for Non-fiction 2012. Gammage goes into great detail about pre-colonial Aboriginal land management and agriculture. A real eye opener.
2040: a Handbook for Regeneration by Damon Gameau. Based on the documentary 2040 with lots of suggestions on how we can work towards surviving in a changing planet. Not prescriptive but with ideas we can all build on.
Some of the Best from Tor 2014 A collection of novels (30 if I remember correctly - my Kindle keeps skipping pages when I try to count them up) by various well-known writers. Some I loved, some not so much.
Powers and Spice and Not So Nice A collection of ten novels by various authors. Again some I loved, others not so much.
Earth Fire Water by Maeve O'Meara and based on the three part SBS cooking series. I got this because I'm interested in traditional cooking skills and food preservation techniques and watched the all three of the series which showcased ways of preserving food.
Beginnings - five heroic fantasy adventure novels By various speculative fiction authors these are all first novels in a series. A good introduction to different authors' work.
Masque (The Two Monarchies Sequence) by W R Gingell. I thoroughly enjoyed this witty regency meets magic novel. I'll be looking for more by this author.
The Locomotive of War: Money, Empire, Power by Peter Clarke This is very dense and not an easy read but was certainly illuminating. It looks at the origins and effects of the First World War and the way the peace settlement played out and had an impact on the Second World War by looking at the main protagonists on the Allied side. I'll be rereading this.
Trucksong by Andrew Macrae In an alternative/post apocalyptic world strange things happen. Beautifully written and highly inventive. I liked it a lot.
Asymmetry by Thoraiya Dyer. This was a reread so obviously I liked it. A collection of short stories by a writer who really transports you into the worlds she creates.
1946: the Making of the Modern World by Victor Sebestyen. This is an overview of the aftermath of the Second World War. In turn horrifying and confronting.
The Despot's Apprentice: Donald Trump's Attack on Democracy by Brian Klaas. Educational.
The Destruction of Hillary Clinton by Susan Bordo A lot to digest here and it certainly is worth a read no matter what you believe you know about US politics.
Women's Work - The First 20,000 Years by Elizabeth Wayland Barber An investigation into the part women have played in humanity's development using archaeological evidence to follow the development of traditional women's work and skills like spinning and weaving.
The Serpent's Shadow by Daniel Braum. Dan and I went to Clarion South together. He writes a good horror story.
Bligh - Master Mariner by Rob Mundle. A biography of William Bligh (he of the Bounty mutiny and later the deposed Governor of New South Wales). I already knew quite a lot about Bligh - enough to be aware that most of the Bounty mutineers' complaints were largely unjustified as were those claimed to be justification for his being deposed by the Rum Corps during the Rum Rebellion in New South Wales largely due to a smear campaign conducted by the family of Fletcher Christian, the leader of the mutineers, and officers of the Rum Corps. The details of the extraordinary feat of sailing Bligh achieved when he and his loyal followers were put overboard in a small boat during the mutiny was inspiring. As well the book fills in his earlier life and showed how highly regarded he was in naval and maritime circles.
Bad Power by Deborah Biancotti. A collection of short stories about people with 'powers'. I liked it a lot.
The Biggest Estate on Earth: how Aborigines made Australia by Bill Gammage and the winner of the Victorian Premier's Prize for Non-fiction 2012. Gammage goes into great detail about pre-colonial Aboriginal land management and agriculture. A real eye opener.
2040: a Handbook for Regeneration by Damon Gameau. Based on the documentary 2040 with lots of suggestions on how we can work towards surviving in a changing planet. Not prescriptive but with ideas we can all build on.
Some of the Best from Tor 2014 A collection of novels (30 if I remember correctly - my Kindle keeps skipping pages when I try to count them up) by various well-known writers. Some I loved, some not so much.
Powers and Spice and Not So Nice A collection of ten novels by various authors. Again some I loved, others not so much.
Earth Fire Water by Maeve O'Meara and based on the three part SBS cooking series. I got this because I'm interested in traditional cooking skills and food preservation techniques and watched the all three of the series which showcased ways of preserving food.
Beginnings - five heroic fantasy adventure novels By various speculative fiction authors these are all first novels in a series. A good introduction to different authors' work.
Masque (The Two Monarchies Sequence) by W R Gingell. I thoroughly enjoyed this witty regency meets magic novel. I'll be looking for more by this author.
The Locomotive of War: Money, Empire, Power by Peter Clarke This is very dense and not an easy read but was certainly illuminating. It looks at the origins and effects of the First World War and the way the peace settlement played out and had an impact on the Second World War by looking at the main protagonists on the Allied side. I'll be rereading this.
Trucksong by Andrew Macrae In an alternative/post apocalyptic world strange things happen. Beautifully written and highly inventive. I liked it a lot.
Asymmetry by Thoraiya Dyer. This was a reread so obviously I liked it. A collection of short stories by a writer who really transports you into the worlds she creates.
1946: the Making of the Modern World by Victor Sebestyen. This is an overview of the aftermath of the Second World War. In turn horrifying and confronting.
The Despot's Apprentice: Donald Trump's Attack on Democracy by Brian Klaas. Educational.
The Destruction of Hillary Clinton by Susan Bordo A lot to digest here and it certainly is worth a read no matter what you believe you know about US politics.
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