Reading again…

Another wonderful morning of outside fun in the warm winter sunshine is taking it’s toll on two small boys, and I can hear them in their beds, winding down towards nap times. The toddler is contentedly dozing after a lunhc-related tantrum. The baby, standing up in his cot protesting the unfairness of it all.

With the warmer weather has come a chance to get messy outside. We’ve sandpitted. We’ve swung. We’ve made fingerpaint & made some lovely paintings. We’ve run. We’ve danced. We’ve sung. We’ve been enjoying the beauty of life. Lots of posts to come, if only I can find the time!

In amongst all the greatness of the last fews days has been the completion of book #27…

2. Fishing for Stars – Bryce Courtney (fiction, new/gift) ***1/2 (Jan 09)

3. The Time Travellers Wife – Audrey Niffenegger (fiction, re-read for the 736th time) ****1/2 (Feb 09)

4. The Adventure of English:A biography of a Language – Melvin Bragg(non-fiction, re-read for the 312th time) ***1/2 (Feb 09)

5. Vet in a Spin – James Herriot (non-fiction, memoir, re-read) **** (Feb 09)

6. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie – James Herriot (non-fiction, memoir, re-read) ***1/2 (Feb 09)

7. Various Flavours of Coffee – Anthony Capella (fiction, library find) ***1/2 (Feb 09)

8. How to help you child read & write – Dr Dominic Wyse (non-fiction, library find) *** (Feb 09)

9. Before I Wake – John Scott (fiction, library find) (in progress, contemplating giving up!)

10. From Here to Maternity – Sinead Moriarty (fiction, chick-lit, library find) **** (March 09)

11. Dog Stories – James Herriot (non-fiction, memoirs, re-read) *** (March 09)

12. The Planets – Dava Sobel (non-fiction, astronomy, new/gift) **** (March 09)

13. Creative Play for Your Baby – Christopher Clouder & Janni Nicol (non-fiction, Steiner based play & craft, new) ***** (March 09)

14. The Writing Class – Jincy Willitt (fiction, light crime/homour, library find) **** (April 09)

15. Australia Street – Ann Whitehead (fiction, drama, library find) **** (April 09)

16. Behind the Bestsellers – Jenny Bond & Chris Sheedy (non-fiction, literature history, library find) ****1/2 (April 09)

17. But Wait, There’s More… – Robert Crawford (non-fiction, advertising, library find) ** (April 09)

18. Sacred Influence – Gary Thomas (non-fiction, Christian marriage, from my neglected collection) **** (April 09)

19. Princesses and Po.rn$tars – Emily McIntyre (non-fiction, modern feminism, library find) **** (May 09)

20. Wings above Billabong – Mary Grant Bruce (fiction, childrens/young teens fiction, well-read favourite) **** (May 09)

21. We Need to Talk About Kevin – Lionel Shriver (fiction, drama, library find)***1/2 (May 09)

22. The Pilot’s Wife – Anita Shreve (fiction, drama, library find) ****1/2 (May 09)

23. Double Fault – Lionel Shriver (fiction) **** (May 09)

24. The Last Time They Met – Anita Shreve (fiction) **** (June 09) 

25. Road to Paradise – Paullina Simons (fiction) ***1/2 (July 09)

26. Lessons in Heartbreak – Cathy Kelly (fiction) **** (July 09)

27. 1788 – David Hill (nonfiction, Australian History) ***(Aug 09)

   The good bits: Interesting to look at the conditions of the First Fleet while sailing, and the struggle they had when they first arrived. Lots of trivia that I wasn’t aware of (such as the ships zig-zagging across the Atlantic – England to South America to Africa – why???)

  The “What About” bits: While the book discussed “Bennelong” & a couple of other “important” Aboriginal people, there wasn’t really a great deal of detail regarding the clash of cultures, other than a government decree for amicable co-existance, that relations between the two races were deteriorating, or that they decided to kidnap a couple of men (such as Bennelong). Maybe there was nothing to tell at that point (only covered the few 3-5 years of settlement, so both were simply avoiding the other?), maybe the records fail to give information? I’m not sure, but on a good note, it has inspired me to do some further research.

  The not-so-good parts: None really, though it could be a bit dry in parts. All in all, a good read, that refreshed my knowledge of early European/Australian history, and has piqued my curiousity to learn more.

Have a great weekend everyone!