The Discworld series comes to an end (and 24 other books) - books 76-100 of 2015

I rounded out 100 books with the last Discworld novel. I was glad that such a wonderful book from an author who's had major impact on my life got that spot.

Those preceding it are a mixed bag. The post starts out with a lowlight, but ends on a high note. Can't ask for much more.

As an aside before I get on with this, as I'm now being shared by Aus GLAM Blog Bot and has had a substantial increase in traffic as a result, I intend on having all posts on here at least somewhat related to professional matters. Books well and truly pass muster, but when I'm ready to start photo, craft or personal blogging again, I'll have to think up a name for a second blog. I'll be sure to let those who want to find it know where it is!

76. 22 dead little bodies - Stuart MacBride

Starting on a sour note, I'm afraid. I chose this novella as a potential candidate for a book presentation that I give regularly as part of a program at work. My regular fiction reading doesn't really suit there, so I've been picking a few books for this. Doesn't hurt to broaden my reading, after all.
22 dead little bodies is a short book from Stuart MacBride that stands as an independent story but links into his Logan McRae series. We have ourselves a detective who feels like he's being left all the undesirable jobs while his colleague grabs all of the interesting or high profile ones for her own glory. It felt like it was trying too hard to be gritty, rough-edged and crude. In this book, dysfunctional personal relationships and icky behaviour and attitudes are abundant. I don't expect characters to be perfect - that's boring - but this lot just got on my nerves. The first half or so of the book was the worst, it did improve a bit beyond that after some of the character pettiness abated. I have no intention of reading any more though, if this book was any longer it wouldn't be on the list, because I wouldn't have deemed it worth the time.

Speed-reviewing - Books 41-75

We've got a loooong way to go in one post, so much so that I've even used a break. I'll only give more than a passing comment for books that stood out from the crowd for some reason, and I've grouped the series items for the benefit of all, with one exception. I notice that there is a very high proportion of graphic novels, probably in part a reflection on how crazy the last months have been. They're wonderful when you don't want to commit to a novel with its much longer read-time.

41 - I Think You'll Find it's a Bit More Complicated Than That - Ben Goldacre

Examining the use of data, statistics and scientific research in media and beyond, this book is excellent. It shows many of the ways in which numbers and research findings can be used or misused to mislead or misrepresent on any number of topics. That's good in itself, but it also goes some way to teaching the reader how to critically evaluate claims they might encounter, what is a good quality standard and how professional areas can reform to ensure that they adhere to high information and quality standards.

This is a collection of newspaper columns and other articles written over a number of years, polished up a bit and ordered so that there's a sense of order to the book. One of the longer ones is readily available on the author's site here, and it's interesting reading.

Fairies, knights, adventures and cannibalism (books 31-35 for 2015)

Oooh, wow. Time I stopped reading for a few seconds and made a bit of an effort to at least partly catch up.

31 - The Darkest Part of the Forest - Holly Black

In Fairfold the fairies and elves are largely unseen, but close to hand. The locals know how to behave to remain safe, and their tourist industry is thriving. A few tourists die horribly each year but it's expected. Fairies and elves are captivating, but deadly. In an unbreakable glass coffin in the woods a boy with horns has slept for generations...

I enjoy dark fantasy, and this was an enjoyable way to spend an evening. The way that fairies and elves fit into this world and how they and Fairfold interacted clearly had a lot of research behind it. I found the relationships between the key characters interesting, if a bit overdone for my preferences. So all in all, worth the time to read if not likely to feature on this year's best-of list.

32 - The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared - Jonas Jonasson

On his 100th birthday Allan Karlsson is sitting in a nursing home room, while preparations for a party go on. The Mayor will be there, as will the local media. Allan decides he doesn't like the way things are going - so he leaves, via the window, to anywhere but here. Along the way he meets a curious cast of travelling companions and we hear the story of his extraordinary life.

This will be hard to beat for the best book I've read this year. The story drew me in, so much so that I nearly missed a train stop. Truly hilarious too, my fellow commuters (and before that, fellow campers) gave me some worried looks as I repeatedly failed to contain laughter. When I saw this circulating madly in the library a year or so ago I assumed it was just another so-so flavour of the minute, I'm pleased to report that I was wrong.

I'd recommend this to just about anyone. If you haven't read it, do. It's not a difficult read and the reward is spectacular!

33 - Save yourself! (Princeless, vol. 1) - Jeremy Whitely et. al.

Princess Adrienne has no interest in waiting to be rescued from her tower, and the dragon guarding her isn't keen on her intended fate either. So the two of them set out to rescue Adrienne's sisters...

A quick read, I picked this up after seeing it on a recommended reading list... somewhere ... a while ago. A funny, clever story. More aimed at children, but  I've never let that stop me enjoying a good story.

34-35 - International Flavour and Just Desserts (Chew v. 2-3) - John Layman

Two more books in this inventive, humourous and rather gruesome series. I've read several more volumes since, and well... it gets better later on. These were still pretty decent. These books start laying down more groundwork for a much longer story arc. My memories of the others I've read since have got a bit jumbled with these, so I'll write more when I review those.

Reading onward... books 21-30 for 2015

Time to take my nose out of my current book (briefly) and let you know what I've been reading. Forgive me the huge post!

21 - What makes us tick? - Hugh Mackay

I bought this book at Writers' Week during the Adelaide Festival of the Arts. Although I didn't know much about Hugh Mackay's writing his talk sounded interesting, and I had time - although he mostly spoke about a different book I decided to try this one.

In this book, Hugh Mackay explains ten drivers of behaviour and decision-making beyond the basic needs of food, water, air and such. Throughout the book a variety of situations are given and the interaction of these drivers is explained. I started to think of similar situations I've seen, and began to see the behaviour of others I've met with a fresh perspective.

This is a book that really made me think - it gave me a lens to look through when thinking about my own choices and actions and those of others. I plan to revisit it again in future as it's knowledge well worth keeping active in my mind. Along with other books I'm currently reading or have read in the recent past I'm finding that I'm developing a new way of looking at things and learning from them. This can only be a good thing.

22 - Chew, Vol. 1: Taster's Choice - John Layman & Rob Guillory

Tony Chu is cibopathic - he gets psychic impressions from what he eats. In a world where poultry was banned after an outbreak of avian flu killed millions this is a very useful detective skill in the FDA - combating the black market for chicken is serious work. But this skill is not always a good thing. Sometimes it's best not to know the details...and some of the things Tony has to eat in the line of duty are not exactly food.

The story is crazy and fun, the characters are wonderfully fun. I enjoyed the story and am looking forward to seeing where it goes - looks like a lot of shades of grey are developing.

You might not to read this one while eating though.

23 - Poisoned Apples: poems for you, my pretty - Christine Hepperman

This book of poetry mixes issues teenage girls frequently face with fairytales and feminism. I found about half of the poems in the book very enjoyable and cleverly written, but didn't really find much for me in the rest, especially the fairly substantial number of them tackling eating disorders. This might well be a reflection of personal experience, so others might find something more in those.

24 - Guards! Guards! (Discworld, #8) - Terry Pratchett

A mysterious cult, a fire-breating dragon, a collection of unlikely guardsmen and (gasp!) a stolen library book. This book was my introduction to the wonderful and hilarious Discworld. I'd attempted to read The Colour of Magic before but hadn't got far. This book did the trick. When I heard that Sir Terry Pratchett had died I wanted to re-visit the Discworld, and I thought that the book that got me into it was the right place to go back to. I was sad to hear of Sir Terry's passing, but I was soon laughing along with this book. It's sad that he's gone, but the books he's left behind will bring many hours of laughter and good cheer to people for many years to come.

25 - The Disappearance of Ember Crow (The Tribe, #2)- Ambelin Kwaymullina

I really don't want to spoiler this series - and it's almost impossible to introduce this book without spoilering the first so I'll skip right onward.

Once again we're given the idea we know what's going on - but we're proven wrong repeatedly as secrets, some buried for many years, are revealed. It takes fantastic storytelling skill on the part of the author to do this so well, too often twists can be spotted a mile off - but not in this series. There are plenty of surprises here to keep you hooked and reading far later than is entirely responsible (*cough*). 

The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf was a great book, but the second in the series is much stronger. The story has gained complexity and moral grey areas of varying degrees abound. My challenge now, is to wait patiently for the third book. That will be difficult.

26 - Hinterkind, Vol. 1: The Waking World - Ian Edginton and Francesco Trifogli

After the blight, little of humanity remains. Cities are overgrown and life as we know it is long gone. Fantastic creatures and people have returned to the world, and they're not exactly friendly...

Even by my standards, I'll keep this one brief. This book wasn't bad, but I just wasn't inspired or compelled by it. I did continue to Vol. 2, but I'm not sure I would have if I hadn't already borrowed it from the library. I'm sure some people enjoyed it... but this wasn't my cup of tea.

27 - Into the Grey - Celine Kiernan

After a fire destroys their Home Patrick, his twin Dom and their family move into a seaside cottage that was once the family's summer getaway. Now, changed by the fire, they attract sinister attentions. Patrick can see that Dom is changed - perhaps dying- but nobody else seems to notice. As things worsen and history is gradually revealed Patrick will have to deal with the situation to the best of his ability in trying circumstances. 

A good spooky read that drew me in so well that time seemed to disappear within its pages. The supernatural is here, but this is proper spooky stuff, not the more amiable and flashy paranormal that has become so popular. While I really detest gender categorising books, in YA I can't help but notice the dominance of books primarily targeted at girls. When looking for books to recommend to teen boys when they visit the library it can be tough to find newer titles. This book will be great for recommending in that situation.

28 - Hinterkind, Vol. 2: Written in Blood - Ian Edginton, Francesco Trifolgi and Cris Peter

According to my notes, I enjoyed this a little more than Vol. 1 (book 26, higher up in this review). That said, now that I come to write a review not much comes to mind to write about it. The characters are stronger, there are some interesting developments, but I'm not sure I'll continue with the series. There are too many out there that I'd rather read first.

29 - Pride of Baghdad - Brian K Vaughan, Niko Henrichon

Inspired by the real life escape and eventual re-discovery of lions from Baghdad's view, this emotionally powerful story imagines what might have happened and mixes it with a great deal of musing on the meaning, value and costs of freedom and captivity.

I was drawn to this book as I've enjoyed some of Brian K Vaughan's other work, especially Saga. I can't really draw a comparison between that book and this because there's not a lot of common ground. The philosophy was a bit heavy-handed at times but the ideas were interesting and I found myself quite attached to the characters.

If you're looking for a happy ending, you won't find one here. It's an interesting read though.

30 - Faking it (The Intern, #2) - Gabrielle Tozer

Things are going well for Josie. She's found a job as a writer and things are working out well with her boyfriend. But the pressure's building with new responsibilities and expectations and she's developing a shocking case of impostor syndrome...

As with the first book in the series, the characters are wonderfully written. Josie's awkwardness is believable and the distinct personalities of the other characters are really well written. I really only had one gripe - there's a scene with a librarian, she's a horrible, vicious stereotype (ultra-authoritarian, uptight, angry, moralist) who behaves in a manner totally unbelievable to a person who's worked in libraries. Given how well other characters are written it was quite disappointing. I had to put the book down and walk away for a bit. Thankfully that character didn't recur and the book is very, very good otherwise.

I've been enjoying reading some newer Australian YA authors and Gabrielle Tozer and the earlier mentioned Amberlin Kwaymullina have been the standouts.

2015 photo post up-to-dating

54 (23rd February) - Fix - I took time to fix this mouse... he's Mum's and was a victim of kitten curiosity a little while ago. PVA glue was all I needed - that and to tackle the job in stages. At this point there are already some sections that have been glued back together. I was pleased with the results, and the mouse is back on the shelf.

55 - 12 O'Clock - I was out on the road, almost at Keith, on the longest distance driving day I've yet had. I enjoyed it more than I expected though wouldn't want to do this kind of thing daily.

56 - Reflection - after an interview I take time to reflect - on this occasion that meant time at Picaninnie Ponds, a place where I really enjoyed the isolation, if only for a little while, and during the drive. While much of my mind focuses on the road and the route there's plenty left to contemplate life, the universe and everything. The skies were pretty spectacular too. They might not be a literal reflection but they help with the reflecting.

57 - Grow - Something this lobster at Kingston SE did?

58 - Still Life - I took a few more traditional subject photos but wasn't really happy with them. Instead I focused on background and light. Which I need to work on more... but made some progress. This is my favourite of the shots taken, possibly not the best lit but in combination with framing it seems stronger.

59 - Thank you - not so much thank you, as thankful. For the festival season in Adelaide, the atmosphere, buzzing and excited, and for good nights out. This night I caught one of the $5 shows and enjoyed some food, drink and people watching.

60 - Starts with R - R & R and Reading. I've enjoyed a few books with a sociology/psychology angle lately and they've been good food for thought too.



-- From here I decided to take some time off, I don't want to burn myself out, so if I need a break in my creative projects... I'll take them ;) Days 60-74 I'm considering that break though the few photos following I've included anyway. They were taken incidentally rather than as part of an ongoing effort --

66 - Spotted some street art on the way to Yum Cha in the city with friends, these were Chinese donuts, crisp pastry inside, soft pastry outside, tasty sauce. I tried tripe for the first time, the flavour (especially with sauce) I found to be decent but I just couldn't get past the texture and found it difficult to eat as a result.

70 - I made my second batch of jam, this time with peaches. The method was a little trickier but the results were good. It didn't set as firmly as the nectarine jam did but I'm still happy with the outcome. This was also a much bigger batch so I'll have jam for quite a while now.

71 - A night out at the fringe. I saw 'Randy Writes a Novel' with a friend and had a lot of fun doing so. Couldn't take a photo then, so instead, this was my dessert. It was gooood.

72 - Colour - I jumped into responding to a prompt today as it inspired me. Overnight I heard that Sir Terry Pratchett died. His books brought much colour to my life and will continue to do so, I love re-reading these from time to time.

74 - After a huge and wonderful birthday weekend (this mug was a gift) spending time with friends and family and seeing La Soiree, which was absolutely incredible, it was time for a cup of tea. I will keep creating, keeping calm... is a work in progress. Although I'm going forward without prompts for now I'm hoping to resume more regular photography after this break.

2015 Photo Challenge Week 7

Themes used this week

40 - Energy - I burnt some off in the evening along the river track. I'd like to make this a more frequent occurrence.

41 - This inspires me - I often find street art inspiring, this was done by local artist Jake Sanders for Gawler's Fringe events. I've got a card design sketched out that this inspired, now that the weather's cooled off I'll have to see about making it.

42 - On the wall - I helped a lady put up her exhibition in a library a few years ago - I told her this was my favourite of her works. After I helped her to take it down again, she presented it to me. Such a good memory every time I see it just inside my front door.

43 - Pointy - my most used craft tool, an x-acto knife with a lovely fresh blade in it. I feel more confident with it than I do with a pencil or pen. That said, the circle in the background was cut using an adjustable circle cutter, another most excellent tool.

44 - Temptation - on a very hot day, I felt a great deal of temptation to find a place to immerse myself in water, unfortunately there wasn't a suitable option available. These pigeons found one in the fountain in front of the museum on North Terrace though.

45 - Love - Once again the library in Gawler ran a Blind Date With A Book promotion for Valentine's Day/Library Lovers Day. I made time to sit down with coffee, roses from the garden and some of a favourite chocolate. As hoped, the book 'The Ladies' Paradise' by Emile Zola was one I'd not have picked up on my own. I do love a good chance to try something new and different.

46 - Spot - A lovely spot to spend a couple of evenings this weekend... the laneway event in Gawler in connection with the Fringe, 'The Place Next Door' was nice and relaxed, a pretty ordinary laneway transformed into an art-filled performance venue and hangout spot.

Visiting/revisiting various youths (2015 books 11-15)

11 - Andy in Trouble - Freda M Hurt

Andy in Trouble was originally published in the fifties - consequently the language is interesting, styles have changed a lot over time. It is, like many children's books still are, centred around illustrations of a moral concept and consequences of failure to observe the concept, in this case, honesty. Elements of adventure and humour are present, and the story's well told.

When I read this I was spending an evening in the bedroom that had been mine before I left home - it now contains, amongst other things, a bookshelf of my parents' books. I wanted something to read so I picked the first book my hand landed on - this one, complete with original presentation plaque (not from the fifties) inside. I went to find it on Goodreads, and had to add it myself. The author seems to be long since forgotten, but while I won't be anxiously seeking more, it was interesting to see what a book my mother read as a child was like.

12 - Penny Pollard's Diary - Robin Klein and Ann James

Penny Pollard, whose rebellious behaviour drives both parents and teacher up the wall, finally meets a friend and co-conspirator in the last place she expects.

I revisited this after a conversation got me thinking. This is a book I loved when I was younger than Penny is...and was pleased to find Penny's rebelliousness not diminished by time. The original editions were nicer, in my opinion... but if kids since then have enjoyed the book as much as I have, those would have disintegrated years ago.

13 - The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf - Ambelin Kwaymullina

In a world risen from the ashes of the one we know, Ashala Wolf, leader of The Tribe, a group of young people with strange abilities who do not wish to submit to society's restrictions, faces interrogation. The interrogation will make use of The Machine, which can pull memories from your head whether you wish to surrender them or not - how do you protect those you love and have responsibility for faced with that?

I'm making a conscious effort to add more Australian content, and more author diversity to my reading this year after noticing that it's been severely lacking. I found this book with that in mind, and I'm glad I did. Writing and story are both executed brilliantly and I'm really, really looking foward to reading the next book - the biggest problem being that the third is not out until August. It'll be tough.

14 - Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City - Guy Delisle

Guy Delisle spent a year living in Jerusalem with his family whilst his wife was working for Medicins Sans Frontieres. This (hefty) volume tells some of the stories and experiences he collected in that time.

After gaining a new perspective reading Marjane Satrapi's 'Persepolis' I thought it'd be a good idea to read more graphic novels examining parts of the world that I could stand to learn more about. There were some interesting stories here, but the book rambles, and at times it really drags. I would prefer something a bit more concise. Naturally, review opinions on Goodreads (as linked in the title) differ wildly, the highly divided opinions that surround this part of the world only inflame that.

15 - The Intern - Gabrielle Tozer

Josephine Browning longs to be a journalist in newspapers and other such serious publications, but lands an internship for a fashion magazine with a notoriously difficult editor...

If you think this is sounding familiar, you could be forgiven - but don't worry. Despite the similar premise, The Intern isn't a do-over of The Devil Wears Prada, instead it's a mix of believable characters, having to mature in a tough environment and moving away from the people and places that become familiar in school years. This is also, genre-wise, a very long way from my usual reading stomping grounds. Branching out can only be good, both personally and in a professional context as having wider knowledge to help others find the right book is invaluable.

Also, this adds another Australian author to this year's reading in keeping with my goals, the fourth excluding contributors to short story collections.

2015 photo challenge week 6

I decided to try out some of the lists of photo prompts, I chose Fat Mum Slim's list for this month, it's weekly so I started on the 2nd.

33 - Mail - Today's mail included a bunch of advertising junk and a letter for a previous occupant of my house. Instead, I made this card as a birthday/congratulations card. I like sending out mail, both the making of it and giving someone something that wasn't automated in their mailbox.

Using a few reference images for ideas I sketched some (well, many) foxes, eventually got one that I thought would work. I don't usually start from scratch like that, I've got no confidence in my drawing ability so used this as an opportunity to stretch myself. I'm more confident in my knife work and did modify the image slightly at that stage. I'm out of practice and can see minor flaws, but am learning to forgive myself those, especially working on the tiny scale here (nose is 2mm wide). Nobody else seems to notice them so perhaps I can allow myself a little leeway.

34 - Water - I had a few errands to run in the Adelaide CBD, once I was done I took the scenic route back to the railway station to enjoy the weather. This photo is from the Adelaide University footbridge.

35 - Reward - A morning of getting jobs around the house done, so ice cream and some time to read made a good reward. I've finished the book now, fifteenth of the year (!) so I'll be reviewing again soon.

36 - Something blue - detail of the pattern on my plates, bowls etc. Inherited from Nanna, so there are happy memories every day when I use them.

37 - Makes me smile - I took this photo on February 6, Grandpa would have been 100 that day. Grandma, Mum, Dad and I visited the cemetery where Grandpa's ashes are interred, took a new bunch of red silk roses to replace the faded ones, and some red roses we'd grown. This is the one I took. It's the memories that make me smile, and it's a big part of why I love growing roses.

38 - Stripes - Buttons are one of my favourite craft materials. The button necklaces I have made have a wonderful colourful stripy-ness. I pulled some buttons out of my jars to put this picture together. Mmm. Buttons.

39 - In my bag - something to read. Never know when I'll have a quiet moment or need a book-y retreat. I often have e-books for use on the go, but just now I'm slowly making my way through this book.