Book #8, #9 & #10 - Life of Pi, Kings in Grass Castles, We of the Never Never

It's been a while since I've updated my list of 'non-twaddle' books I've been reading. I have to admit that I've slowed down significantly and have mainly gone back to books that don't require any brain cells. I read these ones over the Christmas break - but I do have a few that I've started on my bedside tables atm.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel.

This is the story of a teenage boy, cast adrift after a shipwreck in a lifeboat with a zebra, a tiger, a hyena and an orungatan. It's the story of survival against the odds - or is it?

Most reviews I've read of this book sang its praises, but I have to say I didn't actually like it. I enjoyed reading some of it - it had some wonderfully descriptive passages, but on the whole I found it disturbing. Maybe because I like books that wrap things up neatly, and without giving anything away, the ending of this was just too open-ended.

I guess I'm glad I read it so that I know what all of the fuss was about.

Kings in Grass Castles by Mary Durack

For a complete change of pace, this is the true story of the Durack family, one of the original cattle barons of Australia. It's written by the grand-daughter of the main character, Patsy Durack and tells how her grand-father came from Ireland in 1853 to escape the potato famine. He & his brothers set out to open up the country that was at that time largely unexplored - how they drove huge herds of cattle to set up properties in some of the most remote parts of Australia in NSW, Queensland and finally Western Australia.

Although its a bit dry & factual in places, I found it absolutely fascinating. I loved reading how they lived, how they set up their homes in the middle of nowhere, how they survived. Recommended for anyone who wants a glimpse into Australian life in the 1800s.

We of the Never Never / The Little Black Princess by Mrs Aeneas Gunn

Another Australian classic, this is an autobiographical account by Jeannie Gunn, published under her married name. Written in 1902, its her experiences of setting up homestead in Northern Territory, being the only white woman in the area, coping with the droughts & floods, the lack of provisions, the remoteness from everything.

I enjoyed the book but it did take me many starts and stops to get through it due to the style of writing. I found it really hard to get into it. Apparently it was made into a movie too - I'd be interested in watching that.

Book #7 - 1984 by George Orwell

This has taken me all month to read. I'd pick it up, read a chapter, get too depressed and put it down again. I cannot believe they made us read this in high school! Yes it's a classic, and in some ways I love it, but geez it's depressing :(

I'm sure most people are familiar with the story line - the year is 1984 and everything is controlled by the government. Everything you say and do is watched by telescreens. Records of the past are constantly changed to bring it into line with the current reality. Children are turned against their parents, no one has friends or lovers. Winston Smith (the hero) commits the crime of taking a lover and thinking thoughts against Big Brother. He's captured, tortured and left a broken shell of a man.

As I said, it's really depressing.. I think I need to read something a lot lighter now!!

Book #6 - Tom Appleby, Convict Boy by Jackie French

This is a kid's book written by Australian author Jackie French. It's about an 8 year old London boy, Thomas Appleby, who turns to theft to survive after he is left an orphan. He is caught, sent to Newgate Prison, and finally transported to Australia on the First Fleet.

Tom's story is told along with the history of the new colony. It details the conditions of the trip over, how the first colony almost starved because they couldn't adapt to the food that was available rather wanting the food they were used to and the day to day life of the settlers.

I actually got this out of the library thinking it might be ok to read to Billy but thought I'd better read it myself first. I'm glad I did! While not extremely graphic, some of the scenes (like the hangings and floggings) could be better left a few years.

A thoroughly enjoyable book for probably 10 year old and up though! While I've always been a huge Jackie French fan, having read her adult gardening books, and her kid's picture books, I'll be reading more of her historical series now.

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I've also updated & sorted my book list. Check it out - I'm always open to suggestions :)

Book #5 - A Fortunate Life by A.B.Facey

This is an Australian classic. It's an autobiography written by Albert Facey, a man born in 1894 in Victoria who spent much of his life in Western Australia.

He had a remarkably hard life by our standards. He was sent out to work for a living at about age 8 - hard work looking after farms. He worked at various times as a drover, building the rabbit-proof fence, working on the railway hammering spikes on the rail line, farmer, dingo killer, and boxer! As a young man, he fought in World War I at Gallipoli in which two of his brothers were killed, and he was injured. He lived through the Great Depression. He married, and he and his wife had 7 kids, one of whom was killed in World War II.

He was completely self-educated, teaching himself to read & write. He started keeping notes on his life after WWI, and eventually published his book in 1981, just 9 months before he died.

The story is told very simply, as if he's telling a "yarn" in person, but the story itself is remarkable. You realise how much you yourself have "a fortunate life". It's a story that will stay with you long after you've finished reading.

Book #3 & #4 - Z for Zachariah & A little history of the world

Z for Zachariah - Robert C.O'Brien

This is a young adult's book set in a small village in America following a nuclear attack. 16 year old Ann is the last person left alive in the valley, which seems to have escaped the effects of the attack by having it's own weather patterns. With the help of the stores in the village shop, her chickens & cows, Ann has settled into a reasonable existence. One day a stranger appears in the village dressed in a "safe suit" - while Ann initially hides from him and watches, when he is struck down with radiation sickness, she comes to help.

She nurses him until he is well - while recovering, he is able to help her by designing more mechanical ways they can do things eg he shows her how to use the gas pumps so she can drive the tractor.

Unfortunately his behaviour towards her becomes increasingly threatening - he tries to rape her, cuts off her food supply and tries to bring her under his control.

I won't spoil the ending by saying any more :)

I think I have read the book some time ago but enjoyed it again as a quick read. The ending was left in the air a fair bit - I found myself longing for another chapter, but then I like things to be wrapped up neatly in a happy ending! If I was at school, I can imagine I would've been given an assignment to write an extra chapter :)

If you've read it, what did you think of the ending?

A little history of the World by E.H. Gombrich

In 1935, 26 year old Ernst Gombrich, with a doctorate in art history, was given 6 weeks to write a history of the world aimed at younger readers. He succeeded very well!!

Just before his death in 2001, he revised the book, and added extra chapters to bring it up to date.

Written in a delightful conversational and story-telling style, the book is not heavy with dates or facts, but gives an overview of the marvels of history. It shows how events relate to each other, and draws parallels between things that are happening in different eras or areas.

I originally bought it as a read-aloud to use in history studies with Billy - I will still do that but I think I'll hold off for a year or two. I just don't think he's at the right level yet, but that would depend on the child.

In the meantime, I've picked it up and had a thoroughly enjoyable read! I learnt heaps that I hadn't known before, and put together some connections about things I thought I did know.

Classics (and more) book list

This is an ongoing list of books that I want to read (or re-read) - I'll keep updating it as I think of others, and strike off what I've read (in yellow).

I've sorted it into some sort of categories now to keep track a bit better.

Classics

• To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee (July 2009)
• 1984 – George Orwell (Sept 2009)
  
• Animal Farm – George Orwell (Aug 2009)
• Homage to Catalonia - George Orwell
  
• Shakespeare’s plays
• Walden – Thoreau

Biographies / Autobiographies

• A Fortunate Life by A.B.Facey (Sept 2009)
• Kings in Grass Castles by Mary Durack (Jan 2010)
• We of the Never Never / The Little Black Princess (Jan 2010)
  
• Mockingbird : a portrait of Harper Lee
• Bbiography on CS Lewis

Non-fiction

• The Future Eaters by Tim Flannery
  
• A short history of nearly everything – Bill Bryson
• A Brief History of Time? – Stephen Hawking
• 
  

Kids / Young Adult

• Z for Zachariah - Robert C. O'Brien (Aug 2009)
• Tom Appleby, Convict Boy by Jackie French (Sep 2009)
  
• Harry Potter series – JK Rowling
• Playing Beattie Bow – Ruth Park
• Narnia series
• Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
• 
  

Historical

• A little history of the world by E.H. Gombrich (Aug 2009)
  

Australian history

• Poor Man’s Orange series – Ruth Park

Fiction that makes me think

• Life of Pi by Yann Martel (Dec 2009)
  

Please feel free to suggest any books you consider must-reads.

Some (maybe not-so) quick updates..

A few updates:

Re the tree - it appears the general consensus, both here and at a tree forum I posted on, is that it's an oleandar. Oleandar's are poisonous to kids & animals, so I'm not keen on keeping it around. Hubby can pull it up and throw it away.

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Re my commitments - I decided not to go ahead with teaching for next term. I'll see how I'm feeling later in next term, but I probably won't even decide to put in a course for Term 1 next year either. I have enough else in my life that I want to be doing. I have 2 more nights to teach this term and then that's it.

In the meantime, I taught a full-day course at a different community college (prior commitment), and when they asked me if I'd go back, I declined for next term but left it open for the possibility for a couple of one-day courses next year if they don't find someone in the meantime.

I've also tentatively made a decision about not continuing with something else that I do, but I will see out the year. I'm being deliberately vague on that one until I let people know that need to know :)

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Re my education - I haven't updated for a couple of weeks, but I am still firmly committed to this goal. The trouble is, I have so many books on the go that I haven't finished any of them lately!!

As well as reading, I've also been watching a free lecture series from Yale University on Introduction to Greek History. I'm halfway through the 2nd lecture and really enjoying it (although the intro was a bit long-winded at times).

I've decided for now that I'm going to focus my attentions in 2 areas - I'm going to give myself a "virtual" Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in Ancient History and English, from the "prestigious" University of Kez :)

For Ancient History, my first "subjects" are:

* Overview of World History

I'm currently reading a wonderful book called A Little History of the World - it's meant as a kid's book and tells world history as a fascinating story. I am almost ashamed at some of the historical connections I had never made before.

We're also still watching The Teaching Company's Big History course.

Also on my list is Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. This is more science-based I think, but I'll give it a try anyway.

* Ancient Greece

I'm watching the Introduction to Greek History lectures, and reading the associated textbook. I also have some Greek historical books and myths here that I'll attempt as well.

For English, I'm doing a "literature study of classics" - ie reading books that I regard as classics, and then following up by reading a biography or autobiography of the author.

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So that should be enough to keep me busy, you'd think!

Book #2 - Animal Farm by George Orwell

"All animals are equal but some are more equal than others."

I cannot believe I have never read this, but then I probably wasn't cynical enough to really appreciate it when I was younger :)

It's a very thinly veiled story of human nature in general & communism in particular - the animals of Manor Farm are sick of working like slaves for the humans and stage a rebellion. They take over the farm (now renamed Animal Farm) and set to work for themselves. They make 7 commandents, one of which is "All animals are equal". All is good and happy. They have plenty of food, and freedom.

Gradually though, the pigs start taking over as the ruling class. The animals start working for the pigs, but they are convinced that they are still better off - after all, they aren't working for the humans anymore. The farm turns into a dictatorship under the leadership of Napolean, the head pig, who rewrites history, spreads propaganda and changes the commandments..

"All animals are equal but some are more equal than others."

I absolutely loved this book! I spent the whole time chuckling wryly at what was happening and thinking "so true!". The copy I'd borrowed from the library was illustrated by Quentin Blake, one of my favourite illustrators, so it was even better!

Definitely a classic!

Book #1 - To Kill a Mockingbird

"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee was the novel I chose to start reawakening my brain with. It's set in 1936 in Alabama and is the story of the attitudes and prejudices of the time told through the eyes of 2 children, Jem & Scout. They are the son & daughter of lawyer Atticus Finch who is representing a negro man charged with the rape of a white woman.

I first read this book in high school - probably around age 16 or 17. We must've studied it in class, because I clearly remember writing profiles on some of the characters. Even though I'd forgotten a lot of the details of the plot, I remember loving the book and have obviously picked it up at a second hand shop somewhere over the years.

20+ years later and I understood so much more of the story. I guess having more life experience I could relate more to some of the characters and knew more background history. It's stood the test of time - I really enjoyed it again.

I've also been watching:

* TED lecture - Hector Ruiz - CEO of AMD
* TED lecture - Carl Honore - talking about his book In Praise of Slow
* The Teaching Company's Big History course - first 2 lectures (of 48). This one is really stretching my brain!

Educating Kez

I feel dumb.

It's been 7 years since I left the adult environment of the workforce, where I was forced to learn new skills, have conversations with GROWN UPS and use my brain for something other than knowing where everyone in the house left their stuff...

A few years ago I did my Cert IV in Training and Assessment - it was a wonderful year. Even though it was majorly stressful and challenging, it gave me a real high to be learning again.

My brain is back to feeling like it's atrophied - to the point that I find it hard to carry on a conversation now - you know how often when you chat to new mums all they can talk about is their new bub, sleep patterns, teething etc? I feel like that a lot - like my conversation is out of step with the rest of the world. Then again, that could be because I don't watch reality TV!!

I find it hard to read anything much more challenging than chick-lit because, damn it, it hurts my brain!!

It's time to wake my brain back up. It will be good for me, and I think it will be good for Billy to see me learning too.

I always wanted to study ancient history in more depth than I did at school. I'd love to read all of Shakespeare's plays (without having to write essays on them!). I want to go back to being the person who picked up Dicken's "Tale of Two Cities" - and read it for fun! I'd maybe even like to see if I can understand physics this time around.. (hang on - maybe not!)

I have a huge personal library, and 2 great public libraries to choose from. So I'm starting tonight. I'm going over to the bookcase once I post this, I'm going to choose something that's a bit heavier than the romance novel I have on my bedside table (not too heavy though!), and I'm going to start reading it.

Let's see if the brain can still work..