tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5979520111071571082024-02-19T01:31:48.345-08:00Sweet, Sour, Bitter, SaltFood for eyes, stomach and mind.Sassy Swayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05571543121789214421noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597952011107157108.post-46281411623745478902014-02-02T00:57:00.000-08:002014-02-03T21:10:55.334-08:00Upper Reach Winery and Broads Cafe<h4>
We live half an hours drive from the Swan Valley. Popping up for lunch is something we could easily do, yet rarely get around to.</h4>
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For this year's annibirthary ( a word we have coined to cover the convergence of our anniversary and Craig's birthday) we booked the cottage at <a href="http://www.upperreach.com.au/" target="_blank">Upper Reach Winery</a> for Friday and Saturday night.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVRWbMOgpRLexQiWsKz0nTjnTNjYQfsFvaaBZutQX7rLxHnssy4XovLyoIV23kuwlqaamVWZWGe3sook5eMILvSwUTEdIFjE0NOQa-QWvyI8zYAZ2LWdD2QfU1QFADJKoOaWRKmo3AwDS/s1600/IMG_2091-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVRWbMOgpRLexQiWsKz0nTjnTNjYQfsFvaaBZutQX7rLxHnssy4XovLyoIV23kuwlqaamVWZWGe3sook5eMILvSwUTEdIFjE0NOQa-QWvyI8zYAZ2LWdD2QfU1QFADJKoOaWRKmo3AwDS/s1600/IMG_2091-001.jpg" height="179" width="640" /></a></div>
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The Cottage sits at the front of the property, fenced off from the road for privacy. It is the only accommodation on the vineyard and despite the fact you have a clear view of the next door property it feels very private. It is all high ceilings and creaky floor boards that gives a lovely character feel. The kitchen is well equipped and there is everything there you could need, except a cheese knife. A small and forgivable oversight in our view.<br />
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It is filled with a range of Upper Reach Wines to purchase, saving you a trip down to the cellar door if you arrive late. Tea, coffee, milk etc are all provided, and there is a selection of books, games and dvd's, none of which we bothered with.<br />
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The bathroom is spacious, clean and the corner spa works just fine. The water pressure in the shower was great which gets thumbs up from me.Providing a larger bed in the second bedroom would be a grand idea as our Saturday night guests were a little squeezed in.<br />
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<a href="http://sassyg.smugmug.com/Travel/Swan-Valley/i-pQ6fNBV/A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://sassyg.smugmug.com/Travel/Swan-Valley/i-pQ6fNBV/0/M/IMG_2040-M.jpg" title="" /></a><br />
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We sat out on the porch/patio/verandah to enjoy nibbles and a glass or two of wine in the evening and breakfast in the morning. The breeze that came through was delightful. The Mulberry and Ficus trees block the direct view of the sunset, but keep the cottage cool so I consider it a far trade off.<br />
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We were there in February, which is usually the hottest time of year in Perth. The vines were all lush and green, and there was picking going on in the valley.<br />
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<a href="http://sassyg.smugmug.com/Travel/Swan-Valley/i-4wLK9Cv/A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://sassyg.smugmug.com/Travel/Swan-Valley/i-4wLK9Cv/0/M/IMG_2156-M.jpg" title="" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://sassyg.smugmug.com/Travel/Swan-Valley/i-X3rpDxb/A" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title=""><img alt="" src="http://sassyg.smugmug.com/Travel/Swan-Valley/i-X3rpDxb/0/M/IMG_2194-M.jpg" height="133" title="" width="200" /></a>There was a fair range of bird life with ring necked parrots, correllas, wattle-birds, galahs and even a few <a href="http://sassysways.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/black-cockatoos.html" target="_blank">Carnaby's Black Cockatoos</a> paying an all too brief visit.<br />
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We arranged a breakfast 'hamper' for the Sunday morning which we picked up from the restaurant on Saturday. It was tasty and the muesli, fruit and yoghurt was the best I've had in some time.<br />
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By happy accident (and not in any way attributable to good planning on our part), our visit coincided with the first of their concert series for the year so we got dinner and a show as well. Because of the concert we were able to book in for dinner at the Restaurant for Saturday night. What a great evening!<br />
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<a href="http://sassyg.smugmug.com/Travel/Swan-Valley/i-kvJfKkW/A" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img alt="" src="http://sassyg.smugmug.com/Travel/Swan-Valley/i-kvJfKkW/0/M/IMG_2099-M.jpg" height="266" title="" width="400" /></a>I had the Barramudi which was the best cooked bit of fish I've had in a long time. K & C had the lamb curry which was rich and tasty. Brian had the chicken so we covered all the bases and everyone was happy. A bottle of the Semillion and a bottle of the Tempranillo set everything off beautifully.<br />
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The music was great, as was the whole atmosphere. Upper Reach and Broads are to be commended on a really lovely event. Perhaps the final highlight of the evening was wandering back up to the cottage knowing we didn't have to drive anywhere.<br />
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I'd recommend Upper Reach as a great place to visit or stay. Sassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08059883556616176935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597952011107157108.post-63530486807204336982014-02-01T22:05:00.000-08:002014-04-05T17:01:41.828-07:00Say Cheese... The Cheese Barrel in the Swan Valley<h4>
The Cheese Barrel was a chance discovery for us, which is surprising because we live in Perth and we LOVE cheese. </h4>
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We were on our way to Upper Reach Winery, where we had booked the cottage for the weekend, and spotted the sign on Great Northern Highway. No further discussion was required about where we would be having lunch the next day.<br />
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The Cheese Barrel sits alongside Olive Farm Wines and has as extensive a list of cheeses as the Olive Farm does wines.<br />
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They don't make the cheese they serve, which they tell you as you walk in the door. I got the vibe that some people obviously think they do and hat has caused them grief in the past. They do, however, import some amazing cheeses from all over the world. <br />
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The rustic looking brown paper menu (do not remove) is a little overwhelming at first, but if you assume you can't make a bad choice it gets easier.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I think letting people take a copy of the menu that you can then study at your leisure would actually be a good idea for them. I think I'd stick one to my fridge and browse through it longingly on a regular basis. It would also mean I'd be able to make up my mind what to order before I got there. I know they have a web site too, but it's not the same. I digress...</span></span></i><br />
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We chose the French and Spanish regional boards with matching wine flights ($10 extra per person) and we were not disappointed. Also on offer are Australian and Italian boards which we might need to go back and sample. You can arrange your own boards from scratch or select from the other six pages of options, but too much choice can be an issue and I think in some ways they would be better off simplifying the choices.<br />
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The regional boards include 4 different cheeses, baguette, lavosh bread and seasonal fruit, which in our case was a small bunch of grapes. We bulked our up selection with some delicious salami and ham as extras which worked out perfectly. The cheese and wine matching was a really lovely option and you get tasting notes for both cheese and wine which was a nice touch.<br />
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The servings won't leave you heaving at the seams, we had plenty of room to sample the citrus tart with a nice sticky on the side. <br />
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The service was friendly and relaxed in just the way it should be and despite the fact we were there in February it wasn't too hot to sit out on the deck in the middle of the day.<br />
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I was so caught up in the excitement of the cheese that I didn't get my camera out once, which means I have an excuse to head back there sometime soon... <br />(Updated: We made a special trip back for some photos and some more cheese... every bit as good as I remember it).<br />
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I highly recommend a visit for any cheese lovers.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1690606/restaurant/Perth/Swan-Valley/The-Cheese-Barrel-Millendon"><img alt="The Cheese Barrel on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1690606/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Sassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08059883556616176935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597952011107157108.post-15361542775083018822014-01-26T23:24:00.000-08:002014-02-01T22:06:54.611-08:00The Hobbit - The MovieI didn't race out to the cinema when The Hobbit was first released. In fact, I waited a full year, and watched it on DVD. This was not because I'd read bad reviews, in fact I don't think I read any. Nor was it lack of interest. I loved the book when I was a child, and enjoyed all of the Lord of the Rings films as well. I'm not normally one of those people who wants to book to make an exact picture image in my head either.<br />
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However, there was something suspicious about them splitting what was a rollicking tale of some 95,000 words into more than one movie. It didn't feel like a decisions born of a desire to do the book justice (as would have been the case with the TV series they should have made out of the recently released Ender's Game), but felt as if the project had been taken over by either accountants wanting to squeeze every last cent out of the franchise, or nerdy Tolkien types who weren't ready to let go of Middle Earth yet and who knew they would never get the opportunity to make anything from the Simarillion. Or perhaps both.<br />
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The end result for me was the transformation of a great tale of adventure into a bit of a bleak wade through a grey and grungy world. Bilbo seemed neither sufficiently uncertain, nor did the Dwarves seem as sure as I recall. Gandalf had none of the humour and gentle care and respect of Bilbo that I always saw in the story. <br />
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There seemed more time spent on past events that present, which seemed to be an attempt to reuse all of the techniques used in LOR. The book wasn't about great battles of warring armies. It was a story of the battle we fight with ourselves, our uncertainty of who we are and where we belong, of whether we can meet our own expectations or those of others.<br />
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Many films think they can cover up a lack of story substance with special effects. In this case the original story had the right stuff, but has been diluted so as to be only lightly flavoured with the original. <br />
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The great shame is that it will be a long while before someone tries to remake this film in the from that it deserves. <br />
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<br />Sassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08059883556616176935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597952011107157108.post-77522266270668880452013-08-06T02:51:00.000-07:002013-08-06T02:51:48.627-07:00Dinner before a show - The AviaryThe Aviary is a short walk from the state theatre center, straight across the railway line. We made a nice early booking online so we could be in and out in time for the start of <i><a href="http://www.bsstc.com.au/whats-on/other-desert-cities/" target="_blank">Other Desert Cities</a></i>.<br />
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The online booking was fine as far as it went, but there was then a follow up phone call the next day to confrim, which I always find a bit odd. Of course it ended up going to voicemail, and the number they left for us to call back on went to a recorded message saying there was no one to take the call...<br />
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Using a little ingenuity we managed to get in touch and confirmed the booking, after which everything went beautifully.<br />
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The restaurant is decked out in black white and green, with bookish wallpaper that strikes me as a bit messy, but others would no doubt find whimsical. The lighting was low, keeping with its bar themes, but we could read our menus without engaging the flash light function on our iphones so apprently that's a step up on Rockpool.<br />
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The service was lovely and perky, friendly, engaged without being hovering or overly formal.<br />
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The menu is designed to be shared, and having eaten there once and getting a feel for how this might work I'd take that approach if eating there again. As it was, each of us ordered a dish of our own and that worked out fine too.<br />
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The sweet and sour pork belly was a hit as was the salt and pepper soft shell crab. The duck was a bit more on the so-so front, but I think we all have very high expectations of duck these days.<br />
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Desserts were very generous in size, and they served us the nicest coffee I've had in a long time. We were in and out in good time without feeling rushed or anxious or needing to clock watch at any stage. I do believe we'll be back, and this time I'll be saving room for a dessert myself.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1674068/restaurant/Perth-CBD/The-Aviary-Bird-Cage-Restaurant-Perth"><img alt="The Aviary – Bird Cage Restaurant on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1674068/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>Sassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08059883556616176935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597952011107157108.post-64003886830570250192013-07-31T16:49:00.000-07:002013-08-02T03:28:45.681-07:00Blogging about a bistro - Bistro GuillaumeYou know the foodie world is mainstream when the waitress needs to warn you that the pork belly isn't crispy when you order it.<br />
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We dined at Bistro Guillaume on Saturday night, courtesy of a gift voucher from someone for some favour done sometime. If I'm honest, without the voucher I probably wouldn't have ventured over to the Crown Casino Complex, so it's lucky really as it was a tasty meal.<br />
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Not being regular visitors to the Casino we had to do a lap or two to find the restaurant. Many of them were signposted, but we didn't see a sign for this one. The entry reminded me a bit of an airport lounge for some reason, thought the crockery chandelier probably wouldn't be prominent in the QANTAS frequent flyer lounge.<br />
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We were booking at fairly short notice, and knew there were restaurants
there we just weren't going to get into. We had a good vibe about
Bistro Guillaume as they had kindly donated a recipe book to a fund raiser we were involved with last year. <br />
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I'm not late night party folk. I turn into a pumpkin at the stroke of
midnight. Not being able to get a dinner booking until 8 o'clock
because they structure them around show times (<i>EMPIRE</i> - the sexed up version of Circ de Soleil in this case) was a
little off putting for me, but I'm sure it is very convenient for those
going to a show. I know - I wouldn't survive long in Spain.<br />
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The black and white decor was very french, as was our lovely waitress. You don't eat out in Perth anymore without expecting to pay $40 for a steak so the pricing was on par with what I might expect from a place like this. <br />
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As it was a latish sitting for us we skipped entree and went straight for mains; Pork Belly (not crispy) for me and the steak for him. They were both delicious. Melt in the mouth, soft, perfectly cooked and flavorsome. The apple flavours were perfect with the pork and the watercress salad served with the steak was a standout. As was the fresh bread, served with unsalted butter and salt on the side.<br />
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We shared a dessert, a chocolate and salted caramel tart, which was nice. $22 for a dessert felt a little over the top for mine, but I'm sure they used all the very best ingredients.<br />
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We didn't linger after dessert, and certainly didn't venture back into the Casino.<br />
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While looking for the restaurant we had passed through the gaming area, filled with seemingly sad and disinterested people sitting alone in front of machines with their grumpy faces on. The only people smiling seemed to be those that probably shouldn't have been allowed in the doors under the responsible service of alcohol laws. We waited at one of the bars for a drink for about 15 minutes without being served before giving up and trying somewhere else.<br />
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We did get a nice pre-dinner cocktail from the lobby bar, served to us by a young man who looked like he would have preferred to be anywhere else doing anything else. The drink itself, a mango martini, was fruity and nicely dressed despite this, though a glass shaker was harmed in its manufacture.<br />
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The Western Force was having a function on the night we were there, so we got to do some great people watching as a stack of guys and dolls dressed up in gown and suits wended their way through the bar. They were an interesting contrast against the dressed-down hotel guests who seemed to be coming back form the beach. Which was odd as it was the middle of winter, and rainy outside.<br />
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Over all, if this restaurant wasn't in the Casino complex I'd go back
with friends. If we were going to a show I'd pop in then.
Over all the complex itself was the turn off for me, which is not the fault of the staff, nor a judgement on the high quality of the food, It says more about me than it does about either of them.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1681260/restaurant/Perth/Victoria-Park/Bistro-Guillaume-Burswood"><img alt="Bistro Guillaume on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1681260/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>Sassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08059883556616176935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597952011107157108.post-65715575714943368402013-01-20T02:20:00.002-08:002013-01-20T02:20:55.953-08:00Books 2012 : Fiction<h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">As I said in a previous post, I read too much to fit all of my reviews for a year into a single post, so here is my 2012 reading list which I will endeavour to follow with more detailed commentary. </span></h4>
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I was given a Kindle for Christmas 2011. For a long time I was
unsure about giving up paperbacks for their digital equivalent. Having
made the move I am very glad I did. For me the Kindle was the perfect
choice. I now also have an ipad, but for my everyday reading I use the
Kindle. <br />
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There are always those occasions where a book isn't available electronically, or it is just cheaper to buy it from the <a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/" target="_blank">Book Depository UK</a> in hard form than to buy it electronically, but for convenience I buy it as an ebook wherever I can.<br />
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One
of the things I love is that Amazon keeps a handy list of my books, so I
only have to remember the hard copy ones, and those I borrowed. I was
surprised to find when compiling this list that Amazon does not allow you
to export that list. Instead I have chosen to use <a href="http://calibre-ebook.com/" target="_blank">Calibre</a>, which also syncs up with <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_blank">GoodReads</a>.<br />
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My other happy find of 2012 was a great list of free books from Amazon, updated daily <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/the-best-of-amazon-daily-free-ebooks-kindle-ipad">http://www.squidoo.com/the-best-of-amazon-daily-free-ebooks-kindle-ipad</a>.<br />
You
get a good sized serving of chaff with the wheat, but if you're on a
budget and willing to sort through reviews to see what is going to suit
you it's a good thing to know.<br />
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<h3>
Classics</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
With the arrival of so many Massive Open Online Courses line <a href="https://www.edx.org/" target="_blank">edX</a> and <a href="https://www.coursera.org/" target="_blank">Coursera </a>I had to check some out. For some reason I thought a class on Fantasy and Sci-fi fiction would be interesting. As part of the course work I read a few things I might not have otherwise read, but overall I find the forum focus of the classes to be a bit too full of ego for my taste. The arts is not about being right but about being interested and interesting. Not that I bothered to say that and let them lay waste to my view of course.<br />
<br />
More on trolls (Internet and fictional) some other time perhaps.<br />
<br />
Grimm, Jacob Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">
Stoker, Bram Dracula</span><br />
<br />
<h3>
Speculative fiction, Sci-Fi and Fantasy</h3>
<h4>
</h4>
<br />
Larson, B.V. Technomancer (Unspeakable Things: Book One)<br />
Jemisin, Jemisin The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Inheritance Trilogy 1)<br />
Brockway, Robert Rx - Episode 1: The Blackouts (Rx: A Tale of Electronegativity)<br />
Hunter, Elizabeth A Hidden Fire: Elemental Mysteries Book 1<br />
Grant, Mira Feed<br />
Grant, Mira Deadline: The Newsflesh Trilogy: Book 2<br />
Grant, Mira Blackout: The Newsflesh Trilogy: Book 3<br />
Scott, Paul The Jewel In The Crown (The Raj quartet)<br />
Cooley, Trevor H. Eye of the Moonrat (The Bowl of Souls: Book One) <br />
Lee, Jack J. Hero's Curse (The Paladin Files)<br />
Donaldson, Stephen R. Lord Foul's Bane (Chronicles of Thomas Covenant)<br />
Donaldson, Stephen R. The Illearth War (Chronicles of Thomas Covenant)<br />
Donaldson, Stephen The Real Story & Forbidden Knowledge: The Gap Sequence: 1: v. 1 (Gap Into 1 & 2) <br />
Donaldson, Stephen This Day All Gods Die: The Gap Sequence: 4: v. 4 (Gap Into 5)<br />
Donaldson, Stephen A Dark and Hungry God Arises: The Gap Sequence: 2: v. 2 (Gap Into 3)<br />
Donaldson, Stephen Chaos and Order: The Gap Sequence: 3: v. 3 (Gap Into 4)<br />
<span class="author"><a href="https://www.bookdepository.co.uk/search/advanced?searchAuthor=Rick+Riordan">Rick Riordan</a> Percy Jackson series</span><br />
Engdahl, Sylvia Stewards of the Flame<br />
Reid, Ruthanne The Sundered<br />
<h4>
</h4>
<h3>
Mainstream & Young Adult</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">On reflection I think the YA genre has always been my genre of choice<span style="font-size: small;"> even though it is relatively newly (un)defined</span>. May<span style="font-size: small;">be my p<span style="font-size: small;">psyche is stuck back there for some re<span style="font-size: small;">ason, <span style="font-size: small;">but I love it because i<span style="font-size: small;">t is brave enough to take <span style="font-size: small;">some risk<span style="font-size: small;">s that I think fiction aimed at a more mass market backs away from. <span style="font-size: small;">Teenagers are fearless after all<span style="font-size: small;"> and much more <span style="font-size: small;">open minded and unbreakable than people think. I <span style="font-size: small;">wish I had been kinder to my <span style="font-size: small;">teenage self.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h4>
Green, John The Fault in Our Stars<br />
Stockett, Kathryn The Help<br />
Barnes, Julian The Sense of an Ending<br />
Kidd, Sue Monk The Secret Life of Bees<br />
Jacobson, Howard The Finkler Question<br />
Hemmings, Kaui Hart The Descendants<br />
Nicolai, Adam J Alex<br />
Brown, Pat Only the Truth<br />
Christopher, Thomas Never Too Far<br />
Lin, Sheng-Shih Daughter of the Bamboo Forest<br />
Irving, John In One Person<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">I <span style="font-size: small;">actually bothered to <a href="http://sweetsourbittersalt.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/dear-john.html" target="_blank">review </a>this at the time so I won't repea<span style="font-size: small;">t</span> it here.</span></span></span> <br />
Johnston, G. S. Consumption: A Novel<br />
Sawyer, S.D. Prelude to Reveille: A Vietnam Awakening<br />
Cronin, Keith Me Again<br />
Alster, Pam Robin's Blue<br />
Nevola, John E. The Last Jump: A Novel of World War II<br />
Bekendam, P. D. Prime of Life<br />
Prosapio, Stephen Dream War<br />
Kraus, Jim The Dog That Talked to God<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">I seemed to read a number of books with religious themes this
year. This was more by accident than design. as I am the least
spiritual person you are ever likely to meet.</span></span><br />
<br />
<h4>
</h4>
<h3>
Books I started but didn't finish</h3>
Roman, Mark The Ultimate Inferior Beings<br />
<br />
<br />Sassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08059883556616176935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597952011107157108.post-16338340009696818732013-01-20T01:53:00.002-08:002013-01-20T01:53:44.078-08:00Books 2012: Audiobooks and podcasts<h4>
If I have learnt a lesson recently it is that I need to write reviews as I finish the book, movie, meal, whatever. Having left everything to the end of the year I find I need to split things up into manageable chunks.</h4>
<br />
<h3>
Audio Books and Podcasts</h3>
In 2012 I listened to as many stories as I read, maybe more. This was due to a continued enjoyment of my favourite podcasts, an attempt to increase the number of times I ride to work and a better set of earphones.<br />
My podcasts of choice for 2012 were <a href="http://podcastle.org/" target="_blank">Pod Castle</a>, <a href="http://escapepod.org/" target="_blank">Escape Pod</a>, <a href="http://www.starshipsofa.com/" target="_blank">Star Ship Sofa</a>, <a href="http://selectedshortspri.pri.libsynpro.com/rss" target="_blank">Selected Shorts - PRI</a> and <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/the-history-of-rome/id261654474?mt=2" target="_blank">The History of Rome</a>.<br />
<br />
My audio faves of 2012 were;<br />
<br />
<h4>
</h4>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/375802.Ender_s_Game" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316636769m/375802.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/375802.Ender_s_Game">Ender's Game</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/589.Orson_Scott_Card">Orson Scott Card</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/491352254">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
<div>
<br />
I
seem to have come to Science Fiction a little later in life than you
might expect. My journey to it has passed through fantasy to
speculative fiction and back to some of those books I probably should
have read in my teens.<br />
<br />
Ender's Game is one of those I am grateful to have discovered.
<br />
I actually listened to Ender's Game rather than reading it. I
was painting the spare room in 40 degree C heat at the time and
multi-tasked by having this playing on my i-phone through Audible.<br />
<br />
Experiencing this book nearly 30 years after it was published
makes me all the more appreciative of some of its concepts, and the way
that science fiction becomes science fact.<br />
<br />
The way in which social media, portrayed in Ender's Game on
"the nets" where Peter and Valentine mould public opinion to suit their
own aims, is simply remarkable. It reminds me that Science Fiction is
far less about science than it is about the human condition and
psychology laid bare by stripping away what we think we know about
ourselves.<br />
<br />
In the 80's Orson Scott Card would have been seeing Usenet
groups and Bulletin Boards. In Ender's Game he talks about the nets as
being regional, and I suppose to some extent we see some of that today
despite the global nature of communications.<br />
<br />
The theme of the uniting common enemy is one which flows
through so much Science Fiction and its is not missing here. The
Nuremburg defence comes through in this novel as strongly as it does in
Stephen Donaldson's Gap series. For the protagonist, Ender, it goes
further. He isn't just following orders, he has been deliberately
manipulated into ignorance of the consequences of his own actions.<br />
<br />
Is this book violent and disturbing? Yes, of course it is.
Does that pose a problem for YA readers? No, I don't believe it does. I
don't believe this story does anything to glorify those elements. As in
Lord of the Flies it demonstrates that without boundaries children
behave as poorly to each other as many adults do. Survival, greed for
power and most importantly fear are strong motivators.<br />
<br />
Anyone who thinks that children cannot be cruel and unkind
and viscous with each other under certain circumstances, or simply when
it suits their own ends, has forgotten those moments in the playground
when it happened to them. True, most of these instances will not include
physical violence, thankfully, but words can often do much more than
blows. I don't think many would advocate Ender's approach to dealing
with bullying however.<br />
<br />
I'm surprised this book is not included in the Australian
School curriculum. While Lord of the Flies was probably a great book for
those coming out of the post war era in the last century surely this
novel was one more appropriate for the Gen Y's, where perhaps the Hunger
Games will be for Generation Next.<br />
<br />
Certainly there is a lot of the cold war elements here which
are dated in light of the modern day conflicts that we see, many of
which are civil wars albeit supported by outside states in various ways,
but there are themes of religious freedoms which could be unearthed
from this novel which may be very relevant.<br />
<br />
The character of Alai is intriguing and I understand he
features in future books in the series which I look forward to
exploring.<br />
<br />
Ender’s Game would make a great text from which to start
exploring the topic of ethics. You don't have to agree with any of the
decisions made in this book to find something worth discussing about it.
I think that is the most important role of fiction, to make us
challenge what we believe, either to help us change it, or to enable us
to explain why we hold the values we do.<br />
<br />
I also wonder if there is something of The Outliers in this
story. Ender may have been specially selected for his genetic heritage
(though it is unclear how as neither of his parents appeared to show
any of his characteristics), but it could be argued that the time at
which he was born, and the sheer number of hours he trained, (surely at
least the required 10,000 hours to become expert at something) might
have made nearly any child into the military 'genius' the society
needed him to be.<br />
<br />
This was one of the richest stories I've
encountered in a while and I feel really lucky that I don't have to wait
for the next book in the series to come out. There is a lot to be said
for being a late adopter in this case.</div>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8649656-the-fry-chronicles" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Fry Chronicles" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327373108m/8649656.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8649656-the-fry-chronicles">The Fry Chronicles</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10917.Stephen_Fry">Stephen Fry</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/494624226">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
<div>
<div>
No one could read Stephen Fry other than Stephen Fry. There is just something quintessential - the use of so many exact, erudite, and sometimes obscure words would seem inappropriate coming from someone else’s lips, but from Stephen, exquisite.</div>
<div>
Listening to this volume of his autobiography makes me fall in love with the English language all over again. For all its twists and turns, designed seemingly to irritate the uninitiated, it is like poetry when it spills out in Fry's ever so english accent.
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We listened to this volume while driving to my Mother's for Christmas in late 2011, so it a bit of cheat to include this review in my 2012 list but there you have it. It was odd also to be listening to tales of Footlights while driving through the karri forests of south west Western Australia.
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It took nothing away from my enjoyment of this story. Nor did the fact that I have next to nothing in common with Stephen Fry. His desire to join in could not be further from my own introverted notion of choosing not to be noticed most of the time. And yet here is something there, something in the vulnerability that he shares so freely that is intoxicating.
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Stephen Fry would have to be one of those people you'd have at a dream dinner party, if only you thought for a moment you wouldn't bore him silly the whole time he was there.
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There is a theme in my reading for 2012 (ok 2011 and 2012) in how the Malcolm Gladwell 10,000 hours rule applied. I have no doubt at all that despite his near genius IQ, Stephen Fry's true success comes from the sheer number of hours he has spent doing what he does best, entertaining others, with what appears to be a desperate desire to please others. And he succeeds tremendously.
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That he is a flawed protagonist in his own stories is without doubt. But therein lies the magic of any good story.
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I loved this book.
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
Sassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08059883556616176935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597952011107157108.post-81100514176616121082012-10-16T19:12:00.001-07:002012-10-16T19:12:45.630-07:00Waifs and Strays - the rewards of dog fostering<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-4_JxocN_RlMwM6ULzBM1VQwJ1hmFoiUI3Ck6OIgdnZp4bl0ZMkVHH31xI3u1D_F39IyYlF3g5gCR7neDCyEMLeqaBVbVGJLVW0eGWuqv7Ud2D53itGkQtzGqaJTl546638fYOP4rbla/s1600/15401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Fostering dogs from the <a href="http://www.dogshome.org.au/foster-a-dog/" target="_blank">Dogs’ Refuge Home</a> Shenton Park is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.</span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />In November 2011 we lost our beloved Tilly in tragic circumstances. She was my partner’s pride and joy, the canine love of his life, and we found the house to be a hollow shell without the clitter clack of her little feet on the floor boards.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_9xc5WqqkA_UdaZ5u5cunjfjfIxvj6Gfp-rA7SNGkb6jlKQJQhZx7KIuRgQAmuQ7zOhBmjvsabv0kcqMjEc05eejghz9wuU7IOmWs73K7QfNWbT-582IVolk-DIyCZplswodzc7hOl4-/s1600/15401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_9xc5WqqkA_UdaZ5u5cunjfjfIxvj6Gfp-rA7SNGkb6jlKQJQhZx7KIuRgQAmuQ7zOhBmjvsabv0kcqMjEc05eejghz9wuU7IOmWs73K7QfNWbT-582IVolk-DIyCZplswodzc7hOl4-/s320/15401.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>"TILLY"</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We were sensible enough to realise that we needed to grieve before we thought about getting another dog, but it soon became clear to us that a house without a dog in it was all wrong.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">We’d heard about the fostering program at Shenton Park through a colleague, so we made an appointment to go down to the refuge to talk to someone about whether we would be suitable and generally about what was involved. After a brief conversation we were told that there were two dogs that had just come in who were quite anxious in the refuge and would we like to take them today!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMK3Z9m2FJhqI-yRm_przDQGHCIQ0qCuPhOUZH7Zl5QhCar5VkKtlMRVKA2WLTIZFT0npCLa3_-YzaWCsgqeRsujJUjJKvZg01PijpiDdUEYbkTjI98Rn8yOOIEtBMjrLFbp9qajChtxsD/s1600/Snowy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMK3Z9m2FJhqI-yRm_przDQGHCIQ0qCuPhOUZH7Zl5QhCar5VkKtlMRVKA2WLTIZFT0npCLa3_-YzaWCsgqeRsujJUjJKvZg01PijpiDdUEYbkTjI98Rn8yOOIEtBMjrLFbp9qajChtxsD/s400/Snowy.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>"SNOWY"</i></b></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Snowy and Rascal were our first fostering experience. They showed us how quickly dogs can move from being anxious little bundles of nerves to cuddly, affectionate, fun loving hounds when put in a safe, caring environment. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is profoundly moving to see how quickly dogs go from seeing you as a threatening stranger to regarding you as an integral member of their pack, someone they'll happily follow anywhere and who's lap they will choose to curl up in given half a chance.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> went on to foster four other dogs
over the next few months, each for between 2 - 4 weeks. We had the
handsome older gentleman, Jangles, the highly strung but now happy and
relaxed Portia and Presley, the awesome Ted and the sadly departed
Graham.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Each had a special set of challenges from a case of kennel
cough, anxiety, recovery from castration and lastly some health issues. Every one of them made our lives richer from having known them, if
only for a short time.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuizVjVzXyp8alTO5VGy3ZFJ-MOPfTCh7LZCdDuzesp0W_IiMR7DNFdr78JewswSdP4yqc_IWk9EUU_GGhOVzhIUBcX4G__i9z_9ZN2RmJwTCR6VWgZ9sCuqe9qvD4U9bijyejMcs6em_/s1600/P105064304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuizVjVzXyp8alTO5VGy3ZFJ-MOPfTCh7LZCdDuzesp0W_IiMR7DNFdr78JewswSdP4yqc_IWk9EUU_GGhOVzhIUBcX4G__i9z_9ZN2RmJwTCR6VWgZ9sCuqe9qvD4U9bijyejMcs6em_/s400/P105064304.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"<b><i>TED</i></b>" -<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> auditioning for the part of Doug from the movie "UP"</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Fostering dogs gives you an opportunity to take a dog out of a stressful situation and show them that life can be better. This sets them up for better adoption chances, and provides the refuge with information about their personality and behaviour that helps to match them with the right family. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMfS02VLVqu5UHlNS7VsV-mZX0iT9yyRW2cAixp3I4qwjqDqcKCv4k0XUT6NzLzEPaZxOAj9DTLjMmtvZj58IlU9xH3xtmmzGUoU7affAh5QPUpRYzyQW2eGi4HAsG3i2oqxU4T1DrZdF/s400/Jangles303.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>"JANGLES"</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>Many of these dogs come into the refuge with little or no back story. The name you're given may be completely new to the dog so don't be surprised if they don't respond to it straight away. Some of them come fully toilet trained, some less so. There are likely to be some unwanted behaviours so you need to be patient and remember that many of these guys have just come in off the street, or out of a pound which can be a very scary place.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When we talk to people about fostering they commonly ask if it is hard to give them back and the answer is a definite yes. But there is nothing as thrilling as checking the <a href="http://www.dogshome.org.au/small-dogs/" target="_blank">Shenton Park web site</a> to see your little foster dog with the big “ADOPTED” sign next to their picture. Seeing a <a href="http://www.dogshome.org.au/news/tag/Success" target="_blank">success story</a> from their new family is pretty good too - it’s great to hear that your little buddy is all settled in.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzLrjSKqNzKZCxLQUDivPCRdBKqvtI8Fe0qz2FH09S2IxL3dKdypu0wvdkq1svMhGBnDLZZtn5LSadhAxvIupUSaRWLrijYlXnPCs2BIGD0QRU36gdnnosQRDzgVoQ_EjWD7AYAf840yk/s1600/P105066601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzLrjSKqNzKZCxLQUDivPCRdBKqvtI8Fe0qz2FH09S2IxL3dKdypu0wvdkq1svMhGBnDLZZtn5LSadhAxvIupUSaRWLrijYlXnPCs2BIGD0QRU36gdnnosQRDzgVoQ_EjWD7AYAf840yk/s400/P105066601.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>"TED"</b></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are times in life when committing to a dog of your own just won’t work. Fostering is a really good option. If you travel a lot for work or pleasure, if you’re fly in fly out but home for a few weeks at a time, then think about fostering. Let the refuge home know when you’re available and when you’re not. They are very good at selecting the right dogs for your circumstances.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7l268U-svKWhp8bDQyuwaB8S9bAANRsfYwdJdyal1sGwSVSrs2pEw412N1AaM4Vgn3AbxsLr7pa0l2h90lidjDH17m4JL3G3WIGc1DFbXFutZc01tmUUDF8utWShc3w7bXgwUON6fn0eM/s1600/Snowy_Rascal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7l268U-svKWhp8bDQyuwaB8S9bAANRsfYwdJdyal1sGwSVSrs2pEw412N1AaM4Vgn3AbxsLr7pa0l2h90lidjDH17m4JL3G3WIGc1DFbXFutZc01tmUUDF8utWShc3w7bXgwUON6fn0eM/s400/Snowy_Rascal.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>"SNOWY & RASCAL"</b></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">We have since adopted a recycled puppy of our own so we aren’t fostering at the moment. We hope that once we get the toilet training sorted we might be able to start fostering again if he looks like the kind of dog who’ll make a good foster brother.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmcw7QISzSouPfphJ7ftn4TGQOY5EG_q0kieVPv2PiRwZmeyYvzugiEAp4aLgz4wrjj3Jae1p_tFpREWMu_83TEbsPIVpgvJRl6MbjmuCEiSguB54dz34j-c7zaD3zFfU3vfHXjCRSKa0/s1600/P106008501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmcw7QISzSouPfphJ7ftn4TGQOY5EG_q0kieVPv2PiRwZmeyYvzugiEAp4aLgz4wrjj3Jae1p_tFpREWMu_83TEbsPIVpgvJRl6MbjmuCEiSguB54dz34j-c7zaD3zFfU3vfHXjCRSKa0/s400/P106008501.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>"SMUDGE" - foster brother in training</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you’re able to get involved in fostering, start out by emailing <a href="mailto:fosterdrh@gmail.com">fosterdrh@gmail.com</a>. I think you’ll find you get as much out of it as the dogs you help, maybe more.</span></div>
Sassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08059883556616176935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597952011107157108.post-84513683040652541592012-07-15T03:07:00.000-07:002013-01-03T19:45:17.421-08:00Dear John,<h4>
I have read every novel John Irving has published and have enormous respect for many of them. I am totally over the wrestling however.</h4>
<br />
That has not stopped me from buying his latest novel, 'In One Person', in the hope that there might be all of those wonderfully rich characters with some new imagining and re-imagining of the world.<br />
<br />
'In one person' is another good book. It introduces us to characters who are, in the Irving tradition, flawed yet lovable. Deeply human, they invite you into their intimate circles, to revel in their frailty.<br />
<br />
Yet when part way through I find myself shuffled mindlessly into yet another high school wrestling room I feel betrayed and have to put the Kindle away and read something else for a while.<br />
<br />
I believe Irving to be a fantastic writer. He has written some of my all time favourites works. But the over use of the same subject for so many, if not all, of his characters to literally and symbolically 'wrestle' with leaves me feeling a bit cheated. Not everyone in the known world wrestles. Not everyone in New Hampshire wrestles. There is a sense that there is a lack of imagination here which is in such stark contrast to the dialogue and relationships that unfold throughout his work. <br />
<br />
I'm at the point that although in this novel the wrestling is actually used as part of the plot I find it detracts from everything else. I can accept that if this had been my first Irving I might feel differently, I might find it fits the mood and the story and the character perfectly. But as readers we don't take in anything in isolation; as people we know that everything is connected. The constant repetition makes me feel as though I have been robbed of the full weight of the story.<br />
<br />
The sore spot the wrestling has rubbed raw on me makes it hard to concentrate on the gentle way in which the experience of the explosion of AIDS onto the 1980s GLBT scene is unfolded. The exploration of Bill's cross dressing grandfather is handled beautifully.<br />
<br />
This was not his greatest work, not by a long shot, but there are solid characters and lovely vignettes all the same.<br />
<br />
I can't promise I'll be reading the next novel. I can't promise that I won't.<br />
<br />
<br />Sassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08059883556616176935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597952011107157108.post-23074243067333543262012-07-15T02:39:00.001-07:002012-07-15T03:08:34.243-07:00Bonsai and The Mez<br />
<h3 style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Our meals in Northbridge lately have been much more hit than miss and we're delighted.</span></h3>
<br />
Since the State Theatre opened in the Cultural Centre precinct we are eating in Northbridge at least six times a year. With our recent great experiences it may end up being more frequent than that.<br />
The latest two success stories have their roots in very different parts of the globe, Greece and Japan.<br />
<br />
<h2>
The Mez</h2>
The Mez is a Greek restaurant looking over Russell Square. It's been there a while and all of the reviews I've read were good. It also helps that you can book online, and for me every phone call I don't have to make is a bonus. <br />
<br />
The service was prompt and attentive which is important if you're having a bite before an event. It is also in this year's Entertainment Book, so for those keeping an eye on the budget that has to be a good thing.<br />
<br />
We had a couple of weight watchers on the table who went for Greek and Caesar salads<span style="font-size: xx-small;">+</span>. B made an odd choice for a Greek restaurant, the Fillet Mignon, but I went traditional and selected the house specialty, Lamb Kleftiko.<br />
<br />
Mine was the dish of the night, melt in the mouth, tender, tasty meat, delicious tzatziki, steamed vegetables. Perfect.<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: #f4cccc;">
<i>Word of Mouth Rating : Sweet</i></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Recommended to; </span><br />
<ul></ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Friends </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Family </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Kids </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Colleagues </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">The World</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul></ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1560253108" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Mez" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1370001/biglogo.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 34px; width: 104px;" title="" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://urbns.pn/PBsB">The Mez</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">+ For the record I'm yet to be convinced that either a Greek or Caesar salad is a health food but I guess it outranks anything that comes with fries.</span><br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt;">Bonsai</span></h2>
<br />
We went to Bonsai as a group of six and quickly decided on a selection of ‘shares’ for the table. The instigator of the event brought pen and paper and made short work of producing a list of our order to provide to the wait staff. It’s a technique that I would recommend.<br />
The instructions on the front of the menu to go for 2-3 dishes per person worked out perfectly for our group, with everyone full without being uncomfortably so.<br />
<br />
The food came out quickly and efficiently, with the exception of two dishes that were tempura-rily MIA. Luckily they were worth waiting for.<br />
<br />
The mushroom miso soup was served in cute dishes with wooden lids, in fact all of the serving wear was worthy of remark.<br />
<br />
The soft shell crab was delicious, and I would argue that the wasabi mayonnaise that came with it would have stood well on its own with just about any dish. The creamy prawn spring rolls with hot english mustard were creamy and crispy all at the same time.<br />
<br />
The Red wine pork belly was divine, but I have to admit bias - I don’t recall the last pork belly I tried that I didn’t like.We also sampled the Cajun squid, Fried chicken tasazu, Wagyu beef tataki, the Beef asparagus, Sweet potato and eggplant tempura, Pan fried scallops and Butter soy clams. The clams were underwhelming, but that’s the worst thing I can say about the food.<br />
<br />
The pickled ginger and duck slices, last to arrive, were a lovely way to round out the meal.<br />
<br />
The wine list included a Forest Hill offering which is always going to be a hit with us. There were also the expected Japanese Beer, plum wine and Saki options.<br />
<br />
At about $50 a head including drinks I will happily be returning.<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: #f4cccc;">
<i>Word of Mouth Rating : Sweet</i></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Recommended to; </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Friends</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Family</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Colleagues</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">The World</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; -qt-paragraph-type: empty; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 36px;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://urbns.pn/GoEC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bonsai, 30 -36 Roe Street Map.313fd87 Northbridge, WA 6003" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1370001/biglogo.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 34px; width: 104px;" title="" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bonsai</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Sassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08059883556616176935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597952011107157108.post-45111098667807813652012-01-01T01:22:00.000-08:002012-01-01T02:19:06.513-08:00The War Horse<span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt;"></span>
<br />
<div style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<span style="background-color: #e69138;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Gone with the Wind</i> must be writing to ask for it’s closing scene back. The sunset return of the prodigal son and schmaltzy, sentimental, silent reconciliation summed up the film quite well for me. If I had seen that scene first I would likely not have bothered with all that preceded it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s a story of a forgettable farm boy and his horse, separated by the advent of World War I, poverty and poor parental judgement. It had a very Black Beauty feel to the plot as the noble horse meets an alternating string of dastardly and noble characters as he works his way through Europe and back to his boy. As you would expect the majority of the evil deeds performed in the film are carried out by the German soldiers, with an attempt to keep the balance by allowing some of the lesser Germans to be kind and gentl<span style="background-color: #f9cb9c;"></span>e souls as well.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not a film I would recommend to anyone, and the number of award nominations it received diminishes any respect I had for those institutions.</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 36px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="http://www.warhorsemovie.com/"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt;">The War Horse </span></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Sour and Sickly Sweet</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>Sassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08059883556616176935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597952011107157108.post-15696251582704957522011-12-17T23:07:00.000-08:002011-12-23T01:51:12.531-08:00Books I remember reading - 2011.<br />
2011 was a year of changes in many ways, but one thing that stayed the same was that I read a few books. There have been some absolutely terrific reads among them, some middle of the road and some that I wasn’t even able to finish, which is unlike me in the extreme. I am confident there are more that I have forgotten, but here are those that I remember reading. Let’s start with the ones I liked. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12372042-the-ape-house?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">The Ape House</a> by Sara Gruen<br />
<br />
I seem to be one of the few people alive who didn’t love Water for Elephants. I don’t know if I read it in the wrong state of mind, but when my father presented me with this gift and told me excitedly that it was by the same author I had to fake a little enthusiasm. Now that I’ve read The Ape House I may go back and give the pachyderms another try.<br />
<br />
I loved this book. It immediately drew you in to the characters, human and animal alike, and really made you care what happened to them. It didn’t fall victim to the easy cliches on the relationship front either. I frequently send books I love to a friend of mine, but I couldn’t bear to part with this one.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6854366-jasper-jones?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">Jasper Jones</a> by Craig Silvey<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6854366-jasper-jones?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jasper Jones" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1262819282s/6854366.jpg" /></a>We were holidaying in Thailand for a friend’s 40th birthday (the things you do for your mates, right?) and I was coming to the end of the book I had brought with me when a fellow reveller offered me the one he had just finished reading. We barely knew each other before the trip, but we’d had a few interesting conversations while trying to avoid the company of some pretty high maintenance others, so based on his recommendation I was pretty confident I was going to like this book.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Spot on!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Jasper Jones captured what it was like to be a smart kid growing up in Western Australia. I’ve read reviews that say that the dialogue is unrealistic for kids of that age, but you know what, I think my friends and I had some very much like it. As adults we think of 13 year olds as kids, but when we were 13 we were flirting with the edge of adulthood far more that we would have wanted our parents to know.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9814682-a-song-of-ice-and-fire?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">A Song of Ice and Fire</a> - Books 1-5 - George RR Martin<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9814682-a-song-of-ice-and-fire?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Song of Ice and Fire" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51rzESBFPeL._SL75_.jpg" /></a>
These books made 2011 a joyous reading year. Apart from a brief interlude with Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood, it has been a long time since I read something so dense and engaging. These are books that make you think, and imagine, and feel, while spinning a wildly entertaining set of tales.<br />
These books and the TV series have had enough rave reviews that I don’t feel the need to go on. If you’ve read them, you know what I’m talking about, if you haven’t, well there’s no saving you.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7938275-the-hunger-games-trilogy-boxset?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">The Hunger Games Trilogy Boxset</a> - Suzanne Collins<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7938275-the-hunger-games-trilogy-boxset?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Hunger Games Trilogy Boxset" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1274791992s/7938275.jpg" /></a>
Marketed in the YA genre I wondered what these would be like. I have a deep affection for everything I read when I was growing up and thoroughly enjoyed the style and subject matter. I’m looking forward to seeing the movie. As with Game of Thrones I’m probably preaching to the converted. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6846037-veracity?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">Veracity</a>- Laura Bynum<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6846037-veracity?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Veracity" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275667458s/6846037.jpg" /></a>
Set in a world where the people are controlled through language and censorship, in retrospect this book reminds me a bit of reverse Blind Faith by Ben Elton. I love a bit of speculative fiction and this was a nice read.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40102.Blink?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">Blink</a>- Malcolm Gladwell<br />
<br />
I haven’t listed all the no-fiction I read this year. Next year I will try to do so. This one is a bit of a cheat as I actually re-read it in 2011 while participating in NANOWRIMO. 2012 will include a reading of The Outliers now that I have heard of the 10,000 hour rule.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5396496-the-slap?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">The Slap</a> - Christos Tsiolkas<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5396496-the-slap?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Slap" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51sBI0S46ML._SL75_.jpg" /></a>
I bought this book on the way back from Thailand. (As an aside I love airport bookshops, somehow they seem to have a better selection that anywhere else). I had heard something about it on Radio National at some point so decided to give it a go on the flight back.<br />
<br />
I have to say I found it disturbing. There wasn’t a character in the book I actually liked. No one seemed to be able to see anything from anyone else’s point of view, and while I accept that many people are like that, not everyone is. In most groups there are a number of peacemakers, people able to bridge the gaps. It may be that I didn’t fully relate to some of the cultural groups, and I know it was written to be controversial, but I don’t know that my life would have been less rich had I never read this… <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7191451-the-women-s-health-big-book-of-exercises?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">The Women's Health Big Book of Exercises</a>- Adam Campbell<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7191451-the-women-s-health-big-book-of-exercises?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Women's Health Big Book of Exercises" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312030538s/7191451.jpg" /></a>
I have to be honest; I am WELL into my thirties these days and the low maintenance routine I practiced throughout my twenties just wasn’t cutting it. At the start of 2011 I ordered a home gym on-line from a company called Fitquip. Two days later it was delivered to my home ready to be assembled. To make sure I’d be doing things right I sent off to the Book Depository for a copy of this and I LOVE it. <br />
<br />
For me the greatest dangers in exercise are breaks in routine and boredom. No book can help me with the first, but this book has the second one covered.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12858593-11-22-63?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">11.22.63</a>- Stephen King<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12858593-11-22-63?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="11.22.63 " src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5140ek0aURL._SL75_.jpg" /></a>
It has been years since I last read a Stephen King book. I have to say that although the book itself was entertaining, I found some of the catch phrases a little over done. “Life turns on a dime” - ok, I got that the first 10 times already. I shoudl say that I read quite fast. Which means that maybe I don’t need to be reminded of what happened two chapters before quite as often as some other readers might. <br />
<br />
But I enjoyed the book more than I expected to. I was going through a hard time and needed distraction and so picked this up as a digestible read, and it fitted the bill nicely.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4671.The_Great_Gatsby?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">The Great Gatsby</a> - F Scott Fitzgerald<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4671.The_Great_Gatsby?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Great Gatsby" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41y8NUX-KnL._SL75_.jpg" /></a>
One of those classics off the BBC top 100 I hadn’t read before.<br />
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Amber Dawn - Rebbecca Campbell<br />
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This book was a reminder to be discerning in all things. I am well aware that not everything you read on the Internet is true. That isn’t fair. I’m sure the rave reviews I read on the Book Depository UK were true for the people who wrote them. People who like this kind of thing. It was not to my taste, but had I researched the author before my purchase I would have figured out this was a romance.<br />
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The danger for me is that once I have started a book it is rare for meant to finish it. Although the ebook cost me about $3, the investment in time I will never recoup. I should also note that this was the first book I read on my new Kindle, which meant that I may have judged it more harshly for the appalling editing. ‘Snake’ instead of ‘Snack’ ‘Their’ instead of ‘they’re’ and so on. I have since to been advised that is not uncommon for ebooks - something that had I known in advance might have made me think twice about making the digital transition.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5211.A_Fine_Balance?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">A Fine Balance</a> - Rohinton Mistry<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5211.A_Fine_Balance?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Fine Balance" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165518291s/5211.jpg" /></a>
I have forgotten the names of many of the fine books I have read by Indian authors. I wish now I had taken down their names more carefully.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35350.What_the_Body_Remembers?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">What the Body Remembers: A Novel</a>. Baldwin, Shauna Singh<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35350.What_the_Body_Remembers?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="What the Body Remembers: A Novel" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320412203s/35350.jpg" /></a>
Almost every time I read a book by an Indian author I wonder why I don’t read more of it. It is rich, dense, complex, sensual. These are never easy to read, but impossible to put down. There is something that gets to heart of what we are as people, the ways in which we are fallible, yet lovable all at the same time. No one is perfect or predictable. The politics and culture that swirl around the characters is delectable.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8635956-in-the-name-of-honour?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">In the Name of Honour</a>- Richard North Patterson<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8635956-in-the-name-of-honour?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In the Name of Honour" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31snaQiXB0L._SL75_.jpg" /></a>
It’s here because I read it, but there is nothing exceptional to report. War and violence against women both bad. The scenario a bit predictable. Easy reading for when you’re feeling like leaving the brain by the side of the bed next to the water glass.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34494.The_Wee_Free_Men?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">The Wee Free Men</a> Pratchett, Terry,<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34494.The_Wee_Free_Men?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Wee Free Men (Discworld, #30)" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1284280817s/34494.jpg" /></a>
Standard Pratchett fare, what you would expect, nothing more and nothing less.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2164457.Blind_Faith?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">Blind Faith</a>. Elton, Ben<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2164457.Blind_Faith?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blind Faith" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320483062s/2164457.jpg" /></a>
Set in future where nothing is private Elton has turned his gaze on social media and the growing trend of the over-share. Of course he takes all of this to the extreme in his usual way. Nothing especially new here for me, and it lacked something beyond the normal social commentary.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;">The also rans;</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137800.Four_Fires?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">Four Fires</a> Courtenay, Bryce<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6622006-the-very-thought-of-you?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">The Very Thought of You</a>. Alison, Rosie.<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1310029.A_Pale_Horse?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">A Pale Horse</a> Todd, Charles<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3222979-drood?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">Drood</a> Simmons, Dan<br />
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I seem to have read a lot of fantasy this year. I think perhaps it is because it’s a big part of our local library and you are more likely to come away with something satisfying without having to think about it too hard. Looking back I seem to have covere Juliet Marillier's back catalogue. It's nice to be reading someone local.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232022.The_Serpent_Bride?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">The Serpent Bride</a>. Douglass, Sara<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13926.The_Well_of_Shades?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">The Well of Shades</a>. Marillier, Juliet <br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25296.The_Dark_Mirror?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">The Dark Mirror</a> Marillier, Juliet<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13923.Blade_of_Fortriu?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">Blade of Fortriu</a>. Marillier, Juliet<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13927.Son_of_the_Shadows?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">Son of the Shadows</a>. Marillier, Juliet<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13925.Child_of_the_Prophecy?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">Child of the Prophecy</a> [Sevenwaters trilogy ; 3]. Marillier, Juliet<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2917816-heir-to-sevenwaters?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">Heir to Sevenwaters</a> Marillier, Juliet<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6278019-heart-s-blood?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">Heart's Blood</a> Marillier, JulietSassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08059883556616176935noreply@blogger.com1