I’ve learnt something – traveling with intelligent reading is difficult! If you want page turning thriller, or romance it’s going to be ok. These books can be found cheaply at most newsagents, market stalls, charity shops or even the occasional book shop. But if you want something slightly more cerebral, then you will have to hunt for reading materials.
Used book shops will trade and exchange, but mainly offer only a token sum – $3 off, two for one, and then screw up their nose if you do not have the thriller/romance titles to offer. Which understandably are their main movers. But I want to live outside the mainstream, especially when it comes to books.
Oh, the next bit of knowledge gleaned; have some spares. To paraphrase one used bookshop owner, ‘the last thing you want travelling is to finish a book where there are no bookshops.’ Then I suppose one of those thriller/romance things will have to suffice.
Almost Moon by Alice Seabold, 291 pages. I think this one was off the shelves of the Anglicare Thrift shop in Lakes Entrance but I’ve carried it around for so long I aren’t sure where it came into my possession. Alice Seabold, she of The Lovely Bones, then that other book about rape, the title of which escapes me here. Rod and I agree that the author’s cover image has closed eyes.
Result: The overriding sensation on completion is, egad, this woman has some sick perverted imagination. Or a horrendous life filled with death and violent sex upon which to draw as she writes. This tale opens with the protagonist murdering her own mother, and I am not writing a spoiler alert to say the last words are, I heard a policeman yell, ‘there’s no sign of her.’… The title’s meaning placed at about half way is another noteworthy point …think that your mother is almost whole,’ he said…’like the moon,’ I said. ‘Right, the moon is whole all of the time, but we can’t always see it. What we see is an almost moon or not-quite moon. The rest is hiding just out of view, but there’s only one moon, so we follow I in the sky. We plan our lives based on its rhythms and tides… Well done, Alice a nice, neat explanation of insanity. Did the mother deserve to die, was the daughter justified in the homicide and what she did to the body? There was only one point that I thought, please tell me more about the crime and aftermath, then I began the new chapter and the narrative was back in that time frame. Enough said here.
The Children of Men by P.D. James 351 pages. I am sure that this is a re-read, but a long time ago. There were so many dramatic pieces that I don’t remember. The storyline was very familiar, as I’ve also seen the film. I concede that is why people keep books and read them again, to re-identify details. Again I find it difficult to recall where I actually collected this novel. So note to self: I will record details, or keep something that identifies the source of books.
Result: This pushes me over the 10,000 pages mark! Yah! Interesting to encounter James’s comments about violence, children, religion and academia of her time, wrapped up in a future-tale, and the problems if mankind cannot re-populate. Some of the points about relationships were a tad depressing. I can say no more without dealing with the ending and pushing into a spoiler alert. I try to swap this book in Maleny to be told, “we have a few PD James’s titles.” Yes, but they weren’t book-astute enough to realize The Children of Men is not the usual crime novel, but instead the writer’s variation into Sci-fi and social commentary.
Jack Maggs by Peter Carey, 463 pages. Borrowed from Bribie Island library. Note to self: have list of preferred titles or authors with me next library visit. A tad confronting, all those rows of books where nothing motivates reading. The elderly client base of the library well on show with the free morning tea available, separate classification for westerns, and dominance of romance and crime genre. Aren’t the wider reading public diverse in their tastes? In the absence of any precision about what to select, I’ve gone for a familiar and enjoyed in the past, author.
Result. Enjoyed the way Carey brings the perspectives of several characters back to the plot line. One line of dialogue, or fact seems to be a pivot where connections can be made. Cute that the library attaches a tag upon which a reader makes a mark to indicate they have read the book, thus you never forget which books have been consumed. How many will I initial?
Time for a new Holiday Reading heading.
karenlethlean2014 