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Even a liar can be scared into telling the truth, same as an honest man can be tortured into telling a lie.


When we went along to the Christmas parade, Ezra appeared more interested in these two ducks mucking about in the Hobart Rivulet than he was in the various X-mas goths, roller derby girls and blokes in skirts. Indeed Ez tried to scale a fence to join the two Pacific Blacks - that's Anas superciliosa to any twitchers out there - for a dip.

I figure that as we are rapidly approaching the end of the year, I can knock of another Sunday Top Five very easily. This week: the My Favourite Five Books I've Read This Year! That's books I've read and enjoyed, not books released this year.
Death and the Penguin, Andrey Kurkov

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, John Le Carré

Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe

If this is a Man, Primo Levi

Gold, Dan Rhodes


Just missing the cut is a long list, the ones that stand out in the memory include: Billiards at Half-past Nine, Heinrich Böll, Border Crossing, Pat Barker, Union Street, Pat Barker, The Truce, Primo Levi, History of the Present, Timothy Garton Ash, Towards the End of the Morning, Michael Frayn and The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro.
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Comments

Tash said…
I see that Ez is as smart as he looks. BTW love the picture.

I read most if not all of Primo L. and think I still like Periodic Table the best. Didn't read the other ones on your top 5 but I'll add them to my list.
20 December 2009 at 10:05
Tash said…
PS - I find book recommendations make great Xmas persents. Thx.
20 December 2009 at 10:06
Roddy said…
When do you find time for life if you are forever reading?
I don't have time for the paper!
You, however, always were a prolific reader.
20 December 2009 at 19:22
smudgeon said…
I'd definitely agree with the first two - top of my list this year as well.

I haven't heard of/read the rest, though...
21 December 2009 at 08:38
Kris McCracken said…
Tash (x2), I found the ducks interesting too. Primo is fantastic. The If this is a man, The Truce double is an excellent double. The first is a strong account of his capture and deportation to Auschwitz, his time there than the liberation. The second is his account drifting through Eastern Europe trying to get back to Italy after the war's end.

You can imagine how powerful that might be!
21 December 2009 at 14:16
Kris McCracken said…
[On that first comment], that's for everyone else, of course!

The Periodic Table is one I read some time ago. I'm am going to add it to my library loan list right now!
21 December 2009 at 14:19
Kris McCracken said…
Roddy, I read on the bus too and from work, on the dunny (when I can), and during my lunch break at work. Occasionally I read during the evening if I'm not too tired.

I also read mountains upon mountains of picture books to vaious children.
21 December 2009 at 14:20
Kris McCracken said…
Me, all on this list a great reads. Differing styles of course. Gold was a breeze to read, but very very funny. Billiards at Half Past Night was a real effort, but very rewarding once the elements clicked with me.

The Uwe Johnson one I just finished was really difficult. He was getting really experimental with the narrative voices and I am not sure work plus toddlers plus an intense toothache was conducive to the read.

The Boll one I'm reading right now [Adam] is a ripper though!
21 December 2009 at 14:24
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