This will hurt me...

Hippolyte Rocks #1, Tasman Peninsula. September 2013. The Dare , John Boyne: A simple tale from the perspective of a twelve-year-old boy, it does a realistic job of constructing a compelling story about how one simple moment can change a people's lives forever. C . The far south, Tasman Peninsula. September 2013.

Tasman National Park Coastline #1, Tasman Peninsula. September 2013. Longitude , Dava Sobel: A bit of background first: the "longitude problem" was one of the trickiest practical and scientific dilemmas of the eighteenth century. Lacking the ability to measure longitude made sailing around on unchartered oceans decidedly dangerous. For example, in October 1707 the English navy lost 2,000 men after the Admiral misgauged their position (by quite some margin). Even more bittersweet was the fact that the very same Admiral had earlier hanged a seaman who – having illicitly kept his own careful log – challenged those who argued that the fleet was in safe waters. This disaster in particular prompted the English government to establish a Board of Longitude and it offered £20,000 – an immense amount for the time – for a solution to the greatest problem of the day. The quest to solve the riddle of longitude is at the heat of this book, which is in alternated moods a history of ast...

The Devil's Kitchen #1, Tasman Peninsula. October 2013. The Testament of Mary , Colm Tóibín: For those of the Christian faith, I can see how this novel is a provocative work, but me – who accepts the existence of Jesus the historical figure (if not the Son of God) – it is an evocative and memorable depiction of Mary as I understand her: a mother who lost her son to a pretty gruesome end. In a chronological sense, Tóibín sticks close to the Gospels; but rather than the meek, blessed construct of the New Testament, in this reimagining Mary is an angry, solitary older woman still seeking to understand the events that become the narrative of the New Testament and the foundation of Christianity. As such, she has no interest in collaborating with the authors of the Gospel struggles with the actions and motives of her son’s disciples. The story is familiar, but this work manages to convey a startling intimacy. Given the magnitude of the tale, Tóibín’s book is surprisingly understated...

Gull! Lindisfarne. August 2013. Where Angels Fear to Tread , E.M. Forster: A cutting exploration of the prudish, snobbish, self-important ways of a certain English class. It ends on an incredibly depressing note, but the story probes concepts of morality, virtue and the nature of prejudice. You'll enjoy disliking the characters. B . Hello Mum , Bernardine Evaristo: Simple words of truth about the life of an inner kid. The street talk is simple, accessible and authentic, but the story a bit ho-hum. D . Around the World in Eighty Days , Jules Verne: Circumnavigate the World in 80 days? Amazing! I enjoyed it very much. B- . The Book Boy , Joanna Trollope: Well constructed small tale about a woman's attempt to learn to read. Sufficiently empowering, if a bit piecemeal. C- .

Cat. Theatre Royal car park, Campbell Street, Hobart. September 2013. Sunday Book Club? That's right, SUNDAY Book Club! Great Granny Webster , Caroline Blackwood: What an odd little book. Essentially a psychological analysis of how one person (in this case the obdurate matriarch of a clan) can inflict emotional damage across generations. The titular Great Granny is stuck in the "correctness" of her own Victorian youth. Her daughter is driven mad and talks to the fairies. Her granddaughter parties all night, smokes all day, and parties obsessively. She also constantly attempts suicide. Deceptively concise, this one is a sleeper. Recommended. B . Strangers on the 16:02 , Priya Basil: A short novel, this reads more like synopsis for a new novel than a complete work. Painted in broad strokes, it does a reasonable job in constructing three very different characters, reaching a climax between the three, then it ends. Frustrating. C- . I, Claudius , Robert Graves: R...

Friars Rock. Bruny Island, Tasmania. September 2013. Okay, an announcement. I've got 4,420 posts on this here blog. Posts have been pretty consistent since the end of 2007. But I'm bored. It's become a bit of a chore and the Internet has changed. So this is changing. I'll keep up the book reviews. Probably the Q and As. Maybe the weblinks (if I can be bothered). Otherwise it will be a bit more sporadic. All is not lost though, you can still Track my books on Goodreads . See my photos on Flickr . Watch my videos on YouTube . Link in on LinkedIn . Check out my pinboards on Pinterest . Tweet me on Twitter . Check the blog too, you never know when I might desire to share a poem or a Drabble...

Big Ezra spots some stairs and sets about climbing. First he climbs up. Then he climbs down. Then he climbs up. Then he runs down. Then he runs up. Then he asks to be carried down.