Books that have made you think

[Diane]

As it's the holiday time when lots of people will have time to read books who perhaps don't normally.... have you read any books that have made you totally re-examine the way you think? Two I have read recently that have done this to me are: Walk in My Shoes by Alwyn Evans - makes you really think about the whole asylum seeker thing and No Good Deed by M P McDonald - made me really think about the Guantanemo (sp?) camp issue more than I was comfortable with! Anyone else read something enlightening they'd recommend?

[Guest ladyarkles]

Great thread!

 

I have just finished "Sturt's Desert Drama" by Ivan Rudolph.

It is a really well researched book, taken from journals, letters and personal diaries of the main characters in Sturt's epic journey to the centre of Australia in 1844.

The way that it is written totally draws you in and you find yourself worrying about where you are going to find the next water, how the horses are faring, what can be done about scurvy and so on.

 

I also recently read "The Dig Tree" by Sarah Murgatroyd which is about the disastrous mission led by Burke and Wills.

Once again, the trials and tribulations of leading a party across the treacherous outback are described in a way that really makes you feel part of the exploring party.

 

The effect that these books have had on me is to make me want to go and see some of these places myself. I am even compiling a list to give to hubby!

What makes it even more interesting is that Sturt was an Adelaide man, and all of his missions left from here. His family home is still in existence, apparently - I'll have to find out where.

 

These brave, bold and, in some cases, foolhardy men helped open up Australia. Having never heard of them before, I find myself captivated and fascinated by their stories.

 

Bookish rant over. I'm such a nerd! lol

 

 

~ Rachel

[Guest guest4504]

A dictionary if I needed to spell ' Think ' .... or Thiunk as in this thread.

[Diane]

A dictionary if I needed to spell ' Think ' .... or Thiunk as in this thread.

 

Better now?

[Guest guest4504]

yeh, much better . As to the books, This modern 'Kindle' I have borrowed makes me think the book industry is going down a sad route . To much tech rather than physical pages if you know what I mean. Just Googled ' No good dead ', interesting.

[Misplaced]

Algebra books made me think .................. am I ever going to use this in the outside world :-)

[Haiste]

Great thread.

 

Try The Railway Man by Eric Lomax. I first read this book a number of years ago and I still think back to some of the content. The authors humanity, compassion and capacity for forgiveness in the face of appalling treatment barbarity and degradation is truly remarkable. Reading this book really did change my outlook on life. I feel that this book should be compulsory reading in all school curriculums.

 

Even if the subject of the book would not normally take your fancy, please read this book you will not be disappointed.

[Guest ladyarkles]

I have read that book too, and it moved me tremendously.

The author is a far better person than I, but it did make me want to strive for such a strength of character.

 

If you are interested in that period of history, may I also recommend "Keep the Men Alive" by Rosalind Hearder.

It's an incredible account of 106 Australian doctors that were held captive by the Japanese throughout the As/Pac region.

Their courage and dedication to the men in their care goes beyond the call of duty. Very, very moving.

I found it by accident at my local library and reading it brought me to tears a couple of times.

 

Blimey, this thread makes me look like a right book-worm!

 

~ Rachel

 

Great thread.

 

Try The Railway Man by Eric Lomax. I first read this book a number of years ago and I still think back to some of the content. The authors humanity, compassion and capacity for forgiveness in the face of appalling treatment barbarity and degradation is truly remarkable. Reading this book really did change my outlook on life. I feel that this book should be compulsory reading in all school curriculums.

 

Even if the subject of the book would not normally take your fancy, please read this book you will not be disappointed.

[Diane]

yeh, much better . As to the books, This modern 'Kindle' I have borrowed makes me think the book industry is going down a sad route . To much tech rather than physical pages if you know what I mean. Just Googled ' No good dead ', interesting.

 

 

I love my Kindle! I usually have two or three books on the go at a time, and with the Kindle it means I always have something to read with me if I have to wait somewhere, or if I stop for a coffee somewhere, without having to carry half a library around with me! You should buy your own rather than borrowing one, they are great value especially at the moment with the strong aussie dollar...(which marginally makes up for the cost of the e-books - how can they charge almost the same as for a printed copy when they have so much lower overheads?)

 

Thanks for the suggestions everybody - hoping to load my Kindle up for a weeks 'doing nothing' holiday between Christmas and New Year, so these have given me some great options that I probably wouldn't have thought of otherwise!

 

Keep 'em coming!

[spanners]

At school I had to read part of the Bible and it made me think people were complete idiots to believe in it. Thankfully over here state and religion are very separate.

[mathijohn]

Diane, i am a recent kindle convert and i'm loving the convenience of it. I keep an eye on the Richard & Judy Book Club, as there is always something there you wouldn't have thought to read, usually a few debut novels also.

[Anne B]

What makes it even more interesting is that Sturt was an Adelaide man, and all of his missions left from here. His family home is still in existence, apparently - I'll have to find out where.

 

 

Sturt's cottage, which was called The Grange, is in Jetty St, Grange, next to the creek and Grange Primary school. The whole suburb is actually named after the house. It is a musuem and open to the public, but not all day every day, you would have to check the opening times.

[Guest ladyarkles]

Wow! Thanks so much for this info.

I shall be sure to check it out after the holidays.

 

~ Rachel

[grandad]

My recent favourite is Ping Pong Poms by Vivienne Dockerty, especially as I am to become one in 2012. I got my copy on amazon.com

[minty]

I have ping pong poms sitting by the bed but when i got it (also from Amazon) i found out it was fiction and not a true story so have not started reading it yet.

 

One book about Australia i have read was Black Saturday. I brought this at the airport on the way back from our recce back in 2009. It is a compilation of personal and true accounts from people caught in the Victoria bushfires in early 2009 and is a hard read becouse of the content but a great read if that makes sence.

[jaynem]

Although these books are not new I have enjoyed reading them over the years and found them very moving :'Birdsong' S Faulks ,'The Kiter Runner' and 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' Khaled Hosseini and 'The Five People You Meet In Heaven' Mitch Albom. Douglas Kennedy is a good read too.

[jimmyskinner]

Great thread!

 

I have just finished "Sturt's Desert Drama" by Ivan Rudolph.

It is a really well researched book, taken from journals, letters and personal diaries of the main characters in Sturt's epic journey to the centre of Australia in 1844.

The way that it is written totally draws you in and you find yourself worrying about where you are going to find the next water, how the horses are faring, what can be done about scurvy and so on.

 

I also recently read "The Dig Tree" by Sarah Murgatroyd which is about the disastrous mission led by Burke and Wills.

Once again, the trials and tribulations of leading a party across the treacherous outback are described in a way that really makes you feel part of the exploring party.

 

The effect that these books have had on me is to make me want to go and see some of these places myself. I am even compiling a list to give to hubby!

What makes it even more interesting is that Sturt was an Adelaide man, and all of his missions left from here. His family home is still in existence, apparently - I'll have to find out where.

 

These brave, bold and, in some cases, foolhardy men helped open up Australia. Having never heard of them before, I find myself captivated and fascinated by their stories.

 

Bookish rant over. I'm such a nerd! lol

 

 

~ Rachel

Hi, Charles Sturt house is in Grange,our council is also named after him.://www.charlessturt.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=186

[Rachiegarlo]

After visiting Cambodia in January I picked up Stay Alive My Son a true story of events during the Khmer Rouge. A man forced to decide to leave his son behind ........... By the way with the strong dollar against the US I would say go n see n experience Cambodia now.

[Guest cazzie]

Hi Diane,

I like this idea for a thread.

My favourite books include: 'The Magus' and 'The French Lieutenant's Woman - both amazing reads by John Fowles about the complexities of human nature. I adore Thomas Hardy's 'Tess of the D'Urbevilles' and 'Jude' - the writing is just beautiful.

I also loved' Vernon God Little' by D.B.C.Pierre - an Australian author who won The Booker Prize a few years ago - this is a book for blokes really, rude, very funny and thought provoking too.

I have recently read 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' by Harriet Beecher Stowe about the effects of slavery in South America - it's very emotional, beautifully written and makes me feel very lucky not to have known a life like that - imagine having your children torn away and sold off to landowners, never to be seen again - terrible.

As for the Bible, I love dipping in and out of it and personally find it uplifting, but all to our own.

I love my Kindle too!

[Guest darlo 2 adelaide]

i recently read i used to be a princess"! got it from a charity shop for a dollar, what a bargain, spet many a late night reading it, couldn't put it down sometimes, biography i think. bit sad though.

[JimandBarbinAus]

I read the autobiography - joanne lees- the twenty something girl who went into the outback with her boyfriend peter falconio, and was unders suspicion herself - fab read - also another book related to this 'and then the darkness' not sure who author is but a reporter writing about these events - both FAB reads - could not put either book down

[Diane]

I read the autobiography - joanne lees- the twenty something girl who went into the outback with her boyfriend peter falconio, and was unders suspicion herself - fab read - also another book related to this 'and then the darkness' not sure who author is but a reporter writing about these events - both FAB reads - could not put either book down

 

 

Ooh that sounds like a good one to try - thanks for that. Have been making a list from this thread and will see what I can buy online, and keep an eye out in the Op shops too!

[Guest BAZnDAF]

Hmm books that made me think? Catcher in the Rye made me think what the hell is all the fuss about with this book, supposed to be in the top 100 'must reads'. I struggled with it all the way through thinking soon it was going to get interesting but it failed miserably.

[Diane]

I was like that with A Clockwork Orange - didn't make it to the end, just made me feel ill!

[The Monaghans]

Favourite book ever, ever has to be To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Can't tell you how many times I've read it over the years but it still makes me weep about the injustice suffered by Tom Robinson. I know it's fiction and yes, it's a book aimed at the younger reader but it's still a cracking read.