Our travels in January are sadly coming to an end. Of course you can still read books about travel and geography during the year but you should probably be preparing for Februrary's Challenge theme - Fact and Fiction. We're not quite sure what that means yet so in the meantime, sit back and enjoy our final sojourns, including a review from our guest reviewer, Theresa! We don't have the specific novel she reviewed, but you can find the audio book in the Townsville City Library.
Theresa Petray read The Little Snake by A.L. Kennedy.
The Little Snake is a gorgeous tale of a girl, Mary, and a magical golden snake, Lanmo. The story
follows Mary as she grows up, goes on a big journey and grows old, and also Lanmo as he learns love. Lanmo is a snake who is responsible for death, and he travels through all the lands in the world to do his job. He notes, though, “that he would have been much busier had it not been for humans helping him with his work”. As an outsider, Lanmo is able to notice things like this about humans that we take for granted about ourselves.
The writing is delicious, with descriptions and sentences that made me re-read them just to enjoy them again. Like this description of the city where Mary grows up:
'This city seems to want birds and not people. It is covered in edges and ledges and nooks and crooks for birds to enjoy and it is full of food scraps that are small enough for beaks. It was built by people, but it would prefer birds’. And this is often true of cities. They need people to build them, but they prefer birds. This can make them sad places.
A surprising, perfectly brief gem of a book that left me crying a little bit more than most book endings do. The book clearly references The Little Prince, which I haven’t read so I can’t comment on it too much. The writing, while beautiful, is accessible to a wide audience and some people might think of this as children’s literature, but its themes are so big and weighty that readers of all ages will have lots to think about.
Fiction. Check local libraries.
Scott Dale read Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe.
Bruce Pascoe takes the journals of the early European explorers and shines a light on the sections of these journals that show evidence of agriculture and aquaculture developed by Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. And there is a lot of evidence, from all over the country.
It’s fascinating to read about processes of agriculture and aquaculture that were developed over thousands of years here in Australia. I had no idea about the extensive crops of grains or yams, about the Brewarrina fish traps, the eel concourses in Victoria, or many other aspects of pre-colonial Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander society covered in this book. I know I was not always the most attentive student but I don’t think these things were covered in school even though they are clearly mentioned in the source material – the journals. A lot of the explorers’ journals mentioned are actually available online and you can easily read the sections found in the book.
This is important history that I think all Australians should be aware of and it also has implications for the future. As we strive to develop more sustainable farming methods, Pascoe suggests that the grains and plants used long before the arrival of Europeans warrant further investigation today. These are grains developed over thousands of years, suited to Australian conditions and soils and it makes sense that we investigate their viability for the future.
Dark Emu is a fascinating read. It is a very accessible book that I highly recommend.
Australian author, non-fiction, author you haven't read before, 305.89915 PAS (also available as an eBook)
Brenda Carter read The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton.
With books on subjects as diverse as religion for atheists, status anxiety and the therapeutic benefit of art, plus his School of Life blog full of relationship advice, English philosopher Alain de Botton has made a name for himself as an analyst of modern life. In The Art of Travel, de Botton turns his attention to why the desire to travel has become so pervasive and explores how to avoid the anxiety and disappointments that so often accompany our journeys.
Each chapter is a juxtaposition of de Botton’s travel accounts with brief historical essays describing a famous author, thinker, or artist and their experience of travel and sense of place. If you enjoy good writing, you will lap up de Botton’s considered, fluent prose and gentle humour. The subject matter is limited by the author’s personal experiences in comfortable hotels and middle-upper class holiday destinations, but the overarching theme that travel seems to enable the mindfulness often lacking in everyday life could be applied in any situation.
Whether you’re planning a trip or in the midst of one, The Art of Travel contains lots of insights to avoid common pitfalls and enhance your journey.
Non-fiction, 910.01 DEB
The Little Snake is a gorgeous tale of a girl, Mary, and a magical golden snake, Lanmo. The story follows Mary as she grows up, goes on a big journey and grows old, and also Lanmo as he learns love. Lanmo is a snake who is responsible for death, and he travels through all the lands in the world to do his job. He notes, though, “that he would have been much busier had it not been for humans helping him with his work”. As an outsider, Lanmo is able to notice things like this about humans that we take for granted about ourselves.
The writing is delicious, with descriptions and sentences that made me re-read them just to enjoy them again. Like this description of the city where Mary grows up:
'This city seems to want birds and not people. It is covered in edges and ledges and nooks and crooks for birds to enjoy and it is full of food scraps that are small enough for beaks. It was built by people, but it would prefer birds’. And this is often true of cities. They need people to build them, but they prefer birds. This can make them sad places.
A surprising, perfectly brief gem of a book that left me crying a little bit more than most book endings do. The book clearly references The Little Prince, which I haven’t read so I can’t comment on it too much. The writing, while beautiful, is accessible to a wide audience and some people might think of this as children’s literature, but its themes are so big and weighty that readers of all ages will have lots to think about.
Fiction. Check local libraries.
Scott Dale read Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe.
Bruce Pascoe takes the journals of the early European explorers and shines a light on the sections of these journals that show evidence of agriculture and aquaculture developed by Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. And there is a lot of evidence, from all over the country. It’s fascinating to read about processes of agriculture and aquaculture that were developed over thousands of years here in Australia. I had no idea about the extensive crops of grains or yams, about the Brewarrina fish traps, the eel concourses in Victoria, or many other aspects of pre-colonial Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander society covered in this book. I know I was not always the most attentive student but I don’t think these things were covered in school even though they are clearly mentioned in the source material – the journals. A lot of the explorers’ journals mentioned are actually available online and you can easily read the sections found in the book.
This is important history that I think all Australians should be aware of and it also has implications for the future. As we strive to develop more sustainable farming methods, Pascoe suggests that the grains and plants used long before the arrival of Europeans warrant further investigation today. These are grains developed over thousands of years, suited to Australian conditions and soils and it makes sense that we investigate their viability for the future.
Dark Emu is a fascinating read. It is a very accessible book that I highly recommend.
Australian author, non-fiction, author you haven't read before, 305.89915 PAS (also available as an eBook)
Brenda Carter read The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton.
With books on subjects as diverse as religion for atheists, status anxiety and the therapeutic benefit of art, plus his School of Life blog full of relationship advice, English philosopher Alain de Botton has made a name for himself as an analyst of modern life. In The Art of Travel, de Botton turns his attention to why the desire to travel has become so pervasive and explores how to avoid the anxiety and disappointments that so often accompany our journeys.
Each chapter is a juxtaposition of de Botton’s travel accounts with brief historical essays describing a famous author, thinker, or artist and their experience of travel and sense of place. If you enjoy good writing, you will lap up de Botton’s considered, fluent prose and gentle humour. The subject matter is limited by the author’s personal experiences in comfortable hotels and middle-upper class holiday destinations, but the overarching theme that travel seems to enable the mindfulness often lacking in everyday life could be applied in any situation.
Whether you’re planning a trip or in the midst of one, The Art of Travel contains lots of insights to avoid common pitfalls and enhance your journey.
Non-fiction, 910.01 DEB
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