What are you Reading ... šŸ“š

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Robbo's my hero said:
I finished reading Dark Emu last night and Iā€™ve moved onto Mammoth.

Before I move on to my comments on Dark Emu I can already tell why everyone is raving about Mammoth.

For me Dark Emu is a direct challenge to our deeply held ideas of what Australia was like when we set foot on it and decided that it was unoccupied and ready for exploitation. Iā€™m looking forward to reading many more books on the subject which will allow me to develop (or should I say hone) an accurate view of Australia which encompasses pre and post colonial Australia.

The thread running through this book argues that the colonists (represented by explorers and exploration) observed an aboriginal society that was not backward at all in agriculture, aquaculture, housing, land management, spiritual beliefs, law, culture (and the list goes on). To justify occupation we had to tear it down because you canā€™t argue for a dispossession unless you support it with ideas that make dispossession ok. Once we decided that, it was then ok to massacre the aborigines and burn their houses to the ground.

There are many examples that promote a thriving nation of different groups.

One example which challenged me was the condition of the land that the first settlers found in Australia. I have visions of perfectly manicured farming landscapes from the history books I studied at school. Naturally Iā€™ve always had the idea that this was the result of a massive clearing of the land by the settlers. No folks thatā€™s the result of thousands of years of aboriginal occupation and their not so primitive ideas of making pastures for agriculture with the judicious use of fire.

Anyway, Iā€™d recommend this book. After Mammoth Iā€™m off to find another book called Sand Talk by Tyson Yunkaporta.
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Robbo you might enjoy The Ghost and the Bounty Hunter by Adam Courtney (Bryce's son). It's about William Buckley and John Batman set from the time Buckley fled the early settlement at Sorrento in 1803, eventually living with the Wadawurrung near current day Warrnambool. A great account of two historically important figures and the clash of two culture. A great read.

Another book about early Australian settlement I can recommend is True Girt by David Hunt. A wonderful warts and all account of the unheard of stories of early Australia. Very very funny and an eyeopener. Wonderful book.

Description from the Booktopia website:
David Hunt transports us to the Australian frontier.
This was the Wild South, home to hardy pioneers, gun-slinging bushrangers, directionally challenged explorers, nervous Indigenous people, Caroline Chisholm and sheep. Lots of sheep.
 
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CliffMcTainshaw said:
Robbo you might enjoy The Ghost and the Bounty Hunter by Adam Courtney (Bryce's son). It's about William Buckley and John Batman set from the time Buckley fled the early settlement at Sorrento in 1803, eventually living with the Wadawurrung near current day Warrnambool. A great account of two historically important figures and the clash of two culture. A great read.

Another book about early Australian settlement I can recommend is True Girt by David Hunt. A wonderful warts and all account of the unheard of stories of early Australia. Very very funny and an eyeopener. Wonderful book.

Description from the Booktopia website:
David Hunt transports us to the Australian frontier.
This was the Wild South, home to hardy pioneers, gun-slinging bushrangers, directionally challenged explorers, nervous Indigenous people, Caroline Chisholm and sheep. Lots of sheep.
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Iā€™ll keep this in mind. I ordered Sand Talk at the weekend.
 
Just finished reading "Mostly Guilty A Low-flying Barrister's Working Life" by Michael Challinger. All about the lowest level of our legal system. There are obviously some very smart crooks (and we won't have heard about the smartest). You won't read anything at all about these types of crooks, however, this book is full of terrific stories about the other end of the criminal spectrum. Not politically correct and containing plenty of sharp observations about crooks, our criminal system and our society. Well worth reading.
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Iā€™ve read a number of books this year.

The Kinks - Songs of the Semi-Detached by Mark Doyle.

This is not a bio on one of my favourite Brit groups. Itā€™s a dissertation. So if you like a detailed analysis on what motivated Ray and Dave Davies songs then this is the book for you. I struggled through the many pages where a book about The Kinks didnā€™t actually mention The Kinks. I did go back and listen to the albums as a result of a book and thatā€™s a positive.

Killing Time by Jimmy Barnes.

This is a series of short stories about Jimmyā€™s adventures over his 40 plus years as a musician. I think youā€™ll enjoy the lighter nature of these tales in comparison to his biographies. The story of his relationship with his much loved schnauzers will make you cry. I was also unaware of Jimmyā€™s close relationship with someone who was at Corpus Christi PS at the same time I attended the school in the 60s. He passed away recently and is a bit of a legend. Something I was completely unaware of until I saw all the Instagram posts mourning his death.

Nalaā€™s World by Dean Nicholson.

This is the story of a man and a cat travelling through Europe. He found her as a kitten in Bosnia (I think) and she has changed his life. I follow them on Instagram and the book is a loaner.

Lastly, Tall Tales & Wee Stories by Billy Connolly.

This is basically Billy finally putting down his wee stories from his performances. You will laugh out loud at his outrageous story telling but be warned. Billyā€™s descent into illness changed his performances. I think he acknowledged this when he retired from performing. He said his brain had changed as a result of Parkinsonā€™s and he couldnā€™t ad lib his way through his performances any longer. I think the book clearly displays his ad libbing was jaundiced at the end. Billy would probably tell me to ā€œ* offā€ for that opinion.:p
 
Robbo's my hero said:
Iā€™ve read a number of books this year.

The Kinks - Songs of the Semi-Detached by Mark Doyle.

This is not a bio on one of my favourite Brit groups. Itā€™s a dissertation. So if you like a detailed analysis on what motivated Ray and Dave Davies songs then this is the book for you. I struggled through the many pages where a book about The Kinks didnā€™t actually mention The Kinks. I did go back and listen to the albums as a result of a book and thatā€™s a positive.

Killing Time by Jimmy Barnes.

This is a series of short stories about Jimmyā€™s adventures over his 40 plus years as a musician. I think youā€™ll enjoy the lighter nature of these tales in comparison to his biographies. The story of his relationship with his much loved schnauzers will make you cry. I was also unaware of Jimmyā€™s close relationship with someone who was at Corpus Christi PS at the same time I attended the school in the 60s. He passed away recently and is a bit of a legend. Something I was completely unaware of until I saw all the Instagram posts mourning his death.

Nalaā€™s World by Dean Nicholson.

This is the story of a man and a cat travelling through Europe. He found her as a kitten in Bosnia (I think) and she has changed his life. I follow them on Instagram and the book is a loaner.

Lastly, Tall Tales & Wee Stories by Billy Connolly.

This is basically Billy finally putting down his wee stories from his performances. You will laugh out loud at his outrageous story telling but be warned. Billyā€™s descent into illness changed his performances. I think he acknowledged this when he retired from performing. He said his brain had changed as a result of Parkinsonā€™s and he couldnā€™t ad lib his way through his performances any longer. I think the book clearly displays his ad libbing was jaundiced at the end. Billy would probably tell me to ā€œfu** offā€ for that opinion.:p
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Do you mean Pierre Barrone by any chance?
 
Robbo's my hero said:
You could never forget a name like that even if it was over 50 years ago.
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Wow, small world! He worked for the company I work for for a very long time and still did photoshoots etc for them up until a couple of years ago. He was best friends with my boss and one of my colleagues. A very interesting man! He was good friends with Barnsey from his days at Mushroom Records.
 
After Malcolm X this is my next read.

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I found this gem at my in-laws house. Theyā€™d lived in the same house for 60 years. My mother-in-law passed away in January and weā€™re going through the process of sorting stuff. Books, so many books. Mostly detective and mysteries but a small cache of absurdist British humour. And, in the end, it doesnā€™t get more absurd than Spike Milligan.
 

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I havenā€™t finished Spikeā€™s book yet however I have my next book lined up thanks to Mrs Robbo. A book of punk poetry from the unique mind of Dr John Cooper Clarke called The Luckiest Guy Alive. If youā€™re not aware of his work I can highly recommend it.
 
Robbo's my hero said:
After Malcolm X this is my next read.

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I found this gem at my in-laws house. Theyā€™d lived in the same house for 60 years. My mother-in-law passed away in January and weā€™re going through the process of sorting stuff. Books, so many books. Mostly detective and mysteries but a small cache of absurdist British humour. And, in the end, it doesnā€™t get more absurd than Spike Milligan.
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I have the whole set, a prized posession and read many times. Just paper and ink but its worth to me is far more than I could describe.
 
There seems to be a gap in our media consumption threads, so here we go.

I'm a sucker for a good espionage yarn, and there wasn't much better at it than LeCarre. Ties up many other LeCarre stories from The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, through to Smiley's People and even A Perfect Spy gets a shout-out. Most of these were made into (excellent) TV series or films, and the roll-call of characters brings back vivid memories of some great performances. So far, it's exactly my cup of polonium.

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Gethelred said:
Nicholas Eames, Kings of the Wyld.

Both an authentic fantasy epic and a pisstake of the authentic fantasy epic, through the lens of Spinal Tap.
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Hey Geth. There is a reading thread.

What are you Reading ... šŸ“š

Seeing there's what are you listening to, watching a travel thread a foodies thread, thought some of the readers on here might like to share (hello @MEB) I'm reading at the moment 'The Truth about the Harry Quebert affair' ... By Joel Dicker a massive seller in Europe, translated from french...
www.bigfooty.com www.bigfooty.com

Can you mash them together pls
 
BlueGum said:
Hey Geth. There is a reading thread.

What are you Reading ... šŸ“š

Seeing there's what are you listening to, watching a travel thread a foodies thread, thought some of the readers on here might like to share (hello @MEB) I'm reading at the moment 'The Truth about the Harry Quebert affair' ... By Joel Dicker a massive seller in Europe, translated from french...
www.bigfooty.com www.bigfooty.com

Can you mash them together pls
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Dang. I missed that. Seconded!
 
BlueGum said:
Hey Geth. There is a reading thread.

What are you Reading ... šŸ“š

Seeing there's what are you listening to, watching a travel thread a foodies thread, thought some of the readers on here might like to share (hello @MEB) I'm reading at the moment 'The Truth about the Harry Quebert affair' ... By Joel Dicker a massive seller in Europe, translated from french...
www.bigfooty.com www.bigfooty.com

Can you mash them together pls
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Done.
 
Burning a million pounds for reasons you can't even put a finger on is the most punk thing ever, by one of the least punk bands ever.

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AlecDuncan said:
Burning a million pounds for reasons you can't even put a finger on is the most punk thing ever, by one of the least punk bands ever.

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I later took my car for an MOT and got a very worried call from the garage. ā€œThereā€™s 50 grand cash in your glovebox, mate.ā€

ā€œDonā€™t worry, itā€™s all fake,ā€ I replied, before realising this probably didnā€™t help. lol
 
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