Caucasia

Danzy Senna
1998
0 7336 0999 6

A story about race and family in the '70s.

I very nearly gave up within the first 30 pages. The story made me uncomfortable, and I didn't like the tone. I don't live in the kind of racist society that Birdie spent her first years in, so I found it hard to just accept things that were done and said. As Birdie grows up and loses half her family, she makes choices and says things that I couldn't identify with, but although I had no affinity with any of the characters and wasn't too keen on the plot, I kept reading to find out whether or not Birdie was reunited with her sister.

I know this book is part fiction, part autobiography, but the racism themes weaving around the story were foreign to me, making it difficult to get past and concentrate on the story itself.

Date Finished: 26/07/07
Year Total: 22

The Adventures of Flash Jackson

William Kowalski
2003
ISBN 0 385 60556 0

Flash Jackson, the alter-ego of 17 year old Haley, is a stuntman looking for adventure in rural America. Horse-riding, swimming, climbing trees - it's all part of summer, so far as Flash is concerned. Until Haley goes through the roof of an old barn, shattering her leg in three places and guaranteeing a summer spent enclosed in plaster.

Going from a running start to a screeching halt, Haley starts examining her relationships with the people around her, starting with the fact her mother drives her insane. After her closest friend breaks her heart, she retreats into the woods, living with her crazy Grandmother and learning about her heritage, which alters the tone of the story from real and funny to something mysterious and fascinating.

The change is gradual, with hints right from the beginning of her friendship with Elizabeth Powell, and by the time Haley learns about her grandmother's truth, she is a different person to the Flash Jackson we met at the beginning of the book.

The main problem I had with this book was keeping the time period straight in my mind. Although Haley mentions that they live in the twenty-first century, the language and attitudes seem to be more mid-50's or so, and stumbling over references to modern gadgets like dishwashers and cellphones is a bit jarring. Getting tangled up in the wrong time period only seemed to make the book more interesting though, and the clash between forest life and modern life is only emphasised more because of it.

Date Finished: 20/07/07
Year Total: 21

I Don't Know How She Does It

Allison Pearson
2002

Can a woman successfully juggle a high-flying career in finance and a family? Not without lashings of guilt, overcompensation and a horribly cynical outlook on life.

Kate Reddy thinks she's got the balance right, although she's always open to more guilty introspection. Her tale rushes headlong through missing children's bedtimes, overcompensating towards passive-aggressive nanny, being exploited in the workplace because she's a woman and trying to keep up with other women who have given up and gone home to be mothers.

The tale seems to have no apparent plotline - things lurch from one almost-disaster to another, and when a hint of storyline appears two-thirds of the way through, I thought it was played out too quickly.

Funny in places, brilliantly hilarious in others, overall this book smacked of the desperation of Kate, and although it's a relief when she finally sorts herself out, I thought the ending was both too nicely wrapped up (everyone's fate nicely laid out for easy digestion) Kate's own fate is not very satisfactory, after her struggle to cope throughout the rest of book.

Date Finished: 18/07/07
Year Total: 20

It's Not News, It's Fark

Drew Curtis
2007

Fark.com is one of my favourite websites, and the best place online for news. Drew Curtis, the man behind the curtain, has spent more time than anyone looking at thousands of news articles, so he is definitely an authority on where Mass Media is going wrong, and what it's doing right.

Even with only a passing interest in politics, America law or the behind-the-scenes of how Mass Media operates, this book is hugely entertaining. Curtis has the ability to cut through the buzzwords and bullshit, leaving you with a much better understanding of how you're being manipulated, and he does it while making you laugh.

Date Finished: 25/06/07
Year Total: 19

A Cat Called Birmingham

Chris Pascoe
2004

A non-fiction book about a mans cat. Not exactly a prize-winning topic but Brum is certainly not an average cat.

It's a tale of miracles - or at least the fact Brum made it to adulthood seems to be a miracle. The recounting of how Brum sets himself on fire multiple times, goes belly-flopping into ponds, off walls and onto moving cars is hilarious, as is the strange relationship between cat and toddler.

There are distractions though - imaginery holidays and tales of other, less interesting cats are less appealing, and at times downright irritating, but the pages devoted to Brum make it worthwhile.

Date Finished: 18/06/07
Year Total: 18

Not In The Guide Book: The Wackiest Sights on Google Earth

Alex Turnbull & James Turnbull
2006

This little album appealed to the voyeur in me - taking a peek at other places that other people have been peeking at as well.

Each image is explained in a few paragraphs, and compass, scale and co-ordinates are supplied if you want to see 'the real thing' on your own Google Earth. There is a good sense of humour throughout the tour, and it was an enjoyable way to pass the time. At 144 pages, it's a quick flick, but I think the fun feeling would have been lost if it was much longer.

Date Finished: 17/06/07
Year Total: 17