Search This Blog

Friday, February 21, 2014

This Week's Random Read...Life In Outer Space by Melissa Keil

I picked it up from my display table at work on the way out the door. I know it has done well since it came out last year, but this is the first time I've gotten around to taking a look. I am not far into it yet, but I think there are some of my students who will enjoy it. The language is a bit hard for reluctant readers, but my book clubbers and fairly good readers should get something out of it.

It's an Australian book and seems to be set in Melbourne, though I haven't been in a school without uniforms, as this one, for a very long time; we had no uniforms at Flemington Secondary College because uniforms are expensive, most of our kids couldn't afford them and there were a lot who passed through rather than stay. The school in this novel appears to be a middle class state school. Well, I'm enjoying so far, so will do a review when I've finished.

I've just downloaded the works of Ovid, though I have read the Metamorphoses and the Heroides(got that one on a remainders table and great fun it was, the "letters from the heroines" of Greek mythology). We rarely realise how much influence Ovid's stories have had on our literature, and I did it on an impulse as I've been reading books that mention his works. I'm about to get hold of James I's Daemonologie, to go with Leanda De Lisle's After Elizabeth(also downloaded this week). I'm reading that right now and oh, my, weren't these Tudor era politicians nasty! Mind you, so are today's, but at least we can get rid of them eventually, unless we're living in a safe electorate(mutter, mutter, boundary changes and I'm now in a safe Liberal electorate, Aaargh!), and they don't execute each other. I mean, back stabbings aren't literal!  If you had a political enemy, you gave him enough rope to hang himself and then got the Queen to hang him(or cut his head off or whatever). When Elizabeth was in her last years and hadn't named an heir, there were those who were sucking up to James of Scotland and hoping she don't find out... It's the first book I've read which suggests James might have had ADHD! Very interesting!

So, any of you reading something fascinating? Do tell!

PS I do have some review books which I will describe anon.

No comments: