The Golem and the Jinni - Helen Wrecker

A rich tapestry rendering turn of the century New York in stunning detail. A cleverly constructed plot provides a framework for real characters to emerge in a fascinating, internally consistent world.

I loved this book despite the slightly confused & rushed final scene which didn't quiet deliver on the massive expectations created by the preceding chapters.

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Bad Debts - Peter Temple

Great hook gets you into the story and invested in the characters. The ending left me a bit cold, the twists not quite twisty enough. George R R Martin has probably broken me.

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1788 - Watkin Tench and Tim Flannery

For the first time in my life I am interested in Australia history. The amiable Watkin Tench's account of the first few years of settlement in Australia is absolutely worth reading. It bothers me that every Australian student hasn't read this book (or even knows it exists).

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American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House - Jon Meacham

Fascinating history of a complex, powerful and sometimes malevolent force in the history of the United States.

but Jackson was not a president of consistent principle. He was a politician subject to his own passions and predilections.

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Mapping of The Far Side of the World Complete

My map of the events in The Far Side of the World is complete. Most of the voyage was replete with references to well known rivers, capes, islands and atols making this map easier than most. I am probably least happy with the back and forth around Valparaiso (where I tried to stay true to the references in the book but was left feeling unsatisfied with the results) and the last dogleg around the prodigious storm that hit the Surprise directly after Jack and Stephen's rescue.

It has been six years since I last read The Far Side of the World and I had forgotten much and thus enjoyed mapping this volume all the more. Completing this map in ten months means I am beating my average by a couple of months and am now on track to finish the series in a bit under seven years. Hurrah!

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