I needed to resurrect this thread for I've read a few books that I'm pretty impressed with. Yeah esp since our last vacation I've been reading a lot more again, though still usually after I went to bed.
I finished
Lord Of The Rings shortly after our holiday, phew! I don't think I'll ever read a book THAT good. But the two I read after that were definitely as captivating.
Jean Auel, 5th book in the series about Ayla (Clan of the Cavebear being the first),
The Shelters Of Stone. My neighbour had read it before me and she said that even when it's been years since you read the other books, you'd immediately be back in the story as soon as you start in this book. She was right. AWESOME books! I couldn't put it away at night, cost me quite some sleep
Same happened with the next book. And I didn't expect it for it was not fantasy. Not fiction even. It was a book by
Ffyona Campbell, the first (only?) woman to walk around the world (ending in 1993). This book's English title is
On Foot Through Africa and tells the story of her adventures during her walk through Africa, over 16000 miles from Kaapstad to Tanger, including longer breaks because evacuations and such. She's a very strongwilled woman and writes with a lot of dark humor, some personal stuff and self criticism at times. It's all pretty to the point and immediately grabbed me. I have a new HERO because it's incredible what she had to endure (malaria and other diseases, swarms of dangerous flies/musquitos/bugs, predators, people harassing or stoning her thinking she was some bad ghost, thieves, and as a anti climax a lot of sexual intimidations and attacks in morrocco where men seem to think that a white woman on her own is just out on sex. they stopped and stared and masterbated on the spot). Impressive. I tried to find more info on her, I'm interested in what she's up to these days, but I can only find a few older articles. She had already walked through the States and later on came clean on having skipped a few thousand miles because of getting ill/pregnant, it kept eating at her and years later she confessed, but also went back to walk those miles. Some articles slayed her for the deceit, I say it's still an immense thing she did and I have nothing but respect and admiration for her!
So what to read next?? I bought another book by her 2nd hand, still have to get it. It's the final book of 3 (1=Feet Of Clay about the Australian walk, 2=On Foot Through Africa), I think it's Around The World, the Whole Story or something like that.
In the meantime I started in a fantasy book again, one by
Terry Brooks,
The Sword Of Shannara. It's nice, but a shameless copy of LOTR ingredients! Anyway... I'm off to bed now to continue in it hehehe..
Man, I'd never thought I'd post so much about books... Cora aren't you proud of me now???
