Worth Reading: If you're a SK fan then yes it certainly is. For everyone else, I think it might be an acquired taste. This is a re-read for me. Indeed, I've read it countless times.

Summary: Tarker's Mills is a quiet town in Maine. Quiet, that is, until one winter on a full moon, a railway-man in the middle of nowhere has his throat ripped out.

Each full moon, as the attacks continue, the residents of Tarker's Mills become more terrified. The police have no clues as to what is killing the good people of the town.

Marty Coslaw, rider of the silver-bullet, has seen it. Marty has survived an attack - just.

And now, Marty knows who it is.

This is a very small novella from SK. If you're familiar with his longer works you'll understand. The story roughly follows the lunar cycle and is illustrated nicely. It may take you about 40 minutes to read and is worth the time.

Tags: books, stephen king

Worth Reading: It's an interesting read but I probably wouldn't pick it up again.

Summary: St Luke, an island for the tourists. For the locals it's a difficult place to live and work, unless you're rich.

Populated by the whole gamut of society, the rich, the poor, those just wanting or needing to fall off the map, St Luke has seen its share of drama. Now, two bodies have washed up on the beach.

Nothing ties the two bodies together, except they were murdered, and both are missing the right hand.

This is not a "who dunnit", you know from the start what's going on. Instead, you watch the scenario play out as the police team try to figure what's been going on and why. This is not really a style of writing I enjoy, which is probably why I doubt I'll read it again.

This is the first book from Jonathan Nasaw I have read and it is an interesting tale. The locals switching in and out of dialect adds a nice bit of colour, pardon the pun, and it is well written. But for me, there just isn't enough meat on the bones.

Tags: books

Worth Reading: Yes I think so. I really liked this book because it talks of life in South Africa and how the average person lived their lives back in the 1930's.

Summary: Peekay, A small white English boy in a rural world of black Africans and Afrikaner Boers. Raised by a black Nanny, he's a rooinek in a background of racism and mistrust from all sides.

His is the story of one boys dream. The hurdles he overcomes and the losses he endures as he sets himself on a path to becoming the welterweight boxing champion of the world.

Tags: books, bryce courtenay

Happy Easter everyone. Put your feet up, relax, and go easy on the eggs.

16 December 1917 ~ 19 March 2008 (90)

One of the great technological seers of the 20th Century, and a fine author.

The worlds of Science Fiction, and Science Technology will miss him greatly, as will the World.

Tags: books, arthur c clark

Ok I have just added rating stars to my blog entries. You'll see them at the bottom of each entry.

So now you can, not only enjoy reading my exciting news, you can also rate it. How you rate it and what criteria you use is entirely up to you. Personally I'd give it 5 stars simply because I wrote it, but that's just me.

What a perfect excuse to go back and re-read my entire blog.

Rate away!

Tags: website

Worth Reading: If you're a SK fan then yes it certainly is. If you're not, then this is a nice place to start your collection.

Summary: Edgar Freemantle. Successful building contractor, Father, and Husband. Until a serious accident on a worksite should have killed him, but instead takes his right arm, damages his brain and otherwise leaves him a broken man with a destroyed marriage.

Duma key. A sparsely settled key off the Florida coast. Long stretches of beach. A place where artists go to get away from it all. The place Edgar goes to recover, recuperate and heal. A place where Edgar finds new friends and a talent he never knew he had. A place that holds a secret. One that has remained buried for a long time. One that is waking up.

I'm a SK fan from way back. I think I have most of his books. He doesn't write them fast enough.

Tags: books, stephen king

* Halve the number of trucks.
* Quarter the number of cars.
* Double the number of motorcycles.
* Quadruple the number of pushbikes.

Then we'll be on our way to resolving...

1. the poor road infrastructure
2. lessening the impact on the environment
3. reducing road rage
4. reducing stress

The solution is simple, but requires people of vision, back-bone and balls.

To my Car.

My car turns 10 this year (in July to be exact). We've done 368,163 kms together so far - over 9 times around the Earth.
I bought my Toyota Camry CSX in 1998, brand new, the photo was taken about a week after it came home.

The only car I've owned since new, thus far. It is still going strong and drives as well as the day I brought it home from the dealer.

I put its longevity down to a couple of things...

1. It's a Toyota. Love 'em or hate 'em you have to admit they just keep going.

2. I've had it serviced every 10,000 kms. Check the log book, it's all in there.

3. I look after the car. I have a number of friends that can attest to the way I treat her as they knew me when I had my 1984 XX Corona.

I have trouble believing it's been a decade.

I still remember the day I went in and spoke to the sales guy and picked out all the options. (The choice of colour wasn't mine. I got advice from the neighbors kids at the time, and am glad I did.) I still have the brochure!

I remember washing my Corona on the morning it was to leave me. I remember driving my Corona into the dealer on the day I picked up the Camry. (I should have kept the Corona.. it was worth nothing but still very reliable)

I remember arriving at the dealer to see my new wheels glowing in the showroom.

I remember handing over my key, driving away, leaving my Corona behind... a sad day.

I remember arriving home with my new wheels. I was happy with my new purchase. I was concerned about my repayments on the loan (I hadn't exactly been truthful with the finance application). I missed my Corona and hoped it would go to a good home.

That was 10 years ago, I still think fondly of my Corona and the places we went together.

I don't really understand the mentality of people who only see their car as a tool to get them from A to B and that's it.
Those who say "It's just a CAR!".
I don't think those people really look after their vehicles the way they should, and I don't mean just washing it every week.
They're probably the ones who go through cars every couple of years and think nothing of it, perhaps citing "unreliability" as the reason for the change.

If one truly takes care of a vehicle, keep it serviced, and in good running order, how can one not become attached to it?

If you look after your car, it looks after you. It becomes attached to YOU.

My car's birthday present this year will be a complete detail, cut and polish, and where necessary a re-spray. She may be 10 and have a lot of km's under her wheels, but she's going to look brand spanking new because I owe her that much at least.

Note: I have just decided that a future post will include photos of my Camry at the places she's taken me over the past 10 years. Stay tuned, constant reader.

All this and Rabbit stew!

Where did the saying "Rabbits Rabbits Rabbits" come from? Wikipedia sheds some light on it here. My parents and grandparents have been saying it as a bringer of good luck, for as long as I can remember, and I guess it was handed down to them.

You can read more on the "White Rabbit" theory here.

Regardless of the colour, size and number of rabbits, we're now into the third month of the year, first month of Autumn.

Summer has gone, not that we actually had one. Long range forecast is for a wet year. Not that crash hot if you're a motorcyclist.

However, on those chilly nights after returning home from the daily commute to work, a hot rabbit stew or rabbit pie is just the ticket! Haven't tried one? you should. It puts hairs on your chest... as they say.

"Dat's de end."