My Wish List

Books I will buy myself when I've been a good girl... In no particular order.

Traffic: Why we Drive The Way We Do (And what it says about us) - Tom Vanderbilt (non-fiction)

Dear Mr Rudd: Ideas for a better Australia (edited by Robert Manne)

Scattered: Story of Crystal Meth in Australia - from users to medics - Malcolm Knox
(non-fiction)

The Sky Isn't Visible From Here - Felicia C Sullivan: A Memoir of a woman who grew up with her mother hopelessly addicted to cocaine. She did all she could to avoid the same plight, wound up sadly in the same situation and pulled herself through it.

It's Called A Break Up Because It's Broken (non-fiction) Fairly berluddy self explanatory methinks!

The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama

It's All Good - Andrew Daddo

Biography that began as a letter to the wife of a mate of his who died in a motorbike accident. Daddo wanted his wife to have a better understanding of the photograph taken - other than just the image apparent.

Ramblin Man - The Story of Woody Guthrie - Ed Cray

Biography about one of thre greatest lyricists of our times, and his contribution to politics, culture and activism.

War Reporting For Cowards - Chris Sayers

Autobiographical account of Mr Sayers experiences of being embedded in Iraq at the beginning of The Campaign of Shock And Awe. He thought winning a post as a journalist on a big paper was the beginning of a glamorous life. One that included jet-setting, five-star hotel rooms and invites to star-studded parties. He could not have been more wrong.

The Truth About The Drug Companies - Marcia Angell - MD.

Non-fiction. Self-explanatory.

Diary of a Manhattan Callgirl - Tracy Quan

Non-fiction. Self-explanatory.

Whatever You Think - Think The Opposite - Paul Arden

Self-help. Arden gives much food for thought in helping us to understand where our bad habits have arisen from, how to challenge our own thinking and encourages us to better understand how negative thinking really does hold us back.

A Mans Got To Have a Hobby - William McInnes

Biography. McInnes sensitive, comical and endearing account of his relationship and memoirs of his much-loved father.

Pig City - John Birmingham

Non-fiction. The great JB returns with what I understood from the blurb to be a book about Manchester, UK.

Many Lifetimes - Audrey Evans

Autobiography. Outcast at an early age by her own aboriginal community, and socially rejected by whitefolk, it would be of little surprise that Ms Evans life took the only path available to her. Alchoholism, drug-addictions, homelessness and hopelessness. Overcoming these issues against all odds she began study at Sydney University, as it's oldest mature-age student and what happened next is astounding.

Head over Heels - Sam and Jenny Bailey.

Auto-Biography. This tale first aired on Australian Story. He was a quadriplegic farmer and she was an ABC radio journalist from the City. They met and over many months, fell in love. Sam proposed to Jenny over the airwaves and the audience response to his public profession of love for Jenny jammed the airwaves and nearly every fax machine at ABC. This is their story.

Angels of Death

Non-fiction. The story of Hells Angels in Australia.

The Big Book of Me: Be Your Own Life-Coach

Self-help. Self-explanatory. Bought it for a friend - made absolutely no difference! Not sure if it's the books fault though.

One Way Ticket - Cindy Wockner/Madonna King

Non-fiction. The real story behind the Bali Nine. The cover-ups, corruption and the media frenzy. The main premise of their argument seems to be that any one of the 'Nine' could be your child.

Read it. Well written but very sad. A plight that could and should have been avoided as the AFP had information about the planned drug trafficking, before the nine left the country.

Filthy Rat - Simon Illingworth

Biography. Expose. Illingworth spent many years undercover, exposing some of the most dangerous criminals of Australian criminal history. It nearly destroyed him - he made the almost impossible choice to walk away, and lived to tell the tale.
Date Expectations - Paul Reizin
Non-fiction. Humor. Romance. Reizin after being set up with just one more horrendous blind date, decided to take matters in to his own hands, and advertised in his local newspapers lonely-hearts column. This is his story.

Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts

Biography. One more tale of triumph against all odds, but with a better than happy ending. Roberts, a heroin-addict at the age of 17, with several jail stays already under his belt, Roberts makes the choice to turn his life around. His quest for inner peace takes him to India where he is compelled to repay his debt to society by setting up a health clinic. Clinic is still operating today and to date has saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

Still reading this! And one day, Miss N, I will return it to you.

The Year of Yes - Maria Headley

Non-fiction. Humor. Romance. Headley being fed up with being single and oft accused of being picky, decides that she will accept every offer of a date for twelve months, that comes her way. She goes out with taxi drivers, a homeless man, a few women, a couple of stalkers and a multi-millionaire that still lives with his mother. Quite looking forward to this one.

Reddit. Brilliant. Funny.