The Bookman's Holiday Reading

I read the following books during an idyllic holiday in Port Douglas, Queensland last week:

PRIME CUT - Alan Carter - Fremantle Press - See blog review

PAGAN BABIES - Elmore Leonard - Viking - Elmore Leonard who died two weeks ago wrote more than 40  titles and I was delighted to find some 18 of his backlist, including this one, at The Book Lounge, Port Douglas' exceptionally fine second hand bookstore. This one features Father Terry Dunne who returns to Detriot after five years in Rwanda. He's no ordinary priest this one with a background of cigrateet smuggling and tax evasion and an involvement in hustling The Mob. Great holiday read.

THE OCTOBER LIST - Jeffery Deaver - Hachette - $39.99 - I am not allowed to talk about this one yet as publication is not until 24 September but what I can say,(and of course I am a great fan of this NY-based crime fiction writer), is that it is a quite extraordinary standalone thriller which begings with a most amazing twist - the book's ending......... The story opens  at 6.30pm Sunday and works its way backwards to 8.20am Friday. Appropriately the front cover of my proof copy (thanks Hachette) is on the back !

THE EVERYDAY CHICKEN COOKBOOK - Over 365 recipes for delicious cooking all year round - Edited by Simona Hill - Hermes House . This title and the next both came from The Book Lounge. As Annie doesn't eat red meat the evening  cooking in our home is predominantly fish, chicken and vegetarian so there was no way I could leave this one in the shop. It is a whopper at 512 pages - $20 second-hand

FARMER'S MARKET COOKBOOK - Making the most of fresh and seasonal produce with over 140 recipes - Ysanne Spevack - Southwater - $18 second-hand. Surprisjngly the word organic does not appear in the title or on the cover because this proved to be a straightforward guide to understanding the issue surrounding organic food and drink. It features a  comprehensive survey of organic ingredients from fruit & vegetables to meat and poultry and pantry items.

THE ULTIMATE MASTERCHEF - How to cook like a MasterChef Part 3 - Masterchef Australia - on special at Cairns Airport for $6.95 - 70+ recipes from judges and contestants. The first recipe I am going to try is judge Gary Mehigan's Mussels with cherry tomatoes, chorizo, basil and pangrattato.

THE DYING TRADE - Peter Corris - Text Classics - $12.95.
The Whileaway Bookshop Cafe had an impressive display of the Text Classics seroes and I was delighted to find among the great collection of titles the very first Peter Corris title featuring his private investigator Cliff Hardy published originally in 1980. Peter Corris has since published some forty Cliff Hardy titles, I guess I have read about half of them but I had never read the very first and here it was.Bloody brilliant, I started reading it immediately and it barely got me to a second day.
Peter Corris is referred to as the godfather of Australian crime fiction writing as is given credit for largely forging the international reputation of Australian crime fiction.

In addition to these books I also read the latest issues Metro and North & South which I took from home,  and I also bought the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, 
The Australian and The Australian Financial review each day. A feast of reading in a most relaxing atmosphere. I also managed twice daily swims in the apartment pool and of course carried out extensive sampling of Australian Chardonnays!