For the sake of.

Firstly - Australia Day. The 26th of January. In my opinion, a stupid day to celebrate Australianness. The day, in 1788 that the British landed in Australia. I don't want to get into the politics of this day, however, I will say that the day which started the systematic genocide of indigenous Australians for almost 200 years is not a day I wish to celebrate.

Alternatives?

• 1st of January (1901), was the day the country of Australia came into being. Surely this day is one more worth celebrating. The problem with this, is the first of January is already a public holiday, which effectively means we'd have one less during the year. No one is really going to support this.
• 27th of May (1967), the day white Australians voted to allow indigenous Australians the right to vote. It is a day that signifies equality in the country. Surely more of a day to be proud of than the 26th of January. Many people I have spoken to, however, do not want a public holiday in May.
• The most practical day to replace "Australia Day", should be the day that Australia declares (or votes for) its independence from Great Britain. This day has not arrived yet, however I hold hope that it will eventually. And when it does, surely it is more cause for celebration than the day Australia was invaded by the British.
  

Hopefully the country gets on with it so we can have a real day in this country to be proud of.

Until then, the only good thing about Australia day (public holiday aside), is the Hottest 100.

Books I have read recently:

- The Alana Chronicles (books 1 through 4) - Tamora Pierce

I first read these books when I was 12. The books follow a young women who dreams of becoming a knight. I loved the books back then, I was a tomboy growing up, who dreamt the same, or similar dreams as Alana. I bought these books over the internet and proceeded to read them in the space of five days. They are really fantastic books, usually - when I re-read books that are meant for a younger audience now, I pick up the writing flaws in them, but they were not as simple as I anticipated.

- Forest of Silence - Emily Rodda (Deltora Quest book 1)
Another series I adored when I was younger, I found them the other night when I was in my little sisters room. It astounds me how quickly I get through these books now, they are still brilliant. I recall trying to read the series after the initial Deltora Quest and I couldn't get through it, sort of like a terrible sequel to a really good movie. Nevertheless, the original series remains one of my favourite.

- Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
I struggled to get through this book, perhaps because of the language, I put it down and picked it up too many times to count, however it was a really fantastic read, Bradbury has written many short stories, which eventually morphed into Fahrenheit 451. I will at some point look into these, because they do sound rather interesting.

- Monster Love - Carol Topolski
I am still unsure of my feelings towards Monster Love. It was an incredibly good book, written in a style which is hard to pull off, but was portrayed very well by Topolski. The story itself is the kind that haunts the reader long after it is finished. It forces you, too an extent, to sympathise with the two characters who commit a crime, an act so horrid that it is hard to even think about. I read this book very quickly, it was hard to put down, but at the same time it was deeply unsettling. If the subject matter can be stomached, it is well worth a read.

- The Watchmen - Allan Moore
This graphic novel would easily be in my top 10 books of all time. I find it hard to concentrate when reading graphic novels, because of the different way in which they need to be viewed, it is almost like you need to read them from a different mindset. But this is another one I couldn't put down. The issues in which it deals with are relevant to todays world. The movie is suppose to be out sometime in March (pending the outcome of a court case), from the previews it looks fantastic. One thing I noticed was the trailer was given an R rating, which means (importantly) that is was not toned down in order to appeal to a larger audience.

- The Desperate Mission - Jude Watson (Last of the Jedi, book 1)
I love Star Wars, which is no secret. I'll read pretty much anything that is related to the films (I have put off getting into the New Jedi Order books though). This series was bought to my attention by a child I served at work, and I picked up the first in the series shortly after. The novels are aimed at children (in our intermediate fiction section), but they are still good, set just after the fall of the Republic and tell the story of Obi Wan Kenobi and other Jedi who were not killed during Order 66. I found this interesting specifically because it shows Obi Wan's state of mind during his self imposed exile watching over Luke on Tattooine. If you think about the state of the galaxy at that point in time, even from a Jedi's point of view, the feeling of despair and helplessness would be overwhelming. Everything you ever knew, believed in, fought for, had been destroyed. Betrayed by your best friend, brother. Even for a Jedi as powerful as Kenobi, the knowledge of these facts would be almost unbearable. I like how he gains perspective during this story, and grows to really appreciate how important his mission on Tattooine is. It also tells the story of the first sparks of the Rebel Alliance, which aids the understanding of the context in which the original movies are set. 

I love Star Wars mainly because of its portrayal of good and evil, light and dark. Reading the EU (expanded universe) broadens the idea of Jedi vs Sith in a way that makes the whole universe more interesting and thought provoking. I dislike, in the newer movies, the Jedi prophecy of "the one who will bring balance to the force", the force cannot exist without the dark side. Even after Return of the Jedi, the sith exist. They will always exist. The dark side is simply human nature. The jedi must fight against their own nature to be as pure as they are, which was eventually their undoing. Something that was realised by Kenobi and Yoda towards the end of Revenge of the Sith. Another book I will maybe get around to talking about is the first Darth Bane book, I may have to reread it first, but the sith perspective on life and the force is as interesting, if not more interesting than the jedi perspective.

- The Tales of Beedle the Bard - JK Rowling
- For one more day - Mitch Albom
- Five people you meet in heaven - Mitch Albom

What I am reading now:

Diary of a bad year - J.M Coetzee
Lake of tears - Emily Rodda (Deltora Quest book 2)

Books I need to finish:
Shock Doctrine - Naomi Klien
Touched by the devil - Andy Shea
Mother Tongue - Bill Bryson
Jon Shannow books - David Gemmel

Books I want to read:
Independence Day - Richard Ford
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Díaz

Books that I love
A short history of nearly everything - Bill Bryson
Anything by David Gemmel

I don't know how far this will progress. But lately I have had the feeling that when I finish reading a book, I gain something substantial. I learn from everything I read. But at the same time, I don't remember the lesson, the book  long enough. I have no one to talk to about books. I should, perhaps join a book club or something. Instead I will write about them here. Well that is the aim so far.