With Christmas only a handful of sleeps away I’m faced with the yearly connundrum of what to buy for the men in my life. Everyone usually has one of the following to consider: Fathers, brothers, brothers-in-law, partners, husbands, in-laws, the ‘step’ variety and if you’re extremely fortunate a grandfather; buying for men can be difficult particularly if they don’t have a hobby. Hankies really don’t cut it and the old boxed tie is a last resort. Cue Santa! Wouldn’t you think he’d make it easier for everyone and start spruiking a few suggestions instead of always being on the listening end and being so wonderfully adept at telling small children that they can have whatever their heart desires. I’m thinking there should be a santa school somewhere that encourages compassion for parents, grandparents and aunts and uncles alike. But back to the big ‘boy’ kids on everyone’s list. Having just done the ‘one day’ christmas shop here are a few suggestions.
1. John Birmingham is a highly regarded Australian columnist and author. His latest work Angels of Vengeance is a terrific thriller which explores the aftermath of the destruction of America.
2. On the bush front a little known stock theft debacle in Springsure, Qld left the McDonald family reeling after a frenzied ‘bush court’ accused them of cattle theft in 2008. Pinched or Planted; The Cungelella Mystery by Susan McDonald explores this sorry experience and doesn’t – sadly- say alot about some bush dwellers. I picked up a copy at my local bookstore however I could find no reference to the work on the web. The inside cover suggests contacting the author for copies Albeni_ANIMALS@bigpond.com
3. For a big historical blockbuster you can’t go past Conn Iggulden, his latest offering is literally bigger than Ben Hurr and will be a hit with many. He has a fabulous web site and audio books narrated by none other than Richard E. Grant . Visit Conn Iggulden