In My Skin - Kate Holden

Such a courageous, explicitly honest, moving and well-written memoir about this young woman's journey to hell and back. A normal middle class Australian background, an exceptionally loving family, a Uni degree, a shy & bookish personality, and yet she became a heroin addict and prostitute. At times I felt depressed to read about this painful journey, but the writing was always captivating and lifted the book beyond just another bare-all. I found her family's unconditional love amazing. A book that lingered in my mind well after I finished it...

Lonely Planet Guide to Experimental Travel - Rachael Antony

I expected to dip into this book and read snippets at random, but it was so fascinating that I read it from cover to cover. Not the sort of travel I'd indulge in, as you could as easily end up nowhere and see little, or be serendipitously lucky. But I admire the adventurous souls who contributed to the book. In spite of my bourgeouis taste in travel, some of the experiments could be interesting - eg one where you and partner travel separately to the same city, and try to find each other by intuition. Could be disappointing too if you don't find each other. As I said, I'm bourgeouis in my travel tastes.

The Deadly Space Between - Patricia Duncker

A ghost story with an Oedipal slant. Erotic and a bit weird, but not very compelling for me, as it was a bit too cerebral and wordy in style. Quite atmospheric.

The Mermaid Chair - Sue Monk Kidd

Evocative; the emotional journey of a restless woman in a happy marriage who falls in love with a monk. It was a bit too neat that not only is her husband good looking, successful and loving, but the monk is an attractive ex-lawyer who has not taken his final vows yet. But the exploration of her relationships and her childhood is complex and absorbing.

A Fortune Teller Told Me - Tiziano Terzani

A very enjoyable and interesting book. Made me want to meet the author, who's a journalist of Italian extraction but who's lived so much in Asia that it's in his bones. He has a nice mix of journalistic and personal style, arrogant yet humble, in telling his story of how he travelled over sea and land for one year because a fortune teller 20 years before had warned that he would come to harm if he flew in a plane this year. He still managed to be at the right place at historic moments in Asia, and his experiences and observations make interesting reading, especially for me, an Asian living in Australia (the inverse of his situation).

Lambs of God - Marele Day

Rather quirky about 3 nuns living in isolation in an abandoned convent when a priest searching for prime real estate comes upon them. They draw upon unusual and resourceful means in protecting their lifestyle. Quite funny at times but not a prime read for me. Father Ignatius redeems himself in my eyes with his equanimity and eventual compromise, though he's initially wily and selfishly ambitious.