Recent Book Activity

My Bookcrossing Statistics offered and updated by Wyando *Thank You*

Hello from down under, down under New Zealand that is ! - Howzit for all the South Africans visitors,and a sorry its is/was/gonna be so cold to all my english bookcrossing counterparts.

I LOVE reading, I mean I really LOVE reading. I actually feel saddened when I hear that people have only read one book in their life. What a loss.
I read on average six to eight books a month. Especially horror and sci-fi, although I'm not adverse to reading anything else. In fact to be honest I read just about anything although I draw the line at Mills & Boon and the ever popular romantic witches, werewolves and vampires. (I'm not dissing them, just couldn't read one). I'm discovering many new exciting and incredible authors and through BC I find I am reading books that I never would have picked up in the past. This is the one aspect of BC that I love the most.
The other aspect is meeting and receiving messages from the universal library of book crossers. Bc'ers are such amazing, friendly people. I have had so many messages and chatted to some really wonderful people.
Now as to what I do, I work at Radio New Zealand, as part of the incredible comms team (The power behind the micro-throne - so to speak).
I was born in Portsmouth, and emigrated (with parents, not a prodigy child) to Rhodesia when I was 12. At 20 I emigrated to South Africa, and at 33 returned to blighty. Bloody 'ell 10 years later I moved on again. This time far down under, to New Zealand. NZ is beautiful, they call it GODzown but my heart will always belong in Africa. It creeps into your heart and soul, a beautiful country, torn by conflict and hatred.

I've travelled to many places and love visiting new countries and then meeting the locals. I have travelled to Botswana, Boston, New York, Munich, Austria, The Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey), France, Turkey, Greece, Venice, Croatia, Scotland (boated the entire Caledonian Canal from Fort William to Inverness), Wales (Laugharne, Tenby and Carmarthan), Ireland (Clonegal, Dublin, Kilkenny), Portugal (Faro, Albuferia, Silves), Norway (Flam, Alesund), Iceland (Rekyjavik, Sejdfjordur), Faroe Islands (Torshavn, Heimany)and the Orkney Islands (Kirkwall).

Emigrated to New Zealand - 2008.....gonna bookshare way down under.... Well We are here now and living the so called "Life", its beautiful in its ruggedness and the islands roads leave much to be explained. Shortage of bookcrossers, but with passion we can change this. We have a meeting in Wellington on a thursday, in town, but living so far up the coast, its difficult to meet anyone. Not many bc'ers around the Kapiti coast, So I'm alone here. Think I'll email a few BC'rs in the UK, and Australia, and try and get a bigger expansion started. Christchurch has a big bookcrossing crowd, and is big on conventions. Missed the last one !


visited 20 Countries (8.88%)
Create your own visited map of The World
I am amazed at bookcrossing and just love what it achieves. I'm willing to send books anywhere, so if you see something you like, PM me and we shall see what we can do for you.
Well that's me wrapped up in a kernel (computer speak) love to hear from any BC'er about anything especially good books to read...too many authors, too little time. I have a Blog which I fill with thought, musings and poetry - Check it out on Poetry Corner, and see my daily blog of poetry....good for a few daring thoughts.

Oops, by the way I'm also an aspiring writer, and poet, My poetry has been published but I want to write a novel. Unfortunately being so well read, I struggle to find new ideas. Don't want to plagiarize.

I'm back into cycling again, and this time my lovely wife has joined me, and she is doing so well, We joined what Nz'ers call Bikewise (Http:\\www.bikewise.co.nz) where you log all the cycling you do, its great, and Lynee has already logged over 200km. So hopefully by the end of the year there will be less of us.

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Novels Read in 2011 = 00

Here we go again!

69. <\option>68. <\option> 67. <\option>66. <\option>65. <\option> 64. <\option>63. <\option>62. <\option> 61. <\option>60. <\option>59. <\option> 58. A Storm of Swords- Blood & Gold by George R R Martin<\option> 57. A Storm of Swords- Steel and Snow by George R R Martin<\option> 56. A Clash of Kings by George R R Martin<\option>55. A Game of Thrones by George R R Martin<\option> 54. Mandibles by Jeff Strand<\option>53. Necropolis Rising by Dave Jeffery<\option> 52. The Coliseum by Patrick Lestwka<\option>51. Bighead by Edward Lee<\option> 50. Element Zero by James Knapp<\option>49. The Silent Army by James Knapp<\option> 48. State of Decay by James Knapp<\option>47. The Affair by Lee Child<\option> 46. God Came Near by Max Lucado<\option>45. Geisha of Gion by Mineko Iwasaki<\option> 44. Slither by Edward Lee<\option>43. The Preserve by Patrick Lestewka<\option> 42. Goon by Edward Lee<\option>41. Lucifer's Lottery by Edward Lee<\option> 40. Hokkaido Highway Blues by Will Ferguson<\option> 39. M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman<\option>38. Vengeance by George Jonas<\option> 37. Carnivore by Leigh Clark<\option>36. Thunder of Time by James F David<\option> 35. Footprints of Thunder by James F David<\option> 34. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman<\option>33. Incubi by Edward Lee<\option> 32. Is any Sick Among You by Jim Chambers<\option> 31. The Minotauress by Edward Lee<\option>30. The Cult of Osiris by Andy McDermott<\option> 29. The Covenant of Genesis by Andy McDermott<\option> 28. The Secret of Excalibur by Andy McDermott<\option>27. The Tomb of Hercules by Andy McDermott<\option> 26. The Hunt for Atlantis by Andy McDermott<\option> 25. Apocalypse of the Dead by Joe McKinney<\option>24. Afterlight by Alex Scarrow<\option> 23. Last Light by Alex Scarrow<\option>22. Dead Sea by Brian Keene<\option> 21. The Quest by Wilbur Smith<\option>20. The Warlock by Wilbur Smith<\option> 19. The Backwoods by Edward Lee<\option>18. The Loch by Steve Alten<\option> 17. Hell's Aquarium by Steve Alten<\option>16. Primal Waters by Steve Alten<\option> 15. The Trench by Steve Alten<\option>14. Meg by Steve Alten<\option> 13. Beware by Richard Laymon<\option>12. Apocalypse of the Dead by Joe Mckinney<\option> 11. Primeval by David Goemon<\option>10. The Swords of Night & Day by David Gemmell<\option> 9. White Wolf by David Gemmell<\option>8. The Island by Richard Laymon<\option> 7. One Rainy Night by Richard Laymon<\option>6. After Midnight by Richard Laymon<\option> 5. Dreadful Tales by Richard Laymon<\option>4. Night Show by Richard Laymon<\option> 3. Among The Missing by Richard Laymon<\option> 2. Valhalla Rising by Clive Cussler<\option>1. Leviathan David Golemon<\option>

Novels Read in 2010 = 80
Won the challenge didn't beat last year.

Novels Read in 2009 = 100

Only 4 short of two books every week, better luck next year!

Books Read in 2008 = 69

Yet Another Success !!

Books Read in 2007 = 57 Books

Another success !

Books Read in 2006 = 65 First Great Success!

65. Grunts by Mary Gentle64. T2 - Infiltraitor by S.M.Stirling 63. Eyes of Prey by John Sandford62. Contest by Matthew Reilly 61. I, Lucifer by Glen Duncan60. Cradle and All by James Patterson 59. Soundtrack by Julie Bertagna58. Temple by Matthew Reilly 57. Husband by Dean Koontz56. The Hawk Eternal by David Gemmell 55. Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett54. Rules of Prey by John Standford 53. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris52. Hound Dog by Richard Blandford 51. RAMSES - The Battle of Kadesh by John Christian Jacq 50. Mind Prey by John Sandford49. Perfume by Patrick Suskind 48. Shadow Prey by John Sandford47. Amara by Richard Laymon 46. The Last Legion by Valerio Massimo Manfredi45. Area 7 by Matthew Reilly 44. The Sunday Philospher's Club by Alexander McCall Smith 43. Spartan by Valerio Massimo Manfredi42. Ice Station by Matthew Reilly 41. Persuader by Lee Child40. Alarums by Richard Laymon 39. Four Blind Mice by James Patterson38. Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison 37. Florida Roadkill by Tim Dorsey36. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde 35. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde34. Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs 33. Cold Tom by Sally Prue32. Exit Wounds by Shaun Hutson 31. Velocity by Dean Koontz30. The Temple of a Million Years by Christian Jacq (Book Two of the Ramses II Series) 29. Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris 28. Vixen 03 by Clive Cussler27. No Sanctuary by Richard Laymon 26. The Runes of War by Jane Welch (Book One of The Runespell Trilogy) 25. The Lost Runes by Jane Welch (Book Two of The Runespell Trilogy) 24. The Runes of Sorcery by Jane Welch (Book Three of The Runespell Trilogy) 23. The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler22. Son of Light by Christian Jacq (Book One of the Ramses II Series) 21. Echoes of the Great Song by David Gemmell20. Knights of Dark Renown by David Gemmell 19. Sword in The Storm by David Gemmell18. Fiends by Richard Laymon 17. All Hallows Eve by Richard Laymon16. The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum 15. The Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum14. The Bourne Ultimatum by Robert Ludlum 13. Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs12. Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs 11. Raise The Titanic by Clive Cussler10. The Jester by James Patterson 9. The Glory Bus by Richard Laymon8. Cry Wolf by Tami Hoag 7. Forever Odd by Dean Koontz6. The Taking by Dean Koontz 5. Face by Dean Koontz4. The Midnight Club by James Patterson 3. Black Market by James Patterson2. Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz 1. Ironhands Daughter by David Gemmell

I have joined the following BookRays / Rings

The Big Over Easy by Jasper Ffrode - Aunt-Sophie Gosta Berling's Saga by Selma Lagerlöf - AlvhyttanAsleep by Banana Yoshimoto - SqueakyChu The Summer Book by Tove Jansson - SmallBluePebble - COMPLETED Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie - SqueakyChu - COMPLETED Varjak Paw by S.F. Said - Soulbalm - COMPLETEDThe Sunday Philosopher's Club by Alexander McCall Smith - Stormon - COMPLETED The Hound Dog by Richard Blanford - Ruidfun23 - COMPLETED Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris - Cathepsut - COMPLETED Missing by Karin Alvtegen - Alvhyttan - COMPLETEDDead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris - Amberkatze - COMPLETED Neuromancer by William Gibson - SqueakyChu - COMPLETED The Secret History by Donna Tartt - Juliako - COMPLETED

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I noticed on Stormons page her Personal Lifetime Challenge, and it really appealed to me. So I'm going to follow her great example. Thanks to Stormon. Thanks also to CarolinaCajun, who has advised me of a better way to complete my challenge

In this regard I'm going to read an book for a country if the author was born in that country. This seems the best and easiest way to complete the challenge!

My Personal Lifetime Challenge:
To read "1" author from every country in the world

These are the countries I have covered so far:

visited 39 states (17.3%)
Create your own visited map of The World


Click here to Recommend an author from a country I have not Read...There is a list of countries here.

RED means I've read the book. GREEN means I've got a book and I have yet to read it. BLANK means need a book

I have read authors from 20 out of 225 Countries

List of World Countries

NORTH AMERICA

Canada - The Brotherhood of the Rose by David Morrell
Greenland
United States - Roses Are Red by James Patterson
Mexico - The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Roiz

CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Aruba
Barbados
Bahamas
Belize
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Guadeloupe
Guatemala
Grenada
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Martinique - Seven Dreams of Elmira by Patrick Chamoiseau
Monserrat
Netherlands Antilles
Nicaragua
Panama
Puerto Rico
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Turks and Caicos Islands
Trinidad & Tobago - Salt by Earl Lovelace
Virgin Islands

SOUTH AMERICA

Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil - Dom Casmurro by Machando De Assis
Chile
Colombia - One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Ecuador
Falkland Islands
French Guiana
Guyana
Paraguay
Peru - Aunt Julia and the Screenwriter by Mario Vargos Llosa
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela

AFRICA

Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo Brazzaville
Congo Kinshasa
Djibouti
Egypt - The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea-Bissau
Guinee Conakry
Ivory Coast
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco - La Prisonniere by Malika Oufkir, Michele Fitoussi
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Reunion
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia - Desert Flower by Waris Dirie
South Africa - The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
Sudan
Swaziland
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Western Sahara
Zambia - When the Lion Feeds by Wilbur Smith
Zimbabwe - The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith

EUROPE

Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Channel Islands
Croatia
Czech Republic - Lovely Green Eyes by Arnost Lustig
Denmark - Assignment Gestapo by Sven Hassel
Estonia
Faroe Islands
Finland - The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
France - The Temple of a Million Years by Christian Jacq
Georgia
Germany - Perfume by Patrick Süskind
Gibraltar
Greece - Z by Vassilis Vassilikos
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland - Dracula by Bram Stoker
Italy - Sphere of Influence by Kyle Mills
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malta
Moldova
Monaco
Netherlands
Norway - One Hundred & One Days by Asne Seirstad
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia - The Robots of Dawn by Issac Asimov
San Marino
Serbia and Montenegro - The Secrets of Jin Shei by Alma Alexander (Hromic)
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain - The Life of Pi by Yann Martel Briongos
Sweden - Missing by Karin Alvtegan
Switzerland
Ukraine
United Kingdom - Legend by David Gemmell
Vatican City

THE MIDDLE EAST

Bahrain
Cyprus
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Oman
Palestinian Authority
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Syria
Turkey - Instanbul - Memories of a City by Orhan Pamuk
United Arab Emirates
Yemen

ASIA

Afghanistan - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Brunei
Cambodia
China
East Timor
India - The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Indonesia
Japan - When we were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Malaysia
Maldives
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
North Korea
South Korea - A Gesture Life by Chang-Rae Lee
Pakistan
Philippines
Singapore
Sri Lanka - Coming Through Slaughter by Michael Ondaatje
South Korea
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Vietnam - The Sorrow of War by Bao Ninh

AUSTRALIA AND PACIFIC

American Samoa
Australia - Ice Station by Matthew Reilly
Fiji
French Polynesia
Guam
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
Micronesia, Federated States of
Nauru
New Caledonia
New Zealand - Paddy the Wanderer by Dianne Haworth
New Zealand
Niue
Norfolk Island
Northern Mariana Islands
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Pitcairn Islands
Rarotonga & the Cook Islands
Solomon Islands
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
Western Samoa

My Personal Lifetime Challenge Part II:

To read "1" author from every County in the United Kingdom

I have 12/47 English Counties

I have 3/32 Irish Counties

I have 1/29 Scottish Counties

I've visited the counties in yellow. Which counties have you visited? made by marnanel map reproduced from Ordnance Survey map data by permission of the Ordnance Survey. © Crown copyright 2001.

These are the Counties that I have covered so far :

1. England (Greater London) - David Gemmell - Druss The Legend 2. England (Oxfordshire) - Piers Anthony - Refugee 3. England (Buckinghamshire) - Terry Pratchett - Thud4. England (Gloucestershire) - J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter 5. England (Warwickshire) - Lee Child - Killing Floor 6. England (Hertfordshire) - Shaun Hutson - Exit Wounds7. England (Lancashire) - Clive Barker - Weaveworld 8. England (Tyne and Wear) - Jack Higgins - A Prayer for the Dying 9. England (Wiltshire) - Simon R Green - Swords of Haven 10. England (Cornwall) - William Golding - The Lord of the Flies 11. England (Kent) - Frederick Forsyth - The Day of The Jackal12. England (East Sussex) - Richard Blandford - Hound Dog IRELAND 1. Ireland (County Antrim) - C.S. Lewis - The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe 2. Ireland (County Wexford) - Eoin Colfer - Artemis Fowl 3. Ireland (County Dublin) - John Connelly - Every Dead ThingSCOTLAND Scotland (Midlothian) - Graham Masterton - Plague

In this regard I'm going to read an authors book for a County, if he/she was born in that County.
If you spot a mistake please PM me, as I would like to keep it accurate. Any help in pointing out Authors from Counties that I don't have (E.g Scotland, Wales, Ireland and England) would be greatly appreciated. PM me with ideas

My Personal Lifetime Challenge Part III:

To read "1" author from every State in the U.S.A.

I have 22/52 US StatesThese are the States that I have covered so far : 1. United States (Ahlambra, California) - Clive Cussler - Vixen03 2. United States (New York) - James Patterson - 1st to Die3. United States (Birmingham, Alabama) - James Redfield 4. United States (Minnesota) - Tami Hoag - Cry Wolf 5. United States (Maine) - Stephen King - Desperation6. United States (Spokane, Washington) - David Eddings - Polgara the Sorceress 7. United States (Chicago, Illinois) - Kathy Reichs - Cross Bones 8. United States (Exeter, New Hampshire) - Dan Brown - Angels & Demons 9. United States (Independence, Missouri) - Margaret Weis - Dragons of Autumn Twilight 10. United States (Oregon, Wisconsin) - Kevin J Anderson - Jedi Search 11. United States (Cleveland, Ohio) - Stephen Donaldson - Lord Foul's Bane 12. United States (Des Moines, Iowa) - Bill Bryson - Notes from a Small Island 13. United States (Providence, Rhode Island) - HP Lovecraft - The Lurker at the Threshold 14. United States (Jamestown, North Dakota) - Louis Lamour - The Last of the Breed 15. United States (Little Rock, Arkansas) - Don Pendleton - The First 26 Excutioner Books 16. United States (Stamford, Connecticut) - Harry Harrison - The Stainless Steel Rat 17. United States (Bristol, Pennsylvania) - Poul Anderson - The Planet of No Return 18. United States (Lousiana) - Robert Crais - Demolition Angel 19. United States (Indiana) - Tim Dorsey - Florida Roadkill20. United States (Peaster, Texas) - Robert E. Howard - Conan Books 21. United States (Jackson Hole, Wyoming) - Kyle Mills - Sphere of Influence 22. United States (South Carolina) - William Gibson - Neuromancer 23. United States (Cambridge, Massachusetts) - Douglas Preston 24. United States (Atlanta, Georgia) - Karin Slaughter25. United States (Newark, New Jersey) - Harlan Coben 26. United States (Oregon) - Kyle Mills27. United States (Cheboygan, Michigan) - Scott Sigler

As with the countries challenge I'm taking CarolinaCajun's advice and reading an authors book for a state, if he/she was born in that state.
If you spot a mistake please PM me, as I would like to keep it accurate.


Read authors from 27 states (52%)
Create your own read authors map of The United States