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Necroscope

From Paraparaumu, Wellington Province New Zealand
Age 61
Joined Wednesday, February 8, 2006
Recent Book Activity
Statistics
4 weeks all time
books registered 0 1,615
released in the wild 0 534
controlled releases 0 110
releases caught 0 184
controlled releases caught 0 12
books found 0 200
tell-a-friend referrals 0 90
new member referrals 0 9
forum posts 0 75
Extended Profile
Welome from New Zealand !

I was an avid reader of mainly man type books, War, Sci-Fi, Horror and Thriller and then I started to go blind and eventually the ability to read without magnification was upon me. For a year I read nothing, but soon discovered Audio Books, and my desire to read was born again. I still miss the tactile feel of reading a book whilst laying in bed, but at least I can read.

Due to my vision loss I have been medically retired, so no work at 55 years old - now that's tough. I used to work at Radio New Zealand, as part of the incredible IT team (The power behind the micro-throne - so to speak).
I was born in Portsmouth, and immigrated (with parents, not a prodigy child) to Rhodesia when I was 12. At 20 I emigrated to South Africa, and at 33 returned to England. 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 – so sad.

I also love to write both novels and poetry – mainly Christian. 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 anyone – I want to create something new.
My Poetry can be found at Read my diary.


I've travelled to many places and love visiting new countries and then meeting the locals. I have travailed to the following countries:

  1. Botswana - (Gaborone and Ramotyswa - where the first Ladies detective agency is based)
  2. USA - (Boston & New York)
  3. Germany- (Munich)
  4. Austria - (Vienna, Salzburg, Innesbruck, Zell Am see)
  5. The Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey)
  6. France - (Paris, Marseilles, Apt, Roussellon, Bonnieux, Lacoste, Gargas, Isle De Sorge, Lourdes)
  7. Turkey - (Istanbul, Ephesus)
  8. Greece - (Athens, Santorini, katakolon, Corfu)
  9. Italy- (Venice, Arrezio, Ciuta De Castello)
  10. Croatia - (Split & Dubrovnick)
  11. Scotland - (Inverness, Fort William, Fort Augustus, Dalwhinnie - and boated the entire Caledonian Canal)
  12. Wales - (Laugharne, Tenby & Carmarthan)
  13. Ireland - (Clonegal, Dublin, Kilkenny)
  14. Portugal - (Faro, Albuferia, Silves)
  15. Norway - (Flam, Alesund)
  16. Iceland - (Rekyjavik, Sejdfjordur)
  17. Faroe Islands- (Torshavn, Heimany)
  18. Orkney Islands - (Kirkwall)
  19. Singapore
  20. Spain - (Majorca, Potr DE Pollensa, Formentor, )
  21. South Africa - (Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Capetown, Orkney, Krugersdorp, Port Elizabeth, Knysna, George, Outdshorn, White River, Ngwenya Lodge, Plettenberg Bay, Haartebeespoort, Dikololo, Sanbonyani, Pine Lake, Harriesmith, Pilgrims rest, Jefferies Bay, The Victoria and Albert Waterfront, The Drakensberg, Hazyview, Nelspruit, Mpumalanga - too name a few places)
  22. Rhodesia - (Gwelo, Bulawayo, Salisbury, Lake Kariba, Victoria Falls)
  23. New Zealand - (Lake Taupo, Martinborough, Riverside, Castlepoint, Turangi, Napier, Bay View, Havlock North, Hastings, Hawkes Bay, Nelson, New Plymouth, Okere Falls, Waiorou, Waikato, Rotarua, Paraparaumu, Tawa and many others

Emigrated to New Zealand - 2008.....Christchurch has a big bookcrossing crowd, and is big on bookcrossing conventions. Missed every one !
I am going to leave my books around paraparaumu and other locations as I travel, hope people can find them
Since I now have so much time on my hands I walk a lot. New Zealand is perfect for walking, there is so many options for walking, riverside, beachfront, forest, mountains and hills.


Most books read in a year - 114 (2019)



My yearly Challenge is to read fifty two (52) books each year, that would be one a week.
My Extended challenge is to read 100 books a year (Done it Five times)
My Extreme Challenge is to read 2 books per week (104) books. (Completed 4 Times - WooHoo)

Each year’s results with read-listened to books are listed below !




Novels Listened to in 2024 =557
Yearly Challenge – completed 6th October
Extended Challenge - 43 books to go
Extreme Challenge – 47 books to Go





Novels Listened to in 2023 =65
Yearly Challenge – Completed 5th October
Extended Challenge - 35 books to go
Extreme Challenge - 39 Books to Go





Novels Listened to in 2022 =108
Yearly Challenge – Completed 11th July
Extended Challenge - Completed on on 8th December/H4>
Extreme Challenge - Completed on 20th December





Novels Listened to in 2021 =108
Yearly Challenge – Completed 13th August 2021
Extended Challenge - Completed 16th December
Extreme Challenge - Completed 21 December







Novels Listened to in 2020 =80
Yearly Challenge - Completed 1 August
Extended Challenge - 20 books to go
Extreme Challenge - 24 Books to Go





Novels Listened to in 2019 =114
Yearly Challenge - Completed June 6th !
Extended Challenge - Completed November 25th!
Extreme Challenge - Completed 11 December





Novels Listened to in 2018 = 107
Yearly Challenge - Complete!
Extended Challenge - Complete!
Extreme Challenge – Complete






Novels Listened to in 2017 = 101 –
Year Challenge Complete!
Extended Challenge Complete!
Extreme Challenge – short by 4 books






Novels Listened to in 2016 = 96
Yearly Challenge Complete!
Extended Challenge – missed by 4 books
Extreme Challenge – short by 8 books






Novels Listened to in 2015 = 78
Yearly Challenge Complete!
Extended Challenge – Missed by 12 books
Extreme Challenge – Short by 16 books






Novels Read in 2011 = 80
Yearly Challenge Complete!
Extended Challenge – Missed by 20 Books
Extreme Challenge – Short by 24 Books





Novels Read in 2010 = 80
Yearly Challenge Complete!
Extended Challenge – Missed by 20 books
Extreme Challenge – Short by 24 books





Novels Read in 2009 = 100
Yearly Challenge Complete!
Extended Challenge Complete!
Extreme Challenge – Short by 4 books





Novels Read in 2008 = 69
Yearly Challenge Complete!
Extended Challenge – Missed by 31 books
Extreme Challenge – short by 35 books





Novels Read in 2007 = 57
Yearly Challenge Complete!
Extended Challenge – missed by 43 books
Extreme Challenge – short by 47 books





Novels Read in 2006 = 65
Yearly Challenge Complete!
Extended Challenge – Missed by 35 books
Extreme Challenge – Short by 39 book




I have joined the following BookRays-Book-Rings






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:

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



These are the Counties that I have covered so far :



In this regard I'm going to read any 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 States


These are the States that I have covered so far :



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.


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