The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

When my History teacher began the subject of the Cold War, she came up with a rather creative idea to help us fully understand the constant threat of the nuclear war that was present and how devastating such an event would be. She then gave us a list of sci-fi novels that revolved around this given topic and they included titles such as Taronga by Victor Kelleher, Brother in the Land by Robert Swindells and Z for Zachariah by Robert O'Brien but the one that really sparked my interest was The Day of the Triffids.
Based in modern day London after a stunning nighttime comet show that left the entire world blind, this story follows the experiences of a man that was spared from the tragedy on his quest to find and then survive with his new found love.
The pair soon find that they'll have to face harder obstacles than the stench of the blind that were left to die, but they'll come up against gangs, food shortages and, more so than anyone thought possible, the triffids.
A freak, mutant plant with unknown origins that people originally thought were rather harmless, when they're stingers were cut off of course, adapt frighteningly fast to the sudden fall of human superiority and begin to seek their revenge. Taking over towns and surrounding the survivors, the triffids seem to "learn" the ways of their victims and make the necessary adjustments.
With the world slowly deteriorating around them, Bill and Josella are left to wonder aimlessly about the "why"s of their situation. Why did this happen? Why now? Why aren't we blind as well? They begin to come to the conclusion that maybe the comets weren't an act of God, but a grotesque accident brought on by their very own mankind. Of course, they'll never know the real reason and they'll never get the answers to their questions but in this hideous new lifestyle that they must face, what else are they to think?
Told with startling clarity and intelligence, The Day of the Triffids is one of the best sci-fis I've ever read which is a rare compliment due to my general dislike of the genre. Definitely something out of this world, the story is worth the read and a must for all fans of scientific mutation.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

We're going to do things a little differently today. With this review comes a challenge; to find an English speaking high school student that has not or will not read Lord of the Flies in their schooling career.
Couldn't do it? Neither could I. The mentioning of this book goes hand in hand with a high school reading list. Now, can anyone tell me why?
As I was reading this for the first time I was trying to figure out the answer to that question. Why are so many kids forced into reading this story? Is it to make them aware of the evils in society? Maybe to scare them away from living in a world that's adult-free?
I only ask this because Lord of the Flies is one of the most savage and sickening stories I have ever read and I've read some horrors. There is an evil lurking in this text that I have never experienced before. The unjust cruelty and brutality of this tale is so blatantly obvious and so bluntly portrayed that I could not bring myself to enjoy any of the happenings within it.
It did not help that the parts that didn't contain violence and hatred were altogether boring and I found these chunks to be rather laborious to read.
I cannot comprehend, even know upon finishing it, why this story is considered a classic of English literature and why, generation after generation, school kids are reading, analyzing and disecting such a poor story.
I will admit, purely for some positivity, that the plot was not lacking and there was reason behind the characters' actions that followed what one would expect when such young children were left to fend for themselves but I do not condone the continuation of praise that this book has received since it's first publication.

One Room in a Castle: Letters from Spain, France & Greece by Karen Connelly

Very rarely in my reading career have I come across a story that transported me into itself; into the world it created so much so that the rain pounding on my window did not come from the clouds above Australia but fell onto the drought stricken lands of Africa or an olive grove in Greece or the tremendous pines of the Pacific Northwest. Karen Connelly spins her tales into a living, breathing story with a language that embraces you and shares with you its heat.
This book found me on accident. I was at a second hand book sale outside of my local supermarket. As I perused the shelves, I found a book slightly askew and when I went to straighten it out, something about the feeling of it, the weight in my hand, struck me. I gave the cover a look and considered the perchase but reading "Spain, France & Greece" really synched the deal.
Karen Connelly is a traveler and a writer; one of the greatest mixes you can come across. She throws herself into the places she visits and insists on meeting the people that hold it all together. She wanders behind the decisions of her heart and lives to share the stories with people that have yet to take the journey themselves.
One Room in a Castle reads in a way that you can hear the people, feel the wind, taste, touch, smell, see the countries and the cultures that Karen is exploring. Written for the traveler or the traveler to be without a plot or an end, it will love you with the passion of the Spanish, the delicacy of the French, the humor of the Greek and the history of the Gypsies.

My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin

Now, this story was forced on me by my mother who learnt about Miles Franklin while we were in America and then found this book on our arrival in Australia at which point she had to buy it.
This is, in a way, an autobiography of the author told with different names for the characters so that it seems more of a story than her actual life. Miles Franklin wrote My Brilliant Career when she was 16 and longed to leave her family's dairy farm and to become a writer. She holds a deep resentment of all male feelings and has sworn herself off of marriage, that is until she meets a certain Harold Beecham.
Being a Romantic, I was so hoping for the story to end happily with a white wedding but the various twists and turns of Franklin's teenage years left me always changing my theory of the ending. That being said, I was rather disappointed when I came to the last few chapters because the plan that I had constructed for her was not even close to what actually took place.
The beginning is tough because the author has a rather arrogant tone of voice and her constant disagreement with the rest of the characters [especially Harold] left me extremely frustrated.
All in all, it was a decent tale if you only count the juicy parts in the middle. I wouldn't read it again and I probably wouldn't recommend it to just anyone.