Navigating the Job Market; or 'The Titanic 2'

I need a job.

I have been unemployed for a while now. At the time quitting my job seemed like a good idea. “It’s time for me to move on,” I thought. “It’s time to move onto something bigger,” I thought. “I can’t be a kitchen hand forever,” I thought.

If I’d have thought a bit more I would have gotten another job before I quit. The point was though that it was time for change.

That idea didn’t work for the ALP; lord knows why I thought it would work for me.

The problem is I’m not really sure what I want to do. I mean, obviously I want to be a writer. I have things in motion to get my book published, so that’s looking pretty sunny. But as any writer will tell you (except for J. K. Rowling perhaps), writing isn’t a very profitable career.

So while I write, I’m going to need a job that actually comes with an income. But the more I search for jobs the more I realise I’m not suited to employment. I can’t believe how many jobs involve sales. I applied for a photography assistant’s job, and went for an interview the other day. They gave me a questionnaire to fill out (one of those ones where you fill circle the answers; sometimes, always, never, seldom etc). Some of the questions went like this;

“I enjoy small talk from the seller.”

“I want the seller to understand my feelings.”

“I question the seller on key points.”

Several questions of my own popped into my head, namely a) Why aren’t you asking me about clients rather than sellers and b) What the hell does this have to do with taking photos?

It seems that no matter what the job is, it will always involve a certain degree of pushing things onto other people, be it household appliances or having their children photographed. This leaves me in quite a conundrum. I like to think of myself as a people person, but I’m not the sort of people person who says ‘Good afternoon, how may I serve you,’ or ‘Would you like entrees with that?’ or even ‘I recommend you buy the 6 inch plasma flat screen TV because you’re a high earning, upwardly mobile, hedonistic bastard with more money than sense’.

It’s all down to what I need out of a job. 1) I need a job which will actually interest me – something where I can follow my passions such as language, history, research, books, writing. 2) I need a job where I’m not in other people’s faces, trying to explain to them why they should give their money to my bosses when there are so many banks out there that will also willingly rob them blind. 3) I need a job where I can learn to do it as I go along, rather than having to go and get yet another qualification. 4) I need a job which requires no previous experience in that area as it is impossible to get work experience when the only way to get a job is if you’ve already had experience in the first place, which is impossible to get unless you can get a job to get experience which is…. Etc. And so forth.

Surely there is a job out there for people like me?

Apparently not. I skim through each job I come across. It’s a little depressing. I cross them each off my list as I realise with a sinking feeling that I don’t fit any of the criteria. “Must have sales experience.” “2 years teaching experience required.” “Post-grad preferred.” “Must have a Certificate III or higher.” “Must have own panda.” Or, the one which lets me down the most; “Must enjoy working with people.”

Where does that leave the shy, awkward, inexperienced guy with a Communications degree?

The problem is that as a society we are too focused on competition, and of getting ahead of everyone else. Everyone seems to want to earn more, have bigger houses, have bigger boats, be king of the hill, head of the list, cream of the crop of the top of the heap, my little town blues are melting away, I’ll make a brand new start of it in old New York…..!

But beneath all that is a lot of clawing and backstabbing and conniving and lying and, unfortunately, very little spontaneous performances of old Broadway tunes.

There is hope though. I have been volunteering at Strathfield recently for a program  which helps migrants improve their English skills. No qualification needed, no sales, no competitive markets, no serving food to overweight, upper-class prats who don’t know how to cook for themselves. Just sitting down with people and doing the best I can to help them; teaching them what I know, and in return learning more about other people, other cultures and the world.

If I could get paid to do that, I’d have it made.

Sir Me and the Slightly Bizzare and Wankerish Autobiography.

My boyfriend asked me today to tell him how my publishing deal first came about. So I told him a tale; a tale of tragedy, triumph, love, history and, at some point, fact (God knows how that got in there).

            Once upon a time, a little five year old boy decided he wanted to be a writer (clearly he had no ambitions to earn money). All his life he was encouraged by his family; particularly his grandmother, who used to buy him books from the Angus and Robertson book store in Ulladulla.

            The boy grew up (in a manner). He went to school. He went to high-school. He started university. Soon he finished his first novel. For two years he sent it off to publishers and competitions, but to no avail.

            Meanwhile, Angus and Robertson struggled, despite the grandmother's constant book buying (and the considerable effort on her grandson’s part to buy half the books in Australia and cram them into various spaces in his tiny bedroom). So soon Angus and Robertson closed down, and there was much wailing and gnashing of pears. But the owner of the old store was smart and wily and opened up his own independent book store.

            The little boy who had sort of grown up was still trying his luck with the Big Bad publishers around the state. But one day he woke up, went to his mirror and said; “Mirror mirror on the wall… screw it, I'm going to self-publish.”

            So he began to make many inquiries into different companies who could print his book. He saved his money, he drew book covers, and planned sequels. Before long he found a company which he could get to print his book. So the boy began to look for bookstores which would stock his book once it was printed.

            Verily one day he happed to remember the man and his store which had provided him with so many Birthday and Christmas presents over the years. So one fateful morning he decided to ring the bookstore and said "I am going to self-publish; I was wondering if you wanted to stock my book once it is printed." These were his words, and there was no begging nor pleading nor cries of “publish me for the love of God!”

            And the man, Sir Wishes-to-Remain-Anonymous said; "Nay! Do not waste your money on lousy printing and poor workmanship. I am opening my own publishing house and I shall publish the book for you!"

            And the angels did sing and the heavens did part and a heavenly host sang Hallelujiah, except they spelt it better.

            Thus the alliance was formed, and a star shone in the East over the town of Bethlehem, and Atlantis arose from the depths of the ocean, and the sword was removed from the stone, and Sir Wishes-to-Remain-Anonymous became the true King of England and the little boy suddenly realised he had to edit his book and became a hermit for the rest of his days.

            The end

Book Review 2 - Revenge of the Killer Book Review

Towards the end of last year I went into a book buying frenzy.

To be fair a lot of them were Christmas presents. But I have realised that a lot of them are also language based. Books on Classical Sanskrit and Ancient Greek. Books in Welsh and Scottish Gaelic to help me practice translation. I have, in fact, lost my love of reading fiction, or indeed reading anything that isn’t language related. So in an effort to rekindle this passion, and as I follow up to my first lot of book reviews that I published last year, I thought I would take another look at some more of the best and the worst books I have come across.

The Best

Bridget Jones’ Diary – Helen Fielding

Bridget Jones is single, approaching thirty and working in a publishing house. She is dissatisfied with her job, tired of people asking her when she’s going to get married and being set up by her ‘smug-married’ friends, and she has a hopeless crush on her attractive but sleazy boss; Daniel Cleaver.  Her life revolves around her friends, her sporadic efforts to lose weight and give up smoking, and her endless quest for love and commitment.

It is a bit worrying, as a young man aged in his 20’s, to realise that I am Bridget Jones. Apart from the smoking. But then, isn’t there a little bit of Bridget Jones in all of us? Don’t we all obsessively check our answering machines? Don’t we all secretly want that special someone in our lives? Don’t we all worry about how we look and how we are seen by those around us?

For me it is very comforting to know that there are people out there who can be just as insecure as me, even if they are fictional. But then, Bridget Jones is one of the most lifelike characters I have ever come across. I reread this book often, and every time it feels like catching up with an old friend (even if she does the same thing every time I read it). Seeing snapshots of her life – her hopes, her dreams, her loves, her highs and her lows – creates an intimate portrait of what it is to be human. Life can be tough and unfair, but somehow we all muddle through. That, in some ways, is half the fun of being alive.

The book never loses its charm for me. At some points Bridget’s neuroticism can be a bit trying. She can be very whingey and whiny (but then she is English), and on occasions you just get the urge to slap her and shout ‘for the love of God, GET OVER IT’. But as with any good friend we find the strength to stick by her through her low points, no matter how tough. Perhaps without these moments the book would not have the same believability?

This book also scores points for the character of Bridget’s affectionate but technically insane mother. Reading about her exploits, I suddenly realise how sane and normal my own family is. From her hopelessness with technology (leaving messages on Bridget’s answering machine which simply say ‘Bridget Jones’ mother’) to her affair forays into T.V. journalism, she is a constant source of entertainment.

I must read for any fan of Pride and Prejudice.

The Canterbury Tales – Geoffrey Chaucer

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking ‘dear God, why? Why would anyone willingly read the Canterbury Tales?’ It probably doesn’t help to say I read the original, not the translation. So yes, I willingly submitted myself to 900 pages of Middle English poetry. But despite the two years it took me to actually get through it, it was well worth it.

Middle English is such a beautiful language, and it’s made to be read aloud. I found myself one summer holiday sitting in front of my onsite van on the south coast reading out passages to myself; ‘A good wife was thereof beside Bath; but she was somedeal deaf, and that was scath’. I was so engrossed that I didn’t notice the passers-by giving me strange looks.

But enough about my weird obsession with language.

I found the tales completely engrossing. I’m the sort of person who loves sitting by the fire and being told stories. I love fairy tales and folk tales and tales of ancient times. So this book was perfect for me. For those who don’t know the setup of the story, a group of travellers decide to set out for a pilgrimage from Southwark, London, to Canterbury. To keep themselves entertained, the Host decides that each of the travellers must tell a tale to the whole company. Chaucer travels amongst them as an observer.

Some of the tales are hard to get through. The tale Chaucer tells to the company, The Tale of Melibee, is one of the few tales written in prose, and is quite lengthy. It is good that Chaucer attempted to use different writing styles to break up his work, but once I got into the rhythm of his poetry it was hard to get out of and it made this tale difficult to get into. Likewise, the Parson’s Tale is very heavy going – 80 pages of Middle English prose on the nature of sin. Give me fire and brimstone and pitchfork-wielding demons - just don’t make me read that again! However, the sense of achievement when I reached the end made everything worthwhile.

Some of the tales speak about love. Some about religion. Some of revenge. Some about adventure. The variety of tales and the differences in length and genre make for an interesting read.

If you get the chance to even read one of the shorter tales in the original language, I encourage you to do so.

The Worst

Snow Falling on Cedars – Gutterson

Many years ago I watched Snow Falling on Cedars.  I had heard of it before. Several of the English classes in my high school had studied the book over the years, and many of the classrooms sported reviews and assignments on it. So one day, on a whim, my parents and I hired the move. The story, one of racism and intolerance, justice and mystery, immediately drew me in. There was an atmosphere about it which I found completely fascinating.

I became adamant to find myself a copy of the book. I generally believe that the book is always better than the movie, and I just had to read it. I began searching high and low for it; keeping my eye out in every second hand book store I entered. Finally, after a long search, I found myself a decent copy, took it to a quiet corner of my house and began to read.

Oh dear.

Gutterson is a decent writer. The story is moving, inspiring and poignant. But unfortunately he isn’t a very good story teller. There is one thing about his writing style which really gets to me. Every time he introduces a new character, he goes through their entire history. Where they were born. Where they grew up. Where they went to school. Their first job. Their wife and children. And not just that. He then goes on to tell us who their parents were. Where they were born.  Where they went to school. Etc. But wait… there’s more! He then goes on to do exactly the same thing with their parents.

A third of the way through the book and I was shaking it screaming ‘Get on with it!’. I mean, seriously; hasn’t he heard the saying less is more? It’s all well and good to have a back story to your characters; they become more real in the author’s mind and are thus truer to life on the page. But we don’t need to know all the details. Keep them to yourself!

Had he limited this practice the book would have been half the length. It interrupted the flow of the narrative and detracted from the storyline. If it hadn’t been for that, this book would have made the best list.

Valentine's Day

Well, it has been almost a month since my last post. My aims of writing two posts a week has really gone down the drain. As usual I have been distracted - Irish lessons, Sailor Moon in Japanese, flooding and general laziness.

So to make up for the lack of communication on here, I'm posting an article which I had published today on samesame.com.au. Enjoy. Happy Valentine's Day <3

On Valentine's Day - What is love?
Valentine’s Day is upon us. Today’s the day to express our love for another.

Perhaps you have a long term partner with whom you want to celebrate many happy years together. Perhaps you’re in a new relationship and you want to celebrate the promise of years to come. Maybe there is someone who you’ve always wanted to express your feelings for, and the time has come to do so.

It annoys me that sometimes I hear people say that two men or two women can’t truly be in love. They are mistaken. Gay love can be as passionate, as deep and as varied as any other type of love.

To demonstrate this, I asked a few members of the GLBT community about love, romance and relationships.
Here’s what they had to say:

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What is love?
I think it’s a feeling. It’s the feeling you get when you look at that special someone; the warmness in your heart and the butterflies you get in your stomach. A person – boy OR girl – who makes you smile and has the ability to make you feel all of these things.
April, 19 – NSW

I guess that it’s an overwhelming feeling of connection with another person. A feeling that out of the 7 billion people on this planet you have found the one person you’re meant to be with; who is perfect for you and you are perfect for them. This is a person that you would do ANYTHING for, even risking your life for theirs, just for the sake of putting a smile on their face. You want to spend every moment of every day for the rest of your life with this person. However I think the degree of love you feel for a person will differ every time you fall in love, I also think there are different ‘degrees’ of love. I’ve only been in love twice, and they were very different feelings.
Luke, 23 – QLD

Love – all-consuming love – is where another person consumes your thoughts and actions. An involuntary chemical alteration to the brain. And until people experience that, they don’t know or understand what love is. Until then, people think that love is either a silly romantic notion, or is about lust plus compatibility. Because I think real love is an involuntary brain thing; it will always be, through the annals of time and regardless of sexuality or gender. It’s something that has never and is never going to change.
Irene, 56 – VIC

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What do you think draws two people together?
At first is seems to be a visual and instant physical attraction, then you soon work out how well you get on together and real romantic speaks start flying. It may not be about having things in common – opposites can attract.
Michael, 32 – NSW

To meet someone, apart from a set-up date, is purely random so timing and chance are major factors. Once they’ve met, I think it’s just about the little things that they have developed over time; their own nuances. Even silence can be intriguing to the right person. There has to be empathy or, at the very least, there has to be the ability to communicate on their exact level. Some are intrigued by those who appear smarter. Some are attracted to those who they feel they can teach. I believe attraction stems from the person’s unconscious belief that the person they are talking to can understand them better than anyone else around them.
Geoff, 22 – NSW

You never really know! You are just attracted to some people. Of course, with attraction there is lust and the emotional fascination. There are the feelings associated with it where butterflies could just burst out of your chest. A person’s personality that makes you feel fuzzy inside, and free. But you will never fully know why.

It’s unknown why you stay in a committed relationship, and when there’s that sudden urge to just maul someone who’s amazingly gorgeous it’s a personal decision as to whether they will be faithful or not. But at the same time, how is your partner’s love enough to sustain that self-control? It’s just an invisible rope that, if it’s strong enough, will hold your relationship together; will make you want to stay with that special someone forever. Who knows? You just have to find a medium where you are content with the person you are in love with, be that person male, female, or anywhere in-between.
Arty, 18 – NSW


What do you look for in a potential partner?
Some understanding of how the other works. Someone who just “gets you”. Ideally, they’d have to be honest, faithful, be a basically good person. I’d like them to have some goal in life, some kind direction of something they want to achieve (it doesn’t have to be materialistic). Somebody who can be open about themselves and their feelings, somebody who trusts me enough for them to tell me all the bad things.
Mitch, 23 – NSW

The fundamental thing I look for in a relationship is a best friend whom you’re in love with. What I want out of a relationship is to find this person and spend the rest of my life with them. So I guess I look for long term potential – the type of relationship where you will eventually marry and settle down together.
I like to be with someone with confidence and direction in their life and who is comfortable with their sexuality. Furthermore in a potential partner I look for someone who I can be myself around – nothing is more of a relationship killer that being with someone who expects you to change to fit their partner model – it always ends in unhappiness for both parties. This leads into communication – you must both be comfortable with communicating all your feelings with your partner, if you’re not comfortable with this and keep important things inside it will sour the relationship and cause distance between you both (I know this from experience). Trust, loyalty and fidelity must also be present.
Luke, 23 – QLD

The first thing I would look for would have to be a sense of humor; someone who can make me laugh and joke about things. But also, of course, someone who is caring; who wants to know more about me, always interested in the things that I do, and in learning more about me. Someone with a gentle nature – that’s what lures me in.
April, 19 – NSW

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What is your idea of a romantic date?
My idea of romance isn’t exactly traditional. Romantic for me is a dinner out, followed by some sort of night out/event. Bowling perhaps. Romance to me is any situation which allows me to bond in a way separate from everyday activity. Bowling brings out my competitive side, and so it allows me to communicate with my partner differently. Being able to express that is important to me.
Geoff, 22 – NSW

In terms of a romantic date, I have two scenarios. First is being taken (or taking someone) out to dinner to a nice restaurant, somewhere where you wouldn’t normally go yourself. Booking beforehand is also nice, just shows a bit of serious attitude towards the whole thing. Sitting down and talking over a nice dinner and few glasses of wine and getting to know each other is always fun. Follow this with going to the movies to see something cheesy while you cuddle up with each other is always pretty romantic as well!

Another date I like is the simple picnic blanket by the beach – whether you prepare the meal or just grab takeout, it’s nice sitting there having a bite to eat while the sun goes down.
Luke, 23 – QLD

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A Concise History of History Part 5

Chapter 5 – Ancient Cultures: China

The following is an excerpt from one of the forgotten manuscripts of ancient China: The Art of Art. Its author, Lao Tung Tse, is shrouded in mystery. Some historians say he was an artist to the Emperor during the late Ming dynasty who, after producing a portrait in which the Emperor appeared a little chubby, fled to Tibet in fear of his life. Others claim that he was a hermit who entered a cave to meditate and emerged 90 years later, producing this magnificent work before dropping dead from old age and, possibly, boredom. Whoever he was, he is cited by those in the know as the finest art critic to date, the first person in the world to link art with the beauty of human existence and the worst speller in the history of China.

The excerpts appear here as they appear in Geri Glockenspiel’s annotated edition; The Art of the Art of Art.

5. The Master and the Art of Life

(Editor’s note: ‘master’ refers to any fine painter)

Clouds blowing softly over mountain streams,

So too does the brush of the master

Pause delicately on the page

Before making

The first stroke.

Editor’s note: Lao Tung Tse has attempted to begin this section with a poetic haiku, not realising perhaps that haiku is a Japanese literary form. This does not present a problem however as this paragraph does not resemble a haiku in any way.

An artwork starts with but a single stroke. The master lays one stroke, then another, then another, then another, until the canvas is a rich tapestry. So too does life begin with a single step. Each choice in life is like a single brush stroke, painting a picture of ourselves. So the finest silk painting is like a beautiful maiden, and the chunkiest of statues is like my mother-in-law.

8. Choice of Brush Determines the Man

If a man paints with a weak brush,

Then he is a weak man.

If a man paints with a large brush,

Then he is surely compensating for something.

If a man paints with a damp brush,

Then there is a hole in his roof.

If a man does not respect his brush,

Then the man will command no respect.

But,

If a man paints with a strong brush,

He is a true leader.

If a man paints with a small brush,

He is modest and humble.

If a man paints with a dry brush,

He knows where to get cheap roof repairs.

If a man respects his brush,

Hold the onions.

                                  

Editor’s note: This appears to be a mistranslation.

13. Pottery and the Art of Harmony

Pottery combines the five elements:

Earth for the building materials.

Water for the moulding.

Wood to burn.

Fire to set.

Metal.

Editor’s note: The absence of any further description for metal may be purely aesthetic. However, it is likely that Lao Tung Tse knew less about pottery than he claimed to.

25. Reversal and the Art of Art

Everything in life is balanced; ying and yang.

The two are mutually inclusive.

There is no good without evil.

There is no happiness without sadness.

There is no love without hate.

So it is in the art of art.

There is no presence without absence.

There is no skill without ineptitude.

There is no beauty without ugliness.

There is no painting without a blank canvas.

There is no art without modern-art.

Editor’s note: Here Lao Tung Tse was ahead of his time in predicting the existence of modern of art. Had he truly understood the value of his discovery however, he wouldn’t have lived in a cave.

Geri Glockenspiel is a world-renowned art expert, historian and part-time sheep farmer. His other publications include ‘Art Galleries on a Dollar a Day’, ‘A History of Sheep in the Works of Rembrandt’ and ‘A Connoisseurs Guide to the Street Graffiti of Upper Darlinghurst’.

Top 100 Books of All Time (or at least the ones I can rememeber)

Last year I intended on writing a series of book reviews.

Hahaha. I intended to write so many things last year.

I’ve often written passionately about books; how much I love them, how I collect them. This week, to start off the New Year, I’ve been cataloguing them all. After four days I finished. I have a grand total of (wait for it)… 736 books. Hooray!

With so many books it’s no wonder I’ve been too overwhelmed to review them. So, taking the lazy option, I’ve decided to do a list of my top 100 favourite books (not all from my collection – there are many I’ve read at one point or another that I can’t find anywhere.) They are books that have inspired my imagination, my passion and my soul.

The List

1.       The Adventures of Robin Hood – Roger Lancelyn Green

2.       The Aeneid – Virgil

3.       Artemis Fowl – Eoin Colfer

4.       As I Lay Dying – William Faulkner

5.       Bagthorpes Haunted – Helen Creswell

6.       Beowulf

7.       The BFG – Roald Dahl

8.       Black as He’s Painted – Ngaio Marsh

9.       Bridget Jones’ Diary – Helen Fielding

10.   Cairo Jim and the Quest for the Quetzal Queen – Geoffrey McSkimming

11.   The Canterbury Tales – Geoffry Chaucer

12.   Cause Celeb - Helen Fielding

13.   Chocolat – Joanne Harris

14.   Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

15.   Clouds of Witness – Dorothy L. Sayers

16.   Clutch of Constables – Ngaio Marsh

17.   Complete Prose – Woody Allen

18.   The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown

19.   The Decamaron – Boccaccio

20.   Demon’s Lexicon – Sarah Rees Brenan

21.   Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency – Douglas Adams

22.   The Divine Comedy – Dante

23.   Dracula – Bram Stoker

24.   Earthfasts – William Mayne

25.   The Epic of Gilgamesh

26.   Feeling Sorry for Celia – Jaclyn Moriarty

27.   Fiddle-back – Elizabeth Honey

28.   The Gates of Hell are About to Open; Mind the Gap – John Connolly

29.   Gene of Isis – Traci Harding

30.   The Girl Who Married A Lion – Alexander McCall Smith

31.   Give War a Chance – P. J. O’Rourke

32.   Going Postal – Terry Pratchett

33.   Good Omens – Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

34.   The Graveyard Book – Neil Gaiman

35.   Hamlet – William Shakespeare

36.   Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J. K. Rowling

37.   Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – J. K. Rowling

38.   The Hobbit – J. R. R. Tolkein

39.   Hop on Pop – Dr Suess

40.   The Importance of Being Earnest – Oscar Wilde

41.   Inkheart – Cornellia Funke

42.   The Jungle Book – Rudyard Kipling

43.   Lady Windermere’s Fan – Oscar Wilde

44.   Life, The Universe and Everything – Douglas Adams

45.   The Lord of the Rings – J. R. R. Tolkein

46.   Lords and Ladies – Terry Pratchett

47.   The Mabinogion

48.   Macbeth – William Shakespeare

49.   Magician – Raymond E. Feist

50.   Mary Poppins – P. L. Travers

51.   Matilda – Roald Dahl

52.   The Merchant of Venice – William Shakespeare

53.   Monsieur Frog – Nikki Barroclough

54.   More Work for the Undertaker – Margery Allingham

55.   Le Morte Darthur – Sir Thomas Malory

56.   Mr Pink-Whistle Interferes – Enid Blyton

57.   Murder in Mesopotamia – Agatha Christie

58.   Mystery on the Blue Train – Agatha Christie

59.   Nation – Terry Pratchett

60.   Neverwhere – Neil Gaiman

61.   The Night Before Christmas

62.   The Northern Lights – Philip Pullman

63.   Obernewtyn – Isobelle Carmody

64.   Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination – Helen Fielding

65.   One Dragon Had a Dream

66.   Ordinary Jack – Helen Creswell

67.   Peter Pan – J. M. Barrie

68.   Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

69.   The Prophet – Kahlil Gibran

70.   Ranger’s Apprentice: The Icebound Land – John Flanagan

71.   Ranger’s Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan

72.   The Real Inspector Hound – Tom Stoppard

73.   Rebecca – Daphne du Maurier

74.   Rise of the Ruddbot – Annabelle Crabb

75.   Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe

76.   Romeo and Juliette – William Shakespeare

77.   Rozencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead – Tom Stoppard

78.   Sabriel – Garth Nix

79.   Seven Ancient Wonders – Matthew Riley

80.   Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian – Marina Lewycka

81.   Silmarilion – J. R. R. Tolkein

82.   Small Gods – Terry Pratchett

83.   Stardust – Neil Gaiman

84.   Sweet Danger – Margery Allingham

85.   The Táin

86.   Tea Time for the Traditionally Built – Alexander McCall Smith

87.   Tears of the Giraffe – Alexander McCall Smith

88.   Three Cups of Tea – Greg Mortensen

89.   Three Men in a Boat – Jerome K. Jerome

90.   Thud – Terry Pratchett

91.   To Kill a Mocking Bird – Harper Lee

92.   Towards Zero – Agatha Christie

93.   Treasure Island – Robert Louis Stevenson

94.   The  Unadulterated Cat – Terry Pratchett

95.   Unnatural Death – Dorothy L. Sayers

96.   The Villa of Reduced Circumstances – Alexander McCall Smith

97.   Which Witch? – Eva Ibbotson

98.   Witches Abroad – Terry Pratchett

99.   Witness for the Prosecution – Agatha Christie

100.     Wyrd Sisters – Terry Pratchett