Matthew Reilly

Whoops, it's been a couple weeks since I posted. I'm such a bad blogger. But please excuse me, I have been wrapped up in some of the most fast paced action books I have ever read. Matthew Reilly is an Australian author, and I have fallen in love with his books. The first book I read of his was called Scarecrow. I saw it at Kmart and after reading the blurb I knew I could not put it back. Would you?

IT IS THE GREATEST BOUNTY HUNT IN HISTORY

There are 15 targets.
And they must all be dead by 12 noon, today.
The price on their head: $20 million each.

ONE HERO

Among the names on the target list, one stands out.
An enigmatic Marine named Shane Schofield,
call-sign: SCARECROW.

NO LIMITS

And so Schofield is hunted by gangs of international bounty hunters,
including the 'Black Knight', a ruthless hunter who seems intent on
eliminating only him.
He led his men into hell in Ice Station.
He protected the President against all odd in Area 7.
This time it's different.
Because this time SCARECROW is the target.

And the book was amazing. In 500 pages only 24 hours passed, and they were so very full of action. Now I realise this is the 3rd book in the Shane Schofield series, and I have gone back to read the others.

Matthew Reilly has also written about an Australian hero in his Jack West Jr series. I have completed this series just this afternoon, and am in awe. It reminds me of Indiana Jones, but on a much larger scale. In fact, when asked about this in an interview, this is a similarity he notes. The series follows our hero and his team to each of the seven ancient wonders in a race to prevent the end of the world.

If you enjoyed the Bourne series, you will definitely enjoy these books. If you want to borrow any of the books, let me know. You know you want to. And soon you'll be begging me for more.

Blackholes

I have recognised recently a few time blackholes in my life: TV and Facebook. When I turn on the TV somehow an hour can pass in the blink of an eye, generally coupled with the use of Facebook. My mind feels numb afterwards. In fact, while writing this post I have been distracted by the TV and 'blacked out' for 5 minutes. I waste a lot of time looking at a screen, and know I could use this time more productively.

I very much enjoy reading (as you are most definitely aware!) and have started turning the TV off after dinner so I can read without being distracted. In doing so I have been able to read 2 books in the last 2 days, along with baking, cleaning, washing, going out to lunch and assisting with DIY projects around the house. I magically have way more time.

So I challenge you to turn off the TV and pick up a book. Try and lose yourself in a different place or learn something new. If need be, put on some quiet music in the background (classical and movie soundtracks are good for this because they don't have lyrics to distract you). My favourite station is SkyFM Simply Soundtracks by Internode.