Three life story titles to inspire and learn from this summer
Over the Australian summer holidays a number of books begin to pile up on my desk begging to be read.
However, I love reading and learning about other people’s stories!
Mostly I read on my lunch break at work or snatch a few minutes while the kids are playing.
I don’t mind digital books and prefer print, however, audio books are amazing if you are driving long distances or multitasking (think cleaning)!
Last year I was lucky enough to be given a number of personal life stories to read from family and friends.
These were just amazing and detailed different times such as growing up on an Australian dairy farm in the early 20th Century, living in London during the World War II bombings and in Silicon Valley during the dot-com tech bubble.
Top on my ‘list’ this year are a number of books on and about life stories I’d like to share.
There is a mix of male and female writers, Australian and overseas writers.
Let’s discover them together, learn and be inspired!
Related article – Best books of 2018: Must-read books about life stories to enjoy these holidays
Tex by Tex Perkins, Macmillan Australia
During this time I saw countless live acts and festivals – including performances by this guy, Tex Perkins.
He has been the frontman of a number of Australian rock ‘n’ roll bands and is a true laconic character.
His latest release Tex by Tex Perkins
“Singer. Songwriter. Swamp child. Soul man. Tex Perkins is a true rock ‘n’ roll animal. In this loud, uncut, no-holds-barred, laugh-out-loud and take-no-prisoners memoir, the enigmatic king of the Australian music underground lays bare an extraordinary life lived on the road, on the stage and on the edge,” publisher Macmillan Australia writes.
“Raised a bible-thumping Catholic and beaten bloody on the streets of Brisbane for being a ‘cow-punk’, skinny Gregory Perkins flees to Sydney and mutates into ‘Tex’, rogue leader of the Dums Dums, Thug and Salamander Jim before finding a strange kind of success, celebrity, sex symboldom and icon status as Tex Perkins, snake-hipped, honey-voiced, often bloodied frontman of influential Aussie bands the Cruel Sea, Beasts of Bourbon and Tex, Don and Charlie… and inventor of ‘Zoneball’.
“Gigs. Albums. Tours. Fights. Feuds. Arrests. Drugs. High times. Low roads. This is a wild ride of a life written loudly, proudly and full of punk energy.”
Travelling to Infinity by Jane Hawking, Alma Books
Travelling to Infinity: The True Story Behind the Theory of Everything
The book has been recommended to me a number of times and I am eager to read it.
“Now a major motion picture starring Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking and Felicity Jones as his wife Jane. It chronicles their relationship, from his early development of ALS to his success in physics,” publishers Alma Books write.
“In this compelling memoir, Jane Hawking, Stephen Hawking’s first wife, relates the inside story of their extraordinary marriage. As Stephen’s academic renown soared, his body was collapsing under the assaults of motor-neuron disease, and Jane’s candid account of trying to balance his twenty-four-hour care with the needs of their growing family will be inspirational to anyone dealing with family illness.
“The inner strength of the author and the self-evident character and achievements of her husband make for an incredible tale that is always presented with unflinching honesty; the author’s candour is no less evident when the marriage finally ends in a high-profile meltdown, with Stephen leaving Jane for one of his nurses, while Jane goes on to marry an old family friend.
Writing True Stories by Patti Miller, Allen and Unwin
Patti Miller is an award-winning Australian memoirist and nonfiction writer as well as a highly successful life-writing teacher and mentor.
“Writing True Stories is the essential book for anyone who has ever wanted to write a memoir or explore the wider territory of creative nonfiction. It provides practical guidance and inspiration on a vast array of writing topics, including how to access memories, find a narrative voice, build a vivid world on the page, create structure, use research-and face the difficulties of truth-telling,” publisher Allen and Unwin write.
“This book introduces and develops key writing skills, and then challenges more experienced writers to extend their knowledge and practice of the genre into literary nonfiction, true crime, biography, the personal essay, and travel and sojourn writing. Whether you want to write your own autobiography, investigate a wide-ranging political issue or bring to life an intriguing history, this book will be your guide.
“Writing True Stories is practical and easy to use as well as an encouraging and insightful companion on the writing journey. Written in a warm, clear and engaging style, it will get you started on the story you want to write – and keep you going until you reach the end.”
Final say
I love the start of a new year and the chance to dive into a new selection of books!
This year my to-read book pile has been mounting up but the top three I will be reaching for include; Tex by Tex Perkins (Macmillan Australia), Travelling to Infinity by Jane Hawking (Alma Books) and Writing True Stories by Patti Miller (Allen and Unwin).
Here’s to a top new year full of inspirational stories and learning.
Happy writing!