Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading?

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm not sure why you'd think that. Rabbits are an absolute pest in Australia - they were very unwisely introduced from Europe and have bred like, er, rabbits . They have no natural predators.

Given that gmw lists their location as Australia, there's a strong chance they know of the rabbit plague there, perhaps?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by stuartjmz

Given that gmw lists their location as Australia, there's a strong chance they know of the rabbit plague there, perhaps?

Perhaps so, but I'm not sure why it would be thought unrealistic to have rabbit shooting in a book?

[gmw]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm not sure why you'd think that. Rabbits are an absolute pest in Australia - they were very unwisely introduced from Europe and have bred like, er, rabbits . They have no natural predators.

Because the situation as presented in the novel is an inefficient way to cull rabbits - shotgun cartridges aren't cheap, even if you reload your own. Yes, kids (used to) take their air-rifles, rifles, or (less commonly) shotguns out taking pot shots at rabbits in the afternoon, but the farmers generally don't. Not to say they never do, but as described in the novel doesn't fit well. Some times farmers might make a family thing of it with some spotlighting at night, but if they were serious about culling rabbits they would poison, rip up their burrows and/or various other measures depending on what was available. The circumstances described in the novel would, in my experience, fit better with kangaroo shooting rather than rabbits.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by gmw

* eg:

Spoiler:

My guess is that either the author or publisher didn't like having kangaroo shooting in the book and so substituted rabbits and shotguns for the 'roos and rifles.

It doesn't seem much of a spoiler, but retaining tags anyhow:

Spoiler:

They don't have feral bunnies where you are?? *scratches head*

Originally Posted by gmw

Because the situation as presented in the novel is an inefficient way to cull rabbits

Thanks for confirming my reaction to your earlier post. On this side of the Tasman, there's an an annual Easter Bunny shoot in the South Island, a festive weekend as much about fun as serious pest control, the 10-20K cull over the weekend not likely very significant. But shotguns are notable by their absence in footage of the event, which made me think your reaction might have been based on a similar reality.

[gmw]

Originally Posted by meeera

It doesn't seem much of a spoiler, but retaining tags anyhow: [...]

You're right, the detail was not really a plot spoiler, but it was something I thought not everyone needed to pay any attention to. As can be seen by the reaction here, it's not a detail everyone else is going to notice, so I figured why spoil it for them? But given the conversation since, the spoiler was obviously not much use.

[Dngrsone]

Finished listening to The Return of the King (audio) by J. R. R. Tolkien read by Rob Inglis.

Starting on the only other Audible book I have (until I can put another player in my car).

[Dazrin]

Just finished The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal. Excellent read. Think Hidden Figures + Armageddon. There is a novellette available, The Lady Astronaut of Mars, that is set some years after this book (this is a prequel) if anyone wants a teaser.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

And I'm done with my binge of Ava Lee while I wait for the new book in the series. So now, the latest from Ben Aaronovitch - Lies Sleeping. I'm mostly listening to this, but snatching moments to also read the eBook.

Great fun, as always. Four stars for the book, but five stars for the narration by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.

Next up, Redoubt, the fourth in the Collegium series of Valdemar books from Mercedes Lackey. This is a re-read, but I've mostly forgotten all of it anyway, so nearly new. I'm about 1/2 way through, and enjoying it. A solid 3 stars.

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Great fun, as always. Four stars for the book, but five stars for the narration by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.

Next up, Redoubt, the fourth in the Collegium series of Valdemar books from Mercedes Lackey. This is a re-read, but I've mostly forgotten all of it anyway, so nearly new. I'm about 1/2 way through, and enjoying it. A solid 3 stars.

I will start Lies Sleeping this afternoon. Really looking forward to it. E-book version but K H-S is great.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

I will start Lies Sleeping this afternoon. Really looking forward to it. E-book version but K H-S is great.

I admit, I devoured it. Spent Saturday with my headphones on, and then finished it off Sunday. Unfortunately, it's not (yet) WhisperSync, so going back and forth to the eBook was annoying. But I managed.

[MickeyC]

Just finished Past Tense by Lee Child and it was a typically good Jack Reacher read. Give it four stars.

[Burkhardt]

Reading on a hard copy at the moment. Living with evil - quite disturbing but can't stop reading now, lol.

Halfway through Look to the Lady on my Allingham re-read, and boy was I irked when I realised that neither of my neurons had remembered the fact that Amanda Fitton isn't introduced until Sweet Danger, merde! Their relationship is one of the highlights of the series for me, now I've got a book and half to get through before it starts

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Next up, Redoubt, the fourth in the Collegium series of Valdemar books from Mercedes Lackey. This is a re-read, but I've mostly forgotten all of it anyway, so nearly new. I'm about 1/2 way through, and enjoying it. A solid 3 stars.

And done with Redoubt, which stayed an enjoyable 3 star read, moving on to the final book in this story arc, Bastion.