Mutiny on the Bounty by William Bligh

Mutiny on the Bounty
William Bligh
2006 (1790), White Star, Italy
8854401234
332p.

This book contains William Bligh's logbook of the narrative of the Mutiny and subsequent happenings to the crew members thrown off the ship, proceedings of the court martial of the crew who stayed behind on the ship and were captured, an answer to allegations by Captian Bligh written by the mutiny's ringleader's brother, an answer to that answer from Captain Bligh, and a narrative of what happened to the mutineers who escaped to Pitcairn Island.

So parts of this we're quite exciting , such as the logbooks of Bligh detailing the adventure of the open seopen sea, angry natives, and low provisions as they sailed in a small inadequate craft for TIMor. Timor. I also enjoyed reading of what happened to the mutineers when they reached Pitcairn Island. Island. The minutes from the trial and the back and forth between Nicholas Christian and Eillial Bligh were rather dull though.

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

The  Windup Girl
Paolo Bacigalupi
2009, Orbit, London
97803500539
505p.

Set in the future where genetic engineering of food and animals has gone wrong, The Windup Girl tells the story of Emiko. Emiko is a windup, a genetically engineered human bred with the trait of subservience and designed to be a sexual slave. She is discovered by Anderson, a food company representative, who becomes enthralled by her and tries to help free her from her masters. This is all told within a story of political and military happenings, against the back drop of an environmentally ravaged South east Asia.

The settings in this novel were fantastically conceived - I really could feel like I was in South east Asia. It is a rather slow, meandering read, which allows the reader to become engrossed in the characters, their interactions, and the political intrigue.