What I'm reading ...

I have started The Humans by Matt Haig. I enjoyed the last book that I read by this author and this one looks intriguing. Here’s the blurb:

After an 'incident' one wet Friday night where he was found walking naked through the streets of Cambridge, Professor Andrew Martin is not feeling quite himself. Food sickens him. Clothes confound him. Even his loving wife and teenage son are repulsive to him. He feels lost amongst an alien species and hates everyone on the planet. Everyone, that is, except Newton, (and he's a dog).

Fascism: A Warning - by Madeleine Albright

This book really delivered on its promises. It covers about a century of political history and I learned a lot about the two world wars and their causes and the roots of many present-day issues. The author is a very good writer, with a clear style and a pace that kept me turning the pages. I must investigate if she has left us other writings that would interest me.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright. I am increasing interested in modern politics - trying to understand what is going on in the world, much of which is, for me, unfathomable. This book was recommended by Alastair Campbell in his recent book. Here’s the blurb:

A personal and urgent examination of Fascism in the twentieth century and how its legacy shapes today’s world, written by one of America’s most admired public servants, the first woman to serve as U.S. secretary of state.

A Fascist, observes Madeleine Albright, ‘is someone who claims to speak for a whole nation or group, is utterly unconcerned with the rights of others, and is willing to use violence and whatever other means are necessary to achieve the goals he or she might have.’

The twentieth century was defined by the clash between democracy and Fascism, a struggle that created uncertainty about the survival of human freedom and left millions of innocent people dead. Given the horrors of that experience, one might expect the world to reject the spiritual successors to Hitler and Mussolini should they arise in our era. In Fascism: A Warning, Madeleine Albright, draws on her own experiences as a child in war-torn Europe and her distinguished career as a diplomat to question that very assumption.

Fascism, as Albright shows, is not only endured through the course of the twentieth century, but now presents a more virulent threat to international peace and justice than at any time since the end of World War II. The momentum toward democracy that swept the world when the Berlin Wall fell has gone into reverse. The United States, which has historically championed the free world, is led by a president who exacerbates popular divisions and heaps scorn on democratic institutions. In many countries, economic, technological and cultural factors are weakening the political centre and empowering the extremes of right and left. Contemporary leaders such as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un are employing many of the same tactics used by Fascists in the 1920s and 30s.

Fascism: A Warning is a book for our times that is relevant to all times. Written with wisdom by someone who has not only studied history but helped to shape it, this call to arms teaches us the lessons we must understand and the questions we must answer if we are to save ourselves from repeating the tragic errors of the past.

The Book of Two Ways - by Jodi Picoult

When I read a novel, I am looking for two things: I want a gripping story, with plenty of details, skilfully written; I want to learn something about the world. When I started reading this book, I was fairly sure that the author would deliver. Having read it, I feel, if anything, she over-delivers!

Things I learned about: Egyptology, hieroglyphics, quantum physics, medical procedures and brain surgery, modern art, the chemistry of tears, end of life care. The story is also quite emotional and this is something that I find is a particular benefit of skilled female authors: I can learn just a bit about the feelings and emotions that women experience.

The book has multiple timelines. It is not a gimmick - it really is needed to tell the story. At one stage I was concerned that I was slightly confused, but I eventually realised that a little timeline confusion was also a necessary part of the story.

At first, I found the ending a little unsatisfying. But, after a little thought, I concluded that it was the only possible way to end the book and was ingenious. I later saw that the author’s editor had guided her in this direction.

I have read a number of Jodi Picoult’s books and seeing how many more are available to be read is exciting.

I have a feeling that it will be a while before I come across another book as richly enjoyable as this one.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult. One of my favourite authors. It’s always nice to get stuck into one of her books. Here’s the blurb:

Dawn is a death doula, and spends her life helping people make the final transition peacefully.

But when the plane she's on plummets, she finds herself thinking not of the perfect life she has, but the life she was forced to abandon fifteen years ago - when she left behind a career in Egyptology, and a man she loved.

Against the odds, she survives, and the airline offers her a ticket to wherever she needs to get to - but the answer to that question suddenly seems uncertain.

As the path of her life forks in two very different directions, Dawn must confront questions she's never truly asked: what does a well-lived life look like? What do we leave behind when we go? And do we make our choices, or do our choices make us?

Two possible futures. One impossible choice.

Lovers at the Museum - by Isabel Allende

As expected. This was a very quick read - even for me! A simple, amusing story with well drawn characters that is curiously thought provoking.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Lovers at the Museum by Isabel Allende. This is a short story, which will make a change - nice to have something that even I can read quickly. This author is well thought of and I am sure I have read her work before, so I am looking forward to it. The work is pre-publication, which is interesting. Here’s the blurb: 

Love, be it wild or tender, often defies logic. In fact, at times, the only rationale behind the instant connection of two souls is plain magic.

Bibiña Aranda, runaway bride, wakes up in the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao still wearing her wedding dress, draped in the loving arms of a naked man whose name she doesn’t know. She and the man with no clothes, Indar Zubieta, attempt to explain to the authorities how they got there. It’s a story of love at first sight and experience beyond compare, one that involves a dreamlike journey through the museum.

But the lovers’ transcendent night bears no resemblance to the crude one Detective Larramendi attempts to reconstruct. And no amount of fantastical descriptions can convince the irritated inspector of the truth.

Allende’s dreamy short story has the power to transport readers in any language, leaving them to ponder the wonders of love long after the story’s over.

Abominations - by Lionel Shriver

This book was good read. Many of the pieces were thought-provoking. A few were amusing. All were well-written, as I would expect from this author. Some of the political views expressed are at variance with my own, but it is good to read well-written and carefully thought through articles that explain different points of view coherently.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Abominations by Lionel Shriver. I wanted non-fiction, which was not pure politics, so this seemed to fit the bill, even though I am not a fan of short-form writing. It will be interesting to see how the writer, a favourite fiction author of mine, deals with essays. Here’s the blurb:

Novelist, cultural observer and social satirist Lionel Shriver is among the sharpest talents of our age. A writer who embraces ‘under-expressed, unpopular or downright dangerous’ points of view, she regularly deplores the conformity of thought and attitude that has overtaken society.

Bringing together thirty-five works curated from her many columns, features, essays and op-eds for the likes of the Spectator and Guardian, speeches and reviews, and some unpublished pieces, Abominations reveals Shriver at her most iconoclastic and personal. Relentlessly sceptical, cutting and contrarian but also frequently moving and vulnerable, this collection showcases her piquant opinions on a wide range of topics, including religion, politics, illness, mortality, family and friends, tennis, gender, immigration, consumerism, health care and taxes.

Though some of the more divisive essays in Abominations have ‘brought hell and damnation down on my head,’ as she cheerfully explains, she also offers insights on her novels and explores the perks and pitfalls of becoming a successful artist. Readers will find plenty to challenge them here, but they may also find many nuanced and considered insights with which they agree.

Anachronist - by Andrew Hastie

Quite a long book, but I got through it fairly quickly. Although it is “fantasy”, of which I am normally wary, I still found it was quite compelling. It is a complex story, compounded with temporal paradoxes and multiple timelines. The characters are well drawn and, whilst I may not have empathised with Josh, I did understand him.

I discovered that the book is the first in a series of five [?]. The result of this is the worst possible ending for a book. The story was winding down nicely, with loose ends being tidied. Then come the 3 terrible words: “To Be Continued …”

I may give in and read more books in the series. We’ll see.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Anachronist by Andrew Hastie. Time for fiction again. I’m not sure where this book came from, but it looks intriguing. Here’s the blurb:

Travelling into the past using the timelines of ancient artefacts, the Oblivion Order explore the forgotten centuries, ones that never made it into the history books.

Weaving back through time, the secret society of eccentric anachronists ensures the best possible future for humanity, making subtle adjustments to the past – saving us from oblivion.

Every alteration is carefully calculated, and nothing is left to chance. Until the day Joshua Jones, a teenage thief, breaks into one of their station houses and finds himself transported back to 1944 – where he accidentally changes the outcome of WW2.

Josh is inadvertently pulled into their secret world of alternate realities, temporal guilds and chaos demons. With the help of Caitlin, a beautiful librarian, he learns to harness his abilities as she shows him a future he never dreamed he could have.

But beyond the temporal borders, an ancient evil is gathering, threatening to devour every moment that ever was.

Will Josh fulfil his destiny? Will he come to terms with his past?

A fast-paced, time travel adventure, Anachronist will take you on a journey into a world not bound by the rules of time, exploring history and the consequences of changing it.

But What Can I Do? - by Alastair Campbell

This book is largely aimed at enthusing people - particularly young people - to become involved in politics. Interested first, involved later. This is not directly relevant to me, but it provides me with inspiration and ammunition to converse with young people on this topic.

One of the most outstanding insights, for me, was a very clear explanation of how populism works; how despicable people [e.g. Hitler, Trump, Johnson … the list goes on] gain popularity and come to power. I found it rather scary.

It is easy to read, I felt, and has an honestly about it that appealed to me. There were also some recommendations for other books to read …

What I'm reading ...

I have started But What Can I Do? by Alastair Campbell. As a frequent listener to the Rest is Politics podcast, I recently read and enjoyed Rory Stewart’s book. So this was obviously necessary reading too. I have heard good feedback from other readers. Here’s the blurb:

Our politics is a mess. Leaders who can't or shouldn't be allowed to lead. Governments that lie, and seek to undermine our democratic values. Policies that serve the interests of the privileged few. It's no surprise that so many of us feel frustrated, let down and drawn to ask, 'But what can I do?'

That question is the inspiration behind this book. It's a question regularly posed to Alastair Campbell, not least in reaction to The Rest is Politics, the chart-topping podcast he presents with Rory Stewart. His answer, typically, is forthright and impassioned. We cannot afford to stand on the sidelines. If we think things need to change, then we need to change them, and that means getting involved.

But What Can I Do? provides each of us with the motivation and the tools to make a difference. Opening with an acute analysis of our polarised world and the populists and extremists who have created it, it goes on to show how we can effect change for the better. It explains how we can develop our skills of advocacy and persuasion. It draws on Alastair's long experience to offer practical tips on putting together and leading a campaign team. It provides priceless advice on developing confidence and coping with criticism and setbacks. And it sets out the practical steps by which we can become political players ourselves.

Part call to arms, part practical handbook, But What Can I Do? will prove required reading for anyone who wants to make a difference.

The Thursday Murder Club - by Richard Osman

As expected, this was quite a straightforward and entertaining read. Nice quality of writing and a pace that kept me turning the pages. The complexity of the story was OK, as I didn’t take a break from reading for more than a day or so, otherwise I would have lost track. I may be inclined to read later books in this series.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Time for fiction and a light read. This book seems to have been popular so should fit the bill. Here’s the blurb:

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders.

But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Papyrus - by Irene Vallejo

A long book that took me - a slow reader - quite a while. But it was well worth the effort.

Ultimately it is a history book, so there was much for me to learn. Although it is the story of written language and the book, there is so much more. There are lots of transitions: spoken language to written; hieroglyphs to an alphabet; Greek culture to Roman; Greek language to Latin; scrolls to books; copying to printing.

I was enlightened by the understanding of how reading has morphed and how Greek and Roman empires were related. For a long time I have believed that the most significant human invention was the Internet, but I am now beginning to join the school of thought that says it was printing that changed the world most of all.

Almost every page of those book seemed to have a new fact to teach me or a profound insight into a matter to which had scarcely given a thought.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Papyrus by Irene Vallejo. I am unsure how I became aware of this book, but it looks fascinating and fits the bill of being something different and non-fiction. Here’s the blurb:

Long before books were mass-produced, scrolls hand copied on reeds pulled from the Nile were the treasures of the ancient world. Emperors and Pharaohs were so determined to possess them that they dispatched emissaries to the edges of the earth to bring them back.

In Papyrus, celebrated classicist Irene Vallejo traces the dramatic history of the book and the fight for its survival. This is the story of the book's journey from oral tradition to scrolls to codices, and how that transition laid the very foundation of Western culture. And it is a story full of heroic adventures, bloodshed and megalomania - from the battlefields of Alexander the Great and the palaces of Cleopatra to the libraries of war-torn Sarajevo and Oxford.

An international bestseller, Papyrus brings the ancient world to life and celebrates the enduring power of the written word.

Demon Copperhead - by Barbara Kingsolver

This was a big book and, being a slow reader, it took me a while. But it was time well spent! The book is so beautifully written. The story is interesting, with a good pace, well drawn characters and great descriptions of places and the main protagonist’s thoughts and feelings. The story is told from a single POV and the author gently changes the tone as he gets older [and wiser?]. As I always like to think that I am learning about the world when I read fiction, I was very happy with the feeling of authenticity in the book, as the author lives in the area where it is set.

I have shied away from this author in the past, as I am rather wary of “award winning” books [fear of the Emperor’s New Clothes phenomenon]. I will definitely investigate her other books now.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. This book is popular just now and has been recommended to me. It’s a long book - it could take a while … Here’s the blurb:

Demon's story begins with his traumatic birth to a single mother in a single-wide trailer, looking 'like a little blue prizefighter.' For the life ahead of him he would need all of that fighting spirit, along with buckets of charm, a quick wit, and some unexpected talents, legal and otherwise.

In the southern Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, poverty isn't an idea, it's as natural as the grass grows. For a generation growing up in this world, at the heart of the modern opioid crisis, addiction isn't an abstraction, it's neighbours, parents, and friends. 'Family' could mean love, or reluctant foster care. For Demon, born on the wrong side of luck, the affection and safety he craves is as remote as the ocean he dreams of seeing one day. The wonder is in how far he's willing to travel to try and get there.

Taste - by Stanley Tucci

Reading a memoir, by someone with whom you are familiar, should leave you with the feeling that you know them a little better than you did before - a bit like spending time with an acquaintance can progress them towards being a friend. On this basis, this book delivered. I knew that Stanley was keen on food and cooking. His discussion of this topic in the framework of talking about his life shows clearly that food is a passion for him. And it’s quite infectious. The inclusion of a few favourite recipes from time to time is definitely “added value”. 

What I'm reading ...

I have started Taste by Stanley Tucci. I am a big fan of the author in his roles of actor and TV presenter. He has great style and a very listenable voice. And, I am told, he can write well. I am about to find out. Here’s the blurb:

From award-winning actor and food obsessive Stanley Tucci comes an intimate and charming memoir of life in and out of the kitchen - the perfect accompaniment to your summer

Before Stanley Tucci became a household name with The Devil Wears Prada, The Hunger Games, and his legendary Negronis, he grew up in an Italian American family that spent every night around he table. In Searching For Italy, he revealed his passion for the secrets and delights of the country's many cuisines. Now, he shares the magic of a lifetime of meals, and the stories behind them.

Filled with anecdotes about growing up, shooting foodie films like Julie & Julia, falling in love across the table, and making dinner for his family, Taste is a reflection on the joys of food and life itself. Through five-star meals and burnt dishes, and from the good times to the bad, each morsel of this gastronomic journey is as heartfelt and delicious as the last.

The Starless Sea - by Erin Morgenstern

I am always rather wary of books that are pure fantasy and I guess that’s what this one is. However, I kept on turning the pages.

The book has an interesting structure. The main protagonist finds a book, with which he is intrigued. The book then starts alternating between the fantastical stories in the found book and the seemingly normal life of Zachary. As the book progresses things change and, by the end, the nature of the alternate pieces swaps. The excerpts from a book are quite normal, but Zachary’s story becomes downright weird.

It’s hard to say how much I liked the book, as I found it rather unfulfilling, but I did stick with it to the bitter end.

I suppose I won’t be in a hurry to read more of the author’s work.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. I have no idea where this book came from, but it is time for fiction again. Here’s the blurb:

When Zachary Rawlins stumbles across a mysterious book containing details from his own life among its pages, it leads him on a quest unlike any other.

Following the clues inside, he is guided to a masquerade ball, a dangerous secret club, and finally to an ancient library hidden far beneath the surface of the earth. What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians - it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes across time, and of stories whispered by the dead.

But when the library is threatened, Zachary must race through its twisting tunnels and sweetly soaked shores, searching for the end of his story.

Politics On the Edge - by Rory Stewart

This book totally delivered. It is very well written, with vivid descriptions of people, places and events. Rory covers the details of events and also gives a clear idea how he felt about them at the time, with what I felt was a lot of honesty. I learnt a great deal about politics and the mechanics of UK government; I am not at all sure that I like a lot that I learnt! I had always thought that Rory was a very clear thinker with views that strongly align with my own; this book reinforced that view.

I think that I might get a taste for political memoirs …

What I'm reading ...

I have started reading Politics On the Edge by Rory Stewart. Despite his political affiliation, I always find Rory Stewart interesting to listen to, as he tends to just talk sense and be well informed. So, unusually, I ordered this book ahead of publication. I look forward to being educated about recent politics. Here’s the blurb:

Over the course of a decade from 2010, Rory Stewart went from being a political outsider to standing for prime minister - before being sacked from a Conservative Party that he had come to barely recognise.

Tackling ministerial briefs on flood response and prison violence, engaging with conflict and poverty abroad as a foreign minister, and Brexit as a Cabinet minister, Stewart learned first-hand how profoundly hollow our democracy and government had become.

Cronyism, ignorance and sheer incompetence ran rampant. Around him, individual politicians laid the foundations for the political and economic chaos of today. Stewart emerged battered but with a profound affection for his constituency of Penrith and the Border, and a deep direct insight into the era of populism and global conflict.

Uncompromising, candid and darkly humorous, Politics On the Edge is his story of the challenges, absurdities and realities of political life and a remarkable portrait of our age.

Lessons - by Ian McEwan

A longish book, so it took a while - but it was worth the effort. It tells the story of Roland’s whole life, with the timeline moving around, but not confusingly. The author’s descriptive prose conjures up vivid pictures, rather than just adding unnecessary floweriness. I’m not sure that I liked Roland - actually I found him a bit annoying - but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the read.

One irritant: I like to trust an author’s integrity so that I feel I learn from reading a book. So, silly errors niggle me. In this book we had an ambulance with a siren in 1959; emergency vehicles started using sirens about 5 years after this.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Lessons by Ian McEwan. This is a new book by a well-renowned author, whose work I have enjoyed before. Here’s the blurb:

When the world is still counting the cost of the Second World War and the Iron Curtain has descended, young Roland Baines's life is turned upside down. Stranded at boarding school, his vulnerability attracts his piano teacher, Miriam Cornell, leaving scars as well as a memory of love that will never fade.

Twenty-five years later Roland's wife mysteriously vanishes, and he is left alone with their baby son. Her disappearance sparks of journey of discovery that will continue for decades, as Roland confronts the reality of his rootless existence and attempts to embrace the uncertainty - and freedom - of his future.

Talking to Strangers - by Malcolm Gladwell

As expected, this was a very thought-provoking book. Throughout the ideas are supported and illustrated by case studies, several of which reoccur to clarify points. Reading it has made me reconsider how I evaluate people in everyday life; “default to truth” is dangerous …

What I'm reading ...

I have started Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. I have enjoyed this author’s work before and this book came recommended. Here’s the blurb:

The routine traffic stop that ends in tragedy. The spy who spends years undetected at the highest levels of the Pentagon. The false conviction of Amanda Knox. Why do we so often get other people wrong? Why is it so hard to detect a lie, read a face or judge a stranger's motives?

Using stories of deceit and fatal errors to cast doubt on our strategies for dealing with the unknown, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual adventure into the darker side of human nature, where strangers are never simple and misreading them can have disastrous consequences.  

Not Dead Yet - by Peter James

I have never been disappointed by any of this author’s books and this one is no exception. The story is complex, with enough twists and turns to draw you into the next chapters. On this occasion, there appeared to be three story lines that were separate, but they all come together in an interesting way. Unusually (I think), this book has hooks that pull you towards the next one in the series. But I won’t take too much persuading …

What I'm reading ...

I have started Not Dead Yet by Peter James. I wanted a light read and this author never fails to keep me entertained. Also, I recently visited Brighton, so the context is in my mind. Here’s the blurb:

For LA producer Larry Brooker, this is the movie that could bring the fortune that has so long eluded him . . .

For rock superstar, Gaia, desperate to be taken seriously as an actor, this is the role that could get her an Oscar nomination. . .

For the City of Brighton and Hove, the publicity value of a major Hollywood movie being filmed on location, about the city's greatest love story - between King George IV and Maria Fitzherbert - is incalculable.

For Detective Superintendent Roy Grace of Sussex CID, it is a nightmare unfolding in front of his eyes. An obsessed stalker is after Gaia. One attempt on her life is made days before she leaves her Bel Air home to fly to Brighton. Now, he has been warned, the stalker may be at large in his city, waiting, watching, planning.

Ancestors: A prehistory of Britain in seven burials - by Alice Roberts

This book took a while as it is quite long and packed with solid content. I knew the author was an expert in her field and a very good speaker, so I was unsurprised to find that she is also an excellent writer. [I later found that I had read and enjoyed another book of hers some time ago.] The text does not assume any particular expertise, but it also does not explain every last word. The style is pleasantly conversational and personal, with the occasional entertaining and informative tangent. I will be returning to this author’s work.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Ancestors: A prehistory of Britain in seven burials by Alice Roberts. I had heard good things about this author and have an interest in archaeology and genetics, so I was interested in reading some of her work. We went to see a talk by her and that closed the deal. Here’s the blurb:

We often think of Britain springing from nowhere with the arrival of the Romans. But in Ancestors, pre-eminent archaeologist, broadcaster and academic Professor Alice Roberts explores what we can learn about the very earliest Britons, from burial sites and by using new technology to analyse ancient DNA.

Told through seven fascinating burial sites, this groundbreaking prehistory of Britain teaches us more about ourselves and our history: how people came and went and how we came to be on this island. It explores forgotten journeys and memories of migrations long ago, written into genes and preserved in the ground for thousands of years.

This is a book about belonging: about walking in ancient places, in the footsteps of the ancestors. It explores our interconnected global ancestry, and the human experience that binds us all together. It’s about reaching back in time, to find ourselves, and our place in the world.

Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North - by Rachel Joyce

I was, again, skeptical and wondered whether the author was simply cashing in on the success of the companion books. My concern was unfounded. This book completes the story beautifully. Maureen was a very loosely described character in the other books; this book tells us all about here. The author has a great talent for describing mood and emotions and their context. It is a short book, but it does not fall short of its purpose. I will explore this author’s other work now.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North by Rachel Joyce. Although I should be on non-fiction, I’m still on holiday, so this short fiction book seems appropriate. Having read a companion book recently, I was keen to read this one. Here’s the blurb:

Ten years ago, Harold Fry set off on his epic journey on foot to save a friend. But the story doesn't end there.

Now his wife, Maureen, has her own pilgrimage to make.

Maureen Fry has settled into the quiet life she now shares with her husband Harold after his iconic walk across England. Now, ten years later, an unexpected message from the North disturbs her equilibrium again, and this time it is Maureen's turn to make her own journey.

But Maureen is not like Harold. She struggles to bond with strangers, and the landscape she crosses has changed radically. She has little sense of what she'll find at the end of the road. All she knows is that she must get there.

Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North is a deeply felt, lyrical and powerful novel, full of warmth and kindness, about love, loss, and how we come to terms with the past in order to understand ourselves and our lives a little better. Short, exquisite, while it stands in its own right, it is also the moving finale to a trilogy that began with the phenomenal bestseller The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and continued with The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy.

Apples Never Fall - by Liane Moriarty

As expected, this book was complex and intriguing, with a couple of timelines around the key events. I felt slight smugness when I spotted a red herring before it was revealed, but otherwise I was kept on my toes.

The book ended with another twist, which could even lead to a sequel.

In any case, I will return to this author.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty. Although I should be on non-fiction, I am holiday, so I wanted a gripping read. This author has never let me down so far. Here’s the blurb:

Joy and Stan Delaney have four grown-up children, a successful family business and their golden years ahead of them.

Then Joy vanishes.

Questions are asked.

The police get involved.

Scratch the surface and this seemingly happy family has much to hide - and with good reason . . .

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy - by Rachel Joyce

I was a little skeptical when I started out with this book. Had the author seen an opportunity to cash in on the success of the Harold Fry book and stretched out a few threads to make some kind of story. The answer is No.

The book is a very well written exploration of how people interact and respond to events around them. It tells most of the backstory of the original book, which is done in a very creative way: Queenie writes a long letter to Harold Fry.

Overall it was a delightful read, with the same light touch on the emotions of the original book.  At the end there is a lovely twist.

I have just learned that there is a third book which tells Maureen Fry’s story. A must read.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce. I read the Harold Fry book a while ago and enjoyed it. This is the companion/sequel. Having just seen the Harold Fry movie, I was inspired to get this book. Here’s the blurb:

When Queenie Hennessy discovers that Harold Fry is walking the length of England to save her, and all she has to do is wait, she is shocked. Her note had explained she was dying. How can she wait?

A new volunteer at the hospice suggests that Queenie should write again; only this time she must tell Harold everything. In confessing to secrets she has hidden for twenty years, she will find atonement for the past. As the volunteer points out, 'Even though you've done your travelling, you're starting a new journey too.'

Queenie thought her first letter would be the end of the story. She was wrong. It was the beginning.

Told in simple, emotionally-honest prose, with a mischievous bite, this is a novel about the journey we all must take to learn who we are; it is about loving and letting go. And most of all it is about finding joy in unexpected places and at times we least expect.

Solve For Happy - by Mo Gawdat

As expected, this book was very thought provoking. Clearly, Mo is a very smart guy and wants to understand Life, the Universe and Everything. He makes many valid observations and lots of interesting ideas. However, overall I was disappointed, as I felt that his Two Big Ideas were flawed.

I was attracted by his idea that life is not limited to our physical existence on Earth. He says life has always been there and always will. His justification for this assertion involved quantum mechanics and relates to the fact that measuring/observing something influences it. He extends the idea to the conclusion that, if something is not observed, it cannot happen. So, life in some form must have observed the Big Bang. I believe that this is an erroneous interpretation of Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle etc.

He also talks about Intelligent Design. Although I have felt for a long time that the Universe as a whole [laws of physics, mathematics etc.] seems too complex [and maybe too beautiful] to be the result of chance/accident, I strongly support Darwinian evolution. Mo seems to think that evolution is all about chance, which results in the numbers not adding up. This is incorrect.

My conclusion is that, although the book is not a waste of time, it does fail to convince me on these key issues.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Solve For Happy by Mo Gawdat. Time for non-fiction again and I have been recommended this book. It makes big claims, but I will be happy if it is just thought provoking. Here’s the blurb:

This is a startlingly original book about creating and maintaining happiness, written by a top Google executive with an engineer's training and fondness for thoroughly analyzing a problem.

In 2001, Mo Gawdat, a remarkable thinker whose gifts had landed him top positions in half a dozen companies and who – in his spare time – had created significant wealth, realized that he was desperately unhappy. A lifelong learner, he attacked the problem as an engineer would, examining all the provable facts and scrupulously following logic. When he was finished, he had discovered the equation for enduring happiness.

Ten years later, that research saved him from despair when his college-aged son, Ali – also intellectually gifted – died during routine surgery. In dealing with the loss, Mo found his mission: he would pull off the type of 'moonshot' that he and his Google [X] colleagues were always aiming for: he would help ten million people become happier by pouring his happiness principles into a book and spreading its message around the world.

One of Solve for Happy's key premises is that happiness is a default state. If we shape expectations to acknowledge the full range of possible events, unhappiness is on its way to being defeated. To steer clear of unhappiness traps, we must dispel the six illusions that cloud our thinking (e.g., the illusion of time, of control, and of fear); overcome the brain's seven deadly defects (e.g., the tendency to exaggerate, label, and filter), and embrace five ultimate truths (e.g., change is real, now is real, unconditional love is real).

By means of several highly original thought experiments, Mo helps readers find enduring contentment by questioning some of the most fundamental aspects of their existence.

Mad Honey - by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

This was a really excellent book! I have always admired Jodi Picoult and did not realize until the end that there were two authors.

With all fiction, I want to feel that I have learnt something, which makes me picky about authors, as I rely on their integrity. This book taught me stuff about bee keeping, fencing and gender reassignment, along with being a gripping story. What more could I ask for?

What I'm reading ...

I have started Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. JP is one of my favourite authors, so I am looking forward to being immersed in the book. Having heard that a number of her books have been banned in Florida, my enthusiasm to read her work is piqued. Here’s the blurb:

Olivia fled her abusive marriage to return to her hometown and take over the family beekeeping business when her son Asher was six. Now, impossibly, her baby is six feet tall and in his last year of high school, a kind, good-looking, popular ice hockey star with a tiny sprite of a new girlfriend.

Lily also knows what it feels like to start over - when she and her mother relocated to New Hampshire it was all about a fresh start. She and Asher couldn't help falling for each other, and Lily feels happy for the first time. But can she trust him completely?

Then Olivia gets a phone call - Lily is dead, and Asher is arrested on a charge of murder. As the case against him unfolds, she realises he has hidden more than he's shared with her. And Olivia knows firsthand that the secrets we keep reflect the past we want to leave behind ­­- and that we rarely know the people we love well as we think we do.

The Fran Lebowitz Reader - by Fran Lebowitz

This book was very entertaining; an easy read that got me attuned to her “voice” prior to seeing her live. She has lots of radical and off the wall ideas. Some serious, many not so. I am disappointed that there is no other published material of hers that is readily available.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Fran Lebowitz Reader by Fran Lebowitz. I have seen her on TV and enjoyed her banter. I’ll be seeing her live in a few days, so I am getting prepared. Here’s the blurb:

Lebowitz turns her trademark caustic wit to the vicissitudes of life - from children ('rarely in the position to lend one a truly interesting sum of money') to landlords ('it is the solemn duty of every landlord to maintain an adequate supply of roaches'). And her attitude to work is the perfect antidote to our exhausting culture of self-betterment ('3.40pm. I consider getting out of bed. I reject the notion as being unduly vigorous. I read and smoke a bit more').

Watermelon - by Marian Keyes

This was a good rambling read. As I may have commented before, I definitely feel this author is channelling the late, great Maeve Binchy. I like reading a book where the story is told in the first person, as I feel this gives me some insights into how another person might think. In this case, being the voice of a woman might be teaching me something.

Overall, it was a well structured story with a dramatic beginning and a reasonably clean ending. I will come back to this author.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Watermelon by Marian Keyes. Time for fiction again and I have enjoyed this author before. Here’s the blurb:

Meet Claire Walsh.

On the day she gives birth to her first child, Claire's husband James tells her he's been having an affair.

Right for who exactly?

Exhausted, tearful furious, Claire decides to go back to basics . . . and runs home to Mum and Dad.

But it's not the sanctuary she'd been hoping for. Juggling her sisters' drama, her parents' pity and the demands of a baby, Claire desperately misses the way things were.

So when James gets back in touch, eager to put things right, Claire faces a choice.

Will she forgive and forget?

These Precious Days - by Ann Patchett

This was a very enjoyable read, despite my reservations about the format. The essays are quite varied, but many of them are very personal and some quite emotional [spoiler: keep tissues on hand for the Epilogue]. Her quality of writing is outstanding. If she wrote a manual for a microwave oven, it would be a page turner. 

What I'm reading ...

I have started These Precious Days by Ann Patchett. I am not such a great fan of short stories and essays, but, as this author is a firm favourite, I decided to make an exception. Here’s the blurb:

Ranging from the personal – her portrait of the three men she called her fathers; how a chance encounter with Tom Hanks led to one of the most important friendships of her life; how to answer when someone asks why you don't have children – to the sublime – the unexpected influence of Snoopy; the importance of knitting; the pleasure to be found in children's books – each essay transforms the particular into the universal, letting us all see our own worlds anew.

The Midnight Library - by Matt Haig

First off, this is not a fantasy book at all. It is left to the reader to decide exactly what it is, but no suspension of belief is really needed. Phew!

It was a very enjoyable read - amusing and entertaining in places, but always thought provoking. The quality of writing kept me engaged and the story made me keep turning the pages.

I look forward to reading more of this author’s work.