What I'm reading ...

I am just about to start At Home by Bill Bryson. I have read some reviews and heard him discussing it on the radio this afternoon. The book is sub-titled "A short history of private life", which sums it up well. His goal is to write about social history from the perspective of how we use each of the rooms of our houses.

I have been a fan of Bryson's since I heard one of his early books serialized on the radio in the early 1990s. I believe that I have read all his books and I have met him a couple of times - once at a book signing, but earlier at a recording of the Bookclub radio programme. He is about the only author whose books I pre-order, unseen, in hardback when they are first announced. I am looking forward to diving into this one.

More Blood, More Sweat and Another Cup of Tea - by Tom Reynolds.

Having read the author's previous book - Blood, Sweat and Tea - and enjoyed it, I was keen to see the follow up. Like its predecessor, it is essentially a transcription of the guy's blog, with occasional update comments. The author works for the Ambulance Service in London and his blog is drawn from his everyday experiences. As such, there is really no beginning, middle and end - it just starts and eventually stops. This makes it very easy to dip into and read a little when convenient. This fits my lifestyle very well.

Overall I enjoyed the book. He is very much a people person and it is the little details of people's lives that fascinate him and which drive his writing. This is certainly an interest that I share. It is unfortunate that he often feels moved to comment on the shortcomings of the Ambulance Service and the NHS management. Generally, he is saddened by under-resourcing and too many arbitrary performance targets. He gives a lot of insight into how the service works and it would certainly influence my decision to dial 999 [or not].

I read this as an e-book and found that the format worked well for me. I will definitely be reading more books in this way, particularly if I am travelling.