What I'm reading

I have started One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson. I wanted something to lose myself in and I feel safe in this author's hands, as I have enjoyed her previous books. Here's the blurb:

It is the Edinburgh Festival. People queuing for a lunchtime show witness a road-rage incident - an incident which changes the lives of everyone involved. Jackson Brodie, ex-army, ex-police, ex-private detective, is also an innocent bystander - until he becomes a suspect. With Case Histories, Kate Atkinson showed how brilliantly she could explore the crime genre and make it her own. In One Good Turn she takes her masterful plotting one step further. Like a set of Russian dolls each thread of the narrative reveals itself to be related to the last. Her Dickensian cast of characters are all looking for love or money and find it in surprising places. As ever with Atkinson what each one actually discovers is their true self.Unputdownable and triumphant, One Good Turn is a sharply intelligent read that is also percipient, funny, and totally satisfying.

God Collar - by Marcus Brigstocke

This book was, as I expected, an intelligent and very amusing consideration of what religion is all about, written in very much the way a stand-up comedian might deliver it. The author looks at what the major religions have to offer, but mainly investigates their shortcomings. He considers why religion/God is needed at all and how belief systems have evolved and fit into our world.

The book is also partly an autobiography, drawing upon the author's experiences and including lots of stories from his life. The most thought-provoking aspect is the observation that many people, who have addiction issues and overcome them, tend to find God. In the author's case, he then goes on lose God again, hence this book.

I found it an enjoyable read, that provided much food for thought. Putting over such big ideas, and making the reader think about them, is challenging, but the humorous style makes it painless.

What I'm reading

I have started God Collar by Marcus Brigstocke. It was time for some non-fiction, but I did not want anything too taxing. I have enjoyed hearing the author on the radio - he is extremely funny in a very intelligent way. I am interested in religion from an academic perspective, so this seemed like just the book for me.

The Girl Who Played with Fire - by Stieg Larsson

I was not disappointed with this book! It carries on neatly from the first one, but with a whole new thread. It kept me reading and it got harder and harder to put down. The story is complex, but the big challenge is keeping track of all the Swedish names.
By then end, I have arrived at various conclusions. At a certain level, it is the story of the love between two people, who will not admit it to themselves, let along to one another. The ending is a work of art. The story just stops, but you realise that all the loose ends have been tied up.
I have ordered the DVD of the (original, Swedish) movie and need to resist moving on to book #3 straight away. I feel very acutely the sadness that the world has lost such a gifted author.