23 Sept 2012

What I'm reading ...

I have started Fifty Shades Freed by E L James. Straight on to this book after the previous volume. Partly this is because of the cliffhanger at the end, but I also would like to get the series finished. Here's the blurb:

When Ana Steele first encountered the driven, damaged entrepreneur Christian Grey, it sparked a sensual affair that changed both their lives irrevocably. Ana always knew that loving her Fifty Shades would not be easy, and being together poses challenges neither of them had anticipated. Ana must learn to share Grey's opulent lifestyle without sacrificing her own integrity or independence; and Grey must overcome his compulsion to control and lay to rest the horrors that still haunt him. Now, finally together, they have love, passion, intimacy, wealth, and a world of infinite possibilities. But just when it seems that they really do have it all, tragedy and fate combine to make Ana's worst nightmares come true ...

Fifty Shades Darker - by E L James

My comments about this book would really be much the same as the last one. I surprise myself by observing that the sex in this book is raher boring... At least it kept me reading. At the end, there is a kind of cliff hanger that makes me want to go on to book #3 straight away.

14 Sept 2012

What I'm reading

I have started Fifty Shades Darker by E L James. Having enjoyed the first volume I was interested in knowing how the story progressed. With some travel ahead of me, finishing the trilogy makes sense.

12 Sept 2012

Heaven's Shadow - by Michael Cassutt and David S Goyer

This book takes place in the near future, so the human technology is very familiar and it gives a mostly optimistic view of life on Earth. The aliens are indeed very alien - a long way from little green men. I was concerned that my credibility might have been stretched initially, but I got carried along with the story. As far as I could tell, the science behind the story had been quite well researched. The book has an ending, but it was slightly anticlimactic. There is another book by the same authors with a similar title, which I guess is a sexual - I guess I'll read it ...

11 Sept 2012

What I'm reading

I thought it would be interesting to read some sci fi (on holiday), so I have started Heaven's Shadow by Michael Cassutt and David S Goyer. Here's the blurb:

Heaven’s Shadow begins with the discovery of an object of unknown origin headed toward Earth. Speculation as to what it might be runs high, and leads to an international competition to be the first to land on it, to claim both the prestige and whatever other benefits there might be. Thus, two rival teams of astronauts begin a thrilling and dangerous race – but what they find when they reach their goal will turn out to be unlike anything they could have imagined . . . What they have landed on is no asteroid but a spacecraft from a civilization that has travelled tens of thousands of years to reach earth. While the team try to work out what it is they are needed for, more sinister occurrences cause them to wonder if their involvement with this alien race will lead to anything but harm for humanity.

Into The Arena : The World of the Spanish Bullfight - by Alexander Fiske-Harrison

Although I do not have a specific interest in bullfighting, I thought that this book might inform me enough for me to have a valid opinion. Here is the blurb:

This was a good read, with a brisk that kept me on board. The author gives what I thought was a very balanced account of what bullfighting is all about. Although basically in favour of it himself, he did present some of the views of the opposition and admitted occasional doubts himself. A couple of interesting bits:

On politicians:
When asked "Is your party going to raise income tax on low earners after the next election?" they will reply "Our party is committed to proper funding of the welfare state." Which is equivalent to answering "Are you in favour of crusifixion?" with "We have as party always believed in good carpentry."

On danger:
A modern rifle bullet has around 500 calories of kinetic energy. A bull has about 2000 calories of energy, divided over two horns.