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”.