What I'm reading ...

I have started Great-Uncle Harry by Michael Palin. This was serialised on the radio and I heard a bit and it intrigued me. I prefer to read, so I got the book. The author has been around on TV for most of my life, so he feels like an old friend. I am sure that I will hear his voice as I read. Here’s the blurb:

From the time, many years ago, when Michael Palin first heard that his grandfather had a brother, Harry, who died in tragic circumstances, he was determined to find out more about him.

The quest that followed involved hundreds of hours of painstaking detective work. Michael dug out every bit of family gossip and correspondence he could. He studied every relevant official document. He tracked down what remained of his great-uncle Harry's diaries and letters, and pored over photographs of First World War battle scenes to see whether Harry appeared in any of them. He walked the route Harry took on that fatal, final day of his life amid the mud of northern France. And as he did so, a life that had previously existed in the shadows was revealed to him.

Great-Uncle Harry is an utterly compelling account of an ordinary man who led an extraordinary life. A blend of biography, history, travelogue and personal memoir this is Michael Palin at his very finest.

The Humans - by Matt Haig

The blurb for this book gives very little clue to what it is all about and what to expect. My previous experience of the author’s work is what drove me to read it. Initially, it appears to be sci fi or fantasy and I suppose it is just that. However, it is so much more than that. The book is an insightful look at what it is to be human from a very different perspective. It is well written with well drawn characters and tells the story with not a little humour. At the end, there are some author’s notes that explain how he came to write the book and these are as interesting as the story itself.

Once again, I look forward to more of Haig’s work.

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.