What I'm reading ...

I have started Regeneration by Pat Barker.

Another book that I wouldn't have taken off the shelf, but for it being the next R4 Bookclub selection. It's set in WW1 and seems to be primarily concerned with the mental effects of warfare on the troops. I am unclear how much is fact and how much fiction, as two key characters are Siegfried Sassoon and Robert Graves. I don't know enough about them to be able to guess what might be factual.

Stargazing - by Peter Hill

This is a very "honest" book. It describes, in very accessible terms, the experiences of a young man learning about lighthouse keeping. Only once in a while does the author apply 20-20 hindsight to make an observation. It is perceptive and moving, but certainly not without a good amount of humour. My kind of book for sure and I recommend it to anyone. I am left with a feeling that I'd like to visit some of those lights and a sadness that he describes a lifestyle that is now past.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Stargazing by Peter Hill.

Like so much of my reading, I was led to this book by the radio. It was serialised on Radio 4 a while back. I heard some of it and that got my attention.

It is the autobiography of a guy who, while a student 30 years ago, signed up to be a lighthouse keeper.

How the Dead Live - by Will Self

I was reading this as it is October's Bookclub selection.

This was an easy enough read and was quite entertaining. There's lots of wordplay, which is fun. But I have trouble with the ideas of life after death. More importantly, I am sure that the book is full of metaphors and references which were quite wasted on me. Maybe I'm just not intellectual enough and should stick to more "straight" writing.

Lots of the little facts and references are interesting. For example, the word ghetto comes from the Italian borghetto, which means suburb - very telling.

I am, as always, infuriated by inaccuracies, which I see as damaging to an author's integrity. Here are a couple:

A reference to the John Hancock Center in Boston. I have been to Boston a few times and I have visited the John Hancock Center, but that was during a visit to Chicago. Wrong city.

There is a reference to "Chips drenched in ascorbic acid". This is rather unlikely, as ascorbic acid is vitamin C. Did he mean ascetic acid [i.e. vinegar]? That would make a bit more sense.

I could check these facts in moments; why couldn't the author. Or, again, is this a joke too subtle for me to understand?

Change the World for a Fiver: We Are What We Do

I heard about this book on the radio and bought it on impulse, as it caught my eye in the local book shop. It takes minutes to read, but it really could change your life. It made me smile and want to buy more copies ...

I'll quote from Amazon:

This book marks the launch of We Are What We Do, a national movement that aims to inspire people to use everyday actions to change the world. It has illustrations of 50 simple everyday actions presented with directness, whimsy and wit. This book has been produced on a gratis basis and any proceeds will go towards the development of the movement.

It does only cost just £5 - go buy a copy.