What I'm reading

Time for some non-fiction again. This time a science book: Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape the Universe by Martin J. Rees. When I first saw the details of this book, I thought it was about numbers like pi and e. But actually it is about some values of cosmological constants that determine the form of our Universe from the sub-atomically tiny scale to the huge dimensions of intergalactic space.

War Horse - by Michael Morpurgo

I read this book quite quickly. Maybe the low reading age helped, but I was also moved along by the pace of the book.

The story is about a horse that is plucked from rural England and used in the battlefields of World War 1. What is interesting is that it is told exclusively from the horse's viewpoint. Somehow the author did this without me having the feeling that he was anthropomorphising the creature. The story is a little sentimental, but not unrealistic. As I have faith in the author's integrity, I am confident that I learned a bit about the war and the world at that time.

All in all, a story with a beginning a middle and an end, which leaves me very keen to go to see the well spoken of dramatisation.

What I'm reading

I have started War Horse by Michael Morpurgo. I was inspired to get it as I have heard a lot about the successful show in London. It is listed as a children's book (age 9-12), but IMHO good writing is good writing and the author has an excellent reputation. It is quite short and should not take me long. I am reading it as a Kindle e-book on my iPad.

Memoirs Of A Not So Dutiful Daughter - by Jenni Murray

There are numerous ways to structure an autobiography, but most writers go for the obvious, chronological approach. This book is different. She writes about a year in her life, with each chapter covering a month - a very challenging year in which she faces the deaths of both her parents and her own diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer. She uses this chronology as a vehicle to introduce "flashbacks" that cover her earlier life. Somehow this just works.

The book is written in a clear, straightforward - perhaps journalistic - way, which makes it quite easy to read. But there is much sensitivity and emotion in the words. For me, a lot was close to home: chemotherapy, the death of a loved one and encounters with a care home and a hospice.

It kept me reading to the end and I think a lot of the story will stick with me.

What I'm reading

I have started Memoirs Of A Not So Dutiful Daughter by Jenni Murray. I enjoy biographies, autobiographies particularly, and the author is a very familiar voice to me, as I hear her on the radio several times every week. This does not promise to be an easy or jolly read, but I look forward to it nevertheless. I am reading it as an e-book on my iPad.

The Glassblower of Murano - by Marina Fiorato

At last, I have read a book in a sensible time. I achieved this in two ways: I was travelling on business last week and that leads to plenty of "dead time" [on aircraft etc.]; I have developed a habit of setting aside a little "reading time" each day. The latter is an obvious thing to do, but somehow it had eluded me before.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It is well written with enough pace to keep me turning pages right to the end. It is two, parallel, linked stories. Essentially it is about Leonora, who, after her divorce, goes to Venice to try to make her career in glass blowing and look into her family history. The parallel story is a few hundred years ago and is about her ancestor, Corradino, and that mirrors Leonora's voyage of discovery. I have no idea to what extent, if any, the story is based upon historical facts. I need to check up on that. The book would make an interesting movie.

Apart from being set in a fascinating city - Venice - the book brings together two interests of mine. I am learning Italian, so the frequent language references were interesting. Much I could understand or figure out from context, but I still made lots of notes and "dog ears" - so easy to do with a e-book. I have been on a couple of glass blowing classes, so that side of the story interested me. In fact, I just got a copy of the book for a friend who attended one of the classes with me, as I think she will enjoy it. I was intrigued by references to Corradino using his bare hands to work the glass and, thus, smoothing the skin on this fingers, so he left no fingerprints.

What I'm reading

I have started The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato. Time to read another novel, I thought. This was among a bunch of Kindle e-books that I got at a bargain price. As I started to read it, I realised that it brings together two interests of mine: Italian language (which is scatted throughout) and glass blowing. I am reading on my iPad, of course.