What I'm reading ...

I wanted another substantial book to read before I move on to my next book club selection, so I have started, The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty. I read What Alice Forgot previously and enjoyed it, so I was interested in the author's other work. Here's the blurb:

Hypnotherapist Ellen is fascinated by what makes people tick. So when she falls in love with Patrick, the fact that he has a stalker doesn't faze her in the slightest. If anything it intrigues her, and the more she hears about Saskia, the more she wants to meet this woman. But what Ellen doesn't know is that they've already met . . .
Saskia has been posing as one of Ellen's clients. Unable to let go of the life she so abruptly lost, she wants to know everything about the woman who took her place. And the further she inches her way into Ellen's world, the more trouble she stirs up.
Ellen's love story is about to take an unexpected turn. But it's not only Saskia who doesn't know where to stop: Ellen also has to ask herself what lines she's prepared to cross to get the happy ending she's always wanted.

Jimmy Jazz - by Roddy Doyle

I wanted a quick read and have not read anything by Roddy Doyle for a while, so when Amazon offered this on Kindle for free, I grabbed it. Here's the blurb:

Jimmy Rabbitte hates jazz, always has. But his wife Aiofe loves it, and Jimmy loves Aiofe. So when, in attempt to convert him, she buys him two tickets for a Keith Jarrett concert he decides to take Outspan, former member of Jimmy's band The Commitments, who has come back into his life after a chance meeting in the cancer clinic. Jarrett is famous for being intolerant of any noise at all - a cough, a sneeze, a wheeze - from the audience, stopping playing and shaming the perpetrator. And Outspan's diagnosis is lung cancer, it's pretty bad, and he needs an oxygen cylinder to breathe properly.

It is a nice simple story, which is set up well, has a good definition of context and a nice subtle twist at the end. If I have a criticism, it is that Doyle could probably have made more of it than this short story.

Mars - by Ben Bova

This was a long book - about 550 pages - which I found a little daunting. However, I did not find reading it at all hard, as it is well paced and all the characters quite well defined. The story is sci fi, but it does not concentrate on the science and technology too much; the main story lines are around the people and their motivations and responses, along with the complex politics that is behind their mission. The story is exciting without finding the need to go off into the fantastical - no little green men, but events that would shake the world if the story were to come true. It is believable enough that I think it might just.

In any case, I look forward to reading the sequel in due course.

What I'm reading ...

I have started reading Mars by Ben Bova. I like a little sci fi from time to time and this author has a good reputation and the book is reputedly scientifically accurate. Here is the blurb:

Jamie Waterman is a young Navaho geologist who is picked for the ground team of the first manned expedition to Mars. He will be joining an international team of astronauts and scientists. But once the crew land on Mars, they soon discover they must battle not only the alien land on which they have invaded but earthbound bureaucrats as well. When they come face to face with a chasm ten times as deep and large as the Grand Canyon, all twenty-five astronauts must face the most shocking discovery of all...

Londoners - by Craig Taylor

I returned to this book - it was easy to dip out of and back into.

Overall, the book did what it said on the tin. Each of the contributions seems to be presented in something very close to their own words, with the author just setting the context. I felt that the views of such a diverse group of people painted a vivid picture of the city and made me think about and be aware of aspects of the city that had never occurred to me before.

State of Wonder - by Ann Patchett

This book is a straightforward read, which kept me turning the pages. The story is not unduly complex, with a single timeline, but does have some twists. I felt that the story, albeit a bit far fetched, was basically believable. The characters were not that clearly defined - at least, I did not get clear pictures in my mind.

Although the story had a neat enough ending, I was left wondering about some things. Why did she keep referring to him as "Mr. Fox", where other people did occasionally use his first name? Who was the father of Dr. Swenson's baby? Was there any result from Marina's love making?

In a way, it felt like the author was lining things up for a possible sequel, but I don't really think that would be a good idea.