What I'm reading ...

I decided it was time for something serious, but not too heavy. Biography is a good bet. So I have started Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman by James Gleick. This should feed my interest in science too. Here's the blurb:

An illuminating portrayal of Richard Feynman—a giant of twentieth century physics—from his childhood tinkering with radios, to his vital work on the Manhattan Project and beyond
Raised in Depression-era Rockaway Beach, physicist Richard Feynman was irreverent, eccentric, and childishly enthusiastic—a new kind of scientist in a field that was in its infancy. His quick mastery of quantum mechanics earned him a place at Los Alamos working on the Manhattan Project under J. Robert Oppenheimer, where the giddy young man held his own among the nation’s greatest minds. There, Feynman turned theory into practice, culminating in the Trinity test, on July 16, 1945, when the Atomic Age was born. He was only twenty-seven. And he was just getting started.
In this sweeping biography, James Gleick captures the forceful personality of a great man, integrating Feynman’s work and life in a way that is accessible to laymen and fascinating for the scientists who follow in his footsteps.

The Accidental Apprentice - by Vikas Swarup

This is a fairly long and complex book, but it is quite coherent, so I enjoyed the ride. I am interested in life in India and I guess this gave me a different perspective. The characters are well described, so I had clear pictures of them in my head. My only challenge was handling some of the Indian names, which can sound similar. The book also has a proper ending, with some interesting twists, which did not feel rushed. Along with being entertaining, the book is also thought provoking, which is a bonus.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Accidental Apprentice by Vikas Swarup. I got this book because I heard some of it serialized on the radio and it sounded interesting. I was after some creative fiction to read next. Here's the blurb:

In life you never get what you deserve: you get what you negotiate…
What would you do if, out of the blue, a billionaire industrialist decided to make you the CEO of his company? No prior business experience necessary. There is only one catch: you need to pass seven tests from the 'textbook of life'.
This is the offer made to Sapna Sinha, an ordinary salesgirl in an electronics boutique in downtown Delhi, by Vinay Mohan Acharya, one of India's richest men.
Thus begins the most challenging journey of Sapna's life, one that will test her character, her courage and her capabilities. Along the way she encounters a host of memorable personalities, from a vain Bollywood superstar to a kleptomaniac Gandhian. At stake is a business empire worth ten billion dollars, and the future she has always dreamt of. But are the seven tests for real or is Acharya playing a deeper game, one driven by a perverse fantasy?

More Fool Me - by Stephen Fry

I was looking forward to reading this book, having enjoyed the previous two volumes. However, I would rate the experience as just "OK". Fry is a very intelligent, creative guy, but that is not particularly apparent in this book. The main problem is that there is little new material. The first part of the book was a summary of the previous two, which I felt was redundant. A large part of the rest of the book was the verbatim text of his diary that he wrote in the 1990s. All in all, the work appears unstructured and very lazily put together. But I guess I'll still end up reading volume 4 ...

What I'm reading ...

I have started More Fool Me by Stephen Fry. After reading a longish novel, I needed something different and biography is a good option. I have read the previous two volumes, so when this was published (at a good price on Kindle), I had to get it. Here's the blurb:

In his early thirties, Stephen Fry - writer, comedian, star of stage and screen - had, as they say, 'made it'. Much loved in A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Blackadder and Jeeves and Wooster, author of a critically acclaimed and bestselling first novel, The Liar, with a glamorous and glittering cast of friends, he had more work than was perhaps good for him.
What could possibly go wrong?
Then, as the 80s drew to a close, he discovered a most enjoyable way to burn the candle at both ends, and took to excess like a duck to breadcrumbs. Writing and recording by day, and haunting a never ending series of celebrity parties, drinking dens, and poker games by night, in a ludicrous and impressive act of bravado, he fooled all those except the very closest to him, some of whom were most enjoyably engaged in the same dance.
He was - to all intents and purposes - a high functioning addict. Blazing brightly and partying wildly as the 80s turned to the 90s, AIDS became an epidemic and politics turned really nasty, he was so busy, so distracted by the high life, that he could hardly see the inevitable, headlong tumble that must surely follow . . .
Containing raw, electric extracts from his diaries of the time, More Fool Me is a brilliant, eloquent account by a man driven to create and to entertain - revealing a side to him he has long kept hidden.

The Cuckoo's Calling - by Robert Galbraith

This was just what a detective novel should be like - a complex story, with lots of threads (but not so many that you get lost) and details. The characters are well drawn and, although there are quite a few, again I was never lost. I was quickly engaged with the story quite quickly and keen to get to know Strike. It was soon unputdownable. The pace through the story was just right and the ending was not rushed. I look forward to reading further books in this series (we have the next one - I hope there'll be more).

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith. I fancied something different that I could bury myself in and this came recommended. Here's the blurb:

The Cuckoo's Calling is a 2013 crime fiction novel by J. K. Rowling, published under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.
When a troubled model falls to her death from a snow-covered Mayfair balcony, it is assumed that she has committed suicide. However, her brother has his doubts, and calls in private investigator Cormoran Strike to look into the case. 
A war veteran, wounded both physically and psychologically, Strike's life is in disarray. The case gives him a financial lifeline, but it comes at a personal cost: the more he delves into the young model's complex world, the darker things get - and the closer he gets to terrible danger . . . 

Twelve Years a Slave - by Solomon Northup

When I first started this book, I thought that I would find the language style troublesome, as it is written in US Victorian English. However, after a few dozen pages, I became attuned to it and no longer noticed. 

It is quite a short book and, to be honest, has quite a simple story. But that misses the point of the book, which is really to document the plight of slaves in the American South, the attitude of their owners (and the white people in general) and the unfortunate circumstances under which the likes of the author could find themselves thus subjugated. 

The author paints a very vivid picture of his experiences and of the people and places around him. Having seen the movie, this was quite familiar to me. Some of the scenes of severe cruelty - like Patsy's beating - are very harrowing to read. However, what I found more shocking was the attitudes of the owners, who regarded the slaves as, literally, livestock. They seemingly could not empathise with them as human beings at all. This seems so ironic in a country that prided itself (still does) on its citizens' inalienable right to life liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 

What I'm reading ...

I have started Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup - my next book club book. Having seen the movie a while back, it will be interesting to see how they compare. Here is the blurb:

12 Years a Slave is a riveting true account of a free man captured and sold into slavery in the pre–Civil War South. Solomon Northup’s narrative explores one of the darkest times in American history and captures in vivid detail the unimaginable realities of slavery.
In 1841, the educated musician Solomon Northup, a free man living in New York who is cruelly deceived by the promise of a job in Washington, is drugged, kidnapped, and sold into slavery. Once Solomon arrives in New Orleans, he is given a slave name and soon realizes that any mention of his rights as a free man is sure to bring cruel punishment or death. Denied his freedom and ripped away from his family, he spends twelve emotionally and physically gruelling years on a Louisiana cotton plantation enduring the hardships and brutalities of life as a slave. When Solomon eventually finds a sympathizing friend, a daring rescue is attempted that could either end in Solomon’s death or restore his freedom and reunite him with his family.
When Solomon Northup published this harrowing account of slavery in 1853, it immediately stirred up controversy in the national debate over slavery, helping to sway public opinion in favour of abolition. His book 12 Years a Slave remains one of the most insightful, detailed, and eloquent depictions of slavery in America. It demonstrates the extraordinary resilience of one man’s spirit in the face of extreme suffering and his incredible will to survive.

The Spa Decameron - by Fay Weldon

I was warned, when I started this book, that it would be rather feminist. Be that as it may, it was a good read. I thought that it was an interesting ploy - using the spa stay over Christmas as a framework into which a set of short stories could be packaged. This also gave the author the opportunity to write in a number of voices, which was interesting. Some of the stories were more credible than others, but they all kept me turning the pages. Normally, I find short stories rather unsatisfying. 

A particular aspect of the writer's style appealed to me: she seems to go into intricate detail in places, but leave holes for the reader to fill in others. So the text never becomes clumsily verbose or annoyingly sparse. I will certainly come back to Fay Weldon in the future.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Spa Decameron by Fay Weldon. Another fiction book, like the last, which is also by a very well renowned author, but I believe that the similarity will end there. Here's the blurb:

Ten high achieving ladies are gathered together in the week between Christmas and the New Year, at the expensive Castle Spa, seeking, through Botox, aromatherapy and general all round pampering, a new beginning to their lives.The Ladies lounge around in the Jacuzzi, drinking champagne and eating chocolate telling each other the stories of their lives. Starting with the Trophy wife's tale: her spell in a Greek prison has left her in serious need of a makeover; the Brain Surgeon's tale: of twins and mistaken identity; the Judge's tale: of the sex change which allowed him to judge the pleasures of the bedchamber from both male and female perspectives. The manicurist, the public speaker, the journalist, the company director, the ex vicar's wife, the screenwriter, all share their stories, ending with the stepmother's tale, a reversal of Cinderella's fate, with the stepmother as victim… Sparkling, witty, always compassionate and occasionally libidinous, Fay Weldon's new novel recalls Boccaccio's late medieval masterwork, The Decameron. Boccaccio dedicated his book to the ladies of his time, who were forced to hide their amorous passions under a veil of discretion, while men were free to indulge theirs.

The Kite Runner - by Khaled Hosseini

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is well paced and beautifully written. The author's ability to describe a scene, a situation or how a person is feeling is amazing. Even though I had seen dramatised version while I was reading and, hence, knew what was coming later, I continued to be eager to read on. Will I read more work by this author? Definitely.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, which is my next book club selection. I am also about to see the dramatised version at the theatre. I have no idea whether seeing this before I have read the book is good or not. Here's the blurb:

Afghanistan, 1975: Twelve-year-old Amir is desperate to win the local kite-fighting tournament and his loyal friend Hassan promises to help him. But neither of the boys can foresee what will happen to Hassan that afternoon, an event that is to shatter their lives. After the Russians invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realises that one day he must return to Afghanistan under Taliban rule to find the one thing that his new world cannot grant him: redemption.

Only When I Laugh: My Autobiography - by Paul Merton

I started Only When I Laugh: My Autobiography by Paul Merton as I wanted some light reading after the previous epic book and thought that this would fit the bill. Here's the blurb:

Known for his intelligent and often surreal humour, Paul Merton's weekly appearances on BBC1's Have I Got News For You - as well as Radio 4's Just A Minute and his travel documentaries - have seen him become an artfully rebellious fixture in our lives for over 25 years.
He also has a real story to tell. In ONLY WHEN I LAUGH, his rich and beautifully-observed autobiography, Paul takes us on an evocative journey from his working-class Fulham childhood to the present day.
Whether writing about school days, his run-ins with the nuns and other pupils; his disastrous first confession; his meatpacking job; taking acid; leaving home to live in bedsit; his early brushes with the opposite sex - and not forgetting his repeated attempts to break into the world of comedy - Paul's writing is always funny, poignant and revealing. And when his star finally ascends in the atmospherically drawn 1980s alternative cabaret scene there is a sense of excitement, energy, camaraderie, momentum and dramatic impending success.
And then CRASH! In an unflinching and brilliantly written section that defines the book, we experience the disorienting and terrifying sustained manic episode that he suffered which landed him in the Maudesley hospital. These, and other tougher moments, are written about candidly and with sensitivity and honesty.

As with many biographies of people who have lived through recent times, I enjoyed reading a different viewpoint on various events that I remember. In talking about his life, Merton paints a good background, particularly about the show business, radio and TV worlds in which he moved. Having been very familiar with his TV and radio persona, it was good to learn about the "real" man. I did feel that it was written quite honestly. His account of his mental problems and his stay in a psychiatric hospital was particularly enlightening.

The Bone Clocks - by David Mitchell

This book, as expected, took a while. But 2 hours on a train and a 10 hour flight meant that I could read the second half - 300 pages - more or less in one sitting. However, a well structured and thought out large book is rewarding to read and this one made the grade.

The story is very complex, with lots of characters and events, multiple viewpoints and numerous interconnections that are quite a stretch to keep tabs on. Unusually, the story is essentially a single timeline, which helps. The initial part of the story is historic, then contemporary and is mostly "normal" with only small fantasy components. As it moves into the future, the fantastical parts are more dominant and fully explained. The last part of the book, in the more distant future, describes a somewhat distopian, but, to me, sadly realistic world.

Overall I enjoyed the book because the characters were well drawn and the story made sense, having a beginning, a middle and an end. I am not really certain that all the fantasy stuff needed to be explained thoroughly. In a way, the war between the Horologists and the Anchorites was rather "Doctor Who". I also never quite saw where The Script fitted in.

A small concern is about the author's integrity. I expect a lot from writers and expect them to have done their homework, finding silly errors annoying. For example, there is a reference to CD-R and CD-RW in the early 2020s; this terminology is rather anachronistic even now in 2014. Elsewhere there is a note about a barn owl hooting. It is tawny owls that hoot; barn owls screech. But I'm being picky ...

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell. This was on the long list for the Booker Prize, which brought it to my attention. Sadly it did not make the shortlist. However, I enjoy the author's work and he used to live in the area near my home. I am daunted by the 600 pages, but I do have a couple of long flights coming up. Here is the blurb:

One drowsy summer's day in 1984, teenage runaway Holly Sykes encounters a strange woman who offers a small kindness in exchange for 'asylum'. Decades will pass before Holly understands exactly what sort of asylum the woman was seeking . . .
The Bone Clocks follows the twists and turns of Holly's life from a scarred adolescence in Gravesend to old age on Ireland's Atlantic coast as Europe's oil supply dries up - a life not so far out of the ordinary, yet punctuated by flashes of precognition, visits from people who emerge from thin air and brief lapses in the laws of reality. For Holly Sykes - daughter, sister, mother, guardian - is also an unwitting player in a murderous feud played out in the shadows and margins of our world, and may prove to be its decisive weapon.

Stoner: A Novel - by John Williams

I enjoyed reading this book. It reads somewhat like a biography in that it tells the story of Stoner's life, which, in itself is not that exciting; there are no dramatic incidents or thrilling adventures which can make a book unputdownable. But I was always happy to return to reading and found the pace just right. I quickly engaged with the characters - even if I did not necessarily like or empathize with them - and I wanted to know how things turned out for him.

Some of the descriptive writing I found to be really skilled and evocative. The ending of the book - the ending of Stoner's life - was particularly well handled; it was neither rushed nor drawn out. I was intrigued [and, I suppose, amused] by the way Stoner started out thinking that his English lecturer [Archer Sloane] was weird and eccentric, but, later in life, he was almost exactly the same.

What I'm reading ...

Time for a more serious read and my next book club book. I have started Stoner: A Novel by John Williams. Here's the blurb:

William Stoner enters the University of Missouri at nineteen to study agriculture. Later, he becomes a teacher. He marries the wrong woman. His life is quiet, and after his death his colleagues remember him rarely.
Yet with truthfulness, compassion and intense power, this novel uncovers a story of universal value. Stoner tells of the conflicts, defeats and victories of the human race that pass unrecorded by history, and reclaims the significance of an individual life. A reading experience like no other, itself a paean to the power of literature, it is a novel to be savoured.

William The Fourth - by Richmal Crompton

As expected, this was an easy read that took no time at all. I enjoyed reading these stories again, being reminded that William was not a bad person. He almost always wanted to do the right thing and to help people, but was a bit misguided and, as a result of a combination of naivety and bad luck, tended to cause mayhem.

I suppose the book is now anachronistic - the world has moved on a lot since it was first published. The core of the stories is still good, as human nature has not changed at all. But the context is now very unfamiliar.

What I'm reading ...

I have started William The Fourth by Richmal Crompton. This is my next book club book - we thought it might be interesting to revisit one of the books that several of us had read many years ago. Here's the blurb:

There is only one Just William. The loveable imp and his band of Outlaws have been harassing his unfortunate family and delighting hundreds of thousands of readers for years. Here William invents a water race where competitors have to run with a mouth full of water, without swallowing it or spitting it out. It's just a shame he doesn't have time to think before speaking to (and drenching!) Mrs Adolphus Crane during the race!

Little Lies - by Liane Moriarty

After enjoying the author's previous books, I had high expectations of this one. I was not disappointed. I think it may be her best yet. 

The book is quite long at 450 pages, but the pace is just right, with modest length chapters. From the very start, we are told that a murder has been committed, but we do not know the victim or the perpetrator; this is not revealed until right near the end of the book. The tension builds up steadily, which meant that I read the last 100 or so pages at a sitting.

I guessed at the twist in the story, which meant that I thought I knew who the victim was (and I was right), but I still didn't know the identity of the murderer. This definitely did not spoil anything for me.

The end of the book is tied up neatly, with no loose ends or doubts. It also did not feel rushed, as seems to be the case with many books nowadays.

Overall it is a well written story, which looks at lots of modern issues: bullying, domestic violence and middle class hypocrisy are all addressed.

I look forward to the next book from Liane Moriarty.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. I have enjoy three previous books by this author and this is her latest, so I am looking forward to it. Here's the blurb:

Jane hasn't lived anywhere longer than six months since her son was born five years ago. She keeps moving in an attempt to escape her past. Now the idyllic seaside town of Pirriwee has pulled her to its shores and Jane finally feels like she belongs. She has friends in the feisty Madeline and the incredibly beautiful Celeste - two women with seemingly perfect lives . . . and their own secrets behind closed doors.
But then a small incident involving the children of all three women occurs in the playground causing a rift between them and the other parents of the school. Minor at first but escalating fast, until whispers and rumours become vicious and spiteful. It was always going to end in tears, but no one thought it would end in murder . . .

The Magic of Reality: How we know what's really true - by Richard Dawkins

This is a really excellent book on the basics of science - or at least it covers many aspects of the world where science has a clear explanation. The author contrasts the myths that have been used to explain things and then looks at the hard facts and puts them in context. I enjoyed the stories. Most of the science I understood quite well, but still learned some nuggets. I also really enjoyed how Dawkins explained much of the stuff, which will help me when I am trying to do the same thing.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Magic of Reality: How we know what's really true by Richard Dawkins. Time for some non-fiction. This was recommended by a friend. As I am a fan/follower of Dawkins, I thought I would give it a go.  Here's the blurb:

Magic takes many forms. The ancient Egyptians explained the night by suggesting that the goddess Nut swallowed the sun. The Vikings believed a rainbow was the gods' bridge to earth. These are magical, extraordinary tales. But there is another kind of magic, and it lies in the exhilaration of discovering the real answers to these questions. It is the magic of reality - science.
Packed with inspiring explanations of space, time and evolution, laced with humour and clever thought experiments, The Magic of Reality explores a stunningly wide range of natural phenomena. What is stuff made of? How old is the universe? What causes tsunamis? Who was the first man, or woman? This is a page-turning, inspirational detective story that not only mines all the sciences for its clues but primes the reader to think like a scientist too.

The Maltese Falcon - by Dashiell Hammett

I found this book rather hard work. It is very much of its time, having been written nearly a century ago. The behaviour of the characters seems very odd by today's standards. The story is reasonably coherent, but there does not seem to be very much to it. It is very much in the old-fashioned detective story style, where everything is explained at the end instead of the reader having the opportunity to glean understanding as they go along. It seemed to me that several opportunities were missed. Some more discussion of why the bird was considered so valuable would have been good. At the end of the story, there were several opportunities for nice twists [like the appearance of a non-fake falcon], but these were missed.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. This is my next book club selection. I was surprised to find that, although the title is very well known, I would not have been able to name the author. I was irritated to find that it was not available on Kindle, so bought a second hand paper copy. Then I found that I could download an electronic version that I could read on my iPad. Here's the blurb:

Sam Spade is hired by the fragrant Miss Wonderley to track down her sister, who has eloped with a louse called Floyd Thursby. But Miss Wonderley is in fact the beautiful and treacherous Brigid O¿Shaughnessy, and when Spade's partner Miles Archer is shot while on Thursby's trail, Spade finds himself both hunter and hunted: can he track down the jewel-encrusted bird, a treasure worth killing for, before the Fat Man finds him?

The Public Confessions of a Middle-Aged Woman by Sue Townsend

As expected, this was an enjoyable, undemanding read. Each chapter is a stand-alone essay, so it is easy to pick up and put down. Many of the pieces made me smile, but others were quite thought provoking. I had quite forgotten about the author's quality of writing. The material all dates back to the 1990s, so, in some ways it is dated, but I did not feel that this diminished it in any way - it is simply "of its time".

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Public Confessions of a Middle-Aged Woman: (Aged 55 2/3) by Sue Townsend. I wanted some light reading and this author, who sadly died recently, has never failed to deliver. Here's the blurb:

Enter the world of Susan Lilian Townsend - sun-worshippers, work-shy writers, garden-centre lovers and those in search of a good time all welcome. Over the last decade, Sue Townsend has written a monthly column for Sainsbury's Magazine, which covers everything from hosepipe bans and Spanish restaurants to writer's block and the posh middle-aged woman she once met who'd never heard of Winnie-the-Pooh. Collected together now for the first time, they form a set of pieces from one of Britain's most popular and acclaimed writers that is funny, perceptive and touching.

Hideous Creatures - by S E Lister

I enjoyed reading this book. It has a good pace, that kept me turning the pages, and the descriptions of people, places and events are very vivid. In common with many - perhaps most - modern novels, this story is told using multiple timelines. It starts near the end of the time period covered by the book, then we are taken to the time when Authur travelled to and arrived in America and started his life there. In due course, we are taken back further to Authur's childhood up to his leaving England. I do question whether a simpler beginning to end approach might be better?

As I do not generally read fantasy, maybe I am not good at suspending belief. Perhaps this is why I have a number of nagging questions, which I felt were not addressed in the book (or I was not smart enough to see the explanations):

• What was it exactly that Shelo did to/for all those people?
• What really happened in the Governor's bedchamber? And why?
• Was Shelo dead?
• Why was Arthur so dismissive of the idea of sex?
• How did Arthur know that heading into a cave and swimming in a water course was wise and would lead somewhere sensible? And how did he get to meet Lucas? This is all a bit fuzzy in my mind. Maybe that's just me.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Hideous Creatures by S E Lister. This is another "fantasy" book. Although I normally like to swap genres with each new book, I thought it might be interesting to read two back to back, particularly as the author of this book has been compared with that of the last. I discover books in various ways, but is one is unusual, as it was recommended to my by the author's father, with whom I am acquainted through our mutual interesting photography. As a proud father myself, I knew where he was coming from. Here's the blurb:

Arthur Hallingham is the youngest son of an English earl. He’s on the run from his former life – from a family where painful, half-understood secrets lurk. Arthur travels on a slave ship to America, hoping to lose himself amidst the teeming squalor and vaulting ambitions of the New World. Before long he meets Flora, the tough daughter of an outlaw, and Shelo, a native medicine man with mysterious powers who seems to have a plan for him. The three set off on a journey through the thick forests and along the wide rivers of the lush southern wilderness. As they near their destination, Shelo’s terrible and destructive purpose is gradually revealed. Hideous Creatures is a rich, beautiful and compelling novel that will appeal to readers of Audrey Niffenegger and Neil Gaiman, by a young debut author destined for literary stardom.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane - by Neil Gaiman

As I have said before, I am wary of "fantasy" books and approached this one with reservations. However, only a short way into the book, impossible things began to occur, or, at least, be hinted at, and I was OK with that. I was quite surprised by the extent to which I could suspend my disbelief. 

The first line of the first chapter (which is always supposed to be pivotal) drew me in immediately: "Nobody came to my seventh birthday party."

I think the book is very well written in a plain, accessible style, which found easy going. There was enough pace to the story to keep me coming back for more. Notwithstanding the simple form of much of the writing, I felt that the descriptions of people, places and events were very vivid.

At the end of the book I realized that the narrator (I don't think we ever get to hear his name) still has part of the "wormhole" (a good old sci Fi term) inside him. Is that a possible thread for a sequal?

Overall, a good read and I would be interested to loom at more of the author's work.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. I am not sure about fantasy books, but it is my next book club book and won the Guardian book of the year award in 2013. Here is the blurb:

It began for our narrator forty years ago when the family lodger stole their car and committed suicide in it, stirring up ancient powers best left undisturbed. Dark creatures from beyond the world are on the loose, and it will take everything our narrator has just to stay alive: there is primal horror here, and menace unleashed - within his family and from the forces that have gathered to destroy it.
His only defense is three women, on a farm at the end of the lane. The youngest of them claims that her duckpond is an ocean. The oldest can remember the Big Bang.

The Chimp Paradox - by Steve Peters

In summary, I would say that this book delivered on its promises. The Chimp Mind Management Model is quite straightforward to understand and the author's descriptions of how it relates to numerous everyday situations all make complete sense. This analogy is fine, but I felt slightly overwhelmed by all the other analogies that are introduced [e.g. planets and moons etc.], but felt that I did not necessarily need to embrace all of these to gain benefit from the book. I think that this is a book which has implanted some ideas into my brain that will stay with me. I am likely to return to it in the future.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Chimp Paradox by Steve Peters. It was time for some non-fiction and this came recommended. I am reading it at the same time as other members of my family. Here's the blurb:

The Chimp Paradox is an incredibly powerful mind management model that can help you become a happy, confident, healthier and more successful person. Prof Steve Peters explains the struggle that takes place within your mind and then shows how to apply this understanding to every area of your life so you can:
- Recognise how your mind is working
- Understand and manage your emotions and thoughts
- Manage yourself and become the person you would like to be
The Chimp Mind Management Model is based on scientific facts and principles, which have been simplified into a workable model for easy use. It will help you to develop yourself and give you the skills, for example, to remove anxiety, have confidence and choose your emotions. The book will do this by giving you an understanding of the way in which your mind works and how you can manage it. It will also help you to identify what is holding you back or preventing you from having a happier and more successful life.
Each chapter explains different aspects of how you function and highlights key facts for you to understand. There are also exercises for you to work with. By undertaking these exercises you will see immediate improvements in your daily living and, over time, you will develop emotional skills and practical habits that will help you to become the person that you want to be, and live the life that you want to live.

The Year of the Flood - by Margaret Atwood

This is quite a long, somewhat complex book, with a great many characters and it is told from the viewpoint, though in the third person, of two of them. This all fits together very coherently and I was never lost or particularly confused. The book hooked me in quite quickly and I was soon turning the pages wanting to know where it was going. The dystopian world seems bleak, but not without hope. I was intrigued by the hint of it being in the fairly near future - I'm guessing 2050 or thereabouts - as technology has moved on, but is not unrecognizable.

Someone told me that it is part 2 of a trilogy. I think it is more accurate to say that there is a set of 3 books, all set in the same "universe" and featuring some of the same characters. I am highly motivated to read the other too before long.

Overall, I greatly admired the quality of writing; for me, the author living up to her reputation. I will transcribe a short passage in illustration:

According to Adam One, the Fall of Man was multidimensional. The ancestral primates fell out of the trees; then they fell from vegetarianism to meat-eating. Then they fell from instinct to reason, and thus into technology; from simple signals into complex grammar, and thus into humanity; from firelessness into fire, and thence into weaponry; and from seasonal mating into an incessant sexual twitching. Then they fell from a joyous life in the moment into the anxious contemplation of the vanished past and the distant future.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood. This is my next book club book. I have read some of the author's work before, but not for many years. It is quite a big book, but an initial glance suggests that it will not be a struggle. Here's the blurb:

The sun brightens in the east, reddening the blue-grey haze that marks the distant ocean. The vultures roosting on the hydro poles fan out their wings to dry them. the air smells faintly of burning. The waterless flood – a manmade plague – has ended the world.
But two young women have survived: Ren, a young dancer trapped where she worked, in an upmarket sex club (the cleanest dirty girls in town); and Toby, who watches and waits from her rooftop garden. Is anyone else out there?

Outliers: The Story of Success - by Malcolm Gladwell

An excellent book which is full of interesting information and ideas.  I learned lots of things and found much food for thought. Ultimately it boils down to considering a person's background - the environment in which they were raised and where their family came from. These factors give so many clues to their likely success in life.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. It was time for some non-fiction and I was recommended this book quite some time ago. Recently I spotted it on a friend's bookshelf, which reminded me about it. Then, in the last few days, I met the person who originally recommended it. So its time has come. Here's the blurb:

Why do some people achieve so much more than others? Can they lie so far out of the ordinary? In his provocative and inspiring book, Malcolm Gladwell looks at everyone from rock stars to professional athletes, software billionaires to scientific geniuses, to show that the story of success is far more surprising, and more fascinating, than we could ever have imagined. He reveals that it's as much about where we're from and what we do, as who we are - and that no one, not even a genius, ever makes it alone.Outliers will change the way you think about your own life story, and about what makes us all unique. Like Blink, this is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.

Cover her Face - by P D James

The first thing that struck me about this book was its age. It was published just over 50 years ago and is set contemporaneously. It is of its time, but I felt not "past its sell by date". It is a classic murder mystery with a complex web of intrigue and multiple sub-plots. Just about every character seems to have a dark secret, so there are plenty of red herrings. I did not guess the perpetrator of the crime before the "big reveal" at the end [Dalgliesh brings everyone together for a theatrical summing up - just like Police do in real life :-)].

I enjoyed the book and found it easy enough to read. Wanting to know what happened kept me turning the pages. I am not sure that I am totally comfortable with the arbitrary viewpoint approach - we are somewhat randomly privy to the thoughts and perspectives of different characters at different times. It was also unfortunate that the Kindle edition of the book has quite a few OCR-related errors - "mat" instead of "that" was quite common. I suppose this is inevitable with older publications.

Ultimately, my enjoyment of the book may well drive me to read more of the author's work. She has a very good reputation, but I think she has been rather too venerated over the years. This is not great literature, but a good read.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Cover her Face by P D James, my next book club selection. I know many people who think highly of the author, so I approach it with interest, even if the blurb makes it sound like an episode of Midsummer Murders, thus:

St Cedd's Church fete had been held in the grounds of Martingale manor house for generations. As if organizing stalls, as well as presiding over luncheon, the bishop and the tea tent, were not enough for Mrs Maxie on that mellow July afternoon, she also had to contend with the news of her son's sudden engagement to her new parlour maid, the sly single mother, Sally Jupp. On the following morning Martingale and the whole village are shocked by the discovery of Sally Jupp's body. Investigating the violent death at the manor house, Detective Chief Inspector Adam Dalgliesh is embroiled in the complicated passions beneath the calm surface of English village life.

Walking Home - by Simon Armitage

Well, this book did what it said on the tin. It was a travel story in which we learn quite a lot about the author, the places and the people he met. His pedegree as a poet is quite clear, as many of his descriptive passages are very vivid. I chose just one to quote:

"A woman plays the Northumbeland pipes; from where I'm sitting, on a wall at the back, it looks like she's giving physiotherapy to a small marsupial wearing calipers and smoking a bong, but the sound is haunting and hypnotic, mournful and melodic at the same time, every note somehow harmonising with the low, droning purr."

I enjoyed the book, but did not feel I'd want to make the walk, but feel curious about the area nevertheless.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Walking Home by Simon Armitage. I needed something different, preferably not a novel, so autobiography or travel seemed good topics and this book covers both. Here's the blurb:

In summer 2010 Simon Armitage decided to walk the Pennine Way. The challenging 256-mile route is usually approached from south to north, from Edale in the Peak District to Kirk Yetholm, the other side of the Scottish border. He resolved to tackle it the other way round: through beautiful and bleak terrain, across lonely fells and into the howling wind, he would be walking home, towards theYorkshire village where he was born.
Travelling as a 'modern troubadour' without a penny in his pocket, he stopped along the way to give poetry readings in village halls, churches, pubs and living rooms. His audiences varied from the passionate to the indifferent, and his readings were accompanied by the clacking of pool balls, the drumming of rain and the bleating of sheep.
WALKING HOME describes this extraordinary, yet ordinary, journey. It's a story about Britain's remote and overlooked interior - the wildness of its landscape and the generosity of the locals who sustained him on his journey. It's about facing emotional and physical challenges, and sometimes overcoming them. It's nature writing, but with people at its heart. Contemplative, moving and droll, it is a unique narrative from one of our most beloved writers.

Life After Life - by Kate Atkinson

I was not disappointed! The book is complex, but (for me) not confusing. It build upon the basic concept of a life having multiple timelines to tell a rich story instead of a complicated one. In any book, one learns about characters by "observing" what happens to them and how they respond. In this book we get to know Ursula very well as she experiences multiple lives.

As usual, with Kate Atkinson's books, the quality of writing is excellent. For example: "It was beautifully hot and time treacled past every day", "a pared fingernail of moon", "Maurice had never got his hands dirty. Never been to an incident, never pulled a man apart like a cracker or knelt on a matted bundle of fabric and flesh that had once been a baby."

I always like to feel that I have learned something when I read a novel. In this case, there was much to learn about Britain in the '30s and '40s as well as about Germany before and during the war. I also came across two phrases that use the whole alphabet. I have always used "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog", but now I can choose from "Quick wafting zephyrs vex bold Jim" or "The five boxing wizards jumped quickly".

I was amused as I was reading this book while travelling to Berlin. At one point Ursula was living on Savignyplatz; I was meeting a friend for dinner that evening on that exact street. I was sad to finish the book, even though it was quite long, as it was a compelling read. I eagerly await future work by this author.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. I have always enjoyed this author's work, so I was excited when this new book was published. It is quite long and, I am told, a complex somewhat challenging read. I observed recently that most modern novels have multiple timelines and was surprised to read one which had just one. This book takes the concept to a new level. Here is the blurb:

What if you had the chance to live your life again and again, until you finally got it right?
During a snowstorm in England in 1910, a baby is born and dies before she can take her first breath.
During a snowstorm in England in 1910, the same baby is born and lives to tell the tale.
What if there were second chances? And third chances? In fact an infinite number of chances to live your life? Would you eventually be able to save the world from its own inevitable destiny? And would you even want to?
Life After Life follows Ursula Todd as she lives through the turbulent events of the last century again and again. With wit and compassion, Kate Atkinson finds warmth even in life's bleakest moments, and shows an extraordinary ability to evoke the past. Here she is at her most profound and inventive, in a novel that celebrates the best and worst of ourselves.

Long Walk to Freedom - by Nelson Mandela

This book took quite a while to read as it is so long. It was originally published as 2 volumes. I took a couple of breaks during reading it to catch up on other stuff.

I like autobiography generally and, in this case, there is a big slice of very significant modern history, much of which occurred during my life. I enjoyed getting the detail and background on the events that dominated the news over the years. The book is well written and easy to read, with modest size chapters that break it up into manageable pieces. Mandela does not give too much away personally - a very large proportion of the story is about the events and politics of his adult life.

The story finishes 20 years ago, when he became president. I am curious about his life thereafter. I will look out for any other books that can elucidate. I saw the movie recently, which, even thought it necessarily skipped over various parts, was reasonably faithful to the book.

Deaf Sentance - by David Lodge

I was slightly nervous about reading this book, as, having read and enjoyed quite a few of the author's books some years ago, I had high expectations. However, I was not disappointed, as I enjoyed the book very much.

The story is not fast moving and there is no edge of your seat anticipation of the next chapter. But the pace is fine and the balance between the moving story elements and the comedy - almost farce - are just about right. There are little twists and turns, rather than big surprises - rather like real life most of the time.

Although I would not class it as "a great work of literature", I was impressed by the quality of writing in many places, frequently pausing to reread a particular passage. Sometimes Lodge manages to encapsulate feelings that I well understand into a compact package. For example: "It was a moment when we should have hugged each other, but it is not in our lexicon of body language. The most we could manage was a stronger, longer handshake than usual."

I was wondering whether it was an error or a very subtle use of language when Des said "I squealed to a halt in parking lot ...". I would expect him to say "car park". But was it because he was going to visit an American? I also observe that the door is left ajar for a sequel. Will Alex return?

What I'm reading ...

I have put Long Walk to Freedom on hold again in order to start Deaf Sentance by David Lodge. I have enjoyed many of the author's books in the past, so I was pleased when this was suggested at my book club.  Here is the blurb:

When the university merged his Department of Linguistics with English, Professor Desmond Bates took early retirement, but he is not enjoying it. He misses the purposeful routine of the academic year, and has lost his appetite for research.
His wife Winifred's late-flowering career goes from strength to strength, reducing his role to that of escort and househusband, while the rejuvenation of her appearance makes him uneasily conscious of the age gap between them. The monotony of his days is relieved only by wearisome journeys to London to check on the welfare of his eighty-nine-year-old father, an ex dance musician who stubbornly refuses to move from the house he is patently unable to live in with safety.
But these discontents are nothing compared to the affliction of hearing loss, which is a constant source of domestic friction and social embarrassment. In the popular imagination, he observes, deafness is comic, as blindness is tragic, but for the deaf person himself it is no joke. It is through his deafness that Desmond inadvertently gets involved with a young woman whose wayward and unpredictable behaviour threatens to destabilise his life completely.
Funny and moving by turns, Deaf Sentence is a brilliant account of one man's effort to come to terms with deafness and death, ageing and mortality, the comedy and tragedy of human lives.

The Wasp Factory - by Iain Banks

This was certainly an interesting book! I did not find it hard to read, though some passages are a little harrowing. The background to the characters is gradually revealed through the book, as it is understood by Frank, until, at the end, we learn with him some of the ultimate truth of the family's situation. The book is unusual for contemporary fiction in that everything occurs on a single timeline - any past references are clearly defined as recollections.

I am unsure ultimately what the book is about. We are inside the head of Frank, which is an odd - possibly scary - place. He clearly has mental problems, but is unaware of this himself. Eric is also mentally ill, but that is clearly recognized by everyone. I wonder whether the father is the worst. Early in the book I was mystified by his odd behaviour - obsessive lying and measurement of things. When we later hear what he had been doing over the years, the odd behaviour seems quite insignificant.

Overall, I think it is a good book and I would read other work by the author. The pictures he paints are strong and the characters, while not even slightly likeable, are very clearly defined. I think that a film of this book would probably give me nightmares.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks. This is my next book club book, so I have put Long Walk to Freedom on hold temporarily. We chose this book as we realized, on hearing of the author's death last year, we were collectively unfamiliar with his work. Here's the blurb:

Frank, no ordinary sixteen-year-old, lives with his father outsIde a remote Scottish village. Their life is, to say the least, unconventional. Frank's mother abandoned them years ago: his elder brother Eric is confined to a psychiatric hospital; and his father measures out his eccentricities on an imperial scale. Frank has turned to strange acts of violence to vent his frustrations. In the bizarre daily rituals there is some solace. But when news comes of Eric's escape from the hospital Frank has to prepare the ground for his brother's inevitable return - an event that explodes the mysteries of the past and changes Frank utterly.