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.