What I'm reading ...

I have started The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, my next book club selection. I am daunted by the size of the book - over 1100 pages - but I am assured that it is not a tough read. Here's the blurb:

The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known . . . of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect - a man divided in his soul . . . of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame . . . and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother.

Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood - by Oliver Sacks

This was an excellent example of a book that can be judged by the cover. A good mix of autobiography, where the author talks about life in a Jewish family in London in the 1940s, and science, where, even though I feel that I am quite well informed, I learned lots of interesting details. Overall, an excellent read. I look forward to getting the next volume of his autobiography, which, sadly, appears to be as far as he got before his death.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood by Oliver Sacks. It was time for some non-fiction and this was recommended by a friend with similar interests to myself. A combination of autobiography and science sounds right up my street. Here’s the blurb:

In Uncle Tungsten Sacks evokes, with warmth and wit, his upbringing in wartime England. He tells of the large science-steeped family who fostered his early fascination with chemistry. There follow his years at boarding school where, though unhappy, he developed the intellectual curiosity that would shape his later life. And we hear of his return to London, an emotionally bereft ten-year-old who found solace in his passion for learning. Uncle Tungsten radiates all the delight and wonder of a boy’s adventures, and is an unforgettable portrait of an extraordinary young mind.

Midwinter of the Spirit - by Phil Rickman

This is, for me, a really good example of a book club book. It is something that I would never normally be attracted to, but I found that I enjoyed reading it. From looking at the blurb, I would have assumed that some knowledge, belief and interest in the supernatural would be necessary to enjoy the book. This is not the case. The book is about a complex web of human relationships and illustrates the darker side of human behaviour. Many of the characters believe in the supernatural phenomena, but the book itself does not take a stand; the reader is free to decide.

I found the writing style a little clumsy. Often too many words are used and we are given more silly details than we need. But I still found it a straightforward read and the story maintained my interest. I am always wary of authors trying to write a main character of the opposite gender. This book is written from a number of viewpoints, but Merrily is the prime protagonist. To me, she sounded somewhat like a man’s idea of how a woman might think and act. I also thought that calling her daughter “Flower” did not sound natural; rather East London IMHO.

I liked the reasonably local setting for the book, even though they are not places that I am very familiar with. I observe that this is the second in a series of books; the 15th is published shortly. I do not think I missed anything vital by not reading #1. I am not sure that I will be rushing to devour the rest of the series, but, then again, I might.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Midwinter of the Spirit by Phil Rickman. This is our next book club book, which is a particular favourite of one of the members and not a book that I would otherwise have picked up. here’s the blurb:

Diocesan Exorcist: a job viewed by the Church of England with such extreme suspicion that they changed the name.

It's Deliverance Consultant now. Still, it seems, no job for a woman. But when the Bishop offers it to Merrily Watkins, parish priest and single mum, she's in no position to refuse.

It starts badly for Merrily and gets no easier. As an early winter slices through the old city of Hereford, a body is found in the River Wye, an ancient church is desecrated and signs of evil appear in the cathedral itself, where the tomb of a medieval saint lies in pieces.

A God in Ruins - by Kate Atkinson

As usual, this author delivered a very good read. It took a little while to gather momentum, but I was sucked in. As is commonly the case with her work, the timelines are all over the place, but I was never lost. The accounts of events during and around WW2 bombing raids were particularly interesting. the author’s attention to detail brought them alive for me. The ending, which I won’t “spoil” here was really unusual. I will continue to look out for more books by Kate Atkinson.

What I'm reading ...

I have started A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson. Another favourite author, I have been monitoring the price of the Kindle edition of this book and it recently came down to what I thought was an acceptable price [probably because of paperback publication]. As I have a bit of time until my next book club meeting, I thought I’d treat myself. Here’s the blurb:

A God in Ruins relates the life of Teddy Todd – would-be poet, heroic World War II bomber pilot, husband, father, and grandfather – as he navigates the perils and progress of the 20th century. For all Teddy endures in battle, his greatest challenge will be to face living in a future he never expected to have.
This gripping, often deliriously funny yet emotionally devastating book looks at war – that great fall of Man from grace – and the effect it has, not only on those who live through it, but on the lives of the subsequent generations. It is also about the infinite magic of fiction.Those who loved the bestselling Life After Life will recognise Teddy as Ursula Todd’s adored younger brother – but for those who have not read it, A God in Ruins stands fully on its own.

Slaughterhouse-Five - by Kurt Vonnegut

This book was quite a surprise. I had always had the impression that the author was “just” a sci fi writer and, whilst that would not mean that I would never read his work, this is a genre that I only dip into from time to time. However, although aspects of this book might be labelled as sci fi, the story as a whole is very down to earth.

I found it s straightforward read and was never confused by wandering in time. So many books nowadays have multiple timelines, that this feels quite normal. I guess it was ahead of its time, as it was written 60+ years ago. I am still not quite sure what to make of Billy Pilgrim, even though his character is examined quite broadly in the book. The story as a whole was thought provoking, looking at “man’s inhumanity to man” type issues and the wider meaning of life (and death) etc. As the author would say, so it goes.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. The author of the last book I read was clearly a Vonnegut fan and the main characters in the book seemed rather obsessed with his books. So I thought that I would give this one a try. Here’s the blurb:

Adapted for a magnificent George Roy Hill film three years later (perhaps the only film adaptation of a masterpiece which exceeds its source), Slaughterhouse-Five (1969) is the now famous parable of Billy Pilgrim, a World War II veteran and POW, who has in the later stage of his life become "unstuck in time" and who experiences at will (or unwillingly) all known events of his chronology out of order and sometimes simultaneously.
Traumatized by the bombing of Dresden at the time he had been imprisoned, Pilgrim drifts through all events and history, sometimes deeply implicated, sometimes a witness. He is surrounded by Vonnegut's usual large cast of continuing characters (notably here the hack science fiction writer Kilgore Trout and the alien Tralmafadorians who oversee his life and remind him constantly that there is no causation, no order, no motive to existence).
The "unstuck" nature of Pilgrim's experience may constitute an early novelistic use of what we now call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; then again, Pilgrim's aliens may be as "real" as Dresden is real to him. Struggling to find some purpose, order or meaning to his existence and humanity's, Pilgrim meets the beauteous and mysterious Montana Wildhack (certainly the author's best character name), has a child with her and drifts on some supernal plane, finally, in which Kilgore Trout, the Tralmafadorians, Montana Wildhack and the ruins of Dresden do not merge but rather disperse through all planes of existence.

The Universe versus Alex Woods - by Gavin Extence

I did not know what to expect from this book. The initial precepts are unlikely, but far from impossible. The style of writing engaged me straight away. The book starts nearly at the end of the story and then Alex fills us in on the events that led to the conclusion. He is very likable, I felt, as he is so honest and well meaning, if often rather naive.

I found the book a thoroughly enjoyable read. I was entertained, amused, moved and educated - what more can one ask from a book? I progressed through the book at a good pace and reached that interesting ambivalence towards the end: I did not want the book to end, but I did want to know the conclusion of the story.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Universe versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence, my next book club book. I have heard positive comments about the book from many quarters, so I am looking forward to the read. Here’s the blurb:

Alex Woods knows that he hasn't had the most conventional start in life.
He knows that growing up with a clairvoyant single mother won't endear him to the local bullies.
He also knows that even the most improbable events can happen - he's got the scars to prove it.
What he doesn't know yet is that when he meets ill-tempered, reclusive widower Mr Peterson, he'll make an unlikely friend. Someone who tells him that you only get one shot at life. That you have to make the best possible choices.
So when, aged seventeen, Alex is stopped at Dover customs with 113 grams of marijuana, an urn full of ashes on the passenger seat, and an entire nation in uproar, he's fairly sure he's done the right thing.

So Much for That - by Lionel Shriver

My faith in Lionel Shriver keeping me turning the pages is intact. This book is, at times, an uncomfortable read, but that is intentional. I was aware that the healthcare system in the US is rather inhumane, but I was unaware of quite how bad it is. Describing it as “survival of the fittest” would not be unreasonable. That is OK - if you are fit. If I bring one thing away from the book, it is gratitude for living in a civilized country - i.e. one with a social healthcare system that actually works [imperfect sometimes, but amazing at others].

The story in the book is quite complex with a rich selection of characters. It is not told from a single viewpoint, though it is largely from Shep and Jackson’s perspectives. There are some nice twists, which kept me interested all the way to the end.

What I'm reading ...

I have started reading So Much for That by Lionel Shriver. I needed some solid holiday reading, so turned to a firm favourite. Here’s the blurb:

What do you pack for the rest of your life?
Shepherd Knacker is bored with his humdrum existence. He's sold his successful handy-man business for a million dollars and is now ready to embark on his 'Afterlife' - a one way ticket to a small island off the coast of Africa. He tries to convince his wife Glynis to come with him, but she laughs off the idea as preposterous. There's no way she'll let Shepherd uproot the family to some far-flung African island.
When Glynis is diagnosed with an extremely rare and aggressive form of cancer, Shepherd's dreams of an exotic adventure are firmly put on hold. He devotes himself to caring for his sick wife, watching her fade before his eyes.
Shepherd's best friend Jackson knows all too well about illness. His sixteen year old daughter has spent her life dosed up on every treatment going while he and his wife Carol feed their youngest daughter sugar pills so she won't feel left out. But then Jackson undergoes a medical procedure of his own which has devastating consequences …
So Much For That is a deeply affecting novel, told with Lionel Shriver's trademark originality, intelligence and acute perception of the human condition.

The Shack - by William P. Young

I am really not sure what to make of this book. The quality of writing was, I felt, excellent. The characters were quite well drawn and the description of places and event quite vivid. However, ultimately I do not know what it was about. My interpretation is that Mack headed for the shack, had the serious road accident and his brain invented a set of false memories, synthesised from his sketchy religious beliefs and emotional turmoil. In the end, this is not such a bad thing, as it made him a better person.

I think that the book is simply a vehicle for the author to describe and publicise about their person perspective on God, the meaning of life, etc. It made for an OK, and sometimes entertaining, read.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Shack by William P. Young, my next book club book. Here’s the blurb:

Mack's youngest daughter, Missy, was abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later, still trapped in his great sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack. Against his better judgement Mack arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon. What he finds there will change his life forever.
The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, 'Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?' Mack's experiences when he faces up to his darkest nightmares will astound you, and perhaps transform you as much as it did him.

Big Brother - by Lionel Shriver

The topic and initial premise of this book sounded interesting and I was confident that the author would do it justice. My interest in the book was piqued when I learned that the subject was very much a reflection of the author’s life. It is not autobiographical - she wrote it partly to help her process her own experiences.

All the themes around eating disorders, body image issues and prejudices are addressed in a typical no-holes-barred way. The story has a great pace and, although it is covering serious issues, manages to have its humorous moments. I was interested to know how the author would manage to tell a story of what might have been - with a different outcome than that in her own life - without it being an obvious “if only real life had turned out this way” story. Re-writes of history rarely succeed. This book, however, handles this matter very well and is wrapped up in good Shriver style with a great twist.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Big Brother by Lionel Shriver. With a couple of trips coming up, I wanted some “holiday reading” - not something light, but a book that I can get lost in. Shriver has become one of my favourite authors, so I was delighted to find that I had two of her books on hand, unread, and chose this one. Here's the blurb:

When Pandora picks up her older brother Edison at her local Iowa airport, she literally doesn’t recognize him. The once slim, hip New York jazz pianist has gained hundreds of pounds. What happened?
Soon Edison’s slovenly habits, appalling diet, and know-it-all monologues are driving Pandora and her fitness-freak husband Fletcher insane. After the brother-in-law has more than overstayed his welcome, Fletcher delivers his wife an ultimatum: it’s him or me.

Night Train To Lisbon - by Pascal Mercier

While reading this book, a couple of people asked me what it was about and I was unable to answer. I figured that, by the time I finished it, I would know the answer. But I was wrong. On one level, it is all about Gregorius and his sudden change of lifestyle. On another, it is about Prado - or Gregorius piecing his story together. Or perhaps it is just a study on life, the Universe and everything. I remain uncertain.

This does not mean that I did not enjoy the book - I did on many levels. The description of the places and Gregorius’ impressions of them was often quite beautiful. I loved the vast array of characters and their nuances and foibles. The quality of writing is excellent. Overall, I did not really feel that I got to know Gregorius and I have no understanding of why he suddenly dropped everything. As far as I could see, this was totally out of character - not a natural development. In summary, can see through his eye, but not get into his head.

Like so many books, I thought that the ending was rushed and disappointing. Gregorius’ dizziness was reported time and time again, along with his worries about it [with the obvious reference to Prado’s illness], but we never learned what his diagnosis was. That was left hanging. I wanted to know.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Night Train To Lisbon by Pascal Mercier, which is my next book club selection and a firm favourite of a couple of members. Here is the blurb:

Night Train to Lisbon follows Raimund Gregorius, a 57-year-old Classics scholar, on a journey that takes him across Europe. Abandoning his job and his life and travelling with a dusty old book as his talisman, he heads for Lisbon in search of clues to the life of the book's Portuguese author, Amadeu de Prado. As he gets swept up in his quest, he finds that the journey is also one of self-discovery, as he re-encounters all the decisions he has made - and not made - in his life, and faces the roads not travelled.

First Lady: The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill - by Sonia Purnell

To be honest, before picking this book up, I might well have failed the quiz question “Who was Winston Churchill’s wife?” However, I am now better educated. The author has a very no nonsense writing style, which kept me turning the pages. The numerous references gave me reason to be confident in her research and integrity as a historian.

As much as anything, I found the book to be a great lesson on 20th Century history. There is much about the last 100 years of so that I did not understand, but some gaps have now been filled. For example, since the Germans were dead scared of the Russians [communists], we were clearly allies with them in WW2. So, how come the Cold War happened? I now have some understanding of the politics.

Obviously, the book told me much about Winston and the rest of the family that I did not previously appreciate. By the end of the book, although I learned lots about Clementine’s life and appreciate how important she was and how unrecognized she has been, I am not really sure that I understand her as a person. She very much subjugated her own character by devoting herself to Winston; maybe the real Clementine was just not very visible.

What I'm reading ...

I have started First Lady: The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill by Sonia Purnell, which is my next book club book. I had been recommended it, so I proposed it to my club. Here’s the blurb:

Without Churchill’s inspiring leadership Britain could not have survived its darkest hour and repelled the Nazi menace. Without his wife Clementine, however, he might never have become Prime Minister. By his own admission, the Second World War would have been ‘impossible without her’.
Clementine was Winston’s emotional rock and his most trusted confidante; not only was she involved in some of the most crucial decisions of war, but she exerted an influence over her husband and the Government that would appear scandalous to modern eyes. Yet her ability to charm Britain’s allies and her humanitarian efforts on the Home Front earned her deep respect, both behind closed doors in Whitehall and among the population at large.
That Clementine should become Britain’s ‘First Lady’ was by no means pre-ordained. Born into impecunious aristocracy, her childhood was far from gilded. Her mother was a serial adulteress and gambler, who spent many years uprooting her children to escape the clutches of their erstwhile father, and by the time Clementine entered polite society she had become the target of cruel snobbery and rumours about her parentage.
In Winston, however, she discovered a partner as emotionally insecure as herself, and in his career she found her mission. Her dedication to his cause may have had tragic consequences for their children, but theirs was a marriage that changed the course of history.
Now, acclaimed biographer Sonia Purnell explores the peculiar dynamics of this fascinating union. From the personal and political upheavals of the Great War, through the Churchills’ ‘wilderness years’ in the 1930s, to Clementine’s desperate efforts to preserve her husband’s health during the struggle against Hitler, Sonia presents the inspiring but often ignored story of one of the most important women in modern history.

Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies - by Nick Bostrom

I was a little disappointed with this book. It covers the subject in a lot of detail and is written in a very academic style. So I found it quite hard work to finish. I did, however, and learned quite a lot about the subject of artificial intelligence and the topics around it. I found all the thought that had gone into the philosophy, rather than the practical implementation interesting. How would it be if we created a machine smarted that we are? Would it be safe or even desirable? Ultimately though, I wish the author would write a [say] 100 page executive summary of the subject, which would make it much more accessible to non-specialists, like myself, who might not wish to devote the time to a bigger book and do not need to fine detail.

In considering the possible future of the world, the author reflected upon history. I thought that the following words were particularly apposite in the light of recent events: “ … that international relations around the globe might come to resemble those between the countries of the European Union, which, having fought one another ferociously for centuries, now coexist in peace and relative harmony."

What I'm reading ...

I have started Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies by Nick Bostrom. Bill Gates said everyone should read this book. Elon Musk was so impressed that he made a huge investment in the author’s research. Who am I to argue? Here’s the blurb:

The human brain has some capabilities that the brains of other animals lack. It is to these distinctive capabilities that our species owes its dominant position. Other animals have stronger muscles or sharper claws, but we have cleverer brains.
If machine brains one day come to surpass human brains in general intelligence, then this new superintelligence could become very powerful. As the fate of the gorillas now depends more on us humans than on the gorillas themselves, so the fate of our species then would come to depend on the actions of the machine superintelligence.
But we have one advantage: we get to make the first move. Will it be possible to construct a seed AI or otherwise to engineer initial conditions so as to make an intelligence explosion survivable? How could one achieve a controlled detonation?
To get closer to an answer to this question, we must make our way through a fascinating landscape of topics and considerations. Read the book and learn about oracles, genies, singletons; about boxing methods, tripwires, and mind crime; about humanity's cosmic endowment and differential technological development; indirect normativity, instrumental convergence, whole brain emulation and technology couplings; Malthusian economics and dystopian evolution; artificial intelligence, and biological
cognitive enhancement, and collective intelligence.
This profoundly ambitious and original book picks its way carefully through a vast tract of forbiddingly difficult intellectual terrain. Yet the writing is so lucid that it somehow makes it all seem easy. After an utterly engrossing journey that takes us to the frontiers of thinking about the human condition and the future of intelligent life, we find in Nick Bostrom's work nothing less than a reconceptualization of the essential task of our time.

The Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047 - by Lionel Shriver

When I read a novel, I always hope that I will learn something as well as be entertained. In this respect, the book delivered. I have a new perspective and understanding of how economies work. I have sufficient respect for the author’s integrity that I am confident in my new knowledge.

The book is very well written. Although it is set in the future, it is not science fiction, as I would understand it. The technology, like the language, is a modest extrapolation of the current world and I felt that it was very credible. The story takes place over quite a few years, but is told in detail for the beginning period and a later one. The book also has a reasonable ending, which pleased me as I dislike books that just sort of fade out. The story is serious and credible and rather chilling as a result, but there is the odd touch of humour that I enjoyed.

Once again, Shriver has persuaded me that reading more of her work will be a worthwhile way to spend time.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047 by Lionel Shriver. I was very impressed when I last read a book by this author that, when I saw the publication of this new book, I decided to treat myself to it as a holiday read, despite the higher cost of a new book. As my holiday starts in a couple of days, I look forward to some good reading time. Here’s the blurb:

It is 2029.
The Mandibles have been counting on a sizable fortune filtering down when their 97-year-old patriarch dies. Yet America’s soaring national debt has grown so enormous that it can never be repaid. Under siege from an upstart international currency, the dollar is in meltdown. A bloodless world war will wipe out the savings of millions of American families.
Their inheritance turned to ash, each family member must contend with disappointment, but also — as the effects of the downturn start to hit — the challenge of sheer survival.
Recently affluent Avery is petulant that she can’t buy olive oil, while her sister Florence is forced to absorb strays into her increasingly cramped household. As their father Carter fumes at having to care for his demented stepmother now that a nursing home is too expensive, his sister Nollie, an expat author, returns from abroad at 73 to a country that’s unrecognizable.
Perhaps only Florence’s oddball teenage son Willing, an economics autodidact, can save this formerly august American family from the streets.
This is not science fiction. This is a frightening, fascinating, scabrously funny glimpse into the decline that may await the United States all too soon, from the pen of perhaps the most consistently perceptive and topical author of our times.

Mothering Sunday - by Graham Swift

This was a short book and I read it even faster than I had expected. On the one hand, it is the story of Jane’s life - she lived through almost all of the 20th century. But it is focussed on the events of a single day in 1924. On a certain level it might be said that not a lot happened, but the description of what did happen is used as a vehicle to consider the wider aspects of her life. I have heard the book described as erotic, but I think that term would set the wrong expectations; intimate would be a better description. Overall, it is well written and an enjoyable read.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift. I have a few days before I start my holiday and I wanted something short to fill in the time before I can make a start on my holiday reading. This book was recommended and is short enough to fit the bill. Here’s the blurb:

How will Jane Fairchild, orphan and housemaid, occupy her time when she has no mother to visit? How, shaped by the events of this never to be forgotten day, will her future unfold?
Beginning with an intimate assignation and opening to embrace decades, Mothering Sunday has at its heart both the story of a life and the life that stories can magically contain. Constantly surprising, joyously sensual and deeply moving, it is Graham Swift at his thrilling best.

The Code Book: The Secret History of Codes and Code-breaking - by Simon Singh

This book was an excellent read. It is written at a very good level. There is plenty of detail, but it is presented so that the general reader does not get bogged down in it, but someone after the nitty gritty will still be satisfied. His descriptions are very lucid, using some very effective analogies. I learned numerous historical details, many of which are interesting well beyond the field of cryptography. For example, the US used members of the Navaho tribe to perform military communications in their somewhat intractable language during WW2.

My only disappointment is that the book is slightly out of date, as it was published in 1999. It would be really interesting to see a similar discussion of the events of the last few years, like the whistle-blowing on the NSA’s behaviour and particularly the very recent controversies about iPhone unlocking. However, there is coverage of the potential role of quantum computers and the like, which is explained very clearly.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Code Book: The Secret History of Codes and Code-breaking by Simon Singh. It was time for non-fiction and this was recommended. Here's the blurb:

Since humans began writing, they have been communicating in code. This obsession with secrecy has had dramatic effects on the outcome of wars, monarchies and individual lives.

With clear mathematical, linguistic and technological demonstrations of many of the codes, as well as illustrations of some of the remarkable personalities behind them – many courageous, some villainous – The Code Book traces the fascinating development of codes and code-breaking from military espionage in Ancient Greece to modern computer ciphers, to reveal how the remarkable science of cryptography has often changed the course of history.

Amongst many extraordinary examples, Simon Singh relates in detail the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, trapped by her own code and put to death by Elizabeth I; the strange history of the Beale Ciphers, describing the hidden location of a fortune in gold, buried somewhere in Virginia in the nineteenth century and still not found; and the monumental efforts in code-making and code-breaking that influenced the outcomes of the First and Second World Wars.

Now, with the Information Age bringing the possibility of a truly unbreakable code ever nearer, and cryptography one of the major debates of our times, Singh investigates the challenge that technology has brought to personal privacy today.

Dramatic, compelling and remarkably far-reaching, The Code Book will forever alter your view of history, what drives it and how private your last e-mail really was.

Elizabeth is Missing - by Emma Healey

Being written in the first person, I really felt that this book gave me some insight into how it must feel to be suffering dementia. I was particularly impressed by the way that her confusion was conveyed with the rather chaotic text - interleaving the two timelines - but I never got lost.

Overall, I felt the book was beautifully written, with the story well paced. Because of the viewpoint, I am not sure I could say the characters in the contemporaneous timeline are well drawn, but a good impression of them is there. Those in the post-war period were, to me, very clear.

Being rather picky, I was disconcerted by this text: "And that does put another spin on things. Him being wanted.", which occurs in the post-war period. The word "spin" was not used in this sense until the 1970s.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey, which was recommended by a friend and is my next book club choice. Here’s the blurb:

Meet Maud.
Maud is forgetful. She makes a cup of tea and doesn't remember to drink it. She goes to the shops and forgets why she went. Sometimes her home is unrecognizable - or her daughter Helen seems a total stranger.
But there's one thing Maud is sure of: her friend Elizabeth is missing. The note in her pocket tells her so. And no matter who tells her to stop going on about it, to leave it alone, to shut up, Maud will get to the bottom of it.
Because somewhere in Maud's damaged mind lies the answer to an unsolved seventy-year-old mystery. One everyone has forgotten about.
Everyone, except Maud . . .

Nora Webster - by Colm Tóibín

This book was a straightforward, comfortable read. I have read some of the author’s other work, which I found a little gloomy, but this one was more uplifting. Essentially it is an account of the lives of Nora and her family over a few years following her husband’s death. What it is really about is her process of coming to terms with her loss and embracing her new life. The story has no big surprises, no major U-turns and no real drama - it is much like real life.
Initially I was dissatisfied with the ending, but I quickly realized that the message was “life goes on”. It may be a different life. It may be a better life. But it goes on whatever.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Nora Webster by Colm Tóibín. This is my next book club selection. I have read some of this author’s work before and found it somewhat gloomy. He seems to have become more well known lately, after the release of the film of his book Brooklyn. Here’s the blurb:

It is the late 1960s in Ireland. Nora Webster is living in a small town, looking after her four children, trying to rebuild her life after the death of her husband. She is fiercely intelligent, at times difficult and impatient, at times kind, but she is trapped by her circumstances, and waiting for any chance which will lift her beyond them.
Slowly, through the gift of music and the power of friendship, she finds a glimmer of hope and a way of starting again. As the dynamic of the family changes, she seems both fiercely self-possessed but also a figure of great moral ambiguity, making her one of the most memorable heroines in contemporary fiction.
The portrait that is painted in the years that follow is harrowing, piercingly insightful, always tender and deeply true. Colm Tóibín's Nora is a character as resonant as Anna Karenina or Madame Bovary and Nora Webster is a novel that illuminates our own lives in a way that is rare in literature. Its humanity and compassion forge an unforgettable reading experience.

The Post-Birthday World - by Lionel Shriver

Bottom line: this was among the best books that I have read in a while. The story is not overly complex, but very well crafted. The structure of the book was intriguing. At the end of the first chapter Irina has to make a decision, which can go two different ways. Each subsequent chapter describes the events in two different universes in which each possible decision was enacted. It sounds confusing, but [for me, anyway] is actually quite straightforward to follow. I was fascinated to find out how the two threads might be brought together at the end of the book. The answer is: brilliantly.

The characters in the book are well drawn and the overall quality of the writing is excellent. The author thoroughly succeeds in her intention to make the readers think about the consequences of decisions in their lives. I will certainly be returning to this author’s work and I am rather tempted to pre-order her next book, which will be published in a few days.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver. I was ready for more fiction and have read work by this author before and enjoyed it. This book was recommended to me a while ago and it has been sitting on my list. Here’s the blurb:

Irina McGovern’s destiny hinges on a single kiss. Whether she gives into its temptation will determine whether she stays with her reliable partner Lawrence, or runs off with Ramsey, a hard-living snooker player.
Employing a parallel universe structure, Shriver spins Irina’s competing futures with two drastically different men. An intellectual and fellow American, Lawrence is clever and supportive, but rigid and emotionally withdrawn. A British celebrity, Ramsey is passionate and spontaneous, but jealous, undereducated, and prone to pick arguments. Their contrasting characters will colour her other relationships, her career, and the texture of her daily life.
If love is always about trade-offs—if every romantic prospect is flawed—how can we ever know whom to choose?

This Book Will Make You Mindful - by Jessamy Hibberd

I was interested in the idea of Mindfulness, so, when this book was recommended, I was receptive to giving it a try. My initial impression was that it was like many American self-help books [although it is not American - it is written in a very British style] and started out with repetition, repetition, repetition. It constantly told me how wonderful Mindfulness would be and how I would learn to do it. It became irritating, but I stuck with it.

In due course, the book became more informative and quite readable. The recommended way to read it is to work through, pausing to do the exercises from time to time. I decided to ignore this and just read it through. My idea was that I might come back to it later and do the work, once I had an idea of the big picture.

I feel that the book gave a me quite a good idea of what Mindfulness is all about and I enjoyed the ideas. Will I come back and do the exercises? Well, maybe ...

What I'm reading ...

I have started This Book Will Make You Mindful by Jessamy Hibberd. It was time for non-fiction again. This book was recommended and covers a topic that interests me. It is the kind of book that I might dip in and out of instead of reading straight through. At first glance, reading just a few pages, it is very repetitive, which might get on my nerves. Here’s the blurb:

We live increasingly busy lives and can struggle to cope with the pressure we're put under by external factors and, most importantly, by ourselves. It's very common to feel overwhelmed by all the responsibilities you have to juggle and feel that time is running away from you - that days, weeks, months and even years are passing in a blur. However, help is at hand.
This friendly book is a mindfulness starter kit, giving you everything you need to live in the moment and get the most from life. Dr Jessamy Hibberd and Jo Usmar use the latest mindfulness techniques to teach you how to stop worrying about the future and dwelling on the past so life - the life you're actually living rather than the one you wish you were living or are planning to live soon - doesn't pass you by. Learning how your mind works will enable you to cope with the bad things while fully appreciating the good things, making you more confident, content and productive day-to-day.

Three Wishes - by Liane Moriarty

After reading other books by this author, I expected to enjoy this one and was not disappointed. The story has lots of little details and nuances and enough complexity to keep me interested. It is more “chick lit” than her recent work, but a reasonably solid read nevertheless. It is interesting to see the progress the author has made over the years and I look forward to her future work.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty. It was time for fiction again and this book has just come out on Kindle - although it is actually one of the author’s older works. I have read a number of Moriarty’s other books, so I am confident that this one will be a good read. Here’s the blurb:

They say trouble always comes in threes. And for sisters Lyn, Cat and Gemma Kettle, the year they turn thirty-three is no exception.
Sensible Lyn is struggling to balance being a mother, wife and businesswoman without losing her mind. Cat, whose perfect marriage is the envy of all her friends, never suspects that her husband has been hiding a secret that will tear her life apart. And directionless Gemma, who changes jobs and boyfriends every few months, has just met a new man who could be the one to unlock her hidden past.
Through everything, the bonds of the sisters are strong enough to withstand whatever life throws at them. That is until the night of their thirty-fourth birthday dinner, when home truths are revealed and things are said that can't be taken back . . .

The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves - by Stephen Grosz

This was a fascinating book and a very straightforward read. I enjoyed the insights into other people’s lives and the author’s analysis of how their past experiences affected their current lives. Each chapter is a separate “story”, so it is an easy book to pick up and put down, but I rarely found myself reading just one chapter.

What I'm reading ...

Time for some non-fiction, so I have started The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves by Stephen Grosz. Here’s the blurb:

This book is about learning to live.
In simple stories of encounter between a psychoanalyst and his patients, The Examined Life reveals how the art of insight can illuminate the most complicated, confounding and human of experiences.
These are stories about our everyday lives: they are about the people we love and the lies that we tell; the changes we bear, and the grief. Ultimately, they show us not only how we lose ourselves but how we might find ourselves too.

Instances of the Number 3 - by Salley Vickers

I was attracted by the premise for this book and it did, indeed, provide a good vehicle for the story. It has a good pace and I was soon in “just one more chapter” mode. There are some interesting surprises and twists to the story, that kept me interested. I cannot say that I really understood what was going on in the heads of either of the main characters - but maybe I wasn’t supposed to. Both of them seemed to be solid, loyal kinds of people, but this doesn’t stop them going to bed with a man at the slightest opportunity. I found the life after death angle a bit half-hearted and unconvincing - maybe there were hidden depths that I was missing. The ending of the book was slightly abrupt and I felt the story was left hanging slightly.

I am uncertain about my views of the book overall. The quality of the writing is good, which might lead me to read more of the author’s books. I have a feeling that this is not her best work.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Instances of the Number 3 by Salley Vickers. I have read two books set in the past, so I wanted to get back to the 21st Century. A friend recommended this book and I was familiar with the author’s work. Here’s the blurb:

Bridget Hansome and Frances Slater have only one thing in common. And that's Peter Hansome, who has died suddenly. Without their husband or lover, the women find that before they can rebuild their lives they must look to themselves and unravel mysteries that they had never before even suspected. So begins an unlikely alliance between wife and mistress and a voyage of discovery that is as comic as it is profound.

Sword at Sunset - by Rosemary Sutcliffe

This book was selected by my book club and I was interested to read it, as the King Arthur stories and anything about the dark ages attract me. Here is the blurb:

For fourteen centuries the story of Arthur was a legend, misted over by the tradition of romantic hero-tales. But Arthur was real - a man of towering strength, a dreamer and a warrior who actually lived, fought and died for his impossible dream.
In Sutcliffe's now legendary retelling, King Arthur is brought passionately to life.
This brilliant reconception of the Arthurian epic cuts through the familiar myths and tells the story of the real King Arthur: Artos the Bear, the mighty warrior-king who saved the last lights of Western civilization when the barbarian darkness descended in the fifth century. Artos here comes alive: bold and forceful in battle, warm and generous in friendship, tough in politics, shrewd in the strategy of war - and tender and tragically tormented in love. Out of the braiding of ancient legend, fresh research, soaring imagination and hypnotic narrative skill comes a novel that has richly earned its reputation as a classic.

This is quite a large book, which I found daunting, but, in the end, I got through it with little problem.

Overall, the story is not what I expected. I thought that it would be a rehash of the usual tales, with the nice veneer of authenticity that we expect from modern authors. Instead, what we get is a story set in a vividly described post-Roman Britain, where life is balanced between something like the order of the Roman times and the chaos that would have preceded them.

We meet Arthur - or rather Artos - but almost all the other well-known characters and motifs are missing. We encounter Guenhumara - Guinevere - and Bedwyr, who must be the substitute for Lancelot, simply because he is Artos’ close friend and his cuckold. However, Lancelot is normally depicted as a dashing knight, not a rather ugly harper. There’s no mention of Camelot, the Round Table, the Holy Grail or Merlin. I have always felt that the world of Arthur that I have read about always seems a bit too “clean”. They are living in what amounts to a post-apocolyptic world and this book portrays that much more believably. I had visualized Author’s world as being a couple of centuries after the Roman departure, but this book takes place only decades or 100 years after they left. Artos and his people were true Romano-British and he had a clear Roman blood line, which gave him some claim to be King/Emperor.

It took me a little while to get going with the book. Perhaps the first 100 pages got me inside Artos’ head, which is essential, as that is where the story really takes place. From then onwards, it was steady going with enough pace to keep turning the pages and I was engaged to enough to care what would happen next. I have a great ambivalence to size of the book and level of detail in the writing. The author uses words to paint very vivid images of, what to me is, a fascinating world. On the other hand, although it would change the dynamic, I have a feeling that there a very nice 300 page book in there trying to get out.

An Officer and a Spy - by Robert Harris

I did not just have high expectations of this book. Given my experience with the author, I felt that it was inevitable that it would be a good read. I was not disappointed. The story is not, in itself, very complex, but it is made up of many minuscule details and quite a large cast of characters. The author managed the story by telling it solely from the viewpoint of one character, Georges Picquart. Although I am unsure whether I like him, I felt that I knew him quite well by the end of the first 100 pages. This is the point at which the story starts to get going properly. By the time I reached the last 100 pages I was not sure whether I just wanted to read it all in one go, and find out how the story ended, or string out the pleasure a bit longer.

I do not know how much of the story is pure fiction, even though I do know that it is at least broadly based on facts. My confidence in the author’s integrity makes me feel that I know a lot more about the France of 100+ years ago and a bit more about how politics in general operates.

I really enjoyed some of the little details, like the slang French word for prostitute is “horizontale”. A lot of the writing is delightful, for example: "For the first time in my life I carry hatred inside me. It is an almost physical thing, like a concealed knife. Sometimes, when I am alone, I like to take it out and run my thumb along its cold, sharp blade."

I am glad that there are still quite a few Robert Harris books for me to read in the future.

What I'm reading ...

I have started An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris, my next book club book. Harris is a favourite author of mine, so I am looking forward to this. This is the first time my book club has returned to an author, so I guess my view is not isolated. Here’s the blurb:

Paris, 1895: an army officer, Georges Picquart, watches a convicted spy, Alfred Dreyfus, being publicly humiliated in front of a baying crowd.
Dreyfus is exiled for life to Devil's Island; Picquart is promoted to run the intelligence unit that tracked him down.
But when Picquart discovers that secrets are still being handed over to the Germans, he is drawn into a dangerous labyrinth of deceit and corruption that threatens not just his honour but his life...

Inflight Science: A Guide to the World from Your Airplane Window - by Brian Clegg

As expected, this was a pleasant, light-weight read, which air travel as an excuse to discuss various scientific topics. I learned some things here and there and had other matters clarified, which is all I might have expected. However, when I read "When Krakatoa erupted in 1883 around 20 cubic kilometres of ash and rock was spewed out by the explosion – the equivalent of a cube of material around 20 kilometres on each side.”, I was perturbed and somewhat lost faith in the author’s integrity. [A cube 20Km on each side would be 8000 cubic Km; a 20 cubic Km cube would be about 2.7Km on each side. Which did he mean?]

What I'm reading ...

I have started Inflight Science: A Guide to the World from Your Airplane Window by Brian Clegg. It was time for some non-fiction and I wanted something fairly light and entertaining. This looked about right. Here’s the blurb:

There are few times that science is so immediate as when you're in a plane.  Acclaimed science writer Brian Clegg shows how you stay up there – but that’s only the beginning.  Inflight Science explains the ever-changing view, whether it’s crop circles or clouds, mountains or river deltas, and describes easy-to-do experiments, from showing how a wing provides lift to calculating the population of the towns you fly over. You’ll learn why the coastline is infinite in length, the cause of thunderstorms and the true impact of volcanic ash on aircraft engines.  Fascinating facts to discover include:  The jet stream winds are so fast that a plane travelling west to east within them can fly beyond the speed of sound.  The wingspan of a 747 is around twice the distance flown by the Wright Flyer on its maiden flight.  With good visibility and total darkness, the human eye is so sensitive that you could see a single candle from the cruising height of a plane.  Packed full of amazing insights from physics, chemistry, engineering, geography and more, Inflight Science is a voyage of scientific discovery perfect for any journey – even if it’s just in your armchair.

Rivers of London - by Ben Aaronovitch

I would generally describe myself as not being a fan of fantasy, as a genre of fiction writing. However, it occurs to me that there are broadly two types of fantasy. There is the type where one is presented with an alternative Universe, where everything is different; Terry Pratchett’s stuff falls into this category. The other type is where you are presented with an alternative view of the world that we live in, where there is more to it than we normally see; Harry Potter falls into this category. And so does this book, which is a kind of “Harry Potter for grown ups”. I realise that I am OK with this category of fantasy.

The book has a somewhat complex story line with lots of fairly well defined characters. The main protagonist, Peter, is quite clear and essentially likeable. Nightingale has an air of mystery about him, which is appealing and interesting. For the most part, I could accept and enjoy all the magic stuff, which I felt was quite well thought through. The ending of the story, however, was a little more fuzzy and abrupt than I might have liked. Also, there were numerous times when Peter seemed to know what to do next and it was unclear [to me] how he gained this knowledge. Maybe it was just the result of his magic talents.

I might be inclined to read more books in this series.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch, my next book club book. I am not a big fan of the fantasy genre, but this book comes well recommended, so I’ll give it a go. here’s the blurb:

My name is Peter Grant and until January I was just probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (and as the Filth to everybody else). My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit - we do paperwork so real coppers don't have to - and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder inquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly voluable, and that brought me to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England.
Now I'm a Detective Constable and a trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years, and my world has become somewhat more complicated: nests of vampires in Purley, negotiating a truce between the warring god and goddess of the Thames, and digging up graves in Covent Garden ... and there's something festering at the heart of the city I love, a malicious vengeful spirit that takes ordinary Londoners and twists them into grotesque mannequins to act out its drama of violence and despair.
The spirit of riot and rebellion has awakened in the city, and it's falling to me to bring order out of chaos - or die trying.

Gut: the inside story of our body's most under-rated organ - by Giulia Enders

This was an absolutely fascinating book. After reading it, I have a new-found respect for an important part of my anatomy.

The book is written in a very accessible style. There is enough scientific detail to give it credibility, but it does not seem turgid and technical. Although it is a translation from the original German, the text is very well crafted, making it entertaining and readable. The book covers the topic systematically, but not in the “home doctor” style; there is no intention that the reader should self-diagnose anything - just have some understanding of what’s going on in all those pipes ...