What I'm reading ...

I have started Grandmothers by Salley Vickers. It was time for some fiction and this looked interesting. Here’s the blurb:

Grandmothers is the story of three very different women and their relationship with the younger generation: fiercely independent Nan, who leads a secret life as an award-winning poet when she is not teaching her grandson Billy how to lie; glamorous Blanche, deprived of the company of her beloved granddaughter Kitty by her hostile daughter-in-law, who finds solace in rebellious drinking and shoplifting; and shy, bookish Minna who in the safety of shepherd's hut shares with her surrogate granddaughter Rose her passion for reading. The outlook of all three women subtly alters when through their encounters with each other they discover that the past is always with us and that we go on learning and changing until the very end.

A Promised Land - by Barack Obama

I was interested in reading this book to get a different perspective, after hearing Michelle’s angle in her book Becoming, which I had very much enjoyed.

This is a big book - about 900 pages pf text - which I found rather daunting. It took me a while, but I was motivated to carry on with it - reading the book was never a chore. 

The book is very well written - coherent and well paced. It is long, even though it covers Obama’s political life only until around half way through his first term.  This is because it is very detailed, not covering just the facts about things that happened, but also the thoughts and planning leading up to them and the author’s feelings and reactions.

In a way, it is 3 books:

• an account of Obama’s political life
• a thoughtful history of key world events and the political scene in the US over this period
• a clear insight into a remarkable man, who is happy to document his successes, but not afraid to admit when he made mistakes

I am very pleased to have read it and look forward to the next volume.

What I'm reading ...

I have started A Promised Land by Barack Obama. I normally wait for the paperback publication of a book, which brings down the Kindle edition price, but I decided that this could not wait, as it is so topical. It is a big book and the first of two volumes, so quite a commitment.  Here’s the blurb:

A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making-from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy

In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency-a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.

Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation's highest office.

Reflecting on the presidency, he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power, as well as singular insights into the dynamics of U.S. partisan politics and international diplomacy. Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room, and to Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, and points beyond. We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet, wrestles with a global financial crisis, takes the measure of Vladimir Putin, overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act, clashes with generals about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, tackles Wall Street reform, responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout, and authorizes Operation Neptune's Spear, which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden.

A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective-the story of one man's bet with history, the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage. Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American, bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of "hope and change," and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making. He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad, open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters, and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment. Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great, ongoing American experiment, progress is always possible.

This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack Obama's conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but something founded on empathy and common understanding and built together, day by day.

Nine Perfect Strangers - by Liane Moriarty

This book, like the others that I have read by this author, pulled me in very quickly. The story has a brisk pace that moved me along. The characters are well-drawn so that I have a clear picture of each one in my mind. There are also not too many [11-12 main ones, I guess] so I always knew who is being talked about in the text.

The book is an interesting mix of a main storyline, multiple back-stories and a psychological exploration of the main characters. That sounds like a mash-mash, but it holds together well; it all seemed to belong.

Although aspects of the story seemed somewhat unlikely, they were far from being implausible. Very much the model for this author’s work. I have just one more book of hers that I have yet to read. I will resist that for a while and hope for more in the future.

What I'm reading ...

I have started, Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty. Time from some fiction and I have enjoyed several other books by this author. Here’s the blurb:

Nine perfect strangers, each hiding an imperfect life.
A luxury retreat cut off from the outside world.
Ten days that promise to change your life.
But some promises - like some lives - are perfect lies . . .

Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology - by Jim Al-Khalili and Johnjoe McFadden

This book took a while. It is a long book and I am a slow reader, but it is also packed with information. I often found that I could only read a few pages before I needed a break to digest. I am familiar with Jim Al-Khalili’s work, both written and on the radio, and he has a very lucid style.

The main thing that I learned from the book was how incredibly complex the subject is; I have really only gained an appreciation of all the work that is going on. A couple of random nuggets: spinach might be thought of as a quantum computer; if we can build solar panels that work on the same principle as photosynthesis in plants, they will be fantastically efficient.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology by Jim Al-Khalili and Johnjoe McFadden. Time for non-fiction again and I expect this to be an interesting read from past experience of the (first) author. Here’s the blurb:

Life is the most extraordinary phenomenon in the known universe; but how does it work? Even in this age of cloning and synthetic biology, the remarkable truth remains: nobody has ever made anything living entirely out of dead material. Life remains the only way to make life. Are we missing a vital ingredient in its creation?

Like Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene, which provided a new perspective on evolution, Life on the Edge alters our understanding of life's dynamics as Jim Al-Khalili and Johnjoe Macfadden reveal the hitherto missing ingredient to be quantum mechanics. Drawing on recent ground-breaking experiments around the world, they show how photosynthesis relies on subatomic particles existing in many places at once, while inside enzymes, those workhorses of life that make every molecule within our cells, particles vanish from one point in space and instantly materialize in another.

Each chapter in Life on the Edge opens with an engaging example that illustrates one of life’s puzzles – How do migrating birds know where to go? How do we really smell the scent of a rose? How do our genes manage to copy themselves with such precision? – and then reveals how quantum mechanics delivers its answer. Guiding the reader through the maze of rapidly unfolding discovery, Al-Khalili and McFadden communicate vividly the excitement of this explosive new field of quantum biology, with its potentially revolutionary applications, and also offer insights into the biggest puzzle of all: what is life?

The Green Road - by Anne Enright

This book is less of a story, more of a study of a family and their interrelations. Each of Rosaleen’s children go off and lead different lives and the author describes them each with great insight. Overall, a very well-written book and enjoyable read that gave me a glimpse of some other, unfamiliar worlds.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Green Road by Anne Enright. It is time for fiction and I have not read any Irish writing for a while. Here’s the blurb:

Hanna, Dan, Constance and Emmet return to the west coast of Ireland for a final family Christmas in the home their mother is about to sell. As the feast turns to near painful comedy, a last, desperate act from Rosaleen - a woman who doesn't quite know how to love her children - forces them to confront the weight of family ties and the road that brought them home.

Daemon Voices: Essays on Storytelling - by Philip Pullman

This book, as the title says, is a collection of essays, which were written under a variety of circumstances. The background/origin of each is provided and this explains the varying style. There is also so update information at the end of a few, as many were written quite a few years ago.

Overall, I gained quite a few insights and it has made me think about writing and storytelling in a different way. I would recommend it to any aspiring writer. It was also interesting to get the author’s views on various topics, including education and religion; in most cases, he aligns with my opinions.

If I have any criticism of the book, I’d say it is a little long - a bit of culling might have been good. There are also a few examples of repetition, but I guess that was inevitable, given the essays’ origins.

 

What I'm reading ...

I have started Daemon Voices: Essays on Storytelling by Philip Pullman. It was time for some non-fiction. I very much enjoy this author’s work, so his and on various matters around storytelling cannot fail to be interesting. Here’s the blurb:

In over 30 essays, written over 20 years, one of the world’s great story-tellers meditates on story-telling. Warm, funny, generous, entertaining and, above all, deeply considered, they offer thoughts on a wide variety of topics, including the origin and composition of Philip’s own stories, the craft of writing and the story-tellers who have meant the most to Philip.

The art of story-telling is everywhere present in the essays themselves, in the instantly engaging tone, the vivid imagery and striking phrases, the resonant anecdotes, the humour and learnedness. Together, they are greater than the sum of their parts: a single, sustained engagement with story and story-telling.

Gut Symmetries - by Jeanette Winterson

 This was a very unusual book. Initially, I felt that it was very word - going on and on about details, but I gradually understood that this was a way to convey a detailed idea of the feelings of the characters as well as the events of the story. The story itself, whilst somewhat unlikely and a little surreal, was basically quite simple. The richness of the book came form the details: the back story of the characters, the details of their parents and childhood etc. Eventually, I started enjoying the rich language; it was like rich food, which can be indigestible if you’re not used to it.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Gut Symmetries by Jeanette Winterson. A well-known author whose work I have enjoyed before. Here’s the blurb:

Travelling across the Atlantic on board the QE2, Alice - a bright, young physicist - meets Jove, short for Giovanni, one of the world's most respected experts on time travel and a confirmed lothario. By the time the pair land in New York, Alice has become Jove's mistress, an affair of the heart which is only complicated further when Alice meets Jove's, wife, Stella; a tempestuous beauty born with a diamond at the base of her spine. As this love triangle turns into a menage-a-trois, Alice, Stella and Jove struggle against the currents immersing them, while their romance pulls into its wake the stories of other generations, philosophies, quantum physics and time travel. A celebration of the human heart in all its frailty, confusion and excess, Gut Symmetries is a lyrical evocation of parallel lives, loves and universes, from one of Britain's best loved authors.

The Death of Expertise: The Campaign against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters - by Tom Nichols

Overall this was a good book and covered an interesting subject, which is very topical. As it is a fairly recent publication, it is even more topical than might otherwise be expected. The analysis of the subject was detailed, enlightening and interesting. I guess that I find myself neither reassured or surprised by the conclusions.

The book is somewhat typical of this type of American publication. It follows a formula:

1. Tell ‘em what you’re going to say.
2. Say it.
3. Tell ‘em what you just said.

The result is a lot - a lot! - of repetition. This is a good 100 page book that is buried in >250 pages ...

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Death of Expertise: The Campaign against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters by Tom Nichols. I forget how I came to have this book - maybe someone recommended it. But it seems to address a very topical subject. Here’s the blurb:

Technology and increasing levels of education have exposed people to more information than ever before. These societal gains, however, have also helped fuel a surge in narcissistic and misguided intellectual egalitarianism that has crippled informed debates on any number of issues. Today, everyone knows everything: with only a quick trip through WebMD or Wikipedia, average citizens believe themselves to be on an equal intellectual footing with doctors and diplomats. All voices, even the most ridiculous, demand to be taken with equal seriousness, and any claim to the contrary is dismissed as undemocratic elitism.

Tom Nichols' The Death of Expertise shows how this rejection of experts has occurred: the openness of the internet, the emergence of a customer satisfaction model in higher education, and the transformation of the news industry into a 24-hour entertainment machine, among other reasons. Paradoxically, the increasingly democratic dissemination of information, rather than producing an educated public, has instead created an army of ill-informed and angry citizens who denounce intellectual achievement. When ordinary citizens believe that no one knows more than anyone else, democratic institutions themselves are in danger of falling either to populism or to technocracy or, in the worst case, a combination of both. An update to the 2017breakout hit, the paperback edition of The Death of Expertise provides a new foreword to cover the alarming exacerbation of these trends in the aftermath of Donald Trump's election. Judging from events on the ground since it first published, The Death of Expertise issues a warning about the stability and survival of modern democracy in the Information Age.

Rough Music - by Patrick Gale

This was a great read. There are two timelines that involve mostly the same characters, but it is always clear where you are. The story has a very good pace, with a few surprises and a number of “mysteries” - aspects of the story that keep the reader wondering until they are resolved. My only tiny, tiny reservation was that I didn’t really understand the last few paragraphs. In any case, I will be reading more of this author’s work.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Rough Music by Patrick Gale. I have enjoyed this author's work before. Here's the blurb:

Julian as a small boy is taken on the perfect Cornish holiday. When glamorous American cousins unexpectedly swell the party, however, emotions run high and events spiral out of control. Though he has been brought up in the forbidding shadow of the prison his father runs, though his parents are neither as normal nor as happy as he supposes, Julian’s world view is the sunnily selfish, accepting one of boyhood. It is only when he becomes a man – seemingly at ease with love, with his sexuality, with his ghosts – that the traumatic effects of that distant summer rise up to challenge his defiant assertion that he is happy and always has been.

The Only Plane in the Sky: The Oral History of 9/11 - by Garrett M. Graff

This book sort of reminded me to the Apollo 13 movie - I knew the outcome of the events, but I was on the edge of my seat. I found the story, told through the eyes of people who were there, absolutely fascinating. It gave me a whole new perspective on the events of that day, but also on how America sees itself. Some of the reading was harrowing and emotional; that was inevitable and I am glad that the prospect didn’t put me off of reading the book.

The book includes some commentary on the events to contextualize the accounts of the witnesses. From this I learned some fascinating trivia/details:

• The World Trade Center was comprised of seven buildings, not just the twin towers. They were all destroyed.
• The South Tower was the first sky scraper ever to collapse.
• The WTC fires burned for 99 days.
• The Pentagon is the world’s biggest low-rise office building.
• The Pentagon not only has five sides, but has five stories and five rings of offices.
• The segment of the Pentagon that was hit was the least occupied and most resistant to the attack. It had recently been refurbished to make it more terrorism-proof and reoccupation had only just started.
• A Boeing 747 can go up to 45000 feet. They did this with Air Force One so that any attack would need to be from below, which could be spotted and only certain other aircraft could achieve this altitude.
• It was suspected that there might be more highjacked planes, other than the four that were known. A number of planes did not respond immediately to the grounding order.
• It was difficult to be sure about where a hijacked plane might be, as they turned off their transponders. All the key radar systems were facing away from US, as it was assume that attack would come from outside of the country.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Only Plane in the Sky: The Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff. Time for non-fiction and, although I do not expect this to be an easy read, I clearly recall the events of that day from my own perspective and I find the idea of a bigger picture interesting. Here’s the blurb:

Of all the books about 9/11 one has been missing until now - a panoramic narrative from the men and women caught up in the unprecedented human drama of that terrible day.

The Only Plane in the Sky is nothing less than the first comprehensive oral history of 9/11, deftly woven and told in the voices of ordinary people grappling with extraordinary events. Drawing on never-before-published transcripts, recently declassified documents, new and archived interviews from nearly five hundred people, historian Garrett Graff skillfully tells the story of the day as it was lived.

It begins in the predawn hours of airports in the Northeast, where we meet the ticket agents who unknowingly usher terrorists onto their flights. In New York, first responders confront a scene of unimaginable chaos at the Twin Towers. From a secret bunker beneath the White House, Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice watch for incoming planes on radar. In the offices of the Pentagon, top officials feel the violent tremor as their headquarters come under attack.

We hear the stories of the father and son working on separate floors in the North Tower; the firefighter who rushes to the scene to search for his wife; the telephone operator who keeps her promise to share a passenger's last words with his family; the chaplain who stays on the scene to perform last rites, losing his own life when the Towers collapse; the teachers evacuating terrified children from schools mere blocks from the World Trade Center; the generals at the Pentagon who break down and weep when they are barred from rushing into the burning building to try and rescue their colleagues.

The Only Plane in the Sky is a unique, profound, and searing exploration of humanity on a day that changed the course of history, and all of our lives.

Stardust - by Neil Gaiman

This proved to be a much more straightforward read than I had expected. Although suspending belief, in order to accept fantasy, is challenging for me, well-written fantasy makes it easier. And this book is as well written as the author’s reputation would lead you to expect.

There are lots of characters and places, but I did not get particularly lost and some of the interesting connections between things and people became apparent to me at the right time. All in all: worth the effort.

Think of it as “Alice in Wonderland meets Black Lives Matter” ...

What I'm reading ...

I have started Stardust by Neil Gaiman. Time for fiction again and this book came to hand. Even though fantasy is not my favourite genre, I have enjoyed this author’s work before and he has an excellent reputation. Here’s the blurb:

In the sleepy English countryside at the dawn of the Victorian era, life moves at a leisurely pace in the tiny town of Wall. Young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the beautiful Victoria Forester, but Victoria is cold and distant as the star she and Tristran see fall from the sky one evening. For the prize of Victoria’s hand, Tristran vows to retrieve the star for his beloved. It is an oath that sends the lovelorn swain over the town’s ancient wall and into a world that is dangerous and strange beyond imagining...

How Not To Be a Boy - by Robert Webb

When I started this book, I wanted something that was not too tough a read. I figured that a memoir authored by a comedy writer [for that is what the book is - the exploration of what it is to be male or not is used as a hook for his story] should fit the bill. I was concerned, however, that it might be too heavy on comedy with not enough substance. I need not have been concerned. The story is well written [though the moving around in time can be slightly unsettling] and it felt very candid; he does not shy away from discussing some very personal issues, like his sexuality and his relationship with alcohol. All in all it succeeded in being a good read and, as I hope from any biography, it gave me a glimpse of a world quite different from my own.

What I'm reading ...

I have started reading How Not To Be a Boy by Robert Webb. It is time for non-fiction and I figured this might be light enough after the last book which, though very enjoyable, sapped my emotional energy. Here's the blurb:

Rules for being a man
Don't Cry; Love Sport; Play Rough; Drink Beer; Don't Talk About Feelings
But Robert Webb has been wondering for some time now: are those rules actually any use? To anyone?
Looking back over his life, from schoolboy crushes (on girls and boys) to discovering the power of making people laugh (in the Cambridge Footlights with David Mitchell), and from losing his beloved mother to becoming a husband and father, Robert Webb considers the absurd expectations boys and men have thrust upon them at every stage of life.
Hilarious and heartbreaking, How Not To Be a Boy explores the relationships that made Robert who he is as a man, the lessons we learn as sons and daughters, and the understanding that sometimes you aren't the Luke Skywalker of your life - you're actually Darth Vader.

Small Great Things - by Jodi Picoult

Cutting to the quick: this was a really great read. The most remarkable thing about it [which becomes less surprising when you think about it] is that it is 5 years old, but is bang up to date and topical. It looks at racism and Black Lives Matter issues and is very relevant to recent events. This seems prescient, but actually these issues have been around for ever.

The quality of writing, as I would expect from this author, is superb. I liked the organization of the book. Each chapter is written from the viewpoint of one of three characters: a black nurse, a white lawyer and a white supremacist skinhead; the name of the chapter is their name, which eliminates any confusion. The book feels very well researched. I always want to learn something from reading a book, even a novel. There are lots of details of legal procedure and medical matters and interesting observations on American society.

I found the book quite emotional, particularly towards the end. There are strongly emotional issues discussed and the quality of writing leads the reader to get involved emotionally. Overall, I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who cares about the current BLM issues or even if they just want a pleasantly challenging read.

I loved this quote from Nelson Mandela: "People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.”

A useful English lesson: "Equality is treating everyone the same. But equity is taking differences into account, so everyone has a chance to succeed."

What I'm reading ...

I have started Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. I have been sitting on this book for a while and, feeling it was time for some “serious” fiction, it has reached the top of the [virtual] pile. I have enjoyed the author’s work before and think that this book may well be quite topical. Here’s the blurb:

When a newborn baby dies after a routine hospital procedure, there is no doubt about who will be held responsible: the nurse who had been banned from looking after him by his father.
What the nurse, her lawyer and the father of the child cannot know is how this death will irrevocably change all of their lives, in ways both expected and not.
Small Great Things is about prejudice and power; it is about that which divides and unites us.
It is about opening your eyes.

On the Road: Adventures from Nixon to Trump - by James Naughtie

As expected, a good read from a well-informed author. The book has lots of detail on many aspects of US politics over the time period that he covers and I learned a great deal. Oddly, it seems a little “thin” on the Obama era, even though Naughtie clearly liked the approved of the guy. His attitude to Trump is also clear.
The book took a while for me to read, as, despite being well written, it is quite dense - there is a lot of information. I was very slightly disappointed by there being so few personal “adventure” stories, but it was a worthwhile read nevertheless.

What I'm reading ...

I have started On the Road: Adventures from Nixon to Trump by James Naughtie. The author is very familiar for years of hearing him on the radio and I have met him a few times, finding him to be very amiable as well as a true professional. He has a good reputation as a journalist, so, when I saw this book was published, I was keen to get my hands on it. Here’s the blurb:

James Naughtie, the acclaimed author and BBC broadcaster, now brings his unique and inquisitive eye to the country that has fascinated him and drawn him across the Atlantic for half a century. In looking at America, from Presidents Nixon through to Trump, he’ll tell the story of a country that is grappling with a dream. What has it come to mean in the new century, and who do Americans now think they are?
Drawing on his travels and encounters over forty years in the ‘Land of the Free’, On The Road will be filled with anecdotes, memories, tears and laughter reflecting Naughtie’s characteristic warmth and enthusiasm in encountering the America of Washington, of Broadway, of the small town and the plains. Naughtie watched the fall of President Richard Nixon in 1974, and subsequently as a journalist followed the story of the country – its politicians, artists, wheeler-dealers and the people who make it what it is, in the New York melting pot or the western deserts. This will be a story filled with encounters, for example with the people he has watched on every presidential campaign from the 1970s to the victory of Donald Trump in 2016.

Not the End of the World - by Kate Atkinson

Despite my reservations about this being a collections of short stories, I really enjoyed this book. The quality of writing was excellent - just what I would expect from this author. The stories individually were well structured and very imaginative. What was not clear initially, but gradually became more apparent, were the links between the stories. Even though they do not have an obvious common theme [except, perhaps, death] and none of them [with one exception] have the same characters, people and situations are cross referenced increasingly as the book goes on. By the end, I was actively searching for the links. I look forward to the paperback publication [and resulting Kindle edition price decrease] of Kate Atkinson’s latest book.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Not the End of the World by Kate Atkinson. This is a collection of short stories, which is not my favourite literary form - I much prefer to get my teeth into a 400+ page novel. But I have read and enjoyed a lot of this author’s work, so I thought I’d give it a go. Here’s the blurb:

What is the real world? Does it exist, or is it merely a means of keeping another reality at bay? Not the End of the World is Kate Atkinson's first collection of short stories. Playful and profound, they explore the world we think we know whilst offering a vision of another world which lurks just beneath the surface of our consciousness, a world where the myths we have banished from our lives are startlingly present and where imagination has the power to transform reality. From Charlene and Trudi, obsessively making lists while bombs explode softly in the streets outside, to gormless Eddie, maniacal cataloguer of fish, and Meredith Zane who may just have discovered the secret to eternal life, each of these stories shows that when the worlds of material existence and imagination collide, anything is possible.

Becoming - by Michelle Obama

As I am interested in people’s lives, I always enjoy reading biographies and autobiographies in particular. I am wary of autobiographies that are ghost written - I think it is usually possible to tell. In this case, I really feel that I am hearing the author’s voice; somehow it just seems genuine.

The book is extremely well written, with a good pace. I realized that it reminded me of the Apollo 13 movie. With the movie, I knew what the outcome would be, as it was firmly based on actual events, but I was still on the edge of my seat. This book had the same vibe and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

I am very much a facts person, so feelings tend to need some explanation for me. Michelle Obama’s style is to write about how she felt about some event that was to take place. Then should would describe the event in factual terms. Then she would say how she felt about it. At a certain level, I now feel that I know the author just a bit. She comes over as very thoughtful, intelligent and eloquent and she takes pleasure in small - sometimes very ordinary - things, which is exactly what I endeavour to do myself. The book is inspiring and quite emotional.

The story ends when she and Barack hand over the White House to the Trumps. She does not hide her opinions and concerns about the new POTUS. Reading the book made me feel sad for America: what they had and they lost.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Becoming by Michelle Obama. We saw the documentary about her book tour recently, which was interesting and emotional. I have always been impressed by her [and her hubby!] and enjoy a good biography. Here’s the blurb:

In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America - the first African-American to serve in that role - she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.
In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her - from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world's most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it - in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations - and whose story inspires us to do the same.

Normal People - by Sally Rooney

Someone told me that this book was a “romance”. I have concluded that this description is not wrong, but is incomplete. I think that the real message of the book is that there is no such thing as “normal” people. But I think I knew that. The story, at a certain level, describes various people, who can appear normal and then you find out about their quirks. Overall, I found it an enjoyable read.
I was confused about some of the language usage. There is a reference to a “windshield”, which is not British English - is it the Irish English word stolen from American perhaps? Later in the book Marianne gets some money in Euros, but Connell says that he needs “10 quid”. Even if people used to call the Irish Pound a quid, these characters would be too young to have that slang, unless that is universal in Ireland [for Euro].
Another aspect of the book troubled me: none of the dialogue has quotation marks around it. This feels wrong, though I never actually found it confusing. So, maybe quotes aren’t really needed. As I subscribe to the view that the apostrophe should be abolished, I should be comfortable with this.
Lastly, the ending of the book felt a little weak to me. Short of killing off a key character, it is hard to know how to finish such a story.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Normal People by Sally Rooney. I read a glowing review of the TV adaptation of this book and thought that it might be interesting to read. Then I discovered that we had a copy and two family members had read it. They were unimpressed, but I will try to have an open mind. Here’s the blurb:

Connell and Marianne grow up in the same small town in the west of Ireland, but the similarities end there. In school, Connell is popular and well-liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation - awkward but electrifying - something life-changing begins.
Normal People is a story of mutual fascination, friendship and love. It takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find they can't.

Shakespeare: The World as a Stage - by Bill Bryson

I had high expectations of this book, as I always enjoy Bryson’s writing and know that his research is thorough. I was not disappointed. This was a very enjoyable and informative read. It was disconcerting, near the beginning, when he mentions that there is a problem: we actually know very little about Shakespeare’s life, despite his significance in history and literature. The book describes what is known and discusses numerous claims about the Bard’s life, that have been refuted or clearly do not fit with the facts. He also describes a lot of detail about life in England in the late 1500s and early 1600s, which I enjoyed. I wish this book had been available when I was learning about Shakespeare and that historical period at school ...

What I'm reading ...

I have started Shakespeare: The World as a Stage by Bill Bryson. Time for non-fiction again. Bryson is one of my favourite authors - certainly in top three - so I look forward to gaining some interesting insights while being entertained. Here’s the blurb:

International bestseller Bill Bryson brings us this brilliantly readable biography of the world’s greatest playwright, William Shakespeare.
Join Bill as he takes you on a journey through Elizabethan England, tackling the myths, half-truths and downright lies to make sense of the man behind the masterpieces.

The Atlantis Gene - by A.G. Riddle

This book turned out to be an odd coincidence in a couple fo ways. Firstly, there was part of the story that hinged on brain plasticity - the subject of a recent that book I read. The other is that the story includes some narrative from the time of the Spanish ‘flu pandemic and the contemporaneous timeline introduces a new pandemic. None of this topicality was obvious from the blurb.
Overall, it was a good read, with lots of short chapters, which is a great way to coax me further - just one more chapter … I did find some of the geography and the multiple characters with aliases slightly confusing towards the end. There are a fair number of twists in the plot, which is good. I found the ending [at least there is one!] a little weak.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Atlantis Gene by A.G. Riddle. I thought that it was time for fiction again, contemporaneous sci fi would fit the bill and this has been sitting around for a while. Here’s the blurb:

70,000 years ago, the human race almost went extinct.
We survived, but no one knows how.
Until now.
The countdown to the next stage of human evolution is about to begin, and humanity might not survive this time.
The Immari are good at keeping secrets. For 2,000 years, they've hidden the truth about human evolution. They've also searched for an ancient enemy--a threat that could wipe out the human race. Now the search is over.
Off the coast of Antarctica, a research vessel discovers a mysterious structure buried deep in an iceberg. It has been there for thousands of years, and something is guarding it. As the Immari rush to execute their plan, a brilliant geneticist makes a discovery that could change everything.
Dr. Kate Warner moved to Jakarta, Indonesia to escape her past. She hasn't recovered from what happened to her, but she has made an incredible breakthrough: a cure for autism. Or so she thinks. What she has found is far more dangerous--for her and the entire human race. Her work could be the key to the next stage of human evolution. In the hands of the Immari, it would mean the end of humanity as we know it.
Agent David Vale has spent ten years trying to stop the Immari. Now he's out of time. His informant is dead. His organization has been infiltrated. His enemy is hunting him. But when David receives a coded message related to the Immari attack, he risks everything to save the one person that can help him solve it: Dr. Kate Warner.
Together, Kate and David must race to unravel a global conspiracy and learn the truth about the Atlantis Gene... and human origins. Their journey takes them to the far corners of the globe and into the secrets of their pasts. The Immari are close on their heels and will stop at nothing to obtain Kate's research and force the next stage of human evolution--even if it means killing 99.9% of the world's population. David and Kate can stop them... if they can trust each other. And stay alive.

A Beautiful Broken Dream: A Trail Journal in Search of the Myth of America - by Steve Bonham

This was an enjoyable enough read, but I ultimately found it unsatisfying. It was reasonably well written and kept me turning the pages, but I was looking forward to getting a glimpse of bit of America [or even Americana] that were new to me. I did get some such glimpses, but they were mixed in with a lot of the writer’s thoughts and philosophy. Although this was not uninteresting, it was not what I was expecting in the book.

What I'm reading ...

I have started A Beautiful Broken Dream: A Trail Journal in Search of the Myth of America by Steve Bonham. I am not quite sure how I can to purchase this book. Maybe I read a review or perhaps someone recommended it. Anyway, I have since been told that it is a good read. All my life I have been fascinated by America - even if there are many aspects of the country that appall me - so I am interested to read another angle. Here’s the blurb:

Take a picaresque journey in search of the spirit and soul of America, an America beyond the headlines. An antidote to the Age of Trump, A Beautiful Broken Dream is a "trail journal" of stories, poems and lyrics—all tied together by a journey through the most beautiful and haunting landscapes America has to offer.
With Steve Bonham as your guide, visit the great forests of the U.S. and take a trip along the music road from Asheville to Nashville and New Orleans, where you'll be joined by Bonham's sometime-travelling companion and great friend, the artist Dinny Pocock. Endeavour to avoid irritable bears, rattlesnakes, agitated natives and a variety of other challenges while throwing yourself into the heart of Appalachia, the southern states, and the music that flows from it.
What you'll end up with is a wry, compassionate, idiosyncratic and personal view of this land and the truth it holds for all of us.

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science - by Norman Doidge

This was an absolutely fascinating book. It is well written and easy to read, but assumes a certain amount of reader intelligence. It explained lots fo things I have wondered about and even suggested some possibilities for mitigating the effects of aging on the mind. It may have just changed my life ...

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norman Doidge. It was time for some “serious” non-fiction. This is a subject that interests me and the book was recommended. Here’s the blurb:

Meet the ninety-year-old doctor who is still practicing medicine, the stroke victim who learned to move and talk again and the woman with half a brain that rewired itself to work as a whole. All these people had their lives transformed by the remarkable discovery that our brains can repair themselves through the power of positive thinking.
Here bestselling author, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Norman Doidge reveals the secrets of the cutting-edge science of 'neuroplasticity'. He introduces incredible case histories - blind people helped to see, IQs raised and memories sharpened - and tells the stories of the maverick scientists who are overturning centuries of assumptions about the brain.
This inspiring book will leave you with a sense of wonder at the capabilities of the mind, and the self-healing power that lies within all of us.

Dead Man’s Grip - by Peter James

Some people criticize Peter James for taking a “formulaic” approach to his books. I see where they’re coming from. His books always have a number of threads, that gradually come together. The first few chapters set up each thread and appear quite unconnected. The stories are always quite complex and there’s inevitably at least one surprising twist. Some time is spent on updating the reader on matters with his [currently] fiancée Cleo and there is always something about his missing wife, Sandy. For me, this is all part of the pleasure of reading this series. It is familiar, but each story has enough “meat” to keep me on the edge of my seat. This book was very unputdownable once I got to the last 100 pages or so. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Dead Man’s Grip by Peter James. Time for some “normal” fiction and PJ is an author I turn to when I want a good story to get lost in. Here’s the blurb:

Carly Chase is still traumatised after being in a fatal traffic accident which kills a teenage student from Brighton University. Then she receives news that turns her entire world into a living nightmare.
The drivers of the other two vehicles involved have been found tortured and murdered. Now Detective Superintendant Roy Grace of the Sussex Police force issues a stark and urgent warning to Carly: She could be next.
The police advise Carly her only option is to go into hiding and change her identity. The terrified woman disagrees - she knows these people have ways of hunting you down anywhere. If the police are unable to stop them, she has to find a way to do it herself. But already the killer is one step ahead of her, watching, waiting, and ready. . .

Over the Top - by Jonathan Van Ness

This was an enjoyable read. I always wonder with autobiographies whether they are ghost written or not. I this case the “voice” sounded quite genuine. I learnt quite a lot about the life of a queer person in small town America. Also, I am fully up to date with what being HIV positive means nowadays. I will look at JVN in a new light next time I watch Queer Eye. He had a long road to get there ...

What I'm reading ...

I have started Over the Top by Jonathan Van Ness. It was time for some non-fiction and this seemed a light option. Although I strongly dislike reality TV, Queer Eye is a favourite programme of mine. I am not sure why it appeals so much, but it always has an emotional impact. I am interested to read the back story to one of the team. Here’s the blurb:

Who gave Jonathan Van Ness permission to be the radiant human he is today? No one, honey.
The truth is, it hasn’t always been gorgeous for this beacon of positivity and joy.
Before he stole our hearts as the grooming and self-care expert on Netflix’s hit show Queer Eye, Jonathan was growing up in a small Midwestern town that didn’t understand why he was so…over the top. From choreographed carpet figure skating routines to the unavoidable fact that he was Just. So. Gay., Jonathan was an easy target and endured years of judgement, ridicule and trauma - yet none of it crushed his uniquely effervescent spirit.
Over the Top uncovers the pain and passion it took to end up becoming the model of self-love and acceptance that Jonathan is today. In this revelatory, raw, and rambunctious memoir, Jonathan shares never-before-told secrets and reveals sides of himself that the public has never seen. JVN fans may think they know the man behind the stiletto heels, the crop tops, and the iconic sayings, but there’s much more to him than meets the Queer Eye.

His Dark Materials: The Complete Collection - by Philip Pullman

This book took a while, which is unsurprising as it was probably the longest book I have ever read! However, the pace and quality of the writing kept me on track and I was always keen to get on to the next chapter.
I am not normally a fan of the fantasy genre, as I have trouble suspending belief. But, in this case, the author does not demand that I take on too much weird stuff. There are aspects of the physics that trouble me, but I decided not to think about them and just enjoy the story.
Really it’s a great read and I’m glad I devoted the time to it.
I now need to re-read The Secret Commonwealth, having been reminded of the starting point. However, I think I will wait until the final volume of The Book of Dust is, at least, in sight. 

What I'm reading ...

I have started His Dark Materials: The Complete Collection by Philip Pullman. Having enjoyed reading the author’s two recent books [Volumes 1 and 2 of the Book of Dust] and watched the recent TV adaptation, I thought that I would go back to the original and read all three books in succession. At nearly 1000 pages, it will take a while! I guess this is a re-read because I read Northern Lights years ago, but I do not think I ever got on to the others. Here’s the blurb:

Northern Lights
Lyra Belacqua lives half-wild and carefree among the scholars of Jordan College, with her daemon familiar always by her side. But the arrival of her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, draws her to the heart of a terrible struggle – a struggle born of Gobblers and stolen children, witch clans and armoured bears.
The Subtle Knife
Lyra finds herself in a shimmering, haunted otherworld – Cittàgazze, where soul-eating Spectres stalk the streets and wingbeats of distant angels sound against the sky. But she is not without allies: twelve-year-old Will Parry, fleeing for his life after taking another's, has also stumbled into this strange new realm.
On a perilous journey from world to world, Lyra and Will uncover a deadly secret: an object of extraordinary and devastating power. And with every step, they move closer to an even greater threat – and the shattering truth of their own destiny.
The Amber Spyglass
Will and Lyra, whose fates are bound together by powers beyond their own worlds, have been violently separated. But they must find each other, for ahead of them lies the greatest war that has ever been – and a journey to a dark place from which no one has ever returned . . .

Gates: How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry and Made Himself the Richest Man in America - by Stephen Manes and Paul Andrews

This took a while, because it is quite a long book and life got in the way over the holiday. I was never in doubt about pressing on with it, as it has good pace - almost like a novel, with each chapter ending with a “pull” into the next. Although the book is about Gates the man, it is as much about Microsoft and the history of the personal computer. I felt very connected with the story, as it spans my entire adult life and I have always been involved in high-tech. I enjoyed all the detail and was amazed at the somewhat haphazard [one might say reactive] way that Microsoft planned products. From the outside, it always looked like they had a plan!