The World's Greatest Idea - by John Farndon

The idea behind this book was interesting. The author and a small team arrived at a proposed list of the 50 best ideas ever conceived by mankind. By means of a website, they got lots of people to vote on them to establish an order. The ideas, from #50 to #1 are presented in order, with a short chapter for each one. The breadth of topics is wide, as the ideas range from writing to sense of self and from use of fire to logic. I think the depth of coverage of each one was just right and I enjoyed learning loads of random (useless?) facts. I did not cheat and skip ahead to see what chapters/ideas were coming, which helped me keep turning the pages.

What I'm reading

After a couple of fiction books, I thought it time to go back to non-fiction. I fancied a change from biography, so I have started The World's Greatest Idea by John Farndon. It looked like my kind of book, with lots of miscellaneous facts about the world. Here's the blurb:

An exploration of mankind’s greatest-ever ideas, from the author of the bestselling Do You Think You’re Clever?Where would humanity be now without fire, vaccinations, farming … or wine? A great idea is one that has changed the path of human civilisation. But which is the greatest of them all? John Farndon, author of the bestselling Do You Think You’re Clever?, has set out to find the answer.A distinguished panel of experts agreed on a list of 50 ideas, and each chapter of The World’s Greatest Idea sees Farndon explore the argument for a different one. The candidates are intriguingly varied: Electricity grids enable us to power our cities, but then sewers allowed those cities to grow. Without the wheel, modern civilisation would be pretty much impossible, but take away Logic and we’d lose the essential structures for rational thought ... But then what would be the point of all of this without the idea of romance?The World’s Greatest Idea is an enthralling voyage of discovery through the most powerful intellectual, social, scientific and creative brainwaves humans have ever had. They are ranked in the book determined by a public vote on www.theworldsgreatestidea.com But will you agree with the verdict?

Limitless - by Alan Glynn

This was quite a book! The basic premise - about a drug that provides the mental equivalent of the performance-enhancing drugs that sportsmen use - is quite straightforward. We hear the story from Eddie Spinola, who is a user of the drug, talking retrospectively. The story is gritty with some surprising twists. I suppose I was broadly sympathetic with Eddie and began to care about his fate.

The book soon had me hooked and turning the pages. I plan to get the DVD to see the movie.

What I'm reading

I have started Limitless by Alan Glynn. I thought that a lighter weight novel might be in order. I seem to recall that I got this at a bargain price and understand that it was made into a film earlier this year. The main premise of the story is the existence of a drug that greatly increases intellectual performance and the cumulative effects of such added capabilities.

Long Song - by Andrea Levy

This book is the story of the life of a slave girl in Jamaica in the mid-nineteenth Century, told in her own words. It is a very graphic story, some of which illustrates how horrifically some people can treat their fellow human beings. It is more than just a study of the life and conditions, it is a true life story with lots of insight into the characters of the people around the author - both black and white.

I was impressed by the use of language. It is written in the appropriate patois, but this is rendered with a light touch, with just enough unusual words to give it a genuine ring, but not so much that it gets in the way of clarity. I found it quite straightforward to read and it kept me turning the pages. I read it amazingly quickly, helped by dead time during a recent business trip.

I had high expectations of the author's work and I was not disappointed.

What I'm reading

I have started Long Song by Andrea Levy. Time for some more fiction. I don't think that this book will be an easy read, but I read Small Island a while ago [and saw the film], which was excellent, so I know that it will be worthwhile. It was recommended by a friend who read it for her book club and said that some of the description of how slaves were treated is rather harrowing.

Moab is my Washpot - by Stephen Fry

Having read the second volume of Stephen Fry's autobiography, I had high expectations of this, the first volume. I was not disappointed. The book covers all his early life up until he went to university. He writes with almost shocking honesty, covering very personal things like his early sex life and homosexuality, his criminal exploits and an attempt on his own life. One of the clearest things, that I observed, is that he never seems to try to put himself in a good light, as many celebrities do - quite the reverse, in fact. Maybe it's a kind of double bluff.

The book is written in the inimitable Fry style, which means that it is always entertaining and his penchant for unusual words meant that I was glad to be reading it as an e-book and could do dictionary lookups so easily.

I still don't understand the title.

What I'm reading

As usual, after fiction I want something else. The last book was emotionally hard work, so now I need something easier. I read the second volume of Stephen Fry's autobiography a while back and enjoyed it a lot, so now's the time to step back and read about his earlier life - I have started Moab is my Washpot. Odd title.

Room - by Emma Donoghue

This is an amazing book, which was very hard to put down.

The story is told by Jack, who is 5 years old and has spent all his life in an 11 foot square room with his mother. It quickly becomes apparent that they are being kept prisoner and we can see how his mother has evolved ways to handle the situation. The author had a big challenge to firstly put herself in the position of such a young child. She did a very convincing job of showing how different [and odd/illogical] the world would seem. She also had to consider how these very unusual living circumstances would affect that view and, again, her attention to detail is excellent.

Looking at the premise for the story, one might expect it to be rather grim or shocking. At times it is both. At other times it is very funny. What it is never is boring. The book has an amazing pace that kept me turning the pages right up to the end. It also does have an ending; it doesn't just stop. However, I don't think I'm giving anything away when I say that there is not something horrendous waiting to bite you late in the story.

What I'm reading

Time for fiction again and I have started Room by Emma Donoghue. The premise for the story intrigued me: It is written from the viewpoint of a 5 year old boy who lives in a room with his mother and knows no other world. I have a feeling that it won't be a bundle of laughs...

What You See Is What You Get: My Autobiography - by Alan Sugar

I was interested to read this book, as I enjoy autobiographies most when they are about someone whose life has been connected, or at least concurrent, with my own. Although the author may not have been familiar to me over all those years, the events that he writes about and his companies and products are very familiar.

The book is quite comprehensive, covering: his early life, starting in business, the rise and fall of Amstrad, involvement with Sky, his work in football, The Apprentice and his recent political activity. The strong factors, that I see all through the story, are his intelligence and clear-sightedness, along with his short temper, but he is always thinking about and relying upon other people.

I am sure that many autobiographies are ghost written. There is something about the style of this one that makes me feel that it really is Alan Sugar's words. In some respects, the writing style is clumsy, but he's not a professional writer. I suppose it could just have been written very cleverly by someone else. I choose to believe the honesty of the writing and enjoyed the book very much.

What I'm reading

After some fiction, time for some non-fiction and biography is always a good bet. I have started What You See Is What You Get: My Autobiography by Alan Sugar.

Imperium - by Robert Harris

I was looking forward to this book, as I have enjoyed several of the author's previous ones. It took me a while to read, but I was not disappointed. The story is broadly about Cicero's rise to power - ultimately becoming Consul. In the process I learned a lot about Roman politics and how their society was organised, all at a brisk pace that keeps the pages turning. In particular, it was interesting to appreciate that the process of law was the cornerstone of their government - much the way it is in Western democracies today.

At one point in the story, a character is endeavouring to gain some absolute power and is positioning himself accordingly as the only way to defeat a rather Ill-defined enemy - some pirates. He states: "Those who are not with us are against us". Familiar, eh? I think this was the author humorously likening the political system then to the current "war on terror".

The story is told from the viewpoint of Cicero's slave and private secretary, Tiro. This is a mechanism that works well. I was only about a quarter of the way into this book, carried along by the pace of the story, when my enthusiasm made me purchase the next volume, "Lustrum". I understand that the third and last will be published this year.

What I'm reading

I have started Imperium by Robert Harris. I have previously enjoyed several books by this author. He fulfils one of my key criteria for reading a novel: I want to feel that I have learned something. I have a lot of faith in his integrity.

The Hare With Amber Eyes - by Edmund de Waal

This book is really a history of the author's family from the mid-1800s to the present day. But he uses a novel way to tell the story - tracing the fortunes of a set of Japanese carvings - the netsuke - over the years.

It took me a while to read, as it is quite a big book. I also struggled a bit at the beginning - it did not engage me until about one third of the way through. I suppose that the lives of the idle rich in the late 19th Century does not interest me, but the background to the first world war and thereafter was fascinating. I learned a lot. I guess my only criticism/disappointment is that there are no illustrations of the netsuke.

I mostly read this book on my new Kindle, but also on the iPad in low light.

What I'm reading

I have started The Hare With Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal. I like to kind of alternate between fiction and non-fiction and this was being serialised (in abridged form) on the radio (a common source of inspiration for my reading) and sounded interesting. The book seems to have received a lot of media attention and promotion of late.

The Observations - by Jane Harris

This book took a little while, simply because it is quite long (by my standards - 500+ pages in the paper edition). Not a hard read - it kept me turning the pages.

The story is written from the viewpoint of a maid. This is made a little more complex by some parts of the text being extracts from a journal that she was required to write, where she embellishes the truth or even makes things up. Essentially the story is about the relationship between the maid and her mistress, who behaves in odd ways. It turns out that there are are two reasons for this: she is doing what we would call a psychological study of the servant class; she is somewhat unhinged as result of events in the past, which were learn about as the story progresses. The end of the story has a twist and, although there is a true ending, I guess the door is left open to a sequel.

As far as I can tell, this is a new author. On the strength of this book, I'll look out for anything else by her.

What I'm reading

I have started The Observations by Jane Harris. Although I like swapping between fiction and non-fiction, the last book was light-weight and this is a full size novel. I got it at a bargain price from Amazon [Kindle]. I believe it is the first novel by this author. I am rather critical of historical novels sometimes, as some authors are careless. The jury is out on this one.

The Hundred and Ninety-nine Steps - by Michael Faber

I read this one very quickly! Partly that was because it was a short book - only 126 pages in the print edition - but also because it was well paced and kept me turning the pages. It was essentially an extended short story in it's form.

The story is told from a single viewpoint, which seems unusual nowadays, but, for a shorter piece, makes sense. It is a kind of love story, built upon an investigation of a historical artefact, which is slowly revealed. In the same way that the investigation reveals more, as the story progresses, we learn more about Sian, the main character. This culminates in a nice twist towards the end. All in all, a good read.

What I'm reading

I have started The Hundred and Ninety-nine Steps by Michael Faber. Time for some fiction again. I got this at a special price for Amazon [Kindle e-book again]. It is not a long book, so it shouldn't take long.

Blink - by Malcolm Gladwell

A fascinating book. It is about our innate ability to arrive at conclusions instinctively, using our subconscious more quickly and effectively than conscious thought. The book is not about neuroscience - more applied psychology. It his full of stories and examples that illustrate the author's points perfectly. I learned a lot about how my brain works. It explained many of my own experiences. A spin off was the clearest description of what autism is all about. Some of the ideas are a little complex, which makes it a slightly demanding read, but it is well written enough to keep the pages turning.

What I'm reading

Time for some non-fiction, I thought, so I have started Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. This is a book about how we think - specifically how we can often arrive at instinctive/intuitive decisions very quickly. Again, I am reading this as an e-book on my iPad.

Started Early, Took My Dog - by Kate Atkinson

What an excellent book! It is a complex story, told from a number of characters' viewpoints and there are flashbacks to the events of 30 years before. Regardless of the complexity and the many characters, I never felt lost, as the pace of the book and the inclusion of "reminders" in the way the text flowed kept me going.

It's essentially a "who done it", but with much more subtlety than that genre might suggest. For a long time you are unsure what they had done, let alone who was the bad guy. The multiple threads all interlink to build up the picture of the true sequence of events. If I have a criticism, it is that the ending is a bit disappointing. The important stuff is all tied up, but one is left unclear about where a couple of the main characters might go next.

I realised that this is the fourth book in a series that feature Jackson Brodie, one of the main characters. I will certainly be reading the others.

What I'm reading

I have started Started early, Took my Dog by Kate Atkinson. I spotted this book in the Amazon Kindle store and, having a recollection that I enjoyed the author's work in the past, thought I would give it a go. After reading just a few pages, I remembered the writing style: excellent economic descriptions and a complex web of characters and story. I was hooked in no time.

Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape the Universe by Martin J. Rees

Again, I have read a book in quite a short time. This is partly helped by some train/plane journeys, partly because I'm reading it as an e-book (which seems to encourage me), partly because I am making an effort to put time aside for reading, but it is also because it's a pretty good book.

The idea of the book is to review the current (10 years ago) state of the art in cosmology in layman's terms - though I think a reasonable scientific background is needed to grasp some of the ideas. The author uses the values of six "parameters" of the Universe to drive the story and constantly considers how things would have been different if these values had been just slightly varied. All in all, I felt it gave a good explanation of the Big Bang, dark matter and string theory and provided much food for thought.

A tiny downside of the book was that there were substantial faults with the "translation" to an e-book. In one place it seems to skip a couple of pages. Not a disaster, but annoying.

What I'm reading

Time for some non-fiction again. This time a science book: Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape the Universe by Martin J. Rees. When I first saw the details of this book, I thought it was about numbers like pi and e. But actually it is about some values of cosmological constants that determine the form of our Universe from the sub-atomically tiny scale to the huge dimensions of intergalactic space.

War Horse - by Michael Morpurgo

I read this book quite quickly. Maybe the low reading age helped, but I was also moved along by the pace of the book.

The story is about a horse that is plucked from rural England and used in the battlefields of World War 1. What is interesting is that it is told exclusively from the horse's viewpoint. Somehow the author did this without me having the feeling that he was anthropomorphising the creature. The story is a little sentimental, but not unrealistic. As I have faith in the author's integrity, I am confident that I learned a bit about the war and the world at that time.

All in all, a story with a beginning a middle and an end, which leaves me very keen to go to see the well spoken of dramatisation.

What I'm reading

I have started War Horse by Michael Morpurgo. I was inspired to get it as I have heard a lot about the successful show in London. It is listed as a children's book (age 9-12), but IMHO good writing is good writing and the author has an excellent reputation. It is quite short and should not take me long. I am reading it as a Kindle e-book on my iPad.

Memoirs Of A Not So Dutiful Daughter - by Jenni Murray

There are numerous ways to structure an autobiography, but most writers go for the obvious, chronological approach. This book is different. She writes about a year in her life, with each chapter covering a month - a very challenging year in which she faces the deaths of both her parents and her own diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer. She uses this chronology as a vehicle to introduce "flashbacks" that cover her earlier life. Somehow this just works.

The book is written in a clear, straightforward - perhaps journalistic - way, which makes it quite easy to read. But there is much sensitivity and emotion in the words. For me, a lot was close to home: chemotherapy, the death of a loved one and encounters with a care home and a hospice.

It kept me reading to the end and I think a lot of the story will stick with me.

What I'm reading

I have started Memoirs Of A Not So Dutiful Daughter by Jenni Murray. I enjoy biographies, autobiographies particularly, and the author is a very familiar voice to me, as I hear her on the radio several times every week. This does not promise to be an easy or jolly read, but I look forward to it nevertheless. I am reading it as an e-book on my iPad.

The Glassblower of Murano - by Marina Fiorato

At last, I have read a book in a sensible time. I achieved this in two ways: I was travelling on business last week and that leads to plenty of "dead time" [on aircraft etc.]; I have developed a habit of setting aside a little "reading time" each day. The latter is an obvious thing to do, but somehow it had eluded me before.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It is well written with enough pace to keep me turning pages right to the end. It is two, parallel, linked stories. Essentially it is about Leonora, who, after her divorce, goes to Venice to try to make her career in glass blowing and look into her family history. The parallel story is a few hundred years ago and is about her ancestor, Corradino, and that mirrors Leonora's voyage of discovery. I have no idea to what extent, if any, the story is based upon historical facts. I need to check up on that. The book would make an interesting movie.

Apart from being set in a fascinating city - Venice - the book brings together two interests of mine. I am learning Italian, so the frequent language references were interesting. Much I could understand or figure out from context, but I still made lots of notes and "dog ears" - so easy to do with a e-book. I have been on a couple of glass blowing classes, so that side of the story interested me. In fact, I just got a copy of the book for a friend who attended one of the classes with me, as I think she will enjoy it. I was intrigued by references to Corradino using his bare hands to work the glass and, thus, smoothing the skin on this fingers, so he left no fingerprints.

What I'm reading

I have started The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato. Time to read another novel, I thought. This was among a bunch of Kindle e-books that I got at a bargain price. As I started to read it, I realised that it brings together two interests of mine: Italian language (which is scatted throughout) and glass blowing. I am reading on my iPad, of course.

Our Farm: A Year in the Life of a Smallholding - by Rosie Boycott

Reading this book seemed to take for ever! It wasn't because I wasn't enjoying it. I think it was, once again, the fact that I don't have good slots in my life for reading, except when I'm travelling. I'm going to fix that.

On the surface, is book is about the author's experience in setting up and running a smallholding. That aspect is certainly interesting, with insights into the finances and the mechanics. She rights with a keen eye for detail - I'm not sure I enjoyed the visit to the abattoir with the pigs! She uses the telling of the story as a vehicle for discussing other topics: the way supermarkets operate with farmers, food manufacturing, Fibbinaci numbers and so on. The diversions were always interesting and I knew she'd get back on track. I used one of her tangential topics for another blog recently.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and felt I learned a lot, which is something I always hope for, whatever I'm reading.

What I'm reading

I have put The Atheist's Guide to Christmas on hold - probably for about 11 months. Now the season has passed, so has my incentive to read it.

I have started Our Farm by Rosie Boycott. It is the autobiographical account of the establishment of a smallholding by the author and her husband. Along the way there is much background information about food production and distribution etc. This is a topic that interests me. I recently joined the excellent local library and this is a "real" book on loan from there.

What I'm reading

I have started The Atheist's Guide to Christmas by Ariane Sherine. I am not an atheist, but I thought a collection of entertaining essays on the topic might make some light reading. I am not sure where I found it, but I notice that all proceeds are going to a worthwhile charity [and it was only 93p]. I am reading it as an e-book on my iPad.

Soul Identity - by Dennis Batchelder

This story involves an organization, who are founded on the belief that we each have a soul, the unique identity of which may be determined by studying the characteristics of an individual's eyes. At any one time, only a single individual carries a particular identity, but, over time, many people may carry the same soul - this is a "soul line". The organization - Soul Identity - enables people to pass on artefacts, money etc. to future carriers of the same soul. Soul Identity is being attacked and the book is about the fight against that attack.

Overall, the story is well paced and the beginning sucked me in straight away. The science/technology seems basically sound, though I felt there was often unnecessary detail. The writing style show a little inexperience and is clumsy at times. There are too many characters, a number of whom are not memorable. The love/romance interest is a beautiful, red haired, Russian geekess, who is also rather "fast". I felt that the author was simply documenting his own fantasies, which added little to the story.

As a first novel, I think this book stands up well. I think the author's original thinking shows promise for the future.

What I'm reading

I have started Soul Identity by Dennis Batchelder, which I am reading as an e-book on my iPad.

It is a thriller, with some science fiction leanings, as far as I can tell.

I think I was drawn to it by its rating on Amazon, which in turn was achieved in part by its zero price tag. I observe that it is self-published and the authors second, follow up book has a low price.

The Fry Chronicles - by Stephen Fry

I was looking forward to reading this book, as I enjoy autobiographies in general, and I'm a big fan of Stephen Fry in particular. He is top of the list of guests for my fantasy dinner party; on this list, he is in the minority because he is still alive.

The bottom line is that I enjoyed it very much. It took me a while to get through, which was partly because I was busy, but I think I was also not keen for it to end.

As you might expect, if you are familiar with Fry, the book is well written and his voice is very clear - no ghost writing going here! I read it as an e-book on my iPad - mainly because I was impatient to get my copy and the instant delivery is a boon. I was glad I did, because he is a sesquipedalianist - he likes using long, obscure words. Being able to look them up at a touch, without having to keep a real dictionary on hand, was very nice. He also invents new words. I particularly liked "badolescence".

The book is full of quotable lines like "Success has a dozen parents and failure is an orphan" and "The man who put the turd in Saturday Live".

Fry is a great name dropper, but I don't think he can help it, given the circles he moves in. Sometimes he gives some interesting insight into other well known figures. For example, on Alan Bennett: "It is a very Bennetty kind of shyness that sees performing on stage in front of hundreds of strangers as less stressful than attending a party." I never thought I'd empathise so strongly with Alan Bennett, but that rings so true.

All in all, a good read. And I am now going to read his earlier volume "Moab is my Washpot".

What I'm reading

I have started The Fry Chronicles by Stephen Fry. I am a big fan of Fry - I think he's one of the cleverest and funniest people in the media. I very much like his way with words. As I also like autobiographies, the choice of this book was natural.

I am reading it as a Kindle e-book on my iPad. It's what Stephen would have wanted.

The Finkler Question - by Howard Jacobson

I was slightly nervous about reading this book, fearing that a Booker winner might be too heavy going and a struggle to finish. It wasn't easy and it did take a while, but I got through it OK. The writing style is actually quite relaxed and manages to introduce touched of humour, even though the subject matter is quite serious.

On the surface, it is a story of a period of time in the lives of three men - two Jews and one who aspires to be Jewish. But really it is an investigation into what being Jewish is all about. One of the characters is called Finkler and another uses this as an alternative word for Jew. Hence the book title. It also considers the question of what loving someone is all about.

Having spent a lot of time with Jewish people over the years and having some Jewish blood myself, the topic interests me and that curiosity drove me along, as well as wondering what would happen in the story. I learned lots of facts about Judaism, along with strong impressions and feelings about the emotional landscape. Where else would I learn the Yiddish word "svontz"?

Reading it as an e-book proved useful. Apart from the accessibility and portability and being able to acquire it quickly, the availability of an easy dictionary lookup proved invaluable, as there were many words that I needed to check. Sadly there were also some also some errors that crept into the conversion - mostly superfluous hyphens or omitted spaces.

What I'm reading

I have started The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson. I was excited when I saw that this was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, as I met the author a few times when he used to own a shop down in Boscastle, and I have read some of his earlier books. Although he doesn't live there any more, I have followed his career over the years. So, when the book won, I had to read it, even though I would normally consider a Booker as likely to be too highbrow for me.

I am reading the book as an e-book on my iPad - I was impatient to get my hands on it.

One Day - by David Nicholls

I still do not recall exactly what led me to read this book. I have a suspicion that it may have been pushed at my by Amazon, but, anyway, I have quite enjoyed the read.

The idea is simple. It is the story of the lives of two people, starting from the day they graduate from university. Each chapter talks about the events on a particular day over a number of years, thus giving a series of snapshots of their lives. I think this was quite an original approach and works well.

The story progresses at a good pace, with the odd surprise and temporary confusion. At about 90% of the way through there is a major surprise, which, while trying to not give anything away, completes the structure of the story. Earlier on, I was concerned that the book might just stop, without any real conclusion, which would have been disappointing. I was not disappointed.

I am left wondering whether I like either of the two main characters and I am curiously unsure, but I think the story as a whole will stay with me.

What I'm reading

I have started One Day by David Nicholls. I am not sure where I heard about this book, but it sounded intriguing. Each chapter is about about a particular day in the lives of two people - a sort of couple. Each one is exactly a year after the last. I am reading it as a Kindle e-book on my iPad.

The Help - by Kathryn Stockett

This took me a while to read. I am not sure why, as it is not too long and not particularly hard going. I guess I had distractions. But it was worth the effort. I went through the usual three stages of reading a good book: a little while getting into it; the cruise, when it is hard to put down; slowly finishing, when I don't really want it to end.

The book is set in Jackson, Mississippi in 1963/4 and is largely centred on three characters: Skeeter, white girl from a rich family, who wants to be a writer/journalist, and Aibileen and Minny, who are both black domestic staff. Each chapter is written from the point of view of one of these three. Basically, the story is about Skeeter writing a book, which describes the lives of black maids at that time in that area. The book is anonymous, set in a fictional town and all the names were invented. The content of the book is scandalous and a backlash was inevitable, but the subtle nuances that ensue are quite unpredictable.

The author tells us that the story is "fiction - by and large". That is a very good get out and implied that there is a considerable amount of factual material. This strengthens one's feelings about the book. It is, at various times, funny, heart-warming and deeply shocking. It is hard to imagine that people ever treated their fellow man so badly and thoughtlessly, let alone these events being so recent.

All in all, it ranks among the best books I have ever read and will stay with me for some time to come. If this book makes me, and other readers, just think for a moment about how we treat others, the author's time was well spend.

What I'm reading

I have started The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Several people have sung the praises of this book and it is doing well in the Amazon charts, so I thought I would give it a go. I am disconcerted by the way the first chapter is primarily written in Mississippi dialect, but I'll crack on.

Liberty - by Garrison Keillor

This was a fun book that kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed the read.

It is the story of Clint Bunson's slightly late mid-life crisis. He has reached the age of 60 and is wondering whether he made a dreadful mistake nearly 30 years ago and has wasted his life. This is set against the 4 July celebrations in Lake Wobegon, the organization of which is a further distraction to him.

One one side, it is a serious story about getting older and wondering "what if ...", but it is written in a light-hearted and easy to read style, with sharply drawn characters and many moments of humour.

The author's use of words is always precise, with occasional moments of inspiration. At one point, he is discussing the working of a committee and says "After all was said and done, a lot was said and not much done." Elsewhere, he refers to the result of someone passing wind with a charming simile: "The smell in the air was like buzzards had died from eating rotten eggs."

I will certainly come back and read some more by Garrison Keillor in due course.

What I'm reading

I have started Liberty by Garrison Keillor. I have enjoyed listening to The News from Lake Wobegon for many years and I love his way with words, so it'll be interesting to work through a whole book. I am reading it as a Kindle ebook on my iPad.

The Pilot's Wife - by Anita Shreve

I chose this book on the strength of the "blurb" on the back, which promised an intriguing story. On this it delivered. The story starts with a pilot's wife learning of her husband's death in a crash. She then goes on to find out much about him she did not know before.

I found some of the use of language a little awkward, but maybe that is partly to do with the age of the book ('90s), where terms like "telephone receivers" were in common use. Also, it is an American book, so maybe the author can be excused when using the word "ale" to refer to the stuff we drink in pubs. I visualised the laugh I'd get if I ordered a "pint of ale" in most English pubs. Having said this, there is the occasional floweriness or odd turn of phrase that I was disconcerted by. There is a reference to someone's "sexual life"; most people would surely say "sex life".

However, overall I enjoyed the book. It kept me turning the pages, as I wanted to know what would come next, and I read it in a lot less time than the last book! I like the feeling of being engaged with a book and looking forward to the next read and it gave me that. I have no plans to methodically work my way through all the author's other books, but I'd happily read another one if it turns up.

What I'm reading

I have started The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve. I have had this book a while, having bought it when I was last in the US in April. It was my insurance against running out of reading matter on the way home. I decided that I wanted a book with a story, so this should fit the bill.

At Home - by Bill Bryson

It took me a while to get through this book! There are several reasons for that. Firstly, it's quite a big book. Second, I just don't seem to get enough time to do reading. Third, I needed to "process" the content.

The book is really a semi-random selection of fascinating social history topics, loosely themed by the rooms in Bill's house. Hardly a page went by when I didn't learn something new or have my beliefs challenged. It is an excellent book, which I enjoyed very much and it easily earns a long term place on my bookshelf.

In a way, I wish I'd read this as an e-book, because I could then have easily added annotations and bookmarks to the particularly interesting bits.