What I'm reading ...

I have started Lessons by Ian McEwan. This is a new book by a well-renowned author, whose work I have enjoyed before. Here’s the blurb:

When the world is still counting the cost of the Second World War and the Iron Curtain has descended, young Roland Baines's life is turned upside down. Stranded at boarding school, his vulnerability attracts his piano teacher, Miriam Cornell, leaving scars as well as a memory of love that will never fade.

Twenty-five years later Roland's wife mysteriously vanishes, and he is left alone with their baby son. Her disappearance sparks of journey of discovery that will continue for decades, as Roland confronts the reality of his rootless existence and attempts to embrace the uncertainty - and freedom - of his future.

Talking to Strangers - by Malcolm Gladwell

As expected, this was a very thought-provoking book. Throughout the ideas are supported and illustrated by case studies, several of which reoccur to clarify points. Reading it has made me reconsider how I evaluate people in everyday life; “default to truth” is dangerous …

What I'm reading ...

I have started Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. I have enjoyed this author’s work before and this book came recommended. Here’s the blurb:

The routine traffic stop that ends in tragedy. The spy who spends years undetected at the highest levels of the Pentagon. The false conviction of Amanda Knox. Why do we so often get other people wrong? Why is it so hard to detect a lie, read a face or judge a stranger's motives?

Using stories of deceit and fatal errors to cast doubt on our strategies for dealing with the unknown, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual adventure into the darker side of human nature, where strangers are never simple and misreading them can have disastrous consequences.  

Not Dead Yet - by Peter James

I have never been disappointed by any of this author’s books and this one is no exception. The story is complex, with enough twists and turns to draw you into the next chapters. On this occasion, there appeared to be three story lines that were separate, but they all come together in an interesting way. Unusually (I think), this book has hooks that pull you towards the next one in the series. But I won’t take too much persuading …

What I'm reading ...

I have started Not Dead Yet by Peter James. I wanted a light read and this author never fails to keep me entertained. Also, I recently visited Brighton, so the context is in my mind. Here’s the blurb:

For LA producer Larry Brooker, this is the movie that could bring the fortune that has so long eluded him . . .

For rock superstar, Gaia, desperate to be taken seriously as an actor, this is the role that could get her an Oscar nomination. . .

For the City of Brighton and Hove, the publicity value of a major Hollywood movie being filmed on location, about the city's greatest love story - between King George IV and Maria Fitzherbert - is incalculable.

For Detective Superintendent Roy Grace of Sussex CID, it is a nightmare unfolding in front of his eyes. An obsessed stalker is after Gaia. One attempt on her life is made days before she leaves her Bel Air home to fly to Brighton. Now, he has been warned, the stalker may be at large in his city, waiting, watching, planning.

Ancestors: A prehistory of Britain in seven burials - by Alice Roberts

This book took a while as it is quite long and packed with solid content. I knew the author was an expert in her field and a very good speaker, so I was unsurprised to find that she is also an excellent writer. [I later found that I had read and enjoyed another book of hers some time ago.] The text does not assume any particular expertise, but it also does not explain every last word. The style is pleasantly conversational and personal, with the occasional entertaining and informative tangent. I will be returning to this author’s work.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Ancestors: A prehistory of Britain in seven burials by Alice Roberts. I had heard good things about this author and have an interest in archaeology and genetics, so I was interested in reading some of her work. We went to see a talk by her and that closed the deal. Here’s the blurb:

We often think of Britain springing from nowhere with the arrival of the Romans. But in Ancestors, pre-eminent archaeologist, broadcaster and academic Professor Alice Roberts explores what we can learn about the very earliest Britons, from burial sites and by using new technology to analyse ancient DNA.

Told through seven fascinating burial sites, this groundbreaking prehistory of Britain teaches us more about ourselves and our history: how people came and went and how we came to be on this island. It explores forgotten journeys and memories of migrations long ago, written into genes and preserved in the ground for thousands of years.

This is a book about belonging: about walking in ancient places, in the footsteps of the ancestors. It explores our interconnected global ancestry, and the human experience that binds us all together. It’s about reaching back in time, to find ourselves, and our place in the world.

Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North - by Rachel Joyce

I was, again, skeptical and wondered whether the author was simply cashing in on the success of the companion books. My concern was unfounded. This book completes the story beautifully. Maureen was a very loosely described character in the other books; this book tells us all about here. The author has a great talent for describing mood and emotions and their context. It is a short book, but it does not fall short of its purpose. I will explore this author’s other work now.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North by Rachel Joyce. Although I should be on non-fiction, I’m still on holiday, so this short fiction book seems appropriate. Having read a companion book recently, I was keen to read this one. Here’s the blurb:

Ten years ago, Harold Fry set off on his epic journey on foot to save a friend. But the story doesn't end there.

Now his wife, Maureen, has her own pilgrimage to make.

Maureen Fry has settled into the quiet life she now shares with her husband Harold after his iconic walk across England. Now, ten years later, an unexpected message from the North disturbs her equilibrium again, and this time it is Maureen's turn to make her own journey.

But Maureen is not like Harold. She struggles to bond with strangers, and the landscape she crosses has changed radically. She has little sense of what she'll find at the end of the road. All she knows is that she must get there.

Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North is a deeply felt, lyrical and powerful novel, full of warmth and kindness, about love, loss, and how we come to terms with the past in order to understand ourselves and our lives a little better. Short, exquisite, while it stands in its own right, it is also the moving finale to a trilogy that began with the phenomenal bestseller The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and continued with The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy.

Apples Never Fall - by Liane Moriarty

As expected, this book was complex and intriguing, with a couple of timelines around the key events. I felt slight smugness when I spotted a red herring before it was revealed, but otherwise I was kept on my toes.

The book ended with another twist, which could even lead to a sequel.

In any case, I will return to this author.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty. Although I should be on non-fiction, I am holiday, so I wanted a gripping read. This author has never let me down so far. Here’s the blurb:

Joy and Stan Delaney have four grown-up children, a successful family business and their golden years ahead of them.

Then Joy vanishes.

Questions are asked.

The police get involved.

Scratch the surface and this seemingly happy family has much to hide - and with good reason . . .

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy - by Rachel Joyce

I was a little skeptical when I started out with this book. Had the author seen an opportunity to cash in on the success of the Harold Fry book and stretched out a few threads to make some kind of story. The answer is No.

The book is a very well written exploration of how people interact and respond to events around them. It tells most of the backstory of the original book, which is done in a very creative way: Queenie writes a long letter to Harold Fry.

Overall it was a delightful read, with the same light touch on the emotions of the original book.  At the end there is a lovely twist.

I have just learned that there is a third book which tells Maureen Fry’s story. A must read.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce. I read the Harold Fry book a while ago and enjoyed it. This is the companion/sequel. Having just seen the Harold Fry movie, I was inspired to get this book. Here’s the blurb:

When Queenie Hennessy discovers that Harold Fry is walking the length of England to save her, and all she has to do is wait, she is shocked. Her note had explained she was dying. How can she wait?

A new volunteer at the hospice suggests that Queenie should write again; only this time she must tell Harold everything. In confessing to secrets she has hidden for twenty years, she will find atonement for the past. As the volunteer points out, 'Even though you've done your travelling, you're starting a new journey too.'

Queenie thought her first letter would be the end of the story. She was wrong. It was the beginning.

Told in simple, emotionally-honest prose, with a mischievous bite, this is a novel about the journey we all must take to learn who we are; it is about loving and letting go. And most of all it is about finding joy in unexpected places and at times we least expect.

Solve For Happy - by Mo Gawdat

As expected, this book was very thought provoking. Clearly, Mo is a very smart guy and wants to understand Life, the Universe and Everything. He makes many valid observations and lots of interesting ideas. However, overall I was disappointed, as I felt that his Two Big Ideas were flawed.

I was attracted by his idea that life is not limited to our physical existence on Earth. He says life has always been there and always will. His justification for this assertion involved quantum mechanics and relates to the fact that measuring/observing something influences it. He extends the idea to the conclusion that, if something is not observed, it cannot happen. So, life in some form must have observed the Big Bang. I believe that this is an erroneous interpretation of Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle etc.

He also talks about Intelligent Design. Although I have felt for a long time that the Universe as a whole [laws of physics, mathematics etc.] seems too complex [and maybe too beautiful] to be the result of chance/accident, I strongly support Darwinian evolution. Mo seems to think that evolution is all about chance, which results in the numbers not adding up. This is incorrect.

My conclusion is that, although the book is not a waste of time, it does fail to convince me on these key issues.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Solve For Happy by Mo Gawdat. Time for non-fiction again and I have been recommended this book. It makes big claims, but I will be happy if it is just thought provoking. Here’s the blurb:

This is a startlingly original book about creating and maintaining happiness, written by a top Google executive with an engineer's training and fondness for thoroughly analyzing a problem.

In 2001, Mo Gawdat, a remarkable thinker whose gifts had landed him top positions in half a dozen companies and who – in his spare time – had created significant wealth, realized that he was desperately unhappy. A lifelong learner, he attacked the problem as an engineer would, examining all the provable facts and scrupulously following logic. When he was finished, he had discovered the equation for enduring happiness.

Ten years later, that research saved him from despair when his college-aged son, Ali – also intellectually gifted – died during routine surgery. In dealing with the loss, Mo found his mission: he would pull off the type of 'moonshot' that he and his Google [X] colleagues were always aiming for: he would help ten million people become happier by pouring his happiness principles into a book and spreading its message around the world.

One of Solve for Happy's key premises is that happiness is a default state. If we shape expectations to acknowledge the full range of possible events, unhappiness is on its way to being defeated. To steer clear of unhappiness traps, we must dispel the six illusions that cloud our thinking (e.g., the illusion of time, of control, and of fear); overcome the brain's seven deadly defects (e.g., the tendency to exaggerate, label, and filter), and embrace five ultimate truths (e.g., change is real, now is real, unconditional love is real).

By means of several highly original thought experiments, Mo helps readers find enduring contentment by questioning some of the most fundamental aspects of their existence.

Mad Honey - by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

This was a really excellent book! I have always admired Jodi Picoult and did not realize until the end that there were two authors.

With all fiction, I want to feel that I have learnt something, which makes me picky about authors, as I rely on their integrity. This book taught me stuff about bee keeping, fencing and gender reassignment, along with being a gripping story. What more could I ask for?

What I'm reading ...

I have started Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. JP is one of my favourite authors, so I am looking forward to being immersed in the book. Having heard that a number of her books have been banned in Florida, my enthusiasm to read her work is piqued. Here’s the blurb:

Olivia fled her abusive marriage to return to her hometown and take over the family beekeeping business when her son Asher was six. Now, impossibly, her baby is six feet tall and in his last year of high school, a kind, good-looking, popular ice hockey star with a tiny sprite of a new girlfriend.

Lily also knows what it feels like to start over - when she and her mother relocated to New Hampshire it was all about a fresh start. She and Asher couldn't help falling for each other, and Lily feels happy for the first time. But can she trust him completely?

Then Olivia gets a phone call - Lily is dead, and Asher is arrested on a charge of murder. As the case against him unfolds, she realises he has hidden more than he's shared with her. And Olivia knows firsthand that the secrets we keep reflect the past we want to leave behind ­­- and that we rarely know the people we love well as we think we do.

The Fran Lebowitz Reader - by Fran Lebowitz

This book was very entertaining; an easy read that got me attuned to her “voice” prior to seeing her live. She has lots of radical and off the wall ideas. Some serious, many not so. I am disappointed that there is no other published material of hers that is readily available.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Fran Lebowitz Reader by Fran Lebowitz. I have seen her on TV and enjoyed her banter. I’ll be seeing her live in a few days, so I am getting prepared. Here’s the blurb:

Lebowitz turns her trademark caustic wit to the vicissitudes of life - from children ('rarely in the position to lend one a truly interesting sum of money') to landlords ('it is the solemn duty of every landlord to maintain an adequate supply of roaches'). And her attitude to work is the perfect antidote to our exhausting culture of self-betterment ('3.40pm. I consider getting out of bed. I reject the notion as being unduly vigorous. I read and smoke a bit more').

Watermelon - by Marian Keyes

This was a good rambling read. As I may have commented before, I definitely feel this author is channelling the late, great Maeve Binchy. I like reading a book where the story is told in the first person, as I feel this gives me some insights into how another person might think. In this case, being the voice of a woman might be teaching me something.

Overall, it was a well structured story with a dramatic beginning and a reasonably clean ending. I will come back to this author.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Watermelon by Marian Keyes. Time for fiction again and I have enjoyed this author before. Here’s the blurb:

Meet Claire Walsh.

On the day she gives birth to her first child, Claire's husband James tells her he's been having an affair.

Right for who exactly?

Exhausted, tearful furious, Claire decides to go back to basics . . . and runs home to Mum and Dad.

But it's not the sanctuary she'd been hoping for. Juggling her sisters' drama, her parents' pity and the demands of a baby, Claire desperately misses the way things were.

So when James gets back in touch, eager to put things right, Claire faces a choice.

Will she forgive and forget?

These Precious Days - by Ann Patchett

This was a very enjoyable read, despite my reservations about the format. The essays are quite varied, but many of them are very personal and some quite emotional [spoiler: keep tissues on hand for the Epilogue]. Her quality of writing is outstanding. If she wrote a manual for a microwave oven, it would be a page turner. 

What I'm reading ...

I have started These Precious Days by Ann Patchett. I am not such a great fan of short stories and essays, but, as this author is a firm favourite, I decided to make an exception. Here’s the blurb:

Ranging from the personal – her portrait of the three men she called her fathers; how a chance encounter with Tom Hanks led to one of the most important friendships of her life; how to answer when someone asks why you don't have children – to the sublime – the unexpected influence of Snoopy; the importance of knitting; the pleasure to be found in children's books – each essay transforms the particular into the universal, letting us all see our own worlds anew.

The Midnight Library - by Matt Haig

First off, this is not a fantasy book at all. It is left to the reader to decide exactly what it is, but no suspension of belief is really needed. Phew!

It was a very enjoyable read - amusing and entertaining in places, but always thought provoking. The quality of writing kept me engaged and the story made me keep turning the pages.

I look forward to reading more of this author’s work. 

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. Although this is ostensibly a fantasy novel - I am not a fan of the genre - I was advised that it worth the effort as it has greater depth. Here’s the blurb:

Nora's life has been going from bad to worse. Then at the stroke of midnight on her last day on earth she finds herself transported to a library. There she is given the chance to undo her regrets and try out each of the other lives she might have lived. Which raises the ultimate question: with infinite choices, what is the best way to live?

Nothing Gets Sold Until the Story Gets Told - by Steve Multer

I was initially attracted to this book because I know the author. Steve and I did some work together a few years back and we’ve kinda stayed in touch. Steve’s work impressed me back then and I was interested to see how he had developed and hear some of his ideas for success in public speaking.

I would say that I did not learn a great number of useful lessons from this book. Firstly, this is because I do very little public speaking in a professional context nowadays [as I am happily retired]. Second, having done many conferences and similar activities over the last 30+ years of my career, I learned a good many lessons the hard way. If only Steve could have written this book 30 years ago …

Anyone who is starting out on public speaking or has limited experience, would be well advised to read this book. You don’t have to agree and comply with everything - you’re not buying into a methodology. But you will definitely pick up tips and get guidance to becoming a better presenter [and one who probably enjoys the activity a whole lot more].

What I'm reading ...

I have started Nothing Gets Sold Until the Story Gets Told by Steve Multer. This looks like a book I would have benefitted from reading 30 years ago - it is probably a bit late now! However, the author is a colleague [and friend, I hope] from times past and I am interested in his insights. Here’s the blurb:

No one likes to be sold to, but everyone loves a great story. That’s why average brands pitch, but smart brands communicate. Get ready to rise above the average.

Corporate storytelling combines informative content with personal investment, turning your typical lecture into a meaningful conversation. Whatever work you do or topic you’re asked to deliver, learning to connect with your audience as trusted partners rather than captive commodities instantly elevates your message’s success.

Veteran Fortune 500 spokesman and executive speaker coach Steve Multer shares the marketing strategies and secrets to delivering value-driven content that reaches the heart as well as the head. With fun, practical, easily applied tips, this energetic and insightful guide will level up your public speaking skills, build your confidence onstage or on-camera, and position you as a more valuable representative for your company.

Steve helps you to

• Speak from your audience’s perspective for maximum attention, retention, and follow-up response.
• Leverage crucial rules of business in the dynamic speaker-audience relationship.
• Reduce fear of public speaking through clarity, structure, and undeniable value.
• Add personal passion to your talk that inspires equal passion in your listeners.
• Craft a winning sales plan to open strong, close stronger, and never say goodbye until you’ve set up the next hello.
• Build brand-identity skills into a better story for any audience, any size, any topic.

Ensure your talk lasts long after you’ve left the spotlight. Get Nothing Gets Sold Until the Story Gets Told and discover the power of corporate storytelling.

The Motion of the Body Through Space - by Lionel Shriver

As expected, this book was a great read. I always admire the author’s quality of writing - she has a beautiful way with words. The story has many nuances, but is mostly about the changing nature of relationships over time as the participants get older. It is told with humour, but not in a way that trivializes the serious issues.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Motion of the Body Through Space by Lionel Shriver. Time for fiction again and I am returning to a favourite author. Here’s the blurb:

All her life Serenata has run, swum, and cycled – but now that she’s hit 60, all that physical activity has destroyed her knees. And her previously sedentary husband Remington chooses this precise moment to discover exercise.

As he joins the cult of fitness, her once-modest husband burgeons into an unbearable narcissist. When he announces his intention to compete in a legendarily gruelling triathlon, Serenata is sure he's going to end up injured or dead – but the stubbornness of an ageing man in Lycra is not to be underestimated.

The story of an obsession, of a marriage, of a betrayal: The Motion Of The Body Through Space is Lionel Shriver at her hilarious, sharp-eyed, audacious best. 

Old Rage - by Sheila Hancock

As I was expecting, this book was a great read. Very honest and straightforward. The author continues to be an inspiration. I feel that I need to seek out her earlier memoirs. 

What I'm reading ...

I have started Old Rage by Sheila Hancock. I have been a fan of the author for many years - she is quite an inspiration and generally has wise things to say. Here’s the blurb:

Sheila Hancock looked like she was managing old age. She had weathered and even thrived in widowhood, taking on acting roles that would have been demanding for a woman half her age. She had energy, friends, a devoted family, a lovely home. She could still remember her lines.

So why, at 89, having sailed past supposedly disturbing milestones – 50, 70 even 80 – without a qualm, did she suddenly feel so furious? Shocking diagnoses, Brexit and bereavement seemed to knock her from every quarter. And that was before lockdown.

Home alone, classified as 'extremely vulnerable', she finds herself yelling at the TV and talking to the pigeons. But she can at least take a good long look at life – her work and family, her beliefs (many of them the legacy of her wartime childhood) and, uncomfortable as it might be to face, her future.

In Old Rage, one of Britain's best loved actors opens up about her ninth decade. Funny, feisty, honest, she makes for brilliant company as she talks about her life as a daughter, a sister, a mother, a widow, an actor, a friend and looks at a world so different from the wartime world of her childhood. And yet – despite age, despite rage – she finds there are always reasons for joy.

Good Omens - by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Although, as I commented before, fantasy is not my favourite genre, this book was a great read. Overall, a very silly story, but well told with lots of jokes along the way. I am sure that it was necessary to have lived through the 1980s to understand some of the humour.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. I am not a big fan of the fantasy genre, but I like to stretch myself a bit and these authors are masters. Here’s the blurb:

What if, for once, the predictions are right, and the Apocalypse really is due to arrive next Saturday, just after tea?

It's a predicament that Aziraphale, a somewhat fussy angel, and Crowley, a fast-living demon, now find themselves in. They've been living amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and, truth be told, have grown rather fond of the lifestyle and, in all honesty, are not actually looking forward to the coming Apocalypse.

And then there's the small matter that someone appears to have misplaced the Antichrist . . .

The Madness of Grief - by Richard Coles

As expected, this is quite an emotional book. But at the same time, there is wit and lots of random bits of information, which pleased me. The book is well written with very good use of language, but took me a while to get through. Something about it resulted in my reading in small chunks.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Madness of Grief by Richard Coles. I enjoy hearing the author on the radio, so, when I was recommended his book, it was an easy choice. Here’s the blurb:

When the Reverend Richard Coles's partner died suddenly, shortly before Christmas in 2019, what came next took Richard by surprise. Despite his years of experience assisting his parishioners in examining life's moral questions, Richard now found he needed guidance himself. Much about grief was unexpected: the volume of 'sadmin' that must be undertaken, how much harder it is travelling solo for work, the pain of typing a text message to your partner - then remembering they are gone. This deeply personal account of life after grief will resonate, unforgettably, long after the final page has been turned.

The Speed of Light - by Elissa Grossell Dickey

When I read a fiction book, part from [hopefully] being entertained, I like to feel that I might learn something. I was interested in the fact that this book features a main protagonist who has MS, as does the author. I hope to be a little more educated on this topic.

The book is really two parallel stories on different timelines, organized so that the reader is never confused. I found that this structure gave good pace to the book. I guess it could be dismissed as “chick lit”, as there is a romantic thread, but I think that would be unfair and I don’t really like categorization of books anyway.

Overall, a very good read which kept me turning that pages - particularly towards the end. 

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Speed of Light by Elissa Grossell Dickey. Time for fiction again. I have no idea how I came to have this book, but it looks interesting. Here’s the blurb:

Simone is trying her best not to think of what she’s lost. Diagnosed with MS, she awaits the results of another anxiety-inducing MRI. She’s just walked away from Connor, “a fixer” but possibly the love of her life. And nearing the holidays, the sights and sounds of winter in South Dakota only prick memories of better years gone by. Then, on a December morning at the university where she works, jarring gunshots pierce the halls. In a temporary safe place and terrified, Simone listens and pretends this will all be over soon.

As she waits for silence, her mind racing, Simone’s past year comes into focus. Falling in love and missing it. Finding strength in family and enduring friendships. Planning for the future, fearing it, and hoping against hope in dark places. Her life has been changing at the speed of light, and each crossroad brought Simone here, to this day, to endure the things she can’t control and to confront those that she can.

Embracing the Wide Sky: A tour across the horizons of the mind - by Daniel Tammet

This book was an enjoyable read. As billed, it is mainly about the neuroscience around Savants etc. However, his illustrations are often quite detailed and cover many other interesting [to me] topics.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Embracing the Wide Sky: A tour across the horizons of the mind by Daniel Tammet. I seem to be in a bit of a “brain science groove” just lately. Having read this author’s first book, I thought that this might be interesting. Here’s the blurb:

Daniel's internationally bestselling memoir of living with Asperger's Syndrome and Savant Syndrome, Born on a Blue Day established him as one of the most original talents in contemporary non-fiction.

Now, in his new book, Embracing the Wide Sky, he combines meticulous scientific research with detailed descriptions of how his mind works to demonstrate the immense potential within us all. He explains how our natural intuitions can help us to learn a foreign language, why his memories are like symphonies, and what numbers and giraffes have in common. We also discover why there is more to intelligence than IQ, how our brains turn light to sight, and why too much information can make you stupid.

He illustrates his arguments with examples as diverse as the private languages of twins, the compositions of poets with autism, and the breakthroughs, and breakdowns, of some of history’s greatest minds.

Embracing the Wide Sky is a unique and brilliantly imaginative portrait of how we think, learn, remember and create, brimming with personal insights and anecdotes, and explanations of the most up-to-date, mind-bending discoveries from fields ranging from neuroscience to psychology and linguistics.

This is a profound and provocative book that will transform our understanding and respect for every kind of mind.

Wish You Were Here - by Jodi Picoult

I had high hopes this for this book and I was not even slightly disappointed - it was, IMHO, a cracking read.

Without spoiling the surprise, the “But not everything is as it seems . . .” in the blurb is an understatement; around the middle of the book is an amazing U-turn that almost made me gasp with surprise. It is the kind of book that could have had a predictable ending or just petered out, but that is not the JP style. The ending is a work of genius: a full stop made up of a couple of sentences.

Through the book there is much detail on COVID and its treatment. Knowing that the author does very thorough research, I am confident that I have learned stuff. There is also much discussion on the psychological effects of the pandemic, much of which sounded familiar to me.

I discovered that JP has written something like 27 novels and I have only read about three. The feeling that there is so much more of her work for me to get lost in is exactly what makes reading such a source of joy.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult. Time for fiction again and I have enjoyed this author’s work before. Initially, I had another of her books in mind, but then I realized that this one was particularly topical. Here’s the blurb:

Diana O'Toole's life is going perfectly to plan. At twenty-nine, she's up for promotion to her dream job as an art specialist at Sotheby's and she's about to fly to the Galápagos where she's convinced her surgeon boyfriend, Finn, is going to propose.

But then the virus hits New York City and Finn breaks the news: the hospital needs him, he has to stay. But you should still go, he insists. And reluctantly, she agrees. Once she's in the Galápagos, the world shuts down around her, leaving Diana stranded - albeit in paradise. Completely isolated, with only intermittent news from the outside world, Diana finds herself examining everything that has brought her to this point and wondering if there's a better way to live.

But not everything is as it seems . . .

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - by Maya Angelou

As I always hope for when I read a biography, this book took me to a world that was completely unfamiliar to me - a different time, different place and from the viewpoint of someone of different gender and race. Aspects off the story are shocking; others are heartwarming. The quality of writing is excellent and her voice as a poet is clear. I look forward to reading further volumes.

What I'm reading ...

I have started I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, a book that I have been meaning to get around to for many years. Here’s the blurb:

In this, the celebrated, bestselling first volume of her autobiography, Maya Angelou beautifully evokes her childhood with her grandmother in the American South of the 1930s. She learns the power of the white folks at the other end of town and suffers the terrible trauma of rape by her mother's lover. As a black woman, Maya Angelou has known discrimination and extreme poverty, but also hope and joy, celebration and achievement; loving the world, she also knows its cruelty.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz - by Heather Morris

No book about events during the holocaust can be anything less than shocking and this is no exception. The story is well structured and paced and written in very straightforward prose. I enjoy having read it and feel that I have learned more about this appalling time in history. I was surprised to read that the story is based on a true memoir. 

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. Time for fiction again and I’d heard good things about this book. Here’s the blurb:

In 1942, Lale Sokolov arrived in Auschwitz-Birkenau. He was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival - scratching numbers into his fellow victims' arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust.

Waiting in line to be tattooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl. For Lale - a dandy, a jack-the-lad, a bit of a chancer - it was love at first sight. And he was determined not only to survive himself, but to ensure this woman, Gita, did, too.

So begins one of the most life-affirming, courageous, unforgettable and human stories of the Holocaust: the love story of the tattooist of Auschwitz.

Life Lessons from a Brain Surgeon - by Rahul Jandial

I completed this book surprisingly quickly. This was partly as a result of having some time on my hands, but mainly because it is well written: clear, concise and well paced. I enjoyed the read and felt that I had learnt a lot and, being a new-ish [2019]  book, that the information was quite currently. The author makes it very personal, talking about his own experiences with patients and also including anecdotes about the rest of his life and his family. He comes over as someone I’d like to meet.

Overall a very good read and I look forward to reading the author’s latest book in due course.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Life Lessons from a Brain Surgeon by Rahul Jandial. Time for some non-fiction and what better than a recent [2019] book on brain science? Here’s the blurb:

World-leading neuroscientist and neurosurgeon Dr Rahul Jandial draws on his years of work with patients suffering from the most extreme cases of brain damage, disorders and illnesses to reveal what they can tell us about the science of the mind.

From a languages teacher who has to choose whether to lose her ability to speak Spanish or English after brain surgery, to a former TV exec, now homeless, who discovers that his life-altering despondency is the result of a tumour, to a fainting teen who learns that deep breathing can mean the difference between life or death, these stories uncover the secret workings of the brain.

Blending cutting-edge research and beautiful storytelling, Life Lessons from a Brain Surgeon is a vital resource on the best ways to boost your memory, control stress and emotions, minimize pain, unleash your creativity, raise smart kids and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's. This is a deeply practical and readable book, which will take you on an expedition through the anatomy of the brain.

Grown Ups - by Marian Keyes

This book took a while, as it is long and rambling. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story is believable, as are the characters. Overall, I felt that this book showed that the author is Maeve Binchy reincarnate; another Irish author who could hold my attention through a long book. I have several more of Marian Keyes’ books, which I look forward to reading.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Grown Ups by Marian Keyes. I recently saw a TV profile of this author, which piqued my interest in sampling her work. I wanted to read a straightforward novel now and this seemed to fit the bill. Here’s the blurb:

Meet Jessie, Cara and Nell.

Married to brothers Johnny, Ed and Liam Casey.

Three very different women tied to three very different men.

Every family occasion is a party - until the day the secrets spill out.

Playtime is over.

But where are the grown-ups?

Windswept & Interesting - by Billy Connolly

As I expected, this book was a good read - entertaining, often amusing and thought provoking. It has a very honest ring to it, which is what I hope for in an autobiography.