december
golden son - pierce brown
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The first book Red Rising was Hunger Games enjoyable and with my mum critically ill I really need some escapism so I have turned to this sequel and left the enjoyable but medical and real life of Behave on the shelf for the time being
OVERALL OPINION - I rarely read two books of a series in the same year but Red Rising was so fun to read that I really wanted to find out what Darrow would do next. What he did was gorydam mental and I loved every page of the journey. It went from Hunger Games to Game of Thrones and I was never able to predict where it would go next. Oh and what an ending. It's taken all my willpower not to just pick up the third straight away.
THE BEST PART OF.....Darrow going back to see his family was tense and moving and then Pierce does his own version of the Red Wedding. I also loved the idea of being fired out of a spaceships missile launcher to invade a spaceship
TALKING POINTS - I heard Sarah Perry (Essex Serpent) say on new The Bookseller podcast (very good btw) that she thinks the book world has lost sight on the importance of readability and I couldn't agree more and this is the type of book that shows why. Whenever I am in danger of getting tired of reading these are just the types I turn to. That's why I like Book Awards that reward popular books as I need a balanced reading diet to make me happy.
THE BEST PART OF.....Darrow going back to see his family was tense and moving and then Pierce does his own version of the Red Wedding. I also loved the idea of being fired out of a spaceships missile launcher to invade a spaceship
TALKING POINTS - I heard Sarah Perry (Essex Serpent) say on new The Bookseller podcast (very good btw) that she thinks the book world has lost sight on the importance of readability and I couldn't agree more and this is the type of book that shows why. Whenever I am in danger of getting tired of reading these are just the types I turn to. That's why I like Book Awards that reward popular books as I need a balanced reading diet to make me happy.
- I love the fact that just when you think you know where the plot is going is takes you completly by surprise
la belle sauvage - phillip pullman
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Very easy to explain this one. The amazing 'His Dark Materials' series which is in my all time list. This has been on the shelf since last Christmas but this feels like the right time of year to snuggle up in the warm and enjoy this kind of book. Winter is great for fantasy books and I'll always remember reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy back to back to back on a snowy break in between Christmas and New Year after receiving it as a secret santa present.
This should also help me enjoy my other book 'Behave' as Sapolsky is proper science and sometimes my brain can't deal with that sort of work.
This should also help me enjoy my other book 'Behave' as Sapolsky is proper science and sometimes my brain can't deal with that sort of work.
It was amazing how quickly it was to emerge myself back in the world of Dust and Daemons and how much I enjoyed it. Chases make for good books and movies and the story flowed along as fast as the river in the book. Phillip Pullman's writing is skillfully crafted for anyone and everyone to enjoy but there was a lac of depth that was always there but hard to define why that was
- Really pleased by how easily this book flows and how quickly I begin to immerse myself back into this fantasy world
behave - robert m sapolsky
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I picked this up early in the year at Waterstones and was definelty influenced by the Oliver Sacks quote on the front cover. I find human nature with all it oddties and quirks fascinating especially when it is well written. The book is intimidating though. 717 pages of small font means this one won't be finished in a hurry so I have decided to compliment it with 'La Belle Sauvage' and I imagine i'll finish at least one more before this one is done. Hopefully this one will be worth the effort
- 22 pages in and we are asked to read a 27 page appendix so that we can fully understand and appreciate the core of the book. I am impressed and shocked in equal measure. This is going to be proper science
- Pleased to have read 'Descates Error' which is mentioned very favourably
- Great explanation of why we scratch an itch. Two types of pain mechanism. Quick short stabbing which uses another neuron to switch it off quickly and slower longer lasting pain which uses same second neuron to enhance it. The former gives a moment of relief bcause of the stop signal so when we scratch we feel more pain followed by a short break. Couln't help but wonder Is this why self harming provides relief? Picture of girl at Reading festival with marks on her arm.
november
broken homes - ben aaronovitch
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My friend Laurence loves the Rivers of London series and lends me a book a year. It has now reached its seventh book so as this is book four I am in no danger of finishing with Peter Grant anytime soon.
It is a great world and main character and you always feel the joy in the authors words. Hopefully this book will have a bit more main plot than the last. .
It is a great world and main character and you always feel the joy in the authors words. Hopefully this book will have a bit more main plot than the last. .
why i'm no longer talking to white people about race - reni eddo-lodge
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I like to read one or two challenging books each year and this seemed to fit the bill nicely. The book title and cover are a statement of intent and as she admits at the end of the book "a red rag to a bull" to white people like me.
I was hoping that this would be a fitting follow up to The Sellout.
I was hoping that this would be a fitting follow up to The Sellout.
OVERALL OPINION - A really well constructed argument, strong but not demeaning to others, of why race matters and how our world would be much richer with equality that we do not currently have. Reni has clearly had a lot of practice at talking to a wide spectrum of people about the issues like white privilege and quotas. As a white guy it was uncomfortable, I didn't want to believe all of it but my sense of the real world is far better for having read it. Highly recommended.
THE BEST PART OF.....I really liked the section about equality for women and her experience of adding race to this argument. It shows how difficult and messy words like equality are and how people frame facts and ideas for their own agendas. On the one hand I could understand that it can fray the argument but at the same time if that equality results in white women having advantages over women of other races then it isn't equality.
TALKING POINTS - The whole book is a talking point to be honest but quotas and targets is a really good one. I was very sceptical about them before reading this. Without them the world as it is today is not equal in its opportunities for non White people. It is biased. Quotas give opportunites to redress this balance. How many black football managers do we see? Darren Moore at WBA is the only man that comes to mind? How many black lead actors on our TV do we see? How many judges and politicians? If the freemarket is incapable of providing equality then we need to give it a bit of a nudge in my opinion!
THE BEST PART OF.....I really liked the section about equality for women and her experience of adding race to this argument. It shows how difficult and messy words like equality are and how people frame facts and ideas for their own agendas. On the one hand I could understand that it can fray the argument but at the same time if that equality results in white women having advantages over women of other races then it isn't equality.
TALKING POINTS - The whole book is a talking point to be honest but quotas and targets is a really good one. I was very sceptical about them before reading this. Without them the world as it is today is not equal in its opportunities for non White people. It is biased. Quotas give opportunites to redress this balance. How many black football managers do we see? Darren Moore at WBA is the only man that comes to mind? How many black lead actors on our TV do we see? How many judges and politicians? If the freemarket is incapable of providing equality then we need to give it a bit of a nudge in my opinion!
the song of achilles - madelline miller
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OVERALL OPINION - Utterly amazing. Very strong candidate for the Ordinary Book of the Year. I had no idea I was going to love this book so much and no review I can write could do it justice. Yes the writing is beautiful but not in a pretensious way that loves itself but instead makes the story and the world of ancent Greeck myth and legend come to life in a way I can understand and relate to. It moves effortlessly from savagery to tenderness. The sacrifice of the daughter of Agamemnon reminded me of the darkest parts of Game ofThrones but this is what makes it so good. No one is safe and anything is possible which gives the story a real edge
THE BEST PART OF.....Achilles and Petroclus love for one another from begining to end os compelling and given a suitably tender ending. Best ending I have read in a long time
TALKING POINTS -
THE BEST PART OF.....Achilles and Petroclus love for one another from begining to end os compelling and given a suitably tender ending. Best ending I have read in a long time
TALKING POINTS -
- When a book is described as Poetic as this one has it can often mean its not an easy read and the words are more important that the story itself. What a joy it is that the language is beautiful but the story flows just as well. It is almost an honour to read it AND learn about ancient Greece as well
october
no barriers - eric weihenmayer
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Eric is an amzingly inspiring individual who I discovered while going through many retinal detachments 14 years ago which lead to the loss of sight in my left eye. A blind guy climbing Everest and the highest peaks in each continent helped give me the belief that I shouldn't wrap myself up in cotton wool. So I continued as a goalkeeper like my hero Gordon Banks and continued to try and live life.
I have signed up to his newsletters ever since but this is the first book of his that I have read since then.
I have signed up to his newsletters ever since but this is the first book of his that I have read since then.
I read Eric's first book 'Touching The Top of the World" shortly after nearly going blind myself and I found it then as I still do now, one of the most amazing and awe inspiring stories that I have ever read. I subscribe to updates on his website so have known about this book for a while but with all the further eye and subsequent PTSD issues I guess i've been a little reticent about reading the follow up. But I am now very much looking forward to it
"Even up against the likes of Pele and Cruyff, that rates as the best goal I have ever seen." Referee Clive Thomas
“On the pitch I hate all opponents. I don't give a damn about anyone. People think I'm mad, a lunatic. I am a winner" Robin Friday
“On the pitch I hate all opponents. I don't give a damn about anyone. People think I'm mad, a lunatic. I am a winner" Robin Friday
I forgot just how amazingly inspiration Eric is and how brilliant it is to read such positive books at bedtime.
29/12 - The honesty and kindness in this book is hard to describe and this is so much more than a blind guy kayaking through wild water, which in itself is staggering. Eric explaining the extent of his fear that it makes him dizzy and then going through that fear is something I can draw on when I get anxious and scared
29/12 - The honesty and kindness in this book is hard to describe and this is so much more than a blind guy kayaking through wild water, which in itself is staggering. Eric explaining the extent of his fear that it makes him dizzy and then going through that fear is something I can draw on when I get anxious and scared
the greatest footballer you never saw - paul mcguigan & paolo hewitt
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Being a Reading FC fan I have known about this book for a long time as it is often to be found at the club shop. It also comes up in football book lists too but I wouldn't say I was compeled to read it. I saw it in my mates house the other week and asked if I could borrow it. Having just finished Born to Run I needed an easy going sleep book and this seemed to fit the bill nicely
OVERALL OPINION - If you are a sports fan who enjoys books about flawed geniuses then it's worth picking up if you get the chance. If you are a Reading fan then I strongly recomemed it as it has given me another layer of understanding of my club, being too young to have watched Robin Friday play. Like the man himself the book is not without its flaws, reading like an edit of interviews and newspapers articles rather than having its own narrative. But it does convey the highs and lows of a extraordinary character and leaves it to the reader to make their own judgement.
THE BEST PART OF.....The sense of excitement that Robin Friday gave to a club and its fans that had not experiencing a single promotion in 50 years. It was also great to read about how different football was in the 1970's both in the players wages, habits and lifestyles but also how much more physical the game was.
TALKING POINTS - Would flawed genuises like Robin Friday, George Best and Paul Gasgoine to name but 3 have reached their full potential if they could have found a way to curb their wild side or would that flair and ability have been lost with it? Is modern sport with its profesionalism and media scrutiny not allowing these sorts of players to come through the system?
THE BEST PART OF.....The sense of excitement that Robin Friday gave to a club and its fans that had not experiencing a single promotion in 50 years. It was also great to read about how different football was in the 1970's both in the players wages, habits and lifestyles but also how much more physical the game was.
TALKING POINTS - Would flawed genuises like Robin Friday, George Best and Paul Gasgoine to name but 3 have reached their full potential if they could have found a way to curb their wild side or would that flair and ability have been lost with it? Is modern sport with its profesionalism and media scrutiny not allowing these sorts of players to come through the system?
"Even up against the likes of Pele and Cruyff, that rates as the best goal I have ever seen." Referee Clive Thomas
“On the pitch I hate all opponents. I don't give a damn about anyone. People think I'm mad, a lunatic. I am a winner" Robin Friday
“On the pitch I hate all opponents. I don't give a damn about anyone. People think I'm mad, a lunatic. I am a winner" Robin Friday
The Gaurdian newspaper have a quiz about the book. I scored 8/10 which considering I just read the book wasn't that great!!
A few things really surpised me, not the hijinks and the drinking which I was expecting but the shortness of Robin's temper, the amount of drugs as well as drink that he obviousy took and the loyalty of the players and he played alongside.
The cause of death is not given but it appears to have been a heart attack according to his wikipedia page
A few things really surpised me, not the hijinks and the drinking which I was expecting but the shortness of Robin's temper, the amount of drugs as well as drink that he obviousy took and the loyalty of the players and he played alongside.
The cause of death is not given but it appears to have been a heart attack according to his wikipedia page
september
HIGHLIGHTS
children of time - adrian tchaikovsky
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My mum used to love science fiction and Arthur C Clarke especially so when I saw this book being promoted as the award winner of the prize that carries this his name it caught my attention. There are some genres where I am happy to trust my judgement and instinct but sci-fi is not one of them so it needs to come highly recommended.
OVERALL OPINION - I really got into this. I found the story engaging, surprising and cleverly imaginitive. I loved the way the author was able to carry the story over the vast amount of time which passes in the book. The two different stories link and combine well and I found the ending did the book justice. Best surprise of the year candidate.
THE BEST PART OF.....I have heard the argument that if humanity destroys itself then the insects are the most likely to take over the planet so the choice of spiders and ants on the the green planet is really interesting, I loved the blind watchmaker reference the very clever way the spiders evolve using the resources at their disposal. The nano virus is also fun in that it gives the spiders ability to pass on the lessons of their lives, nature and nurture together.
TALKING POINTS - Does humanity lack the collective empathy and coperation to stop itself from tearing the planet and ourselves apart? How would Alien life evolve and communicate and how would humanity deal with them?
THE BEST PART OF.....I have heard the argument that if humanity destroys itself then the insects are the most likely to take over the planet so the choice of spiders and ants on the the green planet is really interesting, I loved the blind watchmaker reference the very clever way the spiders evolve using the resources at their disposal. The nano virus is also fun in that it gives the spiders ability to pass on the lessons of their lives, nature and nurture together.
TALKING POINTS - Does humanity lack the collective empathy and coperation to stop itself from tearing the planet and ourselves apart? How would Alien life evolve and communicate and how would humanity deal with them?
- It starts a bit darker than I was expecting. Drug barons, wild Mexican outback
- Leadville Trail 100 ultra marathon just bonkers - 100 miles in under 30 hours up up and down a mountain, in the dark!!
- Childhood enjoyment of running - forgotten as adults
other minds - peter godfrey-smith
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I always take a good look at the books shortlisted for the Royal Society science book award and I love books that look into the intelligence of other animals as I think that understanding this is a necessary part of humanity "growing up" and taking responsilibility for our beautiful world. A look at an independantly evolved intelligence in the form of the Octopus whose last common ancestor to us is 500 million years old is a great idea for a book.
Overall Opinion – I love books on evolution and this took a significantly different angle and approach to make it an enjoyable read. Knowledge on Octopus intelligence is in its infancy so this is science on the frontier and as such would not be one I’d recommend to a general reader but for natural world lovers and people who enjoyed books like Homo Deus for example with its ideas of multiple selves I think this is an excellent book for further reading. Peter has got experience of diving and observing these animals and his enthusiasm and curiosity carry the book like a jet stream that allow the facts to flow
The Best Part - The in depth look at how and importantly why intelligence exists and how it has evolved independently and so differently in Octopuses. As Peter points out they are the closest we have to studying an intelligent alien life form. The fact that each arm has its own brain which is then only loosely linked the central brain is like something from science fiction. I also loved the fact that even single celled organisms sense their world and react to it and that for all multi cellular life this is used for internal communication leading to a nervous system. With the evolution of predation this in turn lead to an increasing complex detail of the environment being needed.
Talking Point – Will we ever become like Dr Dolittle and be talk to our animal cousins? Would it necessarily lead to a better treatment of their species and habitats? Considering how minorities are frequently treated in the world it may not but it may allow humanity to grow up a bit faster
The Best Part - The in depth look at how and importantly why intelligence exists and how it has evolved independently and so differently in Octopuses. As Peter points out they are the closest we have to studying an intelligent alien life form. The fact that each arm has its own brain which is then only loosely linked the central brain is like something from science fiction. I also loved the fact that even single celled organisms sense their world and react to it and that for all multi cellular life this is used for internal communication leading to a nervous system. With the evolution of predation this in turn lead to an increasing complex detail of the environment being needed.
Talking Point – Will we ever become like Dr Dolittle and be talk to our animal cousins? Would it necessarily lead to a better treatment of their species and habitats? Considering how minorities are frequently treated in the world it may not but it may allow humanity to grow up a bit faster
- What is consoiusness? Is it just the inner voice? – Is it a workspace for the mind? Where is it located?
View is that it is a broadcast and uses many streams like our different senses to construct a reality. It uses the inner voice but also our hearing so we can see how things sound and try things. This agrees with Homo Deus in the belief that we are multiples.
Baboons only have four notable sounds – warning, fight, flight but from these can construct a sophisticated social hierarchy and network. You don’t need speech to have higher thinking. Cephalods have opposite complex signalling device but less need as less social
recovery - russell brand
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Like a lot of people I know I don't really like Russell Brand, he is a bit too full of himself for many of us middle aged English. This book (like Russell himself) has got around a bit and made quite a bit of noise.
Books on how to be happier are one of my specialty subjects and I like to read a few each year so I thought I'd go for it. I've also found his podcast where he is interviewing some very interesting people including Yuval Nohah Harari but I wanted to read his book first
Books on how to be happier are one of my specialty subjects and I like to read a few each year so I thought I'd go for it. I've also found his podcast where he is interviewing some very interesting people including Yuval Nohah Harari but I wanted to read his book first
OVERALL OPINION
THE BEST PART OF.....
TALKING POINT
THE BEST PART OF.....
TALKING POINT
- It starts a bit darker than I was expecting. Drug barons, wild Mexican outback
- Leadville Trail 100 ultra marathon just bonkers - 100 miles in under 30 hours up up and down a mountain, in the dark!!
- Childhood enjoyment of running - forgotten as adults
august
HIGHLIGHTS
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born to run - Christopher mcdougall
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This has been on my radar for a few years as it was in Amazons Top 100 for quite some time and a friend who is a runner raved about it. The idea that running bare footed is far better for your body, which I think is the main theme of the book is an interesting one and I really don't know what the truth is. Logic would tell me though that if there was a competitive advantage to running barefoot more pro athletes other than Zola Budd would have done it!
OVERALL OPINION - This is a great story, well told with a lot more depth than I ever imagined while always being very readable. There is the journey to the remote villages in Mexico to track down the mysterious runnerCaballo Blanco
THE BEST PART OF.....There is a lot to like but for me I loved learning about what it would like to be an ultra runner. Running 100 miles up mountains or through a desert is a life I will never come close to experiancing. It just opened my eyes to a very different way of life. I also enjoyed the enthusiasm and pure joy of running that "runs" throughout the book. The book makes a great point about running being fun when you are a child which seems to leave you as an adult. It would be great to get that back.
TALKING POINT -Did humans evolve primarily as running machines? Are modern trainers bad for your feet? Chasing and tracking animals until they collapsed with exhaustion? It's a very interesting argument and I remember seeing this scene from a BBC documentary narrated by David Attenborough no less. But is that our primary advantage which lead to our other abilities like advanced planning and empathy skills we honed on the hunt? Were the neathandarals wiped out because they were heavier and hairier when the world warmed up 40,000 years ago? Are the reasons why we get hurt running due to too much protection which means we don't run naturally?
THE BEST PART OF.....There is a lot to like but for me I loved learning about what it would like to be an ultra runner. Running 100 miles up mountains or through a desert is a life I will never come close to experiancing. It just opened my eyes to a very different way of life. I also enjoyed the enthusiasm and pure joy of running that "runs" throughout the book. The book makes a great point about running being fun when you are a child which seems to leave you as an adult. It would be great to get that back.
TALKING POINT -Did humans evolve primarily as running machines? Are modern trainers bad for your feet? Chasing and tracking animals until they collapsed with exhaustion? It's a very interesting argument and I remember seeing this scene from a BBC documentary narrated by David Attenborough no less. But is that our primary advantage which lead to our other abilities like advanced planning and empathy skills we honed on the hunt? Were the neathandarals wiped out because they were heavier and hairier when the world warmed up 40,000 years ago? Are the reasons why we get hurt running due to too much protection which means we don't run naturally?
- It starts a bit darker than I was expecting. Drug barons, wild Mexican outback
- Leadville Trail 100 ultra marathon just bonkers - 100 miles in under 30 hours up up and down a mountain, in the dark!!
- Childhood enjoyment of running - forgotten as adults
swing time - Zadie smith
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The reviews which are plastered in the front and back of this book. They are as good as it gets so I am curious to know what the fuss is about. Guardian, Times and FT book of the year and that's just for starters
OVERALL OPINION - Hmm. The quality of the writing is at times on another level, awe inspiring. You can see why the crtics fell over themselves in praise. At one point she mocks the "everyone is a writer" culture with an example of their writing which sounded just like my desciption of the view from my hotel this year!! The plot is deep and multi layered and if I am honest I don't think I understood all of it. But my real problem with the book is that I didn't like any of the characters, I didn't truly care what happened to them and so I rushed the last fourty pages. I did like the ending though which I won't spoil here.
THE BEST PART OF.....The life of working for a global Madonna lik superstar was fascinating especially dealing with the village in Africa.and but I like thefact that the book asked questions, a book that stays in your head and demands that you think about it. It will really good to discuss in a book club.
TALKING POINT - Do you need a likeable character for a book to be enjoyable? Do the best literary books simply have the confidence to ignore this?
THE BEST PART OF.....The life of working for a global Madonna lik superstar was fascinating especially dealing with the village in Africa.and but I like thefact that the book asked questions, a book that stays in your head and demands that you think about it. It will really good to discuss in a book club.
TALKING POINT - Do you need a likeable character for a book to be enjoyable? Do the best literary books simply have the confidence to ignore this?
- different author and style - quite dark
- where is this going?
- madonna and ytv!!
how to give up plastic - will mccallum
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Plastic is really annoying me. The more you think about trying to avoid it the more you realise just how pervasive it is. Plastic is everywhere. It's like an addiction that we can't get rid of or give up. I read "Ocean of Life" a few years ago which first made me aware of the plastic islands in the middle of the ocean. Sky then showed a programme called A Plastic Whale which you can watch here. I challenge anyone to watch this and not want to limit their use of plastic. I have my End Ocean Plastics T Shirt and now I want to find out how I can use less plastic cos a lot of the time it feels really difficult to do.
OVERALL OPINION - This is almost certainly the most important book I will read all year. It spells out the seriousness of the problem in a concise way and goes on to give practical, common sense advice on how to use less plastic several of which I have already done fairly easily, There are no magic wands and I liked the fact that Will is keen to stress that the guilt and blame are not ours. The companies who produce and sell plastic products take no responsibility for their disposal and so a lot of the second half of the book is spent on explaining the best ways of helping in the campaign for this to change. A reference book I will genuinly keep on referring to.
THE BEST PART OF.....I really liked the room by room analysis of the plastic in our homes and the best ways to reduce it. Plastic is such a normal part of life that it becomes "invisible" especially in rooms like the bathroom and the bedroom. The joy in buying a shampoo bar as suggested and finding that it works great was a genuine pleasure and little changes like this motivate me to try and make more. Just what I wanted from this book.
TALKING POINT
THE BEST PART OF.....I really liked the room by room analysis of the plastic in our homes and the best ways to reduce it. Plastic is such a normal part of life that it becomes "invisible" especially in rooms like the bathroom and the bedroom. The joy in buying a shampoo bar as suggested and finding that it works great was a genuine pleasure and little changes like this motivate me to try and make more. Just what I wanted from this book.
TALKING POINT
july
HIGHLIGHTS
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testosterone rex - cordelia fine
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Simple. I have bought the winner of the Royal Society Book Award for the last few years and this is something that I will continue to do in the future. Last years winner "Invention of Nature" almost won my book of the year so this has a lot to live up to
OVERALL OPINION - This is for science geeks only i'm afraid. It is very well argued book on a really important subject but it feels more like a white paper or something you'd expect to see in a scientific journal.
THE BEST PART OF.....Is easily that it systematically and clinically debunks the science that "proves" that men are different and better suited to some careers, jobs and roles in life. I came away fully realising that Men are not from Mars but from the same planet as women. Evolution is adaptive, chauvinist's are not!
TALKING POINT - In a lot of countries including England very few people would say they are racist and few blokes would say they are a chauvinist or homophobic. But these views still exist but are more underground or subtle in how its presented to the world. Using scientific arguments is a very good way of defending and even promoting these views. For some people it should always be a mans world for no better reason than they are a man. Debunking their science is important in moving further towards an equal society
THE BEST PART OF.....Is easily that it systematically and clinically debunks the science that "proves" that men are different and better suited to some careers, jobs and roles in life. I came away fully realising that Men are not from Mars but from the same planet as women. Evolution is adaptive, chauvinist's are not!
TALKING POINT - In a lot of countries including England very few people would say they are racist and few blokes would say they are a chauvinist or homophobic. But these views still exist but are more underground or subtle in how its presented to the world. Using scientific arguments is a very good way of defending and even promoting these views. For some people it should always be a mans world for no better reason than they are a man. Debunking their science is important in moving further towards an equal society
how to stop time - mATT HAIG
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Like Michael Lewis
OVERALL OPINION - This is a great holiday book which reminded me a lot of F Scott Fitzgerald's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" crossed with the brilliant Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day". The idea of not dying is not new but Matt brings a different angle and the book flowed well as the main character Tom Hazard lives through the ages. For me it did lack depth at times but that was my only criticism
THE BEST PART OF.....I loved Tom's life in the middle ages with William Shakespeare and its organised chaos. Matt managed to make the unbelievable, well believable by making his characters react and adjust their lives just like F Scott Fitzgerald who rather fittingly gets his own scene in the book.
TALKING POINT - The battle against old age and death is as old as civilisation itself and modern science is currently fighting it with a lot of money and resources. A great discussion of which can be found in "Homo Deus" and Derren Browns Happy. We all have to come to terms with our mortality but old age with bodies and minds breaking can be life's greatest challenge. We have already increased the life expectancy in most countries by over 20 years during the last century which is amazing. How much further can we and should we try to go?
THE BEST PART OF.....I loved Tom's life in the middle ages with William Shakespeare and its organised chaos. Matt managed to make the unbelievable, well believable by making his characters react and adjust their lives just like F Scott Fitzgerald who rather fittingly gets his own scene in the book.
TALKING POINT - The battle against old age and death is as old as civilisation itself and modern science is currently fighting it with a lot of money and resources. A great discussion of which can be found in "Homo Deus" and Derren Browns Happy. We all have to come to terms with our mortality but old age with bodies and minds breaking can be life's greatest challenge. We have already increased the life expectancy in most countries by over 20 years during the last century which is amazing. How much further can we and should we try to go?
factfulness - haNS ROSLING
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I watched one of Hans's lectures on BBC2 a couple of years back and was impressed with his energy and positivity. I am not the greatest flyer so I thought a really optimistic book was just what was needed for the trip to Turkey
OVERALL OPINION - I think everyone would benefit from reading this amazing conclusion to Hans Roslings life's work. Life on earth is better than we think and here are the facts to prove it. It is a manual for thinking more clearly on the worlds major issues. I have spent many an hour worrying about things like population growth. Hans shows us that when looking at data better we can see that it has already peaked. The most impressive thing is that as a doctor he has been on the frontline.
THE BEST PART OF..... Things can be bad but still getting better. They don't have to be either. For me this is the best part of the wisdom in this book along with the classification of live according to the four levels of income.
TALKING POINT
THE BEST PART OF..... Things can be bad but still getting better. They don't have to be either. For me this is the best part of the wisdom in this book along with the classification of live according to the four levels of income.
TALKING POINT
- Population growth already on the decline is counter intuitive but once explained makes sense
- The question.aire at the beginning of the book really sets up the book nicely
- Reminds me of The Art of Thinking Clearly both in its book design which is a square hard back and its lesson in each chapter approach
I AM PILGRIM - TERRY HAYES
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I bought this for a summer holiday a few years ago but the blurb on the back describing a mans eyes being taken out scared me too much for obvious reasons if I am honest. I just felt like it was now or never for this book for me so it made the trip to Turkey.
OVERALL OPINION - Anyone who enjoys a good thriller should find the time to pick up this gem although it is not for the squeamish. It reads like a cross between Bond and Bourne with a bit of 24 thrown in and the first half especially is just spellbinding. The plot is spot on, it genuinely scared me but I just did not want to stop turning those pages. Just perfect for reading on holiday
THE BEST PART - I loved not knowing where the plot was going to take me next and the back stories of Pilgrim and the Saracen really gave the book depth that you do not often get in page turners. The part about 9/11 was moving and took me back to "Last Man Down" about the fireman trapped in tower 1.
TALKING POINT - Goodreads ace reviewer did not finish the book as she found it the most anti muslim book she'd ever read. All heroes need a villain, and since 9/11 far more books and films and TV shows have turned to the middle east. Should authors be more careful and sensitive? I did not see the book as anti muslim. Its biggest attack was against the Saudi Royal Family and their hypocrisy.
THE BEST PART - I loved not knowing where the plot was going to take me next and the back stories of Pilgrim and the Saracen really gave the book depth that you do not often get in page turners. The part about 9/11 was moving and took me back to "Last Man Down" about the fireman trapped in tower 1.
TALKING POINT - Goodreads ace reviewer did not finish the book as she found it the most anti muslim book she'd ever read. All heroes need a villain, and since 9/11 far more books and films and TV shows have turned to the middle east. Should authors be more careful and sensitive? I did not see the book as anti muslim. Its biggest attack was against the Saudi Royal Family and their hypocrisy.
Official reading group guide really interesting in helping to shape thought
the mixer - michael cox
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I really wanted a football book to read during the world cup and was disappointed that no book store made a big deal of it. I found this while doing a thorough search of football books alongside
OVERALL OPINION - Anyone who is a fan of the English Premier League should enjoy this journey of the players, managers and tactics that have shaped it. It had slightly more monologue and a little less analysis than I remember "Inverting The Pyramid" but it is working on a much shorter timescale
THE BEST PART OF.....I loved the analysis that the players who came into the league shaped the tactics more in the early days which lead directly to its popularity.
TALKING POINT -
THE BEST PART OF.....I loved the analysis that the players who came into the league shaped the tactics more in the early days which lead directly to its popularity.
TALKING POINT -