december
12 rules for life - jordan b peterson
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To be honest I have seen it so often and it is thought of so highly by critics that I gave in and wanted to read what all the fuss was about.
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early riser - jasper fforde
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Most famous for his Friday Next series of which I have enjoyed several my first Fforde wasI was "The Fourth Bear" an adult take on characters from nursery school stories. My favourite though was "Shades of Gray" but as a sequel appears unlikey in the short term I thought this was the next best thing.
An enjoyable read in a interesting world coping with an extreme climate, which feels very apt. I can't see it ranking in the top half of books when I do the Ordinaries next month and I doubt I'll be recommending it to many but it kept me entertained and at times properly gripped so I easily got my money's worth.
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the book of the year 2019 - no such thing as a fish (Audio)
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november
the age of surveillance capitalism - shoshana zuboff
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Seeing an image on BBC website in late August of a group of Hong Kong protesters tearing down a "smart" lamp post which they believed could be used to track them. One of them was quoted saying something like "we are just the first" and it struck a chord that has stayed with me since.
I can't find the actual image but here is a link to a news story of the days events
I can't find the actual image but here is a link to a news story of the days events
An epic awesome book which I have written more notes about than any other book since Authentic Happiness. The subjects although both about psychology couldn't be more different in intent and tone. This is a book of frustration, of anger. A clinical declaration of war on the internet giants who have found, at first almost by accident but now by design by the brightest minds, that world changing power and profit can be obtained by ignoring user privacy and becoming automated stalkers who predict your every move and purchase, selling them to the highest bidder. By doing so they threaten democracy and personal freedom itself
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the salt path - raynor winn
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OVERALL OPINION - Anyone who enjoys even the occasional tale of travel should consider picking up this story of walking the 630 mile South West Coast path in England. Their reasons for walking are unusual for a travel book, having just become homeless, broke and the breaking news that the authors husband Moth was terminally ill it felt more like a book of redemption with all the humour and humility of "A Street Cat Named Bob". At times I also pictured Forest Gump running across America to clear his mind but truth is often more moving than fiction and as a reader I felt their pain and hopelessness while the beauty of the coastline and the vigour of walking slowly healed their minds in the way that rearing a bird of prey helped Helen McDonald in "H is for Hawk".
A great book to drift off to sleep to, the writing is suitable for everyone and it will stay long in the memory.
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TALKING POINT - The day before I finished the book people across the world slept out in locations such as Trafalgar Square in London in driving rain to raise money and awareness of this global epidemic. I have supported homeless charities my entire adult life as i appreciate that homelessness can happen to anyone. This story shows how easy it can be at any age to become homeless.
A great book to drift off to sleep to, the writing is suitable for everyone and it will stay long in the memory.
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TALKING POINT - The day before I finished the book people across the world slept out in locations such as Trafalgar Square in London in driving rain to raise money and awareness of this global epidemic. I have supported homeless charities my entire adult life as i appreciate that homelessness can happen to anyone. This story shows how easy it can be at any age to become homeless.
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october
the uninhabitable earth - david wallace-wells
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As soon as I saw this book I wanted to ignore it, to not feel compelled to read it, to not to have to face up to even more up to date analysis of bad climate change might get. The title gives you a pretty big clue about the books conclusion!
But at the same time I knew from the moment I read the quote from Andrea Wulf that she wants "every person on the planet to read it" I was sold. Reading it around Halloween as I have said on the home page is very fitting as its going to be a scary read.
But at the same time I knew from the moment I read the quote from Andrea Wulf that she wants "every person on the planet to read it" I was sold. Reading it around Halloween as I have said on the home page is very fitting as its going to be a scary read.
OVERALL OPINION - Book of the year candidate. David brings together all the latest research and data from across the world regarding the major issues like heat death, hunger and flooding. As a Greenpeace supporter who also gets updates from 350.org and Friends of the Earth who has also read Seven Degrees by Mark Lynas and Oceans of Life by Callum Robets my knowlede is fairly good but I still found a lot of new knowledge presented in a no jargon way which is accessable to everyone. It calls on your compassion not only for our planet but for the millions who are and who will suffer as the world continues to heat. In the second half it looks at the current cultural and political landscape, looking at aspects as diverse as why there has been a lot of talk but little action, why climate change does not make a good movie and the rise of climate nihilism and the need to retreat and escape the issues of the real world.
It is a very readable book about THE most important of all subjects which gets its message across clearly and concisely and is also brave enough to takle why change has been and continues to be so difficult in a thoughtful and thorough way
THE BEST PART OF - The impact climate change is having with regard to forest fires, on our own skin with the rise in heat death and how heat impacts mood and violence. How disease is also heading North along with the mosquitoes and how many people are set to be displaced by a combination of extreme climate events. All aspects I'd never fully considered
TALKING POINT - Has the growth in world living standards over the last two centuries been almost all down to the burning of fossil fuels? Should people campaigning for climate change practise disrupt the lives of others to make their point of view heard?
It is a very readable book about THE most important of all subjects which gets its message across clearly and concisely and is also brave enough to takle why change has been and continues to be so difficult in a thoughtful and thorough way
THE BEST PART OF - The impact climate change is having with regard to forest fires, on our own skin with the rise in heat death and how heat impacts mood and violence. How disease is also heading North along with the mosquitoes and how many people are set to be displaced by a combination of extreme climate events. All aspects I'd never fully considered
TALKING POINT - Has the growth in world living standards over the last two centuries been almost all down to the burning of fossil fuels? Should people campaigning for climate change practise disrupt the lives of others to make their point of view heard?
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becoming - michelle obama
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No one interested in books would of have been able to ignore this book over the past year. It has received loud and universal acclaim.
I wanted an inspiring audio book for an anticipated long night sleeping in the rain to raise money for the brilliant homeless charity Launchad. I thought this would fit the bill and the fact that Michelle tells her own story was final decider.
I wanted an inspiring audio book for an anticipated long night sleeping in the rain to raise money for the brilliant homeless charity Launchad. I thought this would fit the bill and the fact that Michelle tells her own story was final decider.
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milkman - anna burns
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Simple. It is The Booker Prize winner for 2018. I don't read much literature so I want something known to be great and I have a fair bit of trust in the award.
OVERALL OPINION - If you decide to read Milkman then you must commit to seeing it through, or you might as well choose something else to read as the first hundred or so pages are tough. It's intense the paragraphs and chapters are long and nothing really seems to happen. But I kept reminding myself that Anna Burns was awarded the Booker Prize with good reason and I was very well rewarded in the second half as the story really kicked in amid the backdrop of the turbulent, paranoid world created in the first half. Dealing with a myriad of themes and issues such as oppression, equality, depression I was reminded of both "I am Malala" and "Poverty Safari" and like both of these books "Milkman" will stay with me for a long time.
THE BEST PART OF - Finding myself laughing at the dark humour that reminds me of an Irish version of a previous Booker prize winner "The Sellout". The dead cat, the drunk sister and her friends to name but two. On a personal note it also reminded me how it feels to be different and be unaware of it for a long time. For a desire to escape inside yourself to protect against rumour and gossip which then fuses with a creeping depression with escape coming only from facing the world again and interacting with it. Beautifully written.
TALKING POINT - This book really helped me understand how much damage a no deal Brexit and a hard border could do in Northern Ireland.
THE BEST PART OF - Finding myself laughing at the dark humour that reminds me of an Irish version of a previous Booker prize winner "The Sellout". The dead cat, the drunk sister and her friends to name but two. On a personal note it also reminded me how it feels to be different and be unaware of it for a long time. For a desire to escape inside yourself to protect against rumour and gossip which then fuses with a creeping depression with escape coming only from facing the world again and interacting with it. Beautifully written.
TALKING POINT - This book really helped me understand how much damage a no deal Brexit and a hard border could do in Northern Ireland.
Readable () - As well as an absence of names there are also very few paragraphs which means the words can almost overwhelm. It is obviously deliberate and unlike anything I've read before, but it doesn't make for an easy read
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step by step - simon reeve
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I love Simon's TV documenteries, they make travel interesting and watchable while still being factual, discussing history and current issues so this has been on my wish list since it came out last Christmas.
OVERALL OPINION - A very enjoyable biography/adventure which at times especially towards the end hits the great heights I hoped for. For all of its honesty about his teenage years and the great travel stories it just felt a little guarded and selective. Clearly a likable, charismatic and thoughtful guy as his tales of 9/11 show I would of liked to know a bit more about the world according to Simon. It felt as if there was a desire to keep a line between public and private that so many modern biographies merge or ignore. As much as I respect his decision and would likely do the same in his position, there is no question that the book suffered as a result.
THE BEST PART OF - The story of how he ended up with no GCSE's, on the edge of a bridge and turned it round with his job at the
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THE BEST PART OF - The story of how he ended up with no GCSE's, on the edge of a bridge and turned it round with his job at the
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Readable (4.5) - It was a really good book to finish the day with. Travel, and interesting personal journey and at times when he lets his guard down enough, totally absorbing
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Shelf Life (3.5) - Should be OK for a few years especially as and when he releases new TV documentries
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september
a judgement in stone - ruth rendall
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A friend bought this for me a few years ago and although it looked interesting I'm not a massive crime reader. I want to start clearing some of my older books on the shelf and at just over 200 pages this looked like a quick win, plus Ruth Rendall is an iconic author
OVERALL OPINION - I really enjoyed this adventure into what is for me Agatha Christie country. A murder at a country house reminded me of the brilliant "The Suspicions of Mr Whicher" while the profiling of a killer brought back memories the disturbing "Engleby" by Sebastian Faulks. I rank this in the middle of these two and it was a joy to see a legendary story teller craft the story and characters, nothing felt wasted. Maybe most importantly it is vivid and memorable.
THE BEST PART OF - It is always intruiging when a book gives away its most obvious secret early on and it happens right in the very first sentence. "Eunice Parchman killed the Coverdale family because she could not read or write". It means that the author has a well thought out story to share with plenty of other surprises to look forward to.
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THE BEST PART OF - It is always intruiging when a book gives away its most obvious secret early on and it happens right in the very first sentence. "Eunice Parchman killed the Coverdale family because she could not read or write". It means that the author has a well thought out story to share with plenty of other surprises to look forward to.
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talking to my daughter about the economy - yanis varoufakis
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I borrowed Yanis's first book "And The Weak Suffer What They Must" a couple of years ago and found him engaging and charismatic. I also learnt a lot about the creation and history of the EU which I am reminded of often in these chaotic Brexit times. In fact the treatment of Greece is the biggest reason why I still have an open mind about Brexit and yet it is never mentioned by politicians or commentators who prefer simpler reasons.
I saw this in the Heart Foundation shop for a couple of quid and as I loved Economics as a student I couldn't resist
I saw this in the Heart Foundation shop for a couple of quid and as I loved Economics as a student I couldn't resist
OVERALL OPINION - From the minute that
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Give me somewhere to stand, and a lever long enough, and I shall lift the Earth - Archimedes
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morning star - pierce brown
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I have really enjoyed the first two Red Rising books. They are like The Hunger Games but in space for anyone who has not come across them, so this feels like a bit of a treat after the hard hitting Moneyland. I was really impressed at how the second book twisted in unexpected ways and hope this does the same.
OVERALL OPINION - The first sixty pages or so had me slighlty concerned it lacked a little of flow of story and ideas that made the first two books so good and it was interesting to read in the acknowledgements that Pierce found the early going difficult until he found the core of the book, Darrow's friends and family. It made total sense and I could literally feel the story changing gear, it was pure joy from then onwards.
THE BEST PART OF - Cassius has the starring role without giving away any spoilers. Never saw the plot twists coming
TALKING POINT - Change is never straight forward and difficult compromises have to be taken.
THE BEST PART OF - Cassius has the starring role without giving away any spoilers. Never saw the plot twists coming
TALKING POINT - Change is never straight forward and difficult compromises have to be taken.
Contains spoilers
Living in a box 9m. Rescued by Sevro.
Attack on Luna. Quicksilver founder of Sons of Ares
Shot down, Ragner killer, Sefi persuaded
Jupiter pact and Sword Armada battle with Roque
Uncle killed, retribution on Golds Sevro saves Cassius Wedding
Attack on Luna - Cassius double cross - Sevro dead arm severed
Octavia dead, Cassius double bluff Sevro awakes Aja slain. Baby boy
Living in a box 9m. Rescued by Sevro.
Attack on Luna. Quicksilver founder of Sons of Ares
Shot down, Ragner killer, Sefi persuaded
Jupiter pact and Sword Armada battle with Roque
Uncle killed, retribution on Golds Sevro saves Cassius Wedding
Attack on Luna - Cassius double cross - Sevro dead arm severed
Octavia dead, Cassius double bluff Sevro awakes Aja slain. Baby boy
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