Summer update

I feel like I have lost my voice on the website this year.  I am keeping the books of 2017 up to date and I'm glad I have changed the format as it is much more compact now but I haven't blog posted at all except for the awards and even that was a little rushed to be honest.

I was getting petrol early this morning (this is relevant, honest) and there were four pay at pumps and they were all being used and loads of pay at kiosk pumps.  Now I normally always use the pay at pump, mind my business, get the boring task out of the way and continue my day.  I reluctantly filled up at the free pumps and as I did watched a couple of other people come and queue for a few minutes for the pay at pump and it struck me that I see this quite a lot and have done it myself before.  But it makes no sense why queue when you don't have to?  

Having filled up I drove to the kiosk had a funny conversation with the lady about an old couple who apparently always ask for VAT receipts .  Driving away it reminded me of the research that found that most people enjoyed a train journey more when talking to a stranger despite predicting they would prefer to keep to themselves. That is the reason I think the other people queued at the pay at pump this morning   . My day was made slightly nicer by the interaction and yet if the pumps wouldn't of been busy I wouldn't of made that choice.  We are a social species even if we can't always take that into account.

Dragging myself back to my voice on this website.  I am not always comfortable writing and it is much easier to read, watch TV, complete Unchartered on the PS4 and all the other things that I do when I have a bit of time to myself at home.  But even if no one takes any notice of the website I really enjoy being able to express myself and feel better once I have.  I hear many people say something similar about not reading as much as they would like :)  

But finally back to the books which is what this site is all about although I do get tempted to bring some music into it.  I am listening to Judas, PVRIS and Against The Current who all playing at Reading Festival this year while writing this.  It has been an enjoyable mostly serious year and by the end of July I will have read 21 which at 3 a month is bang on average for me. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• Invention of Nature, I am Malala, The Sellout and Homo Deus are THE standout books
  
• It's been good to get a couple of the very old books on the shelf read in Adrian Mole and Then We Came to an End 
• Tickling The English is the best surprise this year.  Really funny just when I needed a lighter book.  Black Box Thinking also exceeded expectation too
• Michael Lewis was great but maybe could never have been as good as I wanted it to be.  Expectations work both ways!