Reading - August 2016

Adventures In The Screen Trade by William Goldman (1983)

Re-reading after recommending it to a colleague - although I had forgotten that I had only read it about a year ago (even though it's clearly there in my reading history). Enjoyable and interesting as always. I keep meaning to go and check on some his predictions (my knowledge of film history isn't good enough to know).

The Week (6 August 2016 / Issue 1085)

Guitar & Bass (September 2016 / Vol 27 No 12)

The Week (13 August 2016 / Issue 1086)

Whit by Iain Banks (1995)

No "M" in the name here so this is Literature, which means it must be About Something. Unfortunately, if it's anything other than a reasonably entertaining, diverting and slightly over-long tale about power struggles in a Scottish religious cult, then it's escaped me. In fact, I don't think it is "about" anything other than a story from an unusual viewpoint. Well told, of course, but the central character is not really engaging enough  to make me really want to know what happens. I made it to the end but still felt a bit "meh" about the whole thing.

The Consolations Of Philosophy by Alain de Botton (2000)

This was the first book by de Botton that I read, probably in 2001. His is a unique writing style, simple and yet rich, and well suited to potentially complex ideas - except they don't seem complicated when he describes them. As good a primer on the six included philosophers as can be found anywhere, I'll warrant, and full of food for thought.

Guitarist ( September 2016 / Issue 411)

The Week (20 August 2016 / Issue 1087)

The Week (27 August 2016 / Issue 1088)