Reading - December 2022

Eminent Hipsters by Donald Fagen (2013)

I've been meaning to read this for ages and finally got it out from the library a couple of weeks ago. I suspect I might be the first person to do so, judging by its pristine condition. Perhaps this is unsurprising: Donald Fagen isn't a household name and the band he fronted through the 70s, Steely Dan, is well-known amongst music lovers but still a bit of an acquired taste - so the potential audience for a slim book about really obscure musicians and influences from his childhood is probably limited. If it had been an autobiography - which is kind of what I expected - then it would have been of more interest. As it is, finding out about some of Fagen's influences has some value, but the second half of the book is a tour diary - and, as I say, it's not a big book anyway. Amusing in places and worth the read, but overall, mildly disappointing.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (2004)

Despite being ostensibly classified as "science fiction/romance", this is only SF in the very broadest sense. Henry's time travelling isn't just a metaphor for any long term medical condition but is actually defined as one, and so his absences can be compared with a partner who is physically or mentally not with you through no fault of their own. But because he has found Clare - his true love, to whom he keeps returning and is destined to be with, through some unexplained causality of looped time - he can manage. I don't believe in the idea of "the one" any more than I believe in time travel, but it's a fine sentiment for a book and I was happy to indulge in it. It's over five hundred pages long and I did wonder how Niffenegger would sustain the story, but it stayed involving and moving right to the end. Very enjoyable. I just wish that authors could let go of the idea of "literature" enough to provide a happy ending.

What If? 2 by Randall Munroe (2022)

More disastrous scenarios from innocuous premises, explored in fascinating detail and with cute pictures. An ideal book to read over breakfast or lunch, or similar short bursts, as it is best read with a break in between chapters. Great fun.

The Humans by Matt Haig (2013)

I think the quotes on the front cover ("hilarious", "wonderfully funny") do this novel a disservice. It's never outrageously funny, so if you picked it up expecting a comedy extravaganza you might be disappointed. On the other hand, if you are interested in a gently amusing but thoughtful and bittersweet story of family and love, suffering and sacrifice, and why all are necessary to be human, you might have found the right book. Having an alien attempt to understand humans and their culture is a cute way to examine things from another perspective; perhaps the alien here could be anyone who feels themselves, well, alienated from society or their family (is this too obvious? Honestly, I am so poor at subtext). I enjoyed the book, although I found the slightly odd mix of emotional analysis and slightly thriller-esque elements meant I wasn't as involved or moved as The Time Traveler's Wife earlier this month. (As an aside, I do like Matt Haig's take-down of book snobbery very much though!)

Reading - November 2022

Exit Stage Left by Nick Duerden (2022)

There's a persistent fascination with the idea of the fallen star, as evidenced by a myriad of "where are they now" tabloid exposés, TV series and even films, looking at ex-footballers, ex-soap stars and ex-musicians. Duerden focusses particularly on the more critically acceptable end of the pop star market and attempts to draw out themes and insight from the stories of people as varied as Joan Armatrading, Echobelly's Sonya Madan, Shaun Ryder, Lloyd Cole and many more. But the real interest here isn't any more sophisticated than those tabloid columns - we just want to know what people are doing now. And the themes? I don't think there are any really. It turns out people are just as varied in pop stardom as they are in any other walk of life. A good read, albeit a little bitty (the chapters are quite short) and feeling like a collection of, well, tabloid columns rather than a book. 

Foundation and Earth by Isaac Asimov (1986)

I last read this eight years ago, but it's still very familiar. I know the surprise at the end but I can still remember being delighted by it the first time round. Of course, you have to have read most of Asimov's other books to understand the reference, otherwise it would be a complete damp squib.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (2020)

This was recommended to my by a friend (thanks Zoë!) and I'm pleased, because I wouldn't have read it otherwise. It's essentially a "what if" kind of story: what if I had asked her out, what if I hadn't taken that job, and so on. The story ends up pretty much how I expected but nevertheless the journey is interesting and moving, and if the moral is fairly obvious, you're not being whacked over the head with it. And it's nice and short too (a very under-rated quality in literature, in my opinion) and only took me a couple of days to read.

The Firm by John Grisham (1991)

I read this not long ago, but this time I'm struck by the implausibility and plot jumps, where suddenly the main character knows a bunch of things and you think, "when did he work that out?" In that respect, he's a bit too good and a bit too clever to be realistic. It's still a great read though.

The First Time by Matt Everitt (2018)

6 Music is theoretically exactly the kind of radio station I should like - serious about music, its history and place in society and dedicated to playing good music, not just commercial music. Yet for some reason I just don't find it engaging. Unfortunately that means I miss things, like Matt Everitt's series of interviews asking a wide range of "music icons" (it says here) about their formative experiences with music. I've listened to a few since finding this book and they're really interesting - as is this collection of them. Everitt's brief introduction to each interviewee is nicely judged too, and extra points for only once mentioning his old band, and then not by name (I had to look it up - he was in Menswear - but I think he's been a music presenter for a lot longer now!)

The Pelican Brief by John Grisham (1992)

The cartoon baddie who orders everyone killed who crosses him, just because, is almost straight out of a Bond film, and the romance between the two main characters is somewhat contrived and, frankly, improbable. But the story moves fast and keeps interest up.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (1920)

Poirot's first outing and it's ironic that he's portrayed as an aging man who is perhaps past his best - given how long he subsequently "lived". Like Miss Marple, he started out old and never got older. Still, it's fiction so never mind! All the hallmarks of Agatha Christie are present and correct, including the big reveal at the end and the clever way the clues can all point several ways. A classic in its own way. (read so that I could have a half-way intelligent conversation about it with someone who had just read it for the first time!)

Reading - October 2022

This New Noise by Charlotte Higgins (2015)

I found this because it contributed its title to Public Service Broadcasting's concert this year at the Proms (which I was at!) This is not a history of the BBC, although that's not obvious until well over a third of the way through the book. Instead, Higgins uses stories from the formation of the organisation to inform a discussion about its place in British society and its many detractors over the decades. In a way, it's heartening to see that the kind of idiotic comment made recently by Jacob Rees-Mogg (who questioned the BBC's impartiality in a pathetically transparent attempt to avoid an awkward question) has been going on for almost as long as the BBC has been in existence, and that many of the newspapers - particularly the Daily Wail - have always been against the BBC, probably initially through worry over competition and then latterly just because they'll moan about anything. Sadly, although I don't think the BBC should change, it probably will, because in a subscription world, it's very hard to justify a license fee. 

Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie (1933)

I always like a good whodunnit, from back when I first started reading Poirot stories. At the time I wouldn't have noticed how dated they were (given that this book would have been already fifty years old at the time!) but now it's glaringly apparent. Still, it doesn't spoil the ingenuity of the plot. Simple, easy reading. (Although what I wanted to read was Death on the Nile, as I had just watched it, but for some reason I don't own that)

Open by Andre Agassi (2009)

This is the first autobiography I've read that really articulates the struggle, hard word and pain that surely all world-class athletes (and probably greats in other fields) go through. Most play this down or just don't mention the hours, weeks and years spent tortuously refining the skills that put them at the top - presumably because they think it wouldn't be interesting. Agassi's book disproves that theory, but then it has a slight flavour of misery memoir about it that means all the pain is part of the story. And, of course, the story has redemption and a happy ending, as Agassi learns to love the game he was forced to play as a child and finally gets his dream girl. Indeed, this does also seem like a very extended love note to Stefanie (not Steffi) Graf, which is very sweet. Superbly written (with someone else, who is credited at the back), moving and insightful.

Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov (1982)

Great story-telling, maybe a little clunky in places, but never dragging. However, perhaps it's a bit over-familiar, so even though I chose it because I wanted something easy to read, it was a little unsatisfying. Which is a shame, because it's a classic.

Reading - September 2022

The Pre-Loved Club by Sue Teddern (2022)

This is a modern romance of sorts, I guess: two people, both separated from their first partners, who gradually realise they want to be together, but only after attempts with other people. It's more realistic and believable than your typical Silhouette romance, but oddly I found it a little frustrating, as it was obvious how it was going to end but seemed to take ages getting there. Still, I quite liked the "he said, she said" format (which reminds me, I would quite like to see that film again!)

One Man and His Bike by Mike Carter (2011)

I think the bicycle is a fantastic invention and I really should ride mine more. This is a feeling only made more intense by this somehow matter-of-fact and yet wondrous recounting of a journey around the coast of the United Kingdom. Part travelogue and part ode to his bike (a Ridgeback) and cycling in general, it makes you realise how big the country actually is - compared to, say, a man on a bike - and how different the regions are. It makes the four miles to work seem trivial but I'd still be nervous about some of the roads!

Reading - August 2022

For Your Eyes Only by Ian Fleming (1960)

A collection of five short stories. Three of them have titles that will be familiar: "From a View to a Kill", "For Your Eyes Only" (I always hear Sheena Easton in my head as soon as I read those words!) and "Quantam of Solace", which now seem like classic titles for films, of course, although the plots of the stories here bear no relation to those of the films with which they share their names. And yet the other two stories have terrible titles for films: "Risico" - clearly some sort of South American cop/buddy film - and "The Hildebrand Rarity", which would be a dry, character study of an elderly historian and would therefore be a shoe-in at award season. Anyway, the stories here are entertaining but now essentially period pieces because of their attitude to women, which is now glaringly sexist and borderline off-putting. I don't remember the other Bond novels being quite this bad in this respect.

Bernard Who? by Bernard Cribbins (2018)

I think this would work much better as an audiobook, read by the man himself (although I can't tell if such a thing exists, oddly). The style is very much his, a chatty, anecdotal wander through his life. I found it made for a nice easy read but too many of the stories seemed like they lost something on the page - or perhaps they weren't very funny in the first place. Still, he seems to have had a nice life, and I'm pleased I found this in the library a couple of days after reading his obituary.

Rude Kids: The Inside Story of Viz by Chris Donald (2004)

I was never much interested in Viz: after buying the obligatory couple of issues when I was a student (at its publishing height in the late 80s, it turns out), I found it amusing but repetitive and never bothered again. However, I saw a recommendation for this book by Chris Donald, Viz's founder and editor for just over twenty years, and I'm pleased I bothered. He's frank, funny and acerbic, describing some of the nonsense around the amazing rise of the magazine with an outsider's eye and a keen sense of the ridiculous. I'm also amazed to discover it's still going, another twenty years later. I might go so far as to flick through it next time I see a copy in WH Smith.

Laughter in the Rain by Debbie Macomber (1986)

Potboiler romance that I thought would be more interesting than it is. Very slight and yet too long, as the plot becomes repetitious.

Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace by Kate Forster (2021)

This is better - a more complex (for relative values of "complex") romance with some depth to it. I liked the view from multiple characters' perspectives, casting new light on what had previously seemed like one-dimensional behaviour. The two main people had too many silly misunderstandings, and too much over-reaction to them for my liking, but overall it's a sweet story with a happy ending.

When Harry Met Sally by Nora Ephron (1989)

I'm reading a book about screen writing at the moment, which says you can find plenty of screenplays on the internet. I put it to the test and found this. It's a quick read (less than an hour) and, of course, it just replays the film in my head because I know it very well! I think the book means you should study it more ...

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (2021)

Sweet but derivative "literary" SF.

Why is Sex Fun? by Jared Diamond (1997)

Similar in content to the equally misleadingly titled The Secrets of Love and Lust, this is not a how-to manual but a popsci guide to human sexuality, wherein it attempts to explain it in evolutionary terms and by comparison with other animals. Diamond highlights some of the unusual aspects of human sexuality and reproduction, such as concealed ovulation and the menopause, but, crucially, doesn't actually answer the book's title. I could attempt an explanation based on the themes (why do humans enjoy sex? Because historically those that did were more likely to reproduce) but I would have been more interested in what the experts think here!

Out of Time by Miranda Sawyer (2016)

In the last chapter, Sawyer explains that this book was written, as much as anything, as a way through her own mid-life crisis. The sub-title - "midlife, if you still think you're young" - kind of gives the game away: it's for people who never grew up, never wanted to or never believed they had or would. Maybe that's more prevalent in certain types of jobs or life-styles, maybe those in the media perhaps? Much of what she has has to say is interesting but I can't feel it applies much to me. It could be that I've missed my mid-life crisis, or it hasn't happened yet, or it's happening right now and I won't realise until five years' time, but not much resonated.

Moonraker by Ian Fleming (1955)

I started reading a copy at work that I had found in the book exchange and remembered what a good story it is - and nice and short too! Of its time, but classic.

Fugutive from the Cubicle Police by Scott Adams (1996)

This book was in an abandoned cupboard at work, and at the back was a printed newsletter dated 1998. This all seems appropriate. However, I should have checked, as I read this eight years ago and found it hit and miss then, so could have saved myself the bother this time round. Scott Adams has developed an odd crush on Trump in recent years and has generally become a bit weird, but sometimes Dilbert hits the mark.

Journey to Cubeville by Scott Adams (1998)

The second of three Scott Adams books I found. Since Dilbert is hit and miss (somewhat understandable for a daily cartoon), repackaging all the strips from two years as a book seems a little pointless. That said, I'm guessing it worked for Adams.

Bounce by Matthew Syed (2010)

Syed examines the idea (probably) first given mass exposure in Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, the idea of "10,000 hours of practice" that makes an expert, and gives it a more in-depth assessment. The sub-title, "The myth of talent and the power of practice" gives a good flavour of what he's saying. The research findings are quite clear: notwithstanding physical attributes (tall high-jumpers etc), there's no such thing as someone who is inherently good at a given sport, or musical instrument - or, by extension, any activity. Experts are made, first by circumstance and chance - being born at the right time of year, attending a school with a world-class teacher - and then by application, although of course this second factor is heavily influenced by the first. People want to believe that stars - of sport, music, business or whatever - got there because of some innate specialness. People want magic! But there's no magic, which should be inspiring: anyone can achieve greatness.

One Train Later by Andy Summers (2006)

A very readable, first person (and present tense, which I found a little disorienting at first) account of Summers' life up until the demise of The Police in the early 80s, with a two page afterword on his life since then. It's honest and entertaining and gives a real sense of how hard he worked to achieve his musical goal: not just the hours and hours of practice (see Bounce above!) but the decades of persistence. I knew he was a bit older than Sting and Copeland but hadn't realised that he was a contemporary of Clapton, Page, Hendrix and so on during the 60s. Perhaps that makes the brief madness of extreme fame he experienced more sweet (The Police lasted a surprisingly short time, six-seven years); he seems to have taken advantage of it, but come out the other side eventually.

The Joy of Work by Scott Adams (1998)

The third of the Dilbert books I found in a cupboard at work, this is an actual book rather than just a repackaged collection of cartoon strips. Most of the book is a long-form expansion of what you might say is the Dilbert ethos: work is pointless and dull but you can enjoy the ridiculousness in a number of ways. Aside from the section on office pranks, which mostly just seem mean (as do most "pranks" to me), it's amusing. The last section segues neatly into a serious discursion on creativity (and a minor come-back at a critic). It's a nice way of putting serious material into a book that was likely to be widely read.

Klara and the Sun

Kazuo Ishiguro

2021

Sweet but derivative "literary" SF

B recommended this and since I have a couple of weeks off (can you tell by how much I'm reading?), I thought I'd give it a go. I enjoyed it very much, as it was an easy read and a good length (i.e. not too long!) - a sweet book, with a conclusion full of pathos, although the ending came a bit suddenly. The plot was a little thin, but was disguised well by the way important facts are gradually revealed; it can be summarised as Asimov's Robot novels meet Toy Story.

After I finished the book, I had a look online to see if anyone had caught the obvious similarity with Asimov's work, and in particular The Bicentennial Man. I was struck by reviews of the book, which, since Ishiguro writes "literature", appeared to be written by people who had never read any real science fiction (as that's "not literature"). So they burbled on about how imaginative it was, and how it raised fascinating questions about the interaction between humans and robots. I guess they are fascinating if you haven't come across the ideas before - but I feel I should point out that real science fiction has been exploring this area for over sixty years ...

Reading - July 2022

Love is the Drug edited by John Aizlewood (1994)

Entertaining, albeit slightly repetitive, recounting by various music journos of the time (plus a few celebs) of their fandom for a particular artist. In some cases, all they're telling us is why so-and-so is their favourite, whereas in others it's a full-blown obsessiveness. Interesting, but doesn't pass the key test of any book about music: in no cases was I inspired to go and listen to the music. I've had this book for a long time - probably since it was published - and now I've read it again, I'm not sure why it survived the Great Book Cull of '17. Destined for the charity shop, I think!

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom (1997)

A worldwide phenomenon, apparently, albeit one that has completely passed me by - I found this in the book exchange at work. According to Wikipedia, it's one of the best selling memoirs ever, and I can kind of see why: it's sweet, easy to read and has a nice message. It's also sentimental, simplistic and possibly a bit shallow - qualities that probably also don't harm its appeal to a wide audience (yes, I'm being snobbish). The book's subject - Morrie Schwartz - seems like he was a lovely man who encouraged people to live simply and enjoy what they have. I don't think I'm overly simplifying here. It's a good moral, one we should all remember, and if it takes a book to remind you of it, then fine.

Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall (2019)

Essentially an explanation about why the geopolitics of various regions fundamentally shape their history and policies, this is eerily correct about Russia's current actions, particularly given that it was originally published in 2015 (albeit updated in 2019). It adopts a curiously passive and neutral stance on countries' actions, explaining blandly that, for example, Putin had "no choice" but to annex Crimea, and initially this irritated me, because of course he had a choice. The only perspective in which he has no choice was that in which all other leaders are equally paranoid and opportunistic, and sadly, this is probably correct. It's also self-perpetuating, but inevitable. Ultimately, this is a book about why toxic nationalism is going to always be with us. Hard going and depressing.

Summer at the Lake by Erica James (2013)

A nice modern romance, with flashbacks to an older story embedded in it. The characters were engaging enough to keep me reading, but were a little one-dimensional, while the story was predictable in the best kind of way (i.e. it ends happily), albeit with a sudden injection of several dramatic elements all at once towards the end, which unbalanced it a little. Pleasant bedtime reading.

The Martian by Andy Weir (2011)

I'd never heard of this (or the film made from it) until I read about it, catching up on old xkcd comics. It's an odd book in some ways, a patchwork of different viewpoints, different styles and fairly relentless technical detail, but the central character has such a winning personality that he carries the plot and left me really wanting it to all work out (I did peek at the ending fairly early on to make sure it was a happy one). It threatened to degenerate into a series of unfortunate events but I suppose that's fairly realistic, given how hostile Mars would actually be, and in any case it didn't stop me enjoying it. I'm now looking forward to watching the film!

Reading - June 2022

The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett (1998)

The Rincewind books aren't my favourites as they often feel a bit directionless. There are lots of interesting ideas here that aren't quite explained properly, or at least that I didn't quite get. Unusually, the annotation (link above) don't help much here, so I'm left with the feeling that either there's some subtext I'm not getting (entirely possibly, subtext is not my thing), or the book is collection of slightly random ideas - which doesn't seem likely for Terry Pratchett. There's also the usual humour, in this case working with rather obvious Australian stereotypes, which I find gently amusing, but I do wonder what an Australian would think of it.

Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett (1998)

In which vampires appear with suddenly manifested super-powers and try to take over Lancre - which is where Granny Weatherwax lives. Despite being pretty sure how it's going to end (obviously Granny will sort everything out), there's some suspense. Decent level Pratchett (i.e. very good by anyone else's standards) but not particularly distinguished.

Reading - May 2022

The Runaway Jury by John Grisham (1996)

Easy and familiar reading, but nevertheless still gripping.

Working the Wheel by Martin Brundle (2004)

Brundle's own take on eighteen of the world's F1 tracks, past and present (plus Le Mans) is perhaps a little perfunctory in places, but pretty interesting overall. Fun fact: I saw Martin Brundle give a talk (at some corporate event) twenty-odd years ago, and I took this book with me to get it signed, but bottled out even though he was stood chatting with a friend of mine after the talk - mainly because I thought it would be very gauche of me to ask. Oh well.

Reading - April 2022

The Unforgettable Fire by Eamon Dunphy (1988)

I bought and read this at the time, a very readable account of U2's first ten years. At the time, U2 were my favourite band and The Joshua Tree one of my favourite albums (it's still probably up there). It's pointless to say I didn't think I'd be listening to them over thirty years later, as no-one really thought like that, but this is a good time capsule of U2, Mk 1 - which is my U2, really.

The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy by Mary Street (1999)

I suspect this is based more on the legendary BBC series of Pride and Prejudice than on the book itself, but nevertheless it is a pleasant retelling of the story from Darcy's point of view. It doesn't add much to the story but there are some nice touches.

Questionable Content by Jeph Jacques (2003-)

A graphic novel would count as a book, so why not a web comic? I found this via explainxkcd and it was easy, low effort reading when I was feeling ill and keeping myself away from everyone else in the house for a few days. There's plenty of gentle humour, and occasional laugh out loud (well, snort out loud) moments, but what kept me reading is the story lines. The characters are interesting and I wanted to know what happens to them. It's kind of like a soap opera though - it never ends or resolves, just keeps going forever. I've now read them all - that's nearly twenty years' worth of comics read in about two weeks - and kind of want to stop ...

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)

The previous P&P-based book made me want to go back to the original, which reminded how much superior it is to any attempted tributes/pastiches etc. Still one of my favourite books for a reason.

Dad's Email Order Bride by Candy Halliday (2014)

Oddly, for a M&B "Super Romance", this is short and not very involved. Obvious where it was going but a little oddly paced, so it finished a bit quick.

Make Room for Daddy by Andrea Edwards (1990)

Cringy title aside, this is one of the sweetest romances I have, which is why I re-read it fairly often.

The Illustrated Etymologicon by Mark Forsyth (2021)

I really enjoyed Forsyth's The Elements of Eloquence (blimey, eight years ago) and this was a lovely birthday present from B. It's not a sit-down-and-read kind of book, more a dip-into-occasionally kind of thing. It's full of wonderful facts about where words come from that I will not remember, but very much enjoyed reading about. This tenth anniversary edition is illustrated: the illustrations are whimsical and nicely done, but pointless and add nothing, sadly.

Tempting Fate by Stacy Finz (2019)

This next in the Nugget series is an interesting exercise, as Finz has taken the character of Raylene, previously firmly cast as a villain, and attempted to rehabilitate her as the heroine of this book. Mostly it works in terms of the plot, as we get more of her backstory and her earlier actions can be seen in a different light. What's less convincing is the way the other characters all suddenly change their minds about her. Still, this doesn't stop it being a satisfying story. And thus, for now, ends my journey through this series, as the library doesn't have the latest two books. (sad face)

The Accidental Scientist by Graeme Donald (2014)

A bit of a hodge-podge of stories about those wacky scientists discovering things by accident. There's also a smattering of anecdotes about scientists being ignorant (like early experiments in nuclear explosions) or even wilfully negligent (for example, the thalidomide scandal). Interesting in passing but not especially engaging, and fails to balance things out by pointing out that most scientific work is deliberate and well-informed.

Reading - March 2022

Play All by Clive James (2016)

Clive James first came to my, and the world's attention (albeit at different times) through his TV criticism and I'm sure it would have been deliberate that a return to it was one of his last published works (the book is full of references to his own mortality). He made his mark in the field with a unique style that was a masterpiece in wit and brevity, made necessary by a weekly word limit. Here he has much more space to work with, which seems appropriate when writing about big box sets like Game Of Thrones, The West Wing and The Sopranos. His argument is that the additional time afforded by such expansive TV dramas allows them to explore life more fully. Presumably he feels that the space in a book to discuss them allows him to do them more justice. Unfortunately I'm inclined to feel that neither is well served by removing restrictions. I don't get the appeal of such long series and allowing a mind as fine as James' more space just results in more bewildering tangents than usual. Beautiful writing as always, but possibly not as well-targeted as I would hope for.

Boiling A Frog by Christopher Brookmyre (2000)

Pointed, darkly satirical and great fun.

Love Lives by Josie Lloyd & Emlyn Rees (2003)

Nice bedtime reading.

Thank You For The Days by Mark Radcliffe (2009)

I'm in the middle of about four different books that are interesting, but heavy going and not bedtime reading. So this came off the shelf again. I didn't realise I read it less than two years ago, which tells you something about how memorable it is, or possibly about how poor my memory is. Anyway, easy reading, gently amusing and a little reminder of how great Mark and Lard were together - their stint on the Radio 1 breakfast show definitely doesn't feel like 25 years ago! Oh dear, I'm getting old.

Reading - February 2022

Falling Hard by Stacy Finz (2017)

I can't quite believe I've made it to book eight in this series, but here I am anyway. There's plenty to like about the stories, and the characters are now familiar, which is nice, and means I can overlook the similarities between novels. I get the impression that Ms. Finz is getting a bit bored herself though, as the non-romantic elements of the plot are a bit more prominent, including in this case an extended and rather out-of-place coda that's more like a mediocre crime thriller.

Hope for Christmas by Stacy Finz (2017)

This is an interesting (for relative values of "interesting") aside in these "Nugget romance" books - not actually a romance, but a closure on something that was probably intended to be merely backstory in Finding Hope - a missing child from years before the story itself. My speculation is that enough people got in touch wanting to know how it panned out, and so this: book 8½. Shorter that the other entries in the series and a bit perfunctory, but resolution for those who need it.

So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson (2016)

I'm not quite sure why I chose this book, as it is predictably disheartening. Intelligent people can be incredibly stupid - not just sometimes, but very, very often. Here Ronson describes how the indiscriminate, self-righteous fury of the Twitter mob has had disproportionate, real-world effects on those who happened to catch its fleeting attention. Even more depressing is the coda for this edition, which describes how the same twerps, with a complete lack of self-awareness, turned on Ronson for having the temerity to suggest (in this book) that perhaps their targets might not deserve an online lynch mob. Well and engagingly written, but, as I say, unfortunately this doesn't stop it being depressing.

What If? by Randall Munroe (2015)

Most striking this time round is a question that ask, presciently, "If everyone on the planet stayed away from each other for a couple of weeks, wouldn't the common cold be wiped out?" Turns out the answer is "no". What If? 2 is due out in September; B and I very excited.

Jews Don't Count by David Baddiel (2021)

This slim book was simultaneously an easy and hard read. Baddiel is an entertaining and acerbic companion, but the behaviour he describes is depressing. I've felt for a long time - in my usual, "I can't really be bothered to look into this properly" fashion - that the political left wing is just as intrinsically anti-Semitic as the right wing, just in a different way. This is the focus of the book: how the "progressive left" (whatever that is) dismiss Jewish concerns as unimportant or invalid, using a range of reasons. Baddiel deconstructs those arguments easily and the points he makes are irrefutable. Unfortunately that doesn't stop ideologically one-dimensional nitwits trying - the kind who can't understand how they can possibly be guilty of any kind of discrimination because, hello, they are anti-racist and anyway aren't all Jews rich white people?

The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks (1988)

As always, just an astonishing vision of another world. Peerless SF.

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (2021)

As I said about the first of Osman's books in the Thursday Murder Club series, this is a very well-written, engaging and compelling book that nevertheless has a feeling of having been precisely engineered to maximise its appeal. This time, the mechanisms feel a little more obvious and Osman leans on two characters in particular: Elizabeth, who can outwit anyone, and Bogdan, who can defeat anyone. Basically, any time the characters get into a scrape, one of these two will sort it out. It doesn't stop the book being a great read (I charged through it in about two days) but it's not quite as good as the first.

Reading - January 2022

The Storyteller by Dave Grohl (2021)

By reputation and general agreement, Dave Grohl is one of the nicest, most genuine people in rock, driven by a real love of and enthusiasm for music. This comes across in the book in spades, even if it does bear the slick signs of a professional writer being fairly heavily involved. Dave's life (it feels wrong to call him "Grohl" somehow) has been far more varied than I realised, but the unifying thread is his passion for what he does. What's also apparent, although he either too modest to say it or just doesn't realise, is that he's a amazing communicator and leader. All in all, a slightly breathless, but incredible dash through some stories in his life - eminently readable and surely crying out for volume two, if he's ever inclined.

First Time In Forever by Sarah Morgan (2015)

The rather generic title masks a superior romance about life in a small town and the people who settle there. First in a series - woo! I was amused to note that although Sarah Morgan is British, she mostly sets her books in the US. She obviously knows her market!

How Pleasure Works by Paul Bloom (2010)

Subtitled "Why we like what we like", this is a pleasant skim across the surface of research and literature about the science of pleasure, and why, for example, humans take pleasure in things that are not obviously pleasurable. We're not just talking about masochism here, but things like smoking, or drinking beer (which, however much you may like it now, was almost certainly an acquired taste), or watching scary or sad films. I'm not sure I've come away with any lasting conclusions or knowledge, other than that the human mind is a complicated and strange thing - but this failure is probably mine rather than the book's, as I mostly read it last thing before I went to sleep.

The Meaning of Liff by Douglas Adams & John Lloyd (1983)

Despite having been a fan of Douglas Adams since the very beginning (I listened to H2G2 with my Dad on Radio 4 in the late 70s), for some reason I've never read this before. It's a stocking filler really, albeit a very superior one - slight, disposable and amusing in a sort of "I've forgotten the joke already" way. In a sense, it's in the wrong format - it would make the basis of a very good comedy routine. Oddly, despite ostensibly using obscure place names as words, many of them are actually pretty well-known. Anyway, I don't know if it's ever been updated but I'm pretty certain this is the original edition (on loan from the library), not least because of the datedness of the cultural references and occasional but noticeable sexism and borderline homophobia.

The Sacred Art of Stealing by Christopher Brookmyre (2002)

Not sure what I can say about this that I haven't already! I probably first read it soon after it came out and have read it a dozen or more times since. Just great.

One-Hit Wonder by Lisa Jewell (2001)

Oddly, the day after I finished this, I read about Betty Boo: how her second album was a flop and she dropped out of the music business to look after her ill mother. I have no reason to believe that Bee Bearhorn, the one-hit wonder of this book's title, is based on Betty Boo, but the similarities are striking - well, up to the point where Bee dies alone in a rented flat off Baker Street (this hasn't happened to Betty Boo, thankfully). But the book's not really about that. It's about what happens afterwards, and how her younger sister finds herself while trying to find out what happening to Bee. It's a very sweet story, notwithstanding the tragedy at the centre of it.