What are you reading?

[Steve H]

At the moment, I'm reading:
'Keats', by Andrew Motion, a breeze-block-siized biography of one of my favourite poets, 578 pages of text, plus notes and index. Good, but sometimes I wonder if al the information we're given is really relevant, such as the political situation in his childhood, which we're given axhaustive details of.

'The Diary of a Bookseller', by Shaun Bythell, proprietor of the Book Shop, Wigtown, Scotland's largest second-hand bookshop, in the town which is Scotland's Hay-on-Wye (or maybe Hay is England's Wigtown), both towns having many second-hand bookshops and a literary festival. Very entertaining. Some things, such as the eccentric and irritating customers, haven't changed much since 1936, when Orwell wrote his essay "Bookshop Memories", which Bythell quotes from extensively. When I volunteered in St Albans Oxfam bookshop, we had a bloke in his 50s who came in occasionally, criticised the stock, the layout, and other aspects of the shop, and left again. He occasionally bought books about railways. I suspect he was an aspie.

"The Conscious Mind", by various authors, published by New Scientist. The chapter on free will is interesting: it seems that the recent discovery that brain activity starfts shortly before we make a conscious decision to perform an act doesn't, on its own, disprove free-will, because we have a short period - a small fraction of a second - after the decision becomes conscious during which we can veto the action: what the book calls "free-won't".

[jeremyp]

At the moment, I am reading: "At the moment I am reading: 'At the moment I am reading...'"

Also The Only Plane in the Sky.

It's an absolutely compelling insight into the events of 9/11 from people who experienced it from the President to primary school children.

[Outrider]

I have a few things on the go at the moment:

Cambridge Illustrated History of Warfare is quite good, if (self-confessedly) a little Eurocentric.

Neil Gaiman's Sandman series (in anticipation of getting volume 9 for Christmas)

Trudi Canavan's Black Magician Trilogy volume 2, The Novice.

I should be spending more time on my own writing, but with two kids under three in the house I've never got enough focus left at the end of the evening.

O.

[Nearly Sane]

On the go at the moment:
The Runaway Species - Anthony Brandt and David Eagleman
Left Bank - Agnes Poirier
No Surrender - Constance Maud
and I'm working my way through rereading Robert B Parker's Spenser series and currently on The Judas Goat - should finish that today (they are quite short and light)  and move onto Looking for Rachel Wallace

[Gordon]

Just finished re-reading I Claudius, and will re-read Claudius the God sometime soon.

Having one more try at a Terry Pratchett book, in this case Hogfather, though I suspect this will end prematurely, as have all my previous attempts at Pratchett.

[Anchorman]

I'm re-reading Terry's tuff - or bits of it - as well; going through the Watch strand at the moment - 'Jingo' has a lot to say about diplomacy. As far as non fiction goes, I'm working my way through Aidan Dodson's latest work on Ramesses III. Excellent summery of life and times, with good angle on the Philistines/Sea Peoples, and a nice gory ending with all the evidence pointing to a solved whodoneit.

[Enki]

3 books on the go.

Homo Deus by Noah Harari  - challenging and imaginative

The Brain by David Eagleman - nearly finished,  easy to read and understand

The Quantum Universe by Jeff Forshaw & Brian Cox  - difficult to read and absorb, especially the maths involved. Tend to read just a few pages at a time.

[Outrider]

The Quantum Universe by Jeff Forshaw & Brian Cox  - difficult to read and absorb, especially the maths involved. Tend to read just a few pages at a time.

I come back to this, periodically.  I can generally follow it, but I have one hang up point at the Pauli's Exclusion Principle bit - I get it when I read it, but as soon as I put it down the rationale is gone.  I accepted the logic when I read it, I get the implications, but I can't for the life of me keep track of the justification when it's not in black and white in front of me.

O.

[Enki]

I come back to this, periodically.  I can generally follow it, but I have one hang up point at the Pauli's Exclusion Principle bit - I get it when I read it, but as soon as I put it down the rationale is gone.  I accepted the logic when I read it, I get the implications, but I can't for the life of me keep track of the justification when it's not in black and white in front of me.

O.

I think I know what you mean, Outrider. I remember, years ago, I used to be able to prove the quadratic equation formula in my head. I am no longer able to do so. Almost certainly, in my case, this is an age related thing. However I am still able to follow mathematical logic when I can see it reproduced on a page, so, although I am not able to retain it, I can, at least, have confidence in the significance of the logic. That's why I am taking so long with this book. Once I think I have understood a section, then I can move on, and progress, hopefully to be able to see the overall picture, at least as far as current knowledge allows.

[Gordon]

Just finished 'Little' by Edward Carey - I don't normally read historical novels, but this has been my most enjoyable read for ages.

There is a narrative, but much more lots of characters and vignettes (and drawings by the author) - the story of an unusual young girl in Europe through the latter half of the 18th century, and mainly in Paris, who comes under the wing of a chap who makes wax heads - and whose eventual name still lives on today.

I'll say no more - but if you want a book to help evade some of the predictable Xmas silliness then you might enjoy this one.   

[Walter]

I'm proud to say I finished my first book today 👍

Going to start reading another one tomorrow 😤

[Nearly Sane]

I'm proud to say I finished my first book today 👍

Going to start reading another one tomorrow 😤

hurrah

[Steve H]

Just finished 'Little' by Edward Carey - I don't normally read historical novels, but this has been my most enjoyable read for ages.

There is a narrative, but much more lots of characters and vignettes (and drawings by the author) - the story of an unusual young girl in Europe through the latter half of the 18th century, and mainly in Paris, who comes under the wing of a chap who makes wax heads - and whose eventual name still lives on today.

I'll say no more - but if you want a book to help evade some of the predictable Xmas silliness then you might enjoy this one.

Mme Tussaud?

[Gordon]

Mme Tussaud?

Yep - I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book, since I'm more inclined towards crime fiction.

[Gordon]

The World of Jeeves - P G Wodehouse (obviously)

Noticed this paperback while browsing on Amazon - a compendium of Jeeves & Wooster stories running to 700-odd pages, and for just £6.99.

Wonderful stuff!

[Nearly Sane]

The Five by Hailee Rubenhold is excellent

[Walter]

what's the poshest, most sanctimonious , virtue signalling, intellectual, emotionally self righteous book you can think of?

well, I'm reading that !

[Udayana]

what's the poshest, most sanctimonious , virtue signalling, intellectual, emotionally self righteous book you can think of?

well, I'm reading that !

yeahbut - is it any good?

[Nearly Sane]

what's the poshest, most sanctimonious , virtue signalling, intellectual, emotionally self righteous book you can think of?

well, I'm reading that !

I didn't know you were a fan of Owen Jones

[Walter]

I didn't know you were a fan of Owen Jones

there's lovely!

[Walter]

yeahbut - is it any good?

I don't actually read it. I just hold it so people can read the title on the cover !