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*What book are you reading? (part 2)

Never let me go by Kazuo Ishiguro
By a long way, this is my favourite book I've read this year.

It's about friendship, reality and mortality, and is beautifully written.

Maybe I lack empathy or something, but I really didn't get anything from Never Let Me Go. So many people whose opinions I respect love it, I'm prepared to accept the failing is mine. I found it dull and predictable. Maybe I should try again.
 
Colors Demonic and Divine: Shades of Meaning in the Middle Ages and After by Herman Pleij. He has some strong opinions I don't always agree with but the history of colour in the middle ages is fascinating. Most loved colour in Western Europe? Blue, and has been since XII century. Did they sometimes make purple out of elephants' blood? We will never know but there are claims.
 
Right, I have started Infinite Jest and I am reading it partly to see why it has a reputation as a book beloved by That Kind of Guy. We'll probably take me 4-6 weeks, though I do have a holiday and a return train journey to Nottingham in that time which should give me more reading hours than usual.
 
Romped through Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister in about three days and it was most splendid, not the most heartbreakingly beautiful prose you'll ever read but very nicely plotted and un-putdownable :D
 
Whereas I've (or rather OH has but I read them too) been borrowing books from a little library/book swap thingy at Bushey station and it seems to be full of saucy smut :oops: :D
 
From the Fires of War: Ukraines AZOV Movement and the Global Far Right. Brilliant goes back to the 1900s and how Fascism has been embedded into its society. Very interesting ending about the potential rise of large military militias dotted around the world similar to Al Queda.
 
Audiobook: Toby Clements: Winter Pilgrims - "re-reading" old books I've read. This is the first in a four part series set during the war of the roses following a Cannon and Nun who split from their priory and then end up involved in the war. I still like this book though some of the love story is boring. I'll definitely finish the series. He didn't write any more books after this as far as I can see.

Reading: Children of Men. Quite enjoying this. I always quite liked the film but it must be 10 years since I last watch it. The books quite different so far, but I'm finding it interesting though not sure what to make of it. It's mentioned a lot in Mark Fishers book so I'm going to go back and re read those parts of his book so I know what he is actually talking about.
 
Feline Philosophy - Cats and the Meaning of Life by John Gray. I really enjoyed John Gray's earlier writing, but his articles over the past five or so years have been patchy. I'm hoping this is a return to form.
 
Just finished He Used Thought as a Wife by Tim Key.
Overall I enjoyed it but was ready for it to end when it did (which may be in part that the print was so small and I found it a strain to read)

Just started The Green Mile- good old reliable Stephen King
 
Fab, thanks for recommendation.

I started the SW coastal path June 2021 but only doing 2 weekends per year so going to be a while. Start from beautiful Clovelly in October.


ETA: just ordered ‘500 Mile Walkies’
 
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Fab, thanks for recommendation.

I started the SW coastal path June 2021 but only doing 2 weekends per year so going to be a while. Start from beautiful Clovelly in October.
Brilliant. It does seem an amazing thing to do, but it's a time sink!
 
Fab, thanks for recommendation.

I started the SW coastal path June 2021 but only doing 2 weekends per year so going to be a while. Start from beautiful Clovelly in October.


ETA: just ordered ‘500 Mile Walkies’
Lmk what you think of it. Its not "heavy" like the Salt Path but just a humorous travel book.
He also did one about rowing the Thames "Boogie up the River" and the Pennine Way whose name escapes me.

Quiz question- when he rowed the Thames he started at Teddington rather than where it meets the ocean. What are the two reasons why?
 
Lmk what you think of it. Its not "heavy" like the Salt Path but just a humorous travel book.
He also did one about rowing the Thames "Boogie up the River" and the Pennine Way whose name escapes me.

Quiz question- when he rowed the Thames he started at Teddington rather than where it meets the ocean. What are the two reasons why?

Not read it, but presumably it's to do with it being tidal between the ocean and Teddington?
 
This is a cracking and very interesting book even if at times I feel it is a bit about the author and her "difficulties"
When the Dust Settles by Lucy Easthope review – how to respond to catastrophe

DO NOT read if you are squeamish, likely to have nightmares or recently suffered a loss or bereavement . Whilst waiting for my medical procedure yesterday I read the chapter where
she details about what went wrong with her husbands Tonsillectomy after he had been discharged from hospital - not the best of times to read something like that :D
 
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