It's not that I haven't read any books since last summer - just that I haven't made the time to list them here.
The Time Traveller's Wife
by Audrey Niffennegger
was recommended to me by Lilian Soon.
It has been an absolutely cracking read (I still have a few pages to go - so maybe I haven't finished yet ..), a real roller coaster,which, had I had the time - wouldn't have been put down. I managed to read half the book during a day and a half at half term in Wales but the rest has taken up whatever time I've had outside of work and reading work documents.
Don't let the title put you off - I sort of expected a H.G. Wellsy sort of thing (with some trepidation) but the time traveling is involuntary rather than planned.
At its heart the book is the lifelong love story of Clare and Henry. The way in which characters are drawn and time is used is breathtaking and at times hard to follow - but only because I was leaving the book for days inbetween reads.
I read a lot of books and many of them are fine reads - but this one stands out for me in the same way that Captain Corelli did when I first read that.
Brillian. Thanks Lils.
David
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Summer reading - France 2008
Sepulchre – Kate Mosse
This is a formulaic book designed to reap the rewards of its highly successful predecessor – Labyrinth. Set in the same area of Languedoc and split over two time periods, it seems to follow the previous successful recipe. Although I enjoyed reading it (and it was easy enough to read on holiday), I could never get over the feeling that I’d read it before (so like Labyrinth). The plot considers special Tarot and Cathare treasure, with the occasional appearance of Labyrinth characters. It revolves around actions in Paris before moving down to Renne Les Bains, about 25 mile south of Carcassonne. Easy reading, hard to get lost. Not as good as the predecessor.
Life of Pi – Yann Martel
This was an excellent read. At last a new, cliché free plot. Told in the style of a first person narrative (after a third person introduction) it is the story of a sixteen year old Hindu/vegetarian Indian boy emigrating, with his family to Canada. Their ship sinks – and the story moves into uncharted waters (that’s a cliché!).
It’s a lovely read: there is lots of religion, death, cannibalism (not all of it animal on animal) and lots of joy. Nothing is ever what it seems. I recommend this to anyone as a diversion from the usual holiday pap.
The Alchemist’s Secret – Scott Mariani
This is reputedly Scott’s first book. Yet, it seems to me whilst whistling through it, that it was a cynical, formulaic attempt to cash in on the recent spate of Da Vinci Code/Labyrinth genre of holiday pap. (I enjoyed Da Vinci Code and I enjoyed Labyrinth)
It must be hard for someone to claim this as their first book and not be embarrassed. Don’t get me wrong, it was an easy read – ideal for reading in the sun (or inside by a roaring fire when it’s raining hard outside) but it was almost like reading a compendium of other books. For a start the main baddie is Vatican based (ish), the treasure trove is Cathare, the main setting is along the Limoux road immediately south of Carcassonne and in Montpellier (thereby showing that he’d looked at a map of Languadoc). The main goodie is a mean and moody ex-SAS chap who is as resourceful as Matt Damon in the Bourne Trilogy. He could be based on Matt Damon to be honest and the love interest (she’s a professor but seems to be very hairy fairy). Love scenes are twee (and unnecessary). Nice attempt but cynical pap.
English as a Second Language – Megan Crane (http://www.megancrane.com/)
Not nrmally being a consumer of 'chick-lit' books, I found this a refreshing no brainer. Betony had bought it in Atlanta arport when she and her mum were delayed there for 24 hours and both had finished reading it by the time they got back. I similarly finished it in double quick time: But remained constantly entertaied.
The story of a mid-late twenties all American girl coming to England (I suspect York) to study for her Masters. Lots of booze and mooning over boys (men I suppose at this age?) and refresing views of our language. e.g. "alright?" .. being the idiomatic English version of "how are you today? Well I trust?"
Currently reading Holy Fools by Joanne Harris.
This is a formulaic book designed to reap the rewards of its highly successful predecessor – Labyrinth. Set in the same area of Languedoc and split over two time periods, it seems to follow the previous successful recipe. Although I enjoyed reading it (and it was easy enough to read on holiday), I could never get over the feeling that I’d read it before (so like Labyrinth). The plot considers special Tarot and Cathare treasure, with the occasional appearance of Labyrinth characters. It revolves around actions in Paris before moving down to Renne Les Bains, about 25 mile south of Carcassonne. Easy reading, hard to get lost. Not as good as the predecessor.
Life of Pi – Yann Martel
This was an excellent read. At last a new, cliché free plot. Told in the style of a first person narrative (after a third person introduction) it is the story of a sixteen year old Hindu/vegetarian Indian boy emigrating, with his family to Canada. Their ship sinks – and the story moves into uncharted waters (that’s a cliché!).
It’s a lovely read: there is lots of religion, death, cannibalism (not all of it animal on animal) and lots of joy. Nothing is ever what it seems. I recommend this to anyone as a diversion from the usual holiday pap.
The Alchemist’s Secret – Scott Mariani
This is reputedly Scott’s first book. Yet, it seems to me whilst whistling through it, that it was a cynical, formulaic attempt to cash in on the recent spate of Da Vinci Code/Labyrinth genre of holiday pap. (I enjoyed Da Vinci Code and I enjoyed Labyrinth)
It must be hard for someone to claim this as their first book and not be embarrassed. Don’t get me wrong, it was an easy read – ideal for reading in the sun (or inside by a roaring fire when it’s raining hard outside) but it was almost like reading a compendium of other books. For a start the main baddie is Vatican based (ish), the treasure trove is Cathare, the main setting is along the Limoux road immediately south of Carcassonne and in Montpellier (thereby showing that he’d looked at a map of Languadoc). The main goodie is a mean and moody ex-SAS chap who is as resourceful as Matt Damon in the Bourne Trilogy. He could be based on Matt Damon to be honest and the love interest (she’s a professor but seems to be very hairy fairy). Love scenes are twee (and unnecessary). Nice attempt but cynical pap.
English as a Second Language – Megan Crane (http://www.megancrane.com/)
Not nrmally being a consumer of 'chick-lit' books, I found this a refreshing no brainer. Betony had bought it in Atlanta arport when she and her mum were delayed there for 24 hours and both had finished reading it by the time they got back. I similarly finished it in double quick time: But remained constantly entertaied.
The story of a mid-late twenties all American girl coming to England (I suspect York) to study for her Masters. Lots of booze and mooning over boys (men I suppose at this age?) and refresing views of our language. e.g. "alright?" .. being the idiomatic English version of "how are you today? Well I trust?"
Currently reading Holy Fools by Joanne Harris.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Saturday, May 12, 2007
City of Bones - Michael Connelly
Well – a hat trick of Connelly’s! But by far the best. It’s probably that I like the Hieronymus Bosch books better than the rest. My dad had bought this for £1.00 somewhere and thought that I should read it before he did (because he had a lot of library books to wade though).
So I started last week and I’ve finished it now.
This must be the book that comes before the Narrows because at the end Harry resigns. Basically, they find some bones on a hillside which turn out to be those of a 12 year old boy who died about 20 years before. It’s quite a winding tale but ‘whodunnit?’ didn’t turn out to be who I thought – although she was involved!
So I started last week and I’ve finished it now.
This must be the book that comes before the Narrows because at the end Harry resigns. Basically, they find some bones on a hillside which turn out to be those of a 12 year old boy who died about 20 years before. It’s quite a winding tale but ‘whodunnit?’ didn’t turn out to be who I thought – although she was involved!
The Lincoln Lawyer - Michael Connelly
Well, I just had to prove to myself that Michael Connelly books were not all crap. So – because I had it anyway, I read The Lincoln Lawyer in April.
It had a much better plot that ‘Chasing the Dime’ and rattled on at a pace but there was something about it that didn’t quite settle me.
Nevertheless, this is one that I’ll probably come back to, to see if I can get some more out of it. Basically it’s the story of a guy who, instead of having an office – employs an ex-wife to take phone calls and do filing – whilst he works out of the back of his Lincoln. He’s hired to defend some rich guy who is seriously weird! Can’t remember much else (I have that skill with books like this – read ‘em and forget ‘em – which is why I should keep up to this blog!
It had a much better plot that ‘Chasing the Dime’ and rattled on at a pace but there was something about it that didn’t quite settle me.
Nevertheless, this is one that I’ll probably come back to, to see if I can get some more out of it. Basically it’s the story of a guy who, instead of having an office – employs an ex-wife to take phone calls and do filing – whilst he works out of the back of his Lincoln. He’s hired to defend some rich guy who is seriously weird! Can’t remember much else (I have that skill with books like this – read ‘em and forget ‘em – which is why I should keep up to this blog!
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Chasing the Dime
by Michael Connelly
It's a bit of a cheat this because I haven't quite finished reading yet. I bought the book because I usually like Michael Connelly’s [http://www.michaelconnelly.com/] books but this one is dire! I’m getting really frustrated reading it. I have The Lincoln Lawyer sat waiting - but this has put me off.
Previous books I’ve read by Connelly have been Harry Bosch books: The Narrows and The Closers (I think that I even read The Poet, but cannot remember the plot) and they have been fine. Reading books like this just to pass the time on a train, in a hotel or on the beach is great – there’s no pressure and a story line that is credible (ish) and goes at some pace helps me to relax.
All this is untrue of ‘Chasing the Dime’. The chief honcho of an advanced techno company (small company on the verge of big-time) is lured into a nightmare world of prostitution, porno web sites and killers simply because his new flat has the ex-number of a call girl/escort. Most of us would wait until the next opportunity (in this case ‘Monday’) to change the number and get on with our lives. But not this guy. Henry Pierce goes off on a crusade to find the girl and to ‘rescue’ her. He does the most unimaginably stupid things, even after having one of the best defence lawyers (yes he gets into bother with the police) secured for him. Things that you and I would not do – we would do ‘this’ or ‘that’ but never what this geek does. I’m at a point now (I will finish the book – I’m determined to see if I’ve missed a point somewhere) where Henry has found hidden keys to a storage facility and (as usual) instead of saying “hey Mrs. Lawyer woman – where do you think these came from?” – He goes up to the facility and opens the solitary freezer he finds there! Well, you can guess can’t you? The body of said call girl is in the freezer and he’s now shed all of his DNA/hair fibres/fingerprints etc. all over the place. He's been set up, but any normal person would have seen that coming.
It’s so frustrating that I’ve had to write this just to calm me down. If we’d been on holiday and I’d been reading this somewhere, I’d have had all the tea prepared by now (not usual when I’m reading).
David
It's a bit of a cheat this because I haven't quite finished reading yet. I bought the book because I usually like Michael Connelly’s [http://www.michaelconnelly.com/] books but this one is dire! I’m getting really frustrated reading it. I have The Lincoln Lawyer sat waiting - but this has put me off.
Previous books I’ve read by Connelly have been Harry Bosch books: The Narrows and The Closers (I think that I even read The Poet, but cannot remember the plot) and they have been fine. Reading books like this just to pass the time on a train, in a hotel or on the beach is great – there’s no pressure and a story line that is credible (ish) and goes at some pace helps me to relax.
All this is untrue of ‘Chasing the Dime’. The chief honcho of an advanced techno company (small company on the verge of big-time) is lured into a nightmare world of prostitution, porno web sites and killers simply because his new flat has the ex-number of a call girl/escort. Most of us would wait until the next opportunity (in this case ‘Monday’) to change the number and get on with our lives. But not this guy. Henry Pierce goes off on a crusade to find the girl and to ‘rescue’ her. He does the most unimaginably stupid things, even after having one of the best defence lawyers (yes he gets into bother with the police) secured for him. Things that you and I would not do – we would do ‘this’ or ‘that’ but never what this geek does. I’m at a point now (I will finish the book – I’m determined to see if I’ve missed a point somewhere) where Henry has found hidden keys to a storage facility and (as usual) instead of saying “hey Mrs. Lawyer woman – where do you think these came from?” – He goes up to the facility and opens the solitary freezer he finds there! Well, you can guess can’t you? The body of said call girl is in the freezer and he’s now shed all of his DNA/hair fibres/fingerprints etc. all over the place. He's been set up, but any normal person would have seen that coming.
It’s so frustrating that I’ve had to write this just to calm me down. If we’d been on holiday and I’d been reading this somewhere, I’d have had all the tea prepared by now (not usual when I’m reading).
David
Sunday, March 11, 2007
The Hard Way
The Hard Way by Lee Child - a Jack Reacher Thriller (!)
You'll have seen this, I was half way through the book when I noticed that it was one of the big Ads on the London Underground. So there’s big big promotion behind it.
I'd bought the book in Newcastle Station last week, to see me on my way back to Yorkshire on the train. I'd never heard of Lee Child or especially of Jack Reacher. However, as the book was on offer at W.H Smiths @ half price, I was tempted.
It's a rollicking read - if you don't want anything believable and you just want to suspend reality for a while. Jack Reacher is one of those men that just don't exist. He doesn't wear a watch (neither do I - so what?) but knows the exact time to the second - and how many times do we hear of this feat! He can remember details of people that pass him in the street - I can't remember details of people who live in my house! He is super-human in many ways, not least (we are told) in his sexual exploits, although in this book he managed to bed a private investigator ten years older than him (AND she used to be FBI).
Story?
Mercenary kills first wife, second wife wants out, mystery moves from New York to East Anglia. Mystery solved. Jack slopes off.
Includes all sorts of US special forces, UK SAS and Para! As I said above - it's a cracking no brainer.
David
You'll have seen this, I was half way through the book when I noticed that it was one of the big Ads on the London Underground. So there’s big big promotion behind it.
I'd bought the book in Newcastle Station last week, to see me on my way back to Yorkshire on the train. I'd never heard of Lee Child or especially of Jack Reacher. However, as the book was on offer at W.H Smiths @ half price, I was tempted.
It's a rollicking read - if you don't want anything believable and you just want to suspend reality for a while. Jack Reacher is one of those men that just don't exist. He doesn't wear a watch (neither do I - so what?) but knows the exact time to the second - and how many times do we hear of this feat! He can remember details of people that pass him in the street - I can't remember details of people who live in my house! He is super-human in many ways, not least (we are told) in his sexual exploits, although in this book he managed to bed a private investigator ten years older than him (AND she used to be FBI).
Story?
Mercenary kills first wife, second wife wants out, mystery moves from New York to East Anglia. Mystery solved. Jack slopes off.
Includes all sorts of US special forces, UK SAS and Para! As I said above - it's a cracking no brainer.
David
Sunday, March 04, 2007
AA Gill - Sunday Times 'Style' 04/03/07
For two weeks running now we’ve had reference to the ongoing Huddersfield joke in AA Gill’s ‘Table Talk’ (Sunday Times Style Magazine – 4th March 2007). Much as I and all my fellow Huddersfuddlians appreciate the recognition, more normally dolled out over intermittent periods, I must point out that this week’s historic and geographic references are not up to AA’s usual standards.
First of all Doncaster is in South Yorkshire and Huddersfield is in West Yorkshire. Whilst both towns are indeed in ‘God’s own county’ they are as far apart culturally and socially as Basques and Catalans – both easily recognisable as Spaniards but so very different.
Adrian spends more than half of his column comparing the origins of the Chinese-style New Year, recognising (no doubt correctly) that the Yorkshire beastly calendar came first. His forgivable historical inaccuracy is that this Yorkshire year is the year of the Yaffle. Lucky Stone: Coal, Lucky body part: cleft palette, Lucky car part: grease nipple, Spiritual word: bollocks! The year of the Yaffle (according to those East Yorkshire folk) is the year of clenched buttocks and tight smiles.
When it comes around, I’m certain that the year of the ferret (as predicted by AA) will cast a gilded glow of nicely nicely magic over Huddersfield – but until then we must abide within our dark and dank satanic Pennine valley.
;-)
First of all Doncaster is in South Yorkshire and Huddersfield is in West Yorkshire. Whilst both towns are indeed in ‘God’s own county’ they are as far apart culturally and socially as Basques and Catalans – both easily recognisable as Spaniards but so very different.
Adrian spends more than half of his column comparing the origins of the Chinese-style New Year, recognising (no doubt correctly) that the Yorkshire beastly calendar came first. His forgivable historical inaccuracy is that this Yorkshire year is the year of the Yaffle. Lucky Stone: Coal, Lucky body part: cleft palette, Lucky car part: grease nipple, Spiritual word: bollocks! The year of the Yaffle (according to those East Yorkshire folk) is the year of clenched buttocks and tight smiles.
When it comes around, I’m certain that the year of the ferret (as predicted by AA) will cast a gilded glow of nicely nicely magic over Huddersfield – but until then we must abide within our dark and dank satanic Pennine valley.
;-)
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Their Space
http://www.demos.co.uk/publications/theirspace
I realise that this is not a book, but it runs to over 80 pages and I enjoyed reading it, so I'm doing a review right here! The pamphlet is avaialble from the web page @ £10.00 but a .pdf file can be downloaded free of charge (guess which I did).
"Education for a digital generation draws on qualitative research with children and polling of parents to counter the myths obscuring the true value of digital media. "
It's well worth the time to sit and read this if you get the chance and if you are interested in moving the UK's Education system forward. The paper tends to echo what lies at the heart of everything I do. It pinpoints a real need for us all to understand the advances young people (from the very earliest cognitive age) are making. These are often seen but misunderstood - or not understood at all, in fact we often place barriers to the advances in their way.
Just looking beyond the titled subject matter for a minute - the document discusses young people and their ability (or capability, indeed social NEED) to change the world. The problem currently, is that teachers and lecturers have not yet faced this need and have not therefore adapted their style of teaching as necessary. The publication suggests that it is the 'system' that prevents these necessary changes - and I wholeheartedly agree but the system can be changed from within if enough teachers take up the mantle and adapt to suit their charges.
Unfortunately, there are no answers given or discussed to the knee-jerk reaction of most schools and colleges to 'inappropriate' use of 'the system'. The barriers mentioned earlier. Basically, kids using YouTube or MySpace scare adults and teachers who don't quite understand what is going on. Major shifts in learning (styles and capabilities) are taking place and our answer to this is to ban access to the sites. Oh, I know that young people shouldn't really be using institutional machines to view a variety of 'naughty' (or morally suspect - an example given to me was the early morning viewing of Saddam swinging from the rope) things, but they will always want to push boundaries of good taste and social mores. Instead of banning the use - why can't we implement those punishments the institution has in place. In colleges every student signs an acceptable use policy; beat them with it!
I’m told that the institutional fear is ‘Every Child Matters’ – which imposes a duty of care on all who work with ‘Children’.
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/socialinclusion/youngpeople/greenpaper.html
http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/
http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/publications/
Sadly, it seems that the re-training and re-skilling which is needed, is not high on the agenda of many college (or school) managements. Where it is, it is usually due to some external pressure. There is still a massive need for e-Learning staff development in this country and until the powers that be recognise this we'll get nowhere. I've heard all the glib answers, but coming from politicians so far removed from the classroom (or the social net-space!) they mean very little. When I can still go into a roomful of teachers, show them what CAN be done and simple ways of DOING it and come away leaving them enthused and motivated - it proves there is still a need. What those teachers then need is TIME to practice, to evaluate and to synthesise their learning, then to be supported and guided towards future devel0pment.
Rant over.
David
I realise that this is not a book, but it runs to over 80 pages and I enjoyed reading it, so I'm doing a review right here! The pamphlet is avaialble from the web page @ £10.00 but a .pdf file can be downloaded free of charge (guess which I did).
"Education for a digital generation draws on qualitative research with children and polling of parents to counter the myths obscuring the true value of digital media. "
It's well worth the time to sit and read this if you get the chance and if you are interested in moving the UK's Education system forward. The paper tends to echo what lies at the heart of everything I do. It pinpoints a real need for us all to understand the advances young people (from the very earliest cognitive age) are making. These are often seen but misunderstood - or not understood at all, in fact we often place barriers to the advances in their way.
Just looking beyond the titled subject matter for a minute - the document discusses young people and their ability (or capability, indeed social NEED) to change the world. The problem currently, is that teachers and lecturers have not yet faced this need and have not therefore adapted their style of teaching as necessary. The publication suggests that it is the 'system' that prevents these necessary changes - and I wholeheartedly agree but the system can be changed from within if enough teachers take up the mantle and adapt to suit their charges.
Unfortunately, there are no answers given or discussed to the knee-jerk reaction of most schools and colleges to 'inappropriate' use of 'the system'. The barriers mentioned earlier. Basically, kids using YouTube or MySpace scare adults and teachers who don't quite understand what is going on. Major shifts in learning (styles and capabilities) are taking place and our answer to this is to ban access to the sites. Oh, I know that young people shouldn't really be using institutional machines to view a variety of 'naughty' (or morally suspect - an example given to me was the early morning viewing of Saddam swinging from the rope) things, but they will always want to push boundaries of good taste and social mores. Instead of banning the use - why can't we implement those punishments the institution has in place. In colleges every student signs an acceptable use policy; beat them with it!
I’m told that the institutional fear is ‘Every Child Matters’ – which imposes a duty of care on all who work with ‘Children’.
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/socialinclusion/youngpeople/greenpaper.html
http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/
http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/publications/
Sadly, it seems that the re-training and re-skilling which is needed, is not high on the agenda of many college (or school) managements. Where it is, it is usually due to some external pressure. There is still a massive need for e-Learning staff development in this country and until the powers that be recognise this we'll get nowhere. I've heard all the glib answers, but coming from politicians so far removed from the classroom (or the social net-space!) they mean very little. When I can still go into a roomful of teachers, show them what CAN be done and simple ways of DOING it and come away leaving them enthused and motivated - it proves there is still a need. What those teachers then need is TIME to practice, to evaluate and to synthesise their learning, then to be supported and guided towards future devel0pment.
Rant over.
David
Friday, February 16, 2007
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
So, what HAVE I managed to read this last couple of weeks?
The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
It took me a while to get started because I hadn’t much time to read more than a page or two to start with, but it eventually took over my every spare minute. It’s a cracking read. I thought it was a true story – the author’s – but it’s not, it’s fiction. However, I suspect that it is fiction based on a number of things that are true. I don’t read acknowledgements much (because those being thanked are always unknown to me and therefore have no relevance) but in this case I should, because when you do, it becomes obvious that the story is ‘made up’. That doesn’t detract from it though; it’s just that some tings are viewed slightly differently from a fact v fiction perspective. I resolved to read the acknowledgements and check when Amir the adult came face to face with his childhood foe (I hadn’t seen that coming!)
The story invokes an
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
