Currently Browsing: Books read
Apr 19, 2008
A Short History of Nearly Everything – Bill Bryson
Quite often, the books I read will make me wish I could live more than one lifetime in order to pursue all of the different careers which spark my interest. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson was one of those book. The difference with this book is that rather than an alternative career path, this one found me wishing I could pursue 10 or 15 other career paths because they all sounded so... read more
Apr 1, 2008
Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition and Other Confusions Of Our Time – Michael Shermer
During the Second World War, the Nazi’s orchestrated the systematic murder of millions of Jews in the gas chambers of concentration camps around Europe. This horror known as the Holocaust is remembered and studied by students and academics alike. But there are a few people out there who, for some reason, deny that it ever happened and try and suggest that the whole thing is a big conspiracy. In the... read more
Mar 25, 2008
The Secret Life of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd
I took a book off from World War I while I waited for my next Amazon delivery. I swear I keep Amazon in business. Even my postman has commented on the number of Amazon parcels that arrive at my door. In the meantime, I finished a book which had been chosen this month by my reading group which I had read before but was quite happy to revisit. The first time I read The Secret Life of Bees I was at a... read more
Mar 13, 2008
Regeneration – Pat Barker
I studied World War I in my final year at school, and after finishing A Long Long Way, I wanted to continue my reading on it. Fortunately, my book club then selected Regeneration by Pat Barker which gave me another opportunity to read about the same war, from a different viewpoint and with a completely different atmosphere. Much has been written about this book. It is a novel based around fact – in... read more
Mar 8, 2008
A Long Long Way – Sebastian Barry
So many books written about World War I recount the misery, horror and subhuman conditions the soldiers were forced to endure on the Western Front. A Long Long Way continued this tradition, but despite having read a lot about the period, having visited the battlefields of Belgium and having studied the Great War at length, it never reduces the shock and sadness. This story is about a very ordinary Irish... read more
Feb 26, 2008
If My Father Loved Me – Rosie Thomas
Well. This book certainly slowed me down. This was my second reading group book for this month and, well, frankly, I didn’t like it. I know when I am struggling with a book because I have no urge to read when I get into bed. That is so not like me. Fortunately, last night I had had too much coffee and couldn’t sleep so managed to get it finished. It was a relief to get to the last... read more
Feb 18, 2008
The Lincoln Lawyer – Michael Connelly
Mickey Haller’s office is the back of his car. He conducts his business as a defence attorney from the back seat of his Lincoln, defending criminals of all shades – drug dealers, prostitutes, rapists and thieves. And then Louis Roulet, arrested for assault, specifically asks for Haller to defend him. Suddenly, the Lincoln Lawyer is forced to question whether he can even spot innocence, and how... read more
Feb 12, 2008
Kiss The Girls – James Patterson
I dived straight into this after finishing Along Came A Spider, eager to carry on with the adventures of Alex Cross. Without doubt, it was a gripping read. Without doubt, I couldn’t guess who had done it until I was nearing the end. Without doubt the story was gory and filled with a marked good guy/bad guy contrast. But for some reason, I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much? Perhaps it was... read more
