Knowledge of Angels by Jill Paton Walsh
Read: September 2009
This book was kindly left with us by a visitor last year and we both took a long time in getting round to reading it. Scotty raed it first about 6 months ago and I finally picked it up when we were heading to Dahab for a holiday. I think I read it within a week. It was one of those "can't put down" books but with real substance and a meaty topic, so although you want to keep reading you, you are already mourning the fact that you will finish it soon.
Knowledge of Angels is set in a ficticious time on a ficticious island when a traveller and a child raised by wolves appear. The Church doesn't know what to do with these two non-believers and somehow an experiment takes place to see if knowledge of god is alraedy within us, or does it have to be taught.
A really interesting read, as I said, and one I in fact used in my Theory of Knowledge class in discussions of "how do we know?"
Saturday, 26 September 2009
Mapping America
Mapping America by
Read: August-September 2009
Full author details on their way - have lent this book to someone and can't find details online!
This book was about how America was graually mapped and settlers and explorers moved Westwards. It divided its focus between the cultural aspects of the process of settlement and the mechanics of mapping the new land.
The process of apping took place in a very systematical way - simly East to West, no matter what the terrain! While the process of surveying the land and mapping it was taking place, there were advances in getting a single unit of measurement recognised, and this aided the project.
Culturally the book also considers the change in attitudes towards land and land ownership. It is interesting to see this documented in America and then comparisons drawn to the rest of the world at the time.
Whilst the book allows you to see the American Dream building, it does not dwell overly on desire to own land and the consequences this had for indigenous people and inpact on society today.
An interesting book that goes into the detail of the process of mapping and development of a single measurement unit.
Read: August-September 2009
Full author details on their way - have lent this book to someone and can't find details online!
This book was about how America was graually mapped and settlers and explorers moved Westwards. It divided its focus between the cultural aspects of the process of settlement and the mechanics of mapping the new land.
The process of apping took place in a very systematical way - simly East to West, no matter what the terrain! While the process of surveying the land and mapping it was taking place, there were advances in getting a single unit of measurement recognised, and this aided the project.
Culturally the book also considers the change in attitudes towards land and land ownership. It is interesting to see this documented in America and then comparisons drawn to the rest of the world at the time.
Whilst the book allows you to see the American Dream building, it does not dwell overly on desire to own land and the consequences this had for indigenous people and inpact on society today.
An interesting book that goes into the detail of the process of mapping and development of a single measurement unit.
Saturday, 5 September 2009
Friends Like These by Danny Wallace
Friends Like These by Danny Wallace, 2008
Read: August 2009
We bought this book when it came out last year as we have read and enjoyed all of Danny's other books. Scott read it last summer, but we left it in the UK so I only had a chance to read it when getting back there this summer.
Like his other books, Danny writes in a really relaxed style that is enjoyable to read. I can really see the "boy projects" he embarks on and how they are fun, but possibly frustrating for others! I felt that sometimes in this book Danny played up the "I'm not ready to grow up yet" card, but there was a nice sentiment around the idea of finding old friends that you'd lost touch with.
It was really funny, because in the middle of reading this I had an appointment at the doctors near MVR and bumped into a friend from Primary school that I hadn't seen in a good 5 years. What made it more random was that although I knew his parents, and my parents, still lived in the same area, the surgery was one that neither family went to when we knew each other. It turns out that he has been living abroad for the past year and is doing a second year abroad too - small world!!
Read: August 2009
We bought this book when it came out last year as we have read and enjoyed all of Danny's other books. Scott read it last summer, but we left it in the UK so I only had a chance to read it when getting back there this summer.
Like his other books, Danny writes in a really relaxed style that is enjoyable to read. I can really see the "boy projects" he embarks on and how they are fun, but possibly frustrating for others! I felt that sometimes in this book Danny played up the "I'm not ready to grow up yet" card, but there was a nice sentiment around the idea of finding old friends that you'd lost touch with.
It was really funny, because in the middle of reading this I had an appointment at the doctors near MVR and bumped into a friend from Primary school that I hadn't seen in a good 5 years. What made it more random was that although I knew his parents, and my parents, still lived in the same area, the surgery was one that neither family went to when we knew each other. It turns out that he has been living abroad for the past year and is doing a second year abroad too - small world!!
Friday, 4 September 2009
The Olivetti Chronicles by John Peel
The Olivetti Chronicles by John Peel, 2008
Read: June and September 2009
Fabia gave us a copy of this book for Christmas 2008 - thanks to J&N for bringing it over! Scott read it first in Jan-Feb-March (it's a big book!) but it took me a little longer to start on it you'll see! It's a collection of articles that John Peel wrote over three decades for various magazines from the music press to Radio Times. The articles aren't organised chronologically, as I'd expected, but instead are alphabetical. His widow, Sheila, explains that the family chose this order, as it meant you got a surprise and something new as you read it.
As the articles are all only a few pages, it is a great book to dip in and out of - very suitable for toilet reading - and so it wasn't a problem that I read this in Cairo, either side of our summer break in England. I'm not a toilet-book kind of person really, so would try and read this for longer periods of the time on the couch instead. I found myself needing to take a little break between each article to make sure my head was clear for the sudden change in direction and time that each new page brings.
John Peel has an amazing written style, that manages to be as personable as his radio presenting. You always feel that he is talking directly to you and you feel that you not only know him, but you know his family, and that he knows you and yours. I must admit that some of the musical references went over my head, not being as familiar with the broad range of music that he was - is anyone??!! The glory of his writing is that he talks about the mundane, but then also talks about the amazing - such as backstage at festivals - and brings out the mundane.
This was a really nice book to read this summer alongside his autobiography, Margrave of the Marshes. I'm not sure the best order to read the two in - maybe do it as I did and read his autobiography in the middle of this one! Having read his autobiography, and have him talk about all aspects of his life, it was great to read all he had written at the time about his life, the mundane and the slightly less mundane.
Read: June and September 2009
Fabia gave us a copy of this book for Christmas 2008 - thanks to J&N for bringing it over! Scott read it first in Jan-Feb-March (it's a big book!) but it took me a little longer to start on it you'll see! It's a collection of articles that John Peel wrote over three decades for various magazines from the music press to Radio Times. The articles aren't organised chronologically, as I'd expected, but instead are alphabetical. His widow, Sheila, explains that the family chose this order, as it meant you got a surprise and something new as you read it.
As the articles are all only a few pages, it is a great book to dip in and out of - very suitable for toilet reading - and so it wasn't a problem that I read this in Cairo, either side of our summer break in England. I'm not a toilet-book kind of person really, so would try and read this for longer periods of the time on the couch instead. I found myself needing to take a little break between each article to make sure my head was clear for the sudden change in direction and time that each new page brings.
John Peel has an amazing written style, that manages to be as personable as his radio presenting. You always feel that he is talking directly to you and you feel that you not only know him, but you know his family, and that he knows you and yours. I must admit that some of the musical references went over my head, not being as familiar with the broad range of music that he was - is anyone??!! The glory of his writing is that he talks about the mundane, but then also talks about the amazing - such as backstage at festivals - and brings out the mundane.
This was a really nice book to read this summer alongside his autobiography, Margrave of the Marshes. I'm not sure the best order to read the two in - maybe do it as I did and read his autobiography in the middle of this one! Having read his autobiography, and have him talk about all aspects of his life, it was great to read all he had written at the time about his life, the mundane and the slightly less mundane.
Dalek I Loved You by Nick Griffiths
Dalek I Loved You by Nick Griffiths, 2007
Read: August 2009
Nick Griffiths grew up a Dr Who fan, often with Dr Who being present in defining moments of his growing up. Now a journalist, he has lived out many a Who-fans dream by meeting the stars, writers and going on set. This book is about his love for Dr Who and how it features in his life, then and now.
An enjoyable book, but some bits were difficult for me as I never really watched Dr Who growing up. I remember the odd Sylvester McCoy and Ace episode and then timing my bathroom visits with the entrance of Daleks on the scene. So references to Tom Baker and many a classic episode did go over my head.
It's refreshing to see a journalist be in awe of his interviewees and so nervous about what to say and do around them. Not because they are Branjelina-style famous, but because they are so famous to you, personally. For me, watching the "new" Dr Who, you sometimes feel you know Eccleston, Piper and Tennant, so it is reassuring when he talks about having met and interviewed them - they are as lovely and personable in real life as you feel the characters are on screen.
.....looking forward to the last Christmas Special for Tennant's Dr and then we'll just have to see if the magic remains with a new Dr, companion and writing team. I certainly hope so :)
Read: August 2009
Nick Griffiths grew up a Dr Who fan, often with Dr Who being present in defining moments of his growing up. Now a journalist, he has lived out many a Who-fans dream by meeting the stars, writers and going on set. This book is about his love for Dr Who and how it features in his life, then and now.
An enjoyable book, but some bits were difficult for me as I never really watched Dr Who growing up. I remember the odd Sylvester McCoy and Ace episode and then timing my bathroom visits with the entrance of Daleks on the scene. So references to Tom Baker and many a classic episode did go over my head.
It's refreshing to see a journalist be in awe of his interviewees and so nervous about what to say and do around them. Not because they are Branjelina-style famous, but because they are so famous to you, personally. For me, watching the "new" Dr Who, you sometimes feel you know Eccleston, Piper and Tennant, so it is reassuring when he talks about having met and interviewed them - they are as lovely and personable in real life as you feel the characters are on screen.
.....looking forward to the last Christmas Special for Tennant's Dr and then we'll just have to see if the magic remains with a new Dr, companion and writing team. I certainly hope so :)
Bit of a Blur by Alex James
Bit of a Blur by Alex James, 2007
Read: August 2009
This was an HMV special buy and about as close as I get to a "light summer read" not really being a girly-book-on-the-beach type reader.
Alex James obviously wrote it to coincide with getting back into the public eye - writing for various country/mens mags and Blur reforming last year. It's got a style to it, that makes you feel Alex James has actually written it, rather than being heavily ghost written, as some autobiogs can be. But the writing and the book itself doesn't have very much depth.
The most interesting parts of the book are when Alex talks about getting to college - where the first person he meets is Graham. It is through Graham that he is invited to meet Damon and possibly play in a band. The early days of Blur, nee Seymore, are interesting as they start out, but he jumps ahead too quickly and on reflection there isn't much about how they started together and tried to make it.
The book doesn't talk as much as I would have liked it to about how they wrote their songs. Although a lot of song credits go to the band as a whole, it seems to be Damon that writes the lyrics and outline melody that the rest of the band then fill in. Alex James comes across as very arrogant about his own playing, and the band itself. Maybe this isn't a problem for other readers who are huge fans, but it does feel like a stuck record whenever the narrative talks about how they wrote this hit, or that, and just describes it as "we were just brilliant as a band and all knew each other's playing instinctively". The exception is when he talks about Song 2 and then his side-project of Fat Les and the song Vindaloo. The detail here is great and a real insight.
A "Bit of a Blur" is about right, when it comes to Alex James talking about the bands antics and alcohol. I should probably give him credit for being truthful about the amount of booze and he drank and women he slept with, but I had no sympathy for him when he talked about the dilemma he faced between being a slag around London and his girlfriend from home that was his soul mate.
Although there were some nice insights in this book, I didn't enjoy reading about his infidelity and arrogance.
Read: August 2009
This was an HMV special buy and about as close as I get to a "light summer read" not really being a girly-book-on-the-beach type reader.
Alex James obviously wrote it to coincide with getting back into the public eye - writing for various country/mens mags and Blur reforming last year. It's got a style to it, that makes you feel Alex James has actually written it, rather than being heavily ghost written, as some autobiogs can be. But the writing and the book itself doesn't have very much depth.
The most interesting parts of the book are when Alex talks about getting to college - where the first person he meets is Graham. It is through Graham that he is invited to meet Damon and possibly play in a band. The early days of Blur, nee Seymore, are interesting as they start out, but he jumps ahead too quickly and on reflection there isn't much about how they started together and tried to make it.
The book doesn't talk as much as I would have liked it to about how they wrote their songs. Although a lot of song credits go to the band as a whole, it seems to be Damon that writes the lyrics and outline melody that the rest of the band then fill in. Alex James comes across as very arrogant about his own playing, and the band itself. Maybe this isn't a problem for other readers who are huge fans, but it does feel like a stuck record whenever the narrative talks about how they wrote this hit, or that, and just describes it as "we were just brilliant as a band and all knew each other's playing instinctively". The exception is when he talks about Song 2 and then his side-project of Fat Les and the song Vindaloo. The detail here is great and a real insight.
A "Bit of a Blur" is about right, when it comes to Alex James talking about the bands antics and alcohol. I should probably give him credit for being truthful about the amount of booze and he drank and women he slept with, but I had no sympathy for him when he talked about the dilemma he faced between being a slag around London and his girlfriend from home that was his soul mate.
Although there were some nice insights in this book, I didn't enjoy reading about his infidelity and arrogance.
Teacup In A Storm by Mick Conefrey
Teacup In A Storm: An Explorer's Guide to Life by Mick Conefrey, 2005
Read: July 2009
In this book, Mick Conefrey looks at the art of exploration and all the different factors that go into an expedition. The book is enjoyable as it isn't too academic, but remains non-fiction.
The author draws on a range of examples for each section of the book; planning, selecting a team leader, selecting an expedition team, retuning home etc. I really like the different sections, as I hadn't thought of an expedition on those ways before. The examples range from classical, to more modern day expeditions, different climates, different physical environments and different styles of expedition. Some are exploratory, some more experimental. But all offer an interesting view into life, in some form or other, as part of an expedition.
I especially enjoyed sections on periphery roles, such as wives that are staying at home, or the animals that form part of an expedition. It was also interesting when the author showed two different sides to a documented expedition.
Margrave of the Marshes by John Peel
Margrave of the Marshes by John Peel, 1996
Read: July 2009
While Scotty was helping Kevin set up his computer at the start of the summer, I was having a nose around downstairs and came across this. I cheekily asked if I could borrow it to read and having been granted permission both Scotty and I devoured it this summer.
This is John Peel's autobiography, although tragically he himself only was able to write less than half of it before his sudden death. His wife Sheila writes the remaining chapters with the help of their children. Again the writing is so personable that you not only feel that he is talking directly to you, but he is someone you know and who knows you. It is such an easy style to read and such an enjoyable one. Sheila manages to maintain this in her section of the book and for a moment you forget that one of the most influential broadcasters is no longer with us.
The other autobiography I read this summer glossed over an uneventful childhood, but Peel recalls some great stories, from bus journeys to dormitories, life at home to life at boarding school. When he talks about being not sure what he wants to do when he leaves school, you really feel for this kid who is just looking for something....just not very actively! I had no idea he'd been in the armed forces, but it seems he did his bit...again, just not very actively! A DJ in the making already?!
His story really kicks off when he arrives in America and is a bit more compelled to do something. His small, but expanding, collection of vinyl gets him a gig on a local radio station and his Liverpudlian accent propels him even further with Beatlemania hitting America. John obviously enjoys playing his records and he gradually finds his way, by playing records and finding and buying more to play. I really loved reading this section of the book, especially the crossing of paths between John and JFK.
As I read the book I was compelled to regularly turn to the pictures section to see the one of him in his studio at home - with the tonne of records all around him. It reminds me of MVR and my dad's room of books; there is an order than only one man can understand :) I also loved mention of demo tapes that John was constantly receiving. His dedication to promoting new music has no comparison, especially considering the genres that John would become involved in.
A great coda to this book is the inclusion of two letters John wrote to his publisher when first discussing the prospect of an autobiography. These letters contain two long lists of things that John plans to include in a shorthand with hints of stories to come. Just beautiful.
Read: July 2009
While Scotty was helping Kevin set up his computer at the start of the summer, I was having a nose around downstairs and came across this. I cheekily asked if I could borrow it to read and having been granted permission both Scotty and I devoured it this summer.
This is John Peel's autobiography, although tragically he himself only was able to write less than half of it before his sudden death. His wife Sheila writes the remaining chapters with the help of their children. Again the writing is so personable that you not only feel that he is talking directly to you, but he is someone you know and who knows you. It is such an easy style to read and such an enjoyable one. Sheila manages to maintain this in her section of the book and for a moment you forget that one of the most influential broadcasters is no longer with us.
The other autobiography I read this summer glossed over an uneventful childhood, but Peel recalls some great stories, from bus journeys to dormitories, life at home to life at boarding school. When he talks about being not sure what he wants to do when he leaves school, you really feel for this kid who is just looking for something....just not very actively! I had no idea he'd been in the armed forces, but it seems he did his bit...again, just not very actively! A DJ in the making already?!
His story really kicks off when he arrives in America and is a bit more compelled to do something. His small, but expanding, collection of vinyl gets him a gig on a local radio station and his Liverpudlian accent propels him even further with Beatlemania hitting America. John obviously enjoys playing his records and he gradually finds his way, by playing records and finding and buying more to play. I really loved reading this section of the book, especially the crossing of paths between John and JFK.
As I read the book I was compelled to regularly turn to the pictures section to see the one of him in his studio at home - with the tonne of records all around him. It reminds me of MVR and my dad's room of books; there is an order than only one man can understand :) I also loved mention of demo tapes that John was constantly receiving. His dedication to promoting new music has no comparison, especially considering the genres that John would become involved in.
A great coda to this book is the inclusion of two letters John wrote to his publisher when first discussing the prospect of an autobiography. These letters contain two long lists of things that John plans to include in a shorthand with hints of stories to come. Just beautiful.
Summer Books
Over the summer Scotty and I managed to read a fair number of books. We took to reading different books and then swapping once we had read them - and tended to coincide with each other quite well despite the different lenght and content.
Scotty ordered a few books online from PostScript and we bought some new books from HMV. Those which we didn't read over the summer we bought back with us rather sneakily in my hand-luggage. Sneakily, I say, because we have a weight limit for our hold bags, but not hand luggage - you only have to be able to "lift it without assistance into the overhead locker" and thus 13.6kg of books are now in Cairo :)
Scotty ordered a few books online from PostScript and we bought some new books from HMV. Those which we didn't read over the summer we bought back with us rather sneakily in my hand-luggage. Sneakily, I say, because we have a weight limit for our hold bags, but not hand luggage - you only have to be able to "lift it without assistance into the overhead locker" and thus 13.6kg of books are now in Cairo :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)