Archive for Books
April 13, 2007 at 2:09 pm · Filed under Books
Over the Easter weekend we removed the piles of junk that have been sitting on our bed since we moved in, and got our bedroom in a functional state. It hadn’t been in a functional state before that because we had been sleeping in Aidan’s room so he could come join us when he tired of his crib (which was usually at about 2am). We decided it was time to abandon Aidan to his room and reclaim our own. We nervously went to bed on the first night fully expecting it to be a very sleepless night but surprisingly Aidan slept through to 6:30 the next morning. He has done the same every night since then.
All that preamble is to say we can read again! I’m reading a book. For the first time in, ooh, about 16 months. After rifling through our bookshelves for a while I finally decided on The Naming of the Dead by Ian Rankin. Jen got it for Christmas (thanks Kim!) but I’m temporarily stealing it. I’m not a big fan of crime and mystery books but I have enjoyed the Rebus novels and this one adds an extra dimension by being set against the recent G8/Live 8 happenings. No mention of the Canadian concert so far though…
I never thought of reading in bed as a luxury but for now it is, and one I’m very much enjoying.
November 20, 2006 at 9:51 am · Filed under Books
Everyone should read Richard Dawkins’ new book The God Delusion. It doesn’t matter if you’re deeply religious or strongly atheist or somewhere in between, you will get something from this book.
If you’re an atheist the book will re-affirm your non-belief and threaten to turn you evangelical about it.
If you’re agnostic, there’s a very good chance this book will pull you off that fence you’re sitting on and let you admit that in fact you are an atheist.
If you’re religious, at the very least this book will be a huge test of faith for you. At best it will free you of your God Delusion. It will certainly make you re-examine your beliefs.
If you’re a religious extremist, it will deeply offend you and you’ll be able to have a good ole fashioned book burning to keep you warm one of these winter nights.
October 20, 2006 at 9:39 am · Filed under Books
I finally finished Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. It’s a huge book, and challenging to read because of its classical style but it was worth it in the end. Susanna Clarke has a vivid, warped and extraordinary imagination, filling the book with weird and wonderful stories within stories. It’s easy to get immersed in the world she creates because it’s written as if it is a factual record of events and ties in several actual historical events and personalities.
This book was hailed as “Harry Potter for adults” by publicists and the media, but I don’t think that description does it justice. The only thing this book has in common with the Harry Potter series is magic, and even then the magic is completely different. It’s like comparing Brave New World with Star Trek just because they’re both set in the future.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is a remarkable achievement, exquisitely written. It takes a bit of dedication to get through it though.
