For those who are new ... we discuss books. I list what I'm reading, and people comment with what they're reading. Sometimes I post a special edition on a particular genre or topic.
Just the usual diary this week.
cfk has Bookflurries on Wednesday nights, with links to lots of other diaries about books and reading on daily Kos .
Just finished
Started and finished this week, a re-read of Thud! by Terry Pratchett, which was a birthday gift from my son. He figured out I liked Pratchett, but ... well, I had read it, but re-reading is good. Thud! is one of the better Discworld novels, which makes it very good indeed. Commander Vimes must stop a war between the trolls and dwarfs, solve a murder, and get home in time to read Where's My Cow? to his son.
Now reading
Society without God by Phil Zuckerman. How life is lived in two of the least religious countries on Earth: Denmark and Sweden. The first chapter of this book demolishes the argument that societies without God would be hellish, crime-ridden or whatever. Later in the book, he has discussions, or interviews, with many ordinary people about their lives and the role of religion.
The Fellowship by John Gribbin. About the founding of the Royal Society and the scientific revolution. I am fascinated by this period, but am finding this rather slow going. I'll stick with it though. I wish I could find a better book on this. The fact that this book isn't holding my interest is not good.
The End of Time: The Next Revolution in Physics by Julian Barbour. Barbour's idea is that time does not really exist. Just started it, but it looks very interesting
Augustus: The life of Rome's first emperor by Anthony Everitt. But I may give up on this. It's not holding my interest very well, and I am not sure why.
The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman. A father's day gift from my kids. A fantasy novel.
Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson. This is an excellent biography, very readable and clear, and includes material from Einstein's letters.
The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larson. The third book in the series that started with Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and continued with The Girl who Played with Fire - these should definitely be read first. This one is also very very good, but it hasn't quite grabbed me the way the first two did. I am reading this on my Kindle
Just started
see above
And some technical books for work.