h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

finished reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to the Gruesome Twosome. They want me to read the next one now...

Well, not much time left till 21st! They might be right, trying to get in the right spirit

I started The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams over the weekend. The cover bills it as "The fantasy equivalent of War and Peace" - I am not sure what this means, never having read that either! A friend lent me all three books, after finding out I had never read (or heard of) the series, despite being a bit of a fan of fantasy epics. On looking at the UK publishing date, it seems this is because they came out just I went university and started spending more time in pubs than in bookshops! I figure they should see me through most of the rest of the summer, or at least the next month of it!

I shall try the Brookmyre. I'd previously written him off as "Very enjoyable - but I get the point now."

I know another bit Glasgow rhyming slang for 'fud'. It's rhyming slang...and not to drop names, but I also have a passing acquaintance with the person whose name is used. Now I only have to meet Ruby Murray and my life will be complete!

Away on bizniz tonight. I've packed 'Look, We are Coming to Dover' - poetry by Daljit Nagra that got some rave reviews.

I shall try the Brookmyre. I'd previously written him off as "Very enjoyable - but I get the point now."

Written him off as 'very enjoyable'?! Is there something wrong with reading a book and deriving enjoyment from it?

Absolutely not! But I'm a sensation junkie. I like to seek out whole new forms of enjoyment.

And I'm no believer in reading books simply because they're good for me. The things we do for enjoyment shouldn't have to hurt. Unless we want them to.

I''ve just finished the chapter on the American Revolutionary War in 'What If?'. The book is clearly for an American audience (most of the essay writers are American). One of the outcomes of a British victory was described as the Canadians become placid, 'humble colonials' within the British Empire. I'm not sure how the Canadians would feel about that...

Today, 1st July, is Canada Day. Don't know much about it but I believe BBQs, Beer, and Fireworks are basically the order of the day. Hope it all goes down well!

Currently reading Daughter of Fortune by Isabelle Allende. I love the way in all her books she says stuff like, "little did Eliza know that in five years time that same long hair would save her life" and then moves on leaving you in suspense! highly entertaining!

Currently reading 'The Keys to the Kingdom' by Garth Nix. A light fantasy series written for children. Not badly written although no fancy prose and more original than Harry Potter.

Just finished Jaqueline Carey's last 'Kushiel' book, no 4.

They are very indepth - interesting. I find it difficult to put them down to get some sleep, but even I can't finish one of them in one sitting, realistically.

Well, not without stern words from DT.

ismarah

"God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything" by Christopher Hitchens.

As you might expect, this atheistic attack on any and all things religious appeals to non-believers and is dismissed by believers. Apparently they are all buying it, the former out of interest or to show support and the latter to develop counter attacks. Its been on Amazon's non-fiction best seller list for some time, but about 60 of the 300+ reviews are one star (about 150 are five star).

I am reminded of the saying that for the non-believer, no justification of God is sufficient, while for the believer, no justification is necessary. While no one is going to change their position based on this book, it is interesting to see the use of logic to question items of faith. From the NY Times review:

"And all the logical sallies don’t exactly add up to a sustained argument, because Hitchens thinks a sustained argument shouldn’t even be necessary and yet wouldn’t be sufficient. To him, it’s blindingly obvious: the great religions all began at a time when we knew a tiny fraction of what we know today about the origins of Earth and human life. It’s understandable that early humans would develop stories about gods or God to salve their ignorance. But people today have no such excuse. If they continue to believe in the unbelievable, or say they do, they are morons or lunatics or liars. 'The human wish to credit good things as miraculous and to charge bad things to another account is apparently universal,' he remarks, unsympathetically."

Amen. Uhh, I mean, well said.

I just finished "Grossed-Out Surgeon Vomits Inside Patient! An Insider's Look at Supermarket Tabloids" by Jim Hogshire. Now it is back to "The Music of the Primes: Searching to Solve the Greatest Mystery in Mathematics" by Marcus du Sautoy.

First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde. Brilliantly inventive as always, but somehow it seems like there's not a lot happening. Less than half a dozen attempts on Thursday's life so far and the universe only *might* be facing annihilation. That's a slow day in Ffordean terms.

Also some kind of balls up has left the book footnoteless, but there's a pdf file on Fforde's website to rectify matters. Do I really want to stick things in my shiny new book though?

Still making progress with Umberto Eco's Name of The Rose - really enjoying it*. Has definitely put me in the mood to attempt Focualt's Pendulum next.

*Once you get past that chapter about the door - things improve quickly.

I got the title of one of my books wrong. It should have been "The Year of Liberty", not "The Year of Revolution". Good book, either way. It gave me an idea why there's been so much hatred between Catholics and Protestants over the years.

I managed to complete all those books except Persian Fire by Tom Holland. I'm planning to give myself a break from reading for a while.

And now The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde.

Finished the name of The Rose, shall attempt Focault's Pendulum soon, may start it tonight.

I'm still ambling through Dublin with James and all the boys.