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

Still one of my all-time favourites Discworld's is that.

I didn't read much of the above posts in case of spoilers, but I'm always glad to see death. I LOVE THE WAY HE TALKS.

Been lurking here either as a result of Sho's journal or the What book thread in Ask.

Currently reading all the Vimes ones (halfway through Jingo atm). I really like the fact that it doesn't greatly matter what order I read Discworld in - but I'm enjoying reading these ones consecutively and in the 'right' order.

Mol

I'm reading them (Discworld) in publication order. but interspersed with Narnia and the Swallows & Amazons series (both also in publication order)

hi Trig

just found this thread, hope you dont mind

from your first post<< and there's an uncomfortable amount of religious gumpf, including in the various mandated oaths for public office. Overall, it's probably not bad, though I've read no other to compare it with.>>

what happens when the public official is an atheist??

You either take the oath and lie, or you can't fill the post. It's a bit like the position of republicans in the House of Commons, in that respect.

That's one of the things Atheist Ireland has been campaigning for - amending the Bunreacht to secularize it.

The oaths for office are not denominational-specific, but they do expect you to be a monotheist. Atheists are certainly right out, and polytheists would probably be quite uncomfortable with them too.

Atheist Ireland is working on it.

TRiG.

Just finished the last chapter of "A Primate's Memoir" by Robert Sapolsky (Neurologist and Baboon Primateologist) - it's called "The Plague" and deals with a nasty outbreak of TB in the troop with a peculiarly human cause. Very sad. But a very good and moving book.



*or flange.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baboon#cite_ref-7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beCYGm1vMJ0

My parents have Douglas Kennedy's excellent book The Pursuit of Happiness on their shelves, and I've loved it since I first read it several years ago. I don't think either of my parents have read it yet. So when I saw his book State of the Union in a second hand bookshop I snapped it up and, though I should be reading Middlemarch, I read that over three nights (still reading Middlemarch, which I've nearly finished, at lunchtimes).

State of the Union is an beautifully written book. Like The Pursuit of Happiness, it deals with an independent-minded literate left-leaning woman in America, and covers a large span of time, with some set in the 70s and some in 2003. Highly recommended.

TRiG.

another to add to my list

Oh, do! He's a brilliant writer.

Helen MacInnes: The Snare of the Hunter

I wanted something fairly light to read one evening last weekend, and pulled this down off the shelves. I'd not before heard of the book or the author, but it fitted the bill. Fairly cheerful. Set mainly in Austria and Italy.



Celine Kiernan: Into the Grey

A YA ghost novel. Very Irish. Very good. It was atmospheric and enjoyable, and I cared about the characters. And the first person voice was believable. I liked it.



George Eliot: Middlemarch

It's a classic for a reason. Took me a while to read. (I was reading this on workday lunchtimes, and reading other stuff at home at the evenings and weekends.) It's a portrait of a community. First published 1872 and set, as the author occasionally reminds us, forty years before. The authorial asides would not be accepted in a modern novel, but I don't mind them. It wasn't a particularly slow read, and was actually quite funny in places. The portraits drawn of the main characters were clear. And, of course, there's that famous final line, which was the only thing I knew of the novel before I started it.


The growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.

TRiG.

TRiG - can i tell Cel what you said? She's always pleased to hear feedback of any kind.

I'm looking forward to reading Into the Grey but I have promised myself to get my next essay out of the way first.

I've read most of George Elliot's output but the only one I really like is Silas Marner. Which is odd as it was one of my O-level set books.

Silas Marner is the only other George Elliot I've read. It's a more traditional novel than Middlemarch. A tighter focus: fewer characters, a more straightforward plot. I liked that too.

TRiG.

And of course you can pass on my brief review to your friend. Or point her to this convo and she can read it herself.

TRiG.

thanks, TRiG - I'll wait until after the move to show her the convo or else it might get

forgot to mention that I'm up to Jingo. Now Vimes. Would we be able to accept Philip Glennister as vimes?

(I was very happy to have whatshisface playing Teatime in the Hogfather thing)

I'm also reading Kludge by someone whose name I can't remember. But mostly I'm finishing off my OU course book so I can write my final essay.

Collins gem. Codes & Ciphers.
Sean Callery

Detailed enough to be interesting, simple enough to be digestable over a couple of lunches. 192 pages including glossary and index. And it includes a reference to h2g2. F12531252?thread=6296494&skip=80#pi97.



Snuff
Terry Pratchett

The 39th Discworld book was, well, I'll not comment till I've read it again. And again. And, no doubt, again. Young Sam is adorable. And here's a very slightly spoilery interview with the author: http://filedump.xn--es-zka.info/front_row_pterry_2011-10-17.html.

TRiG.

The Curious Case of the Mayo Librarian

A library book. Non-fiction, for a change.

Did you know that in the early years of the Free State, the appointment of a Protestant, Trinity-educated librarian for County Mayo resulted in the dissolution of the County Council, and very nearly brought down the government? It's a tale of prejudice and rampant discrimination, and really is rather fascinating. And it's a well-told story.

TRiG.

Hemant Mehta
I Sold My Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith Through an Atheist's Eyes

This is Hemant's account of his visits to Christian churches of different denominations, shot through with advice to preachers on how to do a better job. It's quite interesting, even though the target audience is not me.



Arthur Ransome
The Picts and the Martyrs

I couldn't sleep last night, so I snapped the light on to do some reading, and saw a whole bunch of Swallows and Amazon books, which I'd not read for years, looking down on me. I hadn't noticed them before, even though I've been back in my parents' house for a couple of months now. For some reason, the "no go" scene from this book had been in my heard earlier, so I picked it. I hadn't intended to reread the entire book, but I did, and didn't regret it. It hasn't lost its gentle magic.

TRiG.