bobblybear

I'm about 150 pages into I Know This Much Is True. I'm loving it so far! I really should have read it sooner.

I can't stand earbuds, because they either end up hurting or they fall out (or both, usually). I tend to prefer the big over-your-ear headphones....they can be very comfy.

The Invisible Ones - Stef Penney Ray Lovell is a private investigator, who at the start of the book wakes up in hospital partially paralysed, but with no recollection of how he got there. The story then backtracks to several weeks earlier, in which an elderly gypsy seeks Ray’s services to find his daughter (Rose Janko) who went missing seven years before, following a marriage into another local gypsy family. The story is told in split narrative between Ray, and JJ - a 16 year old gypsy who is part of the family that Rose married into. The timelines were somewhat confusing as the story jumped around a bit, but it's followable. The story itself was very engaging. I loved The Tenderness of Wolves, and so was hoping for something similar, but you can't really compare the two as they are completely different stories. There is a bit of a twist at the end. I'm not sure how plausible it was, but it was a good one! Recommended. 4/6

Pandora's Star - Peter F Hamilton This is the first of the two books in the Commonwealth Saga series (or should that be 'duology'. Can two books be a 'series'? ) , and is an epic novel that is nearly 1,000 pages long. Set around AD 2300, human civilisation has populated hundreds of planets across many hundreds of light years of space. All these planets are linked by wormholes – travel takes place using ‘trains’ - using faster-than-light technology. The main thread of the story follows the investigation of a pair of stars which has been enclosed by some kind of impenetrable barrier. Further studies reveal that the enclosure of both stars happened simultaneously and instantaneously. Many theories abound over who put the barrier up and why. Was it the inhabitants of planets around the star, to keep an enemy out? Or was it outsiders, who want to keep the inhabitants in? Following much speculation, the Commonweath decides to build a spaceship - called Second Chance - in order to travel to the stars and determine if there is a threat. This book is detailed and epic in it's scope and the world that the author has created, and it's the complexity of the world that I enjoyed most. Death and aging are things of the past. Memories are uploaded to the network, and in the event of death, a clone is created and memories are downloaded back into that person, and they continue their lives unimpeded. The majority of people undergo regular 'rejuvenations' which take them back to their twenties (physically). Network implants are commonplace which interface people with the cybersphere - like the internet but more complex. There is just so much there - my mind was somewhat blown by it all, even though it's a re-read. There are several storylines - some more interesting than others - all converging on the Second Chance’s expedition. There are also many characters and it is quite easy to get confused as sometimes they appear quite sporadically throughout the novel. My copy has a character list at the front, which is very helpful in keeping up with who is who. I enjoyed most of the book, but there were some storylines where my mind did wander, as they didn't capture me as much as the others, but overall it's a brilliant book. Highly recommended. 5/6

The Legacy of Heorot sounds brilliant. I love Aliens and Predator (though I find the latter quite scary), so it looks like something I'd enjoy. I've just bought it for Kindle, and will get to it soon.

Just finished Bright Young Things by Scarlett Thomas. I loved it! I'm thinking of reading I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb. I've had this book on my shelf for probably 15 years, so I may as well read it now. It would be easier if I had the Kindle version, as it's so big, but I'm not going to pay twice for it.

This is my list of authors whose works I have bought (at some point): Enid Blyton J. K. Rowling Dean Koontz Stephen King Robert Ludlum James Patterson Jeffrey Archer John Grisham J. R. R. Tolkien Dan Brown Michael Crichton Stephenie Meyer Roald Dahl Anne Rice Ken Follett Patricia Cornwell There are so many on the list that I have never heard of. I've bolded the authors whose books I have enjoyed and would still purchase now.

They all look fantastic!

I read Cell when it first came out, and I remember loving the first half (especially the very beginning - some parts I still remember quite vividly), but struggling a bit with the second part. Might give it a re-read at some point.

Our area for rubbish collection has changed over the last few years, with a stronger emphasis on recycling. We never used to have regular recycling collections; if you couldn't be bothered to take it to the local recycling bins (which are usually in supermarket carparks), then it got thrown out with the regular garbage. Now we have separate collections for recyclable and non-recyclable rubbish. Non-recyclable rubbish (what they call normal household waste) gets collected every two weeks. Recyclable (or compostible) rubbish is collected weekly. Food waste goes in a separate bin (all households in the area got a small caddy to have in your kitchen, and then a larger one (not much larger) which get collected each week). We use biodegradable bags for this (which aren't cheap!). I quite like it because it makes you aware of how much food waste (peelings, etc) you throw away. Then we have two containers for other recyclables. One is for cardboard, foil and mixed glass and jars. The other one is for paper, plastic bottles (though some kinds still aren't recyclable - like margarine containers), aerosols, tins and clothes/textiles. (Actually, as I side note, I just went out to look at the boxes and I'm glad I did, as I didn't realise one was for clothes. I've been using the bins at the local supermarket to get rid of clothes ). It's always puzzled me that cardboard and paper go in separate boxes, but I guess they get recycled separately. That must be a pain. How close is the local recycling centre or tip? I enjoyed that as well. After the first few times I came to expect it, and whenever the author introduced someone new I found myself waiting for his physical description. Yes, that was pretty amazing. I googled the Panama Canal as I was reading it....fascinating stuff, and how quickly it would just be overrun. Oh yes, I'd forgotten the discussion about Cyprus. I meant to look up Varosha as I had never heard of it....must look it up later. That reminds me, I also found fascinating the underground cities of Cappadocia. They are built many tens of metres underground and can hold thousands. Amazing stuff. I'd never heard of the South Pacific Gyre....it was so interesting, yet another things I learned from this book. Good answer!

I started Bright Young Things by Scarlett Thomas last night, and I'm getting on really well with it. I've read a third of it so far, and enjoyed all of it. I was a bit hesitant to start it because I didn't enjoy PopCo (well, I did apart from the author pushing her views too hard), but I'm glad I did.

I've finished The Uninvited by Liz Jensen. I really enjoyed it. Now, what to read next?

I liked it! I finished it quite quickly - took me about a day, and it's been a while since I've read a book that quickly. What was your interpretation of the last paragraph? I think I know who you mean.

It was very different to what I was expecting too. It was much more specific and detail-orientated. Glad you are finding it interesting. I know what you mean about itching to get on with a fictional book. As much as I enjoyed it, it's not the kind of book you can read in the same manner as a novel- ie. in long sessions. At least, that's my experience of it. Because it's non-fiction, it needs to be absorbed and thought about....unfortunately time wasn't on my side. I suspect I will refer to it again at some point though. I agree completely and I think that's why I enjoyed it so much - because it was different to what I was expecting. He has obviously given this a lot of thought, and I bet he had to do a lot of editing and only keep the most interesting scenarios. I also thought it would be more about plants and trees, because that's what I automatically think of when I think of nature claiming things back. I know what you mean about the tangents, but I didn't mind too much as it was still very interesting. I do recall wondering where he was leading, a few times. It's a very good introduction to all things environmental, but not in a preachy or heavy-handed way. I think if it had been written in that manner, I would have struggled to read it. As it stands, it seemed like the author was just describing possible outcomes, rather than finger-pointing at the behaviour of people, and so I think people will be more receptive to learning from it.

- Did you enjoy the book? I really liked it - more than I thought I would. It was very informative and also pretty easy to read. Sometimes it took me a little while to connect the dots and see where the author was coming from, but he tied it all together very nicely. - Did it cover everything you expected? It covered much more than I originally thought, and the approach was different to what I was expecting. I though it would be a more 'generalised' book, but the author has chapters dedicated to very specific circumstances - ie. his discussion of what would happen to the nuclear reactors. That's not something I thought would be covered, and I was very interested to read about it. He was also very detailed, and you can tell he has thought and researched this in great depth. - Were there any chapters or discussions that you enjoyed most? I found something to like in every chapter, as it was all so educational. Some standouts were what would happen to our cities if no-one was around to manage the underground water. Again not something I would have thought about, and was quite shocked to realised that subways would be flooded within hours, not days or weeks. I was interested to hear about the flourishing life in the DMZ in Korea - again, completely unexpected discussion point, but he explored it in a lot of detail. Those were the standouts, but there was something new to learn in every chapter. - Was there anything you disliked about it? No, I can't say there was. - Does it make you more aware of our impact on the world? Definitely. The chapter on how much plastics and polymers are in our oceans was quite harrowing, and everyone is aware of how we have changed our environment, but I never realised how much or how long it would take for our impact to be reversed (if ever). Humans have done so much damage, but nature still finds a way to fight back (or work around us). Sadly I don't think things will change...we are over-reliant on the 'bad stuff' but it's very difficult to change things in any major meaningful way. - Have you read anything else by the author, and would you be interested in reading any other of his work? I don't actually know anything about him, whether he is an all purpose journalist or focuses on particular areas, but based on this yes I would. - Would you recommend this book to others. If so, to whom? If not, why not? Yes, I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the world around them, probably moreso to those who have an interest in any kind of science.

Welcome to the July 2014 Reading Circle. This month's book is The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. Blurb from Amazon: What if mankind disappeared right now, forever ... what would happen to the Earth in a week, a year, a millennium? Could the planet's climate ever recover from human activity? How would nature destroy our huge cities and our myriad plastics? And what would our final legacy be? Speaking to experts in fields as diverse as oil production and ecology, and visiting the places that have escaped recent human activity to discover how they have adapted to life without us, Alan Weisman paints an intriguing picture of the future of Earth. Exploring key concerns of our time, this absorbing thought experiment reveals a powerful - and surprising - picture of our planet's future. "It is assumed that you have read the book before reading posts in this thread, as the discussion might give away crucial points, and the continuous use of spoiler tags might hinder fluent reading of posts." Some questions to aid any discussions, but feel free to add your own: - Did you enjoy the book? - Did it cover everything you expected? - Were there any chapters or discussions that you enjoyed most? - Was there anything you disliked about it? - Does it make you more aware of our impact on the world? - Have you read anything else by the author, and would you be interested in reading any other of his work? - Would you recommend this book to others. If so, to whom? If not, why not?

I started The Uninvited by Liz Jensen last night. Really enjoying it so far. Someone on here read it quite recently, but can't remember who.

Thanks, Pontalba. The Dark Tower is a great series, but I know what you mean about wanting to get to it - there always seem to be so many other books that demand to be read as well. It's an endless struggle.

Finished Mr Mercedes. Enjoyed it, but wish it was longer. Not sure what to read now. I'm still part way through The Ancestor's Tale by Richard Dawkins so I may carry on with that. I also may read a fiction along side it - it's just deciding which one.

The Drawing of the Three - Stephen King This is the second book in The Dark Tower series, and a re-read for me. It’s a long time since I read the series, so it’s almost like reading it for the first time. The book starts mere hours after The Gunslinger, with Roland walking up on the beach. After being attacked and injured by lobster-like creatures – ‘lobstrosities’ – he makes his way down the beach. Along the beach, he finds three doors (not all at once, but throughout the novel). Each door takes him to New York, but at a different time, and leads him to people who are key to his quest to find the Dark Tower. This book really sets the stage for the start of Roland’s journey to his Dark Tower. I really enjoyed this, a lot more than The Gunslinger (which I struggled with). This one seemed to have a bit more coherence, and I think having some ‘modern’ characters - like Eddie Dean - made the story more enjoyable to me, as Roland is still a bit of a mystery. The book is divided into three sections - each one covering Roland's trip through the door, and his developing relationship with the people he finds there. The Dark Tower itself is a mystery, but that doesn't matter here, as the story is setting a background for each of the people who accompany Roland on his quest. It was enjoyable to read it again, and I had forgotten significant chunks of it. I remember the next two books (especially Wizard and Glass) as being my favorite, so I look forward to reading those ones again. 4/6

A third through Mr Mercedes. It's good so far, and a pretty easy read. I'm hoping to finish it today.

Just finished The World Without Us. I finished it sooner than I thought as the last 25% was the Bibliography. Onwards to Mr Mercedes now. Yipppeee!

Have to admit, I haven't played games in ages. I'm still waiting with bated breath that a Fallout 4 will be released. Aside from that, nothing has grabbed me (but also I've been short of time).

I read the James Herriot books many years ago (when I was a child), so maybe I have a more positive view of them that I should (through child's eyes). I think I have his collection on my Kindle, so no doubt it will be re-read at some point.

I'm sure I will. Love your signature, by the way.