bobblybear

Homo Deus sound interesting but I do wonder if there is some repetitiveness of Sapiens. In Sapiens he writes about where he thinks humanity is heading, which seems to be what Homo Deus is about as well. Of course I don't mind. I have many other Diane Chamberlain books on my Kindle to read; I think some of them are a series so I need to make sure I read them in the right order!

Had me going there! I gave up on it...thought it was sooooo bad! Shame, as I loved the first film.

Apple Cider Vinegar (mixed in water). It's supposed to help with hayfever. We shall see.

I've just had hashbrowns, scrambled eggs and hot buttery toast.

^ I woman I work with did this, with the heartbeat of her kids when they were in utero.

A Life in Death - Richard Venables This is the second book I have read in the last six months with the same title. Richard Venables has had many years experience in disaster victim recovery. He started his career as a policeman and eventually ended up implementing the officially accepted methodology of disaster victim identification. He covers his specific experiences from his early days as a policeman, and how he learned from each case he was involved in, as well as the significant gaps of knowledge/process that over time he was able to fill. He discusses some specific and well known disasters. The book opens with the Boxing Day Tsunami and what happened in the aftermath – the difficulties of identifying the victims who were from many different countries (the majority who didn't have ID on them) and ensuring the remains were sent back home for proper burial. It was (as to be expected) somewhat gruesome, but still offered a fascinating and detailed insight into what happens behind the scenes of these disasters. The book (Kindle version) did have quite a few spelling errors in it though, which really let it down and gave it a feeling of amateurishness. 3/6

I can relate. I take notes on books as I finish them, but even they aren't good enough for me to remember what happened. I'm reviewing books I read back in February, and I'm struggling a lot!

I cannot believe how far behind I am in reviews. I'm now reviewing books I read in February. The Midwife's Confession - Diane Chamberlain Another Diane Chamberlain book which doesn't disappoint. Three women – Tara, Noelle, and Emerson - have been best of friends for many years. However, when Noelle very unexpectedly commits suicide, Tara and Emerson realise that perhaps they didn't know her as well as they thought. While going through her belongings, they find an unfinished letter which hints at something that Noelle was involved in many years ago. The story is told through different points of view from each of the characters, and more of Noelle's backstory is revealed as the book goes on. It's classic Chamberlain – a relationship driven story, with twists and turns and very complex characters. I have to admit I think there were one or two twists too many which did strain the credibility of the story, but it was still a page-turner. Highly recommended. 4.5/5

Sapiens - Yuval Harari This is a lengthy and incredibly detailed look at the history of sapiens, from when we split from the other great apes until our present time. About a third of the book covers this prehistoric era, and the remainder of the book looked at our development where the greatest changes to our behaviour occurred. The pre-historic era was what interests me most, and I wish the book covered more of it, but to be realistic I don't know what else he could have included without turning the book into a mammoth doorstopper. This remaining (after the prehistoric era) section is split into different Revolutions – Cognitive, Agricultural, Industrial and Scientific - and the author discusses what he believes were the main turning points in each of these times that has pushed us forward. Also discussed are empires, and the advent of agriculture and money, politics and religion, and how this has shaped humankind and our behaviour. The scope is very broad, and while not all of it grabbed my interest, most of it did. I think I will benefit from a re-read at some point, as there was simply too much information to take in from one read-through. Highly recommended. 4.5/6

I think I would have enjoyed The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay more if it had been a tad shorter. I found myself getting impatient and wanting to read another story, which seems to happen more and more. Instead of fully losing myself in what I'm reading, my mind often wanders to all the other books I have waiting to be read. It's total impatience and lack of focus, and just drowning in too much choice. I suppose it can be a nice problem to have.

This morning I finished Without a Doubt by Marcia Clark. Really interesting insight into the OJ Simpson trial. It also looks like I will finish (with luck) The Machine That Changed The World today, which has dragged on a bit for months now. I don't think reading two books at a time suits me, as I end up favouring one over the other and forgetting what the other one was about. This morning I bought Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng as it's only £0.99 on Kindle. Not sure when I will read it though, as I have a few other books I want to get through first.

Oh no, it's especially awkward if they are right in your eye-line when you look up. I had something similar in my old office - a girl was sitting opposite me, and every time she looked up at her notice board (on the partition), I would see her out of the corner of my eye and assume she was staring at me. It was only when I finally looked at her to see what her problem was that I realised she was reading her noticeboard, and not watching me. I'm overly aware of other people around me (mostly at work) and it sometimes makes me feel uncomfortable even though they are probably oblivious. So take comfort in the fact that you aren't alone in your thinking.

I finished The House at Riverton by Kate Morton last night. Really enjoyed it...I wouldn't say I loved it, but I did like it a lot. Now I've started on Without a Doubt by Marcia Clark (about the OJ Simpson trial). On top of that I have some 'technical type business books' that I'm reading for work as well.

I'm shamefully behind on reviews (19 books behind to be precise ), but have just not felt very motivated lately. At least I'm still managing to read, so I should be thankful for that. Last night I started Looking For Alaska by John Green, which I'm enjoying. I also recently finished Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons (well, I had to skim the last 30% or so as it was just dragging on for too long. I recall having the same problem with The Abominable, so I shall probably just give up on his books). I also finished Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig, which was a fairly interesting read.

Shame you didn't enjoy it as much as the others in the series. I know what you mean about the book taking a detour; from what I recall the majority of it is Roland's backstory. I have a soft-spot for it ....it was the first book in the series that I read (I'd heard it could be read as a stand-alone), and I just loved the story, even though I wasn't familiar with any of the characters. I really must read this series again, but I just remember struggling through the first book, and that is kind of putting me off.

I've had The Elegance of the Hedgehog on my Kindle for a little while, but haven't yet been in the mood to pick it up. I've heard so many things about Infinite Jest; it's a pretty difficult read apparently, a love-it-or-hate-it read. Not sure if I will ever get around to reading it, given that I have so many others on my Kindle and TBR pile. Hope you had a nice time in India.

The fourth one is my favourite. Hope you are enjoying it!

I've finally finished the main quest of Fallout 4. I want to replay it, but siding with a different faction....but I think I will leave it for a while. I'm now playing The Last Of Us (Remastered). I've played it on the PS3, but it's so good that I'm still enjoying it this time around. I've also bought Horizon Zero Dawn, which should be arriving in the post on Thursday.

I struggled with Pure. I can't recall why, but I know that I didn't like it much (even though I thought I would, judging by the blurb).

It was well worth a read, even if not all of it was of interest. I'd recommend it.

The Territory - Sarah Govett This is a YA novel set in the future after an apocalyptic event has changed the world. In this new world, all teenagers must sit a test called the TAA. If they pass they can remain in the safety of The Territories. If they fail, they are sent outside to the Wetlands, an area which succumbed to the Great Floods. Children are either Childes or Norms. Norms are 'normal humans', not wired into anything and interact with their surroundings the usual way. Childes are seen as superior and they can wire themselves in to the network, so that information is uploaded directly into their brains. No surprise then that most Childes pass the test. Noa is the main character, and she is studying for the TAA. The book starts approximately 10 weeks before the test. She is a Norm, and so has to study the old-fashioned way. The book covers other events running parallel to preparation for the test....the whole book isn't just about studying. YA isn't really my bag, but I am a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction. I found it reasonably enjoyable, maybe a bit predictable but then again I'm not the target audience. I don't think I will bother with the sequel. That's not to say I didn't enjoy this, but it just didn't grab me enough to wonder what happens to the characters next. 3/6

I am so far behind in reviews. It's a miracle I remember anything about the books I've read. A Million Years In A Day: A Curious History of Daily Life - Greg Jenner This is a history of the typical routine activities of each day, and how they have changed over the time of human existence. It starts with the measurement of time, and then onto toileting, breakfasting, showering and so on. It was fairly detailed and an interesting way of dividing the subject matter into discrete sections. It was a bit humorous as well and easy to read, however not all the sections interested me. At just over 300 pages there's enough information in there to hold your interest and perhaps highlight an area that you want to do further reading on. 3/6

Just had a nice cup of tea.

April already? So scary! IT is going great; I'm about 20% through and just loving it. I'm glad I've decided to re-read it.

I really enjoyed We Were Liars. It was a fairly quick read as well. I'm really excited after watching the trailer for IT. It looks suitably scary. I think the movie is being released as a two-parter so hopefully they will capture all the detail in the book. It's been a long time since I watched the original, and I remember being a bit disappointed by the 'made-for-TV' feel it had. I have high hopes for this one though.