Week sixteen Book twenty-two : Like Brothers

 

Insight into the minds of the Duplass brothers, reads much like you would expect it to. If you like the brothers work (I do) and you wanted to know how that worked (I did) and what pitfalls happened (Go on) and being so close and yet having partners and children is like (Fascinating).

I did enjoy, not the least because they are easy going and smart, usually not much of a combination.

But like their movies, they work well and you don't really know why but you just feel it? (Uh huh, go on!).

No that's it. (Oh, OK. That's good?)

Love you (Love you too), 

Affectionately, Stink Monster.

(Read the book, it will all make sense).

Maybe.

Week Fifteen Book twenty-one : The Thursday Murder Club

 

A ripping yarn, full of character and charm. Though it was a slow read, mostly because you can easily imagine Osman narrating the book to you, and he's not as fast as the voice in my head.

Not a whodunnit, so much as a "look over at the left hand, ignore the right" kind of mystery. Whenever you think you have it, the rug is gently slid from under you, to plonk you in the comfortable armchair of being lead up the garden path.

A few problems with the resolution, but it's not about the trip home, it's the holiday before that.

Week fourteen Book twenty : The Unexpected Spy

 

Hard to define this book as it's fascinating and highly offensive at the same time. Is her story interesting? Yes. Is she likeable? No. Is that sexism? I sincerely hope not. Was she treated poorly because of her gender? Yes. Did she treat others poorly because their (gender, race, religion, country of origin)? Also Yes. 

Can you learn something from this book? Yes? Did the author? If she did, she missed the bigger picture of her own arrogance, racism, prejudices and yes even her own sexism. 

I expected to be reading about battling sexism in the CIA and FBI from the blurb, but instead got a love letter to American Exceptionalism written by an "Ugly American" trope masquerading (barely) as an Enlightened Internationalist.

Week thirteen Book nineteen : Fight Like A Physicist

 

A short but interesting overview of basic principles of Physics applied to the Martial Arts (all of which, regardless of discipline, creed or origin - are bound to the same laws of Physics). 

Will make more sense to actual martial artists, and a good understanding on the science of it all is no replacement for training and experience. 

But like all things that could do with demystifying, colouring in your understanding with a grounded science, this is a good set of things to know/understand/realise.

Week thirteen Book eighteen : Homo Deus

 

 

A well thought out treatise on what the future might hold? Probably closer to the likely future than not. Hardly iron clad, the premise that we can barely recognise ourselves from a hundred years ago to now, holds true for the next hundred years as well.

But there's plenty of things to hang your hat on about what may nor may not (probably though) happen to us as a species and what "should" happen. 

Ultimately you look at books like this and ask yourself "In the balance of the argument - how do I much do I agree with and how much hurts to hear?" Regardless of what you say, think or feel though, what would you do with this information anyway?

Bet on the next big things? Good luck to you.

Third book of his I've read in the last thirteen weeks. Third I have enjoyed.

Week thirteen Book seventeen : The Hunting Party

 

Gripping and twisty, as the cover claims. Very much in the vein of Agatha Christie with multiple suspects, the clues in the open and the red herrings spawning all over the shop.

Very well conceived and delivered, loved every minute of it and so very little happens, until one by one the hastily constructed facades of their outer selves and the foundations of inner lives crumble under scrutiny.

As Jean Paul Satre put it, hell is other people.

Week twelve Book sixteen : the Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep

 

This really is a book lovers dream. I mean that literally as well as figuratively.

I'm not a fan of Dickens, though I recognise his genius and talent. This book relies on this in so many ways, but also any other author of note from the Victorian-ish (Cough* Out of copyright *Cough) timeframe. Which also lends itself to a tonal and consistent world building, with a few dragons and beatsies blended in. 

It reminds me of Ready Player One, but in some ways it's the polar opposite of that. Where RP1 was gratuitous wish fulfillment played for an ego, with no ethics or morals guiding it, this is wish avoidance, because the consequences are understood and the hero can not become a villain to save himself.

Also I loved the source of reference for RP1 and hated the book. The opposite is true here, I don't like the source (Dickens) but ended up loving the result in this book.

The pace changes a few times, the first third is speculative and ponderous and then accelerates beyond control, then slows down to introspection for the end.