UKH

What are you currently reading?

(Thought it might be interesting to get a snapshot of everyone's current read).

Mick Herron's "Smoke and Whispers", fourth in the Zoe Boehm series. Not quite up to the level of the Slough House books ( largely owing to the absence of Jackson Lamb) but there's a TV series in the offing so I thought I'd be prepared.

the long way to a small angry planet by Becky Chambers

'A quietly profound, humane tour de force' according to the Guardian

Technically I'm not reading it yet, it's literally in the post.

Under a pole star by Steff Penney(also wrote "The Tenderness of Wolves"). It's interesting, but a little slow, and slightly more difficult to get into.

I'm also reading a second hand buy from the Fort William bookshop (a devlish place for a bibliophile), "Climbs on Alpine Peaks" by Abate Achille Ratti. A most interesting historical read, which shows where the philosophy was on mountain approaches in the past. A bit of a Catholic read.

The Penguin Lessons by Tom Mitchell.

I’m only about 60 pages in but an endearing story so far.

Man finds penguin. Man saves penguin. Penguin and Man become great friends.

The way that you describe it, it sounds quite facile or childish. I presume that that is not the case?

Have you tried the Secret Hours?
It meets your criteria, but that's all I'm saying.

Yes. It didn't take long for things to click 

Postscripts by JB Priestly

https://spartacus-educational.com/2WWpostscripts.htm

During the Second World War... Priestley became the presenter of Postscripts, a BBC Radio radio programme that followed the nine o'clock news on Sunday evenings ... it was estimated that around 40 per cent of the adult population in Britain was listening to the programme.

Some members of the Conservative Party complained about Priestley expressing left-wing views on his radio programme. As a result Priestley made his last talk on 20th October 1940.

I'm re-reading volumes of short stories by Philip K Dick, and

Politics on the Edge by Rory Stewart

Dave

I mean, there’s no denying that it's an easy-going read. "Childish" might be a bit harsh.

It's a true story set in 1970s Argentina, against the backdrop of a military coup and a turbulent economy. The book weaves in the author's experiences traveling in that part of the world while working as a teacher in a Buenos Aires boarding school.

…but also, there is a penguin.

I'm reading Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. Booker prize winners aren't usually my thing, but my partner thought I would like this dystopian fall of Ireland into totalitarianism and she was right.

Which collection, if you don't mind me asking? 

I added that to my teetering 'to read' pile yesterday. Couldn't resist at ~£5 in Tesco .

The Eastern Front by Nick Lloyd. Apart from Tannenberg there is little written about the war in the east from.. 1914-17. The same as the Western front with massive casualty lists.  In fact much more bloody with so many different countries involved in the slaughter. Its all rain, mud & trenches too.

Great book, Becky Chambers is excellent. She has a very different approach to sci fi than most modern writers.

Currently finishing off Creag Dhu Climber. Good stuff - not the deepest or most mind-expanding of climbing books but it's a good read and covers a lot of people and history that I didn't know much about.

I'm also starting A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander - a classic on architecture and urban planning. There are a few bits that don't hold up that well but it generally seems really interesting.

Just starting The Ascent by Jeff Long, as part of my project to read and review every climbing-themed novel written in English since the late 70s. Thoroughly enjoyed his earlier Angels of Light and am expecting the same from this.

I read The Penguin Lessons a few weeks ago. Apparently the film version getting made around now is starring Steve Coogan - not the image of Tom I had in my read when reading it! 

My current* read is Brilliance by Anthony McCarten - it's a fictional novel about Thomas Edison rather than a purely factual biography, but strongly based on actual events. 

(* No pun intended)

The Philip K Dick collection is in five volumes called, in order,

Beyond Lies the Wub,

Second Variety,

The Father Thing,

Minority Report, and

We Can Remember It For You Wholesale.

They were published in 1999 and 2000 so these editions might not be available now, though there will probably be others.

Dave

Wild Fell by Lee Schofield. Describing his life and work heading the RSPB management of the organisation’s land holdings around Haweswater. Very informative and very readable.

Bedtime book - When the Eagle Hunts by Simon Scarrow

Daytime book - The Iron Hand of Mars by Lindsey Davis 

Toilet book - Shrapnel 1 an anthology of Battletech short stories.

Serious book - Apologia Pro Vita Sua by John Henry Newman.

I think about the Roman empire a lot.