Peadar

Next up: Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles.

I enjoyed The Second Sleep by Robert Harris. Not sure what's next. Something good, I hope...

There are a LOT of clues early on. I kept thinking, "surely that's a mistake? But no, no, the author knows ten times more about this* than I ever will, so I let it pass. *I'm being as vague as I possibly can here.

I have just started The Second Sleep by Robert Harris. Ostensibly about a priest investigating the murder of a fellow cleric, but to say more would spoil the first big reveal.

It's one of the things I adore the most about Iain without the 'M' -- almost nobody dies in an unspectacular fashion. I found his books to be hit and miss, but when they do hit, it's amazing. Loved "The Crow Road" and "The Wasp Factory". Liked "Espedair Street" and "Walking on Glass" rather a lot.

First of all, lots of Sikhs did fight in Europe -- that's a historical fact. One if five of the soldiers fighting for Britain in World War One were from the Indian Sub-Continent. 20% of these were Sikhs. The image below is entitled "For the glory of the Raj: Indian troops charging the German trenches at Neuve Chapelle, March 1915." As for the single Sikh we see in the movie, well, a close look at the screen will show that the soldiers in the truck are wearing the patches of several *different* regiments. They are a ragtag group of stragglers. What are the chances of seeing a single Yorkshire man in the midst of recruits from Surrey? Small, I'd say...

Up next, The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan.

Oh, I believe it. Aslo, there was a scene in the book, where he explains that the rewards of working for the dealers are ten times what you get for working for the regulators. With such incentives, the smarter people tend to be working for one side and not the other. Must be bloody difficult, all right. Which is why I am in favour of a guilty until proven innocent approach to new instruments.

I'm sure that's true, but regulators need to keep a lid on it with a "prove it's safe" policy for so-called "financial innovations." Just my opinion! Up next, Recursion by Blake Crouch.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I stole the idea from you. Thank you! I've only just finished it, and while a few bits and pieces flew over my head, the parts I did understand were... terrifying. It's the only word I can think of. Not just because there was a massive fraud that destroyed the lives of millions, but because almost all of the bad guys walked away with millions in taxpayer's money. And how those traders think of us little people! Honestly, this sort of thing should be required viewing, like the locked room in Le Guin's "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas". We should all be made to face the reality before we're allowed to borrow or invest money. Not sure what's next for me. I'll probably read a few sample chapters and decide then.

I'm enjoying The Big Short by Michael Lewis, as recommended by the board. Thanks to whoever mentioned it!

Enough of Cricket! I've been watching NFL myself for the last two years But I still find time to read. I have just started Tade Thompson's Rosewater. I look forward to seeing what all the fuss is about.

I am coming to the end of Joseph O'Connor's Shadowplay, his fictionalised account of Bram Stoker's life. It's been an absolute delight. I enjoy lots of books, but it's not often you'll get me to admit to loving one. Well, I'm adding Shadowplay to that exclusive list. It's not for those who like adventure stories, but the characters are lovely and the reflections on the creative process are thrilling to me.

I will probably start Joseph O'Conner's Shadowplay this evening. He's the author of one of my favourite books, The Star of the Sea, so I have high hopes. Both are historical novels. The Star of the Sea is about a coffin ship during the famine here in Ireland, but large sections of it take place in London. Shadowplay is about Bram Stoker, I believe.

I'm reading Veronica Roth's Divergent for a workshop I'll be teaching in new year. I can see why this would work like crack on a certain segment of teens.