Book recommendations

[Tim]

It’s time to kick off another off-topic thread asking for your book recommendations – I’ve read everything that looked good from the last thread! What have you read recently and enjoyed?

[Annette A]

Earth, Inc. by Michael Bollen.
Fantasy, but set in the not too distant future on a recognisable Earth. Occasionaly veering towards black humor, less occasionally a little puerile, but a good read.

[Alison]

I’m halfway through The Explorer’s Daughter by Kari Herbert – an interesting insight into living with the Inuit in Greenland (not that we’re thinking of moving there, but it makes me appreciate the fact that I don’t have to go out and catch a whale for tea).

[Alison]

Ages ago I read Gravity by Tess Gerritsen and have just remembered I meant to look out for more of her stuff. Its a medical thriller set on board the space shuttle, an alien virus starts attacking the crew one by one until only the Dr is left on board and NASA don’t want to risk bringing her back to earth. I’m not a great sci fi or thriller fan, but this was realistic enough that I really enjoyed it.

[Tim]

I’ve just finished Andrew Marr’s History of Modern Britain. It’s very long but very good, if you like histories of modern Britain.

[Tim]

I’ve just finished Andrew Marr’s History of Modern Britain. It’s very long but very good, if you like histories of modern Britain.

[Tim]

Just to update this neglected thread (not unreasonably neglected, given we’re a diabetes website not a book group); I’ve read the following recently:

* The Complete Sherlock Holmes – don’t bother with the novels, the short stories are great.

* Jacked: The unauthorized behind-the-scenes story of Grand Theft Auto – David Kushner. Quite an interesting story about GTA’s development. For some reason there aren’t many books about the video game industry (considerably higher grossing than the film industry) so this is a reasonable read even though it’s not very well written.

* Fifty Shades of Grey – E L James. Bloody awful. Reflects badly both on the publishing industry and, indeed, the porn industry.

* A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain – Marc Morris. Hugely entertaining romp about a king who was a really clever bastard. Recommended if you like that sort of thing.

* Stonemouth – Iain Banks. The Crow Road rehashed again, cf Steep Approach to Garbadale.

* A History Of Scotland – Neil Oliver. Oddly irritating; author’s voice gets in the way all the time.

And I’m just reading Gang of One – Gary Mulgrew. Will report back in a month or two.

[Anonymous]

I read the Hunger Games trilogy whilst I was on holiday and I thought they were bloody brilliant. I am not interested in seeing the film though, no way could it live up to the images the books cast in my head!

[Alison]

I’ve just finished “The Patient Paradox: Why Sexed Up Medicine is Bad for Your Health” by Margaret McCartney. It looks at the lack of evidence behind some of our most basic healthcare approaches and whether screening the healthy population for diseases they have no symptoms for (eg breast cancer, bowel cancer) actually does more harm than good. She makes a very good point, with eye opening evidence but she repeats her point a few too many times for my liking. By the end, you are almost screaming “yes, I get it, now shut up”.

[Tim]

For those that use http://www.goodreads.com – I’ve started up a group related to Type I diabetes; it can be found over here: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/113617-type-i-diabetes

[Author]

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