My Blog

I'm sure I've said this before but I really haven't ever been someone who would sit down and read a book to relax. Actually at high school instead of reading the book (Educating Rita) I got the movie out, the English lit teacher thought I had a great understanding of the underlying subtext.

Anyways that has changed, and probably started to change a few years ago and it's been getting worse. I've always liked and once in a while read Science Fiction, I'm a big fan of Iain M Banks stuff (see bit below) but I never really ventured much beyond that.

I started to read a few books related to 'work' geeky stuff really and also a few of those management books that are supposed to help, actually maybe some of them did. I did enjoy the Jack Welch books (he was the CEO at general Electric for a time, very good reads)

Then I stumbled onto Sam Bourne who is actually the British journalist, Jonathan Freedland he's written 4 books now and I've pretty much enjoyed them all,The Righteous Men (2006), The Last Testament (2007), The Final Reckoning (2008) and The Chosen One (2010) the 1st one i think was the best but certainly found myself getting through them pretty quickly. I like they way he's weaved in a bunch of religious information that you think? Ok that's interesting but it all adds to the tension in the books which is great. I do find I like anything that has a slightly mythical style tone to it.

Well I finished my 3rd Sam Bourne book last night, it again wasn't bad. It wasn't as good at the 1st one but then it wasn't bad either, it couldn't have been as I got through it in around 3 weeks.. possibly a little less.

So, now, I'm back at being bookless. I can't reread books, which is strange as I can watch the same movie over and over again. So that means it's off to Borders books tomorrow in search of the next one.

Finding the right book for me is a little challenging at times, I do like Sci Fi, I like good twisting turning thrillers, especially if they have a background in folk lore or religious belief, although not that struck on Dan Brown. So any suggestions are very welcome!

Having been on a bit of a search round the net I've just discovered that Iain Banks (or in my case Iain M Banks - the M signifying he's written a Sci Fi novel) has a new one out, and it's a Culture Novel which is great. I'm a massive Iain M Banks fan I have to say and it's not just cos he's Scottish (He's from Fife!). It's all thanks to my mate Grant who about 10 years ago while on holiday in Jamaica and waiting for the storm to pass he handed me 'Player of Games' which is a fantastic read and I was hooked. I've now, over the years read all of his M Banks books, mainly on holidays or long flights I have to confess. I have found pretty much found them all really good, with perhaps the exception of Consider Phlebas which was a bit hard going but got there in the end.

So... tomorrow, it's a trip to Borders (which I love spending hrs in I have to say) and search for 'Matter'.

I don't know, I'm sure it's not just a me thing but maybe it is. I seem to wander through my music collection from time to time and rediscover fab music (important note: Fab, like beauty is in the eye or ear in this case of the beholder and therefore my opinion is always correct!).

Today I was wondering through my iTunes and came across multiple HORSE albums. Now maybe I'm a little biased, you see HORSE started as a band but has just become Horse McDonald and is from Tay in Scotland. She's seriously got one of the best voices you'll ever here. I went to a few of her concerts in the sprawling metropolis that is Kirkcauldy (pronounced kircody) when I was living back in sunny Scotland.

The thing that struck me was the clarity and purity of her voice, at each concert there were no big cleaver stages or distractions, just her, a guitar, may be a drummer and a few strings for certain songs. Man can she sing, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up!

So how happy was I when I stumbled across the songs again today?.. frankly, it could only be better with Ice Cream!

Go do a search on You Tube or the link to the site, you wont be sorry...