I enjoyed that, see also Timekeepers and Latitude. I’ll dig the authors out later. My kind of read; a different view of history and an invention that changed the world.
I looked at that post and thought "ah ha, I know the one you mean - Latitude, by Dana Sobel?" Then I looked it up and it turns out I'm thinking of Longitude, by Dava Sobel. That's a great book, though, a short but committed and thorough retelling of John Harrison's quest to build a nautical timepiece (much more interesting than I made it sound:) ).
Just finished Vietnam by Max Hastings. Not a huge fan of all his previous work but really enjoyed this one. Well written and very balanced presentation of an utterly tragic episode.
In the spirit if these times I’ve just re-read, back to back....
On the Beach - Nevil Shute
The Day of the Triffids -John Wyndham
The Plague -Albert Camus
All a bit post-apocalyptic but were well worth re-read.
The Plague was also interesting because it was my wife’s A Level course work book from many years ago, and was covered in underling, doodles and notes!
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. Proper Sci-fi classic.
I’m listening to the Expanse books on Audible while I run. Very good, well narrated and just different enough from the TV series.
At the loch of the Green Corrie by Andrew Greig.
Andrew Greig is amazing. His two mountaineering books are engaging in a way that most expedition books aren't, mostly because he's not a climber so he writes as an outsider and sees things climbers themselves take for granted. He has a lovely, instinctive feel for language, which I guess comes from him being a poet.
Electric Brae is the novel I give to people who haven't heard of it, a harrowing but beautiful book about people and love. And The Return of John McNab - a sort of homage to tThe 39 Steps is a sort of modern day Graham Greene entertainment. Quite light but endlessly readable. Electric Brae though is brilliant. I should read it again.
Oh, and I just bought Love In The Time of Cholera because it feels appropriate, but if you've not read 100 Years of Solitude, that's a little bit amazing too.
Just finished The Brentford Chainstore Masacre by Robert Rankin.
Love his books.
In the last 2 months:
Chicken hawk... As recommended on here which was great
The last 2 Ben aaranovich books which I've really enjoyed (the whole series is quality)
La Belle Sauvage , by Philip Pullman (really good)
Priestess of the White , Trudi Canada which I've really enjoyed so I bought the other two in the trilogy and am waiting to finish my current book to get stuck in.
Currently on the secret commonwealth by Pullman which has been decent so far (3/4 of the way through).
Just finished Semiosis by Sue Burke. Interesting sci fi...not sure I’ll look at plants the same way.
Book before that was Knockemstiff by Donald Ray Pollock - collection of short stories based around the brutal town of the books title. Desperate Americana
Lanark by Alasdair Gray. I’ve avoided it for years but bought a second hand copy from a friends recommendation recently. Loved it although it’s hard going in places.
Just finished Ian M Banks 'Surface detail'and will probably drop into a few more of the culture novels, but just started the 'Blue Ant' trilogy by William Gibson (almost finished Pattern Recognition).Still working and can hardly keep my eyes open when I land home..........
Sapiens and 21 lessons for the 21st century by Yuval Noah Harari. Hoping someone will buy me Homo Deus, the third in the series for my imminent birthday. Powerful, thought provoking stuff.
