Hi everyone, two books for you today.

Firstly, I finished Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope.  This has been one of my 'books I'm reading' titles for yonks but don't let that fool you into thinking that it was boring or a slog.  It's taken so long because it's been my bedtime book.  I'm one of those people that just can't seem to get off to sleep without reading something first.  I like to think it gives me something to dream about.  I'm also someone who can't read for too long in bed without nodding off.  Therefore, any book I've chosen for this purpose has to be one I'm going to stick with for a long time and one that is satisfying in small chunks.  This is my second Trollope book and I have to say he fits the bill perfectly.  I love his characters, I love his gentle plots, I love the way he talks directly to the reader (something Henry James particularly disliked in Trollope, apparently.) 
This is the second Barchester book, the first being The Warden which I did not know about and have not read.  Though I now know what happens in that book as it is pretty neatly recapped within BT I definitely wouldn't be put off reading it.  You'd be pretty blind not to see how Trollope's plot is going to go from the first chapter, but this is not a book to be treasured for its thrills.  This is the pleasant story of a number of characters connected to the fictional Cathedral city of Barchester.  They are all either clergy or connected to clergy and most of the intrigue is about high church, low church wrangling and who, in the end, is going to get to marry the wealthy young widow, Mrs Bold.  If you liked Cranford, or any Jane Austen, you'll love this.  I'm going to search for my next Trollope to put on my e-reader, probably to start tonight, but, we'll be in it for the long haul.

Secondly and very predictably, I'm afraid, I finished John for Everyone: Part 1, Chapters 1-10 by Tom Wright.  I'm not going to say much about it.  If you've read any of this blog before you'll know how much I'm enjoying this series.  You can expect part 2 to come up soon in my book count.

Ok, so it's been almost a month since my last blog post.  Why? because I've been reading like crazy but haven't actually finished anything (the same goes for writing lol.)  Until yesterday, when I finished, get this, THREE books.  Yes, that's THREE books.  The fact that they were kids books and all under 60 pages is neither here nor there.  I love kids books and I want to encourage you to take a day and reconnect with your inner child.  I, granted have a professional interest in this area, but you'll be surprised just how much enjoyment you can get from a simple tale, told well.  Best of all I got all three over the internet, on my e-reader, from the library.  So here we go:

1) You're a Bad Man, Mr Gum! by Andy Stanton. I've heard loads about this one from friends with kids and as far as bed time reading goes, I'm sure this would be a real riot.  I just ploughed through it.  The use of language is fab; the humour is wonderful (more like an episode of Monty Python or a book by Spike Milligan than your average kids read,) the storyline had me gripped.  I love the fact that the bad guy really did have a point, why should a big dog get to poo in your lawn? Especially if a fairy is going to whack you with a frying pan because of it.
Favourite line: "Just like Jake that fence caused Polly and Friday no trouble at all.  They just farted over it like blackbirds."

2) Magic Puffin: A Birthday Surprise by Sue Bentley. Ok, this one was a much more generic kids tale.  A girl gets stranded with her uncle and cousin on an Island as they try to monitor a puffin colony.  There's a threat to the colony, a magic puffin who only the girl can see and a clear cut moral at the end.  It could seem a bit twee and there certainly aren't any surprises but it's gentle and nice and a good length and pace for a kid who just wants something relaxing.  I came away from it smiling and sometimes that's all you want.


 3) Pirate School: The Bun Gun by Jeremy Strong.  Aah Jeremy Strong, the staple go to guy for difficult kids who think reading is boring.  He keeps it really simple, bad grown ups, funny kids, bottoms, pirates, slap stick.  It might be predictable but it's the timeless way to get kids (and adults if we're honest) giggling and once a book makes you laugh you keep reading.  Who doesn't want to go to a pirate school?  Who doesn't want to get one over on the greedy mean grown ups?  This was the shortest and simplest of the three and would really be too easy for kids who've already got the reading bug.  However, if it's that first great read your after or just a little light entertainment this is really fun.

Note: I've decided to stop star rating the books I read.  I only finish books I like or at least find interesting so it seems daft to second guess that when it comes to writing up the blog.
Keep reading!

I promise you I was going to try and stagger these so that the blog didn't get too Hunger Games-centric, but then I just couldn't help myself. It was sitting there on my shelf, calling to me. The hubby had already overtaken me (he spent Monday in his comfy chair with the third one!) after I recommended the series. We both love this series! We even enjoyed the film, which wasn't as patchy as the usual adaptations (see Twilight/Harry Potter) and made me jump and cry. What can I say about Catching Fire except that it's more of the same gripping stuff. The characters are great (yeah for a heroine who can stand up for herself) and the plot is fast paced and - scarily - believable. I was happy to be drawn a little deeper into the Panem world this time around. I felt the last book was so much about being in the Hunger Games you didn't get much depth about the actual society. President Snow is shaping up to be an intriguing nemesis and the whole will she, won't she, Peeta, Gale thing isn't quite as annoying as the Bella, Jacob, Edward triangle. At least Katniss keeps it real, she might not want either of them to die, but she has bigger fish to fry. Full marks! thanks Suzanne Collins, you made my bank holiday Monday!
*****

Foundation by Isaac Asimov is classic science fiction. It tells the story of a galaxy rather than any one protagonist over at least a century. It makes great jumps through time from one important person or moment to the next, always looking backwards and forward to how that instance will affect the whole scope of galactic history. This may sound confusing and when you see the size of the book (very slender) you wonder how it can be done, but actually, Asimov creates such wonderful characters (see early incarnations of Han Solo in the traders) that you may only see them for a couple of pages but you understand where they fit in the whole thing. The main focus is on the planet Terminus where the Foundation itself has been set up to counteract the degeneration of human existence after the fall of the Galactic Empire from ultimate power. The ghostly figure of Psychohistorian Hari Seldon looms over history with his predictions and pointers being delivered by a recording decades after his death.
I really enjoyed this quick read. It's fun and adventurous and is the forerunner of much of the sci-fi we read and watch today. There are another two books in the original trilogy (Foundation and Empire and Second Foundation) plus a couple of preludes and at least one more book. I'll definitely be reading them.
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I love good timing, so it's great that my copy of John for Everyone: Part 1 Chapter 1-10 has arrived on the day I read the last section of Hebrews for everyone by Tom Wright. I've totally fallen for this series of bible studies (there's one covering every book in the New Testament) and I've bought at least two for other people. I've already done a review of one here, Paul for everyone: The Prison Letters and I'm sure I'll be writing a few more soon enough. How can I tell you how good they are? Well Wright just makes me want to read my bible more: his translation is clear and relevant; his comments are helpful but not overblown; there's a handy glossary at the back. What more do you need? (except the fact that the covers are quite attractive, shallow lol.) But honestly, Wright just gets me excited about bible study, he doesn't talk down to his readers and he doesn't shy away from difficult questions. Fabulous, uplifting teaching.
I did find Hebrews pretty challenging at first, finding it all a bit heavy but after a while I really started to see the relevance of its message. Wright does a brilliant job of bringing out the key themes, inviting you to sit back and reflect, not just plough through stuff you don't understand.
Beyond highly recommended.
*****

I decided a few months ago that I wanted to have a better overview of the history of Christian Theology. Being a protestant of no particular denomination, (we go to a fab Pentecostal church now, but I've been to a few different churches from Anglican to free church because of moving around for uni and such) I'm pretty confident about bible study but I've always been a little shy of 'tradition,' and theology in case I got befuddled. Even at Uni, when I studied church history I specialised in the social aspects such as charity, politics and buildings and shied away from the early church or the church fathers. But now I definitely think it's time to get my head down and find out what I'm missing. So I turned to a trusted old friend Alister McGrath who I loved to read when I studied the reformation and picked up his slim volume Mere Theology, (the title a non too subtle homage to C S Lewis, who is extensively cited.)
The book is split into two halves, each made up of the texts of various lectures McGrath has delivered elsewhere. The first half is an overview of theological issues and the second is a discussion of how theology and culture interact, with particular reference to the challenge of new atheism. I came away from the first half with a list as long as my arm of authors and their books I need to read and from the second half greatly encouraged by McGrath's honesty and passion.
I really enjoyed the whole book, it's very accessible and I read it very quickly. I had hoped for a more thorough discussion of many of the issues but by the time I'd finished I realised the scale of the subject and that it couldn't possibly be covered completely in such a slim volume. Well worth a read though as a starting point and I intend to pick up McGrath's Christian Theology: an introduction which is significantly longer (I thought I'd start with the short one.)
****

Ok wow! A bit like in my last post I've put off reading this series for a while now. Of course, now there's a film coming out and I hate to see a film before reading the book, so it was time. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is brutal, in fact, I don't know how they've managed to make a film for kids out of it. The concept is an old one, nasty dystopian society makes people fight to the death for entertainment and to keep everyone in line, but it really works. So much is covered, social inequality, love, lost childhoods, the lengths people will go to for entertainment. It is a truly terrifying vision of a society that gets its priorities so badly wrong, some of the characters attitudes are truly shocking. It's definitely one to take at a run but, be warned, it can leave you feeling a little paranoid, there were times while I was reading it that the cat walking into the room made me jump. The whole thing does feel a little bit like an elongated introduction though. The whole time they're in the arena it feels like the real story (how a society can be so messed up) is on the sidelines waiting to be told. I presume that's where we're going with the next two books, the ending of the first is certainly ominous enough. I'm sure it won't be long before curiosity overwhelms me. Loved it! May the odds ever be in your favour.
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