Books - What are you reading?

Friend mentioned that New Beacon Books in Finsbury Park is closing down at the end of the month due to beef with the landlord.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/dec/29/uk-first-specialist-black-bookshop-shut-new-beacon-dismay

I hate it so much when shops like that close. It's not one I ever went to, but it's something I've experienced with plenty of other places.

There is a further statement on their website now, 'beef with the landlord' doesn't really do the situation any favours. I do hope they can continue to be a good resource. The pandemic appears to be the final nail in the coffin for many an independent. Shame.

My recent efforts:

'The Contrarian' by Max Chafkin. About Peter Thiel. Enjoyed it a lot. Written by a journalist so flows very well. If you consider Thiel a cunt, you will think him an even bigger cunt after reading this. Thiel is just a very, very nasty person.

'Billion Dollar Loser' by Reeves Wiedeman. Would recommend, especially if you like to indulge your misanthropy. About the guy who built and then crashed WeWork. Full of great anecdotes.

'All the Light We Cannot See' by Anthony Doerr.
Gave up about a third into the book. Just too sickeningly sweet for my liking. It’s as if there is a recipe out there somewhere that publishers can use to commission books that are #inspiring and #profound. Make a child the protagonist, tie it to an important historical period or event, tickle the reader's fancy with a some interesting facts and tidbits etc. It's like a book equivalent of a person boosting their LinkedIn with a story about somebody close to them beating cancer.

'Night Theatre' by Vikram Paralkar
Superbly well written. But I could't really figure out what the story was about. Keen to hear what you guys think about it.

'Second Place' by Rachel Cusk
Had a go since it got good mentions in the annual lists from various reviewers. Couldn't get into it. have any of you guys read it?

Excellent read

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I've not read Second Place but I've read the weird trilogy of books by Rachel Cusk that I can't quite remember the name of now, and I really enjoyed how weird they were, even though they felt a bit like a creative writing assignment or an experiment at times.

I started The Promise by Damon Galgut a couple of days ago, which was a present I think my wife suggested someone in the family buy me because she wanted to read it. I really like it so far, it's another one like the trilogy above, or Lincoln In The Bardo or The True History of the Kelly Gang, where the 'conceit' works well enough that it makes the storytelling better and doesn't get in the way of what you're trying to read.

but I've read the weird trilogy of books by Rachel Cusk that I can't quite remember the name of now

Outline, Kudos, Transit.

Enjoyed Outline, and Mrs GB enjoyed the others, but I haven't got around to reading them yet.

Just finished The Apollo Murders by astronaut Chris Hadfield. Not bad but then I'm not a fan of mysteries, and not enough Science (TM) like The Martian to get me gripped in that respect.

Currently about 50 books in the "to read" stack(s). Need to make some headway into them.

Sounds great, I'll add it to my reading list!

Collected short stories of Grace Paley. Awesome writing.

I was just coming here to ask for nature/conservation writing recommendations.

I’ve just read Braiding Sweetgrass (which is beautifully written and explores the meeting of indigenous and scientific knowledge in ecology), and Elegy for a River (written by a friend of mine but also wonderful and his story of studying the ecology of water voles and what happens when science knowledge meets policy)

nature/conservation writing recommendations

Wilding - Isabella Tree
The Shepards Life or English Pastoral - James Rebanks
Islands of abandonment - Cal Flyn
Rebirding - Benedict Macdonald
Entangled Life - Merlin Sheldrake
Anything George Monboit
The Tiger or the Golden Spruce by John Vaillant

It's very good, Never had an interest in ornithology and I enjoyed it immensely.
Found this today (not listened yet) https://youtu.be/K6FP0QfYBbE
but looks like a good companion piece to the book.

It's well worth a read. See also https://youtu.be/K6FP0QfYBbE

Having worked with him briefly can also say the author is a bloody nice bloke

This is quite neat on Goodreads that it gives you a little summary of everything you read in a year.

I read 23 books in 2021 and I'll aim to beat that this year.

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Entirely apropos of nothing, but I have an eight year old mildly autistic son. The one good thing that has come out of the pandemic (for my family at least) is that I’ve been able to spend a lot more time helping him with his core skills.

Today, for the first time ever, I found him reading on his own for pleasure without prompting.

OK, Joseph Conrad it is not. But Dad here had a massive grin watching him giggle! (Forgive a sentimental old fart).

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Ha! We love Dogman. So silly and fun.

I didn't spot that! Here's mine. 30 books out of my 35 book target. I managed 47 in 2020, mostly due to being furloughed for a few months and wanted to keep my reading momentum up.

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That's amazing! What a proud parent moment.

That's lovely :).

Looks like some interesting debuts

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jan/16/introducing-our-10-best-debut-novelists-of-2022

It looks as if they've been saved (well, for now, no idea how long that will last):

https://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/business/crowdfunding-campaign-saves-finsbury-park-new-beacon-books-8611158

My 2021 reading was well down. Managed 27 books (with an average of 348 pages) through the year. Not just the fewest books read by quite some margin but also the lowest average pages.

Set a target of 40 again this year but not convinced I'll hit it.

Read three books I rated five stars:
The Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie
Bear Head by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Artemis by Andy Weir

Ready Player Two was my lowest rated, due to being shit.

Can anyone recommend books on psychology. Nothing like a text book but also not boring either.