A Timely Reform by Ian Ridley

Blog & web site of Ian Ridley

November, 2005Archive for

Recent reading

Wednesday, November 30th, 2005

Just finished The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks. Not quite as sharp as most of his other books but the concepts and storytelling still made it a page turner. 4/5

I also got half-way through If Only by Geri Halliwell. OK so I needed a break from the heavy sci-fi and I usually dip into biographies for this. I found her early life interesting – upbringing, trying out different careers and wanting to make it big. After the Spice Girls signed their first record deal it seemed to be getting predictably celeb infested. 3/5 for the first half and 1/5 for the second half.

I’m now just beginning Newton’s Wake by Ken Macleod. Although the concepts are good I often find his narrative can be a bit plodding. Here’s hoping for something better.

Other stuff I want to read:
Pandoras Star and Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton. These look much better than the disappoiting follow-ups to the Night’s Dawn Trilogy, which in any case suffered from a dodgy ending.
Dark Light and Engine City by Ken Macleod. I read all but the last couple of pages of Dark Light but lost the book!
Some recent books by Larry Niven, which seem to have passed me by.

Cricket…er…

Thursday, November 24th, 2005

Engalnd are not doing too well against Pakistan on the 5th day of the 2nd Test. Their top four went for 20 this morning. But I think only Bell got himself out. The rest were undone by the new ball swinging.

So our hopes are with KP and Flintoff – not two men you’d expect to block. I just wish BBC Radio 4 LW didn’t go across to “Today in Parliament” every morning at 8.30am. There’s a time and a place…..

Or perhaps I just need a DAB radio. I’d listen to it on my PC but the BBC aren’t broadcasting this Test on the internet.

This series has put into perspective England’s achievement under Nasser Hussain in 2000 to win a series in Pakistan.

Oh dear Pietersen has just been undone by a slower ball for 42. Now it’s up to Geraint Jones & Flintoff.