100 books

On second (or maybe third) read this is a real grower. Rowling actually threads some good themes through the longest yet of the Potter stories. It doesn't beat Azkaban for me in terms of grippingness (Ithink you expect a big ole fight just now), but it is good. ANd lets face it I'm just looking forward to the Half Blood Prince now.

I don’t like this book. I think I can cope with children finding an amazing magical world in the back of a wardrobe, but I can’t cope with the idea of grown men finding life on Mars. Maybe I was looking for too much in it, maybe I just don’t like sci fi but yuk yuk yuk.. But because its Lewis I’m going to read the rest of the trilogy!!!

Erm.. it took me ages to get this book read. I just couldn’t focus on it. Now I know it’s a literally classic, I know its an essential tool for those studying leadership, political thought and medieval European history. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it does it? Machiavelli focuses his thoughts on what a person (intrinsically male in this context) must do to retain power when they have managed to procure it. Famously he talks about the need to make the people fear you before letting them love you. A good adage perhaps for teaching, but I’m not sure its one I would like to live by. Maybe I’m just not quite clever enough to get it, but I learned more about leadership from Watership Down (still vying for favourite book of the year!)

I pondered in Borders about whether to buy this or Peter Ackroyd’s Biography of London. This won, alarmingly solely on weight (yes physical weight!). And I kind of regret not picking Ackroyd. Don’t get me wrong- this is a well crafted, well written piece of literature. It is historically accurate (in terms of dates etc). The problem. Well, I just can’t bring myself to warm to A.N. Wilson. I find myself wanting to call him all sorts of slightly crazy things! Why? He manages to talk about the poor in London without ever mentioning Wesley or Booth. Shaftesbury gets a passing mention (but I rather think because he was a Lord). Wilson enjoys the church as designed by Wren, rather than the church as designed by God. I think (and this may be libelous) that he’s basically a grumpy Freemason who wants us to live in the Blitz and vote for Thatcher… That’s said- its still been a great read for getting to know London and some of its history.

He’s growing up that lad. I like the fact that we are getting to see a little bit of hormones. This is also getting darker- still great..

This is my favourite Potter thus far (though we are only ten weeks away from Potter 6 so watch this space). It begins to explore what it meant for the boy Harry to begin to live out of his past. I think I may be swayed by the film adaptation too which was definitely the best so far. Anyway, back to the book. Again Rowling is magnificent at introducing fantastic new characters. The dementors, though grim, are a genius piece of work. Sirius is also a wonderful character. This was another comfort read but a worthy one at that!