[seankenny]

I am vaguely acquainted with Mhari McFarlane, one of the UK’s leading chic lit authors, so last year I thought I’d see what the fuss was all about and read one of her books - Don’t You Forget About Me.

It was brilliant, laugh out loud funny but also went to some dark places that I was not expecting. I came away thinking that the chic lit moniker is just fucking grim, there is nothing to look down upon in “light fiction aimed at young women” unless you think the concerns of young women are frivolous or boring. So if you want a girl meets boy story that is funny I’d recommend anything by Mhari.

Pride and Prejudice is also very amusing and less threatening to anyone suffering from insecure masculinity*, what with it being a Classic and all.


* None of the regular posters on this thread obviously.

[sherlock]

Yeah, the phrase 'chick lit' always seemed a bit sniffy to me. I've read a fair amount as when I need a read often that is all that's available in the Highland Library e-book section.  There's good and bad in every genre of course.
I agree re Pride and Prejudice.
If you haven't read Jane Eyre that too is excellent

[andy popp]

I just thought of two other books I found very funny: The Sellout by Paul Beatty, in which a Black man attempts to reintroduce slavery and segregation to contemporary Los Angeles, and Oreo by Fran Ross, a rambunctious retelling of the tale of Theseus set in Philadelphia and New York. The author was briefly a writer for Richard Pryor.

[seankenny]

This year I read The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen. It’s a large serous family epic but is also very very funny at times. Not quite what you may be looking for (it’s not a comic novel per se) but it’s excellent.

[owensum]

Found out today that Robert Louis Stephenson wrote an essay on Fontainebleau in the 19th century, can you believe it?!

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/30990/30990-h/30990-h.htm#page215

Incredible!

[TobyD]

I just finished reading Dominion by Tom Holland, which is an understandably lengthy 'history of the making of the Western mind'. I'd highly recommend it if you are interested in the history of Christianity and/ or much of modern culture. It covers everything from pre biblical history to the Beatles, the lord of the rings and #metoo. He argues that despite the generally secular nature of much of European or American culture, the concept of secularism itself is rooted in Christian values; and that the same is true of humanism. That's only a small part of the book , but I found, one of the best.

[SA Chris]

There was me thinking he was just a superhero actor.

[Duma]

Found out today that Robert Louis Stephenson wrote an essay on Fontainebleau in the 19th century, can you believe it?!

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/30990/30990-h/30990-h.htm#page215

Incredible!

That's great, cheers!

[Fultonius]

I just finished reading Dominion by Tom Holland, which is an understandably lengthy 'history of the making of the Western mind'. I'd highly recommend it if you are interested in the history of Christianity and/ or much of modern culture. It covers everything from pre biblical history to the Beatles, the lord of the rings and #metoo. He argues that despite the generally secular nature of much of European or American culture, the concept of secularism itself is rooted in Christian values; and that the same is true of humanism. That's only a small part of the book , but I found, one of the best.

I listen a to The Rest Is History quite a lot, and do like Tom Holland - but he does seem to hold Christianity in high regard so I wonder how well argued that book is?

[TobyD]

I just finished reading Dominion by Tom Holland, which is an understandably lengthy 'history of the making of the Western mind'. I'd highly recommend it if you are interested in the history of Christianity and/ or much of modern culture. It covers everything from pre biblical history to the Beatles, the lord of the rings and #metoo. He argues that despite the generally secular nature of much of European or American culture, the concept of secularism itself is rooted in Christian values; and that the same is true of humanism. That's only a small part of the book , but I found, one of the best.

I listen a to The Rest Is History quite a lot, and do like Tom Holland - but he does seem to hold Christianity in high regard so I wonder how well argued that book is?

He thinks that Christianity is extremely significant,  which I'd say was pretty much the opinion of most people,  whatever their beliefs.  If you read it, I think that you will find that its extremely well written.  I knew a little about the history in it, but did not know just how cruel and despotic some parts of the church were in the medieval era and during the reformation.  In some of it, they almost make Putin look like an amateur baddie.  If you are assuming that Holland is a signed up Christian,  spoiler alert; he definitely isn't. 

[spidermonkey09]

Holland is definitely the better half of TRIH. Sandbrook is a complete bellend.

I've seen that book and thought it looked interesting, but was a bit put off by the sheer size of it!

[seankenny]

I really struggle with Tom Holland’s thesis that much of what we think of as secular liberalism having its roots in Christianity. I’d like to know how he deals with two things, firstly that early modern thinkers had to specifically struggle against Church and a broader Christian ethos. I’m sure he’ll claim they were simply trying to get the church to follow its own gospels but that strikes me as underplaying secular philosophy and political thought. Secondly, both Buddhism and Islam have a good claim to creating a similarly universalist approach (I don’t know enough about Judaism to say whether it does, and I don’t think Hinduism does at all) so to say these ideas are purely western, as opposed to most fully expressed in western societies, seems a little parochial to me.

Having said that, I’ve not read the book so he probably deals with these objections.

[TobyD]

I really struggle with Tom Holland’s thesis that much of what we think of as secular liberalism having its roots in Christianity. I’d like to know how he deals with two things, firstly that early modern thinkers had to specifically struggle against Church and a broader Christian ethos. I’m sure he’ll claim they were simply trying to get the church to follow its own gospels but that strikes me as underplaying secular philosophy and political thought. Secondly, both Buddhism and Islam have a good claim to creating a similarly universalist approach (I don’t know enough about Judaism to say whether it does, and I don’t think Hinduism does at all) so to say these ideas are purely western, as opposed to most fully expressed in western societies, seems a little parochial to me.

Having said that, I’ve not read the book so he probably deals with these objections.

As you say, you need to read it really. My precis was perhaps too simplistic to express what he is saying in it. It's not that secularism has it's roots in Christianity, more that this and other things exist within a Christian context. That still doesn't really get it across though, it's an interesting book, you should read it.

[Fiend]

A few recent / current reads.

Arkady Martine - The Teixcalaan Duology
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/a-memory-called-empire-1
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/a-desolation-called-peace-2
Nice semi-epic sci-fantasy told from pretty personal perspectives, with endearing characters in a distinctive world. Would happily read more of this stuff.

David Towsey - Equinox
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/equinox-62
A good gimmick of a world where two people inhabit each body - one in the day, the other in the night - and a decent witchcraft murder mystery too, albeit with a pretty mundane and abrupt ending.

James Smythe - The Anomaly Quartet
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-explorer-the-anomaly-quartet-book-1
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/series/the-anomaly-quartet-1
Finally parts 3 and 4 are available at a decent price so I'm re-reading this from book one, which as I vaguely remember is a pretty intriguing and atmospheric low-key space chiller.

[Duma]

love those Arkady Martine books.

Thanks for the kobo links, handy as I just bought a libra 2

[slab_happy]

If you like Arkady Martine's work, maybe worth checking out Ann Leckie too? More distantly, Yoon Ha Lee or Tamsyn Muir.

[Fiend]

Cheers! Duma, Kobos seem pretty rare, and although mine has been glitchy and annoying at times, I've read a lot on it.

book_happy, I've read Ann Leckie, I think I was discussing her books further up with TobyD and others who were underwhelmed. Oh, and yes, I've read Yoon Ha Lee too. Just looked up Tamsyn Muir and I believe that is the same "lesbian necromancers in space" series you recommended before?? It still doesn't grab me tbh...

[Duma]

Cheers! Duma, Kobos seem pretty rare, and although mine has been glitchy and annoying at times, I've read a lot on it.

Yeah I remember you saying yours had been buggy on a thread a few years ago. Mines been very smooth so far, hopefully the latest ones have ironed out the annoyances. Reviews had it (libra 2) ahead of the equivalent kindle so I went for it in the spirit of avoiding the Amazon bohemoth except for my prime subscription...

[Wellsy]

I'm reading MJH's Light at the moment, really struggling to enjoy it tbh

[Duma]

If you like Arkady Martine's work, maybe worth checking out Ann Leckie too? More distantly, Yoon Ha Lee or Tamsyn Muir.

was it Ann Leckies book that was discussed in one of the Very Bad Wizards podcasts?

[jwi]

Cheers! Duma, Kobos seem pretty rare, and although mine has been glitchy and annoying at times, I've read a lot on it.

book_happy, I've read Ann Leckie, I think I was discussing her books further up with TobyD and others who were underwhelmed.

I like her books quite a bit, especially The Raven Tower (which admittedly is not Sci Fi, but a retelling of Hamlet in a vague Fantasy setting). I did not much rate Provenance, but the Ancillary triology was good I thought.

[slab_happy]

Just looked up Tamsyn Muir and I believe that is the same "lesbian necromancers in space" series you recommended before?? It still doesn't grab me tbh...

Yup, that's it! You tried it and didn't like, or just the sound of it doesn't grab you?

[Fiend]

Just doesn't grab me. I'm not generally a fan of, err, the more flamboyant, semi-humourous type sci-fi / fantasy stuff.

[owensum]

If you like Arkady Martine's work, maybe worth checking out Ann Leckie too? More distantly, Yoon Ha Lee or Tamsyn Muir.

was it Ann Leckies book that was discussed in one of the Very Bad Wizards podcasts?

I'd be really surprised if that was the case. Not really deep enough for VBW.

[owensum]

I'm reading MJH's Light at the moment, really struggling to enjoy it tbh

How far are you? I must say I also struggled with it. Some moments of brilliance (no pun intended) but also some pretty bizarre, new wave mashup nonsense. I could tell where he was getting it all this from, but it just didn't work for me.