I really should read some more Ian Banks books. I have only read The Crow Road and The Wasp Factory. I first read The Black Cloud about 40 years ago and re-read it about 20 years ago. A couple of years ago I listen to the audio version of it. Excellent book.
H Saroo grew up in the suburb next to mine. His story received a great deal of attention in Tasmania, as did the movie. I remember waiting eagerly for the book to be released.
It was a beatiful movie and a great story. When I first heard where he was adopted, my thoughts went to you. Neat to hear that it was actually quite close. I can only imagine that there was a lot of press in town.
Just finished the Canterbury Tales, which I've been slogging through for months. Medieval women were all kinds of trouble. Moving in to..The Mexican Frontier, maybe, which is about the American Southwest/northern Mexico in the 20 years between Mexican independence and the US invasion.
He actually mentions my suburb in the book. The area of Calcutta he roamed around after getting off the train was Howrah (and it also the name of the railway station and the bridge). My suburb is also called Howrah and Saroo went to Howrah Primary School. As far as I know these are the only two places in the world called Howrah and Saroo thinks it was an incredible coincidence.
I really liked "The Bridge", which is the only one besides "The Wasp Factory" I've read; sorta fantasy'ish and with themes and scenes reminiscent of Ms work -if you know what I mean...
Just reread The Chosen by Chaim Potok on the 50th anniversary of its publication. Still as good a read as I remembered, and I understood more of it this time.
At the moment my reads are Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance by Gyles Brandreth, narrated by Bill Wallis. It is also known as Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders. It has Oscar Wilde investigating the murder of a young man with a little bit of help from Arthur Conan Doyle. I am not sure if I am enjoying the book enough to consider reading any more books in this series. My paperback read is Alphabetical: How Every Letter Tells a Story by Michael Rosen. I am only up to letter B. And I am still continuing with Mrs Kelly as my eBook read. Just over half way though it.
El Narco, about the drug wars spanning Mexico to Columbia, and the US government's role in aiding and abetting them.
I finished listening to the Oscar Wilde mystery. Found boring enough for me to return it to Audible for a refund. It is only the fourth book I have returned in about two and a half years. After this disappointing book I decided I needed to listen to a book from The Golden Age of Science Fiction and I have settled on City at World's End by Edmond Hamilton, narrated by Arthur Vincet. A small city has been hit by a super atomic bomb and the explosion has sent it and inhabitants into the distant future.
I thought I needed a few good laughs so I am now listening to P.G. Wodehouse's Thank You, Jeeves, narrated by Jonathan Cecil.
Still reading Stephen King's IT. I'm about halfway done now. I haven't had much time to read, but I need to finish it.