What are you reading? May 2012

fljustice · Post by **fljustice** » Wed May 23rd, 2012, 3:09 pm

Taking a break from HF and reading in another passion, The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives by Leonard Mlodinow. Are DNA results infallible? (Pretty close, but not the people and procedures that produce the results.) Is your favorite sports hero on a "lucky" streak or riding a statistically predictable trend? Is that famous CEO really brilliant or the beneficiary of regularly fluctuating markets? Always fascinating to see how our perceptions lead us astray.

Even a little history along the way on the evolution of probability along with number systems!

SonjaMarie · Post by **SonjaMarie** » Thu May 24th, 2012, 2:14 am

Grr a book I got from BF that I thought was a NF bio of Cristina di Savoia turned out to be a not a well written novel on her, it seems very anachronistic, with the princess asking for lunch at 1:30, did they even have that kind of concept of time in the 16th century? I may be wrong, but it seemed odd to me.

SM

SCW · Post by **SCW** » Thu May 24th, 2012, 12:11 pm

Trying to get through The Wheel of Fortune by Susan Howatch but am struggling with it. (feel bad for saying that because I loved Penmarric and Cashelmara)
Have to read the Name of the Rose and The Mists of Avalon for a uni subject next.

lauragill · Post by **lauragill** » Fri May 25th, 2012, 1:57 am

Reading Pauline Gedge's The King's Man. 84 pages in and Huy's done nothing but meet with young Amenhotep and his mother, dose himself with opium, try unsuccessfully to get some rest, have himself bathed and dressed by his body servant Tetiankh. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Vanessa · Post by **Vanessa** » Fri May 25th, 2012, 5:31 pm

I'm just about to start The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson.

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Sat May 26th, 2012, 11:04 am

I'm just about to start Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch.

Telynor · Post by **Telynor** » Sat May 26th, 2012, 3:18 pm

Working my way through Patrick O'Brian's second Aubrey/Maturin novel, Post Captain. Still the best sea-faring novels that I've ever read.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Sat May 26th, 2012, 4:27 pm

Just finished Heartstone by CJ Sansom. Big, meaty tome and as always a solid read from an excellent author. But not at the top of his game this time IMO. It needed some of the weight taking out. I was ready to quit with a couple of hundred pages still to go. Someone at Amazon said that it was a 3 star book from a 5 star writer. I'd agree but give it the top end of 3. I thought the characterisation was the full score, just the storyline meandered and stalled at times.

annis · Post by **annis** » Sun May 27th, 2012, 4:11 am

It's one of my pet peeves that Amazon doesn't allow an half star option. Often you feel a book merits more than, say, 3 stars, but doesn't quite qualify as a four.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Sun May 27th, 2012, 12:01 pm

[quote=""annis""]It's one of my pet peeves that Amazon doesn't allow an half star option. Often you feel a book merits more than, say, 3 stars, but doesn't quite qualify as a four.[/quote]

Yes, one of my pet peeves too Annis. Those half star markings would allow that bit more nuance and leeway.