Monthly Archives: August 2012

The Long Earth: Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter

Posted on August 27, 2012 by readingmater

My daughter the Terry Pratchett fan has bought a new book which I had not even known was published. She is away this weekend (re-enacting the historical past) so I  appropriated the book, which is not about Discworld, but alternative … Continue reading →

Posted in Science Fiction, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Paradigm shifts: How fast do we change a worldview? Thomas Berry’s “Sacred Universe”

Posted on August 21, 2012 by readingmater

Changes. I remember three specific instances of gay people who came out to me at different times. The first time , in about 1970, was very risky for the person who could have lost his job and been ostracised by … Continue reading →

Posted in non-fiction, social justice, theology | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Woman who went to bed for a year: Sue Townsend

Posted on August 18, 2012 by readingmater

Is this every young mum’s dream? Eva (archetype name, if ever one popped up, intended or not) saw the twins off to University, went to bed for a nap and stayed there. Sue Townsend is a writer of genius. I … Continue reading →

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A vanishing way of life

Posted on August 14, 2012 by readingmater

“The Last Shepherds: a Vanishing Way of Life on Britain’s Traditional Hill Farms” I spent my teenage years near the edge of the Cotswold Hills, traditional sheep country. Medieval England’s wealth was based on sheep, especially their wool. The sheep, … Continue reading →

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Fantasy or Myth-The Beginning Place: Ursula Le Guin

Posted on August 11, 2012 by readingmater

Fantasy or myth? Ursula Le Guin has written and talked about what genre she writes and how she classifies it. I just think she is the best myth maker I know. Wikipedia says she “explores alternative imaginings”.  Lots of fantasy is … Continue reading →

Posted in Science Fiction, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Just Believe…

Posted on August 9, 2012 by readingmater

AD 381. When? What? Why? If you have ever said a Christian creed, mumbled along, forgotten the words, or refused to say them- this book, AD 381, by Charles Freeman, would possibly explain why. I do want to say here … Continue reading →

Posted in history, non-fiction, theology, world religions | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Nation: Terry Pratchett

Posted on August 8, 2012 by readingmater

This book, as one of the comments on my recent post points out, is also about the individual stripped of community and alone. As I climbed on a bus this morning and was addressed by the bus driver as “Nan” … Continue reading →

Posted in Novels | Tagged | 2 Comments

Uprooted and unwanted

Posted on August 1, 2012 by readingmater

The Settler’s Cookbook, by Yasmin Alibhai Brown, is the story of the thousands of Ugandan Asians who had to leave their homes in the era of Idi Amin, woven together with the life story of this one individual, and her … Continue reading →

Posted in biography, Cookery, history, non-fiction | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments