What book are you reading atm?? CHAPTER TWO

Everest The First Ascent by Harriet Tuckey. I didn't expect much from this when I pulled it off the library shelf, but half way in, I'm thoroughly engrossed. It's different from other accounts of the conquest of Everest in that it's told from the perspective of Griffith Pugh, the physiologist on the expedition. Pugh was pretty much scorned by a lot of the party, often a figure of fun and then mostly written out of it when the tales were told and the heroes were feted. The romantic spirit of the climbers completely clashed with Pugh's scientific endeavours and this book determinedly sets out to correct the myths. Tuckey is Pugh's daughter but doesn't come across as anything other than impartial, more it's a case of her trying to come to terms with a man she never really got to know as he was always off somewhere climbing. Fascinating life and story.

Still working my way through Dune. Took me a while to get into it at first because of the writing style, but making good progress now.

Bob Mortimer - And Away...

If, like me, you became a huge fan of Bob Mortimer through his, by now, near legendary appearances on the game show Would I lie to you?, then i think you'll enjoy this book. At times it feels like the literary equivalent of watching an episode of WILTY (even the fabled Gary "Cheesy" Cheeseman pops up at regular intervals), at others it's more serious and life affirming. But never less than a pure joy from a man whose status as a British national treasure surely cannot be in doubt at this stage?

Testimony by Anita Shreve.

It's about illegal and illicit sex in a private boarding school in New England, between a group of boys and an underage girl. I won't give away any more of the story, except to say that it brings up memories in me of the Belfast trial a few years back. It is mainly in the form of a documentary.

Would I recommend it? of course - I would recommend anything by Anita Shreve and this book is absolutely not an exception - beautifully written and very thought-provoking.

Powers and Thrones: A Hew History of the Middle Ages by Dan Jones

Cracking good read. Manages to make complicated stuff very readable without dumbing down.

Got it myself over Christmas and have it to read at some point in the near future. I'm a big fan of his Templar and Crusader books and his documentaries do be very good as well.

The Dark Forest by cixin liu.

2nd in series of three

I started Dune, but had to abandon it....because of the writing style. Will just watch the film instead.

Currently reading The Sure Thing, about the life of Barney Curley.

Returning Light by Robert L. Harris

The author has been a warden on Skellig Michael for over 30 years and this book is his memoir of living and working on the iconic rock off the coast of Kerry.

Icebound in the Arctic: The Mystery of Captain Francis Crozier and the Franklin Expedition by Michael Smith

I enjoyed reading this captivating account of the life of Northern Irish explorer Captain Francis Crozier who travelled to both the Arctic and Antarctica over the course of his career. He would also be second in command of the Franklin Expedition that disappeared in the Arctic in the 1840s.

Surviving the Storms: Extraordinary Stories of Courage and Compassion at Sea by the RNLI

This book comprises of 11 different real life stories of rescues by the amazing men and women of the RNLI across Britain and Ireland. Corks' very own Castletownbere RNLI makes an appearance.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Promise:Damon Galgut reads like an AnneEnright family novel, i recommend except not for MaeveBinchy readers1

ha, this mentioned in what I am reading: Norwegian Wood (Haruki Murakami)