Nothing to Say Really

I hate the first week back after the holidays, I've only been back two days and already I am thinking about the September weekend.

On holiday I got the chance to read a few books due to the unbearable heat and the temperature being in the 24 -29 degree range during the night.

I'm not going to review any of the books, that's not my thing but I will tell you of one which really disappointed me.

I've been a big fan of Iain Banks, ever since I read The Wasp Factory about 25 years ago and count Complicity and The Crow Road amongst my favourite novels. His latest offering Transition bored me, the idea behind the book, that of a multiverse, of humans who are able to flit between these worlds and change things is an interesting idea, however a lot of the threads are never tied up, maybe this is deliberate but it is a bit annoying. At the beginning the credit crunch and the terrorist attacks on America are mentioned and you get the idea that these events are going to be relevant to the story but they are never mentioned again.

But the most annoying aspect of the whole book is the gratuitous sex which adds absolutely nothing to the story. I am beginning to think that Banks is turning into a dirty old man who has decided to put all of his fantasies into print.

The book was engaging in parts and some of Banks' wit and story telling of old is still present, however as a whole it ranks as one of his lesser works, not as dull as Song Of Stone but nowhere near Espidair Street and the others mentioned above.

I also listened to a hell of a lot of music over the fortnight I was away and can't believe that I had forgotten all about the song posted as it is an absolute belter of a soul song. It comes from Vol 2 of Dave Godin's Deep Soul Treasures. If you have any interest in soul music at all, the four volumes in this series are worth their weight in gold.

Nat Phillips - I'm Sorry I Hurt You.