I’ve been on some flights lately and skived off of work to read a bit more.

The White Tiger (Aravind Adiga) — a farce told from the perspective of a murderer-turned entrepreneur in Bangalore writing letters to Wen Jiabao. I think there are definitely some interesting issues here especially with Adiga trying to write the voice of the subaltern. The point of the book seems to be to skewer the rich in India (and by implication the middle class which seeks to emulate the rich) but I’m not sure if the hits land where they are targeted. Definitely worth reading and discussing if you care about India. People who have never been there may find it less… familiar, and so their reading experience would be quite different.

Interworld (Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves) — a Young Adult science fiction/fantasy novel. A bit of a thin premise, world-building-wise, but a breezy read. Can’t really recommend it but it was ok.

Rule 34 (Charles Stross) — a follow-up to Halting State. Set in future-Scotland and has all of the techno-econo-conspiracy together with some interesting takes on the effect of how ubiquitous internet and custom-3D printing and fabbing can affect life.

A Man of Misconceptions (John Glassie) — a fascinating biography of Athanasius Kircher, whose fascinatingly incorrect “scholarship” makes for some enjoyable reading. Glassie’s book is a really engaging read and brings a lot of the context of Kircher’s world to life. Highly recommended.