The Joy of X

 The Joy of X: A Guided Tour of Math From One to Infinityby Steven Strogatz

This was a lot of fun. I got a bit lost at times but forged ahead and came out of each chapter knowing something I didn't before. 

There are 30 chapters, with titles that hint at the author's playful approach to math:

1. Fish to Infinity - an introduction to numbers 

3. The Enemy of My Enemy - the disturbing concept of subtraction

5. Division and Its Discontents

8. Finding Your Roots - complex numbers

10. Working Your Quads - the quadraic formula

11. Power Tools - the function of functions

16. Take It To The Limit - the power of the infinite (calculus)

20. Loves Me, Loves Me Not - differential equations

23. Chances Are - the improbable thrills of probablility theory

25. The Loneliest Numbers - prime numbers

27. Twist and Shout - playing with mobius strips and music boxes

Some of that sounded pretty intimidating to me, and it was, but even if I didn't grasp all the finer points, just getting the broader concepts into my head was invigorating. 

I don't know if I'll ever use what I learned, but it doesn't matter. I had fun trying to figure it out, it was entertaining reading, and it was good mental exercise. I'll keep it on my shelf and am sure I'll be referring to it again. 

The Sound of Fire

 The Sound of Fire by Renee Belliveau

In 1941, a fire broke out in the men's residence at Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB, Canada. That's about 45 mins from where I live - not sure of the distance in kms, we tend to measure distance in driving time up here - and though I'm familiar with the university and have known a number of people who received their education there, I had never heard this part of its history.

The author, Renee Belliveau, an archivist who discovered this story searching through University records, has written a heart-breaking novel based on a true and tragic story in which four students lost their lives when the raging fire burned the residence to the ground.  

Each chapter tells the story from a different viewpoint - students, a journalist, the University President, and the fire itself. As each one woke to someone pounding on their door, or the smell of smoke, or the alarm bell ringing, they fought their way through thickening smoke to whatever exit they could find. Some reached the fire escape, an iron ladder on the outside of the residence, and some were left with no choice but to jump from 3rd and 4th floor windows. Four students found no way of escape.

It was a little choppy in the beginning. In the middle of intense action it would stall to tell us about someone's background or family. Frustrating, but I forgot about it as I got lost in the gripping stories of what each one experienced in those terrifying moments. Their worry and fear were palpable, as were the grief and trauma later. The author did a good job of getting emotion across without resorting to sentimentality or melodrama.

I liked this one not only for its local history but for the story itself, a well-told one I think anyone could get into.

Still in Love / Olivetti

 Still in Love by Michael Downing

An audio book I enjoyed a great deal but suspect may not be for everyone. Several unsympathetic reviews dismiss it as being too narrow in its subject matter, but I like this particular subject matter and have to disagree. 

The title put me off at first - romances aren't my favourite genre - but it's more about the romance of writing than it is about a human relationship, although that is part of it, too.  

Set in the university classroom of a writing workshop, it strays only far enough from that to round out the story a little. The class is given various writing assignments, with the resulting stories discussed and evaluated by the group. Between classes and one-on-one meetings with students during office hours, the (asst.) professor is struggling to write a book of his own. His personal life comes into it, but never as much more than background to his teaching/writing life. 

If writing doesn't interest you I don't know that you'd find much to like in this. There is little action, but a lot of  thinking and discussing. I liked the characters and particularly enjoyed the professor analyzing the student's stories and offering suggestions for improvement. I hope to buy a hard copy to keep and read again.

 Olivetti by Allie Millington

I've come across a number of books lately where the narrator is an inanimate object rather than a human being. When I saw this story was told by a typewriter it was simply too bookish to pass up. 

The other narrator is a 12 year old boy, whose mother has been sick for some time and is now missing. The typewriter, Olivetti, remembers everything Beverly (the mother) ever typed on it and so may be able to provide clues as to where she has gone. The narrators alternate chapters.

The story - at times funny, at times sad - keeps you anticipating what comes next and is perfectly suited to the recommended reading age of 8 to 14 yrs. It touches on topics of cancer, difficult family situations, theft, anger, and being afraid, so may or may not be suitable for readers younger than that.

A uniquely interesting story.