Bad Bugs Book Club 2020

The aim of the Bad Bugs Book Club is to get people interested in science, specifically microbiology, by reading books (novels) in which infectious disease forms some part of the story.

* Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson  (YA)  – yellow fever in the 18th century US.

 * Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koonz -floated to the surface recently because it features a virus produced in a secret Wuhan laboratory.  One of the worst books I’ve read.  A mishmash of Stephen King, a spy thriller and romance.  The relevant part is 5% at the end of the novel.

* The Calcutta Chromosome by Amitav Ghosh  – a bewildering mix of real science and a conspiracy theory

* Not forgetting the Whale by John Ironmonger – “British whimsical” segueing into Wolf of the Wall street segueing into a postapocalyptic novel that ends well.

* The Constant Gardener,  John le Carre – a global pharma conspiracy. I remember Ralph Fiennes mopping about in the film; the book is better despite the bleak end.

* The waiting room, Eve Smith – after a global crysis, antibiotics are not administered to people over 70; a government conspiracy. Le Carre meets Vongozero.

*  The Bone garden by Tess Gerritsen – an excellent description of “childbed fever”, ridiculous plot with Mills & Boon moments. The second worst book of the year, after Eyes of darkness.