Susan Cooper, The Dark is Rising

 Meant to finish on Twelfth Night really, but had read one chapter a day since Midwinter's Eve. I've given a copy to cousin Jack too in the hope that he will read it as my kids aren't interested, although Helen did try reading it to William at bedtime, but didn't get far. Still so enjoyable, but mad that it's set between Slough and Windsor. I've been over that way a few times to Dorney looking for the locations in the book, and the manor house and the church are there, but unlike in Susan Cooper's youth there is also the roar of the M4, the Dorney Lakes and all sorts of urban encroachment - not the bucolic Buckinghamshire of the book at all.

Jan Morris, Spain

 Maybe it's from an earlier time, but Jan Morris seems to be allowed to get away with saying things that wouldn't be allowed nowadays. Not in a pc way, but she is prone to sweeping generalisations and ascribing traits to whole peoples or places that are romantic, beguiling, wonderful to read but not necessarily true. I guess that is poetic licence and part of her Celtic outlook. Really enjoyed the book, but it's her imagined Spain rather than the 'real' Spain, and a Spain that was still very much the country of Franco, with repression, suspicion, dark corners and a powerful church.

Richard Ayoade, The Unfinished Harauld Hughes

 Richard Ayoade is very funny, very clever and wonderful to watch in so many things, but this is the second book of his I've read where I haven't quite got the humour, I suspect a lot of it is going over my head. Back at work today after Christmas and Boxing Day, but it is very quiet so I'm tidying up spreadsheets, which is wonderful. I'm also wearing my brand new White Horse of Uffington t-shirt, so I'm looking very stylish too. We're heading up to Derby tomorrow, taking Grogu on a long car journey for the first time. . . 

Amy Jeffs, Saints: A New Legendary of Heroes, Humans and Magic

 More folklore and quite a nice read in bite sized chunks. Amy Jeffs seems to have a Stakhanovite approach to folklore and is churning out these sort of books, including the illustrations too. They are very good looking books, irresistible to purchase. It's Christmas Eve, and I still have a lot of wrapping to do. . . 

Richard Adams, Watership Down

 I've not read the book before, but I remember the film and a book of the film I had when I was a child vividly. The story was therefore familiar, but there is so much to it - a whole invented world of rabbit mythology, a convincing attempt to understand the rabbit psyche and outlook on the world, loads of nods to classic mythology and a retelling of the Iliad, wonderful stuff and it all takes place between Basingstoke and  Newbury. I'll have to head over that way and explore more. Just 2 days to christmas, I'm hoping work is quiet today and tomorrow. . .

Michael Wood, In Search of the Dark Ages: A History of Anglo-Saxon England

Two books in a row that I've been able to follow, enjoy, and not doze off whilst reading. Not doze off too often, anyway. This was an update of a classic, and I may not have read the original but can see how it had changed. The original was built around chapters on 'great men' - Athelstan, Ethelread, William The Conqueror partly I guess because that's the best you can do with the sources we have and partly 'cause that was the mindset once. The updated book takes advantage of new archaeology and scholarship and also brings in other characters, notable women and non-white men from the period who weren't on the radar before.

Daniel Mason, North Woods

 Loved it. A series of connected stories taking place in the same smallholding somewhere in Western Massachusetts. A couple of times at the end of chapters I let out a 'no!' I had become so invested. Helen's Uncle and Aunt must be aware of this given where they live, but I'll have to check as it is so good. I'll badger Helen to read it too. At home, everyone seems to be over the sickness bug now and I've turned a corner with Grogu. He didn't seem to want to go out with me, but I took Friday off work, we went out for a long walk and since then we've been out each day and he seems to be increasingly happy in my company - and me with him. Long may it continue, although in the house he still gets a bit bitey as he's teething, the poor guy. Almost ready for Christmas, although I need to get something for Helen from me that isn't a bin.

Simon Kuper, Good Chaps: How Corrupt Politicans Broke our Law and Institutions - And What We Can Do About It

 An entirely unsurprising polemic. So unsurprising it got me wondering why it was written in such a revelatory fashion when all of these facts were known. An astonishing quote from Alastair Campbell on the blurb, 'I got angrier and angrier and angrier and angrier as I read it'. As if Campbell of all people didn't know exactly what was going on, he was at the heart of it. It makes him sound like Captain Renault in Casblanca claiming to be shocked at gambling occurring as he collects his winnings. Read this while very very ill with a sickness bug. I'm over it now, but Helen and William have gone down with it. Hopefully all better soon.

Hakan Nesser, The Inspector and Silence

 Been a while since I've read a Van Veeteren novel, but I've always enjoyed his rainy, miserable north European Maardam, with its mixed up elements of the Netherlands, Scandinavia and even Finland and Poland. I struggled to follow this though. The only character I could identify was VV, and I couldn't follow the plot and who had been murdered and when. I struggle more and more with reading and i do worry that it is a sign of my brain decaying! It seems to happen more with  fiction than non-fiction, and maybe i just need to spend quality time with uninterrupted reading rather than snatches when I'm thinking about other things

Lewis Baston, Borderlines: a history of Europe, told from the edges

Loved it. Was a bit sceptical at first as there are a few books around about borderlands, but this hit the spot for me. Lewis Baston is particularly interested in Central Europe and the Habsburg territories (and what has become of them), so straight away this is tailor-made for me. He travels around Mitteleuropa full of curiosity, logs what he sees and the tragedies that nationalism, fascism and communism have inflicted on people, and covers new ground (for me anyway), looking at the Czech-Polish border for example rather than more well known areas of dispute like Croatia-Serbia.

Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac

Bought this quite recently, but can't remember where it was recommended. A Booker prize winner from the '80s, but in many ways it could have been set in any period from the 19th century to the 1990s, and with it's theme of a woman who has had an affair and jilted her fiance being 'sent away' to a hotel in the Alps feels much earlier morally than the 1980s. I enjoyed it, and wouldn't mind seeing the film with Anna Massey and Denholm Elliott. It was witty and short, but hasn't left me hungry to read any more by Anita Brookner.

Sam Leith, The Haunted Wood: A History of Childhood Reading

 A book for anyone who caught the reading bug as a child. I've so grateful to the wonderful Puffin Book Club and Hillingdon Borough Libraries for giving me that love of books. There's some arrested development on my part though, as children's fiction still appeals, particularly as there is so much I missed out on - the Famous Five, The Wind in The Willows, Alan Garner, Nicholas Fisk. . . I've given up hope now that any of our kids will be bibliophiles, but they need to be their own people. Kevin's son Jack seems to be a keen reader, and I've lent him lots of Tintin and Asterix. He's just turned 10 so I bought him The Dark is Rising, which was my favourite book when I was his age. I still love it of course, and will be reading it on Midwinter's Day.

Laurent Binet, The 7th Function of Language

Binet is a very inventive and playful writer, and I really enjoyed 'Civilisations' and 'HHhH', but was a bit worried about this as it's quite an off-pitting title and requires a much greater knowledge of French history, semiotics, philosophy and intellectual life in Paris than I have. so a lot of it was impenetrable, but I could still enjoy it - the mix of real people and fiction, of mundane and surreal situations is my sort of thing, and the sort of book I'd write if I had the talent or imagination. Mine would feature Captain Haddock, Neville Southall and a three wheeled van rather than Derrida, Eco and epistemiology though

Jasper Carrott, A Little Zit on the Side

 I remember reading this when I was very very bored on a teenage holiday in Torrevieja - too old to have fun by the pool, to young to go out by myself so I just sat inside moping, reading and making houses of cards. I also read 'The Omen' if I remember correctly. i thought this book was soo funny at the time, and I must have reread it since as so many of the stories were familiar, I could even see them n the page with the layout. Some of it has dated slightly, but there's still plenty that's funny. I've bought 'Sweet and Sour Labrador' second hand too, which was another book of his I read at the time. Strange that something I read 25 years ago is fresh in my head but stuff from last week has gone already.

Andrew Eames, Blue River, Black Sea: A journey along the Danube into the heart of the New Europe

 An updated version of Patrick Leigh Fermor's 'Between The Woods and the Water' which is often referenced and inspired the author's journey. Claudio Magris's 'Danubia' is mentioned too, and his gloriously quixotic search for the source of the Danube. If I remember correctly he concluded it was the gutter of some mountain cabin. A well-written account, and interesting to see how much central Europe has changed since PLF hobnobbed it with the aristos (astonishingly some still there, although in much reduced circumstances). the author isn't afraid to show his vulnerability, and there were a few times he got very lonely on the journey, bless him. i think I'd be the same. As I write this Grogu is fast asleep at my feet after a lot of barking. I'm not sure what the problem is, probably his teeth. He did get a lot of treats earlier when I was attempting to train him to sit, so maybe i overdid it.

Stuart Murdoch, Nobody's Empire

 A signed copy bought in Totnes! I've been reluctant to fork out for it before as much as I love Belle & Sebastian, I wasn't sure it would be a great novel. It wasn't a surprising story really, very autobiographical, so full of fey indie behaviour, lots about ME and trying and failing  to get off with manic pixie dream girls. Worth reading though for all the music tips. Pleasantly surprised that 20 year old Stuart Murdoch was such a big dan of The Sundays, much as 20 year old David Sawyer was, but also other bands like Galaxie 500, Big Stat and the Pastels, all of which I've heard of but never really listened to - hopefully I can discover some new music in my old age, even if it is just more jangly guitar of the type I've spend most of my life listening to

Neil Price, The Children of Ash & Elm: A History of the Vikings

 Absolutely exhaustive, and covering much more than the normal histories of the Vikings. The first part of the book  concentrated on Viking beliefs, their world view, their social organisation, ceremonies, folklore  and so on. Only in the later parts did it look at their expansion, piracy, trading and influence across Europe and beyond. Took me a long time to read though, will have to pick something light next. I'm going to gloss over the election of Trump as president for a second time that was announced earlier today, and instead talk about Grogu. tomorrow is the first day when I will be at home alone with him, so I'm a bit concerned about how it will go - will he be ok? Will he disturb me at work? I'm not sure how to manage it yet, but i think I'll try working downstairs so we can be company for each other.

Nora Ephron, Heartburn

 Read in Brixham while on holiday, and I think it's Nora Ephron's only novel. It's not what I was expecting, as mistakenly I thought it would be a rom-com like When Harry Met Sally, but while it is very funny, it's semi-autobiographical and tells the tale of the end of a marriage, with all the bitterness, jealousy, heartache and therapy that involves. 

John Lewis-Stemple, England: A Natural History

 Enjoyed his book on France, so read this about England - again lots of hype and good reviews, and very readable, with a mixture of personal experience, research, scene-setting and anecdotes. Each chapter covered a different geographical feature - coast, river, heath, etc. Lewis-Stemple is of the view that hunting and shooting are positive things and necessary to maintain the countryside environment, but I just cannot buy that. However it is dressed up, the environment is adapted to suit humanity, and to argue that (for example) grouse shooting is good for birds of prey and biodiversity when it patently isn't is perverse. I get that if grouse aren't being shot there is no incentive for the landowner to maintain moorlands and it could return to woodland in a few generations otherwise, but I'm not sure that is a bad thing, and if moorland is so important it's perfectly possible to maintain it in the greater interest without intensively breeding grouse and then shooting them. Finished this book on holiday in Brixham. Helen had to stay at home and look after the dog, so there was a fair bit of homesickness and grumpiness at being made to walk from the kids, but it was good to get away and it was a lovely spot. It gave Fred some practice for his practice hike this weekend for the Southern 50 competition to. He ended up giving William a piggy-back home from Greenway as poor W was so tired. Well done Fred.

Susanna Clarke, The Wood at Midwinter

 A very short story written as a Christmas tale for the radio in 2022. I'd read anything by Susanna Clarke, and we are going to see her at the South Bank on Saturday so wanted to get it read before then. I needed to savour it a bit more, I can see that it would be wonderful fireside reading in the deep midwinter. Maybe I'll come back to it on Christmas Eve once I've had my fill of The Dark is Rising

Alan Moore, The Great When

 Set in an alternative London accessible only to some, but existing alongside our own London. A very well trodden path, with Neverwhere, Rivers of London etc. Moore knows all these and far more and as always is wonderful at building a world inspired by others, like the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or Watchmen. Took a while to get into it, but really enjoyed it once I did. Not sure I can yet face his whacking great 'Jerusalem' novel which has been sat in the garage for a few years now, but more of this would be welcome. Grogu is settling in well, with Libby taking the lead as chief puppy looker afterer

Steve Mann, Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy

 Nice to read a useful, practical book rather than one full of esoteric information! Grogu arrived yesterday so it is good to have some idea of what we are letting ourselves in for and what we should do, but less than 24 hours in and I think we've got a lot wrong already. Pup is sleeping on Libby rather than in his den, treats aren't being associated with good behaviour, pup is jumping up at people. . . but he's still a puppy and we will get things wrong. the main thing is to be warm, friendly and let him know he'll be comfortable, looked after and loved. Libby has a two week half term so can keep an eye on him, although we were planning to go to Brixham next week and have an AirBnB booked - not sure who will go now - maybe just me and Fred. Grogu isn't allowed out just yet, it'll be another week at least depending on what the vet says.

Roberto Bolano, The Savage Detectives

 I really enjoyed 2666, but my word it was a big book. 'The Savage Detectives' is similarly critically acclaimed, and a semi-autobiographical satire on poets. There are multiple narrators though and it seemed too disjointed for me to follow. It's the story of two poets who don't write much poetry but live the life - worshipping a long-forgotten poet who may not even have existed, decrying every other writer and throwing them out of their group, travelling the world being moody and unreliable and leaving myths behind them. Too much for me though.

Ian Ryan, A Beautiful Pint: One Man's search for the perfect pint of Guinness

 A very short, stocking-filler of a book to make cash. But hey, fair enough, still enjoyable. It covers briefly the history of Guinness, what makes it so attractive, how to pour and maintain it and also some good places to get a decent pint of Guinness. There is a much better, bigger book in there on this subject with some more effort, it's mostly personal experiences of the author. I'll pass it on to another Guinness drinker

Jessie Childs, The Siege of Loyalty House: A new History of the English Civil War

 A micro-history of the English Civil War through the defenders and besiegers of Basing House, a fortified mansion house just down the road from here. I didn't pay too much attention to who was who, but there were a few nice nuggets of information and a huge amount of work has gone into it.  I'd like to go and see the house, but i don't think there is much left and it doesn't appear to be open to the public at the moment. I thought about cycling there this weekend, but only got as far as Hartley Wintney before deciding to turn back - partially due to aching legs, partially due to lots to do with the dog arriving next weekend. I've dog-proofed the garden ( I hope) and got rid of the old fridge. Now Helen wants me to put some shelves in, so the scope for disaster is big. . . 

John Wyndham, Chocky

 I don't think I've read the book before, but I have vague memories of the Children's TV series in the '80s which was a bit spooky and featured an alien. The book is very different to what I expected, more aimed at adults than kids and more about parental worry that their son is going mad/is possessed when he's actually in contact somehow with an alien intelligence. Really enjoyed it but it's not a children's book, they must have changed it for the series! The big news at home is that Libby has finally bounced us into getting a dog! Grogu arrives in 1.5 weeks!

John Lewis-Stemple, La Vie: a Year in Rural France

 I hadn't heard of John Lewis-Stemple before, but apparently he is one of the UK's foremost writers on farming and the countryside. I guess he tends to write for publications I don't normally read, and he does seem rather Tory (he can trace his ancestors back to the Norman Conquest apparently). 'La Vie' was a lovely piece of wish-fulfilment, an idealised bucolic existence of self-sufficiency in rural France. To be fair to him, as beguiling as he makes the lifestyle sound, he also makes it plain that it is hard work. I will search out and read more by him.

Freeman Wills Crofts, The Hog's Back Mystery

 A by-the-rules murder mystery from the Golden Age. I rather enjoyed it, and it was refreshing to see it through the eyes of the investigating detective and follow him as he uncovers the clues and thinks through the case rather than have a sleight-of-hand magician like Holmes or Poirot drop cryptic comments and then show how clever they are at the end. It was so fairly clued that in the summing up chapter at the end the page numbers for each important part of the solution were included. The location added to the charm, with all the action being set in the lovely countryside between Farnham, Guildford and Godalming. I often cycle round there so could vividly picture it. 

Tom Fort, Channel Shore: From the White Cliffs to Land's End

I've read previous books by Tom Fort on Lawnmowers and the A303 and found them very enjoyable, and this was similar. The inverted snob in me was a bit disappointed to learn he was an Old Etonian rather than the Everyman I thought him to be, but he's no snob himself and writes so well and entertainingly. He made me want to follow his journey along the Channel shore, which is all you can ask.

Hiroko Oyamada, Weasels in the Attic

 A very short novella that was quite nice but far too short. The best thing was seeing the inscription from Libby wishing me a happy 49th birthday. Will add to Helen's Tsundoku because of the Japanese connection

Steve Tibble, Templars: The Knights Who Made Britain

Steve Tibble is at RHUL apparently, which was a pleasant surprise. Interesting to read about the Templars in Britain, but they weren't nearly as common as I had though and much more administrative - there were never cadres of elite warriors at their manors and holdings, just a few quill-pushers and the elderly and infirm. they had a holding in Cranford, which i never knew. Have to look into that. Fred has been at college for a few weeks now and seems to have settled in. Hard to say for sure as being a teenager it's all a bit monosyllabic and grunty. He has a driving experience this weekend and we are getting him a new bike, so that should hopefully put a smile on his face. He also needs to help me fix the shed roof though. 

Amor Towles, Rules of Civility

I really enjoyed 'A Gentleman in Moscow' which has since been made into a lovely TV Drama starring Ewan McGregor. 'Rules of Civility' was a first person narrative from a young, single woman in '30s Manhattan. Her voice and dry humour and observations were entertaining, but nothing much seemed to happen and some of the characters just weren't memorable. My fault for not concentrating enough probably. At home we are having a bit of a clear out and have emptied the shed of all the old bikes and scooters. Helen's taken them to the dump today and found it a bit of a wrench. It's cleared some space though so hopefully we can now fill it with some of the crap from the garage so we can fill the garage up with crap from the rest of the house so we can buy more crap. Still cheaper than an extension though.

Dan Jones, Henry V: The Astonishing Rise of England's Greatest Warrior King

Concentrated much more on Henry's early life than other books, and those were the parts I enjoyed most. Hadn't put 2 + 2 together and realised that when he was born, there was no chance of him becoming King, and royalty was thrust upon him by his father's usurpation. so he had a relatively obscure birth, above the gatehouse in Monmouth Castle. Dan Jones is a fan, and that shines through, accentuating many positives such as his behaviour, his approach to justice and politics as well as the brilliant martial reputation Henry has (and is that really a positive?). I did find the familiar list of battles won and court intrigue a little boring towards the end. 

David Benioff, City of Thieves

 Bought second hand as I recognised Benioff's names as one of the showrunners of Game of Thrones, which despite the disappointment of the last series was brilliant TV. It also turned out he wrote the script for Wolverine, which we coincidentally also watched this weekend, as Libby is working her way through the X-Men movies. The book was really enjoyable, a fictionalised account of the deprivations Benioff's grandfather experienced during the Siege of Leningrad. How much is fictionalised I don't know, but the tale of two  ragamuffin chancers given a second chance to save their skins if they can perform an impossible quest and find two dozen eggs in starving, siege-ridden Leningrad was super. Would make a great TV series too. . . 

David M Gwynn, The Goths: Lost Civilizations

Bought this at the British Museum at the weekend. I took William and his friend Alex up for the 'After Dark Ages' Sleepover. They tried some archaeology, listened to Saxon stories (mostly Beowulf), learnt a few phrases of Old English and Norse and made some Saxon jewelry. I think they enjoyed it, although it went on until midnight so poor William was falling asleep during the last activity. The kids are all getting a bit old for this sort of thing now though, William is just on the cusp of finding it a bit sad and thinking it fun to heckle the performers. Ah well, kids grow up. Fred had his fist lessons today at Woking College, and there was a panic this morning as he couldn't printout the homework he had been given. Valuable lesson there though - never trust the reliability of a printer and never leave it to the last minute. The book was very readable, and examined all aspects of 'Goth' from the ancient tribe through medieval architecture and the romantic movement to horror stories and the mergence of the music Goths in the '80s. V enjoyable, and fascinating that one word covers so many meanings, many of which appear to be contradictory. what unites them all? I dunno - kicking against authority/the settled state of things maybe?

J.L. Carr, How Steeple Sinderby Wanderers Won the FA Cup

Surprising it's taken me so long to read one of the few classic novels about football. It's very strange, and has the feeling of a pre-war book, but was actually written in the'70s, so references to televised matches and Alan Hardaker jar. An eccentric Roy of the Rovers story of how a village team take on all comers and make it to the FA cup final where they beat Rangers, with some odd incidents and characters along the way. J.L. Car was obviously enjoying himself immensely writing this flight of fancy, but I'm not sure it should be considered a classic.

Henry David Thoreau, Walden

I should have read this long ago, being one of the most important works of American literature and philosophy. But anything abstract repels me, and the word 'transcendentalism' makes me run for this hills, and that is often used in connection with Thoreau. I did enjoy this, but Thoreau sounds like an absolute charlatan, a dreamer of a man who can fool himself completely, he'd be great fun to be around. the thrust of the book is Thoreau's self reliance and simple life in nature, unsullied by civilisation and mammon, but the reality is he was living in a bustling community, eating ad his friends' houses, taking his laundry home to his Mum and had a housekeeper. Not at all the rugged individualism surrounded by nature of a Grizzly Adams, more of a bohemian student life, shirking real work to draw butterflies and potter around a pond. I don't mean that to be disapproving, that sounds ideal to me. just a reminder though that anyone's dream of splendid isolation and self-reliance is a mirage - we are all dependent on others and life alone would be hard, short and unbearable. 

Graham Swift, Last Orders

 his was recommended to my by Helen's Uncle Ray as a wonderful book that made him cry. I was aware of the film, but it had not been on my radar before. I read it over a weekend when Helen and the kids were away, and indeed found it very emotional, a story of loss, tragedy, of humanity making mistakes, of regrets of a life lived. The best part was the voices though, as the characters were Bermondsey based and spoke like it. So refreshing to hear the familiar banter of an older London generation without it being patronising. I didn't quite cry when Amy visited her brain-damaged daughter to tell her her Dad has passed away and that she would no longer be visiting, but it was pretty close. I watched the film as soon as I'd finished the book, and it's grand. Bob Hoskins, Michael Caine, Helen Mirren, David Hemmings, Tom Courtenay and Ray Winstone. Can't believe I haven't seen it before

John Kampfner, In Search of Berlin: The Story of Europe's Most Important City

 A pop history, and one with a debatable title. There are a fair few better candidates for the title of 'Europe's most important city' - Rome , Istanbul, Paris, London, Moscow.  It may not even be the most important Germanic city historically; Vienna would make a fair claim there. A nice read by someone who knows the city well, and Berlin is a fascinating place with a complex culture - simultaneously militaristic and authoritarian with a liberal, creative counter-culture. There's nowhere quite like it, but honestly I've no desire to visit, there are so many dark periods in its history it's not somewhere I would think I'd be comfortable.

Angela Carter, The Magic Toyshop

This is my ignorance, but I'm not sure why Angela Carter is held in such high regard. This was a simple domestic tale of a privileged woman who has to go and stay with awful relatives. There was a macabre feel as her uncle was obsessed with puppets and controlling his family, but I didn't feel any horror and the purported magical realism was hardly there at all - very little super natural went on. Maybe if I had ever felt the constraints of being a woman without agency in society I'd understand  more.

Robert Holland, The Warm South: How the Mediterranean shaped the British imagination

 A vast subject, and more an account of how the Mediterranean has influenced specific British artists, poets, writers etc than some shared imagination. The Mediterranean is loosely defined, and as there are so many specific instances it would be possible to argue that it's not the Med so much as Greece, or Italy, or Spain, or France, that has exerted its influence rather than an overall Mediterranean culture. Lovely title for a book though, and I'm not doing it justice in my summary. Freddie got his GCSE results yesterday, and did really well. He got the grades he needed to go on and do A Levels, including 9s in Maths and Geography, so he is happy. We offered him his choice of celebration, but all he wanted was a Chicken Katsu from Kokoro. . . 

Andrew Lowe, Creepy Crawly

I can't remember how I heard about this, but it's a Scandi-noir crime thriller set in the Peak District with a flawed detective called Jake Sawyer. So it's a genre I enjoy, set in a place I love with a main character with an excellent name. I'm very much the target demographic, it could have been tailor made for me. I did enjoy it, it's not spectacularly original, and Jake Sawyer is a bit of a cliche with his traumatic past, his quirks, quips, and love of indie music. Bit of wish fulfilment from the author going on there. So many places in the Peaks are namechecked, and I loved that, being able to picture the murder scene in Padley Gorge and knowing where the cafe in Hartington is where the detective sits and broods. Not sure I'd read any more unless in the area, maybe I'll ration it one per trip to the Peak District

Ben Crystal & David Crystal, You Say Potato: the Story of English Accents

 I always enjoy reading anything by David Crystal, who has a love for the English language without being snobby about grammar or 'correct' English. Comforting to know he has a son whose writing is just as much fun to read. Freddie's GCSE results come out this week, so we're waiting to see how he gets on. I'm sure he'll get the grades he needs to go on to A Levels, but we'll all relax a bit once it's confirmed. just over a week since we came back from holiday, so I'm already thinking about what to do at October half term. . . 

Ivo Andric, The Bridge on the Drina

The last of the holiday reading, so read in part at Bordeaux Airport and on the plane back.  Very sad to be leaving, and after the first few days when I struggled to adjust to both the heat and the pace of life, I settled in to a happy regime, sleeping well, reading lots and mooching. Still managed a few cycles and runs, as well as some fun times with the kids. They are growing up and it could very well be the last time we all go on holiday together. I suspect not, Freddie seems in no rush to get a summer job or do his own thing, but lots could change by next summer. He's waiting for his GCSE results to come out next week and seems very confident of getting the grades he needs. The book was by a Yugoslav Noel Prize winner, and is centred around a bridge built by the Ottomans in a small Balkan village of mixed moslem, orthodox christians and jews. It could be seen as  a series of short stories told chronologically and only linked by the geographical location, but it's more than that, it's about the changes and tragedies the Balkans have seen, how different cultures affect each other and how the outsiders, whether they are Ottoman authorities or Austrian impact on everyday life. Much better than I could describe it

Colin Thubron, Among The Russians: From the Baltic to the Caucasus

Written in the '80s about Thubron's road trip through the old Soviet Union, and while so much has changed since the Iron Curtain came down, his insights and analysis still make for a cracking read. He covers the suffocating bureacracy of the communist system, the ethnic tensions in the Baltic, the Caucasus and the tragedies of Belarus and Ukraine in the two world wars and since. Brilliant on the role of the church and its complicity with communism too

Jilly Cooper, Tackle!

 First Jilly Cooper I have tried to read, and had to abandon it after 100 pages. It's not my normal read, but it got good reviews from normally trustworthy places ' Infectiously joyful and funny' in The Observer, for example. I knew it was going to be a guilty pleasure rather than high literature, but that's fine, and as a poolside read it should have worked. It was execrable from the very beginning though.  A novel about football written by someone who knows nothing about football or how to write. The characters are all paper thin and the situations so contrived. I very nearly stopped reading after the first sentence 'Rupert Campbell-Black, despite being one of the most successful owner/trainers and one of the handsomest men in the world was in the darkest of places.'  The first few paragraphs explain how his wife has cancer, his factotum has betrayed him and has 'assassinated' his favourite horse. I stuck with it despite the absurdities, hoping for some wit and gossip. It's just dire though. Jilly Cooper seems to be aware that football crowds sing, so makes up songs for them that show none of the wit, knowledge or references of real football chants - sample 'You'd better go back to racing, Campbell-Black. Poor old Searston will end in tears soon. They're going down, You'll lose your crown, Poor Prince charmless, Your side's quite harmless.' in the novel this is greeted with 'howls of laughter and tumultuous cheering'.  I've  been to a fair few football matches, and I shudder to think what would happen to anyone who came up with chant 'Your side's quite harmless'. There are so many awful punning nicknames that don't quite work - the team's Czech midfielder is 'the pouncing Czech'. The loud mouth keeper is called Barry Pitt, so is 'Pitt Bully' . It's like Jilly Cooper thinks of a nickname she thinks is funny and and then gives a millisecond of thought to a character for the name. Loads of people love her books though, so she's obviously doing something right. 

Danny Dorling, Shattered Nation: Inequality and the Geography of a Failing State

More preaching to the converted, and a very pessimistic view of the current state of the UK and its future if we don’t drastically reverse the hollowing-out of the state and a society run in the interests of the ultra-wealthy. Sadly can't see there being any change happening with the current political parties we have, and the demonisation of anyone who looks like making even the slightest move towards social democracy. It's only going to lead to an increase in civil unrest and the far right growing in influence as they offer a simple answer to the current problems - blame immigrants and progressives.

Alexander Lernet-Holenia, Count Luna

Another buy from Daunt, based on the principle that all books from there are good a someone has gone to the trouble of translating it. As it's also set in the world of post WW! Habsburg aristocracy of course I'm going to enjoy it. Have added another book of his, Baron Bagge, to my wishlist

Bettany Hughes, Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities

A big book for a big subject, with things like the Varangian Guard, or the Battle of Manzikert, or the displacement of the  Greek population after the First World War, dealt with in a few pages or even a few sentences when they warrant massive books in themselves. Very ambitious and a great overview of a city with three names. Another holiday read, often first thing in the morning while it was cool and I could sit on the verandah drinking coffee while the others snoozed (except William, who was off playing football as soon as the sun came up).

Francois Mauriac, Therese Desqueyroux

I wanted to read something set in the locality, but I knew absolutely nothing about Bordeaux or Les Landes. This was recommended in a guidebook and I bought a copy in Daunt, and  I'm starting to believe it's impossible to buy a bad book from there. There's a bar set by the fact that most book there have been translated, and who is going to translate a bad or unsuccessful book?  Audrey Tautou from Amelie is on the front cover of the edition I bought, as she made a film based on the book in 2012. It's the story of a murderous bourgeois woman trying to make her way and assert her independence, but it's very much set in the pines and flat sandy landscape of Les Landes, so i could look up from the book and see the very countryside where it is set.  Luckily Helen didn't attempt to poison me as Therese does to her husband. 

Ned Boulting, 1923: The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession

Second holiday read in the mad sun of Biscarrosse, and this read almost entirely by the pool on a lounger in the share. Ned Boulting is always worth reading, very funny and engaging, and what sounds like a dull read  - one man's boredom during covid leading him to investigate to the nth degree some old footage of a cyclist crossing a bridge in the 1923 TdF turns out to be quite a read after all. Probably helped that the TdF had just finished, and the Paris Olympics just started.

Francis Spufford, Cahokia Jazz

First book read on our holiday to Biscarrosse, which I am writing about two weeks later so it seems a long long time ago. We got in at 2 in the morning last night so I am tired and grumpy today. Parts of this read on the plane, parts on the veranda of our chalet and most by the pool as it was so very hot. The first weekend there it was about 30 degrees and I couldn't go into the sun for more than a few minutes. i managed a few run in the morning but it was too much and I switched to cycling. Cahokia Jazz was terrific, set in an alternate US where there is a semi-independent Native American state in the Mid-West. Beyond that it was a crime procedural, but very refreshing and enjoyable - will encourage Helen to read it 

Robert Blatchford, Merrie England

 Read this before going on holiday and cannot remember much now. The normal preaching to the converted. 

Italo Calvino, Into The War

 3 short autobiographical stories, not sure they would be published still if not by Calvino, who has written some brilliant stuff. Interesting in understanding more about the author and his wartime experiences, but that's it. We go on holiday to France tomorrow, I've sorted out the books I'm taking, but that's it - will need to start packing soon. . . 

Noreen Masud, A Flat Place: A Memoir

Somewhere between an exploration of flat environments - Orford Ness, The Fens, etc and a memoir, and much more about complex PTSD than I was expecting, and far more personal than other psychogeographies. The author, who grew up isolated in a strict conservative Pakistan bares her soul and writes candidly about her trouble connecting to others. Really I wanted to be reading about the places though, I'm not one for deeply personal discussions, which just shows how repressed I am and how it would do me good to have just such a discussion!

Kevin Barry, Night Boat to Tangier

 Read more like a script than a novel in places, and I'm definitely keen to watch the adaptation that is being made starring Michael Fassbender. The dialogue and interplay  between the two main characters, a pair of aging Irish gangsters is very entertaining, but there's not much in the way of plot. Not sure I'd read much more by Kevin Barry, another novelist described as incredibly funny like Flann O'Brien or John Kennedy Toole that just don't seem all that funny to me.

Iain Dale, British General Election Campaigns 1830-2019

Written with one eye on the 2024 election and dated slightly as a result, with references such as Ted Heath's 1970 election win being the only post-war occasion when a working majority for one party had turned into a working majority for another. Some excellent analyses in there of individual elections, particularly from the likes of John Curtice and Rob Ford. some are more disappointing, including Adam Boulton on 2010 and Stephen Parkinson on 2017, who decided to write about their own personal experiences as if they were central to each campaign rather than very, very peripheral figures. I've started to put my reading list together for our holiday to France which is less than a week away now. Not a huge amount of though has gone into it, just pick up some I fancy from the Tsundoku. Will try and frenchify the list as much as possible and am also going to take a Jilly Cooper as a beach read.

Jeremy Dyson & Andy Nyman, The Warlock Effect

 I bought this as I'm a big fan of the League of Gentlemen and really enjoyed it. It's not often I choose to read over other activities rather than using it to fill a hole, but with this I put off other things I needed to do. A mix of magic, a love of old British performers (Eric Sykes and Tommy Cooper have cameos) and a cold war espionage thriller. It also features Prague, which is a wonderful place for any magical book. The capers and misdirection were more gripping than the espionage, which got a bit silly with Ipcress File-style brainwashing, but still a really good read. Interesting to see Peter Hennessy get an acknowledgment too for this work on Whitehall and the Secret State, which was a key part of the book

Ryszard Kapuscinski, Travels with Herodotus

A mixture of travel writing, memoir and commentary on Herodotus. I have to admit to skipping the Herodotus bits, but K's writing about his own travels  was very engaging, particularly as it was parts of the world I'm not so familiar with - China, Saharan Africa and others. Going camping with William and the Cubs tomorrow, really should start packing. . . 

Roberto Bolano, Cowboy Graves

Three semi-autobiographical novellas, but very fragmented and dream like - almost like jigsaw pieces do be slotted together and combined with clues and pieces from other books to build the real picture of the author. Defintetly deserves closer analysis and attention, but I just wanted some weekend reading so not what I was after! 

Samuel Earle, Tory Nation: The Dark Legacy of the World's Most Successful Political Party

Very enjoyable and reinforced all my prejudices about the Tories, but strange to be reading a book about how extraordinarily electorally successful they have been just as they were getting wiped out in a landslide. There's no doubt that the Conservatives lost the election rather than Labour winning it, with Labour's vote share only increasing slightly, and, due to e reduced turnout, actually getting fewer votes than they did in 2019 (which was of course, the most electorally disastrous result for Labour since 1931). the conservatives have lost their reputation for competence and their coalition has fractured. If the Reform voters had voted conservative they would have had a majority. Let's see what happens now - Labour has 5 years to build their own coalition - which will be helped by extending the vote to 16 & 17 year-olds, and hopefully showing what a good job they can do managing the economy. I can't see them doing too much to win back the muslim and  left-wing voters they have lost; those in power in the party don't feel either group should be made welcome, sadly. I stayed up until 5 watching the results and a victory out of any proportion to Labour's mediocre vote count. that's the perversion of FPTP though. Will Labour look to change a broken system that dissuades many from voting and produces result that don't match what the country has voted for? Or do they continue with a system that they have benefitted so much from this time?

Charles Portis, The Dog of the South

 'True Grit' was really enjoyable, and written in such a convincing 19th Century firs-person narrative that it came as a surprise to realsie that 'The Dog of the South' was far more contemporary, set in the '70s and published in 1979. GQ called in 'the funniest novel in decades', so I had high hopes, but after hooking me in at the start to what seemed like a quest to recover a lost wife, it got very odd and weird and hallucinogenic, with the action switching to a swampy Belize best by hurricanes and full of eccentric characters.  I found myself nodding off while reading it and not able to follow the plot.

Shashi Tharoor, Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India

Absolutely relentless in its demolition of the idea that British rule of India was somehow beneficial or benevolent. Very uncomfortable reading, but so important when there are millions of Britons who still feel the empire is something to be proud of. There is a chilling quote from Boris Johnson's biography of Churchill which sums up the attitude:  'die-hard defenders of the Raj and of the God-given right of every pink-jowled Englishman to sit on his veranda. . . and glory in the possession of India'.

George Saunders, Liberation Day

 I loved 'Lincoln in the Bardo', a supernatural play for voices which had such a warmness and love to it, despite  being set in a Washington DC graveyard full of spirits trapped in limbo. 'Liberation Day' was a collection of dystopian short stories, normally set in a tyrannical, exploitative world where humans are treated as objects to serve others (so pretty much like all human history). I need to learn to read short stories in bites rather than gorging like a novel. I've become so accustomed to read and read and read i don't have the discipline to stop and put it down. It's the same with chocolate and other sweet things, I'm just a natural glutton I guess.

Tabitha Stanmore, Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic

 I've read a few books on the topic recently, it seems to be a boom area in Academia.  It's interesting that the writers go to great lengths not to judge or make the assumption that magic didn't work - the point is that people at the time really did seem to believe in magic. To someone like me without a spiritual or mystical bone in my body though it just comes across as a load of scammers grifting the gullible out of a few quid. Stull makes it a good read, but I'm missing that extra dimension of understanding why people fell for the grift. The heatwave has finally hit Britain, and the tent is now up in the garden. William and I have slept (fitfully) in it for the last two nights, with Buzz getting very excited, scratching it up and getting stuck between the layers. He likes to perch between the outer layer and the membrane at the top of the tent, which starts to sag until he nearly reaches us. Then he gets stuck, panics and causes a kerfuffle trying to right himself. 

Martin MacInnes, In Ascension

 An immensely ambitious work of science fiction that requires a few laps of the imagination  that mankind discovers a method of propulsion that can take us to other galaxies, and that  there are organisms on earth that live forever, can reproduce and grow independently  and can be harnessed and grown. I only understood a tiny part of it and couldn't get my head round the huge ideas of connectedness and creation and circular time and Cassini ovals. Fred's just finished his GCSEs and I've been of no help to him at all when it comes to Science. It's rather embarrassing that I can't do Science, but every question seems to lead to more questions that are even more confusing. 

Ian Mortimer, Medieval Horizons: Why the Middle Ages Matter

Ian Mortimer's argument that the Medieval era is far more important and influential than historians and the general public think, and that the western world in 1500 is far more similar to 2000 than it was to 1000. Sometimes selective, but a strong argument on many topics, looking beyond technological advances to show how the language of 1500 would be intelligible to us today, but not to someone from 1000, that their approach to religion and individuality has more in common with us, and even their housing and some comforts (stone/brick houses with chimneys, windows, living in towns).

Claudia Pineiro, A Crack in the Wall

 A book by Argentina's most popular thriller writer as discussed on R4's A Good Read recently. I did enjoy it, and it had a twist I didn't see coming involving the unsatisfied architect with a guilty secret turning the tables on his employer. I read the whole thing at Bisley, as Fred was in a Shooting competition for the Explorers. He thought he'd be the only one from his group there, so I said I would stay. as it turned out, there were a couple of kids he knew and he was fine without me, so I could have left. It was a nice sunny day though so I found a bench on an idyllic green enclosed by the verandah'd cabins of various rifle clubs, looking like a colonial hill station. It's lovely there, and now I know how easy it is to get in I may go back more often when I need some peace and quiet. . .

Michael Lewis, The Fifth Risk

More preaching to the converted, a journalistic enquiry into the horrors of Trump's first presidential term, his complete lack of preparation and understanding of what government departments do. A timely reminder of the benefits of big government and the dedication and expertise of public servants. It will, of course, be completely ignored and there's a fair chance this dunce and his confederacy will be back in power this time next year.

Noah Hawley, The Good Father

A pre-Fargo novel by Noah Hawley, about a father trying to make sense of his son's apparent assassination of a Presidential candidate. Very sensitive and touching as it explores a father's love, grief and denial and a desperation to understand. The European Championships kick off tonight with  Germany playing Scotland. The kids aren't too interested at the moment, let's see if that changes. I hope they do get involved. I'll put the wallchart up anyway.

Rodric Braithwaite, Russia: Myths and Realities

A very slim volume that packs a lot in. Catherine the Great whizzed by in a few pages and before I knew it Napoleon was retreating from Moscow. Very good on explaining the rise of Putin and his own way of thinking, and also even-handed in explaining how the West managed to exacerbate the situation through the perceived threat of NATO expansion and forcing disastrous market-based reforms on Russia. 

Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber

 Angela Carter has passed me by, but seeing a review of JS&MN as being similar to a Jane Austen novel written by Angela Carter, I thought it'd be worth giving her tales a go. Very modern, quire dark versions of well-known fairy tales, often with a feminist twist or, at least, seen from the perspective of female characters who often have a lot more agency than the passive princess traditionally has.  i had big plans this weekend to tidy up and organise, but the weekend slipped away in pottering, pirate golf, shopping and reading. There's always next weekend. . . 

John Shepherd and Keith Laybourn, Britain's First Labour Government

Rather ungrateful of me not to know, but I think Dad bought me this for my birthday as he knew I would like it. Absolutely exhaustive in detail, and interesting on how the short-lived  1924 government set the tone for Labour in the future - the decision to choose showing they could be trusted to govern over enacting radical measures, the prioritisation of the Union Jack over the red flag in foreign policy, and the need to distance themselves from communism and (to a much lesser extent) the Trade Unions to show they could be trusted. all of these still being points of disagreement in the Labour movement today. A general election has been called for a month's time, and at the moment it points to an absolute wipeout for the Tories, reducing them to a handful of seats and potentially dipping under 20% of voters. Labour on the other hand, could end up with 80% of seats on 40% of the votes thanks to our crackers electoral system. There's a good chance Labour will get a lower percentage than their electoral loss in 2017 and still have their biggest ever majority.

Robert Harris, Act of Oblivion

A fictionalised version of real events and people after the restoration of Charles II. Two of the regicides go on the run and spend decades in hiding in New England, enduring horrors and degradations just trying to survive while constantly worried about being exposed and what is happening to their families in the meantime. Very enjoyable if difficult to believe that anyone could endure years hiding in a basement.  My toothache is a little better if not fixed, and my handwriting has now completely deteriorated. I've got a task written down for today that looks lie 'V-apila' . No idea what it is.

Susanna Clarke, The Ladies of Grace Adieu, Jonathan Healey, The Blazing World: A New History of Revolutionary England

A comfort read to start, as I've just finished rewatching the magnificent Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and wanted more. Not quite enough to reread the massive JS&MN though, but that'll come sooner or later. Susanna Clarke is scheduled to have a new book out in the Autumn too. i managed to read some of this in a chair under the tree in the garden, as it's finally been sunny and warm enough. It's been a very miserable spring. 'The Blazing World' was a history of 17th century England, but mostly wars and politics. It kept me reading, and for once some of it seems to have gone in. I understand a bit more about Laud and Arminianism now anyway.

Alexandra Harris, The Rising Down: Lives in a Sussex Landscape

 Not sure how to categorise this book, but it was wonderfully written. An exploration of a place, the area around Arundel in the Sussex Downs where the author grew up and knows well. She weaves in the experiences of locals, notable and otherwise, archaeology, religion, architecture, geography and more. 'To see the world in a grain of sand' is quoted often. Very enjoyable and pertinent as I am dragging the kids to Arundel Castle tomorrow as it's half-term.

Väinö Linna, Unknown Soldiers

 A Finnish novel based on the experience of a platoon in the Second World War, and superb at capturing the absurdity and tragedy of war. A great work of Finnish literature, but I suspect it loses a lot in translation as a lot of the  dialogue appears to be between Finns of different regions, with varying dialects and cultures. The translator mentions this at the end as a particular difficulty, and it's very interesting that as 'Finn' is a relatively new written language (the first novel published in 1860), Finnish wasn't standardised and actually this great work of Finnish literature is a work in multiple Finnish dialects. Despite my knee being so painful, I managed the 100 miles of the Ride London on Sunday, but am suffering for it now. I may have to go to the doctor to get a referral to physio for it, as I cannot cycle, run or even climb stairs without pain.

Desmond Seward, The King over the Water: A Complete History of the Jacobites

 Rather enjoyed that, a history of the Jacobites by an obvious sympathiser, who admired James III in particular. Sad to see that Desmond Seward passed away in 2019 and this was his last book. I'm really suffering with toothache at the moment - I went to the dentist about it yesterday and they gave me an emergency filling, but it doesn't seem to have fixed the issue. I think they are right in their diagnosis that it is tooth sensitivity where the gum has receded, probably due to over-vigorous brushing, so I'll be more careful brushing and will just have to wait - but in the meantime it is rather painful and painkillers are having no effect, so I'm a grumpy old misery. My knee coped with a 30k cycle yesterday at least.

Isabelle Schuler, Lady MacBethad

 A fictionalised account of the life of Lady MacBeth pre-marrying Macbeth and the events we all know so well. She was a real historical person and although little is known of her, what there is was enough to produce an entertaining read full of intrigue, ambition and a few Shakespearean easter eggs. I liked it, and will add it to Helen's pile. This weekend I'm meant to be doing the London Ride 100, but my left knee went ping last week and I can't rise without discomfort or run at all. I'm off exercise this week to give it a chance to mend.

Stein Ringen: The Story of Scandinavia

 A popular history of Scandinavia by a Scandinavian with lots of inserts about personal experiences of Scandi social democracy. or growing up in the town where the first stone church in Sweden was built., And I'm fine with all that. The narrative is one about how ordinary folk in Scandinavia have been shafted and exploited by the elites that governed their countries incredibly badly until the rise of an educated class in the 19th century that led to industrialisation, an end to feudalism and the growth of the marvel that is social democracy. All very enjoyable. Yesterday me, Helen, William and Freddie headed up to Chalfont to scout out a hike for the cubs at our Summer Camp in July. The fist time back to the Chalfont Heights Scout camp (now known as Paccar) since camping there myself as a Scout. It was very much how I remember it, although I didn't get a chance to look round Hogtrough Woods, which was my favourite bit. HS2 cuts through the hills nearby and has disrupted some of the footpaths, so we needed to walk it. I can't get a good, safe walk under 10k though - hope our Cubs can manage it.

Rafael Sabatini, The King in Prussia

Haven't read any Sabatini for a long, long time, and this was not a great one. It didn't have the derring-do and vivacity of Captain Blood or Scaramouche and was more about palace intrigue and the awfulness of Frederick the Great; a dishonest coward in this story. One of Sabatini's last books.

Colson Whitehead, the Colossus of New York

 A stream of consciousness intended to evoke the chaos and complexity of New York, and very poetic - but I don't know the city that well and am certainly not a New Yorker so it didn't really connect with me.

Chantal Lyons, Groundbreakers: The Return of Britain's Wild Boar

 Lots of personal experience and investigations into the Wild Boar of England from the author, who lives in the Forest of Dean and is a big fan of boar. The book manages to be very even-handed though, seeing both sides and appreciating that these very cool creatures do affect their environment and the surrounding community in negative ways as well as positive ones. I'm still a fan of managed rewilding, paradoxical though it is, but it's easy to say that when you're not a farmer worried about his livestock. After a very damp and cold spring, summer finally seems to have arrived, luckily just in time for a cub camp this weekend. William and I are off to B2B at Polyapes, I hope he has a fantastic time.

Diana Wynne Jones, Howl's Moving Castle

That was a lot welsher than I was expecting, as I only know it from the Japanese anime version, and I had assumed that was where it came from. I didn't realise that there had been a book first. Howl turns out to be 'Howell Jenkins' a Rugby fan who has somehow ended up a magician in a magical world, but who can pop back to the valleys occasionally. It was a great book for kids though, full of magic and inspired by fairy tales. I'll recommend it to my kids, but it's probably too young for Freddie and Libby now, and not enough action for William. Ah well, what a shame. It was William's 10th birthday on Monday, and he had a great time at laserquest with his friends. He's still young enough to unashamedly enjoy toys and playing, and is getting increasingly into football. He got a Man City shirt for his birthday, as he has decided they are his team. Let's see if that lasts. Him and i are going away camping with the cubs this weekend, which I don't feel really prepared for yet - 48 hours to prep and pack though. I think I should manage to pack down my popup tent though as Fred has been giving me lessons.

John Keegan, Warpaths: Travels of a Military Historian in North America

 I bought this in Hay and assumed it had been written fairly recently - 21st Century anyway - until I started to read it and it seemed very dated in parts. Turned out to have been 1995, and although I found the book interesting, entertaining and educational about the role warfare has played in American history and the geography of the battlefields Keegan visits, some of his old-school attitudes took the breath away. He was openly sympathised with slaveowners and lamented the lost Gone With The Wind society, and when it came to the American West I had to double-take as he placed the blame squarely on Native Americans for being devious, untrustworthy and greedy. You assume these attitudes have long since disappeared, but then you see the Trump supporters and realise there are still people who can bring themselves to believe such crazy things. I've run out of excuses now not to write up my cycling trip. . . 

John le Carre, Silverview

 A novel that le Carre left unfinished at his death that his author son completed. It's set in modern times, but is unmistakably le Carre in tone and would have worked better if set in the Cold War. It's very difficult to believe that in the era of the internet, mobile phones and social media that complex arrangements involving strangers meeting in a cafe at a prearranged time holding a particular book to pass on a confidential letter would ever be required. Particularly when another key part of the plot involve the informer using an unsuspecting patsy's computer to send out the secrets he's flogging. These are minor quibbles though. It was pleasant that WG Sebald's 'rings of Saturn', which I've recently read, played a significant part in the story, and also it's just le Carre, and so enjoyable, challenging and cynical as ever.

Chris Broad. Abroad in Japan: Ten Years in the Land of the Rising Sun

 Enjoyable enough, despite the execrable pun in the title. At its best in the first few 'fish out of water' chapters, when the author is working as a teacher and trying to come to grips with Japanese culture. Once he finds fame as a youtuber it becomes less interesting, and it is more about how he can increase his subscribers/produce interesting content than Japan itself. I'll still be putting it in Helen's tsundoku pile given where she works. 

Patrick deWitt, The Librarianist

 'The second book I read on my cycling trip, starting in Hay, mostly read in Burford and finished back home. Another book like the Lincoln Highway as its main character was a thoroughly decent fellow despite everything life has thrown at him. The main theme (that I too away) was the question of whether an insular, solitary life surrounded by books is life wasted or life perfected. Given that i was reading it on a trip mostly designed to allow me to read and not interact with humanity that hit home somewhat. I'm no nearer the answer of course, but as I reflect back the main thing I wanted to do and that excited me about the trip was the thought of going back with Helen and the kids to revisit all the beautiful places I cycled through. I'll get to writing it up soon. . . 

Rosemary Hill, Time's Witness: History in the Age of Romanticism

 The first book I read on my week-long cycling trip, finishing it on a gloriously sunny day in the beautiful garden of The Swan Hotel in Hay-on-Wye, which I intend to return to at any available opportunity. The book explains how the study of history was transformed post-enlightenment  by Antiquaries, broadly, enthusiastic independent collectors who wanted to understand history in the round through artifacts and evidence rather than only using documentation, and attempted to use some form of method or categorisation that distinguished them from mere collectors. They are often linked to the Romantic Movement, and it's worth noting that often their enthusiasm (Horace Walpole's Strawberry Hill, the invention of tartan, the novels of Walter Scott) meant that historical accuracy took second place to what they wanted to believe happened.  It also contained one of the best chapter endings I've come across; 'While at Calais Lord Aberdeen, later President of the Society of Antiquaries, had his trousers confiscated, for reasons that will become apparent.' I need to write up the story of my cycling trip, but I have a backlog of books to do first - three to go now.

Graham Robb, The Debatable Land:: The Lost World between Scotland and England

 I read this before 'Chess', but have got myself a bit out of order. I've read some of Graham Robb's books on France and enjoyed them, and he's a keen cyclist too which is another plus. I have some familiarity with the borders and moss-troopers through the books of George MacDonald Fraser, but I wasn't aware there is a specific part of the border just north east of Carlisle that was historically not quite England and not quite Scotland. Always fun to read about reivers and peel towers and blasted, wind-swept moors

Stefan Zweig, Chess

This is the book I read on my 50th birthday between my run and the Circle Line. It's very short and I've been saving it as I enjoy Stefan Zweig immensely and it was a nice birthday treat. It's the tale of a very intense game of chess aboard a cruise ship between two very odd, very enigmatic incredible players - one a world-famous grandmaster and the other a mysterious stranger whose ability to play chess like the devil is inexplicable. As very often happens, it made me want to live in the world Stefan Zweig characters inhabit, while being aware that if I did live in that world I'd be the put-upon servant that may get to see the glamorous life of the wealthy and rootless but never really participating. I was very worried about whether we'd be able to complete the Circle Line at our advanced age, but it was a great turnout and we got round, although more sensible people left early or came along later. It took me a long time to recover, I still wasn't back to normal 3 days later when I set off on my cycling adventure (see next few books), and I don't think we'll be doing it ever, ever again. It was great to see Clay, Dunc, Wendy and others though. I have absolutely no memory of getting back after the Princess of Wales, but I was on my own and somehow negotiated SWT and got off at Woking.

Barry Unsworth, After Hannibal

Made me realise I've been getting Barry Unsworth, Barry Hines and Barry Cunliffe mixed up for some years! 'After Hannibal' was very funny, set in an idyllic Umbrian village where the characters all share a dusty ancient road. I got the impression Barry Unsworth was taking revenge on characters based on his real-life neighbours in his own mediterranean village, with some horrible things happening to naive americans and brash english bankers instigate by cunning locals. I'm just getting ready for my 50th birthday in 3 days - a bit worried about how I will cope and recover on the Circle Line more than the cycle, which I'm not so worried about. Let's see how I feel this time next week.

Amor Towles, The Lincoln Highway, Wickham Steed, The Doom of the Hapsburgs

 Absolutely loved 'The Lincoln Highway', got really invested in the fate of the characters and it was just a joy to read. Started as a Steinbeckesque trip from Nebraska to California, but the journey quickly changed into an odyssey. Woke up early on a Saturday to finish it. ' The Doom of the Hapsburgs was written between the wars by an editor for The Times, who seemed determined to prove that he knew best all along, had warned everybody that WWI was going to happen in exactly the way he predicted and that the Habsburgs were doomed as a result. I could hardly resist buying and reading a book with that title, and he unquestionably knew the regime having worked as correspondent in Vienna, but it was all a bit 'I told you so'.

Ruth Herman, Grub Street: The Origins of the British Press

Before reading this, I'd have said that 'Grub Street' and the start of the British Press was in the 8th Century, with the sort of rags and scurrilous rumours associated with John Wilkes. Ruth Herman explains that independent news, opinions, adverts and other elements started to emerge much earlier than that, and faced many challenges, not least from a tyrannical government that wanted to control the message and information. She seems to have had a whale of a time poring over old newssheets and extracting stories as illustrations

Ivy Compton-Burnett, Daughters and Sons, W.G. Sebald, The Rings of Saturn, Raymond Williams, People of the Black Mountains Vol Ii: The Eggs of the Eagle, Alistair Moffatt, Italy's Paradise: A History of Tuscany, David Fonekinos, Second Best

 'Holiday reading on another wet and muddy Easter trip to the Peak District. This time we stayed in the SE near Matlock in a village called Birchover. We dragged the kids over Stanton Moor to see the Nine Ladies stone circle, which was at least livened up by the presence of an orienteering competition happening at the same time, so puffing, frantic athletes kept popping up from all over trying to work out where on earth they were. Very entertaining, but I felt a bit sorry for the guy who got caught on a barbed wire fence, then saw us and had to go back over to avoid disqualification. We were also thrilled to find out that buttercup's Farm from 'The Princess Bride' was filmed in Birchover so we went to the dilapidated old cattle shed to take a look. the set designers and cinematographers did an incredible job. The cottage was really lovely and even had a secret room which the kids loved. Fred only got to cross off two more places on his scratch-off map of the Peaks, so we'll have to go back. I didn't really understand 'Daughters and sons' which was all clipped dialogue and very difficult to follow - every voice sounded the same. 'the rings of Saturn' is the sort of psychogeography I would have run a mile from 20 years ago, but now the vague ramblings and non-sequitirs and flights of fancy rather appeal. 'People of the Black Mountains' was local colour for my planned cycling trip to Hay in a few weeks, 'Italy's Paradise' was a straightforward chronological history of Tuscany (as it said on the tin) when what I really wanted was a travelogue full of stories about good wine, good food and beautiful landscapes and art. 'Second Best' was a very funny novel about a fictional boy who just loses out to Daniel Ratcliffe for the role of Harry Potter and how it affects and influences his life from then on. It's the second book I've read in translation by Foenkinos and I'm keen to read more

Jeremy Black, Paris: A Short History

A straight history with not a lot of colour or fun. Even the little vignettes that featured seemed dull. There was a personal anecdote about the author's watch stopping which I didn't even understand

Tim Burrows, The Invention of Essex, Hernan Diaz, Trust

'The Invention of Essex' was enjoyable, and just what it said on the tin - an exploration of the notion of Essex in popular culture and the landscape and people of Essex itself.  Lots of salt marshes, trading estates and the beautiful north of the county. 'Trust' I read in a day and really enjoyed too. A story told from 4 different angles that kept me hooked and had a very satisfactory ending.

Katherine Addison, The Goblin Emperor

 Can't remember where I saw this recommended, but it was less the fantasy that the title suggests, and more an exploration of Byzantine-like court machinations and intrigues, centred round an ingenue emperor who came to the throne unexpectedly. I struggled at first and contemplated giving it up, but soon came to root for Maia the emperor and take an interest in him as he grew and learnt to navigate the court, as he was a thoroughly decent chap. It had a cast of thousands, and I missed a lot of the detail, but still enjoyable. Not sure I'd actively  seek out further works by Katherine Addison though

Cat Jarman, The Bone Chests: Unlocking the Secrets of the Anglo-Saxons

A nice way to explore Anglo-Saxon England through the bone chests found in Winchester Cathedral, also including a history of the cathedral, Winchester and the bones themselves - how they got there, what happened to them in the Reformation, the civil war, and then modern attempts to gain more understanding of the period from study of the bones. Nice to read, although I still struggle with which egg-king is which.

Pat Barker, The Ghost Road

The Booker Prize winner in 1995. For a long time I avoided reading books just because they'd won the Booker, as I thought they'd be a bit much for me - hard work and a bit worthy. Having read some really brilliant ones though such as Wolf Hall, Shuggie Bain and Lincoln in the Bardo I've become more open to them. I couldn't get into the Ghost Road though. It's a WWI set novel dealing with some officers suffering from injuries and shellshock who have also spent time with headhunters as anthropologists and are gay. I didn't know who was who though and didn't really follow it. My loss It's the third part of a trilogy, perhaps I should have started at the beginning.

Bernie Sanders, It’s OK To Be Angry About Capitalism

Preaching to the converted, really. Very little that Bernie Sanders says that I don't wholeheartedly agree with, although it was a shock to find him quoting Yvette Cooper positively. Interesting to see the comparison to the UK, where just like the Democrats, the Labour Party has moved from being a party of the working people to being a party of career politicians working for corporate sponsors, and with an increasingly middle-class and well-off membership. Can't see that changing any time soon, but it was so refreshing to hear from a politician that always supports striking workers, is prepared to point out the massive inequality in our societies for what it is and ask why policies that are popular and beneficial to the many are not enacted and opposed by the media, the establishment and all mainstream political parties.

Mark Twain, American Drolleries: Selected Stories

A collection of short stories, most whimsical and witty, but some glossed over me. I read from cover to cover though, which is not the right approach. Have added 'Life on The Mississippi' to my list of books to read. The front room library cataloguing is completed, have moved onto the tsundoku piles in our bedroom. Nearly there now -just the garage and the kids' books to go. Went to the dentist yesterday for a root canal. The pain today has been lessened by the news that BUPA are going to cover some of the costs.

Ryan Gingeras, The Last Days of the Ottoman Empire

Covered what happened in the lands of the Ottoman empire 1918-1922, including the civil wars, population exchanges, clashes between Greeks, Armenians, Kurds, Arabs, Turks and probably most importantly the rise of Turkish (as opposed to Ottoman) Nationalism. Another awful story full of regret for a lost, more civilised, pre-war age (a myth, too, of course). I need to go to the dentist today for a root canal, hopefully the last trip for a while but blimey it's bringing me down.

William Boyd, The Romantic

 A biographical novel spanning the 19th century and very enjoyable. I kept sneaking off to read a bit more, and given  some of the slogs through books I've had recently it was good to have a book that gave me such pleasure. The main character is ruled by his heart and who makes very rash decisions true to his nature but that lead to adventure, regret and complications. Absolutely lovely though, it's going into Helen's pile. In my quest to catalogue all the books in the house, the living room is nearly finished, just European History to go. I'll try and get that done this weekend and then move on to other rooms - next up, our bedroom. . . 

Mike Parker, All the Wide Border: Wales, England and The Places Between

I was always going to enjoy this.  A middle-aged man tramping along Offa's Dyke full of little bits of history, quirks and lamentations for a lost, simpler life. Split into three parts corresponding to the three river valleys that make up the border - the Severn, The Dee and the Wye. Made me want to get out there and see these places for myself, the only one I'm really familiar with is the southern section and even then I'm limited to the market towns - Hay, Chepstow, etc. He is a little rude about Hay, which he obviously loves but has mixed feelings given it's international renown and Disneyfied/theme park version of a small border town. I'll be there myself quite soon if my birthday cycling quest goes according to plan

Umberto Eco, The Prague Cemetery

 Very complex and convoluted, but I decided to just go with the flow and keep with it, even though I wasn't sure who was who and what they were doing. Eco acknowledges this in the endpiece and humbly says he often has the same problem. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable, he writes so well and the story of an anti-semite conspiracy theorist inserting himself into and shaping major events and scandals in the 19th century was very well done, and chilling given the propensity of people even today to believe such dangerous and pernicious attacks and slurs.

Alice Roberts, Buried: An Alternative History of the First Millennium in Britain

 What happened in these islands between the Romans leaving and the emergence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms is a fascinating period, but one with very little we know and lots of conjecture. This was a very interesting book looking at evidence from graves to try and understand more - or at least dispel some of the myths. Quite a chatty style, with lots of talk about the writer's own experiences, family and friends. Not sure about that, was all a bit chummy sometimes.

Flann O'Brien, The Dalkey Archive

 'I keep trying with Flann O'Brien, as he is often described as one of the best comic writers by people who know what the are talking about, but I just don't get it. It's not nonsense that I can follow, I'm missing out somewhere. Back in the real world,  I feel like I am only just now starting to recover from James Millar's 50th birthday party at the weekend. It was lovely to see everyone again but blimey it has taken it out of me. I woke up back in Harmondsworth having already done my 10,000 steps for the day as I decided to walk home, being too tight for an Uber. I then had to cycle back to Woking, which took a while. When i got back I went straight to bed.

Peter Ross, Steeple Chasing: Around Britain by Church

 'Didn't register this at all when it came out as a hardback, but the paperback had a massive promo in Waterstones and it looked interesting. It was a pleasant enough read, loosely structured but dedicated to the beauty and needs to preserve churches and cathedrals in Britain. A bit High Anglican, and there seems to be a disjoint between the author's claimed lack of belief in christianity and the reverence in which he holds the church and everything associated. I guess that is very Anglican itself though, to believe in the importance of ritual and the church at the heart of the community as moral guide, helper to those in need and defender of the natural hierarchy. It's only the belief in God which appears to be optional. His other book is about graveyards and called 'A Tomb With a View', which cannot possibly be any good with such an awful title.

Laurent Binet, HHhH

 Heard lots of good things about this, but never picked it up as the story of the assassination of the monstrous Reinhard Heydrich didn't appeal. Having really enjoyed Binet's 'Civilizations', which he must have had so much fun writing, I gave this a go and loved it. It's a world away form the imaginary history  f civilizations and instead scrupulously (or at lease it appears so) stick to the known facts. What makes it so interesting though it that it is less the story of the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, and more the story of writing the story of Reinhard Heydrich. You get sucked in as the author discusses the best way to frame a scene, or what to leave out, or the difficulties of filling in the gaps where information is spares. this approach really draws the reader in as a confidante of the writer. A really enjoyable book.

Peter Clark, The Men of 1924: Britain's First Labour Government

Back on home territory here, and a book released to mark the centenary of the first Labour Government. Rather than being a history of the government itself, it's a very good summary of the events leading up to Labour forming a government, how they grew in parliament and popularity (although let's face it, the key factor was the franchise extension to cover all men of working age). It is interesting to see how horrified and shocked the establishment were with the thought of socialists taking power, particularly given what had happened in Bolshevik Russia. There are some potted biographies of all the cabinet too, rescuing many from obscurity. It also shows how much the demographics of the PLP have changed, and for the worse. Nowadays nearly all our MPS are graduates and from a professional background, there are very few truly working-class MPs, and those that we do have- Ian Lavery, Nadia Whittome, say, are under attack from their own party leadership and face deselection.

Joe Dunthorne, Submarine

 I saw the film a few years ago which was quite funny, and it's the same with the book. It's not quite the incredibly hilarious best book about teenagedom that the blurb suggests, but it's funny, Welsh and has no filter. Very enjoyable and I've put more by Joe Dunthorne on my to-read list. I'm still trying to catalogue all the books in the house, I'm 750 books in so far but still have British and European history to do, so final total will be about 1500 I would guess. I need to find time each day to just do a little bit more though. At the same time I'm trying to do at least 2 hours of exercise a day as my weight is creeping up and I don't want to change my diet. Yesterday I did a tour of the Western end of the M25, a littoral of gravel pits, scrap yards and fly-tipped sofas. All good practice for my 50th birthday cycle plans though

Amy Jeffs, Wild: Tales From Early Medieval Britain

 A very beautiful book with some lovely woodcuts, and lots of good press, but I couldn't really get in to it. Short stories inspired by fragments of early medieval tales from across the British Isles with explanations afterwards. 

Paul Lynch, The Prophet Song

The Booker Prize winner last year, but I struggled with it. It's set in an Ireland that has been taken over by a fascist regime, and focuses on the effect on one ordinary family, as the crackdown on dissension starts, then the disappearances and paranoia, then the violence and desperation. It didn't scare me nearly as much as the Handmaid's Tale, say, and it was difficult to follow as it was written  in indirect speech with no speech marks and in the present tense. Sentences and thoughts blended into one another, which may have added to the immediacy, but I found it tough-going.

Nick Thomas-Symonds, Harold Wilson: The Winner

 Nick Thomas-Symonds seems to have fallen by the wayside a bit. He was Keir Starmer's choice as shadow Home Secretary when he was first elected, but as the soft left have been marginalised he has steadily been demoted - now a minister without portfolio. not sure how much of it is due to his lack of impact vs his disagreements with the leadership over policy vs his own disillusionment with the rightward drift of the party. He's obviously got time on his hands, having cranked out biographies of Bevan, Attlee and now Wilson in recent year. I'm not sure how much we needed new biographies of these leaders being so well-served already, but there's plenty of people like me that will buy and read them. The main things about Wilson I learnt were his support and commitment to the Scouting movement, which I wasn't aware of before, and the influence of his congregationalist movement upbringing on him.

David Foenkinos, The Mystery of Henri Pick

 'Published by Pushkin Press, who seem to be very good at picking the best of foreign-language fiction and publishing an english translation. I heard about this on 'A Good Read' and it sounded very funny - the story of an unpublished novel of great quality found languishing in a dusty, forgotten library of unpublished books, and purportedly written by the local pizza maker. It's in part a satire on the publishing industry, but the search for the truth ends with an unexpectedly touching finale. Really enjoyed it, it's going on Helen's new bookshelf. We've just booked a week in the Peak district at Easter (more places to scratch off on Fred's map), and I'm planning a cycling epic for my 50th. Let's see, I'm not very good at setting practical limits on how much I can achieve in a day.

Toby Driver, The Hillforts of Iron Age Wales

 The book I have been waiting my whole life for. I sent a message to the author on Twitter to say how much I'd enjoyed it, how interesting and accessible it was and to thank him for writing it. He obviously has a great passion for the subject which shines through and keeps others engaged. Loads of maps and diagrams as well as a very useful (if indulgent for the author) top ten hillforts at the end. 

Antal Szerb, Journey by Moonlight

 I really enjoyed his anglophile 'The Pendragon Legend', and as 'Journey by Moonlight' is considered his masterpiece, I thought I'd give it a go. It was a little disappointing, being a standard story of bourgeois repressions and an attempt by each of the characters to escape from this and find meaning, but as often happens they just end up mooning around without any real problems until they reconcile with papa and he fixes it all.

Patricia Lockwood, Priestdaddy

 It's been on my wishlist and then my goods in bookshelf for ages, so finally picked it up. A very funny memoir of growing up in a religious household, with the father, a catholic priest, at the centre. An eccentric with strong opinions, and as mad as all dads, washing himself with fairy liquid and inventing nicknames for everyone. I skipped over some of the more spiritual sessions to get to the capers of the family which were always amusing. 

Jamie Mackay, The Invention of Sicily: A Mediterranean History, Bruce Chatwin, Utz

 'Not sure why the title was the 'invention' really, it was a straightforward accessible history of the island. Whizzed through some parts it seemed, but that's probably because I've previously waded through thousands of pages on the Norman era alone thanks to John Julius Norwich. Just made me more desperate to get back to the Mediterranean. We're looking at holidays at the moment, but the prices are astronomical, we've just had to fix the car and the house and I may have a hideous dental bill to come. So a cottage somewhere relatively cheap again this year probably. I really enjoyed 'Utz', it's to my shame I hadn't come across it before. It's the story of an old Habsburg era aristocrat, who keeps his collection of Meissen porcelain in communist Prague, and passes up the opportunity to escape to the West as he cannot bear to be parted with it. Very touching, a poignant evocation of the lost world of mitteleuropa (so right up my street) and a lovely ending.

Alison Lurie, A Foreign Affair

Another book discussed on A Good Read, and quite funny, but from another world. It's set in and was written in the '80s, but the London described is long gone. Smoking on aeroplanes, telephone directories, not knowing where people are, having to use libraries for information - all these seem impossibly dated now. It was enjoyable, but it hasn't inspired me to go out and read anything more by Alison Lurie. 

Alice Albinia: The Britannias: An Island Quest

Part travelogue, part pop history as the author explores the islands of Britannia beyond the two mainlands, setting them in historical context. What sets this apart from similar books is the author's mission to uncover the female influence on British history and culture, which has undoubtedly been suppressed, marginalised and ignored. I think she goes to far in seeing vulvas and wombs and pregnancy bump in any artefacts she comes across, but I'm in no position to judge and if it reduses the bias and brings things closer to a balanced view I'm all for it.

Ross Raisin, The Natural

 I bought this because someone on a podcast said it was the best, most realistic novel about football, and fair play, it was very convincing about the life, loneliness and pressure of being a lower division footballer. I'd recommend it to my brothers, but it's also a Brokeback Mountain-style tale of covert homosexuality so I'm not sure it's appropriate to recommend to them. 

Heather Cox Richardson, Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America

HCR is the best, most accessible writer on the history of the US I can think of and is such a hard worker. Every day an email placing current events in their historical context comes out - always interesting, always balanced. HCR (and many others) are a lot more optimistic about the state of US democracy than me given the current attacks from the MAGA right, let's hope they are right to be so

Lauren Groff, The Vaster Wilds

I picked this up for its lovely cover and interesting title as much as anything, saw it had good reviews and then bought a copy which I gave to my niece Ella as a christmas present. Then I bought another copy to read for myself. It's the story of a mistreated servant girl at the doomed and starving James River colony who murders her master and escapes to the wilderness. She manages to endure with great struggles away from humanity living alone until finally she falls down a cliffside, and is left injured and having visions until finally she passes away and returns to nature. A sad story, but one that shows humanity's capacity to endure. Not all humanity of course, I wouldn't last 5 minutes in the wilderness for starters.

The National Archives, A History of Treason: The Bloody History of Britain through the stories of its most notorious traitors

 Very dry, and the result of the team at the National Archives using their resources to investigate the stories of treason. It charts how the concept of treason has changes since Edward III, when it was a physical threat or disloyalty to the king as a person to the idea of treason against a state/community that one is part of.  today is the fist day back in work after the holidays, but most people appear to be on leave still so it looks like it will be a quiet week.  Fred and Libby go back to school today and William tomorrow. Not the happiest time of year, but as it starts to get brighter we should all cheer up too!