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.