Dorothy L Sayers, The Nine Tailors

 As is often the case with Detective Fiction, I made no attempt to follow the convoluted cluing and puzzling, and just went along for the journey. It was all ok and good fun, but the ending absolutely blew me away. It was so good. A fantastic way to end, which I hadn't seen at all and yet with hindsight was so obvious. I absolutely kicked myself. Masterful misdirection. Read most of this in Harmondsworth, as I went over to look after Mum while Dad was on a course learning how to look after people with Dementia. Luckily it was a nice sunny day so we could go for a walk in the village, but most of the time Mum was just sat in the conservatory listening to the radio. She seems happy and she ate a little bit at least, so I was happy i had coped. How Dad does it 24/7 I've no idea. mum doesn't recognise people anymore and can't communicate or understand much. It's just horrible.

Kim Taplin, The English Path

 Think this was an impulse purchase from somewhere, maybe based on the beautiful cover, a detail from 'Heading Home from Modbury', a painting by Henrietta Hoyer Millar. There were lots of illustration, another of which 'the Bridle Path, Cookham' by Stanley Spencer I had never seen before. It was really lovely and I've been looking at prints of it already. some of the other illustrations were a bit cheesy, lots of Victorian sentimentality with golden-haired children in smocks hanging around stiles. The book itself was written in the 70s, and not what I was expecting. Maybe I've become used to the modern trend for writing about one's own experiences in nature where you go on a journey with the author, but this was one step removed - lots of references to poems, literature and paintings about footpaths and country lanes. I never really got immersed into it as a result, I'm used to being mollycoddled and guided into these things apparently!

M.L. Wang, Blood Over Bright Haven

Bought a copy of this for Ella's birthday present, and then bought another copy to read for myself. It was very Ursula K. le Guin, about a magical world that draws lots of parallels to our own world with its treatment of minorities and a strict hierarchy controlling society and secret information. I did enjoy it, and it will hopefully give me something to talk to Ella about. It's getting chilly and dark now, I don't like this time of year at all. I'm trying to get out running as I'm way behind on running and outdoor cycling this year, but it's to cold to cycle. In the week i don't want to go running, so have to make the most of it at weekends.

Mark Cooper-Jones & Jay Foreman, This Way Up: When Maps Go Wrong and Why It Matters

 Very irreverent, more of a typed up humorous podcast than a book, and I'm hoping Freddie might read and enjoy it. Maybe not the time to ask him as he is going back to mocks now and is revising all the time, so will keep it for when he has a little more time. It would make a great birthday present if i thought he would read it voluntarily. As I suspect not, it would be a rubbish present! Odgy's funeral was last week, glad I went but felt so awkward as I didn't know his family at all and had only seen him once in the last 33 years. His poor wife and children

E.F. Benson, Mapp and Lucia

 Comfort reading over half-term. Never really managed to get away from real life completely and immerse myself in it, but snatched some reads here and there. I had last week off work as it was half-term, but the kids didn't want to go anywhere. Helen got a bit pissed off as I ended up going off by myself for long walks with the dog while the kids stayed on the screens. Managed to rebalance it a bit by the end of the week. they went back today (and I'm back at work) so everyone was a little grumpy this morning.

Robert Tombs, The English And Their History

 I'm sure I must have read this before! I was incredibly impressed with the author's ambition, breadth of knowledge and ability to make sense of such a complex subject, but I  raised a quizzical eyebrow or two as the tale got closer to contemporary times. At first I thought he was just being overly even-handed or trying to be objective as he put in a good word for Cecil Rhodes or the like, but then when he started to talk about privatisation as a great success, and the academisation of schools improving education, I thought 'hang on a minute'. Turns out he's a bit of a Tory and a regular writer for the Spectator and the Torygraph. Not sure what it means that I'm right with him up until the 18th Century and then our view of english history diverges. He's more likely to be right than me I guess

Philip Pullman, The Book of Dust Volume III: The Rose Field

Took two days off work (only needed one in the end) and was at Waterstones when it opened to pick up my copy on the day of release. Not sure if was the spellbinding read I was hoping for, but it was enjoyable, and I love the world Pullman has created, and it gave me a couple of days off work to read, mooch and relax so definitely worth it. Fred has now had an offer from Nottingham to go with his one form Birmingham, so it is looking good for uni. he's busy at the moment doing his Geography fieldwork on Wheatsheaf Common, although after 4 days of it his enthusiasm is waning.

Helen Carr, Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century

 Just the right level of detail for me, and managed to more or less follow all the bloodthirsty dynastic struggles from Edward I's death to Henry IV coming to the throne. It was mostly a history of the monarchs, the aristocracy and their machinations and feuds, with a little bit on the Black Death and the Peasants' Revolt. Currently I'm trying to organise a Ninja Warrior Sleepover for Horsell Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, which has grown from a nice idea for my cub pack to 77 children and 19 adults, with a huge amount of admin involved. Hopefully it'll all be worthwhile. We also have a Night Hike and Sleepover this Friday so need to get through that first. I have Thursday and Friday booked off this week (new Philip Pullman book released) so that should help, assuming I can drag myself away from the further adventures of Lyra Silvertongue.

Magnus Mills, All Quiet on the Orient Express

 At least the third time I've read this but I needed a comfort read. A lot of this was read on the Railair coach from Woking to Heathrow to meet up with old friends in The Bunk to raise a glass to Odgy. There were only three of us in the end, but it was the first time Ash had been back to the pub where he lived all those years ago. We had a good long chat, and there was so much I hadn't realised about this family life. He sent me a really nice message afterwards, it's so sad that it takes a tragic event to bring us all together, but I'm very glad it has.

Nick Hunt, Walking The Woods and The Water

 Inspired by Patrick Leigh Fermor's classic, and while not in the same class, and walking a very different Europe from the aristocratic one Paddy Fermor passed through, still enjoyable and you have to admire his determination to follow his inspiration and walk the length of the continent.

Stefan Zweig, The Last Miracle: Jewish Stories

The first few stories were familiar territory - late Habsburg Vienna, cafes, and protocol. The later stories though had very different settings; Ancient Rome, Reformation Flanders and more. What held them altogether was the emphasis on Jewishness - a part of Zweig that I often forget. once more he writes with feeling and compassion and you go along with the story. Heard yesterday that my friend Odgy has passed away. He only found out a few weeks ago he had Cancer, poor guy. I've known him since nursery, although sadly I think we've only met up once or twice in the last 30 years after seeing each other just about every day from the age of 3 to 18. He was married with a son, it's just awful. I went back to Harmondsworth last weekend to dig out some old photos of us, am very glad I found some and could send them on to him. 

Harry Mount, How England Made the English

 Not sure I learnt anything new, but a readable review of how the english have been shaped by their geography. Finished it off in a very fine Library on the University of Nottingham camps while Fred was looking around the Maths department. I sacked off a lecture that assumed basic familiarity with differentiation in single-variable calculus, so i wasn't getting through the door. i went over to the History Department instead and sat in on an excellent class on the position of Jewish women in medieval society. Later that day, in a coincidence that still leaves me dumbfounded, I sent a picture of Fred in Nottingham City Centre to Susie, as i was last there with her over 30 years ago. she pinged back to say she was in The Alchemist with her family. Fred and I googled that, and then realised we were stood outside it - and there was Susie on the doorstep. Mad. Felt a bit awkward as all her family were there for Alex's 18th birthday, and it was very posh. We politely stayed for a dink and wished Alex a very happy birthday

Kate Atkinson, Behind The Scenes At The Museum

 Kate Atkinson gets incredible reviews; on the front of this is 'Outrageously funny' from Hilary Mantel. However, I struggle to follow the complex family histories across generations that seem to characterise her books. They are full of emotional depth, but I can't keep track of who is who, how they are related and the importance of events in the past on events in the future. I might try more of her detective fiction, but these doorstop epics are too challenging for me.

Mark Mazower, On Antisemitism: A Word In History

Absolutely superb, level-headed and thoughtful study of how the meaning of antisemitism has evolved, and how we have got into the current situation where any criticism or opposition to Israel is considered antisemitic. Moreover, the author makes the point that this has even extended to non-Jewish defenders of Israel claiming to be the victims of antisemitism, and even criticism of the US or capitalism itself has been branded antisemitic (the former as they are steadfast supporters of Israel and the latter as there are similar tropes used for capitalist financiers and bankers as there are for Jewish people). A welcome contribution to an emotive topic, and only yesterday there was a horrific attack on a synagogue in Manchester with two people murdered. Right now it looks to be very definitely an antisemitic attack, with Jewish people being held accountable for the actions of Israel, simply because they are Jewish. The worry is so many bad actors are using support for Israel and playing the antisemitism card to stifle free speech or any opposition to their own agenda. What a mess.

Wu Cheng'En, Monkey King: Journey To The West

 Surprised how much came back to me from the kids TV show in the '80s - the cloud to transport him, the crown that controls Monkey by giving him a headache, the staff that can change size, Pigsy, Sandy and Tripitaka of course. The book is very playful and joyous, and not at all serious as the pilgrims get into ridiculous scrapes and adventures. Tripitaka is not the saintly monk I remember, he's scared, venal, selfish and a little tetchy at times. a very humane story with flawed characters on a quest. The Chinese idea of heaven as a bureaucracy intrigues me and always makes me think of the marvellous A Matter of Life and Death

Alice Roberts, Domination: The Fall of the Roman Empire and the Rise of Christianity

Found the first sections on Roman Britain and Gaul interesting, but once the action moved east to how christianity took a grip on the elites of the empire my mind started wandering a bit. Found the idea that christianity  spread throughout the empire as a means of the elite continuing in power rather than a revolution very persuasive.

Graham Greene, Travels with My Aunt

 Rather enjoyed that, the tale of a dull retired bank manager who gets sucked into a jet-setting life of intrigue by his eccentric aunt. At first I assumed it was set either in the '30s or '50s and couldn’t quite place it, and was shocked when there was a reference to Kwame Nkrumah (and then later the Beatles), and realised that it was written in 1969. At the weekend i fell over while walking Grogu on St Martha's Hill and really damaged my knee. at first i thought it was really serious as I couldn't move, but with pain i managed to hobble back to the car. Once the adrenalin wore off it was really painful and i couldn't put any weight on it at all. I'm walking round with a stick now but it does seem to be improving. Doesn't help that I have a dental appointment today and work is very stressful currently.

David C. Hanrahan, Colonel Blood: The Man who stole the Crown Jewels

 A short history of a seventeenth-century character, crying out for a dramatisation. All I really knew about him was that he unsuccessfully tried to steal the crown jewels, and was then pardoned by Charles II under mysterious circumstances. Those circumstances are still opaque, and it's not clear whether Blood was an informer, a spy or his motivations. The author seems convinced of his genuine commitment to non-conformism and sees him as more of a rebel than a thief, but undoubtedly a rogue and thrill seeker. Nice to read a history of the seventeenth century that isn't dense with battles and parliamentary intrigue.

Philip Pullman, The Book of Dust Volume II: The Secret Commonwealth

 Now I'm ready for Part III in a few weeks, two days booked off to read it. I enjoyed this more on the second read, maybe because the first was fresh in my head so I understood the character of Malcolm more, and also was able to follow the various characters as they all headed east across Europe and Asia Minor. Probably also helped that a society ruled by an authoritarian theocracy that opposes science, reason and will not put up with any dissent is not quite so other-worldly given the way out own civilisation is going. On the bright side, William seems to have settled into secondary school really well, already making new friends and going out with them in the evenings and weekends. So different from Freddie!

David McKie, Great British Bus Journeys: Travels Through Unfamous Places

 Very similar to Nige Tassell, but 20 years old now and in a world where you can't relay on the internet for all your information. So you have to wait for buses not knowing if they will come, etc. Quite sweet, full of quirky stories and a nice easy comfort read. I'm struggling at work at the moment, both with my own motivation and the changing world - AI and internal organisational changes. I feel like I have been taken out of a comfy familiar town where I knew all the back streets and short cuts and dumped into a new city which is completely unfamiliar to me. I'm doubting my own value to the company and also aware that I don't want to learn new things. I'm only 51, but it's like my heart is set on leaving and doing something completely different now the mortgage is paid off and we are relatively financially secure. Every day I watch my pension and ISA going up and the motivation to work isn't there when I could be doing something I love like working in a school. Of course the grass is always greener, and it would mean an 80% drop in salary. So for now I'm sticking it out, but some days I just don't want to be at work.

Philip Pullman, The Book of Dust Volume I: La Belle Sauvage

 A reread in advance of Volume III being released in a few weeks. I really like this book, much more than Vol II from what I remember; but we will shortly find out if that is the case when I reread that too. It's set in a dreamlike flooded Thames Valley where water spirits and fairies have surfaced, and a young boy attempts to take the baby Lyra to safety in his canoe, La Belle Sauvage. Really enjoyable, although I may have understood it more if I'd read Spenser's the Faerie Queene which was a big influence apparently. I've take a couple of days off in October to read Vol III as soon as it is released.

John Golding, Hammer of the Left: Defeating Tony Benn, Eric Heffer and Militant in the Battle for the Labour Party

 I have never heard of John Golding before, but found this book fascinating. It's an insight into the mind of one of the traditional right-wing Labour fixers. There is very little I would disagree with him about politically - pro-Europe, pro NATO, pro Public Ownership, but his approach to 'The Left' is so different from mine. Like many in the Labour Right, he sees the role of the party first and foremost to stop the Left from ever gaining power as it would be disastrous for the country. Which is fair enough, but then why be in a left-wing party? His assumption is that Labour belongs to him and people who think like him, and not to any socialists.  I'm more of a social democrat than a socialist, but to me the party should be a broad church encompassing anyone that believes in democracy and socialism. Golding's argument is that 'Trot' entryists have a contempt for democracy and need to be smashed. What is clear though is that he also has a contempt for democracy and will use any trick, backroom deal, procedure or falsehood to subvert a majority decision if he doesn't agree with it, if it means keeping hold of power and keeping the Left out of it. So many parallels with today, where once again the Right are in complete control of the party. With a thumping parliamentary majority they have the ability to transform the country, but show no interest in doing so - once more the default is to keep the left out of power, that's all that matters.

Joseph O'Neill, Godwin

I don't think I've read anything by Joseph O'Neill before, although I had heard of Netherland, which I had a vague memory was about cricket in New York. 'Godwin' was a mix of the story of office politics in an American writers' collective and a quixotic quest for an African footballing prodigy. I got drawn into it and couldn't see where it was going, but it was wrapped up very neatly. Met up with some old friends to commemorate Duncan's birthday on Saturday. I was worried no-one would show up but we had a good turn out in the end. Everyone very sensibly finished around tea-time though and headed home, which Dunc would never have allowed. I roamed the city for a bit before heading back. Still miss him and haven't really accepted yet that he has gone. 

Nathen Amin, The House of Beaufort: The Bastard Line That Captured the Crown

Learnt a lot about the parallel history of this short-lived aristocratic dynasty, illegitimate descendants of John of Gaunt who (mostly) stuck loyally to their Lancaster relatives. William had his first day of high School today. He's just got in, and hasn't told us much except he had sat next to some rando girl, but he seems happy enough. Fred and Libby go back on Monday, it'll be weird to be in the house by myself again in the daytime.

R.F. Kuang, Katabasis

This was released last week, and I pre-ordered from Waterstones as I enjoyed Babel and Yellowface so much. This one less so, as it's a book that can only really be fully enjoyed by people who have worked in Academe, as it is utterly focused on that world, imagining Hell as a campus populated purely by academics - no-one else seems to exist in this universe. I stuck with it though, and admire the imagination required to construct the hellscape. IRL, Freddie is just back from his DoE Gold Expedition, where it rained constantly and all their plans had to change. We haven't talked about it much yet as he got back late last night and is still recovering. William tried his new Woking High School uniform on yesterday and looked so grown-up. We went to Ypres with the Scouts last weekend and he seemed so young compared to the others, it's hard to believe our baby boy is off to big school.

Andrew Lownie, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York

 A real treat. 400 pages of frank revelations about the awful Yorks. Andrew in particular came across as an awful person - self-centred, immensely privileged and rather stupid. A wonderful argument against having a royal Family, but if I'm honest, a lot of wonderful salacious gossip that I gulped down.

Julian Rathbone, The Last English King

This left a positive impression on me when I first read it, which must be at least 20 years ago. It was historical fiction of a different sort, not as earnest as I was used to, a bit more irreverent and dialogue written in modern english rather than full of stilted 'have at the varlet' type prose. Rereading it it surprised me how much I had forgotten. In my memory it was the story of one of Harold's shield-bearers after Hastings. And although that is true, I don't remember at all his trip to Constantinople and the Near East, which takes up a large part of the narrative, only his recollections of the battle.

Jon Gower, The Turning Tide: A Biography of the Irish Sea

 Bought from the National Trust while on holiday in Conwy as it seemed apposite. Not really what I was expecting though. I assumed it would be a chronological narrative of the area and the peoples that surround the Sea, from the end of the ICE Age through the Iron Age trading and migrations, early christianity and vikings etc. That was all in there somewhere to some extent, but the book was more eclectic and focused on the author's areas of interest and particular knowledge, so there was far more than was deserved about (for example) birdlife on the south west coast of Wales and south east coast of Ireland. Liverpool, Cumbria and the Isle of Man hardly featured. We went over to Harmondsworth yesterday for Mum's birthday. It all got a bit much for Dad and he had a bit of a sob. I'm not sure what more we can do to help him.

John Wain, A Winter In The Hills

 I thought a lot of this, but it seems to be almost completely unknown. It was mentioned briefly in The Rough Guide to Snowdonia or somesuch, and I like to read about the place I am visiting, so picked up a second-hand copy. It was so much better than I was expecting. Written in the sixties and set in a fictionalised Caernarfon, it's the story of a directionless academic who moves to Gwynedd to learn Welsh in the hope of bagging a job in Sweden, mostly to meet attractive young women. As I read the first few chapters I thought it was a refreshingly honest and unflinching confessionals of a male psyche. the main character is only interested in sleeping with young women, and is constantly thinking about this. To me this was a very open outlook, but since then have read a review which gave me pause for though. Apparently what I see as an honest confessional is the mark of a misogynistic creep and dinosaur. Both things are probably true,  but I'm not sure  that those men who have come of age in the new millennium are genuinely no longer thinking about sex all the time, or whether they still are and are covering it up as it's not the done thing any more. as the novel develops, he does redeem himself and moves on from being quite so wretched at least.

Nige Tassell,Final Destination: Riding Britain's Trains to the End of the Line

 Still playing catchup logging my holiday reads, and this was excellent holiday reading. Light, funny and full of HMHB references. The conceit is travelling to forgotten/neglected/picturesque spot at the end of railway lines, so full of quirky British characters, tales and nuggets. Fred got his Maths A Level result today, A*. So proud of him, he works so hard. He is so different from me in his approach - diligent, responsible, organised. He still doesn;t have a clue what he wants to study or where to go for Uni though. The world is his oyster. I'm feeling a bit guilty as work has been a bit fraught at the moment so i as lying awake last night thinking about that rather than him anticipating his result. Priorities need to be sorted, David

Anne Bronte, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

First of the holiday reads, and as I haven’t enjoyed much I'd read by her sistesr, I wasn't expecting a lot. I may be being unfair and misremembering, but the Bronte novels I've read seem to  have women fall in love with utterly horrible, unsuitable men and idolising them. Anne Bronte also has her heroine fall in love with an utterly horrible, unsuitable man, but she at least quickly realises this. I really enjoyed it, and loved the quiet rage and seething anger against men, all of whom are useless, venal and lazy. It's not difficult to see why it is considered a feminist novel. most of the book was read sat in a comfy chair with a wonderful view of the Conwy estuary from our idyllic holiday cottage, Cymryd Uchaf. Absolutely loved it there - the space, the character, the solitude, having cows, sheep and horses for neighbours. Probably I'd quickly tire of the narrow lanes and slog over Bryn Seiri to get anywhere, particularly in the winter, but what a lovely place to be.

Nicholas Higham, Rome, Britain and the Anglo-Saxons

 Last book I read before holiday, so seems a long time ago now. Quite academic, and dated from the early '90s so not so up to date. Still interesting for all that, and I am getting more and more interested in the period of British history between  the collapse of Roman rule and the emergence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. The strange anarchic mix of Christianity and paganisim, of Roman, British and germanic cultures seems to appeal to me

Alison Weir, The Cardinal: The Secret Life of Thomas Wolsey

 I assumed this was non=fiction, and was surprised I hadn't heard of it. It turns out it's a novel, and not a very good one. Good luck to anyone writing about Wolsey in the shadow of  Hilary Mantel's incredible, unsurpassable Wolf Hall trilogy, but anything would suffer in comparison. The dialogue in this is clunky and often risible, characters often declaiming or using cod-medieval language, forsooth. Example 'Begone, the lot of you! My friend and I have more weighty matters to discuss!'. Maybe Damien Lewis could make it sound believable.

Yael Van Der Wouden, The Safekeep

 Picked up on impulse in Waterstone's, and it's been hyped a bit, appearing on a few 'summer read' lists. It was the story of two women alone in a house in post war Netherlands, and the friction and attraction between them, with  a twist in the third act. Jolly good holiday reading, so it'll go into Helen's Tsundoku. Today was William's last day at primary school, so after 14 odd years we are no longer part of the Goldsworth School family. I feel a little robbed as William decided last week that he would cycle to and from school by himself; that's great, and I'm super-proud of him for that, but it meant that I unwittingly had my last ever school pickup the week before.. It would have been nice to mark the occasion. They had the leavers' assembly earlier today and I sneaked out for an early lunc to watch it Lots of tears as they sang songs about growing up. I hope he thrives at Woking High School, but I must admit to being more worried about our baby boy coping than I ever was with the other two. 

Ben riley-Smith Blue Murder: The Rise and Fall of the Conservative Government 2010-2024

 Didn't really learn anything new from this book, but it did depress me further about the incompetence and venality of the entitled charlatans who run this country. Written by a journalist, who seemed keen to point out how in the know he was, mentioning few times there were juicy stories he could not tell as he hadn't verified them. there was nothing in here that hadn't appeared in the national press, so not at all revelatory. In 5 days we will all be going on holiday to Wales, so the holiday spirit is starting to kick in and my work ethic is suffering. On Friday I had to do a logical reasoning test, which I completely struggled with. I thought logical reasoning was a strength of mine, but the test identifying patterns were too complex for me. I'm becoming more convinced my cognition is suffering as I age, a big worry given Mum's condition. I still manage the crossword though and I'm trying to keep my brain active, but more and more I have lapses of memory on phone numbers, names, etc. 

Denis Johnson, Train Dreams

 There was a glowing review of this on 'A Good Read' or similar, and although I have read some Denis Johnson before and not really been captured by it, I thought I' give it a go. Never really got into it though, and it was so dreamlike I struggled to follow the narrative. a tragic tale of a loner living a solitary life in the woods. He seemed to remain the same while the world around him changed so there's probably an allegory in there I'm missing

Aaron Sheehan-Dean, Why Confederates Fought: Family & Nation in Civil War Virginia

 I bought this because I saw it on the shelves when we were nosing around Royal Holloway's new library, as it looked just the sort of well-written and researched micro-history I enjoy about a period that interests me. It does worry me slightly that I do have a regard for some of the heroes of the confederacy like Lee and Stonewall Jackson due to their gallantry, romanticism and quixotic pursuit of a lost cause. Then I remind myself that they were fighting to preserve slavery, one of the great evils of humanity and I'm back in the room. 

Sebastian Faulks, Snow Country

 A novel of three parts set in Austria, and the first two parts were heaven for me - Habsburg Austria (and just after) and full of cafes, cakes and regimental order. The third part went more in the direction of a different mitteleueopean tradition, full of Freud, psychoanalysis and Magic Mountain alpine retreats. It's a sign of my lack of intellect, but I don't really get all these inward-looking examinations and didn't enjoy it so much. Finished this just before taking the cubs away to camp, which was as fun and exhausting as ever, particularly as the temperature has been in the 30s. We had six adults with us though, so it was a breeze in comparison to previous years. Now need to start planning for next year. . . 

Bijan Omrani, God Is An Englishman: Christianity and the Creation of England

Great title, but very disappointing read. The author was setting out to show how instrumental in a positive way Christianity has been to the shaping of English culture and identity and bent over backwards to make his case. Because Christianity and Englishness are both so wide-ranging, it's possible to cherry pick examples that prove the opposite of another - for example, he makes the points that Christians were instrumental n the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire, but not that for the previous 1500 years they had been perfectly ok with it, and many opposed the abolition. There was one point where he claimed that the common belief that Christian festivals like Easter are based on pre-christian traditions is not true. This was based on the fact that there is no documentary evidence for there being a pre-christian god called Eostre, other than Bede saying there was. So we can leave aside all the fertility/spring imagery of eggs, bunnies, overindulgence etc which has nothing to do with Christianity, and also leave aside that one of the most partisan Christians in English history said it was based on a pre-Christian festival. I'm not denying that Christianity has had a profound impact on English culture, it certainly has, both in a negative and positive way. some of the greatest social reforms and civilising measures have been driven by Christians - but they've also been opposed by them. Some of the worst atrocities and shaming episodes in English history have been opposed and denounced by some Christians - but also supported fully by others.

Marina Lewycka, Two Caravans

 Crikey, only 3 months since I reread Marina Lewycka's debut novel and I've forgotten a lot of the plot already. I +think+ the two books interlink and characters from the debut have cameos in this book, but I could be wrong. I enjoyed this old-fashioned boy-meets-girl story in a novel setting - amongst migrant labourers trying to scratch out a living in a foreign, unwelcoming country. Tonight I'm helping out at the Squirrels sleepover, not sure how it will go. Have also been landed with the organisation of the Scout trip to Ypres next week month and trying to make sense of it - we should have paid some months ago and owe £3k apparently

Oliver Moody, Baltic: The Future of Europe

 A geopolitical study of the nations that border the Baltic, overshadowed throughout by the threat to them all of invasion from Russia and how they are preparing for that eventuality. Hard to think of a more serious read. Reinforced my belief in NATO as an absolutely necessary alliance to hold the west together and the need for free nations to stand united. Amongst it all, one insight I took away was that as long as the war in Ukraine continues, the chance of Russia extending the conflict to the Baltic is unlikely, but if a ceasefire is reached and Russia has chance to regroup, it could be on. Also, interesting to hear that the military power of Poland and Finland (for example) would appear stronger and more battle-ready than the UK, France or Germany, let alone smaller western states

Colm Toibin, Brooklyn

 Not been on my radar before, but the sequel is out now and getting good reviews, so thought I should give it a go, and it was lovely. A simple story of a young Irish émigré to New York and her dilemma between duty and desire. So well written, straight onto Helen's tsundoku pile

John Elledge, A History of the World in 47 Borders

 A pop-Geography book written in a very jokey, irreverent way, almost like a podcast. Lots of funny asides and diversions. Not sure I learnt anything new, but a nice enjoyable read at a time when I needed that as work has been so stressful the past few weeks. I'm having an inner debate about whether to keep books like these. I've always kept non-fiction, but I know I'm never going to read this again so why keep it? A decision may need to be made as my shelves are double-stacked. . . 

Graham Swift, Waterland

 Took me a while to get into it as it seemed disjointed, hoping around the centuries, but always set in a soggy, oppressive fenland that is evocatively described. It soon all came together and although the East Anglia Tourist Board probably don't want to use it as it's got murder, incest and muddy ditches, it made me want to go out to the fens. Parts of it were read in Bristol and Bath as Freddie was looking around the universities there. He seems to like both, but it's difficult to tell with Fred as he doesn't seem to get enthusiastic about anything or make any decision. Maybe that's just teenage boys for you.

Jack Cornish, The Lost Paths

 Left it a little late to write this after reading, and it didn't make much of an impression anyway. It's a book by a keen walker, but I couldn't really workout how it was structured, and the themes seemed odd. More a series of anecdotes and stories that weren't really linked and only loosely connected to paths. Fully behind any extolation (is that a word?) of footpaths, but a bit meh. 

John Fowles, The Magus

That was a bit of a mindbender. 700 pages of psychological experimentation, not knowing what was real and what wasn’t - I stuck with it and really enjoyed it, although at times was totally lost, just like the main character. It's set mostly on a greek island after the waw and revolves around a young English teacher, who is looking for an escape from a failed relationship and takes a job on the island. there he meets a strange character who proceeds to draw him in to a web of fantasy and lies where no-one is what they seem. the scale of this illusion and the reasons for them haunt the main character as he struggles to distinguish between reality and the facade. It turns out that very little he though of as true was real and everyone he know has been part of the simulation in some way. a novel written by a young man alone on an island with too much time on his hands, but still great.

Fred had  his first A level exam this week, in Maths. He's very taciturn, so it's difficult to understand how worried or concerned he feels, but he seems to be coping. Nest week we are off to look at Bristol and Bath university. . . 

Subhadra Das, Uncivilised: Ten Lies that made the West

 A bit more pop than the polemic I was expecting, and a lot of personal experience rather than academic analysis, but all the same very little to disagree with about the arrogance and inherent superiority western civilisation affords itself. 

Edward Abbey, The Monkey Wrench Gang

 A '70s counter-cultural classic about a gang of militant environmentalists who decide to fight back against human despoliation of the wilderness through direct action. They blow up bridges and machinery and go on the lam, before the law eventually catches up with them.  It was a bit if a slog for me, although the author is obviously very much in love with the Utah desert and the Colorado Valley, and loves to walk it. His characters' 60 mile walks made me feel a bit rubbish with my own efforts. On Bank holiday Monday this week I ran 10 miles on the Ridgeway between Liddington Castle and Sparsholt Firs, intending to get an Uber back. Couldn't get an Uber at Sparsholt, so decided to walk the 4 miles to the nearest town, Lambourn. Lambourn was a tiny wee place, with only one cab driver, a guy called Gav who wasn't free for another 4 hours. so I walked/ran the 11 miles from Lambourn back to the car. What should have been a relatively easy run followed by a pub lunch in Ogbourne St George turned out to be a bit of an epic particularly when the rains started mid-afternoon. Not sure Fred will trust me to plan any more walks on the ridgeway (two days before he did 16 miles with me)..

Nicholas T Parsons, The Shortest History of Austria

 Bought this out of curiosity, as I was intrigued to know how you can have a history of Austria - is it the history of the lands of the current state, or of the lands of the Austrian empire, or what? Is there even such a thing as the Austrian nation? It was light reading, and mad that such topics as Canossa or Stefan Zweig could be covered in  a sentence and then on to the next topic. mostly it was a history of the Habsburgs, warfare and diplomacy, not a great deal of social history or of the land of Austria. It's a Friday afternoon and I'm off to give blood later before a dance evening at cubs - so I'll show up with my donor sticker and have a good excuse not to make a fool of myself with the dancing.

Gyula Krudy, Life is a Dream

 A collection of short stories set in the last days of the Habsburg empire, full of fatty food, café life, matters of honour and status, just my cup of tea. Tottenham won the Europa League last night in an awful match between two rubbish teams. So I really don't know what to think. I'm celebrating but crikey we are bad at the moment and I don't see that changing. Being in the Champions League next season when we have struggled against Tamworth and been outplayed by so many PL teams is very worrying. but we +are+ in the CL, and if we're in it, there's always a chance. . . 

Caroline Lucas, Another England: How To Reclaim Our National Story

 Preaching to the converted, very little I disagree with in here and much that I applaud. Caroline Lucas seems to share my frustration with the approach of the Labour Party and the way they have ignored the concerns of their natural voters and the millions of progressive liberals out there. What's the point of voting Labour if they are going to govern as a right-wing party? The people in charge of the party seem only to be interested in ensuring that no-one even vaguely left-wing is in any position of power anywhere, and if that means out Faraging Farage on immigration, steel nationalisation and benefit cuts, they're up for it. there's a rude awakening coming.

Daphne du Maurier, The King's General

25 years or so ago when I was doing A Level English evening classes, I wrote the first chapter of an adventure story set in 17th Century Cornwall. I was immensely proud of 'The King Over The Water', but of course, Daphne du Maurier got there before me and blew me out of that water. Such a good read. I'm writing this a few days after returning from Duncan's funeral. Alex stood up in church to give a eulogy for his father, I really have no idea how he could have the strength of character to do that. He had me blubbing a few times. There were hundreds there to celebrate the life of an incredible person. I miss him so much, although there's part of me that still hasn't accepted he's gone and can still feel his presence. Clayton and I have agreed that we need to organise a Duncan Ogilvie tribute Eurovision Disney Rugby tour Pub Crawl on ice to remember him. 

Phillip Howell, Pub

 Finally got to the bottom of my in-tray of books to write about, but the book itself has disappeared! I hope it shows up as I really enjoyed it, and part of me would like to take it up to Duncan's funeral tomorrow as it is about one of our many shared interests, the Pub. The book was written by a Geography professor who knows his stuff both professionally and as a user of pubs. I'd happily read more by him, but can't find anything. Of course it's difficult to think of anything other than Duncan at the moment. Putting together a photo album really helped, but i still can't quite believe he has gone, it's like i can still feel his presence, smiling and supportive. The reality will hit me sooner or later. Will try and hold it together at the funeral for poor Louise and Alex, I'm not sure how to face them or what to say.

Hakan Nesser, The Living and the Dead in Winsford

 I like Hakan Nesser's sense of humour. He is most well known for the Van Veeteren mysteries, a series of novels set in a fictional northern European country that is never named and has elements of the Netherlands, Scandinavia, the Baltic coast and others. This novel however is the complete opposite set in a very specific place, a tiny hamlet on Exmoor. huge amount of detail on the landscape, area and  walks around the environs. Also a cracking read with an excellent denouement. Does a book set in Devon qualify as Scandi noir though?

Duncan Mackay, Echolands: A Journey in Search of Boudica

 Backlog of books to write about is building up, and it is stressing me out on top of everything else! It's a busy time with putting together a photo album of memories for Louise & Alex, the May Fayre yesterday, William's birthday today and B2B next weekend. William is v excited as he is getting his first phone - he seems so young compared to the others at this stage, maybe that's just because he is our baby boy still. The book was much more enjoyable than I was expecting, and a lot more personal info about the author as he walks in the chariot-tracks of Boudica in a psycho-geographical sort of way. i really like this approach to history, it's becoming more and more common. I guess some might find it a little glib, but it works for a non-academic like me.

Agatha Christie, Endless Night

 A later Agatha Christie, and more of a thriller than a whodunnit with even an element of a ghost story. It came up as an atypical Christie on A Good Read, and it is in part inspired by her house in Devon where we went in the Autumn, so when I saw it in a second-hand bookshop i had to grab it. Great holiday reading, but with a very weird '70s cover of a stabbed owl. Grogu got hold of the book and chewed a bit off, but as it's AC I'll keep it in the library. I feel like I'm coming up for air after being in the fug of grief for Duncan. It's still devastating and that'll never change, but I'm coping better. Putting together photos and talking to people about him has really helped. No news on the funeral yet, I hope it will be the joyous celebration of him that he would want rather than a sad occasion

Mike Parker, Map Addict: The Bestselling Tale of an Addiction

The top of a pile of three books in my to-do pile, as I have been putting off writing this knowing I’d have to talk about Duncan, my dear, dear friend who suddenly passed away last week. I'm still devastated, in shock and not functioning normally - and the same is true for Helen. I sat down and wrote out as many happy memories of Duncan as I could, meaning to share them with Louise and Alex, hoping they can take some solace from them. I haven't broken down crying for a few hours, but there'll be a lot more grieving to come. Of course, what i feel is nothing comparted to the loss his family have, but this is my chance to be selfish and talk about how I feel - the hole in my heart, the sadness that I didn't spend enough time with him in recent years, the horrific realisation that I will never speak to him again. 

Samuel Burr, The Fellowship of Puzzle Makers

 More holiday reading, and a book I had to buy when I read the blurb - firstly because it's the story of a boy adopted under mysterious circumstance by a commune of puzzle enthusiasts and secondly for the phrase 'Clayton Stumper is an enigma. He might be twenty-five years old, but he dresses like your grandad and drinks sherry like your aunt'. It was fun, and involved young Clayton solving a series of puzzles to find out the truth of his own origins. Enjoyable guff, but rather disappointing as the crossword clues tended to be straight rather than cryptic, which is all a bit dull. One was 'French Bread' (4) which frustrated me as it was probably going to be 'pain' but could also be 'euro', 'cent', 'sous'. . . all the same though it was a perfect holiday read.

Joyce Marlow, The Tolpuddle Martyrs

 Had to read this as we were down in Dorset and not far from Tolpuddle. I had planned to pilgrimage cycle there while we were in Studland, but that didn't happen because halfway through the holiday I managed to write the car off. This meant a lot of stress and organisation, including the logistics of getting everyone back to Woking - which ended up with me running to Poole to pick up a car, taking the ferry on the way. another sort of adventure then. Other than the car we had a wonderful time, loads of walks with the dog in the heathlands and along the beaches. fair few NT tear rooms and bookshops too. Just lovely. 

James Hynes, Sparrow

First book I read on our eventful holiday to Dorset. Managed a few pages while eating a cake in a café in Lyndhurst just over halfway through my epic 100 mile cycle down to our holiday cottage in Studland. Had a glorious day, only got lost a few times around Winchester and only one hill beat me. Bournemouth seafront was incredibly busy and getting the ferry over to Studland was lovely. the book itself was the story of a slave in roman times, and maybe would have punched me harder if i hadn't read 'James' recently, which covered similar grounds in getting inside the psyche of a slave - the constant fear of death, the dehumanisation, the  need to carefully consider all aspects of behaviour etc. I enjoyed it, but it's going to go into the garage for rehoming rather than Helen's tsundoku.

Jacob Mikanowski, Goodbye Eastern Europe: An Intimate History of a Divided Land

A book made for me - a celebration of the multiethnic, multireligious, polyglot and tolerant Eastern Europe and the tragedies that have befallen it since WWI. Wonderful and managed to get some recommendations from it for future reading.  Fred is back at the meeting point in Glossop having completed his expedition - really looking forward to hearing all about it when he gets back - although I expect he'll be too tired to talk for a while.

Marina Lewycka, A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian

 Bought this from the National Trust Bookshop at The Vyne when we went there last Sunday for Mother's Day. It's the book I was reading when Freddie was born, so will always have a special place in my affcetions. I haven't reread it since and could remember little about it. there's much more about the tragedies of famine and war on Ukrainians in the 20th Century than I remember which is something I've read about a lot in the meantime.  Fred himself is now off up in the Peak District on his epic DofE Gold Expedition - 5 nights away, 5 days intensive hiking and wild camping. he was so nervous before going up, but hopefully he is ok. He's in a mobile blackspot so we haven't been able to track him since lunchtime yesterday, so I'm a very worried parent at the moment. He is with a good bunch of friends though and they will get each other through.

Catherine Nixey, Heresy: Jesus Christ and the Other Sons of God

 Enjoyed that much more than I was expecting, and Catherine Nixey seems to have had a jolly old time researching and writing the book, she revels in all the creative and crazy stories about Jesus Christ and other aspiring messiahs that  were circulating in the early centuries AD and have often been suppressed since as the Church with its single version of truth has come to dominate. I'm trying to interest Libby in reading the introduction at least, as I think she'll enjoy the challenge to orthodoxy and she wants to do RE for GCSE next year. I'll keep trying.

Kate Atkinson, Death At The Sign of The Rook

 I'm sure I've read previous works by Kate Atkinson, but there is nothing in my library so it must have been fiction that I gave away. This was a very enjoyable murder mystery, really well constructed and fun. It's one in a series of 'Jackson Brodie' mysteries, I'll keep an eye out for more.

Terry Deary, A History of Britain in Ten Enemies

 Ostensibly written for adults, unlike Terry Deary's Horrible Histories, but a very similar style - very sweeping and entertaining. He's much more critical of Britain, monarch, imperialsim and our role in the slave trade than I've picked up on before, I mistakenly had him pegged as a bit of a right-winger. I don't feel right putting it in the history bookshelves though, so it's going in the playroom, snob that I am.

Rudyard Kipling, Puck of Pook's Hill

 Glad I've read it, as it fits in with my love of stories of English faerie, and Kipling's Puck is definitely in that category. Puck is a magic spirit older than Britain who is accidentally summoned by three children and conjures up figures from the past to tell them stories about these isles. It's charming, but very twee and Victorian. All the characters are bold, faithful and perfect gentlemen, and there's never anything sordid or dishonourable. Norman and Saxons have mutual respect for each other, the Romans are jolly sporting to the Britons, and even when some Saxons are captured by Danes and turned into galley-slaves, everyone gets on, they go to Africa together, kill a gorilla that is terrorising the natives, become incredibly rich when they are showered with gold, and then get dropped home on the Kent coast on the way back to enjoy their share of the spoils. 

Lucy Mangan, Bookish: How Reading Shapes Our Lives

Lucy Mangan lives the life I want to lead and writes how I'd love to write. Funny, self-deprecating, bookish, socially anxious and just wanting to be left alone. Massive envy now for her purpose-built library and I feel better about the 2,000 book sin our house when she has 10,000 in hers Didn't get as many new book recommendations as I normally do from reading her work, but maybe, and incredibly, I have finished mining the seam of her knowledge now I've read three books of hers that are full of recommendations. IRL, I am recovering from the Chichester Harbour half marathon ten days ago, which really sapped my strength. Helen, Libby and William all have shows coming up so it's a busy time as well as it being year end at work.

Percival Everett, James

 A retelling of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of the escaped slave that accompanies Huck on his adventures, Jim. It had very good reviews and was shortlisted for the Booker, but I wasn't too enthusiastic about it as it didn't really appeal. Maybe because Huck Finn isn't a book i love (i may not even have read it, but I know the story), and I'm not a huge fan of slave stories (that's my white privilege showing). However, the book had such an impact on me and I feel so guilty now. It gave me a whole new perspective on the hopelessness of being a slave, and the way Everett turns a 2-dimensional stereotypical character into an intelligent, sensitive, thoughtful person trapped in an impossible situation and having to watch his every move and utterance while living in constant fear of death or punishment - wow. I feel admonished, but hopefully I'm a little wiser and more sensitive now.

Peter Hennessy, Muddling Through: Power, Politics and the Quality of Government in Postwar Britain

 I bought this thinking it was a fairly recent book, but actually it's from the early 90s, so I've probably read it before! It certainly went over familiar ground in Hennessy's avuncular style, and it was based on his R4 series rom the time. I was a little disappointed with the discussions between those giants Enoch Powell and Tony Benn when they were discussing parliamentary procedure, as both of them did indeed appear to be muddling through and neither had any clear idea how things did or should work. If they don't know, who does?

Graham Swift, England And Other Stories

 Started reading this collection of short stories thinking 'Meh, I don't really like short stories, I struggle to follow the change from one story to another', and by the end I was really invested in it. The stories share an englishness, a humanity, a vulnerability, a mostly contemporary setting and they really spoke to me. Wasn't expecting that at all!

Maurice Gorham, Back to the Local

 A reprint of a post war paean to the London pub, glorious nostalgia of conviviality, green tile and glass and beer. Even in the 1940s the author was bewailing how times have moved on and traditions were dying out as pubs moved with the times

John Buchan, Prester John

 I was expecting a book about, um , Prester John, so was surprised it had very little to do with him and instead was centred on an uprising in Southern Africa in the early 20th Century and how a young 19 year old Scottish storekeeper thwarted it through honesty, derring-do, and being a massive racist. This isn't going to get a reprint any time soon, it's rooted in the assumption that British imperialism is a benefit to Africa, and that native people are inferior and must be guided and controlled.

Max Adams, The Mercian Chronicles:King Offa and the Birth of the Anglo-Saxon State AD630-918

 The 5th book on Anglo-Saxon England by Max Adams I've bought, and probably a lot of my decision to buy them is based on how lovely they look on the bookshelves. Nice easy-to-read popular histories, and the Mercians seem to have been neglected and overlooked as there are more sources north and south - Bede for the Northumbrians and Asser for Wessex. Spring appears to have arrived, and it's another glorious sunny day today. Freddie and Libby were both on their DofE expeditions this weekend. Libby had no problem with her bronze, a nice relatively short walk from Gomshall to Newlands Corner. Fred's was a practice session for his big expedition in April, and after two days walking 25k and sleeping overnight in sub-zero conditions, the poor lad is shattered today (monday). Helen had to give him a lift to college as he can barely walk due to his blisters. He's going to be downhearted for a bit as he will worry about how he will cope on the expedition itself. Tonight he is planning it with his friends, hopefully that will help give him confidence.

Carsten Henn, The Door-to-Door Bookstore

 An unchallenging, feel-good, life-affirming short book about an aging bookseller, his love of reading and his love for others, which he shows through encouraging their own reading habits. Very sweet (and may explain my current toothache, which is definitely not due to troughing a box of milk tray yesterday) and will go on Helen's shelves, as it is ideal book club fodder. I caved this weekend from my 'buy no books until birthday' resolution (and tbf, I'd already broken it by buying books for others and buying for myself in an NT second-hand bookshop because it's just the done thing), and bought three books include Max Adams' new book on the Mercians which I'm currently reading.

A.J. Lees, Brazil That Never Was

 I thought this was a work of fiction, and I'm still not entirely sure (I'll check after this). The South American setting helped of course, but it was very reminiscent of magical realism, and also Roberto Bolano's work, where it is written as non-fiction but in a fictional world - lots of verisimilitude and citations. Ostensibly it's the story of an english academic and his interest in a victorian explorer, Carruthers, and his quest for lost cities in the Amazon. He goes in search of the truth, and it becomes stranger and more mystical. . .

Douglas Smith, Former People: The Last Days of the Russian Aristocracy

 A bit too partisan for me, as the author seem determined to see the Russian Aristocracy as uniformly noble, sensitive and cultured and as blameless victims of a monstrous revolution. True of some no doubt, but the tales of eking out a post-revolution living as a museum curator in their old dacha, or having to sell paintings to survive or having to flee to relatives in Switzerland aren't anywhere near as harrowing as what other elements of Russian society had to deal with, both before and after the revolution. Easy for me to write in my comfortable chair in my comfortable house in my comfortable life having never known any hardship.

Emmanuel Carrere, The Moustache

 A very quirky story of a man who shaves off his moustache, and then finds that no-one remembers he ever had one - he slowly goes mad when faced with what seems like gaslighting and begins to question everything. It all led up to a very dark ending. Libby and I have been making a 'book nook' in the evenings, a little doll 's house-style bookshop to snuggle into a book shelf. It looks lovely and it was so nice to do something together. It's her birthday tomorrow so I've ordered a garden-themed one for her room that we can do together. Fred is back from Manchester and seems to have enjoyed it, but is the normal teenage tired now and lounging around after all his exertions.

Annie Gray, The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker: A History of the High Street

 A  fun, informal social history of the 'High Street' in Britain, how it has evolved from marketplaces and chophouses to arcades, and then on to shopping centres - and now appears to be dying. Fred seems to be enjoying it up in Manchester, he was disassembling PCs yesterday, got on well with everyone in the office and was going to play darts last night. Really hope he enjoys it.

Olgar Tokarczuk, The Empusium: A Health Resort Horror Story

 A combination of The Magic Mountain and The Wicker Man, with the benefit of being nowhere near as impenetrable as The Magic Mountain, while also conjuring up its beguiling world or pre-war mitteleuropean luxury and spa life where time has no meaning.  for me though, the very dreamlike and unreal air meant that the horror of the villagers sacrificing the occasional sanatorium patient was diluted. When you are not sure what is real and what is a dream, it's difficult to feel the chill of an impending death. Today is the first day of Freddie's work experience. He's travelled up to Lancashire to stay with Duncan and Louise and work for IT Brains for the week. It's a big adventure for him, he went up on the train by himself and was very worried about it. I certainly miss him, and I daren't go and look at his room as I'm worried I'll well up when I see his empty bed. He very thoughtfully sent a message this morning to say it had been great so far, I hope he means it. It'll be good for him to get away from home for a bit, and also maybe hanging around with Alex and his friends will help him come out of his shell a bit. 

Simon Kuper, Impossible City: Paris in the Twenty-First Century

 Kuper's book 'Football Against The Enemy' had a big impact on me when I read it in the early '90s - it combined two things that I was interested in - football and geopolitics - making connections that I had never thought of before. A wonderful journalist and writer, and he can only be a few years older than me. Since then, he's published a few books and worked at the FT, and now has his own column where he can write what he wants, and this book fits into that category - his own experiences of living in Paris in the 21st century since he accidentally moved there. Very readable, enjoyable, full of insights and made me want to live in Paris (as long as it's inside the periperique). I've been learning French and Spanish on Duolingo for a few years now, but I'm not sure how i would cope in a real life situation. I'm pretty good at understanding simple sentences, but constructing my own is very hard, Duolingo is limited in that respect. Libby is learning Welsh that way too, as she has become rather pro-Celt and wants to go to Uni in Wales. Good for her.

Thomas Mann, The Magic Mountain

 I feel ashamed of my own inadequacy, but I slogged through that, skimming large sections, falling asleep with the pages open and not really taking it in. the premise and the milieu appealed: a young man visits a pre-war mitteleuropean spa and gets seduced in to its luxurious, regulated and languid lifestyle, gradually becoming a patient who stays for 7 years. Time and reality seem to alter and take on new shapes and meaning. 700 pages of this though was too much for me. In an endpiece Thomas Mann suggests readers read it twice (to be fair, he does say if you didn't enjoy it the first time, don't reread), which caused me to say pffft. 

Florian Illies, 1913: The Year Before The Storm

 He must have had so much fun writing that, and I'm not sure what the brief was, but Illies has decided to concentrate on what was happening to a handful of Teutonic intellectuals and notable  in 1913 - Freud, Mann, Kafka, the Habsburg royal family  and loads of others I've not heard of or who I'm not clear of why they are well-known. So not quite the bird's eye end-of-an-era overview of the world (or even Europe) I was expecting, but still lots of trivia and vignettes. 

Margery Allingham, The Tiger in the Smoke

 Not what I was expecting from an inspector Campion mystery, which shows my ignorance. I thought it would be  twee, polite and murder at the vicarage, but it was a lot darker, set post-war and not a whodunnit at all - but rather a clash between good and evil personified by a priest and an escaped convict. So not the cosy crime caper I expected, and at the time it must have been a shocker, but it seems dated now when we are so used to the darkness of Scandi Noir and its many cousins. January seems to be going on forever, I can't wait for Spring. i had my first 'well man' check up last week as I am getting on now. Waiting for the results of some tests still, but generally they seems happy with my health and fitness and reassured me about my hips and any chance of developing dementia, so it was worth it for peace of mind.  

Catherine Fletcher: The Roads to Rome: A History

 A lovely eclectic read, but it's a pig to categorise. Its not about roads during the Roman empire, it's not a travelogue along Roman roads, and it's not a history of Rome or Europe, but it’s a mix of all of these , taking events in the last 2,500 years of European and Mediterranean history that have occurred on or near the Roman road network - Belisarius' conquest of Italy, Charlemagne visiting Rome to be crowned, The Crusades crossing the Balkans, the Grand Tour, Mussolini's march on Rome, the Allied invasion of Italy and more. Full of interesting information by a personable writer full of enthusiasm for her subject. I haven't a clue where to put it in the bookshelf though. It's got Rome in the name though so History of the Roman Empire it is.

Alejo Carpentier, Explosion In A Cathedral

One of those books I read to try and improve myself and expand my knowledge, but it was too much for me. I was tempted to jack it in after the first sentence, which I didn't understand at all, it was 10 lines long and contained at least two words I'd never heard of. It's described as the great Cuban historical novel and a tour-de-force, but honestly I was 100 pages in before I even realised it was set in the 18th century and had no idea what was going on. It seems to be about a gentlemen called Victor Hugues, who was instrumental in taking the French Revolution to the Caribbean. But one moment i register him as a chap in a warehouse and then he's somehow ruling Guadeloupe and I don't know what happened in between.  The historical note at the end was very clear and made it plainer, but all the same, none of it went in. I'm disappointed in myself, as Caribbean history is one of my blank spots and I should know more, but really I'm just not equipped for such complex literature. We're in the middle of a cold snap at the moment and yesterday there were even people iceskating on Wheatsheaf Common. I've been for a couple of runs as the ground is frozen rather than muddy, trying to find a safe run between Stonehill and Chobham as it is horrible running along the road. i found one yesterday, but some Tory in a norfolk jacket flagged me down to tell me I was on a private road. I'm a little miffed by that as I was doing no damage and it was a tarmaced road that the usual land rovers and range rovers were chugging along to get to stables and whatnot, but that's the country we live in. I'll try again when I can and try and stick to the footpaths.

Tim Robey, Box Office Poison: Hollywood's Story on a Century of Flops

 An entertaining read, one can never tire of reading of other people's hubris and disasters. A mixture of cinematic criticism and tales that would have been at home in the Book of Heroic Failures, chronicling some of the biggest box-office flops in Hollywood history. Some have become classics, some guilty pleasures, but most were utterly misconceived and poorly executed. I've publicly vowed not to buy any more books until my birthday, let's see how I get on. If I can make it to the end of the week I'll be beating my average. If I make it to the end of January I'll be astonished

Paul Murray, The Bee Sting

Loved it. Kept sneaking back to read a bit more, woke up early to read some and was so invested in the characters. The story of a dysfunctional family, the tragedies they have to deal with and the ghosts and regrets they carry with them. It's told from the point of view of the 4 main characters, and you learn more and sympathise with each of them as you understand more about what has taken them to where they are. I was dreading how it was going to end, but the end is deliberately ambiguous with the final sentence being one any of the 4 characters could have said. I think. IRL, William started Scouts yesterday. I didn't think he was a t all ready as he seems so young compared to the others, but he looked so smart and grown up in his shirt I almost blubbed. He seemed to really enjoy it so hopefully he'll stick with it. He's got one term with Libby before she moves on to to Explorers.

Nathen Amin, Son of Prophecy: The Rise of Henry Tudor

 The story of the Tudor ancestors of Henry VII, and his biography up until Bosworth. Very Welsh-centric, so gave a different perspective on a familiar period. Far too many dynastic squabbles and betrayals to keep track, but always fun. Also on the theme of betrayals, Series 3 of 'the Traitors' has just started on BBC 1, and looks to be as wonderful as the first two series. even Libby has deigned to watch it with us.  We're hoping for snow this weekend, and there is a slim chance of it - let's see.

Lev Grossman, The Bright Sword

An Arthurian Epic, but set in the hangover after Arthur has left for Avalon and the polity he established has collapsed. The remaining knights of the Round Table are exhausted, disheartened and in no shape to restore Britain. Lots of elements of Faerie too, and I very much enjoyed it, but at 650+ pages it took up a lot of time over Christmas. During this time i also suspect I saw a beaver, but it could be just wishful thinking. Freddie, me and the dog went for a walk round the nature reserve by the river Trent where the beavers have been released, and before we got to the reserve as we were walking along the canal we passed over a brook. I saw something to my left and saw what I thought was a big black dog jump in into the brook and disappear. But it was in a place where there wouldn't be a dog and there was no owner around - and there was a dam very near by. so I think I may have disturbed a beaver and just glimpsed it.