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