Virginia Woolf, Mrs Dalloway

 Nope, still don’t get it. A novel about an upper-class woman with no real concerns organising a party for the evening with some old flames interwoven with the story of a shell-shocked combatant. Like 'To The Lighthouse', I'm obviously missing something.

Catherine Nixey, The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World, Stefan Zweig, Beware Of Pity

Two books I really enjoyed, and with a rather depressing connection - both are concerned with the end days of great civilisations (the Roman Empire and Austria-Hungary) under assault from the book-burners and intolerant zealots. Horrible that this should ring so true in our era of Brexit and Trump.

Denis Johnson, Tree of Smoke

We've been sleeping in that tent ever since the last update, it's been so hot here. This doesn’t include Helen, obviously, but me and the kids have been out there every night and it's lovely and cool. I need to take it down tonight though as the lawn man comes tomorrow :(

I struggled with Tree of Smoke, a sprawling epic concerning the American experience in Vietnam that blurred the line between fiction and reality. It probably would have been easier to follow if I was American and older, and had experienced the impact of Vietnam on the previously accepted certainties of American life following the heroism of WWII - that America was the good guy and was saving the world for democracy and that the American military was all-powerful. Vietnam ended that perception for millions of people as it became clear that America wasn't particularly interested in democracy or self-determination for others, were more interested in protecting capitalism than liberty, were unwelcome by the locals who considered them an occupying force, and that their military wasn't nearly as effective as they'd assumed. Quite a jolt for the top nation

Sam Selvon, The Lonely Londoners, Annie Proulx, The Shipping News, Sarah Churchwell, Behold, America: A History of America First and the American Dream, China Mieville, The City And The City

Haven't enjoyed a book as much as 'The City And The City' in a long time. It's a standard police procedural, but set in a Balkan city that shares space with another city - they're in the same physical space but there is a collective agreement not to 'breach' the divide. 'Behold America' was chilling, a reminder of the white supremacist. 'pure American' tradition in US culture and politics. Hard to believe it's come to the forefront again with Trump. We saw her speak at Hay and she was so passionate

I've just bought a new tent as our old one was too small for the family. It's up in the garden at the moment and we've been sleeping in it as it is just too hot in the house

John Julius Norwich, France: A History: from Gaul to de Gaulle, Marie Phillips, The Table of Less Valued Knights, Theodore Dreiser, An American Tragedy, David Crystal, Listen to Your Child: A Parent's Guide to Children's Language, Martin Amis, Money, Marcus Tanner, The Raven King: Matthias Corvinus and the Fate of His Lost Library

John Julius Norwich has sadly passed away since I read his history of France. It reminded me of George Macdonald Fraser's last books - very indulgent, personal, irreverent and from a man out of step with the modern world. Very uncharitable view and in both cases I wonder if their publishers knew they were on the way out and either waived normal editorial standards or rushed through publication. 'An American Tragedy' was the dark side of the American Dream, and stands with 'Ragtime' with its claim to be the Great American Novel because it explores the exploitation, the social barriers, the ambition and drive of those without who are prepared to go to any lengths to enter the gilded world they see.

Read most of it in Hay at the festival, where I had a wonderful time with Helen. I've been excited about it for months - it was great for the two of us to get away, and we stayed in a gypsy caravan next to Stewart Lee. Him recognising me at a talk he was chairing and saying 'oh, hello there!' may be one of the highlights of my life.

Junot Diaz, The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Not the book I was expecting, about a young Hispanic nerd in NY. That's how it starts, but it soon expands to cover the tragic history of a Dominican family in the 20th Century and the horrors of the Trujillo regime. Really enjoyable and learnt a lot about Dominican history. It was William's 4th birthday at the weekend and we had a big party. He's a real handful at the moment. It's lovely as he's talking far more and loves to sing and mimics his brother and sister. He wants to go 'geocachin' all the time, despite not really understanding it.  Hard to believe he starts school in September, he seems so young!

Next Erlendur - Arctic Chill

China Mieville, The Last Days Of New Paris

Margaret Mitchell, Gone With The Wind, Lucy Mangan. Bookworm: A Memoir of Childhood Reading, Cyril Hare, An English Murder, Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian, Elizabeth Drayson, The Moor's Last Stand: How Seven Centuries of Muslim Rule in Spain Came to an End

My holiday reading for the US. Gone With the Wind was breathtakingly racist, and the most alarming thing was the insouciance with which Margaret Mitchell and her characters just accepted the superiority of well-bred whites and that slavery was beneficial to all. It was still a gripping read though, and I ended up sneaking off most nights after the kids had gone to the bed to read a few more chapters while overdosing on free root beer and cakes at the Resort Food Hall in Disney World. Helen also had to tell me off for reading about Sherman's March to the Sea when I should have been watching the Orca display at Seaworld.

I'd read anything by Lucy Mangan, I've been a fan of her articles in The Guardian for years, and when she writes a book about childhood reading that's just the nuts. My responses to each chapter generally fell into one of two categories. A) I had read the book and nodded along enthusiastically with agreement or B) I had not read the book and stuck it straight on my Amazon wishlist so I was no longer missing out. One book she raved about, 'Private: Keep Out', is now out of print and battered second hand copies are changing hands for £700!

Cyril Hare's 'An English Murder' kept me diverted on the plane back via Iceland. It was a corking, classic english murder mystery. I was going to ask Alan if he had read it, but we weren't able to meet up in NY unfortunately as Alec was unwell. 'Blood Meridian' was unremittingly violent and I lost my way at times. No doubt a truer version of The West than Hollywood's, but I prefer the humour and verbosity of Deadwood over unending barbarity and depravity. Finally, a defence of Boabdil, the last Moorish ruler of Granada. His story is such a tragic one, it's no wonder it has inspired so many paintings, books etc. Makes me desperate to go back to Andalucia.