Roberto Bolańo, Nazi Literature in the Americas

 He must have loved writing this, a fictionalised history of imaginary notable American right-wing authors. Endlessly creative, an entire world built on a skewed version of 20th Century Latin American history. My head hurts so much at the moment, I went out on saturday with friends from school and still haven't recovered

Tore Skeie: The Wolf Age: The Vikings, the Anglo-Saxons and the Battle for the North Sea Empire

 Nice to read something about the period from a different perspective, more balanced towards the Norwegians and Danes and seeing them as part of an overall milieu rather than faceless 'others' who have no history until the appear on the shores of Northumbria. Slept in my own bed for the first time in a while last night as we have been in the tent. It's too hot in the house though! I would happily sleep out in the tent all the time I think, as long as there is a warm blanket and sleeping bag and the house is a few steps away if I need anything. I'm taking the kids down to the New Forest for a few days next week without Helen. I think I'm more excited about it than they are though, I hope it goes well.

Maurice Leblanc, Arséne Lupin:Gentleman Thief

 Just finished a three day training course on Scalable Agile Framework and cannot face the backlog of emails so writing here instead. It's gonna be a mad couple of days I think. Lupin is experiencing a moment following the updated Netflix series which is very cool and stylish, so the original books set in the France of the Belle Epoque are being republished at the moment. They haven't dated at all, it really is surprising they are not more popular here, a wonderful read. I made my way through this collection of short stories in a day, and have ordered a box set on special offer. Lovely light reading, but like Sherlock Holmes or PG Wodehouse, best done in bite sized chunks

Emmanuel Carrére, The Kingdom

 Not a book I would normally have read, by a very clever French thinker and about the early church and the gospel of Luke and a fictionalised account of what his life could have been. I think I got it as it has a nice cover with some wonderful quotes. I did really enjoy it, although I think a lot of the theology and morality passed me by. I continue to be shocked at how different the Jesus of the New Testament is to the Jesus presented to us by the Church, and I don't know which I dislike more - the tetchy, unforgiving, harsh contrarian of the NT, or the perfect, all-loving, all-compassionate kindly Christ presented to us. I'm currently on a Scaled Agile Training course being run remotely and it's difficult to be engaged. It's nice to be training again, but this is not the best way to do it. It's also affecting my running. It's a combination of things, but the clocks going forward, the early start of the course each day and sleeping in a tent mean it's tough to get up and head out running, so I've lost my motivation a little. I'm on the exercise bike instead, but I should be out and about

Colin Dexter, The Daughters of Cain

 I must have said this before, but Morse has dated so badly. He's still a wonderful, compelling character, but the casual sexism and lechery  is shocking in the era of #metoo. Things that seem ok for Morse and the author to think or say are not OK, it would be considered predatory behaviour from an authority figure now. Easter holidays have started, and Fred decided to put the family tent up as a project. He did a great job, but the last few nights it's been minus degrees until last night, when it was 5 degrees. So everyone wanted to sleep out. William made it until 02:30 due to the cold, Libby until 4-ish, but Fred lasted the night. I managed to get some little sleep, I think I'll be out there with them for a few weeks, but I'm happy about that, its nice to be in the open air.

Margaret Atwood, Payback:Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth

 'A non-fiction essay by Margaret Atwood, written in response to the financial crisis of 2007. a really easy, engaging and entertaining read about the concept of reciprocity, co-operation, obligations and their effects. Lots of moral elements to it for Atwood, tying debt with sin and redemption and good works

A.K. Blakemore, The Manningtree Witches

 A debut novel which received some very good reviews, and has a wonderful use of language, as perhaps you would expect from a poet. Set in the civil way in the Essex of Matthew Hopkins and witch-finding. Very interesting on how society allows and encourages the mistreatment and intolerance of independent females who by their very existence seem to threaten the existing (and tenuous due to the civil war) social structures.