Jamie Mackay, The Invention of Sicily: A Mediterranean History, Bruce Chatwin, Utz

 'Not sure why the title was the 'invention' really, it was a straightforward accessible history of the island. Whizzed through some parts it seemed, but that's probably because I've previously waded through thousands of pages on the Norman era alone thanks to John Julius Norwich. Just made me more desperate to get back to the Mediterranean. We're looking at holidays at the moment, but the prices are astronomical, we've just had to fix the car and the house and I may have a hideous dental bill to come. So a cottage somewhere relatively cheap again this year probably. I really enjoyed 'Utz', it's to my shame I hadn't come across it before. It's the story of an old Habsburg era aristocrat, who keeps his collection of Meissen porcelain in communist Prague, and passes up the opportunity to escape to the West as he cannot bear to be parted with it. Very touching, a poignant evocation of the lost world of mitteleuropa (so right up my street) and a lovely ending.

Alison Lurie, A Foreign Affair

Another book discussed on A Good Read, and quite funny, but from another world. It's set in and was written in the '80s, but the London described is long gone. Smoking on aeroplanes, telephone directories, not knowing where people are, having to use libraries for information - all these seem impossibly dated now. It was enjoyable, but it hasn't inspired me to go out and read anything more by Alison Lurie. 

Alice Albinia: The Britannias: An Island Quest

Part travelogue, part pop history as the author explores the islands of Britannia beyond the two mainlands, setting them in historical context. What sets this apart from similar books is the author's mission to uncover the female influence on British history and culture, which has undoubtedly been suppressed, marginalised and ignored. I think she goes to far in seeing vulvas and wombs and pregnancy bump in any artefacts she comes across, but I'm in no position to judge and if it reduses the bias and brings things closer to a balanced view I'm all for it.

Ross Raisin, The Natural

 I bought this because someone on a podcast said it was the best, most realistic novel about football, and fair play, it was very convincing about the life, loneliness and pressure of being a lower division footballer. I'd recommend it to my brothers, but it's also a Brokeback Mountain-style tale of covert homosexuality so I'm not sure it's appropriate to recommend to them. 

Heather Cox Richardson, Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America

HCR is the best, most accessible writer on the history of the US I can think of and is such a hard worker. Every day an email placing current events in their historical context comes out - always interesting, always balanced. HCR (and many others) are a lot more optimistic about the state of US democracy than me given the current attacks from the MAGA right, let's hope they are right to be so

Lauren Groff, The Vaster Wilds

I picked this up for its lovely cover and interesting title as much as anything, saw it had good reviews and then bought a copy which I gave to my niece Ella as a christmas present. Then I bought another copy to read for myself. It's the story of a mistreated servant girl at the doomed and starving James River colony who murders her master and escapes to the wilderness. She manages to endure with great struggles away from humanity living alone until finally she falls down a cliffside, and is left injured and having visions until finally she passes away and returns to nature. A sad story, but one that shows humanity's capacity to endure. Not all humanity of course, I wouldn't last 5 minutes in the wilderness for starters.

The National Archives, A History of Treason: The Bloody History of Britain through the stories of its most notorious traitors

 Very dry, and the result of the team at the National Archives using their resources to investigate the stories of treason. It charts how the concept of treason has changes since Edward III, when it was a physical threat or disloyalty to the king as a person to the idea of treason against a state/community that one is part of.  today is the fist day back in work after the holidays, but most people appear to be on leave still so it looks like it will be a quiet week.  Fred and Libby go back to school today and William tomorrow. Not the happiest time of year, but as it starts to get brighter we should all cheer up too!