Toby Driver, The Hillforts of Iron Age Wales

 The book I have been waiting my whole life for. I sent a message to the author on Twitter to say how much I'd enjoyed it, how interesting and accessible it was and to thank him for writing it. He obviously has a great passion for the subject which shines through and keeps others engaged. Loads of maps and diagrams as well as a very useful (if indulgent for the author) top ten hillforts at the end. 

Antal Szerb, Journey by Moonlight

 I really enjoyed his anglophile 'The Pendragon Legend', and as 'Journey by Moonlight' is considered his masterpiece, I thought I'd give it a go. It was a little disappointing, being a standard story of bourgeois repressions and an attempt by each of the characters to escape from this and find meaning, but as often happens they just end up mooning around without any real problems until they reconcile with papa and he fixes it all.

Patricia Lockwood, Priestdaddy

 It's been on my wishlist and then my goods in bookshelf for ages, so finally picked it up. A very funny memoir of growing up in a religious household, with the father, a catholic priest, at the centre. An eccentric with strong opinions, and as mad as all dads, washing himself with fairy liquid and inventing nicknames for everyone. I skipped over some of the more spiritual sessions to get to the capers of the family which were always amusing. 

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.