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

Mike Parker, Map Addict: The Bestselling Tale of an Addiction

The top of a pile of three books in my to-do pile, as I have been putting off writing this knowing I’d have to talk about Duncan, my dear, dear friend who suddenly passed away last week. I'm still devastated, in shock and not functioning normally - and the same is true for Helen. I sat down and wrote out as many happy memories of Duncan as I could, meaning to share them with Louise and Alex, hoping they can take some solace from them. I haven't broken down crying for a few hours, but there'll be a lot more grieving to come. Of course, what i feel is nothing comparted to the loss his family have, but this is my chance to be selfish and talk about how I feel - the hole in my heart, the sadness that I didn't spend enough time with him in recent years, the horrific realisation that I will never speak to him again. 

Samuel Burr, The Fellowship of Puzzle Makers

 More holiday reading, and a book I had to buy when I read the blurb - firstly because it's the story of a boy adopted under mysterious circumstance by a commune of puzzle enthusiasts and secondly for the phrase 'Clayton Stumper is an enigma. He might be twenty-five years old, but he dresses like your grandad and drinks sherry like your aunt'. It was fun, and involved young Clayton solving a series of puzzles to find out the truth of his own origins. Enjoyable guff, but rather disappointing as the crossword clues tended to be straight rather than cryptic, which is all a bit dull. One was 'French Bread' (4) which frustrated me as it was probably going to be 'pain' but could also be 'euro', 'cent', 'sous'. . . all the same though it was a perfect holiday read.

Joyce Marlow, The Tolpuddle Martyrs

 Had to read this as we were down in Dorset and not far from Tolpuddle. I had planned to pilgrimage cycle there while we were in Studland, but that didn't happen because halfway through the holiday I managed to write the car off. This meant a lot of stress and organisation, including the logistics of getting everyone back to Woking - which ended up with me running to Poole to pick up a car, taking the ferry on the way. another sort of adventure then. Other than the car we had a wonderful time, loads of walks with the dog in the heathlands and along the beaches. fair few NT tear rooms and bookshops too. Just lovely. 

James Hynes, Sparrow

First book I read on our eventful holiday to Dorset. Managed a few pages while eating a cake in a café in Lyndhurst just over halfway through my epic 100 mile cycle down to our holiday cottage in Studland. Had a glorious day, only got lost a few times around Winchester and only one hill beat me. Bournemouth seafront was incredibly busy and getting the ferry over to Studland was lovely. the book itself was the story of a slave in roman times, and maybe would have punched me harder if i hadn't read 'James' recently, which covered similar grounds in getting inside the psyche of a slave - the constant fear of death, the dehumanisation, the  need to carefully consider all aspects of behaviour etc. I enjoyed it, but it's going to go into the garage for rehoming rather than Helen's tsundoku.

Jacob Mikanowski, Goodbye Eastern Europe: An Intimate History of a Divided Land

A book made for me - a celebration of the multiethnic, multireligious, polyglot and tolerant Eastern Europe and the tragedies that have befallen it since WWI. Wonderful and managed to get some recommendations from it for future reading.  Fred is back at the meeting point in Glossop having completed his expedition - really looking forward to hearing all about it when he gets back - although I expect he'll be too tired to talk for a while.