Philip Pullman, The Book of Dust Volume II: The Secret Commonwealth

 Now I'm ready for Part III in a few weeks, two days booked off to read it. I enjoyed this more on the second read, maybe because the first was fresh in my head so I understood the character of Malcolm more, and also was able to follow the various characters as they all headed east across Europe and Asia Minor. Probably also helped that a society ruled by an authoritarian theocracy that opposes science, reason and will not put up with any dissent is not quite so other-worldly given the way out own civilisation is going. On the bright side, William seems to have settled into secondary school really well, already making new friends and going out with them in the evenings and weekends. So different from Freddie!

David McKie, Great British Bus Journeys: Travels Through Unfamous Places

 Very similar to Nige Tassell, but 20 years old now and in a world where you can't relay on the internet for all your information. So you have to wait for buses not knowing if they will come, etc. Quite sweet, full of quirky stories and a nice easy comfort read. I'm struggling at work at the moment, both with my own motivation and the changing world - AI and internal organisational changes. I feel like I have been taken out of a comfy familiar town where I knew all the back streets and short cuts and dumped into a new city which is completely unfamiliar to me. I'm doubting my own value to the company and also aware that I don't want to learn new things. I'm only 51, but it's like my heart is set on leaving and doing something completely different now the mortgage is paid off and we are relatively financially secure. Every day I watch my pension and ISA going up and the motivation to work isn't there when I could be doing something I love like working in a school. Of course the grass is always greener, and it would mean an 80% drop in salary. So for now I'm sticking it out, but some days I just don't want to be at work.

Philip Pullman, The Book of Dust Volume I: La Belle Sauvage

 A reread in advance of Volume III being released in a few weeks. I really like this book, much more than Vol II from what I remember; but we will shortly find out if that is the case when I reread that too. It's set in a dreamlike flooded Thames Valley where water spirits and fairies have surfaced, and a young boy attempts to take the baby Lyra to safety in his canoe, La Belle Sauvage. Really enjoyable, although I may have understood it more if I'd read Spenser's the Faerie Queene which was a big influence apparently. I've take a couple of days off in October to read Vol III as soon as it is released.

John Golding, Hammer of the Left: Defeating Tony Benn, Eric Heffer and Militant in the Battle for the Labour Party

 I have never heard of John Golding before, but found this book fascinating. It's an insight into the mind of one of the traditional right-wing Labour fixers. There is very little I would disagree with him about politically - pro-Europe, pro NATO, pro Public Ownership, but his approach to 'The Left' is so different from mine. Like many in the Labour Right, he sees the role of the party first and foremost to stop the Left from ever gaining power as it would be disastrous for the country. Which is fair enough, but then why be in a left-wing party? His assumption is that Labour belongs to him and people who think like him, and not to any socialists.  I'm more of a social democrat than a socialist, but to me the party should be a broad church encompassing anyone that believes in democracy and socialism. Golding's argument is that 'Trot' entryists have a contempt for democracy and need to be smashed. What is clear though is that he also has a contempt for democracy and will use any trick, backroom deal, procedure or falsehood to subvert a majority decision if he doesn't agree with it, if it means keeping hold of power and keeping the Left out of it. So many parallels with today, where once again the Right are in complete control of the party. With a thumping parliamentary majority they have the ability to transform the country, but show no interest in doing so - once more the default is to keep the left out of power, that's all that matters.

Joseph O'Neill, Godwin

I don't think I've read anything by Joseph O'Neill before, although I had heard of Netherland, which I had a vague memory was about cricket in New York. 'Godwin' was a mix of the story of office politics in an American writers' collective and a quixotic quest for an African footballing prodigy. I got drawn into it and couldn't see where it was going, but it was wrapped up very neatly. Met up with some old friends to commemorate Duncan's birthday on Saturday. I was worried no-one would show up but we had a good turn out in the end. Everyone very sensibly finished around tea-time though and headed home, which Dunc would never have allowed. I roamed the city for a bit before heading back. Still miss him and haven't really accepted yet that he has gone. 

Nathen Amin, The House of Beaufort: The Bastard Line That Captured the Crown

Learnt a lot about the parallel history of this short-lived aristocratic dynasty, illegitimate descendants of John of Gaunt who (mostly) stuck loyally to their Lancaster relatives. William had his first day of high School today. He's just got in, and hasn't told us much except he had sat next to some rando girl, but he seems happy enough. Fred and Libby go back on Monday, it'll be weird to be in the house by myself again in the daytime.

R.F. Kuang, Katabasis

This was released last week, and I pre-ordered from Waterstones as I enjoyed Babel and Yellowface so much. This one less so, as it's a book that can only really be fully enjoyed by people who have worked in Academe, as it is utterly focused on that world, imagining Hell as a campus populated purely by academics - no-one else seems to exist in this universe. I stuck with it though, and admire the imagination required to construct the hellscape. IRL, Freddie is just back from his DoE Gold Expedition, where it rained constantly and all their plans had to change. We haven't talked about it much yet as he got back late last night and is still recovering. William tried his new Woking High School uniform on yesterday and looked so grown-up. We went to Ypres with the Scouts last weekend and he seemed so young compared to the others, it's hard to believe our baby boy is off to big school.