Books Read in 2021
starting year on furlough #3 of 2020, thanks covid. Much of last yr have been reading badly, distractedly, irritably or uncomprehendingly, annoyed at books have chosen. Still in middle of 3 books which have stalled on - jessie phillips, thing about gothic from 18th century perspective + biog of dr hunter.dropped more books unfinished last yr than ever before
January:
Turtledove: Ruled Britannia a/u hist fic ~ the armada conquered england + then shakespeare is unwillingly recruited by the english resistance. been in my to-read pile for years. 1 of several that i would have liked in my 20s but does not interest now
Yonge: Our New Mistress or changes at brookfield earl one of her cottage novels, dull
Trollope: Jessie Phillips fanny trollope not anthony trying to cash in on 1840s problem-novel mode - about seduced cottager and the poor law. did not finish
Boyle: Black Swine in the Sewers of Hampstead super title terrible book - v annoying author voice. about victorian crime journalism, draws conclusions based on too narrow evidence (scrapbook of newsprint selected by single individual so more a pic of his (scottish laird 1830s) preoccupations than universally applicable truths) author kept flexing about his research process in editorial comments. think i heard about this years ago with attached warning that it was shite, got recced it in jan 21, forgot warning, bought it. fuck. The direct quotes were ok but wish he had shown awareness that it was a snapshot from single perspective so poss not as universal a reflection as boyle said
Goldstone: Warmly Inscribed the new england forger and other book tales one of those books where i hated the smug pretentious cheapskate authors (husband + wife team) and how ignorant entitled smug and unprepped they were in every interview w experts, so much, could barely turn pages. Is about antiquarian books, except that v little about books. All the dealers' clothing is described, random crap about restaurants authors visited while resesrching book, times they got freebies/discounts gloated over, no sign of them reading the books they haggled for, nothing about the words in the books. Continually distracted by dislike of author voice(s)
Heyer: The Toll Gate thought had read this yrs ago, if so forgot story. Mid range heyer
Benton: The Dinosaurs Rediscovered how a scientific revolution is rewriting history mostly methodology of how we know what we know. author gives impression that he'd be thrilled to be proved wrong so long as knowledge gets advanced. So much more likable than brusatte - who did dino book i read last yr. V good read but am too stupid to understand so reading slowly. A lot more about old finds tested by better lab tech rather than newfound digs. Loved it
Febuary:
Huber: Promise Me You'll Shoot Yourself the downfall of ordinary germans in 1945 suicide epidemic as the allies closed in on germany. tries to explain the why of it, cannot. a kind of moral equivalent of sunk-cost fallacy?
Castillo Price: The Other Half #12 in psycop series vic/wossname getting married largely as cover so they investigate wossname's family who might be part of Big Overarching Governmental Conspiracy. feel should be more compelled by story than am, dropped this to read JA reception studies thing below before coming back + finishing
Looser: The Making of Jane Austen another meta on JA - this one surpassingly good. reception studies-ish about early interpretations, 1st illustrator, early theatre versions, the making of the olivier film, inspiration to both reactionaries + suffragettes and which bits each party left out or emphasised. Disproportionately p+p. Very good indeed not the usual retread of twicetold guff
de Moraes: The Myth Atlas maps and monsters heroes and gods from twelve mythological worlds childrens picture book. One long "here be dragons" Delightful, wish had replaced greek + norse doublepage spreads with less overexposed mythologies
Dolan: A Chronicle of Small Beer the memoirs of winifred dolan victorian actress short memoir of jobbing actress of fin de siecle - was starstruck by ellen terry, theatre secretary to george alexander, taught drama for decades in convent. Namedroppy self effacing observant.
Norman: The Pirate Queen diana norman swashbuckler tudor ireland. Set post granuaile (DN sentimental about celts) Have loved other books by her, high hopes
Goss: British Tea Pots and Coffee Pots shire pamphlet. my old lady weakness for crockery again. On finishing, found site called mr pottery who sell discontinued lines + bought 2 breakfast cups from dorset fruits line (poole) which i discovered just as they were stopping making it. Pear cup + grape cup
Hicks: One Year at Ellsmere child gra novel about scholarship girl in boarding school. Heroine describes it as downton abbey/lord of the flies mashup with plaid skirts. Art is lovely characters are engaging plot is a lick and a promise. Scandalous deus ex machina (its a unicorn. its a fucking unicorn) ties up conflict and takes this from malory towers to elidor.
Crofton Croker: Fairy Legends irish folktales with annotations, 1st pub 1826. dated in style, obvs, and the oirishness is a bit much but worth reading
Sullivan: Jane Austen Cover to Cover 200 years of classic covers text less interesting than illus in this coffeetable book + disagreed with few of her comments but what she got right was skating over 19th cent (1 photo of leatherbound duodecimo v like another ditto) to give more space for 20th cent pb editions, some gloriously bonkers. Online ordered 90s tor classic s+s for pure joy of it
Carr, Greeves: The Naked Jape uncovering the hidden world of jokes theory of humour, how + why we laugh, with one liners in the footnotes. light fun read. still don't like carr
Almedingen: Young Mark her family were russian landowners exiled from the ussr; she wrote biographic novels based on family lore about greataunts, greatgrannies, in 19th century, generally girls name as title. this one is about male ancestor. tbh enjoyed the victorian ones more than this which based on notes by mark about his trek to the big city when he ran away from home in 1740s
Mac Aodha: Foreign News irish poetry
March:
Did not finish diana norman
Hudston: Victorian Theatricals from menageries to melodrama largely extracts fr contemp writings starting w that bit of mansfield pk, through bit of dickens thackeray etc, the best was the super of-its-time bits - scripts from planche pinero and boucicault
Esdaile: Spain in the Liberal Age from constitution to civil war 1808-1939 cos is hard to find general hist eng language 19th cent spain. I want to know about the fight between "liberal" + rightwing royals midcentury. Author specialises peninsular war. V dry + v non page turning ETA really bogging down in this. Sequence of events with none of the why-this-happened (is esdaile worried about being too subjective?) I keep rereading pages. Wish there were something more gossipy in english
Graham: Frasier the official companion book to the award winning paramount television comedy love the show esp niles episodes, this some interviews w makers + script of pilot. might oxfam. Was pub at same time as another bk on F, think that other one was what i was looking for(perils of online bookbuying)
Duane: Dark Mirror love duane, love trek, love mirror universe. Silly that never read this - is next gen which never watched. Not fully engaged by it during read as i don't love the characters
McClure: The Wilder Life my adventures in the lost world of little house on the prairie v light easy read about adult childrens bk editor in wake of her mother's death latching onto fandom and travelling to sites where l ingalls w lived. Joy to read, as struggling even to pick up (unfinished) pirate queen + spain hist
Bookslump month. Got stuck in the diana norman despite enjoying it when forced myself to pick it up, only got to 1850ish in spain history (so dry)
April:
Zochert: Laura the life of laura ingalls wilder author of little house on the prairie horribly sentimental, purple prose, vague. was recc'd by mcclure in my wilder life so got copy online. when it arrived recognised the cover as thing had browsed (in that brighton 2nd hand bkshop full of mills&boon?) and discarded in past. Skimmed latter parts
Nichol Smith: Shakespeare in the 18th Century 3 lectures from 1927 birkbeck college. underwhelming
Trease: The Baron's Hostage simon de montfort period, trease in good form, such an accomplished hist writer for children
Holmes: Thomas Lawrence Portraits v short 80pp with photos of oil portraits + quick biog of sitter opposite. V flashy smouldering pics. holmes softpedals the siddons scandal in the introduction
Fitzsimons: The Life and Loves of E Nesbit v good v readable. Nearly didn't get as Briggs bio of nesbit felt so thorough. Fitzsimons a bit inclined to wring her hands over EN's troubles. ETA: sentimental, briggs' bio is better
Garfield: Dog's Best Friend a brief history of an unbreakable bond light and often funny, not my sort of topic but fine meh
Stroud: The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne let out actual yelp of joy when saw this waiting to be shelved at work, was thinking he overdue to bring out new book. Dystopian future england with wild west flavour and ballsy heroine, wildly readable. Have promised to loan to stacie
Chance Newton: Cues & Curtain Calls being the theatrical reminisciences of h chance newton dreadfull windbaggery by victorian thesp who namedrops madly, overuses exclamation marks to strengthen weak punchlines, is at pains to tell how close he was to irving phelps etc.
French: The Steam Whistle Theatre Company enjoyably skulduggerious victorian romp for 8-12 age, melodrama about family travelling actors. Stacie v kindly loaned it to me
Nott: War Doctor surgery on the front line heroism, syria, medecins sans frontieres. Bestseller at work. Nott came across deff heroic but self absorbed - other people not really present in his memoir
Bergamini: The Spanish Bourbons history of a tenacious dynasty v entertaining muck raking biog of spanish royals from 1700 to now (now = rule of franco) opinionated, funny, sad, refreshing after the dryness of that textbook about 19th cent spain. Got as far as napoleon by end month
May:
most of 1st week of month finishing bourbon book
Westwood + Simpson: The Lore of the Land a guide to england's legends from spring-heeled jack to the witches of warboys v listy and dip into-able, like brewers dict of phrase&f. Geographically arranged which awkward as am bad at remembering how english counties go. Cited a lot in the "loremen" podcast which was listening to today, coincidence
Ahpornsiri: Beneath the Waves a journey through the world's oceans nonfic picturebook about sealife aimed at 6 to 8 yearolds, bought for ravishing art
Amelin, Wensell: Le Petit Empereur De Chine well now i know ulysses in french is 'ulises' french text picturebook, liked art style, pastiche folktale
Rains Wallace: Beasts of Eden walking whales dawn horses and other enigmas of mammal evolution pop sci structured around an evolution mural in usa museum. Lot of thumbnail biographies of dead fossil hunters. wish more about beasts less about fossil hunters
Yeoman: King Arthur's Spaceship and other marvels that might have changed the world picturebook spoofing david macaulay/eagle cutaway machine description books full of a steampunk alt history. Gorgeous detailed art, text full of throwaway jokes
Rotthier, O'Hanlon: The Fetish Room the education of a naturalist dutch lit journalist spends 10 days with RO'H, explorer travel writer and professional eccentric. Booze, chaotic road trip and manic despair. RO'H comes across both lovable and insuffrable - rotthier clearly likes him a lot. Want to read congo journey now
Sharp: Rhododendron Pie sweet insubstantial drawing room comedy from early 20th cent, in the zone of thirkell or stella gibbons
Spain: Why I'm Not A Millionaire the dazzling memoir of an extraordinary trailblazer less interesting than expected, but improves when past her childhood, champion name dropping
Hughes: Helpers picturebook got for illus
Marshall: Fox on Stage picturebook from 90s, early reader, drew like a poor man's quentin blake, lovely deadpan stories, used to love his books
Sands : The Ratline love lies and justice on the trail of a nazi fugitive another head office pick involving nazis - our marketing dept is obsessed. Undeniably well written but custs recoil from nazis in their reading + honestly so do i DID NOT FINISH
Higgie: The Mirror and the Palette rebellion revolution and resilience 500 years of women's self portraits got this out of interest in hist portraits, is v rah!gurll power!rah! in way i associate with 1970s feminism. Not far in yet, hoping the book gets more data driven after the foreword. So far is stating obvious tho with endearing vigour. seems to be pitched at readership with zero history knowledge. Wish the thumbnail biographies had been scaled back and more said about how portrait painting works/is done
Alford: Edward vi peng eng monarchs booklets didn't tell me anything didn't already know + E vi personality still opaque
Briggs: Smoke Bitten werewolf soap opera. Like the series but plot of this, book twelve, all over the place
Banks: The British Execution shire pamphlet
June:
Fowler: Bryant & May Oranges and Lemons solid gold. I don't read these for the crime plot + suspect that's just as well. Suspect if were following more closely, long arm of coincidence would show
Dent: Hungry female equivalent of slater's memoir Toast. Touching without being soppy, funny and evocative, lovely light read - ETA: the end parts about her dads dementia heartbreaking
Le Cain: The White Cat folktale picture flat got for le cain's art
Evans: Death of Kings how english medieval kings died and how their reputations played into that. disappointing. So far, nothing i don't know. will prob oxfam this eta: this was weak repetitive and a waste of time
Durrell: Drunken Forest early animal collecting book, s america, pretty fun - not too sneery in this about nonwhite non europeans some of his books have cringe factor
Darcy: Eugenia 1970s heyer-ish regency romance, enjoyed
Gillespie, Foster (edit): Irish Provincial Cultures in the Long Eighteenth Century, essays for toby barnard found this when looking through list of rf foster books and remembered how much i liked making the grand figure by barnard. Tribute collection of acad essays. had great difficulty finding affordable copy. really readable micro hist essays on details of life, fab
Patterson, Trusted: The Cast Courts mini book about V&A plaster of paris galleries w lots pictures
Hughes: A Brush With The Past 1900 - 1950 the years that changed our lives social hist coffee table book from shirley hughes. Beautifully done + charming, glancing allusions to important events + people cos no room for depth. SH cannot do likenesses. Her attempts at josephine baker etc all have shirley-hughes-face
Henry: Dark Space mil sf. m/m
Dwyer: Life in Medieval Ireland non specialist but i don't know anything about med ireland anyway. eta: adapted from podcast, too rambly for me, oxfammed
Clement, La Frenais: More Than Likely a memoir from the creators of the likely lads porridge auf wiedersehen pet.. v entertaining
Sebba: Ethel Rosenberg a cold war tragedy depressing story, well told + angry making
Langley Moore: My Caravaggio Style fun story with odious narrator, who is 1950s bookseller, misogynist + congenital liar who tries to forge byron memoirs.
July:
Lansdell: Everyday Fashions of the 20th Century shire minibook full of dated b/w photos, intended to help genealogists fix a decade for unmarked family pictures. More pics than commentery
Hallett: The Appeal cosycrime told in emails. Took a bit to get into it. Small community, amdram group, fraudulent gofundme, murder.
Allen: No Shame standup comedian memoir growing up gay lower mid class south london in 90s.
Morley: Avoid Being a Tudor Actor in Shakespeare's Theatre! nonfic picbook aimed at age 8
Benton: Penguin Historical Atlas of the Dinosaurs pub late 1990s so outdated data, got at least partly to enjoy paper maps of pangea laurasia in colour with the b/w lines showing ghost of future europe etc. The youtube things on continental drift go so fast
Winder: Lotharingia a personal history of france germany and the countries in between rambly anecdotal massmarket hist of district rather than state, finding author's voice - elitist self absorbed and not as funny as he thinks he is - insufferable
Malam: Avoid Being a Mammoth Hunter
Costain: Avoid Being a Convict Sent to Australia
Macdonald: Avoid Being a Samurai 3 nonfic picbooks aimed 8 yr olds.
Merrow: Stopcock psychic gay plumber fights cosycrime accidentally. this time in pompeii on honeymoon
Avery: Freddie's Feet v short (5 to 8) victorian set story for young children. Avery always fab
Jack: Pop Goes the Weasel the secret meaning of nursery rhymes ox dict n rhymes by opie does this better
Bathurst: Six of the Best an affectionate tribute to 6 of the most significant school story writers of the 20th century self published by retired enthusiast, bit avuncular in tone. Good choices of writer, personally most interested in harold avery as was given a reward by him by R's father to remember him by. keep seeing avery in 2nd hand shops, did not know his career
Disher: Growing Up With Just William by his sister writ by a journalist but not a good stylist, memoir of richmal crompton family in early 20th century, found it bit snobbish + grating - all those unfunny family injokes mercilessly recounted
Aylett, Ordish: First Catch Your Hare a history of the recipemakers published 1965, feels 1950s, writ by 3 women who trained in catering judging from aside comments. Bios of major author-chefs from tudor to beeton
Crawforth: Shakespeare in London (arden) acad reflections on plays - not all of them - as linked to locations in 1590s london. Bits of it unconvincing
Avery: Book of the Strange and Odd anthology of 19th cent ephemera, mostly newspaper cuttings from oxford library. Bought cos gillian avery, a lot of it - jumbo the elephant, tichbourne claimant, highwire over niagra - stuff had read about elsewhere
Nesbit, edit Nelson: The Wouldbegoods if have read this it was in childhood, bits feel deja vu, think skimmed a few chapters. Bought as was advertised as annotated by palgrave academic, it has a few notes like an oxford world classic but was hoping for norton level essays and expansion.
Charles: Subtle Blood 3rd of 1920s jazz age m/m thriller, queered up bulldog drummond.
Wilson: Awful Ends the british museum book of epitaphs dip into-able and blessedly free of latin language
Wagner: The Skull of Alum Bheg the life and death of a rebel of 1857 microhist about mutiny in raj
Yeoman illus Q Blake: Our Village picturebook of doggerel. Blake/yeoman can be sublime, this was only good
Lichtenstein: On Brick Lane london local history. 1 of those books where i wanted the content but took against the authors voice
August:
Banfield: Leif the Lucky a vinland hero childs retelling of iceland saga. It's no maeldun the voyager
Baren: Victorian Shopping heavily illustrated with contemp adverts. A lot of data with no overviewy analysis tying it together. shire pamphlet production values not high, smudgy b/w photos and illegible text
Bareham: The Trifle Bowl and other tales recipes tied together by memory and reflections on kitchen equipment
Roberts: Ancestors a prehistory of britain in seven burials massmarket archaeology, dna use in prehist sites, in places she overestimates the ignorance of gen public.Is tv presenter.
Thummler: Sheets ya graphic novel recced by stacie, ghost in a laundrette + neglected teen whose mother just died. V good
Vogler: Scoff a history of food and class in britain am interested in topic but author so bloody snobby
Welch: Bowman of Crecy picked this up mid90s when hunting the then out of print carey saga, was sure had read it then, but on glancing thru on sunday did not remember any of it. Childrens hist fic, robin hood at front and battle crecy climax by the v mil-hist welch. Good but not as good as knight crusader or tank commander the 1st and last in carey family series
Riordan: The Woman in the Moon and other stories of forgotten heroines one of the innumerable grrl power folktale anthologies from mid 90s when that was a thing. Riordan pretty good reteller, decent stories
Graham: Buffy an adventure story 1990s pictureflat. Love bob graham, his illus in the q blake vein, his stories funny and engaging
d'Allance: Grosse Colere picturebook in french about temper tantrum
Astington: Actors and Acting in Shakespeare's Time the art of stage playing dry and full of stuff have read elsewhere
Burton: Tim at the Fur Fort antelope aka 5-7 age range childrens hist fic. Love hester burton but these ubershort aimed at young readers don't have the wordcount for her best work, the characterisation, the evocative detail, the development (same goes for freddies feet by avery and mission to marathon by trease also antelope series) set 18th century in hudsons bay company, antagonist native americans
Humphries: Less Is More Please extract from his autobiog about childhood middleclass 1930s melbourne
Spence: Spain, myth and legend pub 1920. Horribly purple writing. Racist re: moors,+, when he remembers they exist, jews. Will look for something better on chivalric med romances
Rylant, illus Goode: When I Was Young in the Mountains pic book about rylant's incredibly impoverished childhood in appallachans (spelled that wrong) offputtingly sentimental in a waltons way. Got for diane goode illustrations which won caldecott award
Julaud, Loiselet, Acunzo, Popescu, Fabris, Novy: L'histoire de France Pour Les Nuls vol 6 les guerres de religion tudor era france in comic-strip format, history for dummies series, french language. At the limit of my french-reading capacity
Trease: The Grey Adventurer hist fic post restoration, son of puritan ousted from home by returning royalists + must make own way, ends emigrating to new world. Bought largely cos female lead of cue4treason has cameo appearance as old lady, according to farah mendlessohns book re juvenile roundheads cavaliers hist fic, (did not spot her) turns out is one of T's better books anyway.
Jarman: River Kings a new history of the vikings from scandanavia to the silk roads J is bioarchaeologist is talking about dna traces in diff areas as well as material dug up stuff
September:
Crystal: The Story of Be a verbs'-eye view of the english language v short, lots about middle english and development of english but though crystal obvs straining to keep it idiot friendly I struggled in places (generally grammar terminology)
Charles: The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting selfpub novella of queered up heyer, reminds me of mullany's subversive regencies about con artists. I love kj charles but this was good not great
Connors: Winds of History newfoundland local history, old newspaper snippets across 20th cent with a photo attached to each. oxfammed
Fox (edit): Writers Critics and Children v dated, mixed bag. Reprinted essays from mag: childrens books in education, 1970s-ish. Much windbaggery - Ted hughes, fred inglis. Aiken refreshingly to the point but reprising stuff from her 'how to write for children' Entertainingly huffy piece re howcome flambards won lots awards followed by response from a judge who had liked it.
Lansdale: Devil Red hap + leonard book 8 noir from texas with buddymovie vibe. Combo of extreme violence laconic jokes + sentiment reminded me of christopher brookmyre. Some lovely turns of phrase. Narrator spent most of book in personal funk which drained a lot of energy from the book
Moseley: Reporting War how foreign correspondents risked capture torture + death to cover world war 2 retired journo wrote this. Feel he better at research than communication. UNFINISHED
Coppa: The Fanfiction Reader folk tales for the digital age many BNF contributors i recognised though fandoms i love not represented.
Parker: Dragon Lords the history and legends of viking england about how medievals felt/thought about vikings - enjoyed
Ewington, Pratchett: Campaigns & Companions the complete rpg for pets funny heavily illustrated disposable. Part written by pratchetts daughter. Will pass to N
October:
Norwich (edit):The Great Cities of History originally the text of coffee table book and sorely missing its pictures. Ultra short essays, too short to give full picture, on various cities that made historical impact. Dublin made the cut as did london.
Gere: Nineteenth Century Interiors an album of watercolours picturebook of mostly amateur looking pics - v mary ellen best
Siskind: The List a week by week reckoning of trump's first year depressing
McGrigor: The Sister Queens isabella and katherine de valois really shitty pop hist with jean plaidy ish bits where mcgrigor guessed emotions and novelised it all.
Nix: Left Handed Booksellers of London swashbuckle fantasy from ya author, got for n but reading myself 1st.
Premise of swashbuckling booksellers is fun but plot halts periodically as every time heroine enters room Nix describes every fucking piece of furniture and full rundown on wardrobe of other characters. Think nix considers this acceptable substitute for giving chars interior life
Irvine: Apes Angels and Victorians the story of darwin huxley and evolution flippant but tickling me, dual biog of key players in controversy
Simpson: The Colour Code why we see red feel blue and go green gorgeously designed as a book, text bitty and random. Lots of vaguely themed snippets,oxfammed
Flanders: Christmas a Biography disconnected trivia about mostly anglophone areas
November:
Borman: Matilda wife of the conqueror 1st queen of england v phillipa gregory cover, full of guesswork USES AGNES FUCKING STRICKLAND AS A PRIMARY SOURCE
McDougall: Space Hostages space opera for 10 yr olds, fastpaced + adorable
Chippindale, Horrie: Stick It Up Your Punter the uncut story of the sun newspaper recced to me by a cust yrs ago. Is good, sure, but tabloids depressing to think about
May: The Victorian Domestic Servant shire album pamphlet. Lots illus, captions hard to read
O'Hanlon:Congo Journey becoming more aware of how he objectifies all the people, also more aware of how he frames and paces events - it looks artless. UNFINISHED
Molesworth: The Palace in the Garden low on excitement but v real voices of childrwn and beautifully written
Cooper: Some Kind of Magic hate the protagonists, which fatal when reading romance. Recced to me as genderqueer but not an urb fant series i want again - this my 2nd by cooper, hated other as well
Given-Wilson, Curteis: Royal Bastards of Medieval England one of those fun-topic/shallow-read things, very alan sutton.
Keay: The Last Royal Rebel the life and death of james duke of monmouth v good read, tomalin-quality hist biog
Layman: The Man Who Fucked Up Time gra novel by chew writer. Liked the art, time travel + alternate realities. Read fast + hindsight plotholes
December:
helf through congo journey, upsetting read
Heyer: Black Moth her 1st. V coincidental plot. Cheating brother subplot more interesting than primary romance.
Ure: Shooting Leave spying out central asia in the great game victorian afghanistan imperialism
Kemp: Church Monuments shire handbook. B/w photo illus too blurry
Denison: Susannah of the Yukon horrific online price, not warranted by reading experience. Plucky moppet goes to goldrush v late victorian tone
Picard: Chaucer's People everyday lives in the middle ages fairly tightly set late 1300s so not one of those med hist books that jump centuries using stuff from 9th cent and 14th cent as if same, v london. V accessable
Pears: The Titian Committee art cosycrime perfect flu read for painless covid isolate which i regret being on
Harrison: Life in a Medieval College the story of the vicars choral of york minster stultifyingly dull 1950s maunderings based on archival research of elderly york canon. Had not seen subtitle on screenshot when buying; wanted university college life not cathedral.
Rees Brennan: C S Pacat's Fence Striking Distance normally love rees b. Flippant humour makes me laugh. Cartoonish emotional responses of characters, yes. Love soap opera. But the relentless stupidity of everyone in this book actually annoyed me. Is set at posh e coast (usa) boarding school fencing squad. Hardly any fencing.
Russel Wallace: Borneo Celebes Aru penguin mini book. extracts fr malay archiplago. Victorian exploring asia + orang utang hunt - vic naturalists pretty murderous
Datlow, Windling (edit): Silver Birch Blood Moon retold fairy tales from 1999. Some amazing
Davenport: Fifteenth -century English Drama the early moral plays and their literary relations enjoyed this more than expected to
Sacks: Anthropologist on Mars case studies like man who mistook his wife for a hat which i read in my 20s. Mistook impressed me with its empathy + how holistically he looked at patients (but thought his prose clunky then) This written years later. And i now in my 50s - dont know if altered response is me or him. prose not clunky. He v othering about the autists in this book came across as weirded out by steven wiltshire + temple grandin
O'Neill: History of Heavy Metal i have a theory that anybody, talking articulately about their nerd obsession, is interesting. Irregardless of whether you care about topic. this book tested that.
January:
Turtledove: Ruled Britannia a/u hist fic ~ the armada conquered england + then shakespeare is unwillingly recruited by the english resistance. been in my to-read pile for years. 1 of several that i would have liked in my 20s but does not interest now
Yonge: Our New Mistress or changes at brookfield earl one of her cottage novels, dull
Trollope: Jessie Phillips fanny trollope not anthony trying to cash in on 1840s problem-novel mode - about seduced cottager and the poor law. did not finish
Boyle: Black Swine in the Sewers of Hampstead super title terrible book - v annoying author voice. about victorian crime journalism, draws conclusions based on too narrow evidence (scrapbook of newsprint selected by single individual so more a pic of his (scottish laird 1830s) preoccupations than universally applicable truths) author kept flexing about his research process in editorial comments. think i heard about this years ago with attached warning that it was shite, got recced it in jan 21, forgot warning, bought it. fuck. The direct quotes were ok but wish he had shown awareness that it was a snapshot from single perspective so poss not as universal a reflection as boyle said
Goldstone: Warmly Inscribed the new england forger and other book tales one of those books where i hated the smug pretentious cheapskate authors (husband + wife team) and how ignorant entitled smug and unprepped they were in every interview w experts, so much, could barely turn pages. Is about antiquarian books, except that v little about books. All the dealers' clothing is described, random crap about restaurants authors visited while resesrching book, times they got freebies/discounts gloated over, no sign of them reading the books they haggled for, nothing about the words in the books. Continually distracted by dislike of author voice(s)
Heyer: The Toll Gate thought had read this yrs ago, if so forgot story. Mid range heyer
Benton: The Dinosaurs Rediscovered how a scientific revolution is rewriting history mostly methodology of how we know what we know. author gives impression that he'd be thrilled to be proved wrong so long as knowledge gets advanced. So much more likable than brusatte - who did dino book i read last yr. V good read but am too stupid to understand so reading slowly. A lot more about old finds tested by better lab tech rather than newfound digs. Loved it
Febuary:
Huber: Promise Me You'll Shoot Yourself the downfall of ordinary germans in 1945 suicide epidemic as the allies closed in on germany. tries to explain the why of it, cannot. a kind of moral equivalent of sunk-cost fallacy?
Castillo Price: The Other Half #12 in psycop series vic/wossname getting married largely as cover so they investigate wossname's family who might be part of Big Overarching Governmental Conspiracy. feel should be more compelled by story than am, dropped this to read JA reception studies thing below before coming back + finishing
Looser: The Making of Jane Austen another meta on JA - this one surpassingly good. reception studies-ish about early interpretations, 1st illustrator, early theatre versions, the making of the olivier film, inspiration to both reactionaries + suffragettes and which bits each party left out or emphasised. Disproportionately p+p. Very good indeed not the usual retread of twicetold guff
de Moraes: The Myth Atlas maps and monsters heroes and gods from twelve mythological worlds childrens picture book. One long "here be dragons" Delightful, wish had replaced greek + norse doublepage spreads with less overexposed mythologies
Dolan: A Chronicle of Small Beer the memoirs of winifred dolan victorian actress short memoir of jobbing actress of fin de siecle - was starstruck by ellen terry, theatre secretary to george alexander, taught drama for decades in convent. Namedroppy self effacing observant.
Norman: The Pirate Queen diana norman swashbuckler tudor ireland. Set post granuaile (DN sentimental about celts) Have loved other books by her, high hopes
Goss: British Tea Pots and Coffee Pots shire pamphlet. my old lady weakness for crockery again. On finishing, found site called mr pottery who sell discontinued lines + bought 2 breakfast cups from dorset fruits line (poole) which i discovered just as they were stopping making it. Pear cup + grape cup
Hicks: One Year at Ellsmere child gra novel about scholarship girl in boarding school. Heroine describes it as downton abbey/lord of the flies mashup with plaid skirts. Art is lovely characters are engaging plot is a lick and a promise. Scandalous deus ex machina (its a unicorn. its a fucking unicorn) ties up conflict and takes this from malory towers to elidor.
Crofton Croker: Fairy Legends irish folktales with annotations, 1st pub 1826. dated in style, obvs, and the oirishness is a bit much but worth reading
Sullivan: Jane Austen Cover to Cover 200 years of classic covers text less interesting than illus in this coffeetable book + disagreed with few of her comments but what she got right was skating over 19th cent (1 photo of leatherbound duodecimo v like another ditto) to give more space for 20th cent pb editions, some gloriously bonkers. Online ordered 90s tor classic s+s for pure joy of it
Carr, Greeves: The Naked Jape uncovering the hidden world of jokes theory of humour, how + why we laugh, with one liners in the footnotes. light fun read. still don't like carr
Almedingen: Young Mark her family were russian landowners exiled from the ussr; she wrote biographic novels based on family lore about greataunts, greatgrannies, in 19th century, generally girls name as title. this one is about male ancestor. tbh enjoyed the victorian ones more than this which based on notes by mark about his trek to the big city when he ran away from home in 1740s
Mac Aodha: Foreign News irish poetry
March:
Did not finish diana norman
Hudston: Victorian Theatricals from menageries to melodrama largely extracts fr contemp writings starting w that bit of mansfield pk, through bit of dickens thackeray etc, the best was the super of-its-time bits - scripts from planche pinero and boucicault
Esdaile: Spain in the Liberal Age from constitution to civil war 1808-1939 cos is hard to find general hist eng language 19th cent spain. I want to know about the fight between "liberal" + rightwing royals midcentury. Author specialises peninsular war. V dry + v non page turning ETA really bogging down in this. Sequence of events with none of the why-this-happened (is esdaile worried about being too subjective?) I keep rereading pages. Wish there were something more gossipy in english
Graham: Frasier the official companion book to the award winning paramount television comedy love the show esp niles episodes, this some interviews w makers + script of pilot. might oxfam. Was pub at same time as another bk on F, think that other one was what i was looking for(perils of online bookbuying)
Duane: Dark Mirror love duane, love trek, love mirror universe. Silly that never read this - is next gen which never watched. Not fully engaged by it during read as i don't love the characters
McClure: The Wilder Life my adventures in the lost world of little house on the prairie v light easy read about adult childrens bk editor in wake of her mother's death latching onto fandom and travelling to sites where l ingalls w lived. Joy to read, as struggling even to pick up (unfinished) pirate queen + spain hist
Bookslump month. Got stuck in the diana norman despite enjoying it when forced myself to pick it up, only got to 1850ish in spain history (so dry)
April:
Zochert: Laura the life of laura ingalls wilder author of little house on the prairie horribly sentimental, purple prose, vague. was recc'd by mcclure in my wilder life so got copy online. when it arrived recognised the cover as thing had browsed (in that brighton 2nd hand bkshop full of mills&boon?) and discarded in past. Skimmed latter parts
Nichol Smith: Shakespeare in the 18th Century 3 lectures from 1927 birkbeck college. underwhelming
Trease: The Baron's Hostage simon de montfort period, trease in good form, such an accomplished hist writer for children
Holmes: Thomas Lawrence Portraits v short 80pp with photos of oil portraits + quick biog of sitter opposite. V flashy smouldering pics. holmes softpedals the siddons scandal in the introduction
Fitzsimons: The Life and Loves of E Nesbit v good v readable. Nearly didn't get as Briggs bio of nesbit felt so thorough. Fitzsimons a bit inclined to wring her hands over EN's troubles. ETA: sentimental, briggs' bio is better
Garfield: Dog's Best Friend a brief history of an unbreakable bond light and often funny, not my sort of topic but fine meh
Stroud: The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne let out actual yelp of joy when saw this waiting to be shelved at work, was thinking he overdue to bring out new book. Dystopian future england with wild west flavour and ballsy heroine, wildly readable. Have promised to loan to stacie
Chance Newton: Cues & Curtain Calls being the theatrical reminisciences of h chance newton dreadfull windbaggery by victorian thesp who namedrops madly, overuses exclamation marks to strengthen weak punchlines, is at pains to tell how close he was to irving phelps etc.
French: The Steam Whistle Theatre Company enjoyably skulduggerious victorian romp for 8-12 age, melodrama about family travelling actors. Stacie v kindly loaned it to me
Nott: War Doctor surgery on the front line heroism, syria, medecins sans frontieres. Bestseller at work. Nott came across deff heroic but self absorbed - other people not really present in his memoir
Bergamini: The Spanish Bourbons history of a tenacious dynasty v entertaining muck raking biog of spanish royals from 1700 to now (now = rule of franco) opinionated, funny, sad, refreshing after the dryness of that textbook about 19th cent spain. Got as far as napoleon by end month
May:
most of 1st week of month finishing bourbon book
Westwood + Simpson: The Lore of the Land a guide to england's legends from spring-heeled jack to the witches of warboys v listy and dip into-able, like brewers dict of phrase&f. Geographically arranged which awkward as am bad at remembering how english counties go. Cited a lot in the "loremen" podcast which was listening to today, coincidence
Ahpornsiri: Beneath the Waves a journey through the world's oceans nonfic picturebook about sealife aimed at 6 to 8 yearolds, bought for ravishing art
Amelin, Wensell: Le Petit Empereur De Chine well now i know ulysses in french is 'ulises' french text picturebook, liked art style, pastiche folktale
Rains Wallace: Beasts of Eden walking whales dawn horses and other enigmas of mammal evolution pop sci structured around an evolution mural in usa museum. Lot of thumbnail biographies of dead fossil hunters. wish more about beasts less about fossil hunters
Yeoman: King Arthur's Spaceship and other marvels that might have changed the world picturebook spoofing david macaulay/eagle cutaway machine description books full of a steampunk alt history. Gorgeous detailed art, text full of throwaway jokes
Rotthier, O'Hanlon: The Fetish Room the education of a naturalist dutch lit journalist spends 10 days with RO'H, explorer travel writer and professional eccentric. Booze, chaotic road trip and manic despair. RO'H comes across both lovable and insuffrable - rotthier clearly likes him a lot. Want to read congo journey now
Sharp: Rhododendron Pie sweet insubstantial drawing room comedy from early 20th cent, in the zone of thirkell or stella gibbons
Spain: Why I'm Not A Millionaire the dazzling memoir of an extraordinary trailblazer less interesting than expected, but improves when past her childhood, champion name dropping
Hughes: Helpers picturebook got for illus
Marshall: Fox on Stage picturebook from 90s, early reader, drew like a poor man's quentin blake, lovely deadpan stories, used to love his books
Sands : The Ratline love lies and justice on the trail of a nazi fugitive another head office pick involving nazis - our marketing dept is obsessed. Undeniably well written but custs recoil from nazis in their reading + honestly so do i DID NOT FINISH
Higgie: The Mirror and the Palette rebellion revolution and resilience 500 years of women's self portraits got this out of interest in hist portraits, is v rah!gurll power!rah! in way i associate with 1970s feminism. Not far in yet, hoping the book gets more data driven after the foreword. So far is stating obvious tho with endearing vigour. seems to be pitched at readership with zero history knowledge. Wish the thumbnail biographies had been scaled back and more said about how portrait painting works/is done
Alford: Edward vi peng eng monarchs booklets didn't tell me anything didn't already know + E vi personality still opaque
Briggs: Smoke Bitten werewolf soap opera. Like the series but plot of this, book twelve, all over the place
Banks: The British Execution shire pamphlet
June:
Fowler: Bryant & May Oranges and Lemons solid gold. I don't read these for the crime plot + suspect that's just as well. Suspect if were following more closely, long arm of coincidence would show
Dent: Hungry female equivalent of slater's memoir Toast. Touching without being soppy, funny and evocative, lovely light read - ETA: the end parts about her dads dementia heartbreaking
Le Cain: The White Cat folktale picture flat got for le cain's art
Evans: Death of Kings how english medieval kings died and how their reputations played into that. disappointing. So far, nothing i don't know. will prob oxfam this eta: this was weak repetitive and a waste of time
Durrell: Drunken Forest early animal collecting book, s america, pretty fun - not too sneery in this about nonwhite non europeans some of his books have cringe factor
Darcy: Eugenia 1970s heyer-ish regency romance, enjoyed
Gillespie, Foster (edit): Irish Provincial Cultures in the Long Eighteenth Century, essays for toby barnard found this when looking through list of rf foster books and remembered how much i liked making the grand figure by barnard. Tribute collection of acad essays. had great difficulty finding affordable copy. really readable micro hist essays on details of life, fab
Patterson, Trusted: The Cast Courts mini book about V&A plaster of paris galleries w lots pictures
Hughes: A Brush With The Past 1900 - 1950 the years that changed our lives social hist coffee table book from shirley hughes. Beautifully done + charming, glancing allusions to important events + people cos no room for depth. SH cannot do likenesses. Her attempts at josephine baker etc all have shirley-hughes-face
Henry: Dark Space mil sf. m/m
Dwyer: Life in Medieval Ireland non specialist but i don't know anything about med ireland anyway. eta: adapted from podcast, too rambly for me, oxfammed
Clement, La Frenais: More Than Likely a memoir from the creators of the likely lads porridge auf wiedersehen pet.. v entertaining
Sebba: Ethel Rosenberg a cold war tragedy depressing story, well told + angry making
Langley Moore: My Caravaggio Style fun story with odious narrator, who is 1950s bookseller, misogynist + congenital liar who tries to forge byron memoirs.
July:
Lansdell: Everyday Fashions of the 20th Century shire minibook full of dated b/w photos, intended to help genealogists fix a decade for unmarked family pictures. More pics than commentery
Hallett: The Appeal cosycrime told in emails. Took a bit to get into it. Small community, amdram group, fraudulent gofundme, murder.
Allen: No Shame standup comedian memoir growing up gay lower mid class south london in 90s.
Morley: Avoid Being a Tudor Actor in Shakespeare's Theatre! nonfic picbook aimed at age 8
Benton: Penguin Historical Atlas of the Dinosaurs pub late 1990s so outdated data, got at least partly to enjoy paper maps of pangea laurasia in colour with the b/w lines showing ghost of future europe etc. The youtube things on continental drift go so fast
Winder: Lotharingia a personal history of france germany and the countries in between rambly anecdotal massmarket hist of district rather than state, finding author's voice - elitist self absorbed and not as funny as he thinks he is - insufferable
Malam: Avoid Being a Mammoth Hunter
Costain: Avoid Being a Convict Sent to Australia
Macdonald: Avoid Being a Samurai 3 nonfic picbooks aimed 8 yr olds.
Merrow: Stopcock psychic gay plumber fights cosycrime accidentally. this time in pompeii on honeymoon
Avery: Freddie's Feet v short (5 to 8) victorian set story for young children. Avery always fab
Jack: Pop Goes the Weasel the secret meaning of nursery rhymes ox dict n rhymes by opie does this better
Bathurst: Six of the Best an affectionate tribute to 6 of the most significant school story writers of the 20th century self published by retired enthusiast, bit avuncular in tone. Good choices of writer, personally most interested in harold avery as was given a reward by him by R's father to remember him by. keep seeing avery in 2nd hand shops, did not know his career
Disher: Growing Up With Just William by his sister writ by a journalist but not a good stylist, memoir of richmal crompton family in early 20th century, found it bit snobbish + grating - all those unfunny family injokes mercilessly recounted
Aylett, Ordish: First Catch Your Hare a history of the recipemakers published 1965, feels 1950s, writ by 3 women who trained in catering judging from aside comments. Bios of major author-chefs from tudor to beeton
Crawforth: Shakespeare in London (arden) acad reflections on plays - not all of them - as linked to locations in 1590s london. Bits of it unconvincing
Avery: Book of the Strange and Odd anthology of 19th cent ephemera, mostly newspaper cuttings from oxford library. Bought cos gillian avery, a lot of it - jumbo the elephant, tichbourne claimant, highwire over niagra - stuff had read about elsewhere
Nesbit, edit Nelson: The Wouldbegoods if have read this it was in childhood, bits feel deja vu, think skimmed a few chapters. Bought as was advertised as annotated by palgrave academic, it has a few notes like an oxford world classic but was hoping for norton level essays and expansion.
Charles: Subtle Blood 3rd of 1920s jazz age m/m thriller, queered up bulldog drummond.
Wilson: Awful Ends the british museum book of epitaphs dip into-able and blessedly free of latin language
Wagner: The Skull of Alum Bheg the life and death of a rebel of 1857 microhist about mutiny in raj
Yeoman illus Q Blake: Our Village picturebook of doggerel. Blake/yeoman can be sublime, this was only good
Lichtenstein: On Brick Lane london local history. 1 of those books where i wanted the content but took against the authors voice
August:
Banfield: Leif the Lucky a vinland hero childs retelling of iceland saga. It's no maeldun the voyager
Baren: Victorian Shopping heavily illustrated with contemp adverts. A lot of data with no overviewy analysis tying it together. shire pamphlet production values not high, smudgy b/w photos and illegible text
Bareham: The Trifle Bowl and other tales recipes tied together by memory and reflections on kitchen equipment
Roberts: Ancestors a prehistory of britain in seven burials massmarket archaeology, dna use in prehist sites, in places she overestimates the ignorance of gen public.Is tv presenter.
Thummler: Sheets ya graphic novel recced by stacie, ghost in a laundrette + neglected teen whose mother just died. V good
Vogler: Scoff a history of food and class in britain am interested in topic but author so bloody snobby
Welch: Bowman of Crecy picked this up mid90s when hunting the then out of print carey saga, was sure had read it then, but on glancing thru on sunday did not remember any of it. Childrens hist fic, robin hood at front and battle crecy climax by the v mil-hist welch. Good but not as good as knight crusader or tank commander the 1st and last in carey family series
Riordan: The Woman in the Moon and other stories of forgotten heroines one of the innumerable grrl power folktale anthologies from mid 90s when that was a thing. Riordan pretty good reteller, decent stories
Graham: Buffy an adventure story 1990s pictureflat. Love bob graham, his illus in the q blake vein, his stories funny and engaging
d'Allance: Grosse Colere picturebook in french about temper tantrum
Astington: Actors and Acting in Shakespeare's Time the art of stage playing dry and full of stuff have read elsewhere
Burton: Tim at the Fur Fort antelope aka 5-7 age range childrens hist fic. Love hester burton but these ubershort aimed at young readers don't have the wordcount for her best work, the characterisation, the evocative detail, the development (same goes for freddies feet by avery and mission to marathon by trease also antelope series) set 18th century in hudsons bay company, antagonist native americans
Humphries: Less Is More Please extract from his autobiog about childhood middleclass 1930s melbourne
Spence: Spain, myth and legend pub 1920. Horribly purple writing. Racist re: moors,+, when he remembers they exist, jews. Will look for something better on chivalric med romances
Rylant, illus Goode: When I Was Young in the Mountains pic book about rylant's incredibly impoverished childhood in appallachans (spelled that wrong) offputtingly sentimental in a waltons way. Got for diane goode illustrations which won caldecott award
Julaud, Loiselet, Acunzo, Popescu, Fabris, Novy: L'histoire de France Pour Les Nuls vol 6 les guerres de religion tudor era france in comic-strip format, history for dummies series, french language. At the limit of my french-reading capacity
Trease: The Grey Adventurer hist fic post restoration, son of puritan ousted from home by returning royalists + must make own way, ends emigrating to new world. Bought largely cos female lead of cue4treason has cameo appearance as old lady, according to farah mendlessohns book re juvenile roundheads cavaliers hist fic, (did not spot her) turns out is one of T's better books anyway.
Jarman: River Kings a new history of the vikings from scandanavia to the silk roads J is bioarchaeologist is talking about dna traces in diff areas as well as material dug up stuff
September:
Crystal: The Story of Be a verbs'-eye view of the english language v short, lots about middle english and development of english but though crystal obvs straining to keep it idiot friendly I struggled in places (generally grammar terminology)
Charles: The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting selfpub novella of queered up heyer, reminds me of mullany's subversive regencies about con artists. I love kj charles but this was good not great
Connors: Winds of History newfoundland local history, old newspaper snippets across 20th cent with a photo attached to each. oxfammed
Fox (edit): Writers Critics and Children v dated, mixed bag. Reprinted essays from mag: childrens books in education, 1970s-ish. Much windbaggery - Ted hughes, fred inglis. Aiken refreshingly to the point but reprising stuff from her 'how to write for children' Entertainingly huffy piece re howcome flambards won lots awards followed by response from a judge who had liked it.
Lansdale: Devil Red hap + leonard book 8 noir from texas with buddymovie vibe. Combo of extreme violence laconic jokes + sentiment reminded me of christopher brookmyre. Some lovely turns of phrase. Narrator spent most of book in personal funk which drained a lot of energy from the book
Moseley: Reporting War how foreign correspondents risked capture torture + death to cover world war 2 retired journo wrote this. Feel he better at research than communication. UNFINISHED
Coppa: The Fanfiction Reader folk tales for the digital age many BNF contributors i recognised though fandoms i love not represented.
Parker: Dragon Lords the history and legends of viking england about how medievals felt/thought about vikings - enjoyed
Ewington, Pratchett: Campaigns & Companions the complete rpg for pets funny heavily illustrated disposable. Part written by pratchetts daughter. Will pass to N
October:
Norwich (edit):The Great Cities of History originally the text of coffee table book and sorely missing its pictures. Ultra short essays, too short to give full picture, on various cities that made historical impact. Dublin made the cut as did london.
Gere: Nineteenth Century Interiors an album of watercolours picturebook of mostly amateur looking pics - v mary ellen best
Siskind: The List a week by week reckoning of trump's first year depressing
McGrigor: The Sister Queens isabella and katherine de valois really shitty pop hist with jean plaidy ish bits where mcgrigor guessed emotions and novelised it all.
Nix: Left Handed Booksellers of London swashbuckle fantasy from ya author, got for n but reading myself 1st.
Premise of swashbuckling booksellers is fun but plot halts periodically as every time heroine enters room Nix describes every fucking piece of furniture and full rundown on wardrobe of other characters. Think nix considers this acceptable substitute for giving chars interior life
Irvine: Apes Angels and Victorians the story of darwin huxley and evolution flippant but tickling me, dual biog of key players in controversy
Simpson: The Colour Code why we see red feel blue and go green gorgeously designed as a book, text bitty and random. Lots of vaguely themed snippets,oxfammed
Flanders: Christmas a Biography disconnected trivia about mostly anglophone areas
November:
Borman: Matilda wife of the conqueror 1st queen of england v phillipa gregory cover, full of guesswork USES AGNES FUCKING STRICKLAND AS A PRIMARY SOURCE
McDougall: Space Hostages space opera for 10 yr olds, fastpaced + adorable
Chippindale, Horrie: Stick It Up Your Punter the uncut story of the sun newspaper recced to me by a cust yrs ago. Is good, sure, but tabloids depressing to think about
May: The Victorian Domestic Servant shire album pamphlet. Lots illus, captions hard to read
O'Hanlon:Congo Journey becoming more aware of how he objectifies all the people, also more aware of how he frames and paces events - it looks artless. UNFINISHED
Molesworth: The Palace in the Garden low on excitement but v real voices of childrwn and beautifully written
Cooper: Some Kind of Magic hate the protagonists, which fatal when reading romance. Recced to me as genderqueer but not an urb fant series i want again - this my 2nd by cooper, hated other as well
Given-Wilson, Curteis: Royal Bastards of Medieval England one of those fun-topic/shallow-read things, very alan sutton.
Keay: The Last Royal Rebel the life and death of james duke of monmouth v good read, tomalin-quality hist biog
Layman: The Man Who Fucked Up Time gra novel by chew writer. Liked the art, time travel + alternate realities. Read fast + hindsight plotholes
December:
helf through congo journey, upsetting read
Heyer: Black Moth her 1st. V coincidental plot. Cheating brother subplot more interesting than primary romance.
Ure: Shooting Leave spying out central asia in the great game victorian afghanistan imperialism
Kemp: Church Monuments shire handbook. B/w photo illus too blurry
Denison: Susannah of the Yukon horrific online price, not warranted by reading experience. Plucky moppet goes to goldrush v late victorian tone
Picard: Chaucer's People everyday lives in the middle ages fairly tightly set late 1300s so not one of those med hist books that jump centuries using stuff from 9th cent and 14th cent as if same, v london. V accessable
Pears: The Titian Committee art cosycrime perfect flu read for painless covid isolate which i regret being on
Harrison: Life in a Medieval College the story of the vicars choral of york minster stultifyingly dull 1950s maunderings based on archival research of elderly york canon. Had not seen subtitle on screenshot when buying; wanted university college life not cathedral.
Rees Brennan: C S Pacat's Fence Striking Distance normally love rees b. Flippant humour makes me laugh. Cartoonish emotional responses of characters, yes. Love soap opera. But the relentless stupidity of everyone in this book actually annoyed me. Is set at posh e coast (usa) boarding school fencing squad. Hardly any fencing.
Russel Wallace: Borneo Celebes Aru penguin mini book. extracts fr malay archiplago. Victorian exploring asia + orang utang hunt - vic naturalists pretty murderous
Datlow, Windling (edit): Silver Birch Blood Moon retold fairy tales from 1999. Some amazing
Davenport: Fifteenth -century English Drama the early moral plays and their literary relations enjoyed this more than expected to
Sacks: Anthropologist on Mars case studies like man who mistook his wife for a hat which i read in my 20s. Mistook impressed me with its empathy + how holistically he looked at patients (but thought his prose clunky then) This written years later. And i now in my 50s - dont know if altered response is me or him. prose not clunky. He v othering about the autists in this book came across as weirded out by steven wiltshire + temple grandin
O'Neill: History of Heavy Metal i have a theory that anybody, talking articulately about their nerd obsession, is interesting. Irregardless of whether you care about topic. this book tested that.