willoyd

October books See You In September by Joanne Teague ** An account of a family's 'once in a lifetime' trip round Europe after the mother, the author, is diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, with a limited life expectancy. It's light, instantly likeable, but after a while it becomes very repetitive and predictable, with a succession of chapters recounting 'this is where we visited, this is where we stayed, this is what we visited', and providing little insight beyond the standard tourist experience. I'm full of respect for the author, but this was more of a book for the family and anybody who knew/knows them, rather than a book to add to one's own experiences. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston **** The book for Florida in my Tour of the States. My heart initially sank when I realised much of this - the dialogue - was written to reflect Afro-American dialect, but I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to get into, and I barely noticed it after a while. The protoganist, Janie, is a young Black American brought up by her grandmother, who marries her off at 16 is married off to an older man, effectively, as the grandmother sees it, to protect Janie. The story is of her development and self-discovery through three husbands, only the final one living up to her needs/expectations in spite of being the least secure of the three. Not surprisingly, it's often described as a 'feminist' novel, and it's easy to see why, although some of what happens would strike a modern reader as anything but (feminist)m being more typical of what a black woman might expect. it's not overly fast paced (which is actually a good thing in my eyes!), and the character development feels a little bit stereotyped at times, but it was never less than fully engaging, and I surprised myself at sailing through it. Chess by Stefan Zweig ***** The book for Austria in my Reading Around the World project. More a novella than a novel, the quality of this psychological study more than compensates for the lack of volume! A group of cruise passenger take on the world chess champion in a series of matches, and takes the latter by surprise through the intervention of a complete unknown who, whilst surprisingly diffident and uncertain and apparently having not played for many years, is devastatingly incisive, leading the group to victory. How? It's intense, stark, and utterly riveting, posing some big questions about the human psyche. October Sky by Homer H Hickham ****** Previously known as Rocket Boys. Set in 1950s West Virginia this memoir is of a childhood in a coal-mining community where the author and a small group of friends, inspired by Sputnik and the American attempts to respond, set up the 'Big Creek Missile Agency' and set out to develop their own rocket for space. In spite of initial resistance, not least from the author's own father (the mine supervisor) and pretty much everybody in authority, other than their immediate teachers, they gradually gather the community behind them, a community whose entire existence is increasingly threatened by changes in the mining industry, whilst the author's own family life becomes increasingly fractured. It's a balancing act, but overall, in spite of the difficult background, this is an inspiring and joyful read that had me gripped from start to finish. It's easy to see why it's so popular in the States. I would have liked to have included it in my Tour of the States - West Virginia hasn't been the easiest state to find a novel for - but rules are rules! Later edit: and rules are made to be broken! This is too good not to include, so have changed my criteria from pure fiction to fiction plus narrative non-fiction. Which makes this both the 32nd book to be completed in my tour, and the first non-fiction. It might also ease up one or two other states where non-fiction writing is more prominent than fiction. Or maybe I should try one of each for each state?!

#31 Florida: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston ***** Review to follow

Book #33: Chess Story by Stefan Zweig for Austria ***** More a novella than a novel, the quality of this psychological study more than compensates for the lack of volume! A group of cruise passengers take on the world chess champion in a series of matches, and takes the latter by surprise through the intervention of a complete unknown who, whilst surprisingly diffident, uncertain and apparently having not played for many years, is devastatingly incisive, leading the group to victory. How? It's intense, stark, and utterly riveting, posing some big questions about the human psyche. A book to reread (it only takes a couple of hours)!

Finished Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston for my tour of the States (Florida), and Chess Story by Stefan Zweig for Reading the World (Austria). Both really good: 4 stars for the former and 5 stars for the latter.

Finished Incomparable World - a good, lively read if not quite fulfilling early promise plot-wise. Character and setting did a lot to make up though! Then on to a complete contrast: See You In September by Joanne Teague. Family travelling round Europe on a once in a lifetime trip. Started off well, but once on travels became rather repetitive and lacking in any real insight or reason to read unless you knew the family. "And then we did this....". An account, straight and simple, and I didn't get beyond half way. 2 stars. Now reading Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, as part of my American tour - book for Florida.

Book #32: Stories From Nauru by Bam Bam Solomon and others, plus readings from Indigenous Literatures from Micronesia **** My geography of the Pacific Island nations is, at best, sketchy, so venturing there for my first book from that region in my Reading the World project was a bit of an act of personal discovery. As I found out, Nauru is the third smallest nation in the world in terms of land area (only Monaco and Vatican City are smaller - I was really surprised to find that it's barely one-third the size of San Marino!), and population (Vatican City and Tuvalu are smaller), even fewer people than my nearest (small market) town in West Yorkshire (Otley)! It's not surprising then that its depth of literature is not great, particularly given the largely oral cultures that prevail in that part of the world. Even finding something to read was something of a challenge but, fortunately, the source that Ann Morgan used for her Year of Reading the World, proved equally productive for me over a decade later, and I was able to obtain a copy of Stories From Nauru from the Masalai Press in California (very effectively and efficiently packed and despatched too). Also published in the past few years has been a rather attractively presented anthology, Indigenous Literatures of Micronesia, part of The New Oceania Literary Series from the University of Hawaii (relatively new, with just 2 volumes in it so far), with 4 readings from Nauru within its covers. So, not a huge amount (Stories is just 20 pages long), but what this combination lacked in quantity, it more than masw up in interest. Ann herself wrote an excellent review of Stories, which says far more than I ever could, so do read her commentary . What I can say is that I found the combined collection fascinating - an eclectic mix of folklore retold, personal experiences (or so they read), and reportage. There's a distinct thread to these pieces- they don't make for the happiest reading - with a distinct sense of sadness, almost wistfulness, for how life was, or how it could have been, and the disconnection Nauruans are in danger of suffering from their culture and sense of identity, if they aren't already doing so. Inevitably, the impact of the phosphate mining that has devastated the island environment, and the mismanagement of the sovereign fund that should have provided the islanders with some financial security, has a presence too. However, I did thoroughly enjoy what I read (more than once). My impression is that most of the authors were somewhat inexperienced at the time of writing - Stories after all derived from a literacy workshop designed to promote creative writing on the island - but the quality rather belied this, although there was a rawness, or freshness, about these pieces that I find thoroughly engaging, particularly given their brevity (succinctness!). It all certainly bodes well for my further explorations in the Pacific region. Both books thoroughly recommended (although Indigenous Literatures is likely to be much easier to obtain!).

Book #31: Minty Alley by CLR James for Trinidad and Tobago ***** There are other candidates for the most famous book from Trinidad and Tobago, the latest stop on my Reading The World tour, not least A House for Mr Biswas, or pretty much anything by VS Naipaul, but I decided to opt for this on discovering it was the first novel by a Black Caribbean writer to be published in England. I came to it, and that fact, through it being included in the Black Britain collection published by Penguin and curated by Bernardine Evaristo. Whilst I'm sure the alternatives are great (and Biswas is on my to-read list), I have absolutely no regrets making this choice, rather the opposite! Haynes (I'm not sure we ever learn his first name) lives on his own, his mother having recently died. He needs to downsize, and, against the advice of his loyal servant, Ella, he opts to take a room in the house of Mrs Rouse, at no. 2 Minty Alley. The house is a very mixed bag, including Mrs Rouse's lover, Benoit, various lodgers, servants and relatives. The book, just 260 pages long, tells the life of this household and how, almost against his will, Haynes moves from observer to active participant in this menagerie of characters. It's a fascinating, colourful, loud character study, and, (if accurate - I have no evidence one way or another), social portrait, bringing this small community vividly to life, vibrantly coloured. There's certainly plenty of passion and scandal, and the whole novel, including the writing, felt distinctly more modern than it's 1936 publication would suggest. For a book that addressed so many 'issues', it had a remarkably light feel to it - this was a distinctly enjoyable, entertaining, almost rollicking read. 5 stars out of 6.

Incomparable World by SI Martin *** Following on from Minty Alley, this was another book from the Penguin Black Britain collection, curated by Bernardine Evaristo. Set in the late 18th century , when slavery was still legal in England, in the aftermath of the American War of Independence, it focuses on the historically largely invisible but substantial black community in London, boosted by the host of ex-American ex-slaves who fought on the British side and left for England in the wake of the American victory. The author doesn't pull any punches on the dirt, violence and criminality of the time, and both characters and place are strongly drawn. To that extent, I really enjoyed this relatively slim novel. However, I have to admit that I found the plot rather predictable and rather slow to get going. We know there's a punch line, and it's fine when when we get there, but it does seem to take a long time arriving (and all too brief when it does). To be honest, I wasn't that bothered about the plot - I was enjoying the other elements of the story - but the book felt that it was intended to be plot driven, in which case it, for me, needed to be rather stronger. As a portrayal of time, place and character, I thoroughy enjoyed it, and would certainly read more. Stories From Nauru by Bam Bam Solomon and others, plus readings from Indigenous Literatures from Micronesia **** My geography of the Pacific Island nations is, at best, sketchy, so venturing there for my first book from that region in my Reading the World project was a bit of an act of personal discovery. As I found out, Nauru is the third smallest nation in the world in terms of land area (only Monaco and Vatican City are smaller - I was really surprised to find that it's barely one-third the size of San Marino!), and population (Vatican City and Tuvalu are smaller), even fewer people than my nearest (small market) town in West Yorkshire (Otley)! It's not surprising then that its depth of literature is not great, particularly given the largely oral cultures that prevail in that part of the world. Even finding something to read was something of a challenge but, fortunately, the source that Ann Morgan used for her Year of Reading the World, proved equally productive for me over a decade later, and I was able to obtain a copy of Stories From Nauru from the Masalai Press in California (very effectively and efficiently packed and despatched too). Also published in the past few years has been a rather attractively presented anthology, Indigenous Literatures of Micronesia, part of The New Oceania Literary Series from the University of Hawaii (relatively new, with just 2 volumes in it so far), with 4 readings from Nauru within its covers. So, not a huge amount (Stories is just 20 pages long), but what this combination lacked in quantity, it more than masw up in interest. Ann herself wrote an excellent review of Stories, which says far more than I ever could, so do read her commentary . What I can say is that I found the combined collection fascinating - an eclectic mix of folklore retold, personal experiences (or so they read), and reportage. There's a distinct thread to these pieces- they don't make for the happiest reading - with a distinct sense of sadness, almost wistfulness, for how life was, or how it could have been, and the disconnection Nauruans are in danger of suffering from their culture and sense of identity, if they aren't already doing so. Inevitably, the impact of the phosphate mining that has devastated the island environment, and the mismanagement of the sovereign fund that should have provided the islanders with some financial security, has a presence too. However, I did enjoy what I read (more than once). My impression is that most of the authors were somewhat inexperienced at the time of writing - Stories after all derived from a literacy workshop designed to promote creative writing on the island - but the quality rather belied this, although there was a rawness, or freshness, about these pieces that I find thoroughly engaging, particularly given their brevity (succinctness!). It all certainly bodes well for my further explorations in the Pacific region. Both books thoroughly recommended (although Indigenous Literatures is likely to be much easier to obtain!).

Two more books to add to the read pile: The Restless Republic by Anna Keay ***** I was encouraged to read this by overhearing an episode from when it was Radio 4's book of the week (I didn't listen to any more, as I decided I wanted to read the book itself!). Keay examines the decade when England was a republic through the lives of a variety of characters who (largely) played a variety of key roles, including John Bradshaw (chief judge in the trial of Charles I), Charlotte Countess of Derby (prominent Royalist), William Petty (surveyor of Ireland and doctor to Oliver Cromwell), Marchamont Nedham (journalist and newspaper editor), Anna Trapnell (religious visionary) and, amongst others, Oliver Cromwell himself. For me this approach worked really well: it's a period that I don't know well (certainly less than the reigns of the two monarchs either side), and always felt a bit dry and dusty to read about (religious and political hair splitting). Focusing on lives rather than topics and themes brought the latter to life and showed their relevance to actual people's lives. It also made the subjects themselves very human - I've always been sceptical of Cromwell's prominence as a 'Great Briton', and whilst my scepticism was if anything confirmed, I did start to feel I understood more why things happened the way they did. It also made the book really (and I mean really!) readable - I did not want to put it down, at least during a chapter, whilst the chapters themselves provided convenient and well spaced breaks for me to take a breather. Keay's account struck me as well balanced, even though her views were apparent (not a great fan of Cromwell, if understanding, more so of Charlotte Derby and George Monck!), and I came away both feeling I had learned a lot, but been well entertained at the same time. A book that I will almost certainly go back to. Minty Alley by CLR James ***** There are other candidates for the most famous book from Trinidad and Tobago, the latest stop on my Reading The World tour, not least A House for Mr Biswas, or pretty much anything by VS Naipaul, but I decided to opt for this on discovering it was the first novel by a Black Caribbean writer to be published in England. I came to it, and that fact, through it being included in the Black Britain collection published by Penguin and curated by Bernardine Evaristo. Whilst I'm sure the alternatives are great (and Biswas is on my to-read list), I have absolutely no regrets making this choice, rather the opposite! Haynes (I'm not sure we ever learn his first name) lives on his own, his mother having recently died. He needs to downsize, and, against the advice of his loyal servant, Ella, he opts to take a room in the house of Mrs Rouse, at no. 2 Minty Alley. The house is a very mixed bag, including Mrs Rouse's lover, Benoit, various lodgers, servants and relatives. The book, just 260 pages long, tells the life of this household and how, almost against his will, Haynes moves from observer to active participant in this menagerie of characters. It's a fascinating, colourful, loud character study, and, (if accurate - I have no evidence one way or another), social portrait, bringing this small community vividly to life, vibrantly coloured. There's certainly plenty of passion and scandal, and the whole novel, including the writing, felt distinctly more modern than it's 1936 publication would suggest. For a book that addressed so many 'issues', it had a remarkably light feel to it - this was a distinctly enjoyable, entertaining, almost rollicking read. 5 stars out of 6.

Finished Minty Alley by CLR James, my book for Trinidad and Tobago in my Reading The World project. The first book by a black Caribbean author published in England. Very modern feel, in spite of being written in 1936. 5 stars: very good. Now moved on to another book in the Black Britain collection from Penguin (and curated by Bernardine Evaristo): Incomparable World by SI Martin - historical fiction set in late 18th century London, and focused on a group of black ex-slaves, ex-soldiers who fought on the British side in the American War of Independence. Already about halfway through - a gripping read.

Finished Anna Keay's The Restless Republic, an account of the decade or so interregnum between the execution of Charles I and the Restoration. Illuminating, not least because the detail is so often passed over, and engaging, focusing on key individuals to tell the story. 5 stars. Moving on to Amy-Jane Beer's The Flow, a book group choice for this month (and on my TBR shelf).

Finished reading The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah: my book for Ghana around the world. Moved on to The Restless Republic by Anna Keay, a history of the English Commonwealth in the 1600s. Very readable so far!

The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah for Ghana **** (Copied from my Reading Challenge thread). From several promising looking books, I chose this one based on its appearance on the Big Jubilee list, which has been the source of some cracking reads already, and the fact that The Leeds Library, a subscription library I belong to (the oldest surviving in England!) had got a stock in for one of the book groups, so was easy to get hold of! The narrative focuses on 'the man' (he's never named), a railway clerk who, very unusually, is absolutely honest in what is shown to be an utterly corrupt society, the Ghana of the Nkrumah era. Colleagues, even relatives, don't understand why he takes the line he does, and no-one more resents his 'failure' to take advantage than his wife and mother-in-law, who, in particular, want to enter in a deal with a local party high-up over the ownership of a boat, and reap the rewards they perceive will be forthcoming. The book homes in on how his honesty affects these relationships, and the internal monologue that the man holds with himself - even he's not sure why he does what he does. But then events take a turn.... Most distinctive for me was the author's ability to draw a picture, one into which I really felt pulled - this was a place, never visited by me, that really came alive. It could be fairly gruesome too: the author used basic bodily functions and the contrast in toilet environments to really underline the difference between the corrupt 'haves', and the (more) honest 'have nots'. This is a distinctly post-colonial novel, but one that highlights the fact that (apparently)even after independence in Ghana everything 'white' was the aspiration, and anything native was to be deplored (some reviewers say that's still a problem). The colonial masters had simply changed colour themselves, treating the 'lessers' in just the same way as the previously European colonists had. I have to admit, I found the excremental side of things rather overwhelming at a couple of key moments, when I could only read through gritted teeth and clenched muscles - descriptions and details were all too vivid, and far too real to be anything but excruciating! But they certainly pushed the point (and the narrative) home. There are also passages where it feels all too much that the author has climbed up on his soap box and his bludgeoning us with his hectoring, but fortunately, they didn't overly dominate the book, and only once really felt intrusive - Armah was far stronger when he was showing than when he was telling. Overall, this was a powerful read. It wasn't 'easy', but it certainly wasn't as difficult as the reviewer who claimed it would take anybody weeks to read (it's less than 200 pages) suggested. I read it in less than a week, and it only took that long because I was staying with friends for the weekend in the middle and unable to have my usual reading time. Well worth 5 out of 7 stars, and yet another great read for Africa, my 9th book from that continent, the most consistently rewarding continent to date so far.

Book #30: The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah for Ghana ***** From several promising looking books, I chose this one based on its appearance on the Big Jubilee list, which has been the source of some cracking reads already, and the fact that The Leeds Library, a subscription library I belong to (the oldest surviving in England!) had got a stock in for one of the book groups, so was easy to get hold of! The narrative focuses on 'the man' (he's never named), a railway clerk who, very unusually, is absolutely honest in what is shown to be an utterly corrupt society, the Ghana of the Nkrumah era. Colleagues, even relatives, don't understand why he takes the line he does, and no-one more resents his 'failure' to take advantage than his wife and mother-in-law, who, in particular, want to enter in a deal with a local party high-up over the ownership of a boat, and reap the rewards they perceive will be forthcoming. The book homes in on how his honesty affects these relationships, and the internal monologue that the man holds with himself - even he's not sure why he does what he does. But then events take a turn.... Most distinctive for me was the author's ability to draw a picture, one into which I really felt pulled - this was a place, never visited by me, that really came alive. It could be fairly gruesome too: the author used basic bodily functions and the contrast in toilet environments to really underline the difference between the corrupt 'haves', and the (more) honest 'have nots'. This is a distinctly post-colonial novel, but one that highlights the fact that (apparently)even after independence in Ghana everything 'white' was the aspiration, and anything native was to be deplored (some reviewers say that's still a problem). The colonial masters had simply changed colour themselves, treating the 'lessers' in just the same way as the previously European colonists had. I have to admit, I found the excremental side of things rather overwhelming at a couple of key moments, when I could only read through gritted teeth and clenched muscles - descriptions and details were all too vivid, and far too real to be anything but excruciating! But they certainly pushed the point (and the narrative) home. There are also passages where it feels all too much that the author has climbed up on his soap box and his bludgeoning us with his hectoring, but fortunately, they didn't overly dominate the book, and only once really felt intrusive - Armah was far stronger when he was showing than when he was telling. Overall, this was a powerful read. It wasn't 'easy', but it certainly wasn't as difficult as the reviewer who claimed it would take anybody weeks to read (it's less than 200 pages) suggested. I read it in less than a week, and it only took that long because I was staying with friends for the weekend in the middle and unable to have my usual reading time. Well worth 5 out of 7 stars, and yet another great read for Africa, my 9th book from that continent, the most consistently rewarding continent to date so far.

Book #29: Travelling in a Strange Land by David Parks for Northern Ireland ***** Almost a novella, this beautifully written story focuses in on the thoughts of one man as he drives across a snowbound border country from Stranraer to Sunderland to pick his poorly son up from university at the end of his first autumn term there. Much is revealed about the man's family history and its impact on his relationship with his family. Beautifully written, full of atmosphere, made almost claustrophobic by the state of the landscape (the descriptive writing was excellent), this really took me by surprise, coming from an author I'd not even heard of until nominated for one of my book groups. For me the second half didn't quite live up to the first, but our discussion, one of the best we've had, helped me understand why the author took the route they did, and led to me adding a star back on! A book that really underlined the value of book groups to me if nothing else, but also, and perhaps more importantly, led to me thinking a lot more about my own role as a father and individual.

Update: no I haven't - it just didn't feel right. Instead, what I've done is slightly change the emphasis of each grade. 6 stars is 'excellent - an outstanding read', with a sub-list of favourites (books that particulary resonate on a personal level). 5 stars now means 'very good' (unputdownable), 4 'good'' (compulsive - demands to be picked up once put down). 1 (ugh!) and 2 (disappointing) and 3 (OK, but not compulsive) remain the same. so the old grade 5 has seen some most move into 6, some staying at 5, the old grade 4 has seen some move into 5, with most staying at 4, and a few grade 3 have moved up into 4.Basically, I just needed a bit more space to differentiate between books I liked. All very geeky! After much umming and aaaghing, I've decided to slightly change my rating scheme. I started using a 6-star a few years ago, and it's held up pretty well, but over the last year or so, I've felt the grades in the upper tiers have been a bit too broad, lumping books together that I feel rather too differently about. So, I've decided to add another tier, making it a 7-start scheme, with a three 'not so good' levels (1-3), three 'good' levels (4-6), and 7 reserved for favourites. In practice that means I've added an extra tier in between the old 4 and 5 star levels. Level 4 is now a narrower 'good', level 5 is now 'very good' and level 6 is a tighter 'excellent but not favourite'. So, the new system is now: 1 star: really didn't like this . Most of these are book group choices that I really didn't get on with, with just the odd one or two choices of my own. 2 stars: disappointing, or books which, whilst I can recognise have merit, I just didn't particularly like. There are some classics here! 3 stars: OK, a decent enough read, even if not demanding to be picked up once put down. 4 stars: good, the first tier for 'compulsive' reads 5 stars: very good, pretty much unputdownable and/or provides some real insight. 6 stars: excellent, but doesn't quite make it into my favourites list, even if I often can't quite say why! 7 stars: a favourite, a book that may not be great literature, but resonates with me personally in a special way. I've updated this year's blog entries to cater for this new system, and will update challenge threads soon.

Finished August Is A Wicked Month by Edna O'Brien. More a novella than a full blown novel (where does the boundary lie?), my first experience of this writer. It felt very much of its time (late 60s, early 70s), banned in Ireland when it came out for its sexual explicitness, positively tame by today's standards. An intriguing read, although one where, not untypical of this time, there's a distance between the reader and both author and characters that is never closed, even though the quality of writing demanded close reading. Definitely want to read more of her writing though. 3 stars out of 6, but compulsive.

More titles for review - will catch up on them as I can. Jeremy Hutchinson's Case Histories by Thomas Grant **** Portable Magic by Emma Smith *** Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchauspie *** Travelling In A Strange Land by David Park ***** Almost a novella, this beautifully written story focuses in on the thoughts of one man as he drives across a snowbound border country from Stranraer to Sunderland to pick his poorly son up from university at the end of his first autumn term there. Much is revealed about the man's family history and its impact on his relationship with his family. Beautifully written, full of atmosphere, made almost claustrophobic by the state of the landscape (the descriptive writing was excellent), this really took me by surprise, coming from an author I'd not even heard of until nominated for one of my book groups. For me the second half didn't quite live up to the first, but our discussion, one of the best we've had, helped me understand why the author took the route they did, and led to me adding a star back on! A book that really underlined the value of book groups to me if nothing else, but also, and perhaps more importantly, led to me thinking a lot more about my own role as a father and individual. Johnson At 10 by Anthony Seldon and Raymond Newell **** Even after reading the Sebastian Payne book (see post above), this was a jaw-dropping read. Unlike Payne, it's a review of the whole of Johnson's premiership, not just the last days, and it's scathing and devastating in its coverage and assessment. One always had one's suspicions, but the inside view on Johnson's incompetence (let alone corruption) was revelatory - and as for the role taken by Dominic Cummings...... Things have come to a pretty pass when so many workers in no. 10 and elsewhere in government so welcomed Dominic Raab's temporary standing in for Johnson when he was in hospital with Covid. Because it's written as a series of chapters focussing on different themes, rather than a purely chronological narrative, I did fine this a bit repetitious in places, but the book never dragged - the different perspectives ensured that - and I ripped through the 500 or so pages, almost gasping for breath on occasions. What really stood out for me is how vulnerable our system of government to the machinations of one individual, and how easily the British electorate can be manipulated (it's never mentioned, but this was for me a complete condemnation of our First Past the Post system - actually our whole system of government so much in the hands of one person. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver ** Gave up on this after just under 200 pages. It's a modern day version of David Copperfield , set in the Appalachians and the opioid crisis. It's this Copperfield framework that's the real problem. I loved the original Dickens novel- a full 6-star rater - but having read it, you know pretty much exactly what's going to happen to Kingsolver's characters as soon as they are introduced (her character names cling closely to their originals). She lacks Dickens's lightness of touch: I found the narration flat, a monotone, with no real variation in shading (near constant mis-lit), even though matching him in verbosity. And where, oh where, is the humour? I can still see why people enjoy this, but its raising to the ranks of Pulitzer and Women's Prize winner is quite beyond me. I'm not at all surprised that it's been passed over for the Booker, other than it's the Women's Prize that usually nails it and the Booker that doesn't!. On Kingsolver generally, I thought Poisonwood Bible was excellent and enjoyed The Bean Trees, but since then it's been a steady turn-off through an OK Unsheltered, a rather dull The Lacuna and now this. Sadly, I really don't think I can bring myself to read any more Kingsolver unprompted, and will leave her to her many fans This was read for a book group, and was going to be my book for Virginia in my Tour of the United States, but that will now have to be rethought! 2 stars.

Given up on Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperfield after around 200 pages. I loved David Copperfield upon which this is based, but that was half the problem, as you know what's going to happen to the characters as soon as they are introduced. Found the narration flat, a monotone, with no real variation in shading (near constant mis-lit), lacking Dickens's lightness of touch, even though matching him in verbosity. Where, oh where, is the humour? Very worthy. I can still see why people enjoy this, but I really can't see why it was so lauded for the Pulitzer and Women's Prizes. I'm not at all surprised that it's been passed over for the Booker. Thought Poisonwood Bible was excellent, enjoyed The Bean Trees, but since then it's been a steady turn-off through Unsheltered, The Lacuna and now this. Sadly, I really don't think I can bring myself to read any more Kingsolver unprompted. 2/6 stars.

I'd never tried John Wyndham until a year or so ago, and have read both Day of the Triffids and Midwich Cuckoos since then. Do agree about it feeling a little dated, but almost surprised myself as to how much I enjoyed both books.

Too true! I read this last year as my book for Wales reading around the world - absolutely loved it, and your review is an excellent summation. I couldn't get over the humour and lightness of touch in a book covering such dark issues. The twist completely dumbfounded me. It was my first ever book translated from Welsh, a terrible confession for someone with my Welsh ancestry!

Ooh. Thanks for pointing this series out - must investigate. If you haven't read it, I can recommend Black England by Gretchen Gerzina, a history of black people in Georgian England that was recently republished. Read it earlier this year, and it was fascinating. Rough Crossings by Simon Schama too, including those post-revolutionary movements to Canada and Africa. Looking forward to your review of this - high on my TBR list.

He hasn't been for a while for me. I too often find that the basic premise of the book offers much, but whilst the exposition is often fine, the ending all too often underwhelms (and reading The Second Sleep for one of my book groups only confirmed that). He lost me a while ago , although, given my fascination with that time period, I had been tempted to give it a go. Maybe not!

This evening, finished Johnson At 10 by Anthony Seldon and Raymond Newell. Jaw dropping. Long been a full on antifan of Boris Johnson, but what we, the public, saw at the time wasn't the half of it, particularly given the focus was more on his competence than his morals. This was devastating in its critique of his time at no. 10. Occasionally repetitive, partly down to its thematic rather than chronological structure, but in some ways that only went to make it even more starkly apparent what a disastrous prime minister Johnson was. At the worst possible time too. The referencing underlined the depth of research - considerable is an understatement! 4 stars.

Funny that. I was the other way round: I quite enjoyed And The Mountains Echoed, but rapidly ran out of patience with A Thousand Splendid Suns: my notes say that he didn't seem to have the same degree of empathy - that the latter was more melodramatic. However, I can't remember much detail about either (read them back in 2016). Neither are books I'd normally go for, but they were both (different) book group choices.