willoyd

Could one of the moderators please unpin Book Activity for March, and pin the Book Activity for April thread please?

Finished Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon. My first Morrison, and an excellent read - really didn't want to put it down. Book group read, and my book for Michigan in my Tour of the States (21 now read). 5/6

Major Update It's a long while since I posted on this thread, so some major updating. In addition to the books cited to date, the following have now been read: #14. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (Texas) ****** #15 Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler (Maryland) *** #16 The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich (North Dakota) ***** #17 Plainsong by Kent Haruf (Colorado) **** #18 Nathan Coultar by Wendell Berry (Kentucky) ****** #19 The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike (Rhode Island) *** As can be surmised from the ratings, Lonesome Dove was my favourite of these - a totally absorbing doorstopper of a book - but the other 5/6 star reads were also excellent, and I've certainly found three authors there that I want to explore further, especially Wendell Berry. The Haruf was also a strong read, and again I want to try him out further in future. On the downside, I thought the Tyler was the weakest of hers that I've read to date IMO, even though others have rated it as one of her best. The Updike felt a bit more of a triumph of style over substance, but I did enjoy the style! That takes me to 19/51, so a long way to go yet. Some intensive work on reducing the 'to read' list down further looks to be somewhat overdue!

Got back into this a couple of years ago, and done a few populaires of 100-150, and a couple of 200s. Would like to go further, but have been very lazy this winter so need some time this spring/summer to build up again. I love the relaxed nature - I really enjoying watching cycle sport, but haven't a competitive cycling fibre in my own body (save that for orienteering!) - very much from a touring background which is OH's and my favourite form of holiday. I find even sportives too competitive! The one thing I'm looking forward to beyond lockdown is being able to get back to continent for a good 2-3 weeks touring.

One last book for this month: Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops by Shaun Bythell. A slim little volume, almos a Christmas stocking filler type. It's a fun look at some stereotypes, and, having worked in a bookshop, I can certainly see whereh he's coming from! I can't say I was enraptured, but it was a smile-inducing bit of fun. 3/6 stars.

I think you hit the nail pretty much on the head with that point about unprocessed food. I recently read Tim Spector's Spoon Fed, (I think you would enjoy it), where he takes aim at a whole load of dietary 'myths'. At the end he reckons that the only rule really is that - eat food as unprocessed as you can. He classifies different degrees of processed food, and what I find interesting is how much of our western carb based diet comes under the more highly processed categories (including bread, pasta, pizza). And if you're going to eat carbs, make sure it's minimally processed carbs.... I also agree about slipping back into older habits - but I've not found myself doing that this time round, it's been very much a lifestyle change (much to OH's surprise!). TBH, I find myself preferring this diet to my old one for all sorts of reasons. It's also easier to stick to because I know I need to - I can't afford to let blood sugar levels kick in, although I do, very occasionally, transgress - almost always for something home made! On the cycling front: I do a lot too. However, most of mine is audax orientated, ie low intensity endurance. I find a low carb diet perfect for that - I just don't get anything like as hungry as I used to. Nuts tend to be my main on the go fuel. I think if you up the intensity, it becomes a bit of a different game. My high intensity sport is orienteering, but as I don't race for more than 50-55 mins, a low carb diet is fine. However, I do know of some high level athlets who still swear by low carb diets. It is, and it isn't. Low carb food by its nature is low GI, but there's a lot of low GI food I don't eat. A lot of peole I know on low GI diets also cut back on their fats - I've done rather the opposite! Agree with you about body type! However, what you describe is a keto diet, and I've avoided going on that (some diabetics I know swear by it). Because I was pre-diabetic (last time, my blood sugar average had dropped below this) I could afford to be slighly less ferocious, so for instance I always allowed myself berries (every day) and worked to keep below 50g per day (keto is below 20g). Nowadays, I occasionally have lower carb pulses, and am less rigorous on some fruit (although haven't eaten a banana or mango for 2 years). I was a bread addict, but find that I now just enjoy the occasional slice of a special bread (usually as toast!), and haven't eaten potato, pasta, rice or pizza for the same 2 years (I actually prefer cauliflower rice and mash!). My taste buds have completely changed: sweet foods are generally horribly oversweet tasting now - I just don't like cakes etc now - too sickly sweet; I used to love 'ordinary' milk or dark chocolate, and disliked 70%+ cocoa - now I only eat 90%, and vastly prefer it. Sorry if post is overlong - I find this a fascinating subject - but I think as you both suggest, it's finding what works for you - andit appars the science is starting to support that individualisation.

That's really interesting because, if anything, I've gone the opposite way. Having been a vegetarian in the past, and even more recently strongly plant centred with my diet, I found I was pre-diabetic. In an effort to lose and keep weight off and keep my blood sugar levels low, I've gone over to a low carb, high fat diet, although not full on keto diet. Like you, weight sloughed off, losing 20kg in around 4 months, and keeping it off for the past 2 years. I've pretty much abandoned bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, cereals and other higher carb foods (including some pulses, fruit, root veg etc), which obviously included anything with added sugar, and eat a lot more fat and protein. In addition to weight loss, blood pressure down, cholesterol levels down, long term blood sugar levels down to normal levels. I'm very careful where i source meat from- but it (including fish) is a fair proportion of my diet, and I eat a fair whack of dairy and eggs (the latter particularly so!).

Two books finished in quick succession (interleaved with one unfinished): First off was Richard Mabey's biography of Gilbert White. Well up to Mabey's high standards, a slim, fascinating book, somewhat of a contrast to the increasing tendency for substantial biographical bricks. Excellent 5/6. I then started Philippa Gregory's Tidelands, the choice for one of my book groups this month. I didn't get very far, barely 60-70 pages in. By then I was already thoroughly bored, and could see it heading down a highly predictable path (which, according to reviews, is exactly what it does apparently). Not being in that sort of mood, I decided to cut my losses - I decided I needed to do this more readily nowadays - there are far too many books crying out to be read to spend my time on books I really don't want to read. As I didn't positively dislike it, it gets 2/6 (Disappointing) and, as I hadn't read enough of it, it doesn't count to me totals. Then on to The Stubbon Light of Things by Melissa Harrison, a collection of her monthly Nature Diary for The Times. I was going to read an entry a day, but simply couldn't put it down and gorged on it instead in 3-4 sittings. Simple, lucid and wonderfully written - loved every second if it. That makes it the first 6/6 non-fiction book for almost 2 years (I've read plenty of really good ones, but none that have quite qualified for 'favourite' status). Which takes me to another major personal reading landmark, The Stubborn Light of Things being the 100th book I've read in the past 12 months, the first time, as an adult, that I've ever reached that figure in a year (and the first time I've reached 25000 pages in the same period)! A small cause for celebration! Am so pleased to have done so with such a great book. Next book is Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon, for another book group. Looks far more promising than the Gregory.

Chose to read a book that's sat a while on my shelves: Touche, by Agnes Poirier, a look at the differences between French and English society and culture from the perspective of a French ex-pat living in London. Disappointing, based on very limited, London 'bourgeois' experience, bathed in stereotyping. Just scraped 2 stars out of 6, as didn't positively dislike it. On to Richard Mabey's biography of Gilbert White.

Of the two, Love, Nina is definitely better, of that the whole group were agreed! Definitely smacked of the editor of a successful book asking the author if they've got anything else ready to ride on the back of previous success. I decided to finally plump on giving Man at the Helm two rather than one star, so not hopelessly disliked (unlike Body Surfing!)

Just completed The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike, the book for Rhode Island in my Tour of the USA. Easy enough read, distinctive style, but never fully engaged me. 3/6. Still deciding what to move on to.

Not been on for a while - first post here this month. Just finished my book of March: Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear? by Lev Pariakin, an account of his return to birdwatching, and efforts to tick off 200 birds in the year without 'twitching'. An easy read, I could relate to this as so much of it reflected my own return to birdwatching having, like the author, beein a keen youngster. I particularly enjoyed where he related his experiences to those in his professional career as a conductor, and his childhood and relationship with his father. 4 stars. Other books completed in the past 2-3 weeks: The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey (5 or 6 stars: superb!), The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste (ungraded as unfinished: couldn't handle the unremitting grimness), The Ash Tree by Oliver Rackham (4 stars), The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (5 stars), Birdsong in the Time of Silence by Steven Lovatt (5 stars).

A bit of a catch-up on reviews I've let reviews slip behind probably worse than I've done since I joined this forum, so, almost two months after the last post, I'll try and start to catch up. My excuse is that I've been too busy reading! This is actually the strongest start to a year' reading since I started keeping records - something to do with lockdown I suspect! I've really not managed to keep up with so many other things either, like physical exercise! Anyway, here are the next five reviews, starting with the last 2 books read in January, and bringing me back to within a month of writing! Bringing Back The Beaver by Derek Gow ***** An account of the efforts to re-introduce the beaver into the British landscape, the author being one of the leading experts and promoters. This was a brilliant read: insightful, no-nonsense, full of experience and knowledge, and in places really funny - well it made me laugh, and books don't often do that. It also left me in despair at times - not with Gow or his subject, but with the machinations of our bureacracy and the whole way this country is run, particularly the way land is managed and owned, but then I've despaired on that front already, so it's not the books fault! George I, The Lucky King by Tim Blanning **** Part of the Penguin Monarchs series, these little books are proving to be a minor hit with me, proving a set of really interesting overviews ot monarch's lives from some of the top historians around. I've previously enjoyed a couple of Blannings bigger tomes, and he's an engaging writer even in these more formal works. Here he sounds more relaxed, and the book benefits from that. These early Georges often get skimmed over in our history, but these early years of the 18th century saw so much of modern day Britain laid down, and I came away feeling I'd learned a lot both easily and quickly. Thoroughly recommended! The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman **** For once in a while, a 'popular' book that lived up to its hype. We're not talking great literature, but that was neither the aim or the point. Osman has a nicely balanced style - sufficiently light and gently humourous enough to fit neatly into the mould of 'cosy crime', but with sufficient bite and respect to not descend into whimsy. I say respect, because he treats all his characters as humans, with both strengths and weaknesses, whether 'baddy' or 'goody' (or in between!). And his writing flows very nicely too - this was a positive gallop of a read. Good plot too - it really did keep me guessing to the end. I'll definitely read more of his as they come out. The Motion of the Body through Space by Lionel Shriver * So, after a string of thoroughly likeable reads, we come to this one, an examination of extreme sport addiction. Sereneta has been a lifelong exerciser, committed to her daily routine. Her husband, Remington, is levered out of his job and, with time on his hands and self-esteem to rebuild, decides first of all to run a marathon, and then attempt the MettleMan triathlon (an obvious take on the Ironman). In the process, he becomes utterly addicted, endangering his marriage. It's been described as 'scabrously funny', and members of my book group (for which I read it) really enjoyed the satire. Me, I found it heavy handed and very one-sided: we definitely got Shriver's strong views on exercise, ultra sport and diversity in spades. And no, I didn't find it funny, not once, but I did find it very inaccurate in places. By the end, I was rather tired of the preachiness too. I ummed and aaghed over my grading, fluctuating between one and three stars initially, but in the end, I decided that I do actually actively dislike this, so 1-star it is. A Short History of Europe by Simon Jenkins **** The author attempts the impossible! It's certainly a heck of a gallop, and there's inevitably plenty missing, but I enjoyed his style, and appreciated the overview it provided. It certainly enabled me to put a lot of my 'bits and pieces' knowledge of European history into a stronger framework, and enable me to link things together more effectively. A good read, that I'll almost certainly return to (my memory is getting worse by the day when it comes to retaining book content!).

Superb read - one of the best, if not the best, in a while. Last book that grabbed me this way was Bernardine Evaristo's Girl, Woman, Other. An initial 5/6, but this is one that may well get upgraded. I'm attending Monique Roffey's talk at the Leeds Lit Fest (online) next Saturday, and discussing the book at book group the following week - really looking forward to both as it's a book that needs to be both talked about and thought about, but in the meantime am left still savouring its passion, colour, and enormous humanity. Yes I have - good film too, even if as you said. I wouldn't put Enigma in amongst my favourites, but it was certainly one of Harris's most satisfying reads! So glad you're enjoying this. I found it wore what it said, some potentially very heavy material, very lightly. Not quite a 'quirky' read, but pretty much unputdownable - work can be very irritating!!

That's an excellent summary. Finished it last night and, yes, I enjoyed it - indeed gripped - but yet again it left me rather unsatisfied, especially the ending. I always enjoy reading his books, but almost invariably that bit disappoints. Have also just finished The Gustav Sonata. Very thought provoking. Wish it had been a book group read, as so much that could discuss. Just started The Mermaid of Black Conch, another group choice. Stunning start!

Thank you!

Hi Hayley Has the update gone through yet? I was away for a few days, so never knew whether went offline or not. Just asking as there are one or two things that aren't sorted out yet, so wondered if that was because they were left over, or whether it's because we've not had an update yet.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I, and the rest of my book group, did (it was the subject of our last face to face meeting, which seems ever such a long time ago now!). Just finished John Hillaby's Hillaby's London. First three-quarters was a good read, if a bit dated at times (publ 1987), but feel he lost his way towards the end. 3/6. Now on to Rose Tremain's The Gustav Sonata, and Robert Harris's The Second Sleep. Tremain I'm reading because someone recommended her to me, and it was readily available in my local library, the Harris because it's a book group read - I've read several of his books before, and none have really grabbed me other than Enigma. They've been OK, but just felt lacking in depth. We'll see!

A couple of books completed since I was last online a couple of weeks ago: The Motion of a Body through Space by Lionel Shriver, for one of my book groups. Some thought provoking ideas, leading to some great discussion, but can't say that I particularly enjoyed the book, even though it's about a topic I'm very interested in - just found it all like being hit around the head to prove a point, although others in my great rated it more highly. 3/6. A Short History of Europe by Simon Jenkins: what it says on the tin. Rattles along, giving me just the overview I was looking for. Well written and very readable: 4/6. Currently reading John Hillaby's Journey Through London

Finished Richard Osman's book The Thursday Murder Club, pinched off OH after she finished it (Christmas present). Really good fun, surprisingly moving in places; thoroughly enjoyed it: 4/6. (I've avoided listening to the abridgement on Radio 4, but heard a clip earlier today - doesn't sound right at all to me!).

January turned out to be the best start to a year, at least in terms of numbers of books, since I started keeping records back in 2007 - which means best start since I was a child (reading, whilst always a passion, has taken off in the past few years) - 8 books completed. Definitely got my reading mojo as Marie so accurately puts it! (Can't get link to name working by the way). Finished my first book for February: borrowed Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club from OH: cracking read. I thought it might be a good one, otherwise why start it?!, but actually better than anticipated. 4/6, but at the top end of that range. May snaffle a 5 on reflection. Glad I read it though rather than listen to the abridged version currently being read on Radio 4.

Two more books finished in the past 24 hours - seem to be on a bit of a reading 'trip' at the moment! First off, Tim Blanning's biography of George I, The Lucky King, in the Penguin Monarchs series - a highly readable contribution, written in a nicely relaxed yet informative style. Can't decide on 4 or 5 out of 6. Then an absolute gem of a book: Bringing Back the Beaver by Derek Gow. An account of just that, but probably the leading expert on the subject in this country. He can write too! At least 5 out of 6, thinking of giving it a full 6.

The First 3 Weeks Gradings out of 6 Wake by Anna Hope **** A multi-stranded story set in the aftermath of World War One: 3 women are, in various ways, struggling to cpie with its impact and the loss of loved ones. Their stories are interwoven with the parallel story of the process of selection and burial of the Unknown Soldier, which provides a focus for the 'action' in the latter stages. I found this enthralling, though provoking, and even moving. Having not come to this book with any expectations, in fact rather the reverse (it was a fairly randome book group selection, and the blurb was not encouraging), I was very pleasurably surprised. A great start to the year. Man at the Helm by Nina Stibbe ** I knew as soon as this was chosen as a 'lighter, funny, read for Christmas' by one of my book groups, that this could be a struggle, and sadly, I wasn't mistaken. Apparently written before her bestseller Love Nina, this had all the hallmarks of a first book that hadn't really been edited properly. Others in my group did find it as described (and were easy on the faults), but I found it repetitive, not particularly credible, and all too cliched and predictable; will give it a little bit of credit and say that it was 'disappointing' rather than actually full out disliking it. I didn't enjoy Love Nina either, so I don't think I'll bother again. Body Surfing by Anita Shreve * And then it really plumbed the depths. If I though the previous book wasn't great, this was awful. Waxwork characters about whom I didn't care one jot, shallow, obsessed with the minutiiae of clothes and colours (constantly repeated, so, for instance, we're told every time an item is mentioned what colour it is, even when we already know), everything told rather than shown, this, my first experience of this author, left me totally bemused how on earth she is so popular. An early contender for duffer of the year. Au Bonheur des Dames (The Ladies' Paradise) by Emile Zola ***** Thank goodness! After two duds, an absolute cracker! One of the Rougon-Macquart sequence, the narrative is based around the explosion onto the Parisian, and subsequently world, scene of the department store, examining its impact on the lives of staff, clientele and locale. Massively topical, paralleling the present day development of online retail. I particularly loved the intensity of Zola's descriptions, bringing the contrasting worlds of the characters and the department storie itself to vividly vibrant life (now Zola could use colour!). A genuine classic Watling Street by John Higgs *** Interesting journey along the famous Roman route from Dover to Anglesey, stopping off at one point in each chapter, and reflecting on different aspects of English life and history. Not earth shattering, sometimes prejudiced - he certainly wears his political heart on his sleeve, and none the worse for that - occasionally illuminating. An easy read. Spoon-Fed by Tim Spector **** Tim Spector is the man leading the team behind the well-known Covid-19 ZOE app (the one that works), being Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King's College London. He was previously better known as author of The Diet Myth, focusing on the importance of gut bacteria to our nutritional well-being. This, his second effort, is essentially a debunking of a number (quite a lot!) of myths surrounding diet and nutrition, based on the science as it is at present. Much of it I was already familiar with from reading I did last year when I found I was prediabetic, but it was good to review the material, and there were a few gentle nudges I needed to take on board! His last chapter on the level of nutritional training expertise amongst GPs closely reflects my own experience with my doctors! There were a few places where I'd have appreciated a bit more depth, but he covers a lot of ground very succinctly, and earns the fourth star because of the fundmental interest I have in the subject! Big Sky by Kate Atkinson I'm not going to grade this, as I only managed to read 30 or so pages. Having struggled through a number of Atkinson's books in recent years, most recently A God In Ruins, I didn't approach this book group choice with much joy, and have to admit that very rapidly i was having all my preconceptions confirmed. I just have to recognise that she and I, at least reading-wise, don't get on any more. I've just found the last few books I've tried utterly boring, and this was already turning out the same. There's no point in persisting, so I'll just give this a miss - I've already had a fight with two book groups choices this year, and there are simply too many others that I really do want to read!!

Quickly whipped through Tim Spector's Spoon Fed in a couple of sittings - basically a debunking of a number of myths surrounding diet, or, at least, a debunking as far as the current science will allow. Nothing revelatory, but some useful confirmation (particularly of the reading I did last year around prediabetes) and a couple of nudges. A very easy read, completed in a couple of sittings. 4/6. Then started Kate Atkinson's Big Sky, one of my book groups' reads for February. Well, I did give it a go, but it rapidly confirmed that Atkinson and I really don't get along any more. I thought, being one of her Jackson Brodie series, things might be different from other experiences (I remember enjoying Case Histories when it first came out), but unfortunately not. She's just so tediously wordy nowadays. Even only 30 pages or so in, and I'm already, well, bored. I struggled through God In Ruins for one of my other groups last year (and a couple of others in previous years), but enough is enough. I won't grade this - I didn't read enough.

Finished Watling Street by John Higgs, a Christmas present. The author explores the length of the famous Roman route from Dover to Anglesey. A solidly enjoyable, interesting read. Rather than trying to cover everything along the route thinly, he explores a few aspecs in some reasonable depth, some more esoteric than others; a wise decision IMO. 4/6.