willoyd

Have you read anything on a Kindle (Paperwhite). If so, how does it compare? Overall, what are you comparing it with? Interested, as don't know many (any others!) with anything other than a Kindle when it comes to e-reading. The Byrne is on my TBR shelf - I loved her biog of Jane Austen, one of the best I've read. She's done two. Tides of War is the other, set in the Peninsular War. Both generally rated highly. I'm umming and aaghing whether to give The Great Level another star to move it onto my 'favourites' list. Reading was enhanced by the fact that I started the book whilst staying in the Fen country. The partridge didn't register! I love Woolf, and really enjoyed here writing here, but struggled to follow her thread at times. Not untypical of some of her novels too! I'll bet your fellow member lived in a paper bag too (in a septic tank of course)!

Been trundling steadily through a few books this month: The Great Level by Stella Tillyard ***** Waterland by Graham Swift ****** (a reread) The Mystery of Henri Pick by David Foenkinos *** Elegy for a River by Tom Moorhouse **** The Great Flood by Edward Platt **** Migration by Melissa Mayntz *** Summerwater by Sarah Moss ***(*) have just started A Room Of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

Never knew that. Interesting!

I thoroughly enjoyed this too. My favourite 'more thorough' book on Waterloo (if you mean covering the broader battle) is Tim Clayton's work. I've yet to get around to reading Alessandro Barbero's 'The Battle', but it's been recommended by people whose opinion I respect. One book I disliked a lot was Bernard Cornwell's non-fiction effort: it's had rave reviews but I found the prose far too purple, too repetitive, annoyingly written (constant chopping and changing of tense for instance), and there were too many mistakes - mostly of detail but symptomatic of insufficient research and rigour. I've enjoyed some of his fiction (although it did wear thin on me after a time), but this, IMO, was just poor. Bandwagon riding, as he pretty much admits. It's a while since I read it, so my recollection may not be accurate, but I remember Georgette Heyer's fictional account 'An Infamous Army' as being an excellent read. She was pretty rigorous with her research with most of her historical fiction, so I should think she was here too. I can also recommend the film 'Waterloo' if you haven't seen it - made in the days when they used extras rather than CGI to create huge battle scenes. It's a bit Anglocentric in that the Prussians and other allies don't really get the credit they should, but it's a fantastic recreation, and recognises quite how close Napoleon came to winning.

I have one of the earlier editions - lovely.

Hmmm. I'd agree with Moby Dick - one of my all-time favourites, but, whilst having enjoyed and appreciated it, I think Huck Finn is rather overrated. Harper Lee would turn in her grave at that! Yes, it's read and studied in schools, but I'd have to profoundly disagree on that assessment; it's certainly accessible by younger people, but it's very much an adult read IMO. Pulitzers don't go to children's books either! I can thoroughly recommend all of these. I have a particular love of Willa Cather's work - one of the 'greats' of American literature who is barely known in the UK. Pretty much anything of hers is worth reading IMO. My Antonia is part of her Plains trilogy that includes O Pioneers and The Song of the Lark, although they're not really connected other than through setting. Death Comes to the Archbishop is perhaps her best known, certainly one of her most popular. That's an interesting one (Hamlet, a book? Answers on a postcard!) - I do enjoy browsing them, and they are certainly diverse in terms of number and content. Any that you particularly use? BTW, if you find Faulkner a bit off-putting (understandably!), I'd suggest giving As I Lay Dying a go - rather more manageable than some of his other stuff - it's at least shorter!

I'm currently reading the 'original' western (apparently): Owen Wister's The Virginian. Proving a very good read - definitely 'classic' material. Personally, I wouldn't include The Last of the Mohicans as a Western. Its set in the East!

A few more to consider (which I have enjoyed!) Candide - Voltaire Les Liaisons Dangereuses - Choderlos de Laclos Moll Flanders - Defoe A Journal of the Plague Year - Defoe Evelina - Fanny Burney The Vicar of Wakefield - Goldsmith and other books by same authors

I've picked this up late, so am not sure what the criteria are for your Getting Well Read project, but a few thoughts to chuck in based on the posts above: Great American Novel: I'm assuming you mean William Faulkner? John Faulkner is rather lesser known and regarded as a 'lesser' writer (I've not read any of his, so can't judge!). I was rather struck at how thin that list from Penguin was, so a few additional suggestions - I've been doing a lot more reading of American literature since starting my Tour of the United States (one of my routes to becoming better read!). My apologies for listing anything you might have already read (assuming there's a fair bit as you say that you have read most of the great books): To Kill A Mocking Bird - Harper Lee East of Eden - John Steinbeck Underworld - Don DeLillo The Adventures of Augie March - Saul Bellow Ragtime - EL Doctorow My Antonia - Willa Cather (always seems to slide under the radar, but a real great IMO) The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy Song of Solomon - Toni Morrison and authors I've yet to read: John Updike, Thomas Pynchon, James Baldwin, Carson McCullers, Sinclair Lewis, Robert Penn Warren, Philip Roth I could go on....! BTW, what do you mean by 'Great's? I'd be fascinated in what list or criteria you're using - I can't imagine ever only having a dozen or so to go.

October books Conundrum by Jan Morris **** An account of Morris's transition from James to Jan. Highly topical, but, of course, this took place back in the 60s. As Morris herself says in her introduction to a recent reprint, this is very much a period piece, and many attitudes expressed would, at the very least, encourage a raised eyebrow today. However, it is nonetheless a fascinating book, providing much insight (I refuse to say 'insightful'!) into what a transgender individual must go through. It certainly provided an ideal book group read, and an equally fascinating evening's discussion. To Be Continued by James Robertson *** Chosen by one of my book groups from a list of Scottish author themed nominations, i have to say that, whilst this was an entertaining enough read, it ultimately proved a disappointment. A rather thin story, doubtfully humorous (well, I didn't find it so anyway), with the only redeeming feature for me being the talking frog, by far the most interesting character in the novel. Orchard by Benedict Macdonald and Nicholas Gates ****** Fascinating account of a year in a traditionally managed orchard in Herefordshire. The variety and depth of wildlife is astounding in our heavily nature deprived world, and underlines that conservation isn't just about rewilding (however much I believe this is an important aspect). Loved every page of this, learning much. Need to reread it soon. Oh if only more of our land was kept like this..... Why The Dutch Are Different by Ben Coates **** An insiders view, or at least one from a British ex-pat living in the Netherlands and married to a Dutch woman, of what makes up the Dutch. The bulk of it is based around a potted history of the Netherlands, and there's a fair bit of intercutting between the author's visits to various places and events in the country, most of which proved more distraction than contribution for me, but on the whole this proved an interesting read about one of our most immediate, but often all too overlooked, neighbours, other than for weekend stag/hen parties in Amsterdam (ugh - the parties, not the place!). The Summer Book by Tove Jansson *** This took me completely by surprise. I expected, from all the reviews and listening to the contributors to a recent edition of A Good Read on Radio 4, to be absolutely gripped/captivated. If anything, I was bored by it, although the writing was good enough to achieve three rather than a measly two stars. The descriptions of place and space were everything i hoped for, but the central characters of grandmother and granddaughter irritated rather than attracted, especially the spoilt latter. Episodically written, almost a collection of short stories, there was far too little interconnection between the chapters, with characters (including a cat) appearing briefly and then disappearing, even though they obviously continued to feature in said central characters' lives. I struggled to see why it's so highly rated. Wyken, The Life of a Small Suffolk Estate by Kenneth Carlisle **** Bought after a visit to the said estate during a short holiday in Suffolk, I found this a surprisingly engaging read, with some fascinating background to the land immediately adjacent to where we were staying (the bookshop is worth a visit - lightly stocked but almost every book a gem, including Little Toller, Eland and Slightly Foxed editions). I found the admission by the author (the estate owner) of how wrong they'd got some of the management and turned to a different, more evironmentally friendly, approach, utterly refreshing - if anything my one criticism was that I'd have liked more depth and detail! However, as a fairly brief (just under 100 pages) introduction and overview, it was excellent, and added much to my enjoyment of the area. We certainly enjoyed the much greater wildlife than expected whilst walking the fields (including hares, yellowhammer, skylark, buzzard, red kite, kestrel, golden plover, woodpecker, etc etc) The wine from their vineyard is good too! The Great Level by Stella Tillyard ***** Strictly speaking this is a November book, finished on the 2nd, but most of it was read during October so....read to go with our holiday in East Anglia, we passed through the country at the centre of the novel, the Fens between Ely and Denver Sluice at the time of the drainage work by Cornelius Vermuyden. I loved every aspect of this novel, which looks slim but is so densely written that it feels much bigger (that's a compliment BTW!). The novel centres on the relationship between a Dutch engineer working for Vermuyden and one of the fenwomen, and travels from the fens to the American colonies. So much atmosphere, so much feeling of the time (Tillyard is a professional academic historian) without feeling it being rammed down one's throat. I've been looking forward to reading this, and it lived up to every expectation, a rare occurrence. 5 stars, but considering a 6th.

No not really. I've got to this stage almost by accident. I had intended to read fewer but bigger books this year but have in fact done just the opposite! I still don't seem to be able to settle to the bigger stuff, stemming from first lockdown, although I thought I had got over that. Apparently not! Hopefully next year.

I loved Lord of the Rings, even though not generally a fantasy fan. I was profoundly unmoved by The Hobbit (I think that best describes my feelings!) - it's a completely different sort of book. I might have enjoyed it as a child, but not now.

Just finished in fairly quick succession: Orchard by Benedict Macdonald and Nicholas Gates - a beautifully written account of a year in the life of a traditionally farmed orchard in Herefordshire. Insights into the fabulous natural history of the orchard and the damage we're otherwise doing to our land abound. One of the outstanding reads of the year, and straight on to my favourites list: 6/6. Why The Dutch Are Different by Ben Coates - an interesting insight into Dutch culture from a Brit living in the Netherlands and married to a Dutch partner (although she's barely mentioned!). 4/6 - a good read. That's my 70th book of the year, the first time I've ever hit 70 books before the end of October.

I wasn't referring to the Maigret books, although that is what is implied by Hayley's post (not sure if you are doing that either). I enjoy returning to these, even though the plots stick in my memory, so for me Maigret is not disposable! I sometimes read them in English, but have the 10-volume 'Tout Maigret' omnibus set in French which just adds to the atmosphere! The Tey on the other hand, as with so much of the 'golden age' type of crime novel, is one which I don't think I'll feel a need to go back to.

First book of the month completed: Jan Morris's Conundrum, her account of her gender transition. A valuable insight, as well written as ever. 4/6 stars.

I'm an inveterate list maker and tweaker! I set out my criteria, but at the time I made the original list I knew a lot less about American literature than I do now (I still don't know it well!). In particular, I'm finding out more about where books are set, and which books are 'famous' - America literature appears much more regional, and authors who might be very well known in and around their state may be virtually unknown elsewhere. Just to give one example, I'd barely heard of Wendell Berry before starting the tour, but he's one of only two (I think) living authors published by Library of America. As a result, I've been shuffling books around on and off. The latest shift around was triggered by the fact that I decided that 'In Cold Blood' didn't sufficiently fit the criteria. But that meant shifting around elsewhere too..... My aim is that by the end I'll have read a really good cross-section of twentieth century American literature. I've already read some stonking books - a couple of six star reads, a fair number of fives, and several authors I definitely want to follow up, or have already started to follow up, further: Willa Cather, Larry McMurtry, Wendell Berry and Louise Erdrich just for starters (oh and, of course, Toni Morrison!).

Some changes to the list, and a couple of more books completed, meaning that I'm currently on 22 - still not half way! The new books are #21 -The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields for Indiana ***** and #22 - Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison for Michigan ******. Both really good books, with many similarities, not least the common theme of identify, self-worth and self-realisation. Plenty of differences too (!). Several of the list changes can be seen as reversions - Arkansas: The Architecture of the Arkansas Ozacks returns, replacing True Grit - Oklahoma: True Grit reverts back from Arizona, replacing Paradise - Michigan: Song of Solomon replaces The Virgin Suicides - Kansas: Not Without Laughter replaces In Cold Blood (not fictional) - Virginia: The Confessions of Nat Turner replaces The Known World

Finished 2 books in the past couple of days: Mrs Bridge by Evan S Connell, and Maigret's Patience by Georges Simenon. Both fairly quick, but very entertaining, reads. Mrs Bridge has many similarities and parallel threads to The Stone Diaries - an interesting coincidence reading them back to back. Simenon is as atmospheric and lean as ever - one of his better Maigrets. Both 5 stars out of 6. Moved on to Losing Eden by Lucy Jones - a non-fiction book examining the science around the dangers of our losing connections with nature. An absolutely essential subject.

Some more one-liner 'reviews' as part of long term catch-up (stars out of 6: 1-awful, 2-disappointing, 3-fine, 4-good, 5-excellent, 6-favourite, only one or two of these years at most)! Origins of the First and Second World Wars by Frank McDonough *** A slim and straight-forwardly useful book that covers exactly what it says on the cover - used for some revision work in tutoring. The Bumble Bee Flies Anyway by Kate Bradbury ** A rather disappointing account of developing a wildlife garden from a pretty manky plot. Very twee and rather tedious. I did hope to get some insight, even ideas/wisdom - the author comes over far better on TV - but there was little of either. On the Map by Simon Garfield **** Very readable journey through the history of maps - one of those books where you find something interesting on pretty much every page. Bestsellers by John Sutherland *** One of the Oxford Very Short Introductions series. Interesting enough at the time, if a bit listy, but have to admit not recalling a single thing from the book a few weeks later. The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey **** Entertaining crime mystery set in western Scotland, a slight cut above the average Golden Age of Crime novel. Enjoyable, but disposable. What the Fat? Sports Performance by Grant Schofield et al ***(*) Useful reread of one of the few books on low carb-high fat diet that addresses needs of the sports performer. I went on this diet a couple of years ago as a response to a pre-diabetes diagnosis, which enabled me to bring my blood sugar levels, blood pressure, weight and cholesterol levels all significantly down, but left me struggling when racing for more than 40 mins. Feel it's now reasonably sorted! Sixty Degrees North by Malachy Tallack **** The author, a native Shetlander living on the sixty degree north latitude, circumnavigates the globe along that line, visiting key places along the way. An interesting reflection on place and the sense of home. Chastise by Max Hastings **** Hastings is as erudite and interesting as ever, this time on the Dambusters operation - he is one of the best writers on the state of war - although my preferred book on the subject remains James Holland's. This focuses more on the people and on the impact. The Pitards by Georges Simenon ***** Simenon says more in a few words than many writers can say in chapters. Psychological examination of the breakdown in relations between wife and husband when she insists on accompanying him on his maiden voyage as owner rather than just captain of a cargo ship. As gripping and as atmospheric as his more famous Maigret novels (of which I'm a complete fan). Woodston, The Biography of an English Farm by John Lewis-Stempel **** An anniversary present, this is an historical account of the Worcestershire farm that the author's grandfather used to run, and the surrounding area. Lewis-Stempel tends to rely too much IMO on quoting sources at length, but his own writing is excellent. It felt a wee bit rushed towards the end, but that is probably more an indicator that I was so enjoying the book I wanted even more detail! Some of his notes at the end were extensive commentaries on conservation that were distinctly thought provoking. The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields ***** The autobiography (although much written in the third person) or a fictional 'everywoman' for the 20th century. Much to say on the role and position of women during the century, and on how somebody can be misperceived and misunderstood even by those closest to them. Loved the different styles employed. This was a book group read that was unanimously acclaimed- it averaged a score of 9.2 (out of 10), the highest in our five years reading to date. Mrs Bridge by Evan S. Connell ***** Completely coincidentally read after the previous book, yet in so many ways so similar: a biography of a fictional woman, playing very much the wealthy wife and mother role in mid-twentieth century midwest America - similar husband, similar children (2 girls, one boy). Different personality, different mindset, different atmosphere,written rather more sparingly, but the comparison was fascinating. Both books in very different ways say much about the society the women grow up in. This book was followed up ten years later by a parallel volume, Mr Bridge, with both books combinedi into a film starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. The second book is already on order! Maigret's Patience by Georges Simenon ***** As atmospheric as ever, I particularly love the Maigrets actually set in Paris. This one felt somewhat grittier than some of the others I've read, which I felt give a welcome extra bite. Food is as important as ever, but it gets shoved to one side as the heat is turned on! And that, believe it or not, brings me right up to date!!

I have tried de Bernieres a few times, but I never get beyond the first few pages, and now don't bother. Not sure why. In the case of CCM, I think it's a natural rebelliousness in that I find I'm generally very resistant to books 'everybody' is raving about (a rule I suspect that's more honoured in the breaking than the keeping!).

I long ago gave up on keeping my Kindle and hardcopy TBR lists 'under control'. I have around 300 on the former and 1400 on the latter, out of a collection of around 3000 books - I have recently divested myself of around 1000 books from the combined lists, mostly those that I've read and am not likely to reread. My fiction library, in particular, mainly consists of books I have yet to read, as I nowadays only retain favourite authors and books once read. I firmly believe in Umberto Eco's concept of the anti-library, as cited in this much quoted section in Nassim Taleb's The Black Swan: "The writer Umberto Eco belongs to that small class of scholars who are encyclopedic, insightful, and nondull. He is the owner of a large personal library (containing thirty thousand books), and separates visitors into two categories: those who react with “Wow! Signore professore dottore Eco, what a library you have! How many of these books have you read?” and the others — a very small minority — who get the point that a private library is not an ego-boosting appendage but a research tool. Read books are far less valuable than unread ones. The library should contain as much of what you do not know as your financial means, mortgage rates, and the currently tight real-estate market allows you to put there. You will accumulate more knowledge and more books as you grow older, and the growing number of unread books on the shelves will look at you menacingly. Indeed, the more you know, the larger the rows of unread books. Let us call this collection of unread books an antilibrary."

I haven't yet read The Other Bennet Sister to compare, but otherwise these both are pretty accurate reflections of my reactions. On Crawdad, I don't know that part of the world, but it just didn't feel credible either.

Finished The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields, the 22nd stop in my tour of the United States (Indiana). Immersive read, employing a wide range of styles to tell the life of 'everywoman' Daisy Goodwill. 5 out of 6 stars (excellent).

I haven't been on the site for an awfully long time - over two months now - so have got even more badly behind on the book reviews than previously. Intend to get on more regularly this autumn, but in the meantime a list of books from the first half of summer, with very brief comments: Where the Crawdad Sings by Delia Owens G *** Mildly enjoyable read, but can't understand why so highly rated by so many - just too many flaws. What's Left of Me is Yours by Stephanie Scott G *** Interesting insight into Japanese culture, an area I know absolutely nothing about, but one which the acclaim suggests the author has a strong grip on. Can't say I was ever totally gripped though, but seem to be in a minority on that one. Native by Patrick Laurie **** Farming in Galloway - another culture insight if a bit closer to home. I was rather more taken with this one though. Days Without End by Sebastian Barry G *** Another book with rave reviews which I really didn't connect with beyond the superficial. Set in the 'Wild West', the narrator is supposedly ill-educated, yet the language belies that. Never really recovered from that fundamental flaw IMO. Compared to books by Larry McMurtrey, Cormac McCarthy et al, this really couldn't compete, although it was distinctly better than the likes of The Sister Brothers. Miss Austen by Gill Hornby ***** Found this to be a highly readable and fascinating take on the relationship between Cassandra Austen and her sister Jane, and why the former destroyed her correspondence with the latter. Really felt the author took us inside this world. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo ** So smug it beggared belief. Some interesting ideas, but overall I was very disappointed with this. The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham G **** Book group read that I didn't expect much from given the material - the life of an painter in the mould of Gauguin - but was drawn in by the elegant prose and the forensic analysis of the subject's life and relationships. A General Theory of Oblivion by Jose Eduardo Agualusa G **** Another book group read, set in Angola. A highly unlikely premise, but very entertainingly carried out - a fascinating take on the Angolan fight for independence and its aftermath. Surprisingly light. Want to read more by this author. Why Women Read Fiction by Helen Taylor ** Just felt full of assumptions, generalisations and stereotypes. No real insights. The Shepherd's Life by James Rebanks G ***** Absolutely cracking semi autobiographical read. Found this pretty unputdownable. There was a touch of whinge about it, but fortunately didn't go so far as to spoil it. Fast After Fifty by Joe Friel *** Useful for a post-60 athlete like me! Ventoux by Bert Wagendorp **** An engaging story based around friendship and passion for cycling, with a strong streak of mystery. Worth a read! Airhead by Emily Maitlis **** An insight into some key political events, and the life of a (highly!) itinerant journalist. Fascinating. The Feast by Margaret Kennedy ***** Reprint of this 1950's novel, where several key characters are killed off in the first few pages, but you're not sure which ones, followed by flashback to the week leading up to these deaths in a natural disaster. Based around the Seven Deadly Sins. Super read, really well put together. Possibly the unexpected find of the year so far.

Finished The Feast by Margaret Kennedy. Very cleverly written book, handling some heavy stuff with a very light touch. We know at the start that a number of people staying a Cornish hotel have been killed in a landslide, but after that is introduced in the prologue, we go back a week to explore what happens to staff and guests during that week, and, eventually, who survives and who doesn't. All including an examination of the 7 Deadly Sins! Pretty unputdownable. 5/6.