willoyd

When you said 'competent', I thought you were going to damn a bit with faint praise, but a score of 8 out of 10 suggests otherwise! I must admit I generally love Jenny Uglow's books, and this for me was one of her better ones - gave it a full 6/6. I like her mainstream biographies, but prefer her slightly off beat efforts, such as this and Thomas Bewick, Nature's Engraver, etc (actually, her Hogarth was a stonker - must reread it sometime). I'm hoping to get stuck into In These Times soon - another promisingly interesting angle. Looking forward to hearing about Black Tudors.

Reading Update mid-February Gosh it's gone awfully quiet here, not least on this thread, so a quick update after a three week hiatus: I'm still reading Eleanor Catton's The Luminaries and, to be honest, have not made huge progress, as am not quite half way through yet (around p. 350). That's not a problem with the book - far from it - but I've had a fairly frantic month, which is likely to carry on for another week or so. Indeed, I'm in danger of actually reaching the end of the month without a single book completed, which would be a first for at least 12 years! Big book + lots of work = not a good formula! In the meantime, I've still managed a few acquisitions (surprise, surprise!), mostly through charity shops (not the Kindles!): Fiction and Poetry The Gentle Axe by R.N. Morris The Night Manager by John Le Carre Wing by Matthew Francis (poetry) Women of the Dunes by Sarah Maine (Kindle) Non-fiction Sagaland by Richard Fidler and Kari Gislason Leviathan by David Scott Napoleon the Great by Andrew Roberts Incredible Journeys by David Barrie

Reading Update Two more books finished in the past couple of weeks: All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy Charles I, An Abbreviated Life by Mark Kishlansky Both good reads (the former excellent), and reviews will follow in due course - it's all a bit frantic at the moment. I'm currently reading The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton for one of my book groups, but whilst I like what I've read so far, I'm struggling a bit to get into it - too many distractions, and bit daunting (750+ fairly densely printed pages). A few more book acquisitions in the past 10 days - partly because I succumbed to the temptation of a local library sale with some quite nice condition hardback volumes going for silly (50p) prices (and not ex-library either) - these marked *. The rest from an Oxfam raid. Particularly pleased with the JB Priestley whose writing I'm definitely getting into, whilst the Maigret's were pristine - surely unread. Fiction All Among the Barley - Melissa Harrison* Festival at Farbridge - JB Priestley Maigret's Patience - Georges Simenon Maigret and the Loner - Georges Simenon Maigret and the Wine Merchant - Georges Simenon Non-Fiction The Other Side of Eden - Hugh Brody* Lawrence in Arabia - Scott Anderson* Wartime Britain - Juliet Gardiner* This is London - Ben Judah

Great review of The Five. I read it around Christmas time, and it was a real standout book (my non-fiction runner-up for the year). I only managed a brief review, which I hope is of interest, and that you don't mind my copying below. As you'll see, I pretty much concur with everything you say in yours! I gave it 5 out of 6 stars ('excellent'); I'm still contemplating upgrading to the full six. In a field completely swamped by various takes on the murder narrative and/or whodunnit, the author brings a completely different and fresh perspective to the Jack the Ripper story. In this absolutely fascinating history, Rubenhold focuses on the lives of the five murdered women and brings them vividly to life. All too often virtually dismissed as 'just' prostitutes and victims, here we see something completely different, that they were just as much victims of prejudice and an ill-informed media (nothing new there then!), and that in reality most had nothing to do with the sex trade, and that whether they did or didn't, they were above all "daughters, wives, mothers, sisters and lovers. They were women. They were human beings, and that surely, in itself, that is enough." What I found almost as equally fascinating was the social history that their varied lives reflected, going way beyond the streets, alleyways and dosshouses of the East End. Of the murders themselves there is very little mention - Rubenhold leaves that for others, concentrating instead on their lives not their death (apparently much to the disgust of quite a few Ripperologists, but IMO absolutely spot on). It was very easy to see why this won the Bailie-Gifford Non-fiction Prize this year, being one of my best reads, fiction or non-fiction, in 2019.

Actually managed to squeeze in one quick read before this: Mark Kishlansky'sfluent contribution to the Penguin Monarchs series, Charles I, An Abbreviated Life. These are excellent introductions, employing some top notch biographers/historians, and Kishlansky is no exception. A very readable overview - I will follow up with a more detailed biography later (probably Leanda de Lisle's The White King). Kishlansky certainly pust the knife to traditional views of the unfortunate king, showing rather greater sympathy than previous historians (and tradition). It'll be interesting to see what other modern biographers make of the subject. 4/6.

It was a great series too, one of the best I can recall (from what I can recall!). It certainly made a huge splash at the time - Wood literally burst on to the TV scene. For a long time there was no DVD available of it, much to widespread disappointment (including mine!) but I've just found out that one was issued in 2015 - the delay owing to license issues for some of the music used. I'm ordering it. I gather it's inevitably somewhat dated (Michael Wood in flares!) and not perfect quality, but most reviewers suggest that the programmes are as good as they remembered.

I think the reality is a bit more positive! Apologies if the following is a bit long-winded, but I hope it's of some interest, and helps explain. I belong to two book groups, the selections for which are done in different ways. Even without considering the detail of those selections, it's probably inevitable that a higher fraction of the books I don't like are group selections, simply because I don't have any say in most of them - I'm not likely to select books for my own reading that I'm likely to dislike after all! Then, there's the method of selection. One group (A) is an independent group which I joined a few years ago that meets in members' homes. Selections go in cycles: at the start of a cycle, each member nominates two books to the book co-ordinator (which happens to be me at present), who makes sure there aren't any duplicates, repeats etc. I then allocate a book to each month (mainly out of a hat!) and circulate a reading programme to the end of the next cycle (about 15 months at present). The other group (B) is a more recently formed one based in my local library, and using the library system's stock of reading group books. Every cycle we each select one book off a list of these. Each month, central services sends out a set of one of these for us to read next month. A highlight of each meeting is opening the box and discovering which book we're reading next month (only the group co-ordinator - not me in this case! - has the list of our choices). Both groups have fun trying to guess who selected that month's book! The result is that Group A has more control over the books being read, and there is distinctly more variety in the genres and authors too (the list for the second group is dominated by fiction, of which most is literary fiction). The result of that is that I find I enjoy a higher proportion of Group A's books - more consideration is given by each nominator too. Having said that, there's been a fair amount of 'good' reads from both groups. In the last year the distribution has been: Group A: read 10, ****** 1, ***** 2, **** 2, *** 2, ** 3, * 0, average = 3.6 Group B: read 11, ****** 0, ***** 1, **** 3, *** 3, ** 1, * 3, average = 2.8 Having said all that (!), the fact that All the Pretty Horses provided a good score, may partly be down to the fact that it was my nomination (Group A)! Of the books above, my nominations scored a 6 and a 5 in Group A, and the 5 in group B, undelrining the biases outlined above (I am glad to say they proved popular with other members as well). I ought to emphasise that I absolutely don't mind there being a higher proportion of books I don't like - half the point to a reading group for me is to be introduced to a wider range of authors and books (which is why I do find the Group B list a bit frustrating at times I have to admit). And every year there's at least one major discovery for me: this year it was George Mackay Brown, whose book for the group (A) I loved - I'm exploring more of his writing this year - and who more than compensated for some of the 'dross'!

Completed my second book of the year, All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy,a book group choice. Outstanding: 5/6. Now moving on to my other group's read for this month, The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, which looks rather substantial (to seriously understate the case!).

New Year acquisitions A few books acquired in first three weeks of the year: Charity shops The White King by Leada De Lisle (biography of Charles I) Everyman for Himself by Beryl Bainbridge (hardback, 1st edition) * Among Muslims by Kathleen Jamie Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann (Everyman Classic) * The Prize of All the Oceans by Glyn Williams Close Ranges, Wyoming Stories by Annie Proulx * Kindle Sale 1989 The Berlin Wall, My Part in It's Downfall by Peter Millar Early Season sales Underland by Robert Macfarlane * Lotharingia by Simon Winder * Books on my Big Read list On that note, Big Reading list is now collated: 773 books in total, roughly evenly split between fiction and nonfiction. However, noteable how few nonfiction books read (47) compared to fiction (148), so aim to make some progress on the former this year. List is fluid though, and subject to revision.

Oh, dear: I didn't think your list was that huge - looked quite respectable to me! Nice mix too. Unlike Raven, I'm not much of a sci-fi fan (although I'm looking forward to War of the Worlds as well),so can't comment on your selections there, but there are others on your list which I loved. The three standouts for me are The Essex Serpent, Of Mice and Men, and The Name of the Rose, all on my favourites list. Adams almost goes without saying, and have to mention Agnes Grey as it's Ann Bronte's 200th birthday today (haven't read Tenant yet). Good luck with your goals for this year!

Is that Peter Ackroyd's book topping the list? Your whole to-read list looks really interesting. If I had just one book to pick out as a particular favourite from those I've read on your list, it would probably have to be Barbara Vine's King Solomon's Carpet, but there are other goodies as well (Rebecca, for instance, was a recent 'discovery', far better than I had anticipated from previous du Maurier reading when read with my book group last year). Looks like we've got quite a few Victorian novels in common on our TBR lists, so I'm looking forward to following your thoughts on them. Equally, will be interested in what you make of the Ackroyd, plus the Hobsbawm books, as both have sat on my shelves for years, but I've never got around to them; Hobsbawm in particular is rather daunting. Although I own, use and enjoy a Kindle, I seem to have gone back more to reading physical books - although the Kindle is very useful when travelling! Anyway, all the best with the year's reading.

I wish I could be so relaxed, but it would drive me mad to have books unsorted. As it is, I drive my wife mad instead with the degree to which they are (we are defnitely splitters not lumpers - as so accurately discussed by Anne Fadiman, Ex Libris - and her books are much more on Tribe Hayley lines, including the value bit!).

The Summer Isles by Philip Marsden ***** A Christmas present, this is an account of a sailing voyage the author, who had never before skippered anything more than day trips before, made from Cornwall to the Summer Isles, via the west coast of Ireland. It was made in memory of his aunt, who was killed in a walking accident on Ben More Assynt, and with whom he had always intended to visit the islands. This could have been a fairly standard account - there is a myriad of similar books - but the quality of writing, the fascinating people he encounters, and the deep sense of how personal this was that pervades both narrative and journey, all makes for something distinctly greater. My only 'complaint' is that there is, in fact, very little about the Summer Isles themselves, barely a couple of pages, if that; this should have been entitled 'Journey to....'. Oh, and whilst there are a couple of illustrative maps at the front, yet again a book about something so spatial is completely inadequately mapped. What is it about publishers - are we so map illiterate nowadays that they are almost completely forgotten, and even when not, so inadequately developed? It's not as if they require any further expense, unlike photos. Although, on that subject, a few illustrations wouldn't have gone amiss either, particularly of people mentioned. But nothing should take away from the writing, which made for a superb start to the New Year's reading. Next book: All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy (Book group selection)

Fun article in latest Penguin email newsletter (one of the few commercial ones I don't filter out!) on shelving tribes here. Trouble (or not!) is that I don't fit into any of them: my fiction books are certainly shelved alphabetically, but my biographies are shelved chronologically (by date of death of subject!), and others are done differently again (basically Dewey, but with variation). Which means I'm probably even more geeky than the Penguin editors have allowed for! Anybody else got a tribal affiliation?

First book of the year completed, one of my Christmas presents: The Summer Isles by Philip Marsden. The story of his solo sail up from Cornwall up the west coast of Ireland, and on to the Summer Isles. Beautifully written. 5/6.

Final total was 75, far more than I anticipated after completing only one in January. Second half of the year was particularly strong.

Dedicated E-reader every time - tablets are awful for eyes. Spoke to my optician about it too a couple of years ago, and he strongly recommended these in preference to tablets.

Thank you. And first read of this year is non-fiction too: Philip Marsden's The Summer Isles, the story of his journey up from Cornwall to the Summer Isles off the west coast of Scotland, via the west coast of Ireland. Only 70-80 pages in, but this isn't one to rush!

Wow, that's a strong selection. Recently read The Five, non-fiction runner-up and third overall for the year in my awards. The Pinecone did similarly well a couple of years ago - I think this is one of my favourite Uglow books (herself a favourite author of mine), although I know that's not a universal opinion. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did. Haven't read others, but there's several with very strong reviews behind them. Will be interested to see what you make of them.

Great start (I'm only 70-80 pages into my first book still), especially as two are 5/5! Hope the rest of the year is as rewarding for you.

Welcome to my reading blog for 2020. This thread is now open!

Accolades for 2019 Book of the Year 1. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo 2. Daughter of the Desert by Georgina Howell 3. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry Fiction Book of the Year Winner: Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo Runner-up: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry Shortlist: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Now We Shall be Entirely Free by Andrew Miller Beside the Ocean of Time by George Mackay Brown Non-fiction Book of the Year Winner: Daughter of the Desert by Georgina Howell Runner-up: The Five by Hallie Rubenheld Shortlist: The Prime Ministers by Steve Richards Icebreaker by Horatio Clare Duffer of the Year Winner: I See You by Clare Mackintosh Shortlist: The Widow by Fional Barton Discovery of the Year George Mackay Brown Most Disappointing of the Year The Making of the British Landscape by Nicholas Crane Reread of the Year Paddington Helps Out by Michael Bond

Review of 2019, Preview of 2020 It was a funny old year. Intended as one where I concentrated on more of my bigger tomes, and thus likely to see an overall reduction in books read, it certainly started that way: January was the first month since keeping records where I only completed one book, most of the month focused on the Trollopian doorstopper, The Way We Live Now (and a good read it was too!). After that, though, the big book focus seemed to slide off a bit (not least with book group choices to get through) and the year started to pick up speed, so much so that by the end the total had reached my second highest number of books ever, 75, although only third ranking on pages (22400 in round terms). Admittedly it did include a number of biggies, but nowhere near as many as intended. Perhaps the most significant trend was the continuing rise in the proportion of non-fiction books, up from last year's high of 42% to 49%, or just one less than fiction (37 vs 38). Having said that, whilst last year non-fiction books dominated the accolades, this year saw fiction make a comeback, with Girl, Woman, Other coming out on top (a rare year where I agree with the Booker judges!), in front of the gripping Gertrude Bell biography by Georgina Howell, Daughter of the Desert; three of the four new 6-star books were novels too. Otherwise, there was little change in the profile of my reading, although, in line with popular trends, I appear to be using my e-reader less year on year, and turning back to 'proper' books. Female authors represented around 40% of my reading, and around a quarter of my books were borrowed from the library, not dissimilar to other recent years. I would like to increase both numbers, although with a substantial backlog of my own books to get through, the latter may not change for a while. In terms of the various challenges I set myself (other than more doorstoppers!), some progress was made on most fronts, but in all cases it would be good to have done more. In particular, I'd like to make bigger inroads in 2020 into my tour of the USA, where 4 books were completed (admittedly double last year, and including the epic Lonesome Dove). At 15 of the 50 now read, completion date at current rates is still some years off. The accolades listed in the following post highlight the books that made the biggest impact on me this year, both positive and negative. It was good to get just 2 1-star books this year - both thoroughly deserving of their scores it has to be said! A new 'award' has been introduced this year - Discovery of the Year - a new one always one of the best experiences one can have in reading. Last year it would have gone to Willa Cather (and Elizabeth Taylor would have been in there in previous years), but the first winner is George Mackay Brown, an author who I was introduced to by a book group choice, and whose work I'm really looking forward to exploring if this year's experiences are anything to go by. So, what of next year? I'm almost reluctant to set any goals, as they are almost a guarantee that I won't achieve them, if recent years are anything to go by again, but, probably foolishly, I'll give it a go. They are all too similar to those of other years: - To make some inroads into my backlog of doorstoppers (one every two months?) - To get a good number of states under my belt in my tour of the USA (can I reach half way?) - To buy less and use the library more All a bit vague and repetitive perhaps, but my only other 'goal' is to keep on enjoying reading, and too many precise goals to get hung up over will inevitably impact on that (negatively!). To that end, I've further slimmed down the lists in the preliminary posts, particularly all those 'Before You Die' ones. They're interesting enough, and good for ideas, but otherwise, as someone on these boards recently said, 'they're just lists'. Now I enjoy lists, but these were somebody else's lists, not mine, so if I'm going to have them, I'd generally rather focus on my lists! So, out they go, and, instead, I'm going to look at creating my own personal version of '1001 books to read'. In fact, it probably won't be 1001 books long, and it will almost certainly not have the diversity of the original lists, but at least all the books are of interest to me. So, it'll be a list of books I've either read, and feel were essential to my adult reading development (and/or loved!), or books that I feel I want and 'need' to read. It will include both fiction and non-fiction, but otherwise pretty much anything goes at present. What I can pretty much guarantee is that it won't be balanced or all-encompassing, but it will be personal, and live as a work in progress!

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