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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.

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.

Thanks for this excellent review. I read this back in June, my first Myers read. Your review very much sums up my experience. Whilst I wouldn't rate it quite as highly, it was a great read, and certainly more than good enough for me to want to read more of his work - I've been strongly recommended Gallow's Pole. He lives just two valleys down from us (Calderdale vs Wharfedale), and the setting (in the same area) is very familiar!

Just seen this. Really useful thank you - added several books to my Read Around the World list. In particular, need ot follow up that Sanmarinese short story!

Finished Travelling In A Strange Land by David Park, a book group choice, also counting for Northern Ireland in my Read Around the World. More a novella (164 pages), it's a fairly intense read. 4/6 stars.

Just finished two non-fictions: Jeremy Hutchinson's Case Histories by Thomas Grant: viewing social development of the 1960s-80s through the lens of one (famous) barristers major cases (Penguin Lady Chatterley case, George Blake, unilateral nuclear disarmament protestors, Last Tango In Paris and Romans in Britain obscenity trials etc. Fascinating read, very easy. 5 stars. Portable Magic by Emma Smith. "A History of Books and Their Readers" - well, not really, more a collection of essays built around this theme. Narrower and drier than I'd hoped. Reasonably interesting individually, but collectively far too samey in content and style for my taste. 3 stars.

Book #28: Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov for Bulgaria *** Intrigued by it's winning the International Booker, this was the book for Bulgaria in my Reading Around the World project. Initial impressions were very promising if a little confusing: a slightly surrealistic tale of a series of clinics set up to to deal with dementia by creating safe environments for sufferers in a time they could remember - rooms exactly reproducing a decade - and the almost inexorable expansion of that concept into the wider world, spiralling into nationalist politics. Dystopian satire? Certainly a cutting examination of recent trends throughout (especially) Europe. I was fascinated by the concept and ideas, but have to admit that I found the book itself an increasingly difficult read, so much so that I rather struggled to reach the end. It was worth it, and some of the ideas continue to resonate, but it was tough going!

I plan to give it a go too. I thought the writing great, it was just the narrative. I've often found I can love one book by an author but hate another (eg Amy Liptrot's The Outrun - a favourite - versus her latest The Instant - most disappointing book of last year).

A goodly while since I last posted, so a bit of a catch-up. TBH I've struggled a bit this past month - lots of distractions mainly, and perhaps a bit of mojo missing? Anyway, reading since early June: The Perfect Golden Circle by Benjamin Myers **** The author's background as a poet is clear from the outset with a strong sense of rhythm and full of figurative writing. Initially it actually felt rather overloaded with the latter, heavy metaphors on every page, or so it seemed. Whether I just got used to them, or the author settled down a bit as the story itself developed, I'm not sure, but they certainly didn't impinge later as they did in earlier pages. The story itself, centred on the relationship between a pair of (eccentric) friends responsible for a spate of corn circles, proved a really engaging read - light but thoughtful, almost a meditation, not just on male friendship but also aspects of societal attitudes. I'll certainly being exploring his writing further. The Fall of Boris Johnson by Sebastian Payne **** An interesting, easy read, definitely recommended if the subject interests you (which it does me!). I remain completely bemused how Johnson fooled so many for so long. The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante ** A group read nominated by a couple of fans of the author's Neapolitan series. I was very much in a minority (but not alone) in really not getting on with it at all. I could admire the writing, and would be interested in giving her another go, but this story seemed to spend a lot of time going nowhere, centred on characters who I really could not care about. That may well just be me - stories of teenage angst and anguish just don't do anything for me, rather the opposite ([Catcher in the Rye] - ugh!!); I'm glad to have left that long ago! Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov *** Intrigued by it's winning the International Booker, this was the book for Bulgaria in my Reading Around the World project. Initial impressions were very promising if a little confusing: a slightly surrealistic tale of a series of clinics set up to to deal with dementia by creating safe environments for sufferers in a time they could remember - rooms exactly reproducing a decade - and the almost inexorable expansion of that concept into the wider world, spiralling into nationalist politics. Dystopian satire? Certainly a cutting examination of recent trends throughout (especially) Europe. I was fascinated by the concept and ideas, but have to admit that I found the book itself an increasingly difficult read, so much so that I rather struggled to reach the end. It was worth it, and some of the ideas continue to resonate, but it was tough going! On Chapel Beach by Laura Cummings **** Promoted as a mystery surrounding a childhood kidnap, this felt a bit of a mis-sell, which is a bit unfortunate as there is an intriguing story of memoir and genealogical investigation that is mentioned but IMO underplayed. Essentially, it's the story of the author's and her mother's investigations into the family history of the latter, and the impact of various (often false) narratives on both mother and daughter (primarily former). It's rather overwritten in places, almost tabloidy in the way we are led through a series of almost melo-dramatic revelations, but I remained engaged, even fascinated, through to the end and a satisfying and interesting twist.

Two books finished in fairly quick succession, followed by one where I didn't: The Perfect Golden Circle by Benjamin Myers: a fairly light and easy read focused on male friendship and the adventures of a pair of corncirclers one summer. A little bit overwritten in places, but otherwise an engrossing read: 4 stars (out of 6). The Fall of Boris Johnson by Sebastian Payne, an equally engrossing read for different reasons, containing some interesting insight into the machinations of (dysfunctional) government. 4 stars again. The Lying Life of Adults Elena Ferrante, unfinished, a book group read. Absolutely no arguments with the writing ,which is excellent, but I was utterly bored by the narrative. The characters didn't interest me, nor did the plot, yet another teenager (girl this time) growing up and finding out the truth about her family, particularly her parents. Perhaps just wrong book, wrong time, but there's been so much really interesting reading lately, this just couldn't stand up. 2 stars.

A fair spate of reading lately: I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti *** Michele's family is southern Italian poor, living in a small rural hamlet. Playing in an abandoned farmhouse, he discovers something that completely changes his life. Strong on atmosphere - this is hot, sultry, Italian summer, and it feels it - and character, particularly of the main protagonist, this is a slim, tautly written read, a selection for one of my book groups. Sounds good, and yet I never felt really engaged with it. Once the mysterious find was disclosed, it pretty much all followed what felt to be a fairly standard pattern. It wasn't bad, far from it, just obvious. After some of the exciting/interesting reading lately, this all felt just a bit mundane. I'm all too aware that I'm probably being unfair too, but still 3 stars. Standing Heavy by GauZ ****** And this is just the sort of book that made the previous one feel so ordinary. Read as my book for Cote d'Ivoire in my Read Around The World, this equally slim novel focuses on a group of Ivorians trying to make their way as "undocumented immigrants" in Paris. Working as security guards they see much of the underbelly of Western capitalism and consumerism, and it's not a pretty sight. Satirical, wrily ironic, with much to say about post-colonial attitudes in both France and Africa, I was grabbed from the word go, reading this in two sittings (and wanting it to last longer). Department of Speculation by Jenny Offil ***** The story of a marriage, a marriage that the narrator swore would never happen, told in a series of fragmentary paragraphs, treading a fine line between sadness and sharp humour. Nobody is named, and when the marriage struggles (this is a novel after all!) the writer moves from first to third person, presumably to try and create a sense of distance/alienation. it does! There are some wonderful moments of insight, particularly from a parental perspective, which (even though I'm male and never experienced motherhood) I could strongly relate to! All in all, beautifully observed. So why not more stars (although 4 is good!)? I'm not sure, and perhaps I'm being miserly - but it just felt that way. Perhaps because, whilst beautifully written, there were moments when the plot line felt just a little bit the same as so many that had gone before -and there was something about the resolution that didn't quite work for me. Perhaps, but I should acknowledge that few have dealt with the subject with quite the insight and lightness of touch shown here - thoroughly recommended. After Sappho by Selby Wynn Scwartz ** I had been really looking forward to this, but ultimately felt disappointed. The format was similar to the previous book, told in fragments (although the fragments were rather longer and more complex here!), taking a fictional approach to a group biography of leading feminists/lesbians of the late 19th/early 20th century. Dipping in, this looked to be eminently readable, but once i actually sat down to read the book as a whole, I found myself very soon floundering. A host of characters were introduced, all of whome I struggled to mentally organise, not helped by rather perfunctory introductions. I felt that I needed to know a lot more about feminist writers and their history to even begin to understand what was going on and what this was all about - massive assumptions were made about one's prior knowledge. Much of the referencing to Sappho and other classical characters went right over my head. By one-third of the way through (probably earlier!) I was utterly confused and bemused, coming close to giving up. In the event, I persisted, hoping for illumination (there was a brilliant book in there somewhere, or so it felt) - but that lack of comprehension continued to the end, and I started skimming over the classical references in particular. The one exception was when the spotlight was on Virginia Woolf - being rather more familiar with her life story, I felt I understood so much more of what the author was writing about. But those were relatively rare moments, and I came away feeling this was one really only for the literary academic, or, at least, those rather more thoroughly conversant with the characters and the subject than me. 2 stars.

Finished After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz. Had been really looking forward to this, but ultimately disappointed. I needed to know a lot more about feminist writers and their history to even begin to understand what was going on and what this was all about; massive assumptions made about one's prior knowledge. Iwas utterly confused and bemused one-third of the way in, came close to giving up, but persisted - but that lack of comprehension continued to the end. To me this was really only for the literary academic. 2 stars out of 6.

Another quick read: Department of Speculation by Jenny Offil. Read almost in one sitting - probably rather too quickly, as there was much to absorb and enjoy. Worth lingering. 4 (poss 5) stars out of 6.

Book #27: Standing Heavy by GauZ for Cote d'Ivoire ***** Just the sort of book that makes this project so worthwhile - I almost certainly wouldn't have read this but for the stimulus this challenge has provided to hunt out books from further afield, and in parts of the literary arena never really previously explored. This slim noel and quickly readable novel focuses on a group of Ivorians trying to make their way as "undocumented immigrants" in Paris. Working as security guards they see much of the underbelly of Western capitalism and consumerism, and it's not a pretty sight. Satirical, wrily ironic, vivid, vibrant, with much to say about post-colonial attitudes in both France and Africa, I was grabbed from the word go, reading this in two sittings (and wanting it to last longer).

Book #26: Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih for Sudan ******