Apologies for the radio silence over recent weeks- lockdown has meant that I’ve had to work very intense 12 hour days, so I’ve had a small amount of time for reading but no spare energy for updating.
9. Into Thin Air- Jon Krakauer I loved Into the Wild, so I’d been meaning to read this, another Krakauer book about people dying in a remote location, for a while. As others have said before on these threads, there is a huge cast of characters and, despite the extensive Dramatis Personae list at the beginning, it can be hard to keep track of who is who, especially when two Sherpas have the same name and Krakauer alternately refers to people by their first name and their surname (especially Anatoli Boukreev, a character of major importance). Nevertheless, it was very exciting, tragic and not without controversy.
10. Jew-ish: A Primer, a Memoir, a Manual, a Plea- Matt Greene This was in the Daily Deal and was somewhat disappointing. The David Baddiel book reviewed above by Misshapencha0s sounds more interesting. The section about Greene's visit to Auschwitz was moving, however.
11. The Well of Loneliness- Radclyffe Hall I’ve read this lesbian classic before- this time I listened to the audiobook. It has some poignant sections, but it general it is just far too long and wasn’t what I needed at the moment (that was my fault for choosing it, though!).
12. It’s Not About You- Tom Rath Free on Audible, I’ve read the ebook before and both are distinctly average but with a few helpful moments.
13. Bill Bailey’s Remarkable Guide to Happiness- Bill Bailey I love Bill Bailey (although not Strictly Come Dancing) and it was enjoyable to spend some time in his company. This was short and sweet.
14. Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me- Kate Clanchy I reviewed the book last year- this was the audiobook read by the author, which I also loved.
15. My Dark Vanessa- Kate Elizabeth Russell Having loved Notes on a Scandal earlier this year, it was interesting to read a different take on a similar story. I raced through it and thought the author handled the tale fairly successfully. There are many references to Lolita, which made me want to reread that absolute classic.
16. How to Write Everything- David Quantick This was in one of the Audible sales. I am currently doing some writing as part of my job and found it helpful. Quantick is very knowledgeable, funny and, of course, has a distinctive West Country accent which adds to his charm. It is pretty comprehensive, including advice on writing films, sitcoms and poetry in addition to novels and non-fiction. It includes tips from writers other than Quantick, particularly in sections which fall outside Quantick’s areas of expertise.
17. The Witches- Roald Dahl This was never my favourite Roald Dahl novel, but I saw it on BorrowBox and thought I’d give it another chance. After four hours of Miranda Richardson’s screeching, I now like it even less.