Now more than ever, read more books.

This is a tough, but excellent and important, read. Chimene Suleyman writes brilliantly about her awful experience with a manipulative abusive ex-partner, who disappeared while she was in a clinic having a termination, the trauma of coming to terms with his abuse, and the strength she drew from finding other women who had suffered similar abuse from him.

Cool book art. Not at the tagged library, at a trattoria called I Gerolomini nearby.

Monday afternoon #BooksAndBooze. Cannot beat it.

Next up

Another brilliant, gripping novel in the Neapolitan quartet. Elena and Lila are now young adults with children in the 1960s, and their personal lives and relationships are as turbulent as the social and political landscape. No spoilers, but Elena, what the hell are you doing, girl?

Next up

This is an excellent collection of intertwined short stories about a Palestinian community in Baltimore. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I'd read it in print, as it was a bit difficult to keep up with who was related to who on audiobook, but I found the family dynamics really interesting.

Aw. RIP Tony Soper.

Booked a holiday. Bought a book. Having an absolutely banging Sunday.

This is an odd book, and I really wanted to like it more than I did, but the experimental, stream of consciousness style, and the tough subject matter made it a difficult read. Still, we shouldn't shy away from talking and reading about injustice and violence and death, and Wolf and Mrs Death are strangely likeable characters. This is really well written, I just didn't quite get it.

Next up

This is a really lovely, funny, charming, moving book. It conveys the messiness and overwhelming stress of grief so well. The bit where he talks about getting inexplicably angry at, and stressed out by, apparently minor things, and people thinking you're just being cranky and unreasonable, felt particularly relatable. And his description of the last text message his dad sent him is, however inappropriately, hilarious.

Next up

Oof, there is so much going on here, and so much of it is pretty disturbing. What an utter mess Lila is in. The violence, misogyny and lack of hope and opportunity in the neighbourhood becomes even more clear as the girls become women, and it‘s no wonder Lenu wants to escape, but her path out is far from smooth. Another brilliant, vividly written book in the series.

Next up

This is a brilliant memoir. It centres around Eddie's experience at Oxford University, which should have been a fantastic opportunity but became an ordeal, when the 'full scholarship' he won won't cover the essential care he needs, and he's expected to fundraise this himself. It's a great insight into the realities of living in a world that excludes disabled people, and challenges 'uprights' to reconsider what we mean by 'reasonable adjustments'.

In a move straight from the Nazis' play book, thugs burnt down Spellow Library in north Liverpool last night. If you can, please consider donating toward the Go Fund Me that's been set up to help them rebuild.
https://gofund.me/ef5c66ee

Next up

This is a fascinating memoir. It's really interesting to hear how the author reconciles his Catholic faith - which is neither blind nor unquestioning, but something he thinks deeply about, has studied and debated, and is a source of strength and comfort to him - with the institutionalised homophobia of the Church hierarchy. It's funny and moving, and beautifully told.

Library hold's come in

Absolutely devastated to hear that Jackie Hagan passed away yesterday. It was a privilege to know her and the world is a better place for her having been in it.

#BooksAndBrews

Next up

This is a fascinating book, and feels like it could have been specifically written for someone who sat their Sociology A Level in 1999. It's incredibly broad in its scope, covering music, film, TV, sports and politics, and it rightly gives popular culture equal weight to geopolitics. I really enjoyed this.

Next up

This is a superb, beautifully written novel. It follows the intense and complicated friendship of Lila and Lenu through their childhood and adolescence in post war Naples. It depicts the poverty and violence, and the complex social dynamics, vividly. I'm really looking forward to reading the next book in the quartet.

Next up

This is a fascinating contemporary account of Annie Kenney"s life and her tireless work in the Suffragette movement. Someone of her views (especially on race) are quite "of their time", but it's a great first-hand insight into the sacrifices and efforts made to win women the vote.

Next up. My husband got me the Neapolitan novels for my birthday cos we're hoping to go to Naples this year.

This is a beautiful, uplifting collection of poems reflecting on grief/love (and how intertwined they are), activism and hope. Blue Boat Mother was especially moving. Exactly what I needed.

Next up

This is a brilliant memoir by a brilliant woman. Beth Mead is open and honest about her struggles with anxiety and self doubt, & the challenges she's faced. She speaks warmly about her family and how much their support means to her, & the chapters about her mum's illness are heartbreaking (I don't recommend reading the last one about her mum when you're on your lunch break and have to go back to work, esp if you're recovering from a bereavement).

Next up

This is a brilliant memoir and a brutally honest insight into Fern Brady's experience as an autistic woman. I hope the snobby posh bastards who she went to uni with read this and feel inferior and shit. Definitely recommend listening to it on audiobook.

Happy St George's Day and World Book Day

Next up

This is a brilliant history of Section 28, the bigotry and homophobia that led to it, the fight against it and its impact and legacy. It‘s very well researched and detailed, and Paul Baker‘s dry sense of humour makes it great fun to read. I really enjoyed this.

This is a brilliant history of Section 28, the bigotry and homophobia that led to it, the fight against it and its impact and legacy. It‘s very well researched and detailed, and Paul Baker‘s dry sense of humour makes it great fun to read. I really enjoyed this.

Came to Oxford for the weekend to watch Oldham play Oxford City. The match was terrible, but it was absolutely worth it to see Lyra and Will's bench.

Next up

This is a really interesting exploration of th power of women's anger, how it has been historically weaponised against them, and how personally invigorating it can be.

Aw. Andy got me the Neapolitan novels as pre holiday reading for my birthday.

Next up #WomensHistoryMonth

This is an incredibly powerful collection. Roy argues, backed by extensive research, that foreign policy and various attempted 'peace processes' have consolidated the hugely unequal power dynamic between Israel and Palestine, and left Palestine weaker and dependent on aid. She describes how, since 2005, Israel has isolated Gaza from the West Bank, shattered its economy and collectively punished its population. This didn't start on October 7th.

Early birthday present. I have the best friends.