Books read in 2026
reading v slowly, feeling stupider + stupider
January
Ruwe(edit): Culturing the Child 1690-1914 essays in honour of mitzi myers collection essays re early childrens books by diverse academics. Curates egg but there was my fave chapter which really made me rethink mrs trimmer
Roberts: Domination the fall of the roman empire and the rise of christianity segue from roman empire to christendom. V approachable, archaeological pov from author. The thesis is that posh roman families pivoted to church careers as the empire crumbled, leaving the same families in power, this reveal less amazing than author thought.10 mins thought about career of gregory of tours gives you this insight for free
Oxenham: The Abbey Girls Again v chalet school vibe in all the ways i least like about chalet series, the snobbery, the smugness, the insensibility. published/aimed at same generation + class. oxfammed
Welch: Mr Collins in Love m/m p+p sequel, novella, v neurodivergent mr c, liked despite expecting it would be gimmick. Wish had not ended so early, wanted to see charlotte lucas settle into household
Graham-Dixon: Vermeer a life lost and found xmas present from olga. Less art + more calvanist politics than expected
Lowis: Fabulous Admirals and some naval fragments v late victorian + early 20th c. snobbish and bullying and of its time. British navy anecdotes pre great war
Henry: Pagans really enjoying mix of cop procedural + alt hist so far. V good, liked worldbuilding, some 'big narrative reveals' (christianity! Omg! For example) not as surprising as i feel author intended, feels original. Clear set up to make it a series
Collins: Germs picturebook, got cos i love ross collins'work. Early piece, didactic and illustrations not as crisp as i associate w collins
de la Mare: Molly Whuppie another picbook, got for le cain illustrations. folktale, scottish
Did not finish vermeer
February:
Novellie: Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things a comedian's guide to autism got cos i find him funny on radio 4, is 97% autism 3% comedy. He had late diagnonis, has fervour of a missionary for others to be tested
Harrowven: Origins of Rhymes Songs and Sayings coded meaning of nursery rhyme books often guesswork presented with great confidence by independent obsessive. this was that kind of book
Wynne Jones: Poems yes, that diana wynne jones. She always struck me as prose but am curious (eta: reminded me of fanthorpe, much better than hoped, had bought cos am fannish completist, had low hopes)
Mac Liammoir: Enter a Goldfish memoirs of an irish actor young and old he was born in willesden. As a novel, 4 stars as a fraudulent memoir the pastiche frank o'connor boyhood inserted in his autobiog annoyed me. He did so much impressive stuff - he got to be a pillar of the establishment in holy catholic ireland while openly gay, he was an artist, he organised theatres, he was super literate, polyglot.. why lie?
Bond: Self Portrait renaissance to contemporary minimal text - brief biographies - of artists, one double page per person, arranged chronologically, exhibition catalogue
Shrady: Tilt the skewed tale of the tower of pisa mostly history of city + architecture, enjoyed
Latimer: Gordon in the City for childrens 5-7 age. Like the series, this volume meh
McLaughlin, Ross: Inspector Penguin Investigates picturebook. Same joke as their story about elephant spy, this time a detective, but i loved that + i love this. Illus charming and hidden subplot in pictures
Spain: Poison for Teacher schoolstory/crime/farce. Unreadable (for me that is for now that is) the humour didn't land and the plot didn't grab. would have rated this high in 90s when i got through a mae west novel (on reflection, felt then she done him wrongs a better film than book, too)
Sharpson: Don't Trust Fish lovely picturebook, good rhythm on text
Rosenbaum: The Shakespeare Wars clashing scholars public fiascoes palace coups too much about rosenbaum too little about shakespeare, and so much name dropping
Wynne Jones: Yes Dear picturebook, got out of w-j fangirl completism
Gray: Murder of Mr Wickham lost interest rapidly, dnf. Too big an ensemble, too slow a pace, too many pages before the murder promised by the title. Capt wentworth was really done dirty by the author
March
Oliphant: Mystery of Mrs Blencarrow melodrama about victorian sex, the social repercussions not the bedroom, well, this is oliphant
Fenton: Leonardo's Nephew essays on art and artists
Worsley: Jane Austen at Home a biography why didnt i read this already? (cos tv documentry person, thought would be dumbed down) actually bits were over explained, but also - reviews on publication said it was all about artifacts connected to her + was unkeen about reverencing chipped egg cup from site of childhood. But this was fab read.
Riding, King: Wright of Derby from the shadows art exhib catalogue, lots of portraits and art profession in 18th, not just firelit smithies, interesting
White: London in the 18th Century a great and monstrous thing tied together a lot of info, too much to fit in one book so compressed too hard to be a fun read. Good but dry
April
Gabriele, Perry: Oathbreakers the war of brothers that shattered an empire and made medieval europe determinedly massmarket book on carolingians, who continue to baffle me. Hope this helps me understand
Castillo Price: Living Dead #15 in series, #14 did not wow me, enjoyed this
Cooper: Not the Swiss Family Robinson should have read this when i read rotary spokes (which i loved) bit meh about this though it hits the same beats. Midwestern babydyke strikes out into the world
Slocombe: 100 Things to Wear mini coffee table of a book, lots pics, of range of hist costume held by national trust.
Charles: Copper Script gay/crime/romance novella with graphologist (?!) theme. On reading kj charles blog, discovered this was for her graphologist granny who it turns out was hilda van stockum who wrote my fave childrens ww2 book borrowed house. Unreasonably squeeful re this factoid
O'Reilly Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? 90% hilarious, 5% grief, v irish
Pearlman: Fun with Kirk and Spock parody of peter+jane reading schemes
Kingfisher:A Sorceress Comes to Call retelling of goose girl + fallada horse folktale, novella. V good but painful around the mother daughter relationship
Dunthorne: Children of Radium family biog, reconstructing his grandparents, g-grandparents experience of ww2 V bleak 1940s stuff which he tried to ameliorate by jocular self deprecating account of his investig journo in the present. Disliked 40s passages because thought g grandfather was dick, disliked 21st cent passages because thought he was dick.
Balogh: Slightly Sinful regency romance, amnesia trope
Hamley: Pageants of Despair hist fic for 10 yr olds, pub 1972. Did not encounter this puffin as child. Earnest but mediocre book by schooltacher w special interest in guild miracle plays - he cares so much and has thought through details in a way that suggests this lived in his head a long time, but is dull, and hero v stupid. Awkward timeslip framing, and the 20th century bits read like 1950s (unhip places in 70s were still very 50s, the psychadelia was v localised) geraldine mccaughren's little lower than the angels was worlds better
May
Jubber: Epic Continent adventures in the great stories of europe thought the author insufferable, so every page a punishment. Travel writing themed around odyssey, kosovo cycle (did not know) beowulf, song roland, niebelungiad (butchering spelling) njals saga. Elitist, mediocre, smug self absorbed condescending ex public schoolboy lives his leigh fermor dream
Cooper: Lost Chapel of Westminster how a royal chapel became the house of commons
O'Reilly: Prestige Drama endnote says originated as radio play, hence all the voices. Short chapters by locals near derry when tv drama based on tge troubles comes into town. Read cos his memoir was so good
Cruickshank: The English House a history in eight buildings okay and accessible but bored me
Denise: Knight Owl found via libthing, adorable (cover looked good and awardwinning; took a punt)
Romney: Jane Austen's Bookshelf the women writers who shaped a legend violently hating this superficial self aggrandising tedious fuckwittery
Hicks: The Inbetweens gra novel, faith erin hicks, about tween twins at an animation course, v heartfelt
Mapmen, Cooper-Jones, Foreman: This Way Up when maps go wrong and why it matters based on youtube series, found relentless jocularity wearing. Tone that works in short net bursts is tiresome in book form, have found this with other reads
Hunter: Threads of Memory v rambly book, good bits but less than the sum of its parts, about how textile art intersects with cultural identity
Thackeray: A Roundabout Manner essays collected + annotated by john sutherland for a tiny gifty clothbound edition by sm publisher who trying to revive the essay form by doing gift collections of classic essays. Not a commercial success, bought as remainder
June:
1st week of month resentfully trudging through romney austen book which have passed to oxfam
Kendall: Louis xi v old book but wanted bio of him
Howard: Choose Your Own Evolution with over 50 endings fab concept, nonfic picbook for 10 yr olds. Develop a spine? Turn to page 38
Novoa: Most Ardently a pride and prejudice remix queered up retelling of p+p for ya. regency anachronisms abound, sweet, shallow. ETA let me retract sweet. Its prob good on lgbt front - affirming, good vibes, but shortchanging ya readers by minimising the historical experience. People read bad hist fic and think they've learned history which is annoying and a small betrayal of the past. As p+p, terrible. Oliver bennett is not lizzie in any way, not even an a/u luzzie. This should have been an original novel. Benett/darcy are de-aged to 16ish, the hist background is cosplay, the stakes are lowered, the book is drivel.
Lloyd: Who Ate Steve picturebook, reminds me of dont let the pigeon drive the bus. V read aloud-able
Tait: Lily Tripp diary of an accidental time traveller v lottie brooks vibe, 1st of new 9-12 series, read for work
Matthias: Battle of Kosovo translated from the serbian
Stamper: True Colour the strange and spectacular quest to define colour from azure to zinc pink
January
Ruwe(edit): Culturing the Child 1690-1914 essays in honour of mitzi myers collection essays re early childrens books by diverse academics. Curates egg but there was my fave chapter which really made me rethink mrs trimmer
Roberts: Domination the fall of the roman empire and the rise of christianity segue from roman empire to christendom. V approachable, archaeological pov from author. The thesis is that posh roman families pivoted to church careers as the empire crumbled, leaving the same families in power, this reveal less amazing than author thought.10 mins thought about career of gregory of tours gives you this insight for free
Oxenham: The Abbey Girls Again v chalet school vibe in all the ways i least like about chalet series, the snobbery, the smugness, the insensibility. published/aimed at same generation + class. oxfammed
Welch: Mr Collins in Love m/m p+p sequel, novella, v neurodivergent mr c, liked despite expecting it would be gimmick. Wish had not ended so early, wanted to see charlotte lucas settle into household
Graham-Dixon: Vermeer a life lost and found xmas present from olga. Less art + more calvanist politics than expected
Lowis: Fabulous Admirals and some naval fragments v late victorian + early 20th c. snobbish and bullying and of its time. British navy anecdotes pre great war
Henry: Pagans really enjoying mix of cop procedural + alt hist so far. V good, liked worldbuilding, some 'big narrative reveals' (christianity! Omg! For example) not as surprising as i feel author intended, feels original. Clear set up to make it a series
Collins: Germs picturebook, got cos i love ross collins'work. Early piece, didactic and illustrations not as crisp as i associate w collins
de la Mare: Molly Whuppie another picbook, got for le cain illustrations. folktale, scottish
Did not finish vermeer
February:
Novellie: Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things a comedian's guide to autism got cos i find him funny on radio 4, is 97% autism 3% comedy. He had late diagnonis, has fervour of a missionary for others to be tested
Harrowven: Origins of Rhymes Songs and Sayings coded meaning of nursery rhyme books often guesswork presented with great confidence by independent obsessive. this was that kind of book
Wynne Jones: Poems yes, that diana wynne jones. She always struck me as prose but am curious (eta: reminded me of fanthorpe, much better than hoped, had bought cos am fannish completist, had low hopes)
Mac Liammoir: Enter a Goldfish memoirs of an irish actor young and old he was born in willesden. As a novel, 4 stars as a fraudulent memoir the pastiche frank o'connor boyhood inserted in his autobiog annoyed me. He did so much impressive stuff - he got to be a pillar of the establishment in holy catholic ireland while openly gay, he was an artist, he organised theatres, he was super literate, polyglot.. why lie?
Bond: Self Portrait renaissance to contemporary minimal text - brief biographies - of artists, one double page per person, arranged chronologically, exhibition catalogue
Shrady: Tilt the skewed tale of the tower of pisa mostly history of city + architecture, enjoyed
Latimer: Gordon in the City for childrens 5-7 age. Like the series, this volume meh
McLaughlin, Ross: Inspector Penguin Investigates picturebook. Same joke as their story about elephant spy, this time a detective, but i loved that + i love this. Illus charming and hidden subplot in pictures
Spain: Poison for Teacher schoolstory/crime/farce. Unreadable (for me that is for now that is) the humour didn't land and the plot didn't grab. would have rated this high in 90s when i got through a mae west novel (on reflection, felt then she done him wrongs a better film than book, too)
Sharpson: Don't Trust Fish lovely picturebook, good rhythm on text
Rosenbaum: The Shakespeare Wars clashing scholars public fiascoes palace coups too much about rosenbaum too little about shakespeare, and so much name dropping
Wynne Jones: Yes Dear picturebook, got out of w-j fangirl completism
Gray: Murder of Mr Wickham lost interest rapidly, dnf. Too big an ensemble, too slow a pace, too many pages before the murder promised by the title. Capt wentworth was really done dirty by the author
March
Oliphant: Mystery of Mrs Blencarrow melodrama about victorian sex, the social repercussions not the bedroom, well, this is oliphant
Fenton: Leonardo's Nephew essays on art and artists
Worsley: Jane Austen at Home a biography why didnt i read this already? (cos tv documentry person, thought would be dumbed down) actually bits were over explained, but also - reviews on publication said it was all about artifacts connected to her + was unkeen about reverencing chipped egg cup from site of childhood. But this was fab read.
Riding, King: Wright of Derby from the shadows art exhib catalogue, lots of portraits and art profession in 18th, not just firelit smithies, interesting
White: London in the 18th Century a great and monstrous thing tied together a lot of info, too much to fit in one book so compressed too hard to be a fun read. Good but dry
April
Gabriele, Perry: Oathbreakers the war of brothers that shattered an empire and made medieval europe determinedly massmarket book on carolingians, who continue to baffle me. Hope this helps me understand
Castillo Price: Living Dead #15 in series, #14 did not wow me, enjoyed this
Cooper: Not the Swiss Family Robinson should have read this when i read rotary spokes (which i loved) bit meh about this though it hits the same beats. Midwestern babydyke strikes out into the world
Slocombe: 100 Things to Wear mini coffee table of a book, lots pics, of range of hist costume held by national trust.
Charles: Copper Script gay/crime/romance novella with graphologist (?!) theme. On reading kj charles blog, discovered this was for her graphologist granny who it turns out was hilda van stockum who wrote my fave childrens ww2 book borrowed house. Unreasonably squeeful re this factoid
O'Reilly Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? 90% hilarious, 5% grief, v irish
Pearlman: Fun with Kirk and Spock parody of peter+jane reading schemes
Kingfisher:A Sorceress Comes to Call retelling of goose girl + fallada horse folktale, novella. V good but painful around the mother daughter relationship
Dunthorne: Children of Radium family biog, reconstructing his grandparents, g-grandparents experience of ww2 V bleak 1940s stuff which he tried to ameliorate by jocular self deprecating account of his investig journo in the present. Disliked 40s passages because thought g grandfather was dick, disliked 21st cent passages because thought he was dick.
Balogh: Slightly Sinful regency romance, amnesia trope
Hamley: Pageants of Despair hist fic for 10 yr olds, pub 1972. Did not encounter this puffin as child. Earnest but mediocre book by schooltacher w special interest in guild miracle plays - he cares so much and has thought through details in a way that suggests this lived in his head a long time, but is dull, and hero v stupid. Awkward timeslip framing, and the 20th century bits read like 1950s (unhip places in 70s were still very 50s, the psychadelia was v localised) geraldine mccaughren's little lower than the angels was worlds better
May
Jubber: Epic Continent adventures in the great stories of europe thought the author insufferable, so every page a punishment. Travel writing themed around odyssey, kosovo cycle (did not know) beowulf, song roland, niebelungiad (butchering spelling) njals saga. Elitist, mediocre, smug self absorbed condescending ex public schoolboy lives his leigh fermor dream
Cooper: Lost Chapel of Westminster how a royal chapel became the house of commons
O'Reilly: Prestige Drama endnote says originated as radio play, hence all the voices. Short chapters by locals near derry when tv drama based on tge troubles comes into town. Read cos his memoir was so good
Cruickshank: The English House a history in eight buildings okay and accessible but bored me
Denise: Knight Owl found via libthing, adorable (cover looked good and awardwinning; took a punt)
Romney: Jane Austen's Bookshelf the women writers who shaped a legend violently hating this superficial self aggrandising tedious fuckwittery
Hicks: The Inbetweens gra novel, faith erin hicks, about tween twins at an animation course, v heartfelt
Mapmen, Cooper-Jones, Foreman: This Way Up when maps go wrong and why it matters based on youtube series, found relentless jocularity wearing. Tone that works in short net bursts is tiresome in book form, have found this with other reads
Hunter: Threads of Memory v rambly book, good bits but less than the sum of its parts, about how textile art intersects with cultural identity
Thackeray: A Roundabout Manner essays collected + annotated by john sutherland for a tiny gifty clothbound edition by sm publisher who trying to revive the essay form by doing gift collections of classic essays. Not a commercial success, bought as remainder
June:
1st week of month resentfully trudging through romney austen book which have passed to oxfam
Kendall: Louis xi v old book but wanted bio of him
Howard: Choose Your Own Evolution with over 50 endings fab concept, nonfic picbook for 10 yr olds. Develop a spine? Turn to page 38
Novoa: Most Ardently a pride and prejudice remix queered up retelling of p+p for ya. regency anachronisms abound, sweet, shallow. ETA let me retract sweet. Its prob good on lgbt front - affirming, good vibes, but shortchanging ya readers by minimising the historical experience. People read bad hist fic and think they've learned history which is annoying and a small betrayal of the past. As p+p, terrible. Oliver bennett is not lizzie in any way, not even an a/u luzzie. This should have been an original novel. Benett/darcy are de-aged to 16ish, the hist background is cosplay, the stakes are lowered, the book is drivel.
Lloyd: Who Ate Steve picturebook, reminds me of dont let the pigeon drive the bus. V read aloud-able
Tait: Lily Tripp diary of an accidental time traveller v lottie brooks vibe, 1st of new 9-12 series, read for work
Matthias: Battle of Kosovo translated from the serbian
Stamper: True Colour the strange and spectacular quest to define colour from azure to zinc pink