Little Constructions (Anna Burns)

Anna Burns
Little Constructions

A very dark novel about violence and child rape although nothing is explicitly described. Set in a small town in Northern Ireland (I assume) which is effectively run by one man and his gang of murderous brothers. Much is about how those who have been damaged by the gang, including themselves, try to make sense of their lives often retreating into an unreal world of fantasy. The legacy of parent to child violence, neglect and rape are the main thrust of the novel and how one woman tries to achieve some sort of normality, whatever that means in such a close knit and affected community all equally affected by violence. I've not been able to find out why Burns wrote about such themes or whether she has been affected by them or seen first hand. Or whether she simply decided that there are stories out there that need to be told. And this story is told in a very touching and sensitive way in my opinion. Despite the dark themes of the novel there is a lot of humour too making it a challenging read as you find yourself laughing at the detail which is a part of a wider sub-plot that is not a laughing matter at all. That seems to be Burns' way to find humour in the wider tragedy, similarly in Milkman. The story line(s) can get very confusing not least as everyone's names begin wit a J (and some variations on that for the same person) and there are two Toms. Again, I think Burns' way of messing with our heads or maybe forcing us to really concentrate on the characters' stories. The narration is confusing too as it's written as if it's someone telling a story and then saying, ah, well, I'm not sure whether that happened; that didn't happen as I told it; did I mention this important fact that I should do now; not to go into too much detail about a minor character but this is their story. So you never quite know whether the story line you are reading will turn out to be significant or even true and whether the narrator is making it up as they go along. Towards the end the narrator becomes part of the story and is no longer above but within. This oddness in the story telling reminded me of the brilliant At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O'Brien. Strangely I re-read that back in February just before reading Milkman and didn't see a connection in the story telling style but on reflection Milkman has a similar narration style to Little Constructions although that stories facts don't chop and change with the narration. If this review is confusing then I've successfully summed up the book. I recommend giving yourself time for this book... it's not too long but once you've started you won't want to put it down. Except to take a breather from the darkness.

The Earth (Emile Zola)

Emile Zola

The Earth

An excellent story and great descriptions of people and countryside. Reminded me of Victor Hugo which maybe was just the French based story. The descriptions and stories of peasants (as they are referred to) are very much like Dickens and Hardy. Although there are a lot of references to casual sex which maybe was acceptable in France but not in Victorian Britain. A short summary of what is a great book. Must read more...

French Revolutions (Tim Moore)

Tim Moore
French Revolutions

Whilst cycling the route of le Tour is commendable Moore's complete lack of preparation seems a little far fetched and it seems that his panniers were full of books and magazines. I only read this as I'd bought it before I'd read his book of cycling the iron curtain which I had to put down... "His descriptions of individuals are often very harsh and in the context of stereotyping bordering on xenophobic. I'm sure (I hope) that this was all in the interest of amusing anecdotes but it grated so much that by the time he got down to Germany I had to give up on the book."  Moore's descriptions in his French travels were just as bad but as it was about le Tour I persevered to and and past Germany. This book he sounds even more of an entitled bigot and also comes over as a bit of a sleaze bag. Which goes with entitlement. His self deprecation feels very false given his comments on others. Fitting that his ride coincided with the period in which Armstrong dominated le Tour before having all his titles stripped and the records stating that there was no winner.

Need for the Bike (Paul Fournel)

Paul Fournel
Need for the Bike

A series of musing on and descriptions of bike riding written by a French writer and poet, and seemingly a bit of a philosopher. Fascinating reading as much I can relate to being a keen cyclist. His descriptions of racing I think may be his interpretation of others as I've not read that he was a racer. A great read.

Cutting For Stone (Abraham Verghese)

Abraham Verghese

Cutting For Stone

A long and interesting read although I didn't find it totally engrossing. Maybe due to the characters none of whom you are particularly rooting for or maybe as I don't like reading about medical procedures. And a little too much religion for my tastes. The fact that I could put it down at critical points in the story when interrupted suggests that it wasn't a page turner for me. Having said that it is very readable bar the in depth medical descriptions which seems to be a theme in books I've recently read. There again the author is a medic. Interesting story lines too set in Ethiopia when Haile Selassie is overthrown with both him and the new rulers coming under heavy criticism. The story hinges on what if's and coincidences. I was given this by Debbie and whilst reading in the garden put it down to eat and then it was gone. I assume stolen by a fox. So had to take out of the library. Weird.

1923 (Ned Boulting)

Ned Boulting 
1923: The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession

Well known and knowledgeable author writes a typically engaging and thorough book in which his love of the sport comes through. Buys a piece of film at an auction which turns out to be 2 minutes of the 1923 Tour de France and then he investigates who's in the film and their stories. Bring into play everything from their personal stories and of their great grand children and also branches out to cover two world wars and a great deal of French and German history. So many rabbit holes to travel down and incidental and in some ways trivial facts but the way that Ned threads them together is fascinating. Never thought "why is he telling me this" until after I've read enthralled and often after I've gone down my own Wikipedia rabbit hole to find out more. Not many could engage you with their personal obsession in the way that Ned does. You can watch the film on-line too.

George Orwell's 1984 Graphic Novel (Matyáš Namai)

Matyáš Namai
George Orwell's 1984 Graphic Novel Adapted and Illustrated

Orwell's classic dystopian novel reimagined and illustrated. The story is depressing and it seems that we are closer to this society than shortly after Orwell wrote it obviously concerned that the world would go down this route by the end of the 20th Century. Many would say that parts of the world had but the doublespeak whereby leaders reword history and current events on-line is accepted by so many. As with any graphic novel the richness is in the illustrations and these are great. But inevitably at the expense of words which makes me feel that I should read Orwell's version again both to see if it's the same as this version (it's a very long time since I would have read it) and whether the nuances will depress me further. 

Tell Me Everything (Elizabeth Strout)

Elizabeth Strout
Tell Me Everything

A few years since I read the two "Olive" novels and Debbie told me that this is just as good. Pulls lots of characters from her other novels together but you don't feel that you needed to have read them. The underlying story is of one person (Bob) and his relationships with a few others but those relationships spawn further stories and there are a few random ones thrown in seemingly gratuitously. There is a thread of poor and / or abusive childhoods with stories untold and sometimes mis-remembered; and love affairs and extra-marital affairs and obsessions and just simply love between two people. A very readable book that I got through in a few days helped (or not) by the fact that my leg was bashed against a train step. Another untold story...

Orbital (Samantha Harvey)

Samantha Harvey

Orbital

A beautifully written book with enormous praise related to just that. (see cover) But to me I wasn't grabbed by either the way it was written or the content. I did try but gave up halfway through. Others love it.

The Trumpet-Major (Thomas Hardy)

Thomas Hardy
The Trumpet-Major: A Tale

An excellent story set near Weymouth (where my grandmother was from) in the early 1800's (times when my ancestors would have lived there) when invasion by Napoleon was seen as imminent. A romantic tale really about three men who woo or don't in turns our heroine. As ever Hardy conjures up the lives of ordinary village folk weaved into a compelling storyline. Some of the actions and deeds are questionable and in some ways makes the story less believable but there again I'm looking at it from a very modern perspective. Indeed Hardy wrote this a number of decades after the events and I understand that he made significant revisions to his novels during the 1870s, 80s & 90s as public tastes and accepted themes changed over those decades. If you think about what was acceptable in 1970 compared to 2000 it's quite a change. A great book set in Hardy's Wessex.

The Secret Magistrate

The Secret Magistrate



A factual book about what a magistrate does and some behind the scenes info. Very readable with a good mix of duties incorporated with some very interesting cases. An eye opener for me as I had no idea as to the legal position of magistrates. Interesting and entertaining.

Girl in a Band (Kim Gordon)

Kim Gordon
Girl in a Band

A very interesting story of Kim's childhood and early adulthood... weirdly until she joined Sonic Youth when the story gets a lot less interesting and seems to be just about the songs and band. OK, what did I expect? Quite a lot is about what a shit Thurston was (is? - I didn't get that far) and how Sonic Youth were the most innovative band ever with a fair bit of writing off others. All this I had a real problem with as SY were good but not the best. Also dismisses English music scene at the time which shows that Kim has a very poor understanding of the underground scene and indeed breaking bands, DJs and other music makers. I got so bored I gave up. Couldn't face hearing about a marital break up as if it's the first ever.

Why Fish Don't Exist (Lulu Miller)

Lulu Miller
Why Fish Don't Exist : A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life

As the subtitle says... a odd book covering the work of a fish collector born in the 1850s, the author's family, her challenges in life and loves. I won't try to summarise as the book is so diverse in it's topics. Taxonomy of species is a thread throughout but it's so much more than that. Both funny and sad. 

Middlemarch (George Eliot)

Middlemarch
George Eliot

An excellent read as recommended by my Long Distance Classic Novel Buddy (Zayn). A fascinatingly interweaved story focussing on a families and people. A lot of themes here from love, self denial, friendships, greed and hubris. All within a small town setting which apparently is Coventry in the early 1800s. The wider context is the parliamentary struggles to reform MP selection moving from the Rotten Boroughs to wider franchise. Eliot has a brilliant way of getting into the minds of her characters and you are drawn into their lives so that by the end you want to know a bit more about the rest of their lives. It's one of those novels that you can't put down and then as you get towards the end you slow down as you don't want it to end. A great read. I don't usually quote from books but there were quite a few that I found fascinatingly insightful and very relevant to today...

"But Fielding lived when the days were longer (for time, like money, is measured by our needs), when summer afternoons were spacious, and the clock ticked slowly in the winter evenings."  How true is that today - I'm sure a lot of people my age feel that when we were young the days were longer as not filled with electronic messaging.

"And certainly, the mistakes that we male and female mortals make when we have our own way might fairly raise some wonder that we are so fond of it."  Again, we continue to make the same mistakes.

"...for since professional practice chiefly consisted in giving a great many drugs, the public inferred that it might be better off with more drugs still, if they could only be got cheaply"  How much more true is that today - and how GPs deal out the pills (bought by health service at great expense from big pharma) instead of looking at root causes.

"...we all know the wag's definition of a philanthropist: a man whose charity increases directly as the square of the distance."  Again, ignore the man at the tube instead give ostentatiously to "big" causes.

Milkman (Anna Burns)

Anna Burns
Milkman

A compelling and engaging book albeit very strange. Set in what I assume is Belfast in the 70's Troubles it tackles issues ranging from the political situation through to personal mental health through to feminism. The narrator is an 18 year old woman whose name we don't know indeed nearly all the characters aren't named in fact I can only remember one called Peggy. The young woman lives in a Catholic area which is at war with the British army and run by Catholic paramilitaries who deal out a rough form of justice. She becomes the focus of sexual attention by Milkman who is high up in the paramilitaries and she descends into a state of mental instability. In addition to this there are many other issues going on in her life and within her family and she is ostracised by her community being considered outside the pale. There are some very dark moments and at times the book is brilliantly ominous making me unsure as to whether I want to read on. But I can't resist the tale and pick up the book soon enough (i.e. within hours not days). Having said this there are many heart warming passages and some extremely funny laugh out loud moments both funny funny and also related to the darker parts of the plot. The characters are brilliantly written and I felt at least a couple could have their own stories. I'd love to know what happens to the wee sisters when they are grown up. Well worth the read.

The Custard Heart (Dorothy Parker)

Dorothy Parker
The Custard Heart

A thin small pocket book of three very short tales including Big Blonde and You Were Perfectly Fine in addition to the book's title story. All are about 3 womens' trials and tribulations so uncomfortable reading.

At Swim-Two-Birds Novel (Flann O'Brien)

Flann O'Brien
At Swim-Two-Birds

A strange tale or indeed multiple tales going from the mundane to the completely surreal. It's brilliantly written and the story within a story allows full rein to the weirdness of the narrative. I won't try to summarise the story(s) except to say that the device used for the plot(s) enables those to take on a life of their own. I read this years ago and remember it as a very confusing but maybe that's just my memory as the stories are easy to follow even if they chop and change have that surreal twist injected every so often. I suspect that Michael Moorcock read this. As would many of course. Lent by Simon tho I wonder if this is my original copy...

Fatherland (Robert Harris)

Robert Harris
Fatherland

Gripping murder mystery tale within a harrowing tale of a totalitarian regime if Hitler had won the war. Many of those aspects were real including people and documents. I'm not a great fan of this genre as often think why did you do or didn't do that but it is a real page turner which I finished in a couple of days. Well written too. Not sure I'll rush out and buy another of his books but would read if one came my way - as this did from my dad.

Too Much Too Young: The 2 Tone Records Story (Daniel Rachel)

Daniel Rachel

Too Much Too Young: The 2 Tone Records Story: Rude Boys, Racism and the Soundtrack of a Generation

As you will guess... the story of 2 Tone from inception to demise. Really interesting read but as ever you see the darker side of your heroes. The book has a lot of input from those who were there so it feels like a very measured and fair analysis. There are times when people disagree as to why things went the way they did and among the funny and disturbing stories the author gives at least two opinions indeed often you feel that the four of them (whoever them are) can't all have remembered it that way. And there are times when people recognise that their memories are wrong. I guess with so much going on in such a short time blended with euphoric gigs, drugs and alcohol then memory is bound to be affected. One thing that did irritate is that there is only passing reference to the fact that reggae and blue beat, along with many other Caribbean and north American music, were popular in the UK before The Specials and their stable mates came across them. A small gripe as I guess that is part of the narrative. Covers quite a few bands including ones that faded into obscurity but were taken into the 2 Tone fold. For all that a fascinating read into what were just a few short sharp years where a multi-racial label showed that having bands as such worked well (I know that 2 Tone wasn't the first here) despite that many albeit a minority of fans were far right NF / BM supporters intent on causing violence at gigs. But the late 70s and early 80s had that across many genres including the post punk punk bands. Worth reading.

The Real Arsenal Story (Alan Roper)

Alan Roper
The Real Arsenal Story : In the Days of Gog

A history of the early days of The Arsenal until the end of the 19th century and a little bit after. To be honest it's probably more for Arsenal fans rather than the casual reader although does give an excellent insight into the game and clubs as it and they were fully formed. Match reports suggest very different style of play which I guess is inevitable. If we moan about offside and VAR these days there was originally a 3 player rule where you had to have 3 defenders between you and the goal otherwise you were offside. The other angle is the fans who were just as feisty, if not more so, than today regarding perceived injustices by the umpires. There is a fair bit about the lives of the players and hardships they endured which is one reason that The Arsenal were the first team to go professional in the south thereby being banned from competitions and shunned by other clubs. All very well ex public schoolboys with wealth bleating that the game should be played by amateurs but as the northern rugby clubs decided why shouldn't working lads get paid for a job. Typical of Arsenal to be innovative and to look out for local workers. Of course it also meant that they could attract top players from other clubs thereby attracting larger crowds so the club owners had an eye on the money much as they do now. The story ends just before WWI also there is a bit about the 1930s I think a bit gratuitously although interesting to Gooners. 

In Pursuit of Spring (Edward Thomas)

In Pursuit of Spring
Edward Thomas

A cycling journey from near where I live in south London to where I was born in Bridgwater and on to the nearby Bristol Channel. Written in 1913 by a poet (among other literary roles) who unfortunately was killed at the Battle of Arras in 1918. There are a lot of references to where or my family have lived an visited especially at the start and ends of the journey. I won't list them all here. It's an interesting read with very detailed descriptions of where he cycles through. Indeed the descriptions are so detailed that he must have stopped frequently to note them all. Although there are a lot of similar descriptions and back then certain flowers and rookeries must have covered the countryside. Which is quite likely. The author is also a reviewer critic and does go off on multi page analysis of different authors and poets sometimes fairly critically. Maybe because of this I enjoyed the first half more than the second where I felt he was using the story to publish his views on others and was very dismissive of certain towns and people he meets which comes over to me as superior arrogance. Similarly condescending when writing about local characters. Descriptions of churches are interesting although he does go on about inscriptions of those who are buried in churchyards. The descriptions are bit strange as now he would have written about the WWI memorials in each village churchyard that lists so many of the local men (boys) killed in the war that also took Thomas. The only reference to soldiers is French ones who died locally. Despite my reservations towards the end I mostly enjoyed the book and maybe I'll follow the journey by bike some spring time...

The Wretched of the Earth Book (Frantz Fanon)

Frantz Fanon
The Wretched of the Earth Book

An essay on what colonies need to do to throw off the shackles of colonialism and imperialism. An interesting read but I did find it very heavy going and repetitive. The author worked in Algeria in the 1950s and became a supporter of the anti-colonial forces until expelled. The work is very pertinent to today in many ways and although I was interested in the content I found myself reading the words and not taking them in. I did persevere as this is a classic work (when I gave it to Oxfam Bookshop the guy said that he was glad to take it as it is THE classic work) on the subject but I put it down about half way through.

Prophet Song (Paul Lynch)

Paul Lynch
Prophet Song

A dark book about a family in Dublin in a time when Eire has been taken over by a totalitarian regime. It's brilliantly written from the mother's perspective with the raw violence of the regime interspersed with almost poetic descriptions of the mother's thoughts and stressful hallucinations. Especially dark as current events show that even seemingly stable regimes can turn very quickly. Some would say that the Troubles in the north were pretty close to this state of living for many. The ending switches the story to a very real challenge faced by many today. Very well written although I would only recommend if you are in a stable state of mind and not sinking into depression at the state of the world. It would only bring that alternative reality closer although it is one being lived by millions already. Excellent but extremely uncomfortable reading as it seems so real.

Thanks a lot Mr Kibblewhite (Roger Daltrey)

Roger Daltrey

Thanks a lot Mr Kibblewhite: My Story

Roger's story through childhood and the formation of The Who. Then the ups and downs and difficulties of making a living in a rock band even if one of the biggest on earth and the difficulties in working with the other members of the band. Very well written and doesn't seem to pull any punches. A fascinating insight into his life and of The Who's. Goes all the way up to 2018 so pretty recent. Got me listening to my Who albums as I read. Well worth a read.

Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen)

Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility

A story of love (fraternal and romantic), infatuation, duplicity and the chase of money. An excellent read although it's hardly written for the working classes given the assumptions as to what money is needed to survive. But I guess that's the context of the story. On the surface the story is simple but there's a lot more underneath. You can't judge a book by it's cover or the meaning of a story by just what's written on the page. Which is one of the themes of the book as to what is said leads to assumptions that are not correct if you don't think about the unsaid. If that's a bit cryptic read the book and all will be revealed, or not.

Say Nothing (Patrick Radden Keefe)

Patrick Radden Keefe
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland

A dark true story set in the Irish Troubles of the 70s and 80s. The basis is the story of a single mother of ten who was abducted by the IRA and her children's subsequent appalling lives intertwined with the story of a republican woman who bombed London, abducted informers people in Belfast and spent a long time in prison where she was force fed whilst on hunger strike. There is a lot of other descriptions of people involved in the conflict including the political climate. I won't go into the detail but it is very worthwhile reading. Frightening. And not over. On the day I finished the book the Sinn Féin deputy leader in Belfast (Michelle O'Neill) put a wreath on the cenotaph on Remembrance Day... unsurprisingly many Irish republicans were appalled as this was celebrating British soldiers who carried out their own atrocities and torture of republicans and Catholics... a banner was put on the Sinn Féin Belfast office with Traitors written in dripping blood red letters. Not over by a long chalk.

Take What You Need (Idra Novey)

Idra Novey

Take What You Need 

Fairly readable but to be honest I couldn't feel any affinity for any of the characters and gave up about a third of the way through. I just didn't look forward to reading the next chapter. As I did a couple of books ago. I rarely give up books so maybe I'm getting a little fussy in my old age. Debbie liked it though so don't take my view as gospel.

The Cyclist Who Went Out in the Cold (Tim Moore)

Tim Moore

The Cyclist Who Went Out in the Cold: Adventures Along the Iron Curtain

A story of extreme adventure but from the start I was thinking why do this to yourself except to write a book about how you should have planned the trip better. I just found it pointless to be honest and his descriptions of extreme cold for days on end made me wonder how he didn't end up with frost bite. His descriptions of the places and people he meets risk stereotyping to a degree that I felt insulting. His descriptions of individuals are often very harsh and in the context of stereotyping bordering on xenophobic. I'm sure (I hope) that this was all in the interest of amusing anecdotes but it grated so much that by the time he got down to Germany I had to give up on the book.

Long Island (Colm Tóibín)

Colm Tóibín
Long Island

A very readable and enjoyable novel although there is (for me at least) a constant feeling that something very radical will occur. About relationships spanning the Atlantic from the east coast of USA to the east coast of Ireland. No spoilers so you'll have to read for yourselves!

The Adventures of Unemployed Man ( Erich Origen and Gan Golan)

Erich Origen and Gan Golan

The Adventures of Unemployed Man

A comic book tale of neoliberalism whereby superheroes who have lost their job or are economic migrants are pushed into homelessness by the workings of a group of those who hold economic power and force deregulation of the workplace including reducing the ability of workers to act collectively (unions). It' brilliantly written and drawn (a variety of artists involved) and alongside the very serious message is a lot of humour much parodying traditional comic book heroes. Written in 2010 it is a response to the earlier market crashes whereby those at the very top of corporations got even richer and more powerful using the crash as a reason to push even more onerous restrictions on workers and to persuade governments to bail out the big banks putting taxpayer's money directly into the personal pockets of bank owners and top executives. All in a comic book.

Another aside as someone with a barely used economics degree. Adam Smith is much maligned as being the architect of neoliberalism and the concept of the "invisible hand" (used in the comic) that is used by the economically powerful to justify their version of the free market. Of course their version is all about trashing government regulation regarding their activities whilst using the same governments to repress workers combining to represent their interests. The free market we live in is anything but as corporations lobby governments to do their will, reduce their taxes and use the police and army to attack union activity. And of course to use the media to target the very vulnerable making them out as the cause of economic hardship most often using racism for this. Back to Adam Smith. He was writing in the 1700's when corporations didn't have the power that they have now across the globe. Yes some were forcing overseas markets to sell their goods cheaply and the slave trade was part of this. And back in the UK repressed workers rights as they started to combine. But Smith himself wrote that society and commerce could only operate with "mutual sympathy" or what we would call empathy. He saw commerce as a contract between producers (business) and workers and the buying public. See also Rousseau's The Social Contract although he and Smith definitely had major differences in opinion. Whilst Smith saw capitalism and the invisible hand (free market) the way to benefit all society he warned against having companies become too powerful and to break the "free" market by creating cartels and monopolies... or as he states "conspiracy against the public or in some other contrivance to raise prices."  Which is exactly the version of capitalism we have today.

To end with a few statistics...

Going into 2022 the top 1% of households in the United States held 30.9% of the country's wealth, while the bottom 50% held 2.6%.

Globally the richest 10% own 76% of all wealth; the poorest half just 2%.

Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys (Viv Albertine)

Viv Albertine
Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys

Another autobiography by someone who doesn't like them and justifies it with humour... "Anyone who writes an autobiography is either a twat or broke. I'm a bit of both". It sets the scene for Viv's extremely honest (I can only assume!) and laugh out loud / wince / become tearful story. The other scene setter is the first chapter "Masturbation". Recognising that some will want to skip to the juicy bits instead of reading nearly 400 pages Viv also has a "for those in a hurry" guide to pages with references to sex, drugs and punk rock. A good ploy as if you'd just picked this up in a book shop or library the dozen or so pages on each subject will make you want to read the whole book. The read is riotous for the 1st half being about youth and Viv's time in The Slits. Then gets more embroiled in life with responsibilities and serious relationships including parenthood. And out the other end. Some parts are extremely honest and Viv bares all her emotions. Of course you can never know how much is narrating what the teller wants the reader to think and it will have her slant to what she went through. Nevertheless a fascinating read and one that I wanted to read since reading her later book To Throw Away Unopened.

Revolutions : How Women Changed the World on Two Wheels (Hannah Ross)

Hannah Ross
Revolutions : How Women Changed the World on Two Wheels

Very readable account of the history of women cyclists from the very early days when practical clothing was a real issue (in general, let alone on 2 wheels) and the barriers that women had to fight against. This included physical violence. As a constant theme throughout the book whilst there are accounts of brave women who pushed against the barriers the conclusion is that there is still a lot of barriers to women cycling (take that to represent other forms of emancipation) across the world both very obvious in cultures where women cycling is banned through to less obvious (at least to a male cyclist like myself) where women are still heckled for cycling either simply that they shouldn't be on the road or sexist and sexual comments. As well as the battles women have to be recognised by cycling sports bodies and when they do officially participant the massive difference in support and pay compared to men cycling events. Having said that the book is largely celebratory and as well as those women who cycled for the joy of it and those who cycled to race there are accounts of those who cycled very long distances including around the world. The bravest must be those who used bikes as a means to an end such as suffragettes and those involved in resistance to occupation such as in World War 2. Well written by someone who obviously has a passion for cycling themselves and truly appreciates those who have gone before and those who are still pushing for equality. Hannah being one of them in my view.

Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold (Stephen Fry)

Stephen Fry

Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold

Excellent retelling of various Greek myths with a modern twist and references. Takes us from the beginnings of the world indeed before the birth of what we (at least I and I suspect many others) usually think of as the first gods like Zeus and Hera. Goes through the creation of men, and then women, and links to other ancient stories such as the flood. Stephen tells the stories in a light hearted and comic way whilst at other times digs a bit deeper into why gods acted in the way that they did (they are certainly not perfect examples of well adjusted minds and characters) and links to what drives us humans. Very entertaining read covering quite a few stories that are commonly known (I take myself as the standard line here) and also quite a few others really giving an insight into the (mythical) character of the gods and leading into how humans became less reliant on them. A passage I loved follows and is typical of Stephen's comic yet serious take on the myths: Ouranos (also called Uranus) was the original sky god from which all others came and due to various family infighting (sound familiar?) is dispatched to the very core of the earth in a way that he will never be able to break free: "Brooding, simmering and raging in the ground, deep beneath the earth that once loved him, Ouranos compressed all his fury and divine energy into the very rock itself, hoping that one day some excavating creature somewhere would mine it and try to harness the immortal power that radiated from within. That could never happen, of course. It would be too dangerous. Surely the race had yet to be born that could be so foolish as to attempt to unleash the power of uranium?

The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah: The Autobiography (Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah)

Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah
The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah: The Autobiography

A very interesting and engaging book from Benjamin's challenging childhood and teenage years through his determination to make it as a poet (rather than end up in jail or dead) and his excellent work following success to help others whether supporting as artists or highlighting injustices around the world. I saw him I guess in the 80s and although I knew him through poetry (have a couple of his books of poems - his first bought back in the day and the vegan one) and somewhat musically I hadn't really realised the full breadth of his artistic creations and ability. I regret that I didn't follow him more for instance to see his plays. Like all autobiographies I read I find myself thinking that some of it is self aggrandising but I guess that's the point of them and I will certainly big myself up when I write mine. Joke! His introduction is typical of the sort of autobiographies that I read i.e. that the writer hates them... "I hate autobiographies. They are so fake". Well this one isn't it's warts and all. Timely too as unfortunately our dub poet passed away at a relatively early age last year. Well worth reading. And I love his dedication: "Dedicated to me. And why not?"  Sums up his no nonsense attitude. Not fake at all Benjamin - tell it like you want to!

Under the Greenwood Tree (Thomas Hardy)

Thomas Hardy
Under the Greenwood Tree: A Rural Painting of the Dutch School

A shortish story marrying a romance with descriptions of rural life and social attitudes whilst being replaced by modern methods the tool of which is the romance protagonist. Beautifully written. An early Hardy novel and first of the Wessex series.

Little Dorrit (Charles Dickens)

Charles Dickens
Little Dorrit

An excellent read although some may think it overlong. Probably not as many amusing characters as usual with Dickens but a great story of imprisonment, greed, selfishness and selflessness. And love. The ups and downs of the many main characters binds the story and the moral messages together with a few surprises thrown into the mix. Do Not Forget...

Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991 (Michael Azerrad)

Michael Azerrad 

Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991

First, thanks Zayn. Please read on... An excellent account of the American (as in USA) underground / indie scene in it's crucial years until it went overground / major labels with Nirvana et al. A bit of history pre 1981 to set the scene. Each chapter takes a band and of course there are omissions but it seems to cover the main players of the scene so those who not only formed bands but ran fanzines, labels and clubs. Many of the bands went back to obscurity but as this book was written over 20 years ago some have made a resurgence on the back of people wanting to see where the major label artists came from and indeed to listen to less commercial music. I knew, and saw, some of the bands but a couple I didn't really know at all. I guess if I hadn't seen them then I wouldn't search them out as I always rate live with all it's faults (especially if in small clubs) than polished vinyl or digital. Which is the thrust of the book really and the whole scene which of course took a lot from the way that UK scene worked. It's nice to know that I was there for at at least one classic moment - with Olly of course - when Big Black played their final European gig at the Hammersmith Clarendon Ballroom (RIP, what a venue) and had Wire come on for the encore and Steve Albini (RIP, what a musician & engineer) said "If I die right now it would have all been worth it". He had another 30 odd years to go. And that's before he produced some of the biggest music such as Pixies, Nirvana, PJ Harvey and Mogwai (Rams, Jo). Albini passed away in May this year. A digression but worth it. Shout out to Zayn who alerted me to this book as it had passed me by for the last 2 decades. Zayn's musical taste is so similar to mine it's just a damn shame we didn't get to go to more gigs together when she was in London. We regularly email each other what we are listening to both new stuff and classics from the past. Thanks for our long distance relationship Zayn, NZ is not so far from London when you are spiritually aligned along the earth's ley lines. But hey, I'm now getting into hippy shit which is what punk rock kicked against. There again a lot of that was to break down the bullshit whilst keeping some of the early hippy ideas of change and antiestablishmentarianism. Now that's a word to end on!

The bands... Black Flag, The Minutemen, Mission Of Burma, Minor Threat, Husker Du, The Replacements, Sonic Youth,  Fugazi, Mudhoney, Big Black, Butthole Surfers, Dinosaur Jr, Beat Happening.

Rise Up : The #Merky Story So Far (Stormzy; edited and co-written by Jude Yawson)

Stormzy; edited and co-written by Jude Yawson

Rise Up : The #Merky Story So Far

A very interesting read of the rise of Stormzy from childhood in south London and early musical years to superstardom. Contributions are from Stormzy and his close knit team who've been with him all the way and seemingly truly did it his and their way. He's obviously very driven towards his vision which he reached although this book is 6 years old so a lot more water would have flowed down the Wandle and into the Thames...

Junky (William Burroughs)

William Burroughs

Junky

A long while since I've read this and I've taken a long while to get through as it's my "pop in pocket" book for when I'm going out in the evening to gigs with a long tube journey. I've not had a lush worker relieve me of it. I think I've been reading for a year on and off but as it's an insight into being, you guessed it, a junky, it's not a story with a plot really except for various attempts to ditch the junk. Indeed a lot of it is about hanging around which gives the flavour of a junky's life, at least back in the 50s. Interesting ending about how the USA was clamping down on heroine use back in the early 50s. Another interesting comment by Burroughs is made at the end when he's moved to Mexico and says that the younger generation that came down weren't interested in sex like his generation was. Just before flower power and the decade of free love.

Desire Discrimination Determination – Black Champions in Cycling (Marlon Moncrieffe)

Marlon Moncrieffe

Desire Discrimination Determination – Black Champions in Cycling

An interesting read about black cyclists with the title really saying the angle looked at. The stories are interesting from a cycling perspective but depressing due to the discrimination that black cyclists have to endure. Maybe things are slowly improving as a black Eritrean won the green jersey at this year's le Tour. Biniam Girmay also won three sprint stages. However, he is the exception at the moment at world tour level. The book was published in 2021 so I do wonder how much has changed in 3 years. To make it in cycling you need to be determined and the determination of those in this book seems to be above and beyond that for most who enter the sport due to the barriers in their way despite which many reach the top of their game but are often overlooked for the professional and country teams. Obviously hope that this improves for the sake of the sport, for those who want to compete and for us spectators who want to see the very best challenge for the top accolades. But most of all to allow anyone reach their potential without being stopped by bigoted behaviour.