Some books that I've enjoyed recently

In this hot weather I'm finding that reading is one of the few activities that I can do comfortably! I've read some really good books lately, so I'm sharing some of them here. I've made a big change to the way that I record my reading - I'm no longer using Goodreads. I wrote about it here - Why I've fallen out of love with Goodreads - and I've started using a physical book tracker and journal. It's working really well for me, and I'll be sharing how I use it at some point, it's really helping me to remember the books that I've read!

A Single Thread - Tracy Chevalier. 

I picked this book up in a charity shop as I remembered enjoying other books by the author (Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Lady and the Unicorn). I really liked it because covers several themes that I found interesting. It's a historical novel with a single timeline, set after WW1 and following Violet, a 'surplus woman' who lost her fiancé and brother during the war and is now expected to remain unmarried and live at home with her mother. Instead she manages to break away and assert her independence.

There were some really interesting topics in the story. My favourite - Violet discovers an embroidery society in Winchester Cathedral, a group of women who are creating kneelers, cushions and other items under the guidance of Lousia Pesel. This is based on a true story, and I enjoyed looking up examples of the actual kneelers and finding out more about the embroidery. For example the use of the fylfot symbol which is a variant of the swastika and also serves as a foreshadowing for the looming WW2.

Violet also befriends a bell ringer, and I enjoyed learning about the different ways that bells are run in churches and cathedrals around the country. It has inspired me to go along to our village church one evening when they are doing their practice ringing!

Photo credit Tanya Barrow via Unsplash

The Housekeeper's Tale - Tessa Boase

I was inspired to buy this non-fiction book after I attended a lecture given by Tessa Boase at a local Arts Society. The lecture was actually on a completely different topic (London's Lost Department Stores) but I spotted that she had also written this book and I'm so glad that I bought it.  

I've always been fascinated by old country houses and how they are run, and very different housekeepers feature prominently in my two favourite books - Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier and The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. 

This book takes a close look at five housekeepers, from 1832 until 1971, along with an epilogue from a woman who does a similar job today. It's meticulously researched and I was left in awe - some of these women left very few traces behind them and the author has collated these tiny snippets from a variety of sources and fleshed them out into really interesting and very readable stories. 

Photo credit Silas Köhler via Unsplash

David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

I wanted to read this after I loved Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. I knew that Demon Copperhead was a modern re-telling of the story, but I didn't realise quite how closely it follows the original - down to names of characters, locations and events. I enjoy reading long books from time to time, and this one did take me several weeks. I didn't find it particularly difficult to read - there is just so much of it!

Although I probably read them in the wrong order, having read Demon Copperhead did help me to follow the plot, and I enjoyed spotting the references. The book was originally published in serialised form so each chapter is quite self-contained and can be read in a single sitting. There are also plenty of places online that you can read a chapter summary just to make sure you are following!

I'm not sure that I would rush to read any more Dickens, as although I enjoy the classics there are other authors that I prefer. But I'm really glad I made the effort to read this one. 

Book Lovers - Emily Henry

This was a quick palate cleanser after my weeks of Dickens! I borrowed it from a friend and quickly realised that I'd read it before, but I knew I had enjoyed it so I read it again! It's an easy romance, slow burn, and a little bit spicy. It's an attempt to subvert the small town romance trope and it works really well, with a satisfying ending that feels realistic.

Why I've fallen out of love with Goodreads

I've been using Goodreads to track my reading for years now. Not for community aspect or for the book recommendations - it's purely a way to keep track of the books that I've read. It has come in useful - a couple of times I've logged a 'new' book only to discover that I've already read it, and several times it has helped me to notice when I've enjoyed several books by the same author.

But I've always had one big problem with it. Once I log a book as finished, I can't help myself swiping down to read the reviews. Not only does that send me into an unwanted scroll fest, it can also really colour my thoughts about the book that I've just read. Many times I've loved a book, only to see that most of Goodreads apparently hated it.

I understand that people write negative reviews on Goodreads for attention - and attracting a lot of comments on a long and provocative review pushes it well up the rankings. Similarly, books that receive a lot of positive reviews are often labelled as having been review copies which is bound to have affected the score.

So I do understand that the review system is skewed and I shouldn't place too much faith in it, especially for more recently published or controversial books.

Photo credit NegiPho via Unsplash

But I really hate having the way that I feel about a book being tampered with by the reviews. It leaves me thinking - am I somehow inferior to other readers because I missed all the shortcomings of this terrible book? Or am I a superior reader when I don't enjoy a book that is loved by the masses, because of course my own tastes are much more highbrow?

So I'm going to take a step back from Goodreads. I still want to track the books that I've read, and so I've been looking into some other options. I recently wrote about how terrible I am at remembering the books that I've read and so I would like to come up with a solution that somehow helps the basic information about a book stick in my head. I don't want to commit to writing long reviews in a journal, but just writing down the author, title and a few notes might be the way to go.

I'll share what I come up with! 

How I decide which books to keep on my shelves

A few years ago I wrote a blog post called A look at my fiction bookshelf. Looking back, I can't believe that I owned so few fiction books! It was a very heavily curated collection, and while it does contain many of my favourites, let's just say that things have moved on a great deal in the last decade or so.

While I am still choosy about the books that I keep, and I do pass on many, I now have a large bookshelf for fiction books in our living room piled high with books that I've loved. Most have been read multiple times, and the others are ones that I know I will re-read. 

My collection began to increase a few years ago when I discovered the joy of second-hand book shopping. I re-purchased books which I had previously decluttered, I bought my own copies of books that I had borrowed, and I took a chance on authors that I had enjoyed. I have a lot more time for reading now, and online life constantly exposes me to new and tempting books. 

I love displaying my book collection. I am very proud of it, and although these books are my favourites I do still sort through it regularly. There comes a time when I need to make space for new books! Every book on my shelves is one that has earned its place for the time being, and looking over it makes me feel happy. I enjoy when bookish friends come to visit and I'm always happy to lend out books to anyone that might be interested.

This is how a book finds a place in my permanent fiction collection:

Many of my books are sentimental. I have a collection of Enid Blyton and similar books from my Dad, and old editions of books from both my Grandmas. I just love old books, and I can't resist taking them if someone in the family is passing them on. 

It speaks to me. I read a wide range of books, and I can usually tell at once whether a book will fit this category. It's really difficult to describe, but while there are many books that I enjoy while I'm reading them there are some books which touch something in me more deeply. These are the ones that I keep because I know that I'll want to read them again some day. I've had regrets in the past after I've passed on books, so I'm a little more careful now because I know that I'll only end up buying them again!

It's part of a series. This is a difficult one for me, because I find it difficult to break up a series even if I only like some of the books. At the moment I'm struggling with the Book of Dust trilogy by Philip Pullman. I loved the first book, La Belle Sauvage, but I found the second and third very difficult to get through. They are big books, and it would save me some space if I passed them along, but I can't bear to get rid of the matching set!

You will notice that I've only been referring to my fiction book collection and I must confess that this is just a part of it. I also have a bookshelf containing children's fiction books, both originals from my childhood and reprints that I've purchased. Not to mention my non-fiction bookshelf. Maybe I'll share those one day too!

How to read long books

In general I read quickly, but every now and then I enjoy taking my time with a longer book that will keep me company for many weeks. 

Opinions may vary on what counts as a "long book", but to me it's one that's over 1000 pages, is a weighty tome, and has a complex plot with many interlinked characters and situations.

In terms of my own reading, my most recent long read was the three volumes of 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami which I enjoyed very much. Over the years, some other longer books that I've enjoyed have been The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. 

Still on my reading list - War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy!

I thought I'd share some tips, in case you too fancy immersing yourself in a longer read.

Tips for reading a long book

* Do some research into the book that you are interested in reading, as it's going to be your companion for a while. Read a sample chapter and look for online reviews. Maybe choose a book that you've seen as a film or television series so that you are familiar with the characters and story.

* Don't jump into a longer book unless you already have a reading habit in place - build up to it with less challenging books and planning out time in your daily schedule for reading. 

* Aim for reading in regular small chunks rather than less frequent longer reading sessions. That way you won't lose track of what's going on.

* Consider having a lighter book on the go at the same time - both lighter in terms of content and also physically lighter in case you want to take a book out and about. You just have to be careful not to get too engrossed at the expense of your longer book!

* If you can, purchase your own copy of the book so that you don't have to worry about library fines or having a deadline to return it to a friend. Think of it as investment - you can either buy a couple of drinks which you'll finish in an evening, or spend the money on a chunky book which will keep you entertained for months!

* If you have an e-reader then you might want to consider a digital copy of the book. Larger books can be physically difficult to read, especially in paperback, as they can be heavy and awkward to hold open. 

* Audiobooks can be a useful tool to incorporate reading into your daily life. Some people find reading easier if they listen to the audiobook at the same time as they are reading a physical book. Just make sure that your audiobook is not an abridged version. 

* Keep an eye out for a group read along like A Year of War and Peace - search on Reddit, Substack and other social media. Often starting in January, you can join a group of other people that are reading the same book and sharing their thoughts. A moderator will often share background information or historical context to increase your enjoyment of the book.

* Find additional resources to help you with a complicated text. For example, chapter summaries to make sure that you've understood everything. Look for guides like a family tree for a complicated family saga, or historical timelines to give you some background information. You might find it helpful to annotate your book, or add sticky notes to mark important pages.

* Don't feel the urge to rush through the book - make the most of the experience of reading it and really enjoy it. Try not to get hung up on the size of the book, just work your way through it a little at a time.

* It might help to understand the structure of the book, and work out how much you can read in one go to help come up with a reading target. For example, War and Peace is formed of around 365 chapters, depending on the translation, which makes it perfect for reading a chapter each day over the year. 

* Plan to reward yourself with a viewing of the film or television series, of which there is bound to be at least one if you are reading a classic book. 

* When I've finished a book I'm terrible at remembering the books I've read a few months later. So if it's a book that has made a particular impression on me I will make some notes in my journal, and perhaps even print out a synopsis that I can stick in and refer back to - make sure that it's a full synopsis which includes the ending! 

* Finally don't force it - if you really aren't enjoying the book then it's perfectly fine to put it aside for something else. There are so many books out there and so little time - it's not worth wasting it on the books that aren't for you.

Happy reading!

What I've been up to lately - May 2026

It has been ages since I last did one of these posts! 

I've been a bit quiet over here lately, so here's what I've been up to lately: 

Reading

I've been working my way through a very long book over the last few weeks - 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. Strictly speaking it's three books, but it was cheaper to buy them all in one volume. Although large, it's easy to read and there aren't many characters to keep track of. It's an unusual book, vaguely referencing George Orwell's book 1984 and set during a fictionalised version of the year 1984. Narrated by two and then three characters, the plot is surreal and covers a parallel universe, a religious cult and strange beings. It's a good read - and I always enjoy books that are set in Japan!

Watching

We are enjoying the new season of For All Mankind which explores an alternative history where the Soviet Union is the first to land on the moon. It's now on season 5, and with each season covering about a decade we've now reached the 2010s. After losing the space race the US ramped up their space programme with significant investment which means that they are far ahead when it comes to technological innovation. This season takes place mainly on the well established Mars base and while I'm not finding it quite as exciting as the first few seasons it's still very watchable.

We've also just started The Testaments which I think is shaping up really well. I'm enjoying seeing a different perspective on the world of The Handmaid's Tale.

Finally another series that I'm part way through is Twenty Twenty Six, a spoof documentary following the organisation behind the World Cup, and a follow up to Twenty Twelve which was based around the Olympics. It's really funny!

Enjoying

I am really appreciating the glorious weather that we've had lately. I love seeing the garden come to life in spring, and I'm spending as much time as I can either in the garden or admiring it from the house. It makes such a difference to my mood when the sun is shining.

Crafting

I decided that I wanted to get my watercolours out again, and so I decided to attempt a small painting each day in May. Each day I'll fill a page depicting something in my garden. It's early days, but so far so good! I have a tiny sketchbook, about 12cm square, and I work very quickly aiming for just a quick impression - I just do a quick sketch in black pen and then add paint. In no way do I claim to be an artist but I really enjoy working on these little paintings.

I also have some more miniature craft kits to work on which I have been sent to review. I will be sharing those shortly!

Sorting

When my Dad died last year he left behind his life's work - an extensive archive of our family history. It was all filed according to his own personal system, and I took on the job of sorting it all out, choosing what to keep and how to organise it all so that it made sense to me. He also had a lot of things related to local history that it would have been a shame to throw away, so I was really pleased to find a local historian that shared many of his interest and happily accepted some boxes of artefacts and ephemera. It's a relief to have the job done, and I discovered lots of really interesting things that I'll be keeping accessible so that I can look through them from time to time.

Looking forward to

We are having work done on our house at the moment with the replacement of some of the bathrooms. It's something that we've been putting off for years and it will look amazing when it's done, but I'm looking forward to being on my own in the house again!

Books that I've enjoyed recently

I must admit, some of the books that I've read recently have been a bit mid, as the young people say. But on the other hand, several of them have been fantastic enough to share, so here are a few books that have really stood out to me amongst my recent reading.

The Safekeep by Yael van der Ouden

This book was a wildcard entry to my to be read shelf. I received a book voucher as a gift, and was browsing the 'buy one get one half price' table in Waterstones when I spotted a book that I really wanted - The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. Short of time, and wanting to make up the offer, I chose The Safekeep mainly because it was a Women's Prize for Fiction winner and shortlisted for the Booker Prize. And also because it had a little handwritten card on it with a personal recommendation from a shop employee. It was an excellent choice because I loved it, and it's a worthy addition to my fiction bookshelf. 

Set in a rural Dutch province 15 years after the end of the Second World War, it tells the story of Isabel who lives alone in her late mother's country home, until her brother sends his girlfriend Eva to live with her for the summer. It's a story that begins by leading you to think think that it's about one thing, and then turns on its head to develop a completely different angle to the story. I loved the writing, and the story about an aspect of history that fascinates me.

Three Mothers by Hannah Beckerman

This book was borrowed from Amazon Prime Library, and I knew that I was going to enjoy it as soon as I started reading. It was beautifully written and the narrative just drew me in. The book follows the stories of three mothers who are interlinked by their teenage children and their involvement in a tragedy. I enjoyed the different voices of the mothers, and the way that the full story was revealed slowly but not too slowly, with plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Us by David Nicholls

This is a slightly older read that I picked up in a charity shop having enjoyed many of his other books. It was slightly familiar to me so I suspect that I may have already read it at some point before I started tracking my reading on Goodreads! The story is about a couple with a teenage son, trying to save their marriage by taking a family trip around Europe. Folded into the travel narrative are memories and anecdotes from their marriage, and I found the story telling really compelling.

High Adventure by Edmund Hillary

This is another book for my 'odd shelf' - where I gather all my Everest inspired reading material. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first to summit Everest in 1953, and this is their story as told by Hillary. It covers Hillary's early climbing career, as well as the years of Everest expeditions to the south side of Everest which eventually led to a successful summit. It's really well written and engaging, and I love the way that these early expeditions involved large numbers of people all working together to achieve a team summit rather than it being about the individual effort. It was an incredible achievement.

Photo credit Stefanie Jockschat via Unsplash

Do you remember the books that you've read?

"I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Regular readers of this blog will know that I consider myself to be a somewhat voracious reader. I always have a book or three on the go, and I read across different genres as well as a mix of fiction and non-fiction. I read quickly but carefully, I don't skip ahead, and with a well written book I enjoy savouring each word. Sometimes I even take notes, or at least write short impressions in my journal.

However I must admit that I am terrible at remembering a book once I've finished it. I usually find that there is something in each book I read that really sticks with me. It might be an event, a character, or even just a small piece of description. Apart from that, after a few weeks the plot is generally lost to me.

People will often ask me if I've read a particular book, and I know that I have, but I just can't remember what it was about. I can watch a film adaptation without worry because I have no idea how the story ends, let alone if it was faithful to the book. Many times I've gone to log a new book in Goodreads and discover that I've already read it, sometimes quite recently.

Photo credit Susan Q Yin via Unsplash

I have a particular problem with books that I read on Kindle. I think it's because both the tactile experience of a physical book and seeing the book cover around help it to fix in my mind. All Kindle books look exactly the same when you are reading them, whereas physical books vary in font size, type and page colour.

However once I've finished a book I do have a very strong impression of whether or not I liked it. If it's a physical book that I loved then it goes straight onto my bookshelf, and I can re-read with joy because even if I can't remember it I know that it is worth it. And some of my favourite books I have read many times, and I can remember them well.

When I really get into a book I literally can't put it down. That's why I love the portability of my Kindle - I can have it in one hand while I stir the dinner or brush my teeth. There is also always a new book that I want to read. So I view my experience of reading very much as something that I am enjoying in the moment. It doesn't matter too much if all I can remember about the book is that I loved reading it!

Can you remember all the books that you've read?

A look at my current "to be read" pile - February 2026

I feel as though it hasn't been that long since I last shared my to be read pile, but it has changed so much that I thought I would share an update!

It is certainly very manageable, even including the hidden downloaded books that I have on my Kindle.

The book that is causing me trouble is The Rose Field by Philip Pullman, the third book in the Book of Dust trilogy which forms a prequel and two sequels to the His Dark Materials trilogy. I loved La Belle Sauvage, the first in the trilogy, but I'm afraid that I found the second one a bit of a slog and I'm not enjoying the third at all. However I want to read it for completeness sake, as I do love the universe in which they are set and I want to know what happens. It's such a shame because I really enjoy the Dark Materials books, I'm hoping will pick up a bit by the end!

A weighty tome which I am looking forward to getting stuck into is IQ84 by Haruki Murakami. I've read and enjoyed a number of Murakami's books, I love the randomness of the stories, and I always enjoy Japanese books. I bought this one as it's set in Tokyo, and I'm planning to read it before we visit this summer. It is a lot larger than I expected, as it's three volumes in one book, so I know that it's going to be one that keeps me busy for a while.

Then I have The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden. This is a bit of a wildcard entry - I had a book voucher to spend in Waterstones, I spotted a book that I wanted to buy (The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt) on the "buy one get one half price" table, and I needed to find a second for the offer. This book jumped out at me, it had a little card with a personal recommendation on it as well as having been shortlisted for the Booker Prize and winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction. I hope that I enjoy it!

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston came up while I was googling Everest books, and it made up my free book on a recent World of Books order. It's not about Everest but it does involve climbing - it's about the man who became trapped while climbing in Utah and had to amputate his own arm to free himself. I've seen the film based on the book (127 Hours), so I'm familiar with the story, and the children have both studied an extract from the book as part of their English GCSE anthology which brought the story back into my mind. I just hope that it's not too gory!

Then I have the next collection of Everest books, my current interest. Everest by Walt Unsworth is an account of Everest climbing attempts from the very beginning up until I believe around the late 1970s. Into the Silence by Wade Davis is a look at the early Everest expeditions, and High Adventure by Sir Edmund Hillary is the story of the first ascent and the work that got them there. Most of my Everest reading so far has focussed on the more recent history, so I'm looking forward to learning more about the historical climbing attempts.

Finally there's my Kindle. I rarely buy a Kindle book, so these are all ones that I've downloaded for free. There are three books borrowed from the Amazon Prime Reading Library - The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson, The Story Collector by Evie Woods and the first Bridgerton book The Duke and I by Julia Quinn. 

I also have David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, inspired by my recent read of Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Finally two recent books which I think come from Amazon First Reads - Follow Her by Anna Stothard and Her Beautiful Life by Brianna Labuskes.

I feel that I've got a really varied selection of books to read, some are quite long and detailed books and some are lighter reads. I have a mix of fiction and non-fiction, and they are all books that I'm very much looking forward to reading.

Have you read any of these? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Some books that I've enjoyed recently

I feel like I've been reading a lot over the last few weeks! And I've really been enjoying what I'm reading too - I started the year with an almost empty to be read pile and so I've been filling it up with books that I've either received as gifts, borrowed, or bought myself.

Something that I'm a bit obsessed with recently is books about Mount Everest, so I spent some time researching interesting sounding books that I wanted to read. Many of them are a bit niche or out of print, so I've been buying them from World of Books, which I always find is a great value place to buy secondhand books. 

So here are some of the books that I've really enjoyed reading recently:

No Shortcuts to the Top - Ed Viesturs. This book isn't just about Everest, it's about Ed Viestur's successful attempt to climb the 14 Peaks - all 14 mountains that are higher than 8000 metres - without supplementary oxygen. I was very pleased to discover that World of Books had sent me a signed copy! I found this book a fascinating read, with plenty of information about how to prepare for this level of mountaineering, and interesting details about logistics like clothing, food and equipment. The subject matter sounds as though it would be quite dry but it really wasn't, there was a good balance between personal stories - which included his female conquests as well as the mountaineering ones, and the dismaying reality that many mountaineers die while indulging in the hobby that they love.

Dark Summit: The Extraordinary True Story of Everest's Most Controversial Season - Nick Heil. An account of the 2006 climbing season on Everest, in which 11 people died while attempting to reach the summit. A particular focus of the book is not just the number of people that died (because many years do see a similar number of deaths) but the fact that two climbers in particular were ignored by many other groups of climbers while they lay near death. Although I'm never going to come anywhere near climbing Everest myself it's an interesting moral dilemma to grapple with - if you put yourself in a situation in which no-one can safely rescue you, should you expect people to risk their lives and those of others to try and help?

Everest Inc.: The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World - Will Cockrell. My particular interest in Everest is about the companies that take money to guide clients to the summit, and the problems that this can cause for both individuals and the mountain as a whole. This book was a great source of information about the history of climbing Mount Everest and how the industry started and continues today.

Photo credit Surya Singh via Unsplash

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. I had been wanting to read this for a while after it won many literary awards a few years ago. It didn't disappoint - I found it to be a gripping and engaging read. It's a retelling of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, and it tells the difficult story of a young boy who is born to a teenage mother with a drug addition and grows up in a variety of different foster homes. It wasn't an easy read in places but I enjoyed the slow pace of the story and all the descriptive details.

Cleopatra and Frankenstein - Coco Mellors. After loving Blue Sisters by the same author, and Goodreads reviews telling me that this book was better, I had high expectations and luckily they were met! A story of disastrous impulsive marriage, I found it to be a very readable book, quite sad in parts, with characters and their stories that really hooked me in.

As always, you can see what I've been reading and enjoying by having a look at my Goodreads profile.

How I decide what to read next

I keep all my unread books in a 'to be read' pile on my bedside table. I have a mixture of brand new books that I've purchased or received as gifts, second hand books from charity shops and online, books that I've borrowed from friends or family, and occasionally library books. I also have a slightly hidden 'to be read' collection on my Kindle - books that I've downloaded free from Amazon at various times.

Although I enjoy reading down through the pile, I don't want to actually get to the end because I enjoy having a selection of books to choose from. I read a variety of books, from light fiction to longer reads, recent releases and classics, and also plenty of non-fiction. So I want to have at least one or two books from each category to choose from!

I generally only read one book at a time, and as I approach the end I'm always eyeing up my next read. I try to mix it up, so if I've read an easy book I'll look for one with a bit more depth or I'll swap to one from a different genre.  

If I know that I've got a busy time coming up then I'll look for easy to read books, planning to pick them up and down for short bursts of reading. If I know that I've got some reading time coming up, like a long flight or a relaxing holiday, then I'll reach for a nice chunky book or a classic novel.

Photo credit John Michael Thomason via Unsplash

But how do I choose the books that I'm adding to my 'to be read' pile?

I find book recommendations in lots of places. I learn about new non-fiction books from the podcasts that I listen to, which tend to be in the wellbeing or technology niches. If I've listened to an interesting podcast I'll often have a look at the book they are plugging, read a few reviews, and see if it looks like a worthwhile read. I've found some great books this way, most recently Enshittification by Cory Doctorow and I've got my eye on The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. 

I have a friend who lends me lots of brilliant books that she's found, and I usually have one or two on loan. She is very similar to me in terms of reading taste, and I'm very grateful!

I'm always listening for people talking about books. Sometimes I'll catch a reference to an old classic book and think 'I really should read that'. The classics are usually available for free on Kindle because they are out of copyright - I've just downloaded David Copperfield after really enjoying the modern retelling Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. 

If I hear about a book that appeals but I can't justify paying full price then I'll look over on World of Books. I have a running list of books that I want to buy saved in a Notes file, and I try to buy in batches of four as they usually have a 'buy 3 get one free' promotion that covers many of their titles. World of Books is great for books that are a bit niche or out of print as the prices are very reasonable - I've been stocking up on biographical books about Everest which are expensive to buy new.

I don't really listen to any podcasts or shows about new releases, because I would find everything too tempting! But if I find out that one of my favourite authors has released a new book then I'll add it to my wish list in anticipation of a birthday or Christmas gift. I'm also often swayed by the Booker Prize shortlists, I rarely actually buy the books but I make a note of any that sound good for future reading.

Finally if I really have reached the end of my 'to be read' pile then I can always find something that I want to read in the library. Sometimes it's another book by an author that I've enjoyed, or a book that I've seen mentioned online. When I'm browsing I definitely judge a book by its cover, so at least with a library book I don't have to worry about wasting money if I've misjudged it!

I love hearing from other readers about how they choose their next book!

The books that I want to read this year

I've done very well recently working my way through my "to be read" pile which puts me in a position that I've not been in for many years - looking for some new books to read! I have some Christmas money to spend, so I'm going to be treating myself to some new books, both brand new and second-hand.

Here are some of the books that I want to read this year:

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami - I've read several books by Murakami and I really like his writing style and the surreal, magic realism elements in his stories. I've had 1Q84 in mind for a while, and when I recently found out that it's set in Tokyo I thought that it would be a good one to read in the first half of this year, before we visit Tokyo in the summer.

Everest, Inc.: The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World by Will Cockrell - I've shared that I want to indulge my interest in Everest this year, and this book seems like a highly recommended place to start when it comes to learning about the commercialisation of climbing the mountain.

Other Everest books - I've been doing some research and I'm slowly building up a list of books about Everest that I want to read. Some of these aren't available new, and I'm also conscious of my book buying budget, so I have put together an order of second hand books from World of Books. I always order books from there in groups of four as they are usually buy three get one free! So the ones that I'm starting with are Dark Summit by Nick Heil, No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed Viesturs, Left for Dead by Beck Weathers and The Other Side of Everest by Matt Dickinson. These books may well get a bit samey after a while, so I will probably spread them out over the year!

Photo credit Lauren Gray via Unsplash

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy - I've had this on my shelf for a while, but I moved it from the "to be read" shelf to my main bookshelf so that I didn't feel the pressure to read it! But I keep hearing about how good it is and I definitely want to give it a go. Just so that I can say I've read it!

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt - I've been hearing a lot about this book recently. Although it's a couple of years old now, I think that people are talking about it at the moment because the government has been discussing banning social media for under 16s. I'm really interested in social media and the effect that it has on people, especially children, and obviously having teenagers of my own it's an issue that I want to learn more about.

Finally I want to get back to the library! I've not been for months because I've had such a huge pile of books to be read beside my bed. But now that it's feeling more manageable I want to go and have a good browse in the large library near my daughter's school, and come home with a pile of new books to try.

Do you have any reading plans this year?

What I read and listened to in 2025

Happy New Year! As the New Year gets underway, I've been looking back on what I read and listened to in 2025.

What I read

I love to keep track of the books that I've read, and I've been doing this in Goodreads for a few years now. Every year I enjoy looking back over my reading year, and here are some of my stats from 2025:

I don't worry too much about the number of books, as I usually read a variety of books including some very long ones. This year I read 91 books, which compares to 115 last year, which wasn't a surprise as I knew that I had read less in 2025. But just look how much I read in October as I powered through my Kindle "To be Read" folder on a week long holiday in the Dominican Republic!

I was surprised to see that my top genre was Romance as I like to imagine that my reading tastes are more highbrow. A lot of those free Kindle reads probably fell into that category, and also at times this year I did seek out books which were a little easier to read rather than any longer classics.

What I listened to

We have the Spotify family plan so that we can all keep our listening interests separate. And although it's not cheap we definitely get our money's worth. I was quite impressed with my listening time of 7,182 minutes (119 hours) but it pales in comparison with my son who managed 61,191 minutes - that's over 1000 hours!

Here are my top stats:

Not surprisingly, Pulp are at the top, especially after the release of their new album this year which led to my three favourite songs from the album falling in my top songs list. Spotify gave me a listening age of 47 based on listening to music from the early 90s which is only a year out. However I think that my age estimate may have been lowered based on the fact that the K-Pop group Blackpink made my number two. 

This was mainly due to repeated listens to Shutdown before we went to see them in concert over the summer. I was learning the rap so that I could join in and embarrass my daughter! I also love their song Jump which reminds me of our trip to Seoul in the summer when we watched the video release of the single on a huge screen.

The top artists also reflects the amount of time I spent listening to set lists as part of our year of concerts. Maybe it spoils the surprise for some, but I like to be familiar with the songs that are going to be played so that I can make sure I know them well enough to sing along!

Reading and listening plans for 2026

My to be read pile is currently very manageable, but I'll be starting with books that I received for my birthday in October and haven't yet read!

I've decided that I want to really indulge my interest in Everest this year. I love reading accounts from climbers, and I'm particularly interested in the commercial side of climbing and the companies that take people up when they aren't quite as experienced as they should be. I've read a couple of books already, and I'm putting together a list to purchase second hand.

In terms of music I want to try and find some new-to-me music to listen to rather than just repeating through my favourites. I'm intending to look up a list of what are generally considered to be the best albums and work my way through those, as well as listening to older albums from my favourite groups where I'm only familiar with the singles.

How I make sure to always have a book on the go

Lately I've been making a big effort to reduce my screen time, and one way to do this has been to replace social media and endless scrolling with reading. It's been amazing - I can feel that my attention span has increased, and in quiet moments I've been happily spending time with my own thoughts. 

In order to make sure that I'm not tempted to pick up the phone I've been coming up with ways that I can make sure I always have a book one the go - something that I really want to read and which is always accessible.

I'm usually reading several books at the same time. I have a non-fiction book which requires more thought, a Kindle book which I've generally acquired for free at some point and can be a bit of a gamble. Finally I have a physical book which is usually one that I've bought myself or have borrowed, and it's one that I really want to read.

• My current non-fiction read - Enshittification by Cory Doctorow. Fascinating book which really makes you realise just how rubbish the technology that we use daily has become over time. 
• My current Kindle read - The Warbler by Sarah Beth Durst. This must have been an Amazon First Read, and so far it's one of the better ones!
• My current physical book read - The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman. This new book was a gift - I love this Thursday Murder Club series. 

I have regular slots in my day that I can dedicate to reading. I eat over lunch as I'm generally on my own, and sometimes at dinner too if everyone else is busy. I arrive at school early for pick up and read in the car, and I always read in bed before I go to sleep. Reading regularly means that I never lose track of where I'm up to, and I'm keen to see what happens next.

Photo credit Christin Hume via Unsplash

I have an exciting to be read pile by the bed. I prioritise books that I've borrowed, and as I come to the end of a book I always know which read is going to be next! It's very rare that I run out of books because I seem to just acquire them - I have a friend that lends me lots of books, I shop in charity shops,  I have them on my wish list for birthday and Christmas, I keep an eye on Amazon for free books, and I have a large library of my own with books that I love to re-read. I very rarely need to visit the public library!

I take a book, usually my Kindle, with me whenever I go anywhere that might involve waiting - appointments, trips on public transport, even anywhere that I might be waiting to pick someone up in the car.

I don't force it with books that I'm not enjoying. There are too many more that I want to read! So I'm never slogging away trying to finish an uninspiring read.

I don't worry about what I'm reading - whether it's intellectual enough, or what other people might think. I keep track of the books that I've read for my own interest, I don't set myself reading goals like a certain number of books in a year. I never understand challenges which say to read ten pages a day or whatever - do you just stop reading at the end of ten pages? Mid-sentence?!

If you are reading a good book at the moment I'd love to hear about it - I'm always looking for reading inspiration!

The things that make me love a book

Recently I've been making really good progress working through my to be read pile, and part of that has been becoming much more strict about the books that make it on there in the first place. I've become more inclined to put a book aside if it isn't grabbing me within the first few chapters, and I've been ruthless with some of the free books that had been piling up on my Kindle. 

It's taken me a good number of years of reading to work out what it is about a book that makes me love it! Here are some of the things that I've narrowed it down to:

Female authors and a female main character

Until a few years ago I never really thought about whether the book I was reading was written by a man or a woman. But now I've realised that although I do enjoy many books written by male authors, it's usually the female ones that really grab me. I find that they tend to focus more on relationships and characters rather than just what is happening in the plot. There is often more observational detail, and more focus a character's inner thoughts and feelings.

Plenty of description

I love books that really immerse me in a place, whether it's somewhere familiar to me or somewhere that I can learn more about. I enjoy detailed descriptions, and I tend more towards a rural or coastal setting rather than a city. For example - Where the Crawdads Sing (Delia Owens), The Paper Palace (Miranda Cowley Heller).

A twist, but not too obvious

Twists in a book are great, but I don't want to spend the whole time trying to work it out. I want to concentrate on the story, not be looking for hidden details and double meanings that might or might not end up being important. My favourite book of all time is like that - Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier) and I also enjoyed We Were Liars (E. Lockhart). But the best twist in a book that I've read comes in I Let You Go (Claire Mackintosh).

An element that leaves me thinking

I'm especially drawn to speculative fiction, stories that are set just a few years in the future but where things have changed either as a result of society or technology. Some of my favourite examples are The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood), Klara and the Sun (Kazuo Ishiguru), The School for Good Mothers (Jessamine Chan) and Never Let Me Go (Kazuo Ishiguru). I like to be left with something unsettling to ponder.

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Unreliable narrators

I enjoy books that are narrated by a character that you can't be sure is telling the complete truth, and where you have to read between the lines to work out what is really going on. Many of Kazuo Ishiguru's books fall in to this category, and one of my favourites is The Remains of the Day. I also like books that are written as a stream of consciousness, like I Capture the Castle (Dodie Smith). Rebecca ticks this box too - so much of the book is things that don't actually happen, they are just imagined by the narrator.

Booker Prize shortlisted books and winners

For some reason, Booker Prize shortlisted books and winners always seem to appeal to me. Recently I've loved Orbital (Samantha Harvey, winner in 2024) and Great Circle (Maggie Shipstead, shortlisted in 2021). I would love to have the funds to be able to buy the Booker Prize shortlist every year when it's announced! World of Books, where I buy second hand books when I'm after a specific title, even has a dedicated section on their website for previous Booker prize books which is very handy.

A nice cover

Yes I know, I'm shallow! But the cover of a book does make a difference to me when I'm browsing, especially in the library or a charity shop when there is less money changing hands and less pressure to pick the perfect book. Covers are very carefully chosen by a publisher, and I can usually tell from a cover what type of book it is. Or at least I know which ones to avoid - like those with gory pictures!

What do you find grabs you in a book?

A look at my current 'to be read' pile

Back in June I shared my to be read pile, and it's changed quite a lot since then as I've been making a big effort to sort through it! So I thought I'd do a little update post. Here's how it looked in June:

And here is how it is currently looking:

Yes that's right, just five books! You may notice that two of the heavy hitters, War and Peace and the Steve Jobs autobiography have vanished. They had been there a long time and I was not realistically going to read them when there are so many other lovely books around. I will hang on to War and Peace because I really would like to read it someday, but I found the Steve Jobs book very dry so that's heading for the charity shop!

The remaining books are:

The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon - This is a book that I like to dip in and out of so I like to keep it by the bed.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami - I enjoy Murakami's books but I've not really got into this one yet, it's not a long book, I just need to make a start.

Demon Copperfield by Barbara Kingsolver - This was a recent World of Books purchase and I'm really looking forward to getting to it because it sounds right up my street. I'm saving it to take on holiday!

A Saunterer in Sussex by A. A. Evans - One of my Dad's books that caught my eye, it's a series of chapters about walks through various locations and landmarks in Sussex. I'm about halfway through, it's quite a dry and old-fashioned read but I'm enjoying it.

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks - Another book that I'm halfway through. It's an interesting non-fiction read, filled with case histories of patients with different neurological disorders. I put it down because I found that it was getting a bit repetitive, so now I've had a break I'll be picking it up again!

Now this might seem good, but conspicuous by it's absence is my Kindle!

Currently there are 17 items in my To Be Read collection, which is actually better than it was a few days ago when I had a bit of a cull. Most of these books are part of the Amazon First Reads scheme which offers one or two free books a month to Prime members. These are mainly all new books by new authors, and it's a great way to find new writers. Unfortunately I have found that they can be a bit hit and miss, with quite a few more misses than hits. So now that some of them have been out long enough to build up reviews on Goodreads I've been a bit ruthless with removing the ones that are getting terrible reviews, or the ones that haven't grabbed me after the first few chapters.

I have a holiday coming up and I'm hoping to fit in plenty of reading time, I really want to get those Kindle books down, and I also want to get back into the habit of going to the library because I have a huge list of new books that I want to read!

What reading gives me

I've always been a reader. I read quite widely - various genres, historical and modern novels, long and short books, mainly fiction but also non-fiction. I always have a book on the go, as well as a 'to be read' pile on my bedside table, and a notes document detailing the books that I want to add to my collection.  

I've been reading even more lately as I try to replace screen time with books, and it led me to reflect on all the benefits that being a regular reader gives me.

At the moment, I'm really noticing how reading helps with my ability to focus. Not just when I'm actually reading, but I'm finding that in situations when I can't read (for example when I'm exercising or cooking) I'm quite happy to just think my own thoughts. Especially if I'm reading a book which has really grabbed my interest - I'll be thinking about the characters and scenarios.

I love a book that gives me an insight into a different time or culture. Particularly those written by women about women - I like to learn about how life has changed over time. I'm especially drawn to books written and set before the internet and smartphones. Like classic novels where people write long, descriptive letters to each other and spend time together just enjoying each other's company.

I prefer to read in long, uninterrupted stretches, especially in bed at the end of the day. But that doesn't happen very often so I have to find moments when I can - I read while eating lunch, in the car while I wait at school pick up, when I find myself with a few spare minutes during the day. I find it relaxing and a way to switch off from what's around me.

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Sometimes reading a book will inspire me to try something new. If I read a book about someone that grows vegetables then then it makes me want to get out in my own garden, or I might feel like trying a new way of cooking or a new craft. I enjoy books about people that make positive changes in their lives and it helps me to think about things that I could change.

There are some books that I turn to when I need some help in stressful times. I have a whole shelf of comfort reading books which are mainly children's books - The Swish of the Curtain series, A Little Princess, the Little House on the Prairie books. I can pick them up, I know exactly what will happen, and can often finish them in just a few sittings. 

Reading is so important to me, and I want to make sure that I'll always be a reader even as screens become more and more addictive!

Why I like to keep track of the books that I've read

I've been tracking my reading for a long time now - I joined Goodreads back in 2013! I have tried other ways of remembering the books I've read but they just didn't work for me. Before that for a short time I used a physical reading journal but I felt obliged to offer some insightful thoughts about each book, and that put me off. 

When I record a book that I've read I very rarely add a review - instead I just want to keep a note of the title, author, dates read and a vague star rating. My Goodreads star ratings are quite skewed because I don't think I've ever rated a book less than three stars - if a book is that bad I just stop reading it!

I usually have too many books in my to be read pile to keep track of them separately. Instead I only add a book when I start reading it and I don't update my progress as I go along, I just log that it's finished and select my rating. I like the idea of sharing the information with friends and family like a social media account, but I only have a few friends that use it!

I usually try not to read the reviews that others have left on a book. Often I think that someone will write a provocative review in order to get more views/comments and raise their own profile. I also don't like reading the bad reviews of a book that I've really enjoyed as it makes me wonder if I was just too stupid to notice something negative about it!

Tracking my reading helps me in two ways. Firstly I enjoy looking back on the books that I've read. I don't keep a count for the year or have any other kind of reading goals, but I do like to look back at the end of year summary that Goodreads provides and see some stats about what I've read. My favourite insights are my most and least popular books as shelved by other users, and the average book length.

Secondly, I've lost count of the times that I've gone to add the book I'm reading into Goodreads and discovered that I've already read it. On one occasion I had finished it just three months prior! I'm terrible at remembering the titles of books that I've read, especially if I've read them on my Kindle. Without having a physical book in front of me I'm often not even quite sure of the title of the book that I'm currently reading!

Do you track the books that you've read, and if so how?

Some books that I've enjoyed recently - September 2025

Every now and then I love to share some books that I've really enjoyed recently, thinking that some of my readers might enjoy them too. These books were all borrowed from a friend with excellent reading taste that is kind enough to keep me supplied with fantastic books!

Four Seasons in Japan by Nick Bradley

I love books about Japan, and as I mentioned recently I'm in the process of planning a trip to Japan next year so I'm eagerly lapping up anything that might inspire me. This book is a story within a story, set in Tokyo but framing a narrative set in the smaller town of Onomichi. Onomichi wasn't on my original itinerary, but I'm very tempted to add it in because it sounds like a lovely place! 

The story follows Flo, a translator from Japanese to English, who has no work, has ended her relationship and is struggling with her direction in life. By chance she discovers an unknown book left behind by a fellow passenger on the Tokyo metro and is drawn to working on a translation, even without being able to trace the author. The book alternates between Flo's experiences as she translates the book, and the entire text of the short novel that she is working on, which is the story of Kyo who comes to live with his Grandmother in a rural town so that he can focus on his studies and pass his failed medical school exams. 

I loved how the book travelled with the reader through the different seasons, and I loved reading about the relationships between the characters. It was beautifully written, and the descriptions really brought the locations to life for me. 

Abroad in Japan by Chris Broad

This was another book about Japan, which I was reading while taking notes at the same time. It's a biography by a YouTuber that I was unfamiliar with but am now following. He talks about how he moved to Japan as part of the Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, working as an English teacher in rural Japan. The first part of the book shares his experiences as he settles down to life in Japan, and then he goes on to talk about how making videos about daily life in Japan led to his career as a YouTuber. 

It was a really interesting read, especially about daily life in Japan and the challenges of adapting to a new culture. Even if you only have a very slight interest in Japan, the fascinating anecdotes make it a really interesting read.

Photo credit David Emrich via Unsplash

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This book from the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was a great read, although it did give me anxiety while I was reading it! It's about a woman whose husband is in a helicopter crash and presumed dead. They had lived a life filled with adventure, escaping from the small town where they grew up, but after his death she returns home and falls in love with a man from her childhood and they build a life together in the town that she left behind. But just after they get engaged her husband calls her, he is alive and has survived on a remote island with just the thought of returning home to her to keep him going.

I couldn't imagine how this story could possibly have a happy ending, and I was desperate to keep reading to find out how it would resolve itself. I won't spoil the ending, but I was relieved to find that it did reach a satisfactory conclusion!

Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

A story about four very different sisters and their complicated relationships. When Nicky dies unexpectedly, her sisters Avery, Bonnie and Lucky reunite in their childhood home and learn to navigate their grief, addiction and heartbreak. I loved the strong characterisation of the sisters and it was very readable. 

All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

This was quite a dark read, a coming of age tale dealing with themes of abduction and murder. One of those stories when you aren't quite sure if you are reading the imaginings of an unreliable narrator, and you want to keep reading to find out exactly what is going on. It was quite a long read, but it kept me interested with lots of twists and turns.

This was a great selection of books which I enjoyed very much. If want to see what I'm reading now, you can follow my reading over on my Goodreads account.

Looking at my current to be read pile

A few months ago I shared a photo of my to be read pile, and with my summer reading to plan I thought I'd give an update. 

Here's what the to be read shelf on my bedside table looked like in March:

And here is how it is looking now:

I think the first thing to notice is that two large books are still very much present and correct - Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson and War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. They are among six books on the shelf that have a bookmark in but are not finished. I think that it may be time to be realistic and admit defeat on these two, or at least transfer them to a different location. They take up a lot of space and are not likely to be read in the near future. 

But I do definitely want to read the others! There are a couple of Haruki Murakami books which won't take long to read and then there is some non-fiction which I've picked up in charity shops and a couple of older local history books which were my Dad's. 

The reason that I need to make some space is that I have been kindly lent another lovely pile of books from a friend that I am very much looking forward to reading. I would much rather have these ones stacked up by the bed! They all look so good that I can't even decide which one to start with.

Then there is my Kindle which is filled with unread books, at least twenty, that I've downloaded as free Amazon First Reads, from the Amazon Prime library or just as free Kindle books that I spotted. They are easy to forget about because they aren't as visible, but I know that there are some good ones there that I want to get to. There are even a few books on my Amazon wish list which perhaps don't really count because I haven't actually bought them yet, but they are still lurking in the background calling 'read me! read me!'

Hopefully I can make some time over the summer and get caught up a bit!

Some books that I've enjoyed recently - June 2025

I decided it's time again for another post about some books that I've loved recently! I track all the books that I'm reading over on Goodreads, and these are books that I've awarded a five star rating. 

First up are a couple of re-reads:

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is one of my favourite books, and I've read it several times. It's set mainly in Saint Malo in occupied France and follows the story of Marie-Laure, a young blind woman and Werner, a young German man. Their stories are told through flashbacks as they grow up, and their stories collide when Marie-Laura begins to work for the resistance using her radio and Werner is enlisted to use his talent with the devices to track them down. It's really well written and I enjoy seeing the very different stories come together.

I also re-read Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler. Delia is a 40-something woman who, when out at the beach one day with her unappreciative family, goes for a walk and doesn't come back. She starts a whole new life, finding her own place to live, a job and new friends, which is something that I think many people have fantasised about! There's a lot to unpick about her relationship with her husband and how she has found herself at that point and although I don't find the ending particularly satisfying I do find it an enjoyable read

Next a couple that I picked up in charity shops:

The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly was a book that I had never heard of, but I was interested to read it because it is inspired by the puzzle book Masquerade by Kit Williams which I remember reading about when I was younger. Masquerade was a picture puzzle book which contained clues leading to a buried golden hare. In this book, the narrator's father has created a similar book which contains hidden clues to various parts of a golden skeleton. Over the years people have become obsessive about finding all the pieces, in particular the final missing pelvis, and some even believe that they need to kill her in order to complete the skeleton. I did find the book a little long and rambling, but the excitement of the story was enough to keep me caught up in it!

Then I spotted The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré which I was keen to read. Set in Nigeria, it tells the story of a teenage girl called Adunni who longs for an education but instead is married at the age of 14 by her father, after her mother has died. She manages to run away and finds work as a maid, and although her situation there isn't much better she is determined to improve herself. It's a difficult read in terms of the content, but it's very well written and kept me hoping that Adunni would find her escape and have the happy ending that she deserved.

Finally a couple that I've inherited:

My copy of The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy belonged to my Grandma, and I retrieved it recently when visiting my Mum. It contains all three novels and two interludes and it's a long read - it took me several weeks! It was a little difficult to get into at first because there are many characters (often with the same names) and complicated relationships, but I'm glad that I stuck with it because once I got going I really enjoyed it. It follows the members of an upper middle class English family at the beginning of the 20th century. I enjoyed it for the well-written and fleshed out characters, the descriptive settings, and how it reflected a changing society.

Hurricane Force: The Story of the Storm of 1987 by George Hill was one of my Dad's books, a non-fiction account of the Great Storm which hit mainly southern England in October 1987. It was a few days before my 8th birthday and I do have some memories of that night - hearing the roaring wind, a tree falling down on the main road, my poor Dad's greenhouse being flattened - but it was really interested to read about the wider events in both my area and further afield, as well as across the Channel. The book was written soon after the storm and it is rather pessimistic when it talks about the long-term impact of the storm. I do remember the huge uprooted trees in the forest, but I feel like the recovery from the storm wasn't as bad as was predicted, for example Chanctonbury Ring near me was significantly damaged but it was replanted and is now pretty much regrown. Although of course it has been nearly 40 years, time flies!

Quite a varied selection of books this time I think!

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